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Eric Williams
NFC West Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Early in the fourth quarter of Miami’s 26-7 loss in the AFC wild-card round Saturday night, Mike McDaniel took his stocking cap and threw it in disgust after a questionable roughing the passer call on defensive tackle Christian Wilkins against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
McDaniel was justified in his anger toward referee Brad Rogers for making the call, but the direction of his ire may have been more appropriately placed toward his team for the uninspiring way it played, or at his feet for not preparing his players well enough.
The Dolphins were the talk of the league all season because of the way McDaniel’s explosive offense lit up the scoreboard, but once again Miami struggled to move the ball consistently against a good team. The Dolphins led the league in yards per game (401. 3) and finished second in points per game (29.2). But against teams that finished the season with a winning record, they averaged just 17 points per game.
“We came here to win, and it didn’t happen,” McDaniel said after the game. “We fell short of our goals. We had very strong expectations for ourselves. One of the reasons a lot of people don’t put themselves out there and hold those expectations is because when you fall short of them, it’s emotional. It’s gut-wrenching.”
On Saturday, the Dolphins were overmatched by Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Miami finished an embarrassing 1-for-12 on third down, averaged just 4.5 yards per play and punted four times. The Dolphins didn’t run any plays in the red zone.
Star receiver Tyreek Hill didn’t get his first touch until early in the second quarter. His second touch went for a 53-yard score on an underthrown ball by Tua Tagovailoa that he came back for. Kansas City cornerback Trent McDuffie was called for defensive pass interference on the play.
But that was about it for Hill facing his former…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/dolphins-show-theyre-still-not-ready-for-prime-time-in-loss-to-chiefs
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Publish date : 2024-01-14 18:52:03
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