Dolphins vs. Texans: 10 Things We Learned from Miami's 30-10 Loss

Miami will have plenty of trouble against top teams this year and they can't make it harder on themselves by giving them good field position on turnovers.

Miami had a total of four turnovers against the Texans, which resulted in 24 points and no chance for the Dolphins to win the game. 

Tannehill threw three picks and two of them came after the pass was deflected. Tannehill has to take better care of the ball and the offensive line needs to hold their ground. 

Daniel Thomas also had a fumble after being hammered on a run. He had to leave the game and didn't come back. 

Miami, at one point, had three straight plays that resulted in a turnover. These things can't happen against a talented team that can score with the best of them.

It was a tied game when Houston completely took over after taking advantage of the turnovers and scoring touchdowns. 

We Knew the Secondary Was Bad, but Did We Know It Was This Bad?

The Dolphins secondary got torched against the talented Houston Texans passing game. Miami gave up a total of 256 passing yards and a touchdown.

There were a couple plays to Owen Daniels and Andre Johnson where there were no defenders within 10 yards of them. The cornerbacks were consistently getting beat inside and the linebackers couldn't keep up with the Texans receivers and tight ends.

The Dolphins allowed an average of 8.2 yards per pass and failed to come up with any turnovers. We knew coming into the season that the secondary was going to be one of Miami's weakest positions. However, they showed today the still can't hang with teams that are capable of throwing the football.

The secondary will be able to redeem itself next week when they take on the Raiders, who don't posses the same passing ability as the Texans.

Reggie Bush Is the Feature Back

Reggie Bush was the lone bright spot on the Dolphins offense against Houston. He showed burst and an ability to run inside the tackles. He also showed the ability to gain extra yards after being hit and being able to make big plays at crucial points. 

Bush amassed 64 yards on 14 carries for an average of 4.9 yards per carry. The numbers Bush put up won't pop out when you first see them, but what's important is that Bush showed us he can pick up a first down when needed. 

Bush also had six catches for 46 yards to put him as Miami's second-leading receiver. We knew Bush was going be used as a receiver coming out of the backfield to create mismatches, and he came through for them.

Bush isn't going to be a workhorse running back that will carry the ball 25-30 times, but if he can get big chunks of yards when he does carry the ball, it will help the offense move the ball.

The Defensive Line Will Dictate How Good Miami's Defense Will Be

The defense is going to keep the Dolphins in a lot of games. 

With the likes of Randy Starks, Jared Odrick, Paul Soliai and Cameron Wake, the Dolphins are able to clog up running lanes and put pressure on the quarterback. 

Led by mostly the four guys up front, the Dolphins held the Texans to only 83 yards rushing. The Texans come into the season with one of the best running back duos in the NFL with Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Starks and Soliai were able to penetrate through the offensive line and allowed linebackers to make tackles when the backs hit the hole.

Starks was the most impressive of the defensive linemen with six tackles and two sacks. Cameron Wake was relatively quiet, but his presence is always felt. When this front four gets going, there are few offensive lines that can stop them.

Ryan Tannehill Can't Stare Down Receivers

Ryan Tannehill had four passes deflected at the line of scrimmage.

Out of those four, two were intercepted.

Tannehill is not by any means short (he stands at 6'4"), but size doesn't do a whole lot if defensive linemen know where you're throwing the ball. They were perfectly timing their jumps right before Tannehill delivered the football, causing them to get a hand on the football and allowing the defense to make a play on the ball.

Tannehill is still very inexperienced and will have time to learn, but this is something he has to fix as soon as possible if he wants remain a starter.

Marcus Thigpen Is a Threat on Special Teams

Ever since Ted Ginn Jr. was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, the Dolphins have lacked a threat on special teams.

Davone Bess was highly unproductive and the speedy Clyde Gates was released right before the season started. 

Thigpen's big play came on a punt return that he returned for 72 yards and a touchdown. 

Thigpen also had five kick returns for 137 yards with an average of 27.4. Special teams has been a weak link for the Dolphins team the last couple years, but Thigpen showed he can handle the work. He can constantly put the Dolphins in good field position and is a threat to to take it the distance with his speed.

Special teams is an integral part of the game. It can win or lose a game for you. If Miami can have a strong special teams, it will put the team in a better situation to win the game.

Ryan Tannehill Needs a Lot of Experience

Ryan Tannehill opened the game with quick, accurate passes that resulted in completions. However, as the game progressed, he showed signs of being a rookie.

He began throwing imprecise passes and there were times were he wasn't on the same page as his receivers. 

Tannehill still has a lot of ground to cover, but he did show some positives. He was able to connect with receivers on short slants and quick out routes. He also connected with Brian Hartline on a 34-yard pass and with Jorvorskie Lane on a 24-yard play.

Tannehill also made some good decision under pressure, which shows he has been maturing as a quarterback. 

The road ahead is still long and rocky, but Tannehill gained valuable experience taking on one of the top defenses in the NFL.

Miami Needs Receiver Help

When Miami traded Brandon Marshall, they knew they would be weak at the wide receiver position. 

Miami desperately needs some help as there is no one that seems to get open, and for a rookie quarterback, that is not a good sign.

Davone Bess will always do his work in a 10-15 yard range. This helps the quarterback get short completions and work as safety net when there is nobody else open.

Brian Hartline can stretch the field, but he is not consistent enough. The receivers need to step up and help Tannehill if this offense is going to work. 

Red-Zone Offense Is Still a Problem

Last year, Miami's red-zone offense was one of the worst in the league. Often settling for field goals and turning the ball over, we thought these struggles would be over when the Dolphins fired Tony Sparano and hired Joe Philbin.

However, against the Texans, Miami showed that this problem is still around. They had visits to the red zone and couldn't manage to score a touchdown. Instead, they settled for a field goal and turned the ball over twice. 

Miami is going to have to work on this aspect if it wants to beat good teams. You have to be able to pound it in when you are that close to the end zone and Miami has been lacking in this department the last couple of years.

Offensive Line Looked Okay, but There Is Room for Improvement

The offensive line looks improved compared to last year. They appear to have a better foundation in place, which allows for more continuity from the same five players. 

Jake Long looked like his usual self. He protected Tannehill's blind side and the Dolphins will need him to stay healthy if they want to compete with top teams.

Jonathan Martin gave up a sack to J.J. Watt and was beat a couple more times. He is still trying to learn how to play right tackle, but was able to hold his own against a talented defensive front seven.

The line was able to create holes for the running backs and give Tannehill some time to throw. However, they did give up a couple sacks and allowed the defensive linemen to get close enough to Tannehill as to where they could bat balls down.

They will be play a big role in Tannehill's development and what impact he is able to have the rest of the season.

Miami Has to Limit Its Turnovers

Miami will have plenty of trouble against top teams this year and they can't make it harder on themselves by giving them good field position on turnovers.

Miami had a total of four turnovers against the Texans, which resulted in 24 points and no chance for the Dolphins to win the game. 

Tannehill threw three picks and two of them came after the pass was deflected. Tannehill has to take better care of the ball and the offensive line needs to hold their ground. 

Daniel Thomas also had a fumble after being hammered on a run. He had to leave the game and didn't come back. 

Miami, at one point, had three straight plays that resulted in a turnover. These things can't happen against a talented team that can score with the best of them.

It was a tied game when Houston completely took over after taking advantage of the turnovers and scoring touchdowns.