INDIANAPOLIS — Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel wants his top offensive playmakers more involved.
The Indianapolis Colts made sure Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle had no chance to make a difference Sunday.
The speedy Hill was limited to one catch for 8 yards and one carry for 5 yards while Waddle caught only one pass for 11 yards in yet another underwhelming 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. “They (defenses) have acknowledged sometimes that they’ve minimized their involvement by certain things they can do in their game. However, this game, I didn’t see that. So, you have to continue to problem-solve. Sometimes you think that you have solved the problem, and then you find out you haven’t.”
The Dolphins (2-4) certainly didn't find many fixes Sunday.
Quarterback Tyler Huntley left in the third quarter after injuring his throwing shoulder, the latest chapter during a season the Dolphins have already used four quarterbacks. Huntley was still trying to get acclimated to his hometown team's playbook during last week's bye and when he left Tim Boyle replaced him.
With De'Von Achane, Raheem Mostert and Huntley leading the way on the ground, the Dolphins rushed for 188 yards. But aside from connecting with Jonnu Smith seven times for 96 yards and one score, they struggled through the air and Mostert lost a fumble that Indy (4-3) converted into its only touchdown of the game.
The result: Miami scored only 10 points against a defense that started Week 7 ranked near the bottom of the league in total yards, yards passing and yards receiving.
“I think they were phenomenal all game. They’ve really looked at their role in an expansive way and have been trying to do whatever they can to win the football game,” McDaniel said, referring to Waddle and Hill. “It was frustrating this game because I didn’t anticipate some of the game shaping out that way. I have to find a way, specifically when they're doing their jobs at a high level. They were very involved in the run game in blocking, and contrary to popular belief, they do play every play."
It hasn't just been the receivers, though.
Miami also committed six penalties, lost the turnover margin, missed a 54-yard field goal that would have tied the score at 13 with 5:14 to play and couldn't rally with Boyle leading the final drive before turning the ball over on downs.
One solution would be activating quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from injured reserve Monday, something McDaniel declined to address following the game. The quicker solution would be developing a game plan that gets Hill and Waddle back in sync.
“They’re one of 11 in terms of not just passes — sometimes they’re limited to requiring a lot of attention and emphasis from the defense, which gives other guys opportunities,” McDaniel said. "But we have to take advantage of those opportunities, and I need to find ways to get them involved.”
