It’s ridiculous to think that the Miami Dolphins didn’t think of an escape route knowing that Tua Tagovailoa had a history of concussions. This unpreparedness might have finally caused Tyreek Hill to explode on the sidelines as he watched his team miserably lose to Mason Rudolph and his Tennessee Titans in a 31-12 bout.
The truth of the matter is, that the Cheetah had just 4 receptions throughout the game and didn’t score a touchdown. His mind must have been clouded by the lack of leadership that surrounds his team. This mismanaged debacle got the attention of Mike Florio and his colleague Michael Holley, who didn’t hesitate to back the Super Bowl-winning receiver.
Mike Florio’s take on Tyreek Hill’s outburst
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Florio was impressed with how Tyreek Hill handled his emotions. Revisiting the highlight of his outburst, it’s clear that he’s not shouting at Mike McDaniel; instead, he’s shouting behind him. That might have been enough to let the head coach know that a leading figure in his roster is upset at the management and, most importantly, the abysmal performance and his lack of reps.
“This is not what the Dolphins expected,” Florio said on Pro Football Talk. “All the concerns we articulated earlier in the show [about] not having a competent backup behind Tua. ‘Somebody could come in and run the same offense.’ Tyreek’s got to be thinking those things. The players have to be thinking those things: ‘What are our leaders doing?’
This is the third concussion that Tua has suffered in the past two years, and some people might have been right when they implored him to retire for his good. His backup, Tyler Huntley, who was signed to Miami’s roster on September 16, has started just 9 games in his 4-year career with the Ravens. Surely, with his 3-6 record, the Dolphins didn’t think they could win games in the NFL, right?
Huntley stitched together 93 yards over 14 completed throws and didn’t score a touchdown till the last quarter. It was a mere 1-yard run when he did reach the end zone. What’s more astonishing is that the Miami team rushed for only 106 yards and received another 96.
However, not all the blame goes to Tyler Huntley, who had all but two weeks to learn McDaniel’s complex offensive schemes. To add to that, he’s playing with a roster that he doesn’t have chemistry with. Florio further echoed the Miami Dolphins’ woes and empathized with Tyreek Hill’s condition. He was not ready to give into the narrative of Huntley’s lack of experience.
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Is Tyreek Hill right to call out Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins' leadership for their poor decisions?
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“We know we got a guy who’s had concussions. How do we not have a better backup quarterback? Who in the H-ll is responsible for this mess? All due respect to Skylar Thompson, Snoop Huntley, and Tim Boyle; we needed better if we were going to win games without Tua. So, I can understand why he’s [Tyreek Hill] upset,” Florio added later.
But QB-related issues aren’t the only thing that Miami faced in the battle at home.
The Tennessee Titans made the Dolphins 50% less efficient
The Dolphins have won just one game since the season started, and the game against the Titans revealed one more hole in their offense. Per Next Gen Stats, the Tennessee Titans capped 8 of 17 rushing plays Miami designed for their RBs. That left De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright with a combined yardage of 47 over 19 carries. Miami is supposed to be the fast offense in the league, but here we are.
Per Michael Holley, Florio’s colleague on PFT, chucking the ball to Tyreek Hill as much as possible might be the only way out of the “mess” that the Dolphins management reportedly created. He decorated Mike McDaniel as a “gifted offensive mind” but questioned his lack of logical decision-making. Tyreek Hill slamming his helmet made McDaniel realize one thing: “I would expect him to be visibly upset at somebody.”
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“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. Within the locker room, there’s a lot of guys challenging each other, and we get an opportunity to see what we’re made of for sure.”
Hill showing off his animated self clears one thing: he cares deeply about himself and his team. After all, he’s got a ring to chase and justify his mammoth contract because, let’s be real, not a lot of people would be willing to sign the Cheetah considering the cap implications he brings to the team. So, the thought of him leaving the team is already out of the window.
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As for Tagovailoa, he’d be out for a few more games, till the medical staff and external medical personnel give him the green flag to hit the turf.
Debate
Is Tyreek Hill right to call out Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins' leadership for their poor decisions?