The Miami Dolphins are now more than a full 24 hours removed from their Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots. Miami’s performance should leave a poor taste in everyone’s mouth — the team was capable of winning their season opener of 2020 but critical miscues eventually snowballed into an insurmountable deficit late in the football game. It’s unfortunate, but it’s also just one of sixteen contests on the season. We’re on to Week 2, where the Miami Dolphins will be hosting the Buffalo Bills.
But if Miami’s end result is going to improve, we’re going to need to see better play from several key members of the Dolphins’ roster. Here are three players who must play better football games in Week 2.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Perhaps Week 1 was just “one of those days” for Ryan Fitzpatrick. But if the veteran quarterback is going to stave off the inevitable calls to see QB Tua Tagovailoa, he can ill afford to have too many performances like the one we got on Sunday against the Patriots. The three interceptions thrown are a little misleading — WR Preston Williams fell down at the top of his route against the best cornerback in football, Stephon Gilmore. That’s an interception every time and it is hard to fault Fitzpatrick for that play.
But the interception at the end of the first half? Brutal. The interception at the end of the game, which came in the end zone? Miami was in position no matter what to cut the lead to one score and then attempt an onside kick. Such a high-risk throw was a questionable decision at best. Miami didn’t get the benefit of a call and it was intercepted, compounding the decision.
Fitzpatrick had an earlier attempt to Mike Gesicki that was left too far inside and nearly resulted in another interception as well — the Dolphins need to iron out the timing.