Tyreek Hill was missing quarterback and a functional offense.
The Dolphins' star receiver suffered a meltdown on the sideline during the fourth quarter of a 31-12 home loss to the Titans on Monday night, marking the second straight year the offense showed signs of decay.
Hill was caught on camera speaking passionately on the sideline behind coach Mike McDaniel late in the fourth quarter, when the Dolphins (1-3) were trailing the winless Titans by 16 points. .
Hill had four catches for 23 yards on seven targets Monday, but he has just seven catches for 63 yards and 63 yards in the past two games since the Dolphins lost Tua Tagovailoa to injured reserve with a horrific concussion. There were zero touchdowns.
“I would expect him to be obviously upset with somebody,” McDaniel said after his team's third straight loss. “A lot of times players can yell, but he's a leader and he wanted to do everything he could to make sure the outcome wasn't that way. Inside the locker room, a lot of players yell at each other. We are challenged and we have the opportunity to see who we are.”
The Dolphins offense is one of the best in the NFL with Tagovailoa under center, but it hasn't been great the last two weeks with Skyler Thompson and Tyler Huntley running the show.
Thompson struggled in Week 3, and the Dolphins had Huntley, a former Pro Bowler with the Ravens, on Monday Night Football in Week 4.
Huntley was unable to energize the offense, leaving Hill, fellow receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back Devon Ashen helpless.
This lack of involvement, and certainly the team's struggles, likely contributed to his outburst when the Titans led 22-6 with less than six minutes left in Monday's game.
It's unclear who, if anyone, Hill was talking to while patrolling the sidelines.
Hill had one catch for 17 yards on Monday, but his other three attempts went for just 6 yards.
With a quality quarterback under center, he's one of the league's best deep threats, but the Dolphins haven't found a way to better involve him with subpar quarterback play.
McDaniel said it's up to everyone involved to figure out how to make this offense work while waiting for Tagovailoa's return, which could happen as early as Week 8.
The Dolphins will look to end their offensive woes in Week 5 with a trip to the Patriots, a team that is 1-3 and also has an inferior offense.
“The tape tells a story and it's all about what we're trying to do,” McDaniel said. “They didn't do anything to surprise us. We felt like we could get them the ball in special situations. We couldn't. So it wasn't up to my standards at all. I think, actually, I know I'm involved in the whole thing, but it's definitely a collective issue and we have to figure out how to get points, and they definitely do. It will help you with that.
