Tyreek Hill made a couple big plays against the San Francisco 49ers, picking up a 24-yard gain and scoring a 3-yard touchdown. But his performance in the Miami Dolphins’ 29-17 win in Week 16 will be better remembered for the plays he didn’t make.
The Dolphins were forced to punt on their first possession after a third down pass bounced off Hill’s hands. Later, a perfect ball from Tua Tagovailoa went straight through the receiver’s arms in the end zone.
— josh houtz (@houtz) December 22, 2024
After the game, Hill said part of the reason he’s been off his game this year is a lack of practice time.
“I feel like at the end of the day, I need those valuable reps with Tua,” Hill said. “Those vet rest days are starting to show. I completely blame myself for not getting my head around and not seeing the ball because, if I see a ball, we’re talking cross-court, 70-yard touchdown. But those Wednesday reps are definitely showing.
“As a leader, I’ve just got to be able to bite the bullet sometime and practice and get those valuable reps with QB1 because, if we’re able to stay on the field on third down, who knows what could happen. Like De’Von Achane can break 60 yards. Jonnu [Smith] can catch a screen and go to the house. Just got to be able to get those valuable reps with the quarterback.”
Hill, who has been nursing a wrist injury since August, has made regular appearances on the Dolphins’ injury report and hasn’t participated in many Wednesday practices. The 30-year-old wide receiver hasn’t missed a game, though.
“There’s always pros and cons with any sort of rest,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Sunday when asked about Hill’s comments. “I think the adjustment to getting more reps with Tua, that’s an easy one. You know what I’ll do? I’ll say, ‘Hey, get more reps,’ and then they’ll do it. But it’s the communication aspect, and you hate for guys to feel like they’re not properly tooled in any sort of situation. So you just adjust off that and make sure we get better from it, not worse.”
“If he told you [he needs more reps], then that’s what we need more of,” Tagovailoa added. “We need reps. Me and him need more reps. That’s what we’ve got to do. That’s the secret sauce to me being able to connect with all these guys.”
Hill finished Sunday with three receptions for 29 yards. Through 15 games this season, he has 70 receptions for 834 yards and six touchdowns.
