For the first time in 2022, the Miami Dolphins offense spent a large portion of the game looking like the same Dolphins offense you knew and loved (loathed?) from 2021.

That’s not a good thing. Without Terron Armstead, and with having fo face a competent NFL defense, the offensive line simply fell apart. Not good enough to buy time to throw. Not good enough to open up running lanes. Not good enough to do much of anything, really.

Yet somehow, Miami still found themselves in the midst of a potential game winning drive late in the fourth quarter, before a brutal fumble by Jaylen Waddle gave the Vikings the ball and momentum. A few plays later, Dalvin Cook would put the game away with a big touchdown run against a clearly demoralized defense.

Vikings 24, Dolphins 16. And just like that, the once 3-0 Dolphins are now 3-3.

On the bright side, I almost nailed my 27-17 Vikings score prediction.

So once again, the biggest story in a Dolphins loss isn’t the loss itself, but what the Dolphins lost in the process. Miami desperately needs to make a trade in the next couple weeks to keep this season from going off the rails, as well as to have everyone that wasn’t injured today suiting up as soon as possible.

That goes double for Miami’s missing starting tackles, Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson. The offensive line allowed a putrid total of six sacks Sunday, and is in dire need of reinforcement. The line hasn’t been great even with Armstead, but it functions. Without him, the Dolphins look worse than they did last year. More than any of these three losses, this one feels safe to tie to a single player. Miami probably wins this one, regardless of who was playing quarterback, with better pass protection. Even one less penalty on that horror show of a possession where four of five penalties were called on the offensive line would have resulted in points on the scoreboard. It’s easy to see just one or two other key blocks throughout the game changing the outcome. Greg Little looked completely baffled out there all game long in a way Terron Armstead simply isn’t capable of looking.

If you’re searching for a positive, there are actually two things to feel pretty good about.

For starters, Tyreek Hill was worth the money. He absolutely dazzled, again, racking up 177 yards on 12 receptions. He’s elite, arguably the best receiver in the NFL, and pretty obviously the most explosive receiver in franchise history. He also looks quite healthy.

For another, this game was a pretty strong showing from Miami’s defense that has come under fire in recent weeks. The Dolphins racked up three sacks of their own, and pressure Kirk Cousins plenty. Superstar receiver Justin Jefferson was really limited to just one big play, and Dalvin Cook was rendered completely useless until that 53-yard run in the fourth quarter. He was averaging 2 yards a carry otherwise. Prior to Needham being knocked out of the game, the Vikings went three possessions without so much as a first down. That’s impressive, and if the offense had been anything close to consistent or competent, it should have been enough to win the game.