What we learned in Miami Dolphins’ 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans

MIAMI GARDENS — It was an ugly showing for the Miami Dolphins in Monday’s 31-12 drubbing by the Tennessee Titans. The offense was abysmal, and its architect, coach Mike McDaniel, wasn’t much better.

Quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley didn’t have a good night, and speedy wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were non-factors.

Fans booed the home team because its overall performance was so bad.

The Dolphins (1-3) need to get this figured out before hitting the road for next week’s game at New England.

Here are the top takeaways from another Miami debacle:

Snoop Huntley has little effect at QB

Dolphins quarterback Tyler Huntley (14 of 22, 96 yards, 69.0) had little effect on the game’s outcome with his arm or legs. Huntley wasn’t any better at getting the ball to wide receivers Tyreek Hill (four receptions, 23 yards) and Jaylen Waddle (four receptions, 36 yards) than quarterback Skylar Thompson the previous game at Seattle, or quarterback Tua Tagovailoa two games ago against Buffalo.

Huntley didn’t throw downfield frequently as the Titans played two deep safeties to negate the deep pass.

Huntley rushed eight times for 40 yards and a touchdown.

He also had a safety when he had an intentional grounding. — Chris Perkins

Dolphins still haven’t led this season

The Dolphins hadn’t held a lead in a game this season entering the Tennessee game and that didn’t change. 

The Dolphins’ only lead happened when they hit a game-winning field goal against Jacksonville for the 20-17 victory.

More injury losses … Dolphins’ 30-somethings take another hit

Safety Jordan Poyer (shin) and linebacker Anthony Walker (cramps) were among the injury losses Monday. Safety Marcus Maye played in Poyer’s place while linebacker Duke Riley played in Walker’s place. Walker was replacing David Long Jr. (hamstring). 

Poyer’s ailment was yet another blow to the Dolphins’ 30-somethings, who were shaky already among edge rusher Shaq Barrett’s sudden retirement before training camp, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. starting the season on physically unable to perform list, and left tackle Terron Armstead (concussion) and running back Raheem Mostert (chest) missing the Titans game.

By the way, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (left ankle) sustained an in-game ailment but finished the game.

CB Storm Duck starts on boundary, Kohou plays slot

Rookie cornerback Storm Duck started on the boundary in place of veteran Kendall Fuller (concussion), That move was somewhat of a surprise.

Slot cornerback Kader Kohou was on the boundary last week at Seattle when Fuller was sidelined. In the nickel package against the Titans, Kohou played the slot while Duck stayed on the boundary against wide receivers such as Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins and Tyler Boyd.

Duck, who battled a shoulder injury during the week, showed lots of promise against the Titans.

Wise call by Titans coach Brian Callahan leads to FG

The Titans had a 47-yard field goal as time expired at halftime to take a 9-3 lead.

Titans coach Brian Callahan wisely called a timeout with 22 seconds left before the Dolphins punted from their own 26-yard line.

The Dolphins’ punt traveled 30 yards to the Titans’ 44-yard line. Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph (9 of 17, 85 yards, 67.0 passer rating) hit wide receiver Tyler Boyd for 26 yards. With no timeouts remaining, the Titans managed to get to the line of scrimmage and spike the ball with one second left to set up the Nick Folk field goal.

Jaelan Phillips leaves with apparent right knee injury

Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, who sustained a season-ending right Achilles injury on Black Friday Nov. 24), left Monday’s game with a possible right knee injury. Phillips injured the knee Monday on a non-contact pass rush, the same way he sustained the Achilles injury.

Phillips injured the right knee earlier in the game and got a brace put on it at halftime.

The Dolphins, of course, are still awaiting the return of edge rusher Bradley Chubb (knee). His return date is uncertain.

The Dolphins, who had a franchise-record 56 sacks last season, have just seven sacks this season, which ranks tied for 24th.

Penalties stay bad

The Dolphins ended with 10 penalties for 98 yards, which is good for this season.

Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips got the party started early with a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty against Tennessee quarterback Will Levis in the first quarter.. 

The Dolphins began play this week No. 4 in penalties (27) and No. 2 in penalty yards (238).

Last season the Dolphins ended No. 16 in penalties and No. 18 in penalty yards.

In 2022, the Dolphins were No. 4 in penalties and No. 5 in penalty yards.

Dolphins stay even in turnover margin

Edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah recorded an interception later in the first quarter that improved the Dolphins to plus-1 on turnover margin for the season.

Of course, the Dolphins gave it back when Huntley lost a fumble on the next possession.

McDaniel loses yet another challenge

McDaniel lost his first challenge of the season in the third quarter when Huntley was called short on a third down, leaving a fourth and one. The Dolphins challenged and lost.

McDaniel entered the season 3 of 13 so he’s now 3 of 14 (.176).

