On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins fell to 1-6 with a 24-19 loss against the division rival New England Patriots.
The Dolphins entered halftime with a 13-3 lead, but a third-quarter collapse resulted in the team being outscored 21-6 in the second half.
Miami’s winning formula against the New York Jets in Week 7 appeared to be repeating itself in the first half; however, the Dolphins were unable to continue that trend in the second half as the Patriots came out on the winning end.
Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon, who has become a focal point in Miami’s offense since Pro Bowl running back De’Von Achane went down with a season-ending knee injury, had his worst performance since taking on the lead-back role. Now, one Dolphins analyst listed him as a “dud” from Sunday’s game.
Miami Dolphins Running Back Ollie Gordon Called Out After Loss
Dolphins Wire’s Mike Masala named Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon as one of his “duds” from Sunday’s loss against the New England Patriots.
Masala wrote: “The Dolphins had a tough game on the ground, especially for a rushing attack that’s consistently gone over 100 yards this season. Gordon, being Miami’s leading back, got most of the work and was fairly inefficient, rushing for just 69 yards on 3.6 yards per attempt. Even that was aided by an 11-yard run on the final drive, when New England was fine with giving up anything on the ground to kill the clock.”
It is important to note that Gordon did not have consistent running lanes against New England, as Miami’s offensive line struggled. Masala also included the Dolphins’ offensive line among the “duds.” Masala wrote of Miami’s offensive line: “Jonah Savaiinaea had a tough time against the Patriots, especially early on, as defensive lineman Corey Durden was eating him alive. The unit, as a whole, is partially responsible for Willis’ five sacks as well as the lackluster day for Miami on the ground. Hopefully, things will look more cohesive if Kadyn Proctor can return for Week 9 from his concussion.”
Ollie Gordon’s Performance vs. Patriots
While Gordon’s 3.6 yards per carry were disappointing, perhaps his worst moment in the game came after one of his runs had concluded. After a five-yard carry on second-and-10, Gordon was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty that left Miami facing a difficult third-and-20.
Following the game, Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis said of Gordon’s penalty, “He’s deadass wrong. And that’s the honest truth.”
Regarding the penalty, Gordon told reporters after the game, “I’ve got to keep my mouth shut and go back to the huddle. Especially in that situation it just can’t happen. I have to be better for my team.”
Despite his lackluster game against the Patriots, Gordon still appears to be in a second-year breakout. Gordon has totaled 408 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 4.5 yards per carry. In the four games Achane has missed, Gordon has averaged 90 rushing yards per game, which would put him on pace for 1,530 in a 17-game regular season. Hopefully, Gordon can perform as well as he did in previous games without costly penalties in Miami’s next outing.
Dolphins RB Ollie Gordon Called Out After Loss vs. Patriots