Upset Tyreek Hill Was ‘Saying What a Lot of [Miami Dolphins] Weren’t Saying but Were Feeling’

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill might be close to hitting his boiling point.

Hill didn’t speak to reporters after Sunday’s 16-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts but was noticeably and justifiably upset about how the game went.

Frustration Grows for Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill

Dolphins quarterbacks Tyler Huntley and Tim Boyle targeted Hill just twice (for one catch that gained eight yards), making for one of the quietest games of the eight-time Pro Bowler’s career.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged postgame he needs to do a better job getting Hill and Jaylen Waddle (one catch for 11 yards on two targets) involved moving forward.

A day later, he discussed Hill’s growing frustration as we near the midway point of one of the least-productive seasons of his career.

“I sit probably 20 yards away from him on the plane,” McDaniel said. “And you know, I think Tyreek led the charge last week on selfless football and really, really honing in on fundamentals and technique.

“I thought he had his best game so far with how he was attacking defenders from the line of scrimmage and running some routes that didn’t show up in the box score because he didn’t get the ball. And you know, I think Tyreek is a model competitor for this football team, that has no problems with what’s going on in the game, as long as it’s done in the name of victory.

“It’s very frustrating as a receiver to lose and to not feel like you necessarily had the moment where you could help dictate the outcome. However, he is learning how much he’s a part of each and every play.

“I think he’s frustrated and was, I think, a really good example of saying what a lot of guys weren’t saying but were feeling. You’re never anything but happy when you have the right competitors on your team that don’t like to lose, because that helps the preparation for the whole team. His competitive edge, how he goes about his business, helps dictate the terms of how everyone gets better. So frustrated, as we all are, for losing football games.”

I would love to know what this convo was about between Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Mike McDaniel😂 pic.twitter.com/KmCwkj866b

— Mike Cugno (@MikeCugnoCBS4) October 20, 2024

Hill’s numbers will surely improve this week with the expected return of Tua Tagovailoa. The level of Dolphins’ quarterback play has nowhere to go but up from where it’s been with Tua out the last four games.

Since Week 3, the Dolphins are 32nd in expected points added (EPA) per play (-.250), 31st in dropback success rate (35.5%), 30th in success rate (36,1%), and 28th in dropback EPA (-.177).

“I would say that, in some challenging situations, there were some things that I was happy with, in terms of giving other players a chance to do their jobs and have good football,” McDaniel said of how Tua’s replacements performed.

“But overall, I would say that there’s a solid amount of time that the overall play wasn’t good enough. … I think that this past game I thought we missed some [opportunities] that were there that teammates did do enough to put themselves in position to give the team a chance to make a play and the play didn’t get made. So I don’t think anything is totally good enough in 1-3 football.”

Dolphins Injury News

Miami will need a new returner after placing Braxton Berrios on injured reserve Monday. Berrios suffered a season-ending knee injury during a second-half return on Sunday.

The leading candidate to replace him right now is Malik Washington, who filled in after Berrios went down.

By putting Berrios on IR, the Dolphins had the roster spot they needed to bring back second-year cornerback Cam Smith, who has been out the entire season with a hamstring injury.