Was this the same team that flattered their opponents in Week 8? Even with a home-field advantage in Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens, the Miami Dolphins couldn’t post a single touchdown, let alone an overall offensive spark. Post-game, the receiving leader with 82 yards, Jaylen Waddle, had some words to share about moving forward with his teammates.

“I think it’s the 24-hour rule – win or lose. We’ve got two months to make the season what we want it to be. It’s all up to us. Like I always saw, we’ve got great talent, great leadership – we’ve just got to put it together.”

The Dolphins are now going 2-7, but should we count them out of contention? Once before, during former head coach Brian Flores’ last stint, the Dolphins had almost clawed back to playoff relevance after a 1-7 record, winning eight straight games. Current head coach Mike McDaniel believes, “We’ll have a highly motivated team” after their seventh loss this season. But if they want to fix their ball game, Waddle has already pointed out the glaring problems that need to be fixed.

Waddle noted that execution was the main issue. Against a sharp Ravens defense, Miami’s offense faltered. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa tossed the ball for 261 yards in 25 completions out of 40. He only threw one pick, but multiple incompletions kept the Dolphins from gaining any solid ground. Baltimore capitalized on Miami’s miscues. The Dolphins’ next step has to be a cleaner, sharper offense. As Waddle also noted:

“Execution. Against a great team like that, the core players, they’re always going to come down to execution. You can’t give them any type of momentum or traction.”

This loss wasn’t just a setback; it was a glimpse of what happens when the Dolphins don’t play mistake-free football. The locker room vibe after a loss like this is heavy. Incompletions, false starts, a missed field goal, going 0-3 in red zone attempts, the Dolphins were trying, but nothing seemed to work against a Ravens’ roster rejuvenated by the return of Lamar Jackson.

But the costliest mistakes for Miami in this game were perhaps the three turnovers that handed easy scoring opportunities to the Ravens. Jackson threw for 4 passing touchdowns. But didn’t need to exert himself too much thanks to Miami’s mistakes. But Waddle doesn’t blame the offense entirely. He sees plenty of opportunities for growth.

Jaylen Waddle on the team’s costly fumbles

Miami’s young receivers, Tahj Washington and Malik Washington, both fumbled the ball in crucial moments. Tahj got the chance to make his first career reception, but that ended with a fumble. Malik had his own fumble in the fourth quarter that drowned any hope Miami had of climbing out of the 6-point hole they’d dug for themselves. And yet, when asked about these costly mistakes, Jaylen Waddle’s tone was different. There was urgency, yes, but also a quiet confidence in his message to his fellow receivers.

“I just tell them I love them, and that’s what comes with the game. They’re young. We got a lot of trust in them. We put them in position to make plays, and we’re going to continue to put them in position to make plates. … got full faith that they can go out there and help us win. So, I just told them, ‘It’s a long game, y’all going to make a play for us… just keep going.’”

Mistakes happen. But for Waddle, it’s all about bouncing back. The Dolphins’ receivers are trying to step up to fill the gap left behind with star wideout Tyreek Hill’s injury. They’ve got the leadership behind them that won’t panic at a fumble or two. There’s still plenty of football left to be played this season. Next up is a clash with the Buffalo Bills in Week 10. Will Miami respond like a team on a mission? Or will they let the Ravens loss become a roadblock?