TUESDAY FISH WRAP: G7 vs. Patriots

Here’s the ACR Fish Wrap for the Miami Dolphins (1-6) Week 7 loss at home to the Patriots.

To the reader: THANK YOU for tuning in. Technical difficulties pushed publishing this back a day. I do realize that part of something being newsworthy and readable is its timeliness, so apologies for the delay and thanks for reading anyway.

FIRST QUARTER

(14:15) Good start for Malik Willis, being patient and not forcing it on 2nd down when there was no receiver available. Not a completion or a highlight play (and was, in fact, recorded as a sack), but this is what’s going to make him a success if he’s to become one — intelligent plays.
It’s hard to be critical of Jacob Rodriguez, but you do see him getting bounced around from time to time.
(10:08) Drake Maye throwaway on first down primarily forced by Kenneth Grant driving Patriots left guard back into Maye’s face. The play featured all three DTs drafted last year with Grant and Jordan Phillips at tackle and Zeek Biggers at end.
(9:20) On third down, Maye forced to throw the ball away after good coverage on the back end. Dolphins showed a seven-man rush, sent five, but Maye still had a ton of time before ditching. If I’m a NE fan, I’m questioning how we draw up a play that puts every available receiver on the same side of the field.
Both Miami guards have their hands full with Patriots defensive tackles so far. Andrew Meyer keeps coming to mind for me, but apparently not the Dolphins. If he’s center-only, they’ll probably be re-thinking that roster spot next year.
(6:00) It was only a matter of time — Rodriguez with his first successful “peanut punch” as a Dolphin. Kyle Louis also in on the play.
I get that this roster is bare and rookies were going to play, but most all of them playing and contributing kind of out of control. Never seen anything like it.
(5:00) Patriots are stacking the box, Dolphins struggling to run. Simultaneously, New England is in Cover 1 and laying off both Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell. Would like to see Willis recognize and audible.
Third down throw short of the sticks, Willis wasn’t under pressure (yet). Sadly, best description for that offensive possession would be “timid.”
This quarter has done a pretty solid job of showing the importance of having center-to-left tackle locked down like they do when Kadyn Proctor is in. His career trajectory looks pretty good right now
(3:40) First down Corey Kiner run into Miami territory was the product of a breakdown. Grant and Phillips each ate double teams, clogging the middle. Edge Rodney McGraw, however, took a pass-rush/outside path to the play, Kiner jump cut to his right and there was no edge or linebacker to fill the hole. (Brooks took the correct route but was fooled by the jump cut).
Edge feels like the most needy position on this roster.
(2:10) Josh Uche sack on 3rd & 8, credit to Hafley. Showed blitz and Cover 0 presnap then dropped three post-snap into what looked like Cover 6 (sorry, don’t have all-22), which clearly slowed Maye’s processing. Uche and Zach Sieler stunted — the edge/inside stunt has now worked a couple of weeks in a row.
Ollie Gordon II‘s little hesitation-then-burst waiting for his blocks to come together show off the beyond the traits, he’s a natural runner.

SECOND QUARTER

Willis finding Malik Washington a couple times to start the quarter and his second throw was beautiful — feet under him, balanced, ripped it.
Washington now out of the backfield. Slowik is neutralizing the NE upfield run-game action with short passing.
Patriots DT Corey Durden coming off like Tyler Durden this game (iykyk)
(7:24) Grant playing noticeably more snaps.
Good game so far for Juju Brents, especially against the run. Was all alone between the sticks and Rhamondre Stevenson on 3rd and 8, made the play.
(5:00) 4th & 2, Hafley dials up the perfect corner blitz and Chris Johnson inexplicably whiffs on Maye, who completes the pass and moves the sticks. Befuddled right now.
(1:40) Willis has been sacked a ton, but no complaints in how he’s not making bad plays even worse so far. On 3rd down he makes his first nice throw under pressure, a 19-yarder to Greg Dulcich, where Willis ripped a strike off his back foot. He hasn’t been as good on off-platform throws, but this was nice.
VERY next play he’s almost intercepted making a sloppy, forced throw across his body, looking for Washington.
Jonah Savaiinaea is not having his best half, but the holding call after Gordon run the ball inside the five was garbage. Yes, his left arm made it outside the defender, but only after that player spun to change directions because the play was behind him. Tough break.
Caleb Douglas scares DBs. That sounds simplistic but there’s no other explanation for how they universally lay off him. How is this guy a better pro than college player?
If I’m an opposing defensive coordinator, I press Douglas. Letting him get up to speed and then throw his move at you is dangerous.

