As Tyreek Hill goes, so do the Miami Dolphins. And on Sunday night, Hill went to a place we hadn’t seen before in aqua and orange.
The NFL’s leading receiver and most dangerous weapon had two out-of-character drops on critical drives in the second half of the Dolphins’ 31-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Hill finished with 88 receiving yards and a touchdown on Sunday, but he needed 15 targets and 11 catches to get there.
It was a game below his very high standards — and in the moments after the game, he owned up to his shortcomings.
“I’ll be better I promise ✌🏿,” Hill wrote on X. “… Love for this team 🤍.”
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Tough Night for Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
Hill was a volume receiver out of necessity Sunday night. Jaylen Waddle left the game late in the second quarter with back pain and didn’t return until midway through the second half.
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That left Hill as the team’s only speed receiver for much of the game, although credit Cedrick Wilson for using his size to make a couple of clutch catches.
In fact, Tua Tagovailoa actually was more efficient when targeting teammates not named Tyreek Hill Sunday.
Tua averaged 5.9 yards per attempt when Hill was the intended receiver but 7.5 when throwing to anyone else. Hill did have the team’s only offensive touchdown, catching a perfectly thrown 27-yard strike in the back of the end zone late in the first half.
Even after what by his standards was an off night, Hill is still far and away the NFL’s leading receiver, ranking first in the league in receiving yards (902) and touchdowns (7).
Death. Taxes. Tua throwing dimes to Tyreek.pic.twitter.com/cWiPy1VEJ4
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 23, 2023
But Sunday showed just how difficult it is to score against the best defenses, particularly when the Dolphins don’t have big plays on offense to bail them out.
The Eagles held the most explosive offense in the league to just two pass plays of over 20 yards.