To Henry McKenna
FOX Sports AFC East Lighter
Miami — For Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was going to take the conservative route miami dolphins‘ 20-7 win new england patriotsthen new coach Mike McDaniel clearly intended to get aggressive.
Perhaps to compensate for his dunk-and-dunk QB, the playcaller attacked New England with a bold, well-timed decision.
If there was a play that made a difference in McDaniel’s execution of this offense, it was his decision to do it at 4 and 7 yards from 42 yards out. Tagovailoa linked with receiver Jalen Waddle and got all 42 yards for a touchdown.
This play came with 18 seconds remaining, giving the Dolphins a huge boost heading into the break.
“He’s got a lot of cajon. Guts call,” Tyreek Hill said of his first-year coach.
Waddle established himself as a star of the NFL by racking up over 1,000 yards during his 2021 rookie season. Waddle is no longer the top target. It was therefore uncertain whether he would pick up where he left off last season, especially given that he injured himself in training during camp. But he has
“Tua put the ball in the perfect spot. Jaylen did a great job catching the ball and really splitting up the three defenders,” Hill said. “We talk about it all the time. If you want to get better, make a catch. Great people get drunk on YACs.”
Running back Chase Edmonds said the Dolphins preach to play with confidence and above all, play without fear. Well, he must have let go of his fears when McDaniel called in Tagovailoa, and the quarterback seemed to do the same, and inside the area he had a tight window with three defenders. got the ball in.
“He threw a great ball. The offensive line held up. Great ball placement. I couldn’t do anything but handle it,” Waddle said.
Cornerback Jalen Mills was one step behind Waddle. Mills appeared to anticipate a safety tackle for Kyle Duggar, but linebacker Jaffan Bentley attempted a tackle at the same time, and he whistled. The Patriots barely touched the Waddle even though he had three defenders in the area.
The Dolphins attempted just one 4-down conversion on the stat sheet, but actually converted two. They lined up for a 4th down attempt and drew Patriots defensive tackle Karl Davis offside for an easy first down.
Let’s be clear. The Dolphins defense was the reason Miami won the game. An interception and he came back for two forced fumbles, one for a touchdown. The New England offense looked inept with an impressive series of blitzes in which QB Mac Jones injured his back.
The star of the day was cornerback Xavien Howard, who successfully broke an intercepted endzone pass on the Patriots’ first drive, while safety Brandon Jones had 11 tackles and a strip returned by Melvin Ingram. I had a sack for a touchdown.
But to win a Super Bowl in the NFL today, the Dolphins need an offensive identity. That’s why they added McDaniel, an offensive-minded head coach, to replace defensive-minded Brian Flores. Tagovailoa did not attempt a pass that he had more than 25 yards in the air. Rush offense averaged 2.8 yards per carry. It wasn’t clean. But McDaniels and the Dolphins may have found their identities in the touchdown that ended the second quarter.
They can rely on McDaniel’s aggressive approach. The outside elite lean on his playmaker. Rely on Tagovailoa accuracy. And see how attacks shape around it.
McDaniel was going to feed Hill, who had eight targets and one carry in the first half.
“I’m trying to stand out every day to be an engine,” Hill told FOX Sports. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been the driving force behind every team I’ve been on.
Waddle and Hill accounted for 163 of the 270 passing yards. At least, Edmonds said so. Offensive He preached patience as his line learns the new system.
Edmonds said that once everyone is on the same page, the “outer two demons” will need to help set up Run, and Run can help set up the pass.
“It’s a rough patch right now. We’re installing a new offense, so it’s going to be a rough patch. They’re not completely comfortable,” Edmonds said. We don’t know exactly, so McDaniel and our staff are working to make sure we get the details.
The Patriots are making a similar transition. And for a team like Miami looking for a no-continuity identity for his coaching staff, the Dolphins should be happy to pick up a win while maintaining a built tape around their offense.
But given what they did right, they’re sure to keep an eye on Waddle from that 42 yards. It was a play that completely changed the game, and perhaps changed the complexion of the AFC East, where the Patriots finished ahead of the Dolphins last year.
But Bill is not a team in transition. They look him one of the best groups in the NFL. So the Dolphins need to make progress before he sees the two teams face off in Week 3.
Prior to joining FOX Sports as an AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter. @ Macken analysis.
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