The Dolphins are on a slippery slope.  A 31-12 home loss to the Titans, who were without a win before this game, is a new low. With the third straight defeat, these are frustrating times for their fandom. Nothing captured the frustration and anguish experienced by the fans as Tyreek Hill’s meltdown on the sidelines during the fourth quarter. By the looks of it, he had pretty good reason to be feeling that way.

Hill managed four catches for 23 yards on seven targets in the Monday game. In the last two games, he has only seven catches for 63 yards and zero touchdowns since the Dolphins lost Tua Tagovailoa to injured reserve following a concussion in the Week 2 loss to the Bills. So where does the blame lie? HC Mike McDaniel pulled no punches when speaking after the game.

The Miami Dolphins offense line has come under scrutiny during this torrid run, which has seen them have their worst start under McDaniel for a second successive year at 1-3. The service to debutant quarterback Tyler Huntley wasn’t up to the mark. He completed 14 of 22 passes (63.7% completion rate) for 96 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and McDaniel wasn’t happy with how the rest of the team played around the 26-year-old.

Assessing Huntley’s performance after the game he said, “I didn’t think his teammates around him, at times, did what we needed them to do,” as tweeted by ESPN’s Miami Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques. Huntley is still getting used to McDaniel’s setup, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that he averaged only 4.4 yards per attempt and struggled to get going as a passer.

Still, he contributed by running in the Dolphins’ only touchdown of the night on a one-yard run with 3:36 remaining, showcasing his rushing ability. Talking about his chemistry with the receivers, Huntley was upbeat as he said, “They’re good receivers and I’m a pretty good quarterback, so I’ve just got to hone in.” While this is both confident and hopeful from Huntley, McDaniel will need to see results and fast. The HC has promised a shake-up before their next game.

He said, “There will be things that will change — it’s hard to say what those things are but we’re definitely in need of it.” Changes are on the table, but where would McDaniel make alterations? That remains to be seen. The Dolphins tallied 184 yards on offense Monday and converted just two of 12 third downs. With his first choice and backup QB Skylar Thompson both out of action, Huntely is in line for another start. Meanwhile, fullback Alec Ingold also echoed his coach’s comments and said the responsibility falls on the rest of the offense.

Ingold said, “I think every man here has a job we have to execute. The quarterback is obviously a very important piece of that puzzle, but we need 10 other guys to be performing and executing.” 

Explosive receiver Jaylen Waddle also said it’s up to the team’s playmakers to be “extra open” for their QB with Huntely also having a first-quarter fumble. The first quarter went without any scoring plays, but the game picked up in the second quarter.

At the end of halftime, the Titans were ahead with 9-3. Huntley underthrew Hill for what would’ve been an 80-yard touchdown just before halftime. He also overthrew Hill for what would’ve been a 77-yard TD in the third quarter. The game slipped out of the Phins’ grasp in the third quarter, ending with 19-6.

In the 4th quarter, with a clear loss in sight, Tyreek Hill was seen venting his anger on the sidelines. With 2:27 minutes left on the clock, the Titans cruised ahead with a victory. Afterward, McDaniel also empathized with Hill.

He said, “I would expect him to be visibly upset at somebody. A lot of times guys can be yelling at – he’s a leader and he wanted to do everything that he could to make sure the result wasn’t that.” Clearly, McDaniel realises the task and hand and is not subtle about how his team has struggled.

Mike McDaniel reveals his bottom line for the offense

The Dolphins‘ offense has been struggling, scoring the fewest points in the league. Against the Titans, they gained just 184 total yards. Huntley’s passes to Hill often fell short, suggesting that the offensive line might need some adjustments. And it’s clear that McDaniel is searching for ways to get the team back on track.

After the game, McDaniel continued to not mince words, saying, “Bottom line is it doesn’t matter what we’re doing behind the scenes. On the field, that’s not even close to good enough, so you just have to go back to the drawing board and assess very critically.” Now, the biggest issue for the Dolphins right now is finding a winning quarterback.

With Tua Tagovailoa on the ‘Injured Reserve’ list, McDaniel mentioned that he had already made adjustments to accommodate Huntley’s preferences, but the results were still disappointing. It’s a tough time for Dolphins fans, and they will hope they can come out of this predicament, given they have one of the best offenses when they have Tagovailoa under center.

The struggle was expected in the absence of their premier quarterback. For now, there will be added pressure on the Dolphins when they take on the New England Patriots next. Since 1996, only 12 of the 263 teams that started 1-4 made the postseason. It seems the Dolphins have an early must-win game when they visit the Gillette Stadium on Sunday.