The Miami Dolphins defense struggled on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, allowing 342 yards of offense and five touchdowns, and the players appear ready to point the finger at defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle for the unit's deficiencies.
Dolphins players ‘irate’ at defensive game plan
The Miami Dolphins players are reportedly “beyond furious, irate” at the game plan created by defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle.
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According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, the schematic decisions of Coyle frustrated the team’s defensive players:
One source said Dolphins players are "beyond furious, irate" at Coyle's defensive adjustments and game plan.
Players are privately questioning a host of decisions, including Coyle's call to have Cameron Wake and Jason Trusnik cover speedy Chiefs running back Joe McKnight in space, said another. McKnight exploited the matchups and had two touchdown catches in the second half Sunday.
Only two teams have allowed more points than the Dolphins through the first three weeks of the season, despite the fact that the team ranks in the top 10 in yardage allowed. And while the Dolphins players are frustrated with the decisions of Coyle, the tackling of the defense has also been called into question. Miami head coach Joe Philbin joined that chorus after the game (via Beasley):
“I don’t think we tackled well enough,” said Joe Philbin, who is now 16-19 as Dolphins head coach. “We have to do better. ... I don’t think any phase played well enough to win.”
Coyle is in his third season as the defensive coordinator for the Dolphins, having joined the team as one of Philbin's first hires. Prior to the Dolphins, Coyle spent 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals as a defensive backs coach.
The Dolphins will presumably have a chance to get their defense set straight, as the team will face the NFL's worst-ranked offense, the Oakland Raiders, in Week 4 before a bye in Week 5.
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