Miami Dolphins struggled, behind Tannehill's 226 yards and 1 touchdown, but they got it done in a week 1 win over the Redskins.
It seems as though everyone connected to the game of football was jumping on board the Dolphin wagon. Fans were excited in anticipation of opening day, barking out war yells as kick off time drew closer. NFL analysts were stopping just short of crowning the Dolphins as the new AFC East challengers to New England's reign over the division. It was not only the signing of Ndamukong Suh and CJ Moseley, or the drafting of Jordan Phillips with their second pick, but many raved about the Dolphins' moves to increase their big play potential by adding veteran and young wide receivers to the ranks along with the maturation of Ryan Tannehill on offense that would have the Dolphins leapfrogging the Jets and Bills as the new contenders.
Playing the first game of the season against Washington was just a formality for Miami, which was expected to shut down the door on the Skins's offense, and run and pass freely against their defense, but for most of the game, it was Washington who dominated by moving the ball at will and making Miami's offense look like the struggling unit they have been in recent years, for the entire first half of the game. The average fan around town was stunned and confused by the developments and started to jump off the overcrowded Dolphin wagon with every down played.
Is this the beginning of yet another mediocre season for Miami? It is too early too tell, however, lack of depth in most of the positions except receiver and defensive tackle, should give the average Dolphin fan some cause for concern. Miami would make adjustments on offense and go on to win the first game of the season 17-10. The defense also appeared to settle down and start playing, if not close to expectation, at least managing to deny any further scoring by Washington in the fourth quarter. Are the Redskins underrated? Perhaps they are or maybe the Dolphins were somewhat unsettled and tried too hard for their own good, but the enigma will become abundantly clear when they face a division rival in the coming weeks.
This first game of the season, while not necessarily being a sample of the Dolphins 2015 season, may have revealed a couple of issues. The lack of adherence to basics and poor execution by the Dolphins was obvious, and may have made a statement about lack of discipline plaguing the team. Should Miami's defense fail to live up to expectation from here on out, will rest on the shoulders of defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle. Poor execution and failure to sustain long drives and score points on offense will rest on the shoulders of Mike Tannenbaum.