HOUSTON -- On the biggest stage with an opportunity for a small taste of revenge, Brocktober came to an abrupt halt in an embarrassing fashion.
Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase pulled every trick out of his hat, from a wide receiver touchdown pass to a Wildcat run by a rookie third-string running back to a surprise onside kick. Nothing could save a Dolphins team that looks far more pretender than contender after a 42-23 loss to the Houston Texans on Thursday night.
"I'm going to re-evaluate everything this weekend,” Gase said. “We've got to figure out how to get better on defense. We've got to figure out how to sustain drives and put it in the end zone on offense."
For those who suggested Brock Osweiler should be the starter over a healthy Ryan Tannehill, let this loss be an example of Osweiler's limitations.
At times, Osweiler looked like the quarterback Houston gave up on after signing him to a four-year, $72 million deal in 2016 before trading him after one season. He was tentative with his decision-making and inaccurate in several key situations. Simply put, he looked like a backup. He has had his good spurts, but on Thursday night, the magic ran out. He completed 21-of-37 passes for 241 yards, no touchdowns and an interception that set up the Texans' go-ahead score in the second quarter.
“We both wish we could have that interception back. It was untimely for sure," Gase said. "It was miscommunication there, which was not what we needed. ... We have to do a better job as a whole making sure everybody is on the same page.”
Tannehill will begin light throwing this week, and the expectation is he will return to the starting lineup in November. A Nov. 4 return date against the Jets might be optimistic given his current status. But even when Tannehill returns, he won't save the Dolphins' season.
So the Texans got the last laugh in this so-called revenge game, but the more puzzling issue for Miami is this season isn't likely to end much different than last season, or most of the seasons in the last two decades.
Miami's running game was one of the few things working, and Gase didn't commit to it enough. DeVante Parker's resurgence (six catches, career-high 134 yards) couldn't save the day. Neither could Danny Amendola's throwing arm.
The Dolphins' defense, once the engine of the team's success with timely takeaways and strong red zone defense, put together an embarrassing performance. The defense gave up 42 points, 170 rushing yards and five touchdown passes. It didn't have a single sack and only one quarterback hit on Deshaun Watson.
“Not good on defense -- they did whatever they wanted,” Gase said. “Offense, we had opportunities early that we could have taken advantage of to keep it a back-and-forth game. We missed out.”
Coverage busts allowed Will Fuller and, in the second half, DeAndre Hopkins, to run wild in the secondary. Dolphins defensive coordinator Matt Burke looked like he was going to blow a gasket after Hopkins' 49-yard touchdown. But he holds part of the blame for the defense's performance. As do Gase and the players.
When asked what Gase told his players in the locker room, he said, “We've got to get better fast.”
Osweiler said the players deserve the blame.
"This coaching staff works extremely hard to put players in position to have success on game day, and they did that once again," Osweiler said. "But it's up to us players to execute that game plan -- all 11 at the same time -- and make plays for this football team."
The Dolphins, now 4-4, look resigned to mediocrity. Tannehill's long-term future is another discussion for another day. He might not be the answer, but he's certainly not the only problem. Right now, this team appears to have too many issues to save its 2018 season.
“You've got to look at yourself in the mirror, each man, from top to bottom," Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake said. "I don't care if it's the head coach to the last guy on the roster. What is your role and are you fulfilling that role?"