Grading Dolphins’ 21-14 loss to Chiefs; plus stock up, stock down
FRANKFURT, Germany — The narrative that the Miami Dolphins can’t beat another title contender does indeed travel overseas.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel called it a fair criticism after his team’s third loss to a team with a winning record in three chances, while being 6-0 against others as the Dolphins enter their bye week 6-3.
McDaniel took the loss especially tough, starting his postgame media session at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany, “It’s painful.” He added that the missed opportunities late and offensive miscues early that originally put Miami down three touchdowns before a second-half rally would make it difficult to sleep on the nine-hour plane ride home.
Here’s how the South Florida Sun Sentinel grades Sunday’s 21-14 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs:
Passing game: D
The two decisive plays to leave the comeback short came in this area. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. had a miscommunication on the third-and-10 late. Then, the Dolphins had a fourth-and-10 with the game on the line, and Tagovailoa didn’t catch the snap that was slightly errant to his right from center Connor Williams.
Tagovailoa was held to 193 yards on 34 attempts. He would’ve had a lot more had wide receiver Tyreek Hill not had two passes go through his hands against his former team. The second drop was a bit high and off the mark but, no doubt, a catchable ball. And then there was Hill’s costly fumble returned the other way for a touchdown, which provided Kansas City the winning margin.
The Dolphins had Williams and left tackle Terron Armstead back in the lineup, but the offensive line was without right guard Robert Hunt, and Robert Jones went down during the game with a knee injury. Tagovailoa was sacked three times and hit on six occasions.
Running game: B+
The Dolphins were effective on the ground, and they got gains of 25 and 19 yards with Raheem Mostert on the final drive, plus the earlier 13-yard touchdown. That left some wishing Miami would stick with the run. Incomplete passes on first and second down led the team to the final third- and fourth-down miscues.
Mostert went for 85 yards on 12 carries. As a team, the Dolphins had 117 rushing yards on 21 attempts, more than 5 yards per carry.
Many of the successful runs went to the left side, so the impact of Terron Armstead in the lineup was felt. It’s a questionable decision to have Salvon Ahmed playing more than Jeff Wilson Jr., outsnapping him, 19 to 11.
Defending the pass: A-
The Dolphins did a strong job of bracketing Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in their zone coverages and holding him to three receptions for 14 yards. When facing Kansas City, he’s the biggest receiving threat that has to be contained for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who finished 20 of 30 for 185 yards and two touchdowns.
After the opening drive when the Chiefs marched down for a touchdown with ease, Miami held up very well against high-powered Kansas City — only one other offensive touchdown the rest of the way. Had the Dolphins’ offense been able to capitalize on the final drive or provide anything offensively, the story of the trip to Germany might be how dangerous the defense is in its first game with Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard playing together.
Outside linebacker Bradley Chubb continues to be a force, rushing off the opponent’s left end of the line. His strip-sack on Mahomes and the fumble recovery from Zach Sieler put the offense in prime position for a touchdown. Chubb nearly created a turnover on his pass deflection at the line. Jaelan Phillips also had a sack, and Sieler hit Mahomes twice, with several other pressures from a number of rushers making the Chiefs quarterback uncomfortable.
Defending the run: B-
Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco got his 4.1 yards per carry, 66 yards on 16 carries. Kansas City went to the ground game plenty but never reeled off chunk gains.
Sieler was active on the interior of the defensive line. Christian Wilkins blew up a play in the backfield for a tackle for loss. Linebacker David Long Jr. appears like he’s continuing to build in this defense.
Special teams: B+
Punter Jake Bailey had to be active with the number of Dolphins possessions that ended on his leg. He had seven punts and was good with a 45-yard average, one boot that went down to the Chiefs’ 3-yard line and another to the 9.
Kicker Jason Sanders didn’t have field-goal attempts but made his two extra points. The coverage units did not allow big returns by either Mecole Hardman or Jerick McKinnon, who did have a receiving touchdown Sunday.
Coaching: D
The late mishaps, the penalties that pushed the Dolphins back into long down-and-distances, that falls on coaching. Miami still isn’t prepared to handle big games against contenders or to execute on the road against strong defenses, and McDaniel has to evaluate his process in the week of preparation. At halftime, it wasn’t necessarily adjustments, but better execution that led to the near comeback. One positive is some of the defensive game planning, especially in limiting Kelce to 14 yards — and affecting Mahomes overall.
Stock up: Vic Fangio
The Dolphins defensive coordinator was questioned plenty early in the season for the defense’s effort in the Chargers and Bills games. His unit has been solid since, and now, that defense just had a second-half shutout of Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, with a great game plan against Kelce to boot. The second half for the defense looks bright, with Fangio having the Ramsey-Howard combination at cornerback and Kader Kohou now exclusively the nickel. That along with the pass rush brewing between Chubb and Phillips.
Stock down: Play calling
It’s great, genius, innovative when it works, but then it comes off as being too cute when it doesn’t. Too many instances of not just taking the simple play call, and it makes for a more difficult operation of the offense that can lead to some of the miscommunications and errors in execution. But McDaniel will take those chances.