THIRD QUARTER

(13:45) Chop Robinson with a sack where he powers through a set of three blockers, i.e. not a freebie like at the end of the first half. This play is what you want to see more consistently. If he could play with that burst and power in run sets, he’d be in for more run sets (and would be a force).
On the sack, Hafley had Robinson as a 9-tech, which stretched NE tackle Mike Onwenu post snap. It allowed Robinson to use speed to end up with Onwenu and every other block be half a man. Good stuff.
(12:10) Patriots defense is closing off the middle of the field and keeping seven in the box. Outcome is them winning now in run game, and tightening up pass coverage. Willis fortunate to get away without an interception — for a second time — on third down.
(10:35) Patriots offense more physical than Miami right now. One thing about Grant — when he wants to get after it, he does. But two plays now this drive he’s gotten double teamed and has just been fine with it. No real effort to to do anything once he’s blocked. Thumbs down.
(9:30) Several less-than-ideal things collide on Maye TD pass to Kyle Williams. First, Biggers has replaced Grant the last two plays inside and is no more effective. Good-sized pocket for Maye to step into. And on the back end, Michael Taaffe‘s potential liability as that single-high field safety in the long run may be his speed. Dolphins put a lot of their defensive backs. This play will live on in future opponent film for a bit.
(9:10) After Willis wasted a play on a deep throw out of bounds, Gordon kills the drive by trash talking on the NE sideline after a good second down run. Not 100% sure but at the end of their sideline exchange — where Gordon couldn’t get his emotions in check — Hafley send to say “go sit down.”
(8:48) Not sure how Willis made such a bad throw to Wright on what looked to be a simple 10-yard or so attempt on 3rd & 20. He could have gotten the ball in Wright’s hands and given him room to run but instead waited, forced it, inaccurate throw. Feels like he’s slipping away a little here.
RB Kaytron Allen with a nice tackle on punt coverage after he made one
on kick coverage in the first half. Give him a couple of Wright’s reps.
Coming into this game, Miami was at an NFL-high (50%) in terms of how much it runs the ball. So far this game Dolphins have run it 14 times and passed 24.
TV showing Gordon continuing to chirp on the sidelines with Willis and others. Lipreaders delight as he said “I f*cked up” in the middle of his rambling, but this is kind of irritating. Players need to get control of themselves or Antonio Brown-type things happen. Hopefully a lesson for Gordon in the long run, but the penalty itself was apparently not enough to get him to calm down. Good leadership shown by Willis.
(7:15) Maye with a 26-yard completion. He continues to get a lot of time.
(5:33) Nice defensive stop on 3rd and short, tackles clogging the middle and Taaffe comes in to finish the play. Grant noticeably drives center Jared Wilson into the backfield.
What a tackle by Johnson on 4th & 2, despite the overturn. So close. He really is the of the better tackling corners you’ll see (which, again, makes the miss earlier on the sack so befuddling).
Would love to see the breakdown of what Hafley has shown Maye today. Feels like a ton of different looks.
(1:10) On the Maye 3rd & goal touchdown, it’s easy pickins to blame Willie Gay Jr. for biting on the fake pitch, but moreover the Dolphins got schemed up. Patriots had rookie tackle Caleb Lomu (Utah) report as eligible and lined him up to the left. It drew both safeties and Rodriguez to that side and they ran speed option to the right.

FOURTH QUARTER

Short completion to Washington to start the quarter is the Dolphins first 1st down of the second half. Eek.
(13:40) Looking at replay of Willis’ interception and how it would come out low enough to hit a lineman’s helmet — Patriots edge Elijah Ponder may have had ahold of the back of Willis’ jersey (if you watch replay from the TV copy, watch Willis’ jersey flex in the front).
(11:46) Willis gets reprieve from a second interception on a questionable offsides call. But can’t unsee what we saw — a back foot throw once again off target, and this time forced as well. The more comfortable he gets, the worse things seem to get.
(11:15) Douglas has a short catch with a nice run after. If he turns up on this week’s injury report it’s because when he went to get up after the play, safety Craig Woodson stepped on his right foot which seemed to assist Douglas twisting the ankle in addition to being stepped on.
Good to see Gordon back on the field, in control and running hard again. With Devon Achane‘s injury, he’s been as much a find/confirmation this year as anybody on the roster.
(7:42) Durden has been a problem for replacement Jarrett Kingston most of the day. Dolphins offensive pace on this drive, down 11, is confounding.
Miami has been overmatched roster-wise in most every game this year but it’s not until the fourth quarter in this game that it feels like one of the worst rosters in the NFL. The fight and competitiveness that’s been there all year is for some reason, off. Exclamation point is Zane Gonzalez field goal shank.
(4:10) A) New England fans in attendance are getting to experience real Florida, where it can go from zero to pouring faster than you can pull out your poncho and b) Washington getting dinged up gives Kevin Coleman a shot at returning a punt. Other than catch it — an accomplishment in the downpour — he didn’t do much, but returns are a role some expected Miami to explore with him sooner, given his college experience.
(2:10) Dolphins run a check-down offense efficiently to the Patriots 35, then Coleman puts an ankle-breaking move on CB Charles Woods causing him to slip, and Willis finds him for a 35-yard TD when things were feeling mostly routine and procedural up to that point. Real nice route by Coleman and horrid prevent defense from New England.
Two point conversion, Willis’ choice is a covered Will Kaczmarek and the throw is uncatchable. Odd decision, awful throw, wasted opportunity.
Onside kick an interesting choice and pretty telling — no faith in the defense stopping them if they kicked it.
This game was not progress for Willis in most measurable ways. Some of his metrics may push back on that but evaluating his game should include all plays, even consideration for bad ones he gets away with, which were multiple. He threw four interceptable balls in this game.
Defensively, Dolphins were exposed in short passing game in the second half, really an extension of their trouble with tight ends even though Hunter Henry got hurt.
The ebbs and flows week-in and week-out with Chop Robinson is hard to figure out. Some plays his hair is on fire, then he ghosts you for most of a half. Good game overall, but his impact is measured because its inconsistent.
The final score was close but this felt like one of the worst Dolphins game this year. Curious if that’s how it felt for everybody else.

The Great Tryout continues.