The Seattle Seahawks are who we thought they were. The Miami Dolphins let them off the hook.
Russell Wilson made his MVP campaign stop in Miami; he gathered the votes he needed leading the Seahawks to a 31-23 win over the Dolphins on Sunday. Wilson threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns, and Seattle improved to 4-0. Miami is a concerning 1-3.
Wilson is leading a team that is very balanced on both sides of the ball. They have depth in the running game, a solid offensive line, a talented receiving core led by the freakish DK Metcalf, who finished with four receptions for 106 yards. A defense that was without strong safety Jamal Adams but played well on the road. It is only the quarter of the season; however, the Seahawks appear to be real Super Bowl contenders.
“For us to be 4-0 is a huge thing, just keep winning one game at a time, that is what is important to us,” Wilson said. “Making sure we stay on schedule, making sure we keep doing what we are doing. It was a tough day; it was a battle out there. It was hot out there, coming from the Pacific Northwest. We ran the ball well; we threw the ball well.”
David Moore had three catches for 95 yards, and Chris Carson rushed for 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Last time the Seahawks started their season 4-0, they won their only super bowl title in 2013. They’ve scored 30 or more points in four consecutive games for the first time since 2015.
I am such a baby because the Dolphins make me cry.
The good news is Jason Sanders was amazing, connecting on all five of his field-goal attempts. The bad news is not enough to take down a talented Seahawks team.
The Seattle Seahawks coaching staff were on point Sunday. Pete Caroll led his coaching staff to a well-coached game. It was a tough matchup for the Dolphins, and they were very competitive for three quarters. If you are going to take down Wilson, you have to make big plays. The Dolphins did not have big plays. The Seahawks did.
Ryan Fitzpatrick was the pocket passer that he is. He is not gun shy and will throw the ball anywhere. He does more good than bad, but he is not the difference-maker the Dolphin need against Super Bowl contending teams like the Seahawks. Fitzpatrick was 29 of 45 for 312 yards; he had two interceptions (nearly four since the Seahawks defenders dropped 2). And he led the team in rushing for six carries and 47 yards and a touchdown.
The Dolphins need big touchdowns and game-breaking plays. How many 40-yard plays did the Dolphins have? None. The Dolphins are not a big-play team, evident of the five field goals.
The Seahawks traveled from Seattle to Miami, which is the most extended plane trip in NFL. The Dolphins had a chance. With a little over nine minutes to play in the fourth quarter, third down and three; Miami on the Seahawks nine-yard line, the Dolphins run the ball with Myles Gaskin and lose two yards. They could have taken the lead or first down with a pass. They settled for another field goal.
“When we ran the ball, especially on that drive, we had some success with it,” Fitzpatrick said. “We were not expecting to lose two yards on that play.”
This is a better Dolphins team. They are improved on defense. Nonetheless, there is no star player on offense. There is only one player that is 30 years of age. Fitzpatrick turns 38 in November. They are young with a bright future. It is evident putting up a fight against the Seahawks.
“Red zone execution falls on the quarterback,” Fitzpatrick said. “I walk out of this game feeling terrible in that a lot of guys on our team played well to win, I, unfortunately, was not one of them. When that happens, and your quarterback does not play to his ability, you are not going to win a lot of games in this league.”
The offensive line has been excellent. Austin Jackson, Soloman Kindley, rookies, center Ted Karras left guard Ereck flowers, Jessie Davis all have done well and will improve. If you can block upfront, your chances are high to win football games.
“We move the ball pretty efficiently on offense,” Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said. “We picked up a lot of first downs, move the chains,” what we didn’t do well was finish in the red zone. We are not going to beat a team like that kicking field goals.”
Dolphins are 1-3, and one win does not get it done. It isn’t delightful. Dolphins take their talents to San Francisco next week. They have injuries; Miami needs to salvage that game to get back on track. A loss would be devastating. If they fall to the 49ers, Tua Tagovailoa would be expected to play.
“We talked about finishing games and playing well in the fourth quarter, offensively and defensively,” Flores said. “I have to coach it better, we have to play well in the fourth quarter, and we did not do that.”
One game at a time, 12 more to go. It starts with the 49ers.
The beat goes on.
Seattle plays host to Minnesota next Sunday.
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