Tua Tagovailoa isn't even the worst part of the Dolphins' futility to start the season

Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins offense finally woke up in the second quarter of Sunday's divisional showdown with the New England Patriots. Tagovailoa led two efficient touchdown drives and brought the deficit within one, 15-14. But that came after a 12-0 first quarter from the Patriots, in which Drake Maye handled the Dolphins' defense with ease.

The pressure is mounting in South Beach after an abysmal 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1. The locker room discord is palpable, and it's not hard to tell that Mike McDaniel can see the writing on the wall. Every press conference is scarred by irritation and anxiety. The Dolphins just look out of sorts on the field.

It has, up to this point, been easy to blame Tagovailoa, McDaniel and what was once the most powerful regular season offense in the NFL. But a look beneath the hood reveals an entirely different issue plaguing the Dolphins early in the campaign, and it's a testament to just how fundamentally broken this roster is.

Miami's defense allowed a score on its first 10 drives of the season, as pointed out by ESPN's Field Yates. That is just laughably bad, and proof that an offensive turnaround alone will not return Miami to competitive status.

Dolphins' defense has not done Tua Tagovailoa any favors to begin the season

On paper, Miami's defense was meant to take a step forward this season. Chop Robinson was healthy. The Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, which not necessarily an "upgrade" over Jalen Ramsey, gave Miami an All-Pro safety with a long track record of success. The Dolphins began the season at full strength, but improved personnel and a mandate to win. But none of that matters if the entire team is out of sync.

Miami's issue is simple: the locker room is disjointed, the players are disconnected, and their execution is lax. You cannot win football games in the NFL with half-hearted coverage. It doesn't matter how much talent in on the roster, nor even how good the offense is. You need to play competitively on both ends.

That the Dolphins' offense is also in a funk is more proof of their dysfunction. This used to be the most well-oiled machine in the NFL. Postseason résumé be damned, the Dolphins were a tough out for 18 weeks out of the year because everything was done with a purpose. Their routes were crisp, Tagovailoa delivered the football quickly and in rhythm, and the defense did enough to let 30-point scoring explosions carry the day. Just a couple years ago, before Tagovailoa's concussions piled up, before Tyreek Hill requested a trade and the locker room fractured, the vibes in Miami were exceptionally high. The group was connected, on a mission. Now everything feels fragmented, like 53 individuals attempting to win a game, rather than a collective, cohesive unit.

Dolphins can still turn this season around

It's way too easy to get run away with preseason narratives and Week 1 overreactions. The Dolphins did not practice well this summer. Their opening performance against Indianapolis was an embarrassment. But this is only the second week of a long season, and we're already seeing signs of improvement against New England.

Pressure can lead a team to splinter even more, but it can also bind a team together. The Dolphins understand the win-now mandate currently guiding the organization. They know that an extended cold spell would lead to foundational changes, from the front office and the coaching staff, all the way down through the roster. There is a world in which Miami comes together in tough times and finds its way back to the light, back to winning football games. We cannot discount them on Sept. 14. That would be foolish.

So yes, the defense began the season as a turnstile, and the offense sputtered out of the gate. But the Dolphins aren't lacking for talent, and there is plenty of pedigree to reflect back on and channel once again. The Dolphins aren't dead yet.