3 Takeaways from Dolphins' Week 9 Loss vs. Chiefs
The Miami Dolphins kicked off Sunday's action with a pivotal AFC showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs in Germany.
Despite making a valiant comeback effort in the second half, Miami fell to the reigning Super Bowl champs in a 21-14 contest. A slow start offensively—one that included a fumble that Kansas City returned for a touchdown—ultimately put the Dolphins in an insurmountable hole.
The Dolphins defense stiffened in the second half, and Miami went on a 14-0 run after intermission. However, a fourth-quarter fumble in Chiefs territory ended all hope of a comeback.
Miami falls to 6-3 and a full game behind Kansas City in the AFC race. Here are our biggest takeaways from the Dolphins' Week 9 loss to the Chiefs.
Arriving Early Didn't Help
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Playing in Europe can be difficult for NFL teams—except, perhaps, for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who play there annually—because of the drastic time zone change. In an effort to adapt, the Dolphins arrived in Germany at the beginning of the week, while the Chiefs arrived late.
Logistically, the decision made sense.
"I still feel a bit jet-lagged after two full days and nights in Frankfurt, Germany," Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "I like the Dolphins' decision to come to Europe early, as opposed to the Chiefs, who arrive later this week."
Arriving early, however, didn't help Miami get off to a fast start. Miami had 110 yards in the first half but no points. The Dolphins were 0-for-5 on third down before halftime, and Tyreek Hill's second-quarter fumble yielded seven points for Kansas City.
The ball was picked up by Mike Edwards and pitched to Bryan Cook, who raced 59 yards for the touchdown. It was one of the most thrilling scores of the weekend, and it proved to be the decisive one in this game.
Defense Steps Up in the Second Half
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The Dolphins flipped the script in the second half, with a strong defensive performance. Tagovailoa, Hill and the offense couldn't do enough to draw even, but Miami's defense definitely did its job.
After racking up 200 yards, 12 first downs and 14 points in the first half, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense were stymied in the second. Kansas City added a mere 67 yards, failed to convert a third down and was held scoreless after intermission.
Bradley Chubb's strip-sack of Mahomes in the third quarter helped set up Miami's second touchdown of the day.
It was arguably Miami's best defensive half of the season, and a very positive development in an otherwise disappointing day.
The Dolphins have leaned heavily on their offense this season, and they came into Sunday ranked 15th in total defense and 25th in points allowed. After experiencing decisive losses to the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles, Miami can gain a little confidence from its defense keeping it in the game against a presumed Super Bowl contender.
This Was Likely a Playoff Preview
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Despite losing, the Dolphins have to feel pretty good about hanging with Kansas City until the very end. Miami would love to avoid slow starts and fumbles, to be sure, but the Chiefs didn't feel like the better team by the fourth quarter.
Miami finished with more yards, more first downs and as many points as Kansas City's offense. The Dolphins wound up winning the time-of-possession battle too.
"I had a lot of fun today. I feel like this is football's new rivalry," Hill said, per Joe Schad
It may be a bit premature to call Dolphins-Chiefs the league's new rivalry—the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals have clashed with Kansas City more frequently recently. However, there's a good chance that these two will meet again in the postseason.
Miami's losses to Buffalo and Philadelphia raised some questions about the Dolphins' ability to make a deep playoff push. On Sunday, the Dolphins were a mistake or two away from beating the league's most consistent postseason performer.
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