Miami vice: The place does Dolphins’ loss to Payments depart them?

Henry McKenna

AFC East Reporter

The snow began simply because the Buffalo Payments tied the Miami Dolphins within the fourth quarter. It wasn’t only a flurry. It was a strong winter storm in Buffalo that shortly coated the sector at Highmark Stadium in the course of the Payments’ 32-29 win on Saturday evening.

Josh Allen has been there and achieved that. The person performs soccer like he was raised in a snow globe for goodness' sake. The Payments quarterback has performed in situations like Saturday’s snowstorm — and much worse.

However Tua Tagovailoa? The Hawaiian? The Alabama prospect turned Miami QB? Not a lot.

So it felt just like the Dolphins’ benefit within the sport shifted considerably with the Payments’ tying landing and the onslaught of snow.

The Fins' offense ran 5 performs after the arrival of the heavy climate, and whereas they drove for 32 yards, they got here up with none factors. They punted.

Miami didn’t get the ball again, both, because the Payments managed the clock with a 15-play, 86-yard, six-minute drive that concluded with a area objective on the buzzer. The Dolphins’ secondary struggled — with rookie cornerback Kader Kohou letting up a number of catches and committing a defensive cross interference penalty within the closing minute. (Kohou grew up in Texas, a largely snow-free state.) 

Quickly, the Payments have been in a snug field-goal spot on the 4-yard line. And whereas one might argue there isn’t a "comfy" field-goal spot in a storm this intense, kicker Trevor Bass hammered the ball by means of the uprights and loved the snow with a celebratory slide.

"I do know lots of people wish to make it concerning the climate," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel stated postgame. "Our crew by no means did. And it was cool for you guys to speak about, but it surely was extra concerning the soccer gamers on the soccer area."

Yeah, however that soccer area was coated in snow.

The Dolphins put up a struggle. It actually appeared like they may pull off the upset in Buffalo. The recipe was there. Tua fired downfield passes to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill for touchdowns. Possibly Tagovailoa wasn’t having his greatest sport — he accomplished simply 56% of his passes — however he capitalized upon huge alternatives. He fired the ball into gaps within the Payments protection and located spots to assist his receivers rating.

It was a tea-leaves sport for Tua. Folks will see what they wish to see. Had Miami received, everybody would proclaim the southpaw "again." They’d run the highlights of Tua’s landing to Hill. There have been sufficient big-time throws. However there have been additionally the misses and the wrong or inadvisable passes. And sadly, these throws will turn into the focal point.

Contemplating the Payments received it on their lengthy drive, the blame falls totally on the Dolphins' protection. The unit had its moments. Go-rusher Jaelan Phillips opened the fourth quarter with a strip-sack that gave Miami an opportunity to take a two-score lead. However its offense subsequently let its protection down, placing up only a area objective following the turnover to make it 29-21.

Even McDaniel appeared to have a little bit of an off day. On third-and-short, he leaned into his passing offense. On a traditional day, that will make sense. However towards the Payments, the Dolphins averaged 7.5 yards per carry. 

Regardless of me furiously tweeting in-game that McDaniel ought to run the ball, he didn't. Apparently, he was not retaining observe of my stay tweets. If he had been, he in all probability would’ve pointed to the Waddle rating, a 67-yard landing on third-and-4. It is technically not a short-yardage state of affairs however an optimum outcome nonetheless. That stated, within the second half, the Dolphins confronted three third downs once they wanted three yards or fewer. They threw it each time. They didn't convert each time. They completed 5 of 14 on third downs. Which leaves us with this:

1. The Dolphins weren't ok to beat the No. 1 crew within the AFC on the street.
2. However additionally they performed effectively.
3. It wasn't the most effective they've performed.
4. Miami made progress.

All 4 of these issues will be true on the similar time.

The issue is that their progress is coming throughout a three-game shedding streak close to the tip of the season — once they must be successful. 

Miami (8-6) will host the Inexperienced Bay Packers subsequent week, then play on the New England Patriots earlier than ending at dwelling towards the New York Jets. That’s a tricky end. Proper now, the Dolphins narrowly personal the No. 6 seed within the AFC and have a 66% probability of creating the playoffs, per FiveThirtyEight.com. In the event that they beat the Packers, that determine jumps to 76%. In the event that they lose, their possibilities fall to 46%.

I will depart you with a higher reality about this sport.

The actual reality and nothing but it surely.

This sport got here right down to Josh Allen. That’s how the Payments (11-3) received it. They've the most effective soccer participant on the planet — or second-best behind Patrick Mahomes. Sure, this can be a crew sport. However typically people take over. That’s what Allen did.

That is what the Dolphins should wrestle with. If they offer the Payments something however their greatest, Allen will beat the Dolphins. He is that good.

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Previous to becoming a member of FOX Sports activities because the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years masking the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports activities Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Observe him on Twitter at @McKennAnalysis.

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