It wasn’t quite Novemberfest for the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt. Their offense wasn’t even recognizable in the first half. A second-half comeback wasn’t enough as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Dolphins, 21-14, sending the Dolphins to 6-3 after this AFC showdown.
Here are 10 thoughts on the game:
1. Play of the Game: A wide receiver screen to Tyreek Hill became a disaster with 33 seconds left in the first half. For all the manner the game swung in the second half, this play proved the difference. The Dolphins had their deepest penetration of the first half at the Kansas City 30-yard line, Hill took a few steps back from the line, got the pass — and was immediately hit by Kansas City’s Trent McDuffie, who came in so fast tight end Durham Smyth couldn’t block him. Hill fumbled and Kansas City’s Mike Edwards picked up the ball at the Kansas City 37. Edwards ran it 4 yards and lateraled to Bryan Cook who ran it 59 yards for a touchdown. Instead of a possible 14-7 game at half, Kansas City took a 21-0 lead. Footnote to the play: Kansas City took McDuffie with the first-round pick in the trade for Hill.
2. Stat of the Game: 14 points. That’s what the Dolphins offense put up after being shut out in the first half. Their five, first-half punts were more than they’d had in a game all season. Give the Chiefs defense credit. It knows how to win. You can put some it off on the Dolphins passing game being inches off. Tua Tagovailoa (21-34, 193 yards) and Hill (8 catches, 62 yards) just missed on a couple deep passes. Jaylen Waddle had a deep pass negated by penalty. This offense averaged 33.9 points coming into the game, and didn’t come close against a top defense again. Buffalo: 20 points. Philadelphia: 17 points (just 10 on offense). Now 14 points with one touchdown on a short field thanks to a defensive takeaway.
3. Stat of the Game II: 14 points: That’s what the Dolphins defense gave up. This is the latest nice step by Vic Fangio’s defense that makes you think what it can be come January. It got the ball back to the offense twice late in the game. And big plays? Bradley Chubb stripped Patrick Mahomes of the ball in the third quarter, Zach Sieler fell on it and the Dolphins offense took over at the Kansas City 27. Four plays later — and thanks to defensive tackle Chris Jones’ personal foul — Raheem Mostert’s touchdown cut Kansas City’s lead to 21-14. One week it’s Jerome Baker returning an interception for a touchdown in Philadelphia. The next, it’s Jalen Ramsey returning one 49 yards against New England. And, remember in the 70-point game against Denver, the defense set up 21 points. Perfect? Nope. But it’s showing a good ability to make game-tilting plays.
4. What a dud of an ending with what looks to be on replay like quarterback Tua Tagovailoa mishandling a decent-not-perfect shotgun snap from center Connor Williams. This exchange was issue in training camp. It’s still an issue in November. This didn’t lose the game. It would have taken a big play on fourth-and-10 to keep the game going. But on the Kansas City 31 with 1:03 left, the Dolphins didn’t even get to take a shot for the big play and climactic comeback.
5. The weekly issue to the offensive line involved left guard Robert Jones, who suffered such a bad injury to his left knee in the fourth quarter that the NFL Network’s Rich Eisen said they wouldn’t re-show it. He was helped off the field, Liam Eichenberg took his place and the latest transformation of this line was in play. Left tackle Terron Armstead and center Connor Williams returned to the lineup while right guard Robert Hunt was out. You saw the impact of Armstead (and give Eichenberg some notice) when Mostert ran twice that way on the opening plays of the final drive for 25 and 19 yards.
6. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the opponent. That was the case on Kansas City’s second touchdown drive. After Kansas City’s 75-yard opening touchdown drive, the Dolphins defense held its next three possessions to 31 total yards and three punts. Then Patrick Mahomes was Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City went on a 19-play, 95-yard touchdown drive where not one pass went to Travis Kelce. The Dolphins asked Mahomes to dink-and-dunk down the field without his favorite target and — well, hats off to Mahomes. Look at 19 plays:
* Six runs by running backs for 12 yards;
* Five passes to five different receivers for 67 yards;
* A Bradley Chubb holding penalty and Kansas City false start;
* Three Mahomes scrambles for 14 total yards.
Again, hats off to Mahomes on that drive that made it, 14-0.
The Dolphins’ speed has been used to make this an outside-run and creative passing attack. But as defensive minds get more information and good defenses set up, well, you see what’s starting to happen. McDaniel did smartly run the ball in the second half even when starting it down 21-0. After passing 19 times and running seven in the first half, the offense ran 14 times for 84 yards and passed 15 times for 111 yards in the second half. That helped move the offense. For the day, Tagovailoa completed 21-of-34 passes for 193 yards. Mostert ran 12 times for 85 yards.
7. How bad was the offense in the first half? Well, it was the first time they were held scoreless this season in the first half. They lead the league with 103 second-quarter points this year. Again, none Sunday. Here’s a quick look at the other stats:
* Seven first downs (Kansas City had 12);
* 0-5 on third down;
* 31 yards rushing (on seven carries for a respectable 4.4-yard average);
* 82 yards passing;
* 12:50 time of possession (Kansas City had 17:47).
Sometimes stats don’t tell the story. These did.
8. Both defenses took away the other team’s top threat, just as good defenses try to do. Travis Kelce had three catches for 14 yards. On a third-and-1 play in the final minutes, the Dolphins defense bracketed him with two defenders so Mahomes had no window to find him. Likewise, Kansas City limited Tyreek Hill to his eight catches for 62 yards with the game-changing fumble.
9. Quick Hits:
* Jaylen Waddle got an ankle clipped while making a block on the first possession, and went out of the game briefly;
* Mostert leads the league with 11 rushing touchdowns;
* So is there any conclusion over teams getting early or late to an overseas game matters?
10. Next Week: Bye. The Dolphins get their break, and it comes at a good time considering it’s not just after the Germany trip but in the middle of the season. Nine games down. Eight games left. And what looked like a brutal schedule at the start of the year has been decidedly less. The next five opponents — Las Vegas, at the New York Jets, at Washington, Tennessee and the Jets — looked to be possible playoff teams before the season and are decidedly less. The season ends with a more difficult stretch: against Dallas, at Baltimore before a game against a Buffalo team that isn’t looking like it did in September. Bottom-line: 11-6 looks to be the low pick for Miami’s finish. But Sunday’s loss means Kansas City, at 7-2, looks in control of getting homefield for the AFC playoffs.
