Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel wants his top offensive players to be more involved. The Indianapolis Colts made sure Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle couldn’t make an impact on Sunday.
Hill was limited to just one catch for 8 yards and one carry for 5 yards, while Waddle caught only one pass for 11 yards in another disappointing performance by the league’s lowest-scoring team.
“I think every opponent goes with that objective, because they know how good they are,” McDaniel said after the 16-10 loss. “Defenses have recognized that they can limit their involvement through certain strategies.
However, in this game, I didn’t see that. So, you have to keep trying to solve the problem. Sometimes you think you have figured it out, and then you realize you haven’t.” The Dolphins (2-4) didn’t find many solutions on Sunday.
Quarterback Tyler Huntley left in the third quarter due to a shoulder injury, adding to a season where the Dolphins have already used four quarterbacks. Huntley was still getting used to his new team’s playbook during the bye week, and when he went out, Tim Boyle took over.
With De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert, and Huntley leading the rushing attack, the Dolphins ran for 188 yards. However, they struggled to pass the ball, except for connecting with Jonnu Smith seven times for 96 yards and one touchdown. Mostert also lost a fumble that the Colts (4-3) turned into their only touchdown of the game.
As a result, Miami scored just 10 points against a defense that was near the bottom of the league in total yards, passing yards, and receiving yards at the start of Week 7.
“I think they were phenomenal all game. They’ve really looked at their role in a broader way and have been trying to do whatever they can to win the football game,” McDaniel said, talking about Waddle and Hill.
“It was frustrating this game because I didn’t expect some things to happen like they did. I have to find a way to help them, especially when they’re performing well.
They were very involved in the run game blocking, and contrary to popular belief, they play every play.” It hasn’t just been about the receivers, though.
Miami also had six penalties, lost the turnover battle, missed a 54-yard field goal that could have tied the game at 13 with 5:14 left, and couldn’t make a comeback with Boyle leading the final drive before turning the ball over on downs.
One option could be activating quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from injured reserve on Monday, but McDaniel chose not to comment on that after the game. A quicker fix would be to create a game plan that gets Hill and Waddle back in sync.
“They’re one of 11 in terms of not just passes — sometimes they require a lot of attention from the defense, which opens up chances for other players,” McDaniel said. “But we have to make the most of those chances, and I need to find ways to get them involved.”
