The Miami Dolphins have lost two straight after winning three in a row. Dolphins have fallen to 4-4 overall.
The record does not lie.
Dolphins played nationally on Sunday night football, which rarely happens, against a stumbling Oakland Raiders team to lose 27-24 at home blowing a significant opportunity remarkably when Jay Cutler played well.
The Raiders have been struggling this year especially with their quarterback Derek Carr out for a couple of games however the Dolphins beat themselves. Dolphins had eleven penalties for 107 yards. They made a late rally, but it was too late.
After the 40-0 disaster to the second-worst offense in the NFL at the time the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Adam Gase threw out some trash leading up to the Raiders game. Gase addressed to the media players were not doing their homework or studying their playbook.
“Offensively it is a joke,” Gase stated. “You have too many guys that don’t want to take it home with them.”
“When we win what happens is everybody brushes it under the rug and just tells everybody how great they are,” Gase added. “We have been embarrassed three times in three losses. Maybe at some point what we are saying might make some sense.”
Gase called out the best players on the team but made mention and gave an example of a position on the side.
“That’s on the running back. We have to stop trying to hit home runs all the time. How about you take the four-five yards we are going to get.” Gase stated. “Do your job. That is what you have to do. It is not hard.”
Voila. Like Magic, the running back Jay Ajayi was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2018 fourth-round draft pick before the 4 pm trade deadline. A Pro Bowl running back at the age of 24 is off of the Dolphins team. Ajayi was only the second, fourth-round selection to be a named to the Pro Bowl in a Dolphins uniform; defensive tackle Paul Soliali was the first. Chances of another Pro Bowl player in the fourth round is nearly like lightning striking twice in a bottle.
The Dolphins’ worst-in-the-NFL offense again struggled to the run the ball in its first game since trading running back Ajayi. Replacement Kenyan Drake had a 42-yard run — Miami’s longest this year — to set up a touchdown, but the Dolphins totaled just 86 yards rushing and still don’t have a rushing touchdown this season. Zero rushing touchdowns. The Dolphins have a lot of work to do.
Dolphins could not run with Ajayi, and they did not run the ball well facing the Raiders either. You can’t make the playoffs without running the ball. That was a big difference last year.
I will not bore you with statistics however Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake were more part of the passing game than the running game. Cutler passed to them more out of the backfield than actually handing the ball to them. Gase is placing them in places to succeed however it does not mean they will not run the ball moving forward it should set up the running game.
Back after missing one game with cracked ribs, Cutler completed his first 16 passes and finished 34 for 42 for 311 yards and three scores. His touchdown pass with 1:32 left cut the lead to three points, but Oakland recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win.
The defense struggled at times especially containing Tight End Jared Cook who had a field day in the first half finishing with eight receptions for 126 yards. Miami’s defense did not make the big plays to set them up to win the game.
The playing field was an issue. The Miami Hurricanes hosted Virginia Tech the night before. Players were slipping, but the Raiders played on the field also. It is a problematic situation leading the teams to schedule around each other, but it is puzzling moreover considering the NFL approves the area before the game began.
It does not get easier; Dolphins play their third prime-time game in a row when they’re at Carolina who is heating up at 6-3 on Monday night football.
