The Miami Dolphins lost to the Houston Texans 20-12 on Sunday. Another loss puts Miami at 6-8 and keeps them on the outside of the AFC playoff picture. But they almost came back to win this game before Tua Tagovailoa's fourth turnover. Head coach Mike McDaniel told Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN that Tyreek Hill got separation over Derek Stingley Jr on that final play.
“McDaniel said Tyreek won at the line of scrimmage on the game-sealing interception, but “'they didn’t connect.' Did not say who bore more of the responsibility for the result of the play, said he’d have to check the tape to see if there could’ve been a better throw,” Louis-Jacques reported.
It was the second interception of the day for Stingley and the third for Tagovailoa. While there were many reasons the Dolphins lost this game, the turnovers were a massive part. The Texans offense continued their struggles in the second half but Miami's offense could not capitalize.
The Dolphins are in a rough spot because of their struggles when Tagovailoa was hurt. They went 1-3, beating only the Tennessee Titans, when the quarterback had a concussion. While they can't get those wins back, they could have gone on a run with their QB back. That has not happened and their playoff chances continue to dwindle.
The Dolphins need a miracle to make the playoffs
The Dolphins would have needed an incredible drive to win on Sunday. They were down eight points with 1:44 left and the ball on their 23-yard line. It would have been a miraculous run down the field for the Dolphins to win. Now that they could not pull that off, they need a miraculous run to make the playoffs.
The Athletic's playoff probability calculator says the Dolphins have a 5% chance of making the dance. They have too many losses to too many AFC teams to have a realistic look at the seventh seed. While the season is not over, it is very close in Miami. The biggest issue is Tagovailoa's health, which was perfect last year. When he is out, they do not have a sturdy backup plan.
There are teams every year who succeed with their backup quarterback and hold serve until their starter comes back. The Dolphins are not that team this year. Part of the issue was Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley's inability to get the ball to Tyreek Hill. He had only 14 receptions for 140 yards in those four games. While trying to force it to him in this one, Tagovailoa threw the game-sealing interception.