Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel wants his top offensive playmakers to be more involved.
The Indianapolis Colts made sure Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle had no chance to make a difference on Sunday.
The speedy Hill was held to one catch for 8 yards and one carry for 5 yards while Waddle caught just one pass for 11 yards in another disappointing performance from the league’s lowest-scoring team.
“I think everyone (opponents) are chasing that goal because they know how good they are,” McDaniel said after the 16-10 loss. “They (the defenders) admitted at times that they had minimized their involvement in certain things that they could do in their game. However, this game, I didn’t see that. So you have to keep solving problems. Sometimes you think you’ve solved the problem, then you find out you haven’t.
The Dolphins (2-4) certainly didn’t find many solutions on Sunday.
Quarterback Tyler Huntley left in the third quarter after injuring his throwing shoulder, the latest chapter in a season where the Dolphins have already used four quarterbacks. Huntley was still trying to acclimate to his hometown team’s playbook during last week’s bye and when he left, Tim Boyle replaced him.
With De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert and Huntley leading the way on the ground, the Dolphins rushed for 188 yards. But in addition to connecting with Jonnu Smith seven times for 96 yards and a score, they struggled through the air and Mostert lost a fumble that Indy (4-3) converted into its only touchdown of the game.
The result: Miami scored just 10 points against a defense that entered Week 7 ranked near the bottom of the league in total yards, passing yards and receiving yards.
“I thought they were phenomenal throughout the game. They really thought about their role thoroughly and tried to do everything they could to win the football game,” McDaniel said, referring to Waddle and Hill. “It was frustrating this match because I didn’t expect the match to go this way. I have to find a way, especially when they are doing their job at a high level. They were very involved in the running game in and contrary to popular belief, they play every play.”
But it’s not just about the receivers.
Miami also committed six penalties, lost turnover margin, missed a 54-yard field goal that would have tied the score at 13 with 5:14 to play and was unable to rally with Boyle leading the final drive before to return the ball on downs. .
One solution would be to activate quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from injured reserve on Monday, something McDaniel refused to address after the game. The quickest solution would be to come up with a game plan to get Hill and Waddle in sync.
“They’re one of 11 in terms of passing, but sometimes they just demand a lot of attention and emphasis from the defense, which gives other guys opportunities,” McDaniel said. “But we have to take advantage of these opportunities, and I have to find ways to engage them.”
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