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Brian Hoyer Vs. Brian Flores
Duel of the Brians. Hoyer, after a solid outing with almost no first team reps against the vaunted Steelers secondary, looked set to torch the Dolphins ravaged secondary, even without his top 3 wideouts. Miami was without starting cornerbacks Xavien Howard (IR) and Ken Webster, but still, former Patriots defensive play caller Brian Flores proved he is the right guy for Miami, and a damn good coach. Flores dominated Hoyer, and his defense forced 3 interceptions, all of which resulted in points for his team. Miami might be 2-7, but they are better than what most people give them credit for.
Colts front 7 (and Khari Willis) Vs. Dolphins run game
If you take out Fitzpatrick’s scrambles, the Dolphins running game had 22 carries for 47 yards. The front 7, especially Darius Leonard, were dominant (as they should be against a team playing their 3rd string back and with no O-line), and rookie safety Khari Willis made several nice stops near the line of scrimmage. He is now cemented as the starting safety next to Malik Hooker.
Colts receivers Vs. Dolphins cornerbacks
Yes, the Colts were without their top 3 receivers, but the Dolphins secondary was also torn up by injuries and lacks any real talent at all. While I did not expect the Colts receiving options to dominate, I at least expected them to get open on a few plays, but that never happened. Hoyer was terrible, yes, but his receivers did not make things easier for him. Pascal and Ebron, perhaps the team’s best receiving options, were targeted 19 times yet they only caught 7 balls. Disgusting.
Adam Vinatieri Vs. Father Time? Injury?
Vinatieri is a legend. The greatest kicker of all time. Vinatieri is also currently the worst kicker in the entire NFL, and it’s not even close. Making just 70% of your PATs is inexcusable, and I don't want to hear any “What other kicker would you have?”. Literally anyone would be better. At this point, I would just have a reliable kicker for PATs and just go for it on 4th downs.
Frank Reich Vs. Running the Damn Ball
The Dolphins are among the worst teams in the League against the run, so it was definitely surprising to see Reich call so many passing plays. Mack’s durability has been a concern, and Hines is more a receiver than a running back, but that is no excuse for calling just 26 running plays compared to 39 passes. Also, before you say Miami was bent on stopping the run game, keep in mind that Mack did not face a single 8 man box in his 19 attempts. Not even one, (https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/rushing/2019/10#percent-eight-defenders)