Biggest Takeaways from Miami Dolphins' Week 11 Loss

The fat lady isn't singing, but she's warming up.

The Miami Dolphins fell to 4-6 with a 24-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11. They're not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, but their season is on the brink of futility.

Interim head coach Dan Campbell started red-hot after taking over the team, but since getting them back to .500 two games into his run, the Dolphins are 1-3, which is exactly the record they had under Joe Philbin this year before he was unceremoniously fired.

The Dolphins have a lot of work to do if they want to get back into the postseason hunt, and they'll probably need some help along the way. In order for their season to turn around, they'll need to learn from their past mistakes. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from their loss on Sunday.

The Dolphins Need to Recommit to the Running Game

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In their four wins, the Dolphins have rushed an average of 27.8 times for an average of 150.3 yards per game. In their six losses, the numbers are 16 and 65.7 yards per game. 

Of course, that statistic may be somewhat circumstantial. After all, a team is much less likely to run the ball when it is trailing than when it is ahead. That being said, the Dolphins have a propensity to completely abandon the running game any time they face even the smallest of deficits.

It might have done them well to commit to the running game against the Cowboys Sunday. The Dolphins finished the game with 14 carries for 70 yards, an average of five yards per carry. With more of a focus on the ground attack, who knows if the outcome might have been different.

Judging by what's happened to the Dolphins in their wins this year, it's safe to say they would have had a much better chance of coming out on the winning end if they had found rhythm on the ground.

The Run Defense Is Far from Fixed

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The Dolphins opened the season allowing more than 120 rushing yards in each of their first four games on their way to their head coach being fired during the bye week. From that point, they turned things around to allow fewer than 100 rushing yards in each of their next three games, but since then, they've gone right back down the tubes.

Two weeks ago, they allowed 266 rushing yards to the Buffalo Bills. Against the Cowboys this week, they yielded 166 rushing yards, including 129 to running back Darren McFadden alone.

The Dolphins have struggled against the run more or less all season. They invested heavily in defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in hopes he could help them stop the run after they finished as one of the 10 worst defenses against the run in each of the past two seasons.

Where do they stand right now? Second-worst in the NFL.

Self-Inflicted Wounds Dug Dolphins into Hole

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Take nothing away from the Cowboys: They played well and pounded the Dolphins into submission. That being said, the Dolphins didn't do themselves any favors with their own mistakes and shortcomings.

The Dolphins committed nine penalties for 74 yards and also dropped two third-down passes. 

"It was drops and penalties that really killed us," Campbell told reporters. "Kudos to those guys over there; they played good football, and they capitalized on our mistakes. But we really hurt ourselves. They took full advantage of those penalties. The holding penalties and the drops early in the game, our two third-down drops, hurt us."

The only thing that sticks out about this statement is that many of those mistakes happened early in the game, which left the Dolphins plenty of time to overcome. Overcome they did—they fought back from a 14-point deficit. Ultimately, though, it was some of their other mistakes that did them in.

Dolphins Offense Done in by 3rd-Down Woes

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The Dolphins converted just one of their 10 third downs Sunday. That included five missed conversions in the first half and three three-and-out drives in the game.

The offense has some talent, but no amount of talent can overcome that kind of execution—or lack thereof.

As mentioned earlier, two third-down drops altered the numbers a bit. Even if Jarvis Landry had hung onto both of those passes, though, the Dolphins still would have been just 3-of-10 on third down. 

Some of those struggles might have been a result of the Dolphins' abandonment of the running game, which inevitably set up some 3rd-and-10 situations after two incomplete passes. Everything works in harmony in football, and the Dolphins will need to get back to the running game at some point if they want their offense to stay on track.

The Dolphins Have No Margin for Error for the Rest of the Season

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At 4-6, the Dolphins have an outside chance at making the playoffs. Of course, the Dolphins' definition of "an outside shot" now involves winning every game and needing the Pittsburgh Steelers to lose three of their final six games.

The Dolphins were hoping that Dan Campbell could help turn the team around, but after a 1-3 start, there wasn't much he could do. He has coached the team to a .500 record in his six games as head coach, but even with those results (respectable results, given the circumstances) his team is still two games below .500 on the season.

The Dolphins now travel to MetLife Stadium for a rematch with the New York Jets in what will essentially be an elimination game. Another loss would mark the third losing streak of the season for the Dolphins. 

Both teams must win, and neither team can afford to lose.