Tyreek, who was No. 2 in drops last season, has another drop

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill dropped a lateral pass and didn’t pursue the loose ball, allowing Tennessee to recover the ball.

Hill, who was second in drops last season with 12, has had two drops this season.

Hill’s causal attitude toward recovering the loose ball was troubling.

Running back De’Von Achane had the same casual attitude last week at Seattle while recovering his helmet on a play shortly before halftime.

The lack of urgency is a bothersome trend through four games.

Tyreek on fourth-and-1?!?!

McDaniel had a puzzling fourth and 1 call with a handoff wide left to Hill from the Titans’ 46-yard line. Hill was stopped for no gain.

It’s puzzling why McDaniel didn’t go right up the middle with fullback Alec Ingold or running back Jeff Wilson. It’s also puzzling why the Dolphins don’t have a big-body running back such as Chris Brooks on the roster for just such an occasion.

And it’s puzzling why McDaniel refuses to utilize tight end Jonnu Smith in these situations.

The scourge of tackles for loss allowed continues

It is somehow not a misprint or a series of typos: The Dolphins have allowed at least nine tackles for loss in each of their four games. Nine against the Jaguars, 10 versus the Bills, another nine in Seattle and then the nine against the Titans. Two plays not called loss-of-yardage plays were the Huntley backward pass to Tyreek Hill and the late intentional grounding for a safety, so, it is actually worse than the numbers portray. Twenty-four of the TFLs have been on running plays. — Steve Svekis

Scoreless first quarters have become pretty commonplace all of a sudden

In Mike McDaniel’s first 34 games as Dolphins coach, the Dolphins were shut out eight times in the first quarter. However, in the past six outings, dating back to last year’s regular-season finale, the Dolphins have entered the second quarter scoreless four times. Only a field goal with 12 seconds left in the opening stanza in Seattle last week keeps in from being 5 for 6.

Starting quarterback carousel had been a rarity with the Dolphins

Monday night marked the third time in the past 732 days where the Dolphins had a span of three games where the opening-day starter opened the first game, and then one reserve started the second game and then still another sub started the third game in succession.
2022 games 4-6: Tagovailoa vs. Bengals, Bridgewater vs. Jets, Thompson vs. Vikings
2022 games 15-17: Tagovailoa vs. Packers, Bridgewater vs. Patriots, Thompson vs. Jets

2024 games 2-4: Tagovailoa vs. Bills, Thompson vs. Seahawks, Huntley vs. Titans

Before Oct. 16, 2022, that occurrence had happened only once since Oct. 20, 1980, when it was Chad Henne starting against the Ravens, Chad Pennington starting against the Titans and Tyler Thigpen starting against the Bears in 2010.

The run game remains dormant

The Dolphins have averaged 97.8 rush yards per game vs. teams who had averaged allowing 124.5 per game (1,120 total) to the rest of the NFL in the season’s first three weeks.

ESPN rules analyst conjures a painful moment in Dolphins history

When the ESPN second-string announcing crew was dissecting the Titans punt that was deflected by Calais Campbell and then swiped at, Leon Lett style, downfield by Duke Riley, they brought in their rules analyst, Jerry Bergman. Bergman was the head linesman who, in 2010, failed to correctly call Chris Clemons’ forced fumble on Ben Roethlisberger just before crossing the goal line, with 3-2 Miami ahead 22-20. A Dolphin came out of the pile in the end zone with the ball. However, Bergman called it a touchdown. Gene Steratore moved the ball back to the spot of the fumble on review, but because it wasn’t a clear recovery by Miami, Pittsburgh kept possession. They kicked a FG and won 23-22. Tony Sparano’s Dolphins fell to 3-3 and eventually ended up 7-9.

Dolphins have been 1-3 and made the playoffs before

The 2016 Dolphins started 1-3, and then 1-4, and then, behind Jay Ajayi, roared to win nine of their next 10 games and earn a wild-card trip to Pittsburgh.

L’Jarius Sneed again was a key part of locking down Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins’ offense

Monday’s output by Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins (23 yards and 12 net offensive points by Miami) made it three career games star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed has played against the Dolphins since Mike McDaniel and Tyreek Hill joined the franchise in 2022. In that trio, Hill has a 150 combined yards, with a touchdown, but also his fumble-six against the Chiefs in Germany in 2023.  Sneed did get called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that helped the Dolphins during their first scoring drive, and also was beat for a sure touchdown on a second-quarter Tyler Huntley pass down the left sideline. However the pass was thrown far behind Hill for an incompletion.

On deck: At New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium, Sunday, 1 p.m.

For the first time in over 24 years, the Dolphins will face a Patriots team without Bill Belichick on the sidelines. After a stunning upset of the Bengals in Cincinnati, the Patriots have plummeted back to being the sort of cupcake Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins have feasted on during his two-plus years. The level of desperation felt by the Dolphins to avoid losing their fourth game in a row will be suffocating.