Dolphins vs Giants: 8 Things We Learned About Miami in 20-17 Loss

The Miami Dolphins lost to the New York Giants by a score of 17-20 on Sunday afternoon. 

Miami jumped out to an early 14-3 lead but—as per usual—blew it. 

The Dolphins led the Giants with as little as six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but Eli Manning hooked up with Victor Cruz for a game-winning 25-yard touchdown. 

With this loss, Miami falls to 0-7 and remains at the forefront of the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes. Even though the 'Fins have failed to secure a win, there's still plenty of lessons to learn from this game. 

Lex Hilliard, Not Steve Slaton, Should Be Getting Goal Line Carries

Steve Slaton received a bulk of the goal-line carries on Sunday. Slaton was stuffed multiple times before narrowly sneaking in for a touchdown, but why didn't Lex Hilliard get those carries instead?

Hilliard has proven himself to be a very effective goal line back, and runs with far more power than Slaton. 

This is just one of the many questionable moves Tony Sparano has made this season. Even though Slaton bailed him out, these odd decisions are a large part of the reason that Sparano will soon be fired. 

Tony Sparano's Red Zone Play-Calling Keeps Getting Worse

Even though Miami went 2-for-2 in the red zone, it's still difficult to agree with much of Tony Sparano's play-calling. 

Sparano continually fed Steve Slaton and Reggie Bush the ball inside of the red zone. Neither are particularly effective running in between the tackles, yet Sparano insisted on giving them carries. 

Sparano made a great call on Matt Moore's bootleg touchdown, but he needs to be more consistent and creative inside of the 20. 

Reggie Bush Is Still a Special Player

For the first time this season, Reggie Bush showed why he's worth $10 million. 

He rushed for 103 yards on just 15 carries, and tacked on four receptions for 17 yards. 

Bush received plenty of help from the offensive line, which managed to pave some sizable rushing lanes. Even though he has been criticized for underachieving this season, Bush still has plenty to provide for this offense. 

If Bush maintains this level of play, he and Daniel Thomas could pose serious matchup problems for opposing defenses for the rest of the season. 

Miami Might Be in the Market for a Running Back This Summer

In his first two NFL starts, Daniel Thomas racked up a combined 202 rushing yards on 41 carries.

He looked like a promising young back, but he has struggled since. 

In Thomas' last two starts, he has amassed only 100 rushing yards on 34 carries. 

Even more concerning than Thomas' recent struggles is his durability issues. He has already missed three games with assorted injuries, and if these problems persist throughout the season, the Dolphins might want to look for a more reliable back. 

The Dolphins Simply Cannot Opposing Tight Ends

By now, we all know that the Dolphins cannot stop opposing tight ends. 

But Jake Ballard, New York's starting tight end, didn't figure to pose many problems for the 'Fins defense. After all, Ballard is 6'6", 275 pounds, so he doesn't have an athletic advantage over many linebackers. 

Still, he managed to catch four passes for 55 yards. Even Bear Pascoe, the Giants' second string tight end, caught a 22-yard pass. 

Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett are huge liabilities in the passing game, and it continues to hurt the team as a whole. Inside linebacker will be a big need for the team this offseason. 

Cornerback Will Be a Primary Need Heading into the Offseason

After the Dolphins opening week loss to the New England Patriots, cornerback was exposed as a huge need. 

Vontae Davis and Sean Smith are both great, but in today's pass-happy NFL, defenses need at least three or four great corners. 

The Giants used their platoon of wide receivers to slice up Miami's overwhelmed secondary. Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks collectively caught 19 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns today. 

If the Dolphins want to emerge as contenders in the near future, they must invest in some cornerbacks who can help halt potent passing attacks. 

Miami's Late Collapses Are Inexplicable

Up 14-3 in the second quarter, the Dolphins looked composed and in control of the game. 

Reggie Bush was running all over the Giants front seven and Matt Moore was making smart, safe throws to Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess. Meanwhile, the defense was stifling Ahmad Bradshaw and generating a consistent pass rush on Eli Manning. 

So how did they manage to collapse again?

It's hard to explain. 

The Giants' urgency certainly kicked in once the fourth quarter rolled around, but it seemed like Miami's players simply play worse as the game progresses. Perhaps they simply expect to lose.

Regardless, it's frustrating to reflect on all of the games Miami could have won this season, but inexplicably blew late. 

This Roster Might Need an Overhaul After the Season

Even though the Dolphins are winless, these losses still sting.

Unfortunately, a losing stench seems to have formed around the team. They expect to lose and they find ways to do it.

Miami's roster is loaded with plenty of talent, and given a good head coach and quarterback, this team could content in the near future. However, it will be extremely challenging to exterminate this stench from the locker room. And, consequently, this roster might need an overhaul this summer.