The Dolphins fall to 2-4 after the error-filled loss to the Colts

Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel wants his top offensive players to get more involved.

The Indianapolis Colts made sure Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle didn’t have a chance to make a difference on Sunday.

The speedy Hill was limited to one catch for 8 yards and one carry for 5 yards, while Waddle caught just one pass for 11 yards in another underwhelming performance from the league’s lowest-scoring team.

“I think all (opponents) go with that goal, because they know how good they are,” McDaniel said after the 16-10 loss. “They (defenses) have acknowledged at times that they’ve minimized their involvement with certain things they can do in their game. However, this game, I didn’t see that. So you’ve got to continue to solve problems. Sometimes you think you’ve solved the problem and then you realize you haven’t.”

The Dolphins (2-4) didn’t find many solutions Sunday.

Quarterback Tyler Huntley left in the third quarter after injuring his throwing shoulder, the latest chapter in a season in which the Dolphins have already used four quarterbacks. Huntley was still trying to acclimate to the hometown team’s playbook during last week’s bye and when he left Tim Boyle replaced him.

With De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert and Huntley leading the way on the ground, the Dolphins rushed for 188 yards. But other than connecting with Jonnu Smith seven times for 96 yards and a score, they struggled through the air and Mostert lost a fumble that Indy (4-3) turned into its only touchdown of the game.

The result: Miami scored just 10 points against a defense that started Week 7 ranked near the bottom of the league in total yards, passing yards and receiving yards.

“I thought they were phenomenal the whole game. They really looked at their role in an expansive way and tried to do everything they could to win the football game,” McDaniel said, referring to Waddle and Hill. “It was frustrating this game because I didn’t anticipate that part of the game was set up that way. I’ve got to find a way, specifically when they’re doing their job at a high level. They were very involved in the run game a blocking, and contrary to popular belief, they play every play.”

It hasn’t just been the receivers, though.

Miami also committed six penalties, lost turnovers, missed a 54-yard field goal that would have tied the score at 13 with 5:14 left and couldn’t connect with Boyle leading the last ball before turning the ball over. .

One solution would be to activate quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from injured reserve on Monday, something McDaniel declined to address after the game. The quickest fix would be to develop a game plan that gets Hill and Waddle back in sync.

“They’re one of the 11 in terms of not only passing, sometimes they just require a lot of attention and emphasis from the defense, which gives other guys opportunities,” McDaniel said. “But we have to take those opportunities and I have to find ways to get them involved.”

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