Any time your defense keeps an opponent out of the endzone, that is praiseworthy. So hat’s off to the defense.
But there are some nuances here. First, the Vikings had a walk-in touchdown at the end that they chose not to score. So let’s not give our defense TOO much praise for not allowing a TD.
Second, we continue a gloomy streak: it’s been about 4 decades since the Dolphins were able to cover an opposing tight end. It doesn’t matter if the TE is a starter or an unknown 3-string bum. Black or white, slow or fast. We have no game plan. Ever. 14 completions out of 14 targets. One Hundred Percent of the time they tried to throw to the TE yesterday, it worked. Disgusting game planning.
To make matters worse, our D had been getting to Murray and harrassing him well all day. We caused sacks. We caused 3-and-outs. But then the Vikings adjusted. Adjusted. That’s a word unfamiliar to Dolphin coaches for decades.
Instead of looking for WRs, Murray simply tossed it to his wide open TE. Suddenly the sacks stopped late in the game (when we needed a stop most). The incompletions stopped. The Dolphins chances stopped.
All because the Vikes told Murray to toss it to the TE. The entire world saw this adjustment by the Vikes except for Jeff Hafley.
Toward the end of the game, Hafley blew his clock management for the second week in a row. He doesn’t understand basic clock strategy, and I’m tired of hearing that he’s a rookie coach and will learn. Nope. He must have learned it already at this point, but he hasn’t.
Here’s an example, we tackled the Vikings in bounds with the clock running and 2:06 left in the game, and Hafley called a timeout. Calling that timeout prevented the Vikings from running off 6 seconds (and then the 2-minute warning stops the clock).
The correct move is to let the 6 seconds tick away and get a free stoppage. That way, you save a timeout and prevent the Vikings from burning 45 seconds between plays. Poor poor decisionmaking.
I’m also disappointed in Hafley for not fighting more on some of the ridiculous calls that screwed us. I know the refs are not gonna change their mind just because Hafley yelled at them. I also know the NFL won’t care that the Dolphins were screwed on several calls (simply because we’re not a big national team like KC or Dallas). That being said, Hafley still needs to get in the refs’ faces.
There were 2 separate instances where the refs ASSUMED they had seen something that did not exist. They literally made their calls based on what they THINK happened, not what they actually saw.
Ollie Gordon went to the ground untouched, rolled back up, and scored a TD. The cameras clearly showed he was untouched. But somehow, the refs assumed he was touched. A touch that no one saw. How is this not huge national news as the worst call of the week? Because Hafley and Ross didn’t even know they got screwed.
And then there was the laughable tipped punt. I guess your don’t need clear video evidence to overrule calls that help the Dolphins. You just need things to appear close enough where maybe he possibly might have touched the ball. Garbage officiating.
Then there was the play where Malik fumbled the ball forward. The Vikings fought to recover the ball. The Dolphins, clearly not knowing the rules, stood around. The result? Vikings ball.
The announcer made a comment about how the Dolphins WRs can be taught to go after those loose balls. CAN be taught?? Not taught already? Not knowing it already? Not getting chewed out by their head coach? (who I seriously doubt didn’t knew the rule either).
All in all, I’m glad we got close, and I do see a win coming this season. And I give Hafley’s defense some props, but in the grand scheme, Hafley has a lot of improving to do.
And let’s not forget Malik Washington muffing FOUR SEPARATE punts/kickoffs. Four! Worst special teams in NFL history. Again. Every year. How is this possible?