endurable (adj) – capable of being endured
The Miami Dolphins helped veteran Aaron Rodgers turn back the clock in a home game on Sunday that was way closer than it had any right to be.
“A win is always better than a loss.” — EgregiousPhilbin, philosopher
But some wins are better than others.
This wasn’t one of those.
Not the most confidence instilling defense
The Dolphins’ defense did everything in their power to keep things close. Not by playing lights out, mind you, but by allowing the New York Jets to march down the field with alarming regularity to the tune of 26 points.
The aforementioned Rodgers, seemingly on the downside of his career, went 27/39 for 339 yards (the first such game for him in 35 outings), 1 TD, and 0 INTs.
Star running back Breece Hall didn’t play and was replaced by a combination of two rookies: Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, who combined for 83 yards on 21 carries.
Wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams both topped 100 yards receiving (114 and 109 respectively).
The Jets punted twice and it took a visit to overtime for the Fins to come out on top.
All in all: not reassuring.
Communication in the secondary was dreadful with multiple missed assignments and receivers running free. Linebackers were an even bigger problem. The Jets’ rookie running backs were absolutely handing it to Anthony Walker. Tackling was (again) an issue and the defensive scheme didn’t help by backing the DBs off the line further than the yards to gain for a first down.
New York had the 31st ranked offense coming into the game and Miami made sure to help that rank rise.
If this was early in the season, a lot could be overlooked or forgiven. But for a team that has to win out in order to meet their newly adjusted expectations of simply backing into the playoffs, we all expected better against a 3-9 team playing on the road.
People will point to the Jets having lost a number of close games this year and maybe not being as bad as their record, but those people are still rooting for a 3 win team.
The Jets aren’t good. But the Dolphins’ defense made them look like they could be.
A shootout with BB guns
“What about the offense?” you shriek into the ever encroaching night sky, a shroud of darkness mere moments from swallowing you entirely.
“They were okay.” a disembodied voice calls from the bleak horizon.
You’ll be fine.
Miami’s offense had another hot start, a theme that I was hoping would become a hallmark of this season. Their first 4 drives, aka every one of the first half, resulted in points (a touchdown followed by 3 field goals). That’s nice. Real nice.
Of course, two of those drives stalled near or in the red zone (the NYJ 21 yard line and 6 yard line), but the last drive of the first half went 31 yards in 47 seconds to earn a half time lead with a field goal. The hurry up looked great there and I think we’d all feel a lot better if we saw more of that in the offensive game plan.
The second half was more of a struggle, seeing the Dolphins punt 3 times. It seemed like the Jets (much like many teams as of late) kept two high safeties out nearly all game, forcing the Fins to operate underneath. They took those opportunities (hence Tua’s 70% completion percentage), but something was off about the whole operation.
If it’s two-high all day, how do none of our sentient sports cars playing wide receiver cause defenders to miss tackles?
I don’t know if it’s great defense or poor play design or overhyped talent or something else entirely. I don’t really know anything.
In the backfield, 2.3 yards/carry is all the running game could muster (44 yds and 19 carries), which is pitiful. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle showed up well with 115 yards (and a TD) and 99 yards receiving. Jonnu Smith got involved at the 11th hour, providing nearly all of the offense in overtime with 3 recs for 44 yards and the game winning touchdown.
So why did it feel so lackluster?
They won, after all.
I guess, for me, it’s the reality that it took overtime to beat a 3 win team at home who trotted out the same defensive scheme Miami’s seen for the bulk of this season.
The numbers looked good. The players looked good. The playcalling was good (at least in spurts). And 32 points should be enough to beat a lot of teams.
I just don’t trust something about it. Maybe it’s the lifelong Dolphin fan in me who knows how seasons end. But squeaking out a win against this Jets team doesn’t fill me with as much warm holiday cheer as a gallon of moonshine mixed with turpentine typically does.
Patrick Paul got some meaningful reps
One nice takeaway from this game was the play of rookie second-round tackle Patrick Paul.
Pundits projected him as a project coming into the season and, yes, it’s one game and no, he didn’t set the world on fire, but he did a nice job stepping in for Terron Armstead after what may have been TA’s last game, depending on the severity of his latest injury and his desire to continue playing thereafter.
Having a new anchor on the offensive line would just be the bee’s knees.
The offensive line has been the bugaboo of Dolphins teams for as long as the planets have been orbiting around the Earth, so eliminating the need for one fifth of that unit for the foreseeable future would be nothing short of amazing, especially with a player on a rookie contract for the next few years.
Next week the Fins face the Houston Texans (8-5). It’s the next in the line of four remaining ‘must win’ games, but it comes with an immediate tough test of Paul’s abilities, assuming he’s the new starter going forward.
He’ll face a Houston pass rush that has enough talent to really tax the youngster, so everyone willl get to see just what level he’s made it to while learning from Armstead during his first season.
Hopefully it’s the top level.
And hopefully he can stay there for a long, long time.
Will the real Jason Sanders please stand up?
Following the Fins’ first drive, which resulted in a touchdown, kicker Jason Sanders wasn’t feeling much like making kicks. To illustrate his stance, he missed an extra point wide left, leaving the offense with 6 points where normally there are 7.
In an inexplicably close game, such a misstep could have come back to bite the Dolphins in a dreadful way.
Fortunately, later in the game and with more on the line, he nailed a 52 yarder to send it into overtime.
Historically, Sanders has fluctuated between good and bad years. His FG% went from 90% as a rookie to 77%, then 92%, back down to 74%.
His last three years have hovered in the 80s at 81%, 86%, and currently 87%.
For every wonky miss, he’ll follow up with a clutch make.
I don’t think I have a point here. He’s probably the best option the Dolphins have. Plus, they have way too many other issues to address before adding kicker to the list.
There’s a Jason Sanders in all of us.
Miami is hanging on like an old ornament
The holidays are fast approaching, as are the playoffs, and the Dolphins’ hopes are hanging on like an ornament on a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
Obviously losing to the Jets would have put a nail in that proverbial coffin, but barely sneaking past them doesn’t make us fans feel all that merry and bright moving forward.
The team goes on the road next week to face Houston. Then, it will play the 49ers in its final home game of the year before playing a pair of away games to close out the season against Cleveland and the Jets (again).
All of those games are winnable. Technically every game is winnable. You just need to score more than your opponent. R.I.P. John Madden.
If Miami plays like they did this week against Houston and San Francisco, it’s very likely they come away with losses. We know that level of performance can beat the Jets (barely). It might even be good enough to beat the Browns.
But if they really want to make the playoffs and make making the playoffs mean something more than a participation trophy, they’re going to need the defense to get it together and the offense to fire on all cylinders.
Otherwise, their stockings will be full of coal forged from the fiery remnants of their 2024 season.