Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith put together his best performance with the team on Sunday, recording seven receptions for 96 yards that included a 10-yard touchdown reception.
It wasn’t enough.
Despite Smith earning a team-best 91.2 grade from PFF, the Dolphins were shut out in the second half of a 16-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. And according to the veteran tight end, the defeat had much more to do with mistakes made by Miami than anything the Colts threw at them.
“It felt like this is one we let get away from us,” Smith told reporters after the game. “It’s just a few mistakes here and there. The Colts didn’t beat us. The Dolphins beat us today. Don’t get me wrong, all respect to them that came out here and did enough to win. But from us, for our perspective, I feel like the Dolphins beat us today.”
The Dolphins out-gained the Colts by more than 50 yards (337 to 284), but a couple fumbles from Raheem Mostert and Alec Ingold proved especially costly. Mostert’s afforded the Colts the field position they needed to score their only touchdown of the day. Ingold’s wasted an opportunity in the red zone when the score was tied 10-10.
“It wasn’t one specific play,” Smith said. “It was us collectively, all 11 in all three phases. We didn’t do enough and didn’t play to the standard that we all play at, including myself. Nobody is excluded from this.”
The return of Tua Tagovailoa, who has been out since Week 2 due to a concussion, could go a long way toward cleaning up many of the errors that have plagued the Dolphins. Particularly, their issue with pre-snap penalties.
On Sunday, Miami racked up 50 yards of penalties — double the Colts’ 25 penalty yards — which didn’t include two infractions that were declined and a defensive pass interference that was offset by an Indianapolis illegal formation.
The Dolphins will play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8 before a divisional rematch with the Buffalo Bills in Week 9.
