How do you go to 1-4 on the season?
You lose a 17-0 lead. You have a run defense with no answers. You can’t muster enough on offense, either.
Here are 10 thoughts on the game:
1. Player of the Game: Carolina running back Rico Dowdle had 206 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. That’s a 9-yard average. Nine! He had runs of 53 and 43 yards in the second half. For perspective, he had 83 yards on 28 carries on the season entering Sunday. But then that fed into …
2. Stat of the Game: Carolina had 32 carries for 239 yards. And they only had 5 yards rushing on two carries in the first quarter. So, they had 228 yards rushing on 26 carries the rest of the way. This, after the Jets ran for 199 yards. The Dolphins couldn’t have asked to play a much better offense to help them, too. Carolina entered Sunday ranked 25th at 100.3 rushing yards a game and 22nd with a 3.9-average. Plus, their starting running back, Chubba Hubbard, was out injured. Enter Dowdle. Down 17-0, Dowdle ran for 11 and 14 yards to open a possession that started Carolina’s climb back into the game. Carolina had 13 carries for 83 yards after ending the half with a touchdown and field goal. Then came the Dolphins entered the game as the 30th rushing defense (158 yards a game) and 28th (5.1 yards a carry). Carolina only had 5 yards rushing in the first quarter. It made up for that the rest of the game.
3. By comparison, the Dolphins struggled running the ball. Fourteen carries, 19 yards. That’s it. They’d shown signs of having a productive running game in recent weeks, and Carolina’s defense ranked 23rd against the run entering Sunday.
4. Tua Tagovailoa threw a 46-yard touchdown to Jaylen Waddle with 4:42 left to put the Dolphins back up, 24-20. That could’ve been the game-winner. But after Carolina scored, the Dolphins got the ball back with 1:59 left and Tua threw two incompletions and was sacked for at third time on the day. Carolina only had two sacks entering the day.
5. It’s too early to think Darren Waller is the Comeback Player of the Year. But not too early to make him the frontrunner. After retiring last season, he’s become Tua’s new friend. Waller had five catches for 78 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s first half. He’s still not playing full-time, either, as this was just his second game after a personal preseason of three practices before the Jets game last week. He played 16 snaps with four catches and a TD against the Jets. On Sunday, he had the touchdown and three first downs in his first five catches that included 34- and 21-yard gains.
6. The Dolphins defense didn’t have a takeaway the first three games — and has five in the past two. That’s the good news you could muster out of Sunday After recovering three New York Jets fumbles, they took advantage of Bryce Young misplays in the first half on Sunday. On the first, Bradley Chubb surprised Young to the point the Carolina quarterback dropped the ball. Chubb picked it up and the Dolphins started a possession at their 41 that ended in an Achane TD catch. On the next Carolina play, Young threw badly over the middle and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick had the Dolphins’ first interception of the year. That possession resulted in Waller’s touchdown catch that made it 17-0.
8. How did the Dolphins try to replace Tyreek Hill? Well, Waddle made the kind of TD catch that could have been the story of the day. He had six catches for 110 yards in a big day. Waller sure helped in the first half. The player activated in Hill’s place, Malik Washington, had four catches for zero yards. That shows how life became more difficult and space not as available when defenses weren’t paying attention to Hill. De’Von Achane had a 10-yard touchdown. Julien Hill end had three catches for 20 yards as an outlet receiver – one more catch than he had the opening four games. Likewise, Tanner Connor had two catches for 16 yards Sunday when had just three previously. A lot of targets. But not much production.
9. Quick Hits:
*Jaelan Phillips got his first sack of the season in the third quarter.
*Tua sliding a yard short of the first down in the third quarter is what you accept considering his health concerns.
*Linebacker Tyrel Dodson left in the second half with a head injury.
*Carolina took a delay of game after its 53-yard run, another before a third-quarter punt and had to call time-out to not be penalized for 12 men on the field on defense. Not the hallmark of organization.
*Running back Jaylen Wright was made inactive for the first time, a predictable decision considering he hasn’t had a carry this season.
10. Los Angeles Chargers at Dolphins. The Chargers played host to Washington on Sunday. They’re trying not to be a tease team, as they do just enough to offer they might be a good team with three straight wins and then they lose to the New York Giants. Jim Harbaugh would love to pound the ball on the Dolphins, but he doesn’t have the offensive line considering their three top linemen might be out in tackles Rashawn Slater (out for year) and Joe Alt (high ankle sprain) and guard Mekhi Bekton (concussion). The Dolphins pass rush will have its chances as quarterback Justin Herbert was under pressure 50 of 88 dropbacks the previous two games before Sunday.
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