Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter took a shot at the Miami Dolphins’ play-calling in the team’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
I don’t know who’s calling plays for the @MiamiDolphins but it’s one of the worst play calling games I’ve seen in a long time.Great Opportunity lost today.
— Cris Carter (@criscarter80) January 15, 2023
The Dolphins fell to the Bills 34-31, which was an impressive feat considering the team was starting rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson, who was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
However, Carter wasn’t thrilled with the play-calling in the game. The Hall of Famer clarified one of his gripes, explaining that Miami was getting out of the huddle too late at points during the game with all the pre-snap motion that it runs.
The Dolphins lead the NFL in pre-snap motion, they didn’t have a chance leaving the huddle constantly late. https://t.co/nRlUEoQkEF
— Cris Carter (@criscarter80) January 15, 2023
The Dolphins burned through their timeouts a little quicker than they would have liked in the second half, but ultimately Miami just wasn’t able to get enough out of Thompson to win the game.
The rookie completed just 18 of his 45 pass attempts for 220 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. It was a tough spot for Thompson to be in considering he only played in a handful of games this season, but he really struggled to be efficient throwing the ball.
The @BuffaloBills pick off Thompson! pic.twitter.com/s55cB5KyR2
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) January 15, 2023
Even though he didn’t complete as many passes as the Dolphins would have liked, Thompson still kept the team in the game.
There were also a few instances where his receivers didn’t help him out making plays. Mike Gesicki had a bad missed catch on a pretty throw from Thompson.
Skylar Thompson absolutely threaded this deep throw through coverage, only to have Mike Gesicki barely touch a ball that should've hit him in the hands pic.twitter.com/43E5bK1BGU
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) January 15, 2023
It’s fair for Carter to question why the Dolphins were getting out of the huddle so late, but that could also be part of the learning curve for Thompson in the offense.
Head coach Mike McDaniel had to adjust on the fly over the last few weeks with Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) and Teddy Bridgewater (hand) both getting hurt. The fact that Miami was able to keep things close with a team as good as Buffalo is a positive sign for the team in future seasons.
It’s also worth noting that this was McDaniel’s first playoff game as a head coach, so both he and Thompson have some learning to do in the future.
The Dolphins finished the 2022 regular season with a 9-8 record to grab the No. 7 seed in the AFC. The team is hoping that it can build on this year’s success to become a perennial playoff contender in future seasons under McDaniel.
