Dolphins Diary Week 17: Blame it on the Rain
I should have known it would be a bad day for the Dolphins when I saw a giant turd in the elevator at Newark Penn Station on the way out to the Hoboken Gambling House. That and the weather forecast called for a steady rain to fall a day in Nashville. The Titans are a good team and a legitimate Super Bowl contender, especially if Derrick Henry returns and is healthy in the postseason. However, the troubling part was how Tua Tagovailoa played, and that turd in the elevator would just about explain it.
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No matter how you slice it, Tua Tagovailoa had a terrible game. The usually accurate passer who regularly completes 75% of his throws only completed 18 of 38 passes on Sunday, with the ball often sailing under wet conditions at Nissan Stadium. In addition, Tagovailoa had three fumbles and an interception, though only one of the fumbles was lost. The ball appeared to be slipping out of his hands all game. Was it the rain, or was it real Tua when facing a good team? That is the question the Dolphins need to answer following a 34-3 loss on Sunday.
The trouble started in the first quarter as Miami could not move the football on their first three drives. The Titans, meanwhile, got on the board with a touchdown from Ryan Tannehill to Geoff Swaim late in the quarter. The Titans got a chance to score again right away as Tua fumbled, setting up Tenessee in the red zone. The Dolphins held the Titans to a field goal, but the feeling that the game was slipping away was palatable. The Dolphins would answer with a field goal, but as the half ended, the Titans began to pull away, scoring a second touchdown helped by a questionable pass interference penalty on Nik Needham.
Down 17-3, Miami's defense did their best to keep the Dolphins in the game, but after failing to cut into the lead, the game got away in the fourth quarter. Following a turnover on downs with a Devante Parker being flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, the Titans hammered the nail into the coffin with a touchdown. The Titans added a field and a touchdown as Tua Tagovailoa had an interception that quickly led to a Titans score, as Tannehill appeared to take joy at beating his former team.
With the loss, the Dolphins sit at 8-8, heading into the final game, a home game against the New England Patriots. Making matters worse the Chargers' win over the Broncos has eliminated any playoff hopes. With that loss, I can now shave.