The Miami Dolphins did not play a perfect game against the Houston Texans Sunday. Miami turned the ball over four times in the sloppy and uninspiring contest. Miami lost 20-12 and now finds themselves two games under .500. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was especially disappointing, with a career-high four turnovers.
“Very disappointed with how I played today, how I conducted myself on the field,” Tagovailoa said, per the Miami Sun Sentinel.
That sentiment was shared by his head coach, Mike McDaniel. The Dolphins are now dangerously close to losing control of the season. Tagovailoa threw three interceptions in the contest, while also losing a fumble.
“You’re not going to win games with 4 turnovers,” McDaniel said, per ESPN.
Despite the takeaways, the Dolphins defense did enough to win the game. Miami allowed just 20 points in total in the contest. That is in spite of the fact that the Dolphins got blitzed in the turnover margin, 4-1. The Miami defense held Houston to just 77 rushing yards, and 181 total yards.
Dolphins need some wins right away
Miami needs to win games, period. The season is slipping through their fingers. The Dolphins had a solid chance to even their season record at .500 with a win Sunday, but it didn't happen. Miami was close, despite it all, due to the valiant play of their defense.
The offense was a different story, as Tagovailoa was clearly not as sharp as usual. The Dolphins quarterback is still on the mend after a devastating head injury left him sidelined for several weeks of the season. In the Texans game, the quarterback had to push forward without two of his starting offensive linemen.
The loss of those linemen seemed to rattle the quarterback. Tagovailoa finished the contest with just 196 passing yards. Two of his interceptions came in the fourth quarter of the game, with Miami still within striking distance.
“We don’t turn the ball over, they don’t get the big special teams play it’s a different game,” Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill said, per the Miami Herald.
Miami is second in the AFC East behind Buffalo, but the Dolphins just haven't played well this year. Miami is just 2-5 on the road this season, and must find a way to win more road games in order to compete for an AFC playoff spot.
The Dolphins next host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. It's a must-win game for the team from South Beach.
