The Miami Dolphins are heading into “Thursday Night Football” with a 0-2 record, and they are facing their toughest adversary in the Buffalo Bills.
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Buffalo has not been kind to Miami in their meetings, though the Dolphins nearly beat the Bills in their second meeting in 2024. A last-second field goal secured the narrow victory for Josh Allen and company.
Still, at 0-2, and a host of questions regarding the toughness of this Dolphins team, they could fall to 0-3, which may lead to the exodus of head coach Mike McDaniel.
Despite the 0-2 record, there are many who believe the Dolphins have what it takes to rebound and defeat their divisional rival. One such person is former head coach Jon Gruden, who offered a bold take on what Miami can do to secure the victory.
Gruden broke down the upcoming “Thursday Night Football” game, and when it comes to what the Dolphins should do, it’s to be ultra physical with the run game.
The Dolphins do have De’Von Achane and Ollie Gordon II to use, and both have showcased some great playmaking ability, but they have yet to truly get going. Gruden has offered a solution to that by the team testing the Bills’ young defensive tackles.
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“My opinion, though it doesn’t mean much, is they [Dolphins] gotta play physical football and run the ball at Buffalo. They got a couple of young defensive linemen, fresh out of college, boom, we gotta run the ball at these guys! I’m not talking about gimmick runs, I’m talking about old gap schemes, power up tackles, run the ball, ram it at these guys,” Gruden stated.
A strong run game needs to be established for the Dolphins, which would also help to open up the passing game. However, Gruden also indicated that since Miami is not using its tight ends in the passing game, they should be used to aid the run game.
“Use your two tight ends. You don’t throw the ball to these guys. Hell, I haven’t seen Hill No. 89, or Conner No. 80 to do anything in the passing game. They’ve combined for two catches. Use em, block the edges! Use Alec Ingold, Pro Bowl fullback, hell, he was with me in the Raiders, slam it in there!”
Gruden also points to the Dolphins not giving the ball to Achane enough, and says if they are not giving him 20 touches, to “throw me in the dumpster.”
Though Gruden’s hyperbole is a bit excessive, he isn’t wrong. The Dolphins have the kind of players and tools that could create a very strong run game, but they often abandon the run game too early.
If the Dolphins can move the chains with the run game, it will help Tyreek Hill and the passing game open up. Tua Tagovailoa and company need to figure out a way to get more out of their offense, in the way they did against the New England Patriots in Week 2.
The Dolphins also need to stop their late-game mental errors, which lead to costly losses. If Miami can rebound against the Bills, that may save the team’s season and McDaniel’s job.
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