Throughout the 2018 season in the Dolphins Dive and other places, it has been stated that the Miami Dolphins are a ball-control style running offense.

And why shouldn’t that be the focus?

One of their running backs, Frank Gore, has officially recorded more all-purpose career yards than Barry Sanders. Sure, there have been setbacks with injuries on the offensive line early in the year compromising the success of this approach, but this group under head coach Adam Gase moves the ball best when grinding up ground yards.

This held true as the Dolphins beat the New York Jets in their 2018 rematch 13-6 despite recording only 63 yards rushing.

Every Miami win leading up to this week is accompanied by a 100-yard or greater performance except against Oakland. Of course, the play that broke the game open against the Raiders was a shovel pass to Albert Wilson behind the line that basically was a running play good for 75 yards. That would have enabled the ground game to break 100 yards yet again were it counted accordingly.

So the question must be asked, why are fans booing a run play called on a third and 14 that led to the first points on the board early in the second quarter of a game where points were at a premium?

If fans want to be frustrated by guard Ted Larsen getting called for a holding foul and leading to 1st and 20, that’s fine. If fans wonder why there wasn’t a better job of recovering that lost ground in the next two plays, remember the wet and nasty field conditions as a factor.

Gaining the five yards to make for a 43-yard kick for three instead of risking falling out of range in the event of a sack is conservative football that got the early lead in an ugly game. Not sure what can’t be respected in that instance.

That’s not to say this coaching staff hadn’t had their frustrating moments when the Dolphins were overwhelmed. In analyzing this game alone, fans can certainly take umbrage with plenty. A third-down conversion rate of 3-and-16 as well as a questionable decision to pass the ball on second and one with 5:11 remaining in the contest is foremost among the examples.

The maligned Dolphins defense did its job recording two interceptions of Sam Darnold by linebackers Kiko Alonso and Jerome Baker that resulted in a combined 10 points. T.J. McDonald also recorded an interception in the fourth quarter,

Safety Walt Aikens brought in the fourth and final pick to close the game. Not sure how much of that is coaching or rattling a rookie Darnold into mistakes, but it was successful none the less.

In short, it’s one thing for fans to question a coach’s strategy, it’s another to do it on a decision that turned out to be correct.

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