Chris Perkins: Dolphins have nothing going for them, and can’t find anything

MIAMI GARDENS — Here’s the Miami Dolphins’ biggest issue right now — there’s nothing they can count on to win games, or even stabilize their team, as they try to right their ship. That’s a lonely, frustrating, empty feeling. The Dolphins can’t even get the most basic things to go correctly.

We saw that on the Dolphins’ final possession of Sunday’s 33-27 loss to the New England Patriots in the home opener at Hard Rock Stadium. They were flagged for a five-yard false start penalty on center Aaron Brewer, a team captain, and one play later they suffered another five-yard penalty for delay of game.

“Coaches and players that did not execute communication in a very dire period of the game,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “With the game on the line, our communication and our substitution was not up to par.”

The Dolphins, winless at 0-2, are turning into the definition of ineptitude.

They can’t count on doing anything right for an extended period of time, which, for these purposes, we’ll define as a 60-minute NFL game.

“We’ve got to play better,” defensive tackle Zach Seiler said. “We’ve got to be better together as a unit in all three phases.”

That hasn’t happened through two games. 

The Dolphins can’t count on their pass rush that’s led by their talented front seven of Sieler, outside linebackers Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Chop Robinson and Matthew Judon and inside linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson. They totaled three sacks Sunday but none was a game-changer.

They can’t count on their deep passing game led by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Tua passed for 315 yards and two touchdowns, but his fourth-quarter interception was a back-breaker. Tyreek had 109 yards receiving but they weren’t difference-making yards. The Dolphins entered the Patriots game with an 11-0 record since 2023 when Tyreek had 100 or more yards receiving. It was a sure thing. It’s not so sure any longer. 

The Dolphins can’t count on their running game (61 yards on 15 carries) to deliver a victory, they can’t count on their special teams (allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown), they can’t count on their coaching, they can’t count on playing error-free football, nothing.

“I felt like tonight we got in the groove,” left tackle Patrick Paul said. “And then it was really like a roller-coaster, an emotional roller-coaster as far as getting the momentum and getting in the groove.”

One play after wide receiver/punt returner Malik Washington scored on a 74-yard punt return that gave the Dolphins a 27-23 fourth-quarter lead and electrified the team and the Hard Rock Stadium crowd, New England kickoff returner Antonio Gibson returned the kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 30-27 lead.

This is why the crowd booed the Dolphins at times Sunday. The boos weren’t necessarily loud. But they were there.

Fans expected this team, in Year 4 of the McDaniel era, to have something it can do well enough to win a game.

The run defense, No. 9 in the league last year, allowed New England 122 yards and 4.2 yards per carry.

I thought the pass rush would be that thing that led this team to victories this season. But it hasn’t approached being good enough to win games. 

Consider this example: Phillips was close to getting a sack on Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. But close, as is often the case, wasn’t good enough.

Maye was able to complete a short pass to running back Rhamondre Stevenson on the right sideline late in the third quarter. Stevenson, who had a couple of steps on Brooks, did the rest, turning the short completion into a 55-yard gain to the Dolphins’ 21-yard line. Two plays later Maye was able to outrun Judon, turn the corner and glide into the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown run and a 23-20 Patriots lead late in the third quarter.

Dolphins Deep Dive: ‘Things are very shaky’ as Miami falls to 0-2 | VIDEO

The Dolphins needed Phillips to get to Maye. The Dolphins need the pass rush to stabilize the defense, and, by extension, the team, because their pass defense is so porous. 

You want another example? 

Dolphins rookie safety Dante Trader dove at the feet of running back TreyVeon Henderson on a third-and-13 that Henderson turned into a 14-yard gain. They can’t even tackle.

The tackle attempt was so bad you’d have thought it was last year’s Thanksgiving game at Green Bay, the game where Brooks said the cold weather made the defense seem to play soft. 

The Dolphins’ mindset was good as I talked to players in the locker room after Sunday’s disappointing loss. But those good vibes will evaporate quickly if they can’t get a win soon, starting with the Bills in Buffalo on Thursday.

And a loss on Thursday could spell the end for McDaniel, whose record is now 28-25 (.528) excluding playoffs, and 28-27 (.509) including playoffs.

I asked McDaniel how he felt about his job security.

“I think if I worry about my job security, I won’t be doing my job,” he said.

If he can’t find a way to win games, not doing this job will become his reality.