Dolphins stick with QB Tyler Huntley as offense struggles without Tua Tagovailoa

National Football League

Published Oct. 1, 2024 7:58 p.m. ET

In the fourth quarter of Monday night’s 31-12 loss to the Titans, cameras caught Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill upset and shouting on the sideline.

It was another quiet game for Hill in what has been a frustrating season for the Dolphins. They’re 1-3 with the NFL’s worst scoring offense. They’ve been outscored 86-25 in the past three games and haven’t found any answers on how to turn things around with franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve with a concussion.

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“I would expect (Hill) to be visibly upset at somebody,” coach Mike McDaniel said after the game. “He’s a leader, and he wanted to do everything that he could to make sure the result wasn’t that.”

The Dolphins finished with just 184 total yards on Monday, just 78 through the air for the league’s top passing offense in 2023. Hill had just 23 yards receiving and caught 4 of 7 targets from Tyler Huntley, Miami’s third starting quarterback in four weeks.

Huntley has had less than two weeks to gain an understanding of one of the NFL’s most complicated offenses after signing on Sept. 17, but the Dolphins looked out of sync under him.

McDaniel said Monday afternoon that Huntley will start in Week 5 against the Patriots, as quarterback Skylar Thompson deals with a rib injury.

The former Baltimore Ravens quarterback’s lack of chemistry with his new receivers showed. He missed Hill on several big-play opportunities, including underthrowing Hill on what could’ve been an 80-yard touchdown pass just before halftime.

“I just got to hone into being on time with them and get more reps on it,” Huntley said. “That’s the only way we’re going to build is if we get more reps.”

McDaniel acknowledged there were limitations to the play-calling strategy with Huntley being new to the offense. He also indicated significant changes could be underway to give the team a spark.

Monday’s performance wasn’t much different from how the Dolphins offense has looked in the past three games. Before Huntley’s 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth, Miami had gone 10 quarters without finding the end zone.

“Everything is on the table,” McDaniel said. “You can’t argue the offense is good or — to me in a situation like this, I hadn’t really been in one where we haven’t had production consecutively like this, so you really have to open your mind to really all things.”

What’s working

The Dolphins defense has held opponents to 23.8% on third downs in 2024, the best mark in the NFL. Miami limited the Titans to field goals until midway through the third quarter, when running back Tyjae Spears took a direct snap 7 yards for a touchdown. Miami also gave up a touchdown in the final minute of the game.

What needs help

Procedural issues need to be cleaned up. After being marred by pre-snap penalties in Week 3, the Dolphins were called for five illegal shift penalties on Monday, with multiple players not set at the snap.

McDaniel said he will consider dialing back some of the pre-snap motions and shifts.

“It’s one of the first things that I know that we can control,” McDaniel said. “That guys aren’t getting set fast enough. … The motioning part of our offense is something that our players have been good at in the past and have used it to create advantageous situations, but I mean, you just can’t keep doing the same thing. You have to fully adjust if guys can’t execute in the moment of truth.”

Stock up

LB Emmanuel Ogbah had an interception on the Titans’ opening drive in which he grabbed the ball and secured it between his knees. It was his second career interception.

Stock down

Play-calling. The receivers. The run game. The offensive line. Miami’s offensive front continues to struggle in run-blocking, which has contributed to the Dolphins’ 3.6 yards-per-carry average. De’Von Achane averaged 7.8 yards per carry last season; his mark was 1.5 on 10 carries Monday night, bringing his average to 3.1 through the first four games in which the Dolphins have gotten little going on the ground.

Hill and Jaylen Waddle have had their least productive stretch since Hill joined the Dolphins in 2022 — The duo that led the NFL in production last season has combined for 22 catches and 190 yards since Week 1. Both had a dropped pass on Monday.

The Dolphins added veteran tight end Jonnu Smith in the offseason in hopes of adding more production to that unit, but Smith has barely been used in the passing game through four games. He played 25 snaps but was targeted just once.

Injuries

Help could be on the way for the offense, as receiver Odell Beckham Jr.‘s practice window to return from the physically unable to perform list will open on Wednesday. … McDaniel said he doesn’t expect LB Jaelan Phillips to play on Sunday after he left Monday’s game with a knee injury. The team is still waiting on more details on the severity of the injury, McDaniel said.

Key numbers

12.5% — The Dolphins’ third-down conversion rate in the past two games without Tagovailoa.

15.4% — The Dolphins’ fourth-down conversion rate this season.

Next steps

Tagovailoa will remain in the concussion protocol when Miami travels to face New England on Sunday. After that, the Dolphins have a bye week and trip to Indianapolis to face the Colts. Tagovailoa could return the following week against Arizona on Oct. 27.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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