DAVIE, Fla. — Peeling off his practice uniform, Mike Wallace frowned in frustration at the Miami Dolphins’ inconsistent offence, although he used a different, unprintable adjective to describe it.
Pardon the locker-room language, but Wallace is fed up.
The Dolphins overcame their latest sputtering performance, winning 27-13 Sunday at woeful Jacksonville thanks to two interception returns for touchdowns. But Wallace left the stadium after the game without talking to the media, and he was still stewing 48 hours later.
"We didn’t do nothing," the veteran receiver said Tuesday. "We’ve got to do better."
Wallace said he can’t identify the problem, but added progress needs to come quickly because the Dolphins face several high-scoring teams in the next month, starting with San Diego on Sunday.
Slow starts have been a season-long issue. At Jacksonville, the Dolphins went three-and-out on their first three series and totalled three first downs in the opening half.
"It’s frustrating. It has got to change," Wallace said. "We’re not going to get nowhere like that."
Miami finally began to click in the third quarter after Wallace made a 50-yard reception, his longest of the season. Since joining the Dolphins in 2013, he and Ryan Tannehill have struggled to connect on deep balls, even though the speedy Wallace frequently finds himself open.
"Finally got one, so it was cool," he said. "That’s what I do."
As he fielded questions about Miami’s malaise, the normally loquacious Wallace kept his answers short, perhaps reluctant to say too much. But his expression and body language made his sour mood clear.
It probably didn’t help that while Miami struggled Sunday, his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, netted 522 yards passing in a 51-34 victory over Indianapolis.
Miami ranks 25th in the NFL in passing yards and 13th in total offence. Wallace didn’t say if took issue with play selection, but he didn’t endorse them either.
"I run the plays that they call," he said.
Miami’s highest-paid player at $15 million, Wallace said he hasn’t talked with the coaching staff about how to improve the situation/
"They’re the coaches. We’re the players," he said.
Wallace said he has "zero doubt" the Dolphins possess the necessary offensive talent, which only increases his frustration at the lack of productivity.
He has five touchdown catches to match last year’s total. But he’s averaging only 13.1 yards per reception, well below his career average of 15.9.
His 32 catches for 418 yards are modest totals for a two-time 1,000-yard receiver.
When asked to assess his own performance this season, Wallace said, "Not good. It could be a whole lot better."
