As expected, the Miami Dolphins made easy work of the New York Giants on Sunday, coming away with a 31-16 victory at Hard Rock Stadium.
The final score isn’t indicative of how dominant Miami (4-1) was. The Giants (1-4) needed three turnovers, including a Jason Pinnock franchise record-tying 102-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter, to keep the game within reach.
The Dolphins outgained the Giants 524-268 in total yards, and the Giants allowed Tyreek Hill to have 181 receiving yards on eight receptions and a touchdown.
There were many noteworthy observations in Sunday’s game, but we’ll examine the four biggest takeaways.
New York Giants offensive line not performing at NFL level
As has been the case for the entire season, the Giants’ offensive line was overwhelmed by Miami’s front seven. The Dolphins’ defense recorded a season-high seven sacks and knocked out QB Daniel Jones in the fourth quarter when he was sacked by Andrew Van Ginkel.
In addition, New York’s offensive line was unable to open holes for their running backs as the team gained just 85 yards on the ground on 29 carries.
Yes, Andrew Thomas missed his fourth consecutive game due to a hamstring injury and they were without center John Michel Schmitz Jr. (shoulder injury). But that’s no excuse for how poorly the line has performed and how they’ve been constructed this season. They have now allowed 30 sacks in just five games.
In Thomas’ absence, the team put reserve guard Joshua Ezeudu at left tackle, and he hasn’t faired well. It was Ezeudo who gave up the sack that led to Jones injury, and now it’s possible he could miss time with a neck injury. A neck injury cost Jones the final six games of the 2021 season, and the 26-year-old quarterback was expected to have an X-ray Sunday.
The fact is, New York’s offensive line has been putrid and it will take more than the return of Thomas to fix their issues. Head coach Brian Daboll and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson need to be held accountable.
The Giants run defense continues to struggle
After surrendering 268 yards on the ground in their 38-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the 2022-23 playoffs, general manager Joe Schoen put an emphasis to improve the run defense. He signed free agents Bobby Okereke, A’ Shawn Robinson, and Rakeem Nunez-Roches. But the run defense remains one of the biggest issues with the team.
On Sunday, Miami rushed for 222 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. Rookie running back De’Von Achane ran wild over Big Blue’s defense, gaining 151 yards on just 11 carries that included a 76-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to put the Dolphins in front 14-0.
The team is now giving up an average of 151 yards per game on the ground, and neither the players or defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale seems to have a solution to fix this weakness.
Giants offense was once again non-existent
If not for Pinnock’s pick 6, this would have been the second consecutive game the team has failed to score a touchdown. The last offensive touchdown the Giants scored occurred in the third quarter in Week 3, when Matt Breida scored on an eight-yard run in their 30-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Since then, it has been nine quarters since the offensive has scored a touchdown. Even though Saquon Barkley missed his third straight game due to a sprained ankle, it seems unfathomable that in today’s NFL a team could go nine quarters without scoring a touchdown.
Prior to exiting the game, Jones finished the game 14 out of 20 for 119 yards and wasn’t able to challenge Miami’s secondary downfield with their fastest player rookie Jalin Hyatt. Hyatt wasn’t targeted on Sunday, and it marked the third time this season he’s failed to have a catch. Yes, the offensive line woes contribute to this, but offensive coordinator Mike Kafka needs to find a scheme that gets the ball in Hyatt’s hands.
Darren Waller one of few positives
The only positives for New York on Sunday were that Darren Waller had his finest game as a Giant catching eight passes for 86 yards, and the defense forced three turnovers after coming into the game with none.
But those positives offer little comfort for a team with numerous issues with no remedy in sight. New York was expected to contend for a playoff berth this season, but it’s clear after five weeks they’re one of the worst teams in the league.
This is a pivotal moment in the tenure of Daboll as the team is spiraling towards a double-digit loss season. He must find a way to rally his team and put an end to these embarrassing performances.