Damien Williams

Miami Dolphins offensive recap Vs Cardinals week 14

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:56 p.m. ET

Fansided, James Anderson/FanSided via Phin Phanatic

This was a bittersweet victory for the Miami Dolphins offense because they won the game and stay involved in playoff talk scenarios but in doing so lose their starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

It was a bounce back showing for this unit and many had written them off before hand but they shined while the Cardinals had faltered for most of the game. It was imperative to get off to a quick start to let the defense play with a lead and they delivered on this front.

The Miami Dolphins get the ball midfield for their first drive. Jarvis Landry with a 12 yard pass, offsides on Cards then Jay Ajayi gets the first down, then loses two yards on the next run attempt. Strike thrown to Kenny Stills in the end zone he ran a serpentine route. With 9:27 to play in the first quarter this is among the fastest scoring first drives of the season and a season were the Dolphins are the worst first quarter scoring team in the NFL coming into this game.

Jay Ajayi continues to get targets passing from the last game where he had the most receiving targets with seven and coming down with six of them to start the second drive good for 15 yards. He then loses two yards trying to run again, this is the best run stopping defense they are playing after all. After a failed pass making it 3rd and 13, a pass to Kenny Stills is contested by Stills then lost to Marcus Cooper who looked as though he jumped the route or maybe Ryan Tannehill threw it a bit behind as he had done so the previous game.

It may have looked like coach Gase went conservative with runs for Ajayi when Matt Moore came in the game late replacing injured starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill. But Ajayi had also been getting the ball early in the game and ended with 20 running attempts although with just 48 yards. The absence of starting center Mike Pouncey is showing in regards to Jay Ajayi’s running production. While Ajayi can still break tackles and leads the league in yards after contact it was Poncey’s ability to block on a second level after the push that helped to spring him on those 200 yard rushing games.

On a 3rd and 9 late in the first quarter Tannehill overthrew Ajayi for what would have been a first down and possibly much more. But fortune smiled in the form of a defensive interception placing the Dolphins on the ten yard line goal to go. Kenyan Drake gets the ball powering it ahead 8 yards to the two yard line he broke about five tackles on the run. The next play somehow the ball finds the turf after the snap with Jay Ajayi falling on it and securing it.

Competent officiating would have blown the ball dead with Ajayi in control of the ball and on the ground but it was ruled a turnover even after review. Fortune frowns on what should have been a TD or a FG.

Dion Sims scored on a seven yard pass the next drive from a play that looked like the same one the defense has gotten burned on many times, the TE comes off the end of the line at about 45% angle to get open for the TD.

The first half started fast but ended with a three and out followed on the next drive having 3:02 left and Tannehill making what is one of the worst “passes” ever for a loss of 21 yards when the wet ball slipped out of his hand and traveling backwards making it a lateral for official record keeping. They ended up having to punt from their own end zone.

The Cards did enough to set up and make a 56 yard FG making the score 14-9 Mia. With 1:18 left in the half the offense sputtered out just as badly this time with holding calls on one play on Landry and James negating a nice would be 20 yards run from Williams.

The second half opened with more running plays and even a designed run for Tannehill that only gained a yard. So it makes it 3rd and 7 for what looked to be a 4th time going 3rd and out counting the end of the first half. However Jarvis Landry takes a 4 yard pass breaks two tackles taking it 71 yards all the way to the two yard line.

Ajayi promptly takes it in for the TD that was all for naught because backup center Anthony Steen gets called for holding. Stills got contained short left on the 3rd yard line Landry comes in late with a hit to the back on Marcus Cooper hurting him, no call. A pass to Damien Williams for the TD and Landry taunts drawing a 15 yard unsportsmanlike call.

The next time they got the ball back was 1:46 left to play in the 3rd quarter the first play Tannehill gets hit on the knee after the pass and it is a bad injury to the ACL and as of this writing it is still tentative with more to be known from MRI results. But it could be worse and the earliest he might be back is a few weeks.

Matt Moore came in the game when the score was 21-9 Mia. The Cards would score but did not go for the extra 2 points, the extra point was blocked making the score 23-15 Mia. The Cards would score again but this time they did go for two extra points making it and tying the game.

Backup QB Moore would go three series of three and out. But to his credit he hasn’t played for about 5 years and is running the plays his coach (Gase) is calling (mostly running plays).

The Cards had 1:55 left to play to score and win. They failed to do so giving the ball back with 1:29 left to play. More running plays and a RB Williams ground causing a fumble review. Then a short pass to Stills, followed by a longer pass to Stills with Moore standing in taking a hit on a blitz put the ball on the two yard line with :37 seconds to play.

Then a failed Williams run with the clock running. Moore then appeared to change the next play to a run tripping up on backup center Steens foot as he handed the ball to RB Williams again with the clock now at :09 seconds to play. Williams was met in the backfield instantly with two defenders he stills fights for yards as the clock runs down and miraculously stops with just one second left. Kicker Andrew Franks makes the 21 yard field goal, his first ever for the win.

Team Stats Dolphins

First Downs 15
Rush-Yds-TDs 31-83-0
Cmp-Att-Yd-TD-INT 18-25-242-3-1
Sacked-Yards 1-11
Net Pass Yards 231
Total Yards 314
Fumbles-Lost 5-2
Turnovers 3
Penalties-Yards 14-118
Third Down Conv. 4-13
Fourth Down Conv. 0-0
Time of Possession 30:04

Tannehill is out at the least two weeks and if he does return later this season he will have to throw better than this.

Break a couple tackles. And GO.@God_Son80 SPEEEEEEEDS for 71 yards! #AZvsMIA https://t.co/2RAnazFqPL

— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2016

Jarvis Landry at his best breaking tackles taking a failed first down 71 yards.

Game notes

•Assuming Ryan Tannehill’s season is over, he will have set career highs in completion % (67.1), passer rating (93.5) & Y/A (7.7).

His stats this game (sans the 4th quarter) 15 attempts 20 completions 195 yards 3 TDs 1 INT longest pass 71 and QBR 124.0 he had 3 fumbles with one lost .

•Jarvis Landry hit Marcus Cooper in the back late when Stills was contained luckily he wasn’t called for it. Every game Landry is evolving into a Hines Ward type of player. Play hard but also play smart before you hurt your own player, yourself, or cost your team points or wins.

Last words

A bittersweet victory with Tannehill’s injury and mixed expectations going ahead with so many playoff scenarios. But the main thing is that there is a playoff outlook at this point and one more win will lock in the first winning season going back to 2008.