FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Miami Dolphins beat the New England Patriots, 15-10 , in an ugly contest at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Miami is 2-3 and, somehow, the only team in the AFC East not on a 2-game or 4-game losing streak.
Dolphins who played well included: Raheem Mostert, Jaylen Wright , Alec Ingold , Jonnu Smith , Zach Sieler and Emmanuel Ogbah.
It's always a good time to overreact. Or maybe this isn't an overreaction at all.
It's an overreaction Monday.
Dolphins special teams coach Danny Crossman under pressure
Overreaction? No. Crossman is under tons of pressure. Is it his fault Jason Sanders missed a field goal? Is it his fault Blake Ferguson rolled a snap on a field goal attempt? You could argue no and no. I get that. Is it Crossman's fault Duke Riley failed to execute a block that resulted in a blocked field goal? You could argue either way. You could argue no. But we just have to be honest here and say what we see. Miami's special teams unit did not perform well in 2023. And 2024 has not been better. This is a real problem and head coach Mike McDaniel must be all over it.
Miami's run game is fixed with Raheem Mostert, Jaylen Wright
Overreaction? Yes. But... There was hope from the tandem of Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Wright on Sunday. Mostert led the way and Wright followed. McDaniel showed a commitment to the run and it especially paid off on the game-winning drive, with seven consecutive totes and a touchdown run by fullback Alec Ingold. It's a shame dynamic De'Von Achane left with a concussion. It's also true Achane had been taking too many tackles for loss. Mostert and Wright ran with toughness, determination and decisiveness. We'll see if run game success can continue.
Miami's run defense continues to be a concern
Overreaction? No. I could have wavered on this one, but I was able to speak with stud lineman Zach Sieler in the locker room after the last game and Sieler is unhappy. Sieler is concerned. And he's been great. Really great. And Miami's defense have been solid overall. Very solid under new coordinator Anthony Weaver. But the Dolphins do continue to give up too many key big runs. Rhamondre Stevenson had a 33-yard touchdown run. Antonio Gibson had a 24-yard run in the fourth quarter that could have been a key play on a losing drive. Miami allowed 151 rushing yards, but most concerning is probably the 7.9 yards per carry by the Patriots.
Odell Beckham, Jr. won't make an impact in 2024
Overreaction? Yes. Look, it's not ideal that Tyler Huntley threw an interception when targeting OBJ on Sunday. It's not ideal that Beckham had zero catches on two targets in his debut. But you have to realize Beckham played only 11 snaps, or 14 percent of Miami offensive snaps. It's obviously going to take some time for Beckham to get into more ideal playing condition. It's obviously going to take some time for Beckham to get back his rhythm and timing. And then when Tua Tagovailoa returns, OBJ's going to have to, in a sense, start all over again. Beckham is in the twilight of his career. But let's not conclude already that he can have no impact later in the season.
Sunday's win saved the Miami Dolphins season
Overreaction? No. In an ideal world, the Dolphins would find a way to go 2-2 without Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. It's not impossible now. Miami should have at least a chance at Indianapolis in two weeks, after a bye. And Skyler Thompson should be at least available as a relief option to Tyler Huntley, if necessary. Miami is fortunate to be 2-3. Miami is fortunate this has not been the juggernaut portion of the schedule. But 1-4 is a hole that's really, really hard to recover from. Let's see if Cleveland, Cincinnati, Jacksonville or the Rams can do it. It would be hard to believe any of those teams will make the playoffs in 2024. Perhaps one will. Perhaps.
Instant Report Card: Miami Dolphins defeat New England Patriots
Opinion: Dolphins must be better on offense, special teams, but a win's a win's a win
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post . You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe . Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter . Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Biggest Week 5 Miami Dolphins overreactions... or not? Let's talk Danny Crossman pressure
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