Dolphins Must Become More Consistent to Realize Playoff Aspirations

At halftime of the Miami Dolphins’ matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Miami found itself in a familiar dilemma as it prepares for the second half of a game. Being down at halftime for the fourth time in five games due to poor offensive play, Miami had to perform a dramatic makeover to get the team in a position to defeat the Packers.

Despite a terrific second-half performance from quarterback Ryan Tannehill, it was the defense that wilted in Miami’s heat, allowing the Aaron Rodgers to orchestrate three scoring drives with 11 plays or more in the second half alone. Just those three drives took 15:09 off the game clock out of a possible 30 minutes.

Throughout the first five Dolphins games, there has been a lack of consistency across the roster and coaching staff. Staring at a 2-3 record, and about to face another difficult matchup in Week 7, the Chicago Bears, Miami has to become more consistent and play a complete 60-minute game more often.

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

In the first half, Tannehill just couldn’t find a rhythm, throwing an ugly interception on a well-covered route on a third down. Later in the half, he threw a lob pass to Brian Hartline, who didn’t compete for the ball, which turned into an easy interception for cornerback Sam Shields.

Tannehill’s struggles were magnified by the horrible play of interior offensive lineman Samson Satele and Daryn Colledge. Each was beaten multiple times at the point of attack, allowing Packers lineman Mike Daniels to effectively end run plays before they could begin. Miami produced just 10 yards on 10 rushing attempts due to the poor line play.

On the other hand, the defense played extremely well after recovering from the Packers' opening touchdown drive. It was the second consecutive opening touchdown drive Miami has allowed this year. It shows how well opposing coordinators are able to find Miami’s scheme weaknesses from previous film study.

To defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle's credit, his defense has otherwise played well in the first half, allowing an average of 12 points on scoring drives.

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The second half, however, saw a flip of the script. All of a sudden, Miami began to attack the Packers linebackers, hitting intermediate crossing routes, which opened up the running lanes. Tannehill’s play was reminiscent of his masterful performance against Oakland, finding his receivers with great accuracy and improvisation. For a brief half, Tannehill was doing his best Rodgers impression.

But, the game was not meant to go in Miami’s favor. The Dolphins defense couldn’t get off the field, allowing the Packers to convert eight of 17 third-down attempts. A team with too many playmakers to stop once again exposed Miami’s bend-don’t-break defense. The 17 points allowed proved fatal, with the final score coming on an easy four-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Andrew Quarless.

Coaching decisions were again suspect during this game, but the defensive players’ performance in the second half was nearly as appalling.

The exceptional receivers whom the Packers boast exposed cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Cortland Finnegan. Jordy Nelson worked Grimes the entire game, and rookie Davante Adams was too big and fast for Finnegan. Finnegan’s missed tackles and lackadaisical approach to tackling Adams on Rodgers’ fake spike pass with just seven seconds left may have sealed the game.

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

There were a number of positives to take from the Dolphins’ nearly achieving victory, such as Reshad Jones’ return, and the impressive defensive line play. But for another week, Miami’s head coach will be questioned about why the offense keeps starting slow and why the team cannot finish close games without a major hiccup.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, Philbin is on the verge of losing the Dolphins’ locker room with his latest in-game blunders. Until the team can show it is capable of closing out tight games and gets more consistent play out of key players, Philbin will be under fire from the players, administration and fans.

With 11 games left, Miami must win at least seven to be in the playoff hunt. A final record of 9-7 could save the Philbin's job, as well as the jobs of the many players in a contract year. There’s a lot at stake with this Dolphins team, and it’s time to evolve into a consistent winner on Sunday.

Miami has the talent needed to be a playoff team, but whether the coaching staff can harness that talent and produce a winning culture is another issue. In a critical part of the season, this Dolphins team must start to find that consistency soon for its playoff dreams to become a reality.

All stats used are from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats (subscription required) or Sports-Reference.com. All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.

Ian Wharton is a Miami Dolphins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, contributor for Optimum Scouting, and analyst for FinDepth. 

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