Can Tyreek Get Back on Track Against Nemesis?

Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill will face his former Kansas City Chiefs teammate L'Jarius Sneed on Monday night.

Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (38) and cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) break up a pass intended for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the second half of the 2024 AFC wild card game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins offense really could use a big performance from Tyreek Hill on Monday night as they look to get back on track.

But it won't be easy, given that the Dolphins will again be starting one of their backup quarterbacks — whether it be Tyler "Snoop" Huntley, Skylar Thompson, or Tim Boyle — and also because he'll be going up against one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

And that cornerback is a former Kansas City Chiefs teammate, one L'Jarius Sneed, who, by all indications, had the better of him in the Dolphins' wild-card playoff loss in January.

Sneed was traded to the Titans in the offseason in a cap move, and advanced stats show him having so far the worst year of his career since he arrived in the NFL in 2020, lowlighted by a 14.8-yard reception average when targeted, per Pro Football Reference (PFR).

Sneed, though, was really, really good last season. While teammate Trent McDuffie was named an All-Pro as a nickel corner, Sneed came in tied for second in the NFL among cornerbacks who started at least 12 games in passer rating allowed at a paltry 56.2 — Jalen Ramsey was at 51.1 in 10 games — according to PFR.

In the Dolphins-Chiefs playoff game, Sneed was in coverage twice when Hill was targeted and allowed one completion for 9 yards. In that game, Sneed allowed three receptions on nine targets for 29 yards for a 43.3 passer rating.

Hill did catch five passes for 62 yards and a touchdown in the 26-7 Miami loss, but his 53-yard touchdown came while Trent McDuffie covered him. Hill's four other receptions came only nine yards.

And, of course, there was the famous NFL video clip where Sneed shoved Hill to the ground at the line of scrimmage not once but twice before he could get into his route. Hill responded to the clip on social media by posting, "Jammed my ahh to Cancun."

Don't play with Sneed. 🤫@jay__sneed | @Chiefs pic.twitter.com/wOJ7t56UZl

— NFL (@NFL) January 15, 2024

"L'Jarius Sneed is my dog," Hill said this week. "I'm excited to go against him. It's always good to go against an old KC buddy."

In the regular season matchup against the Chiefs, Hill had eight catches for 62 yards but with two drops and a fumble that was returned for a touchdown in the 21-14 loss.

If payback against Sneed provides extra motivation, so does playing against Tennessee because it was in that Monday night game last year that Hill's potential record-setting season was derailed.

We don't have to remind Dolphins fans that Hill sustained an ankle injury that would hamper him the rest of the season in that game when he was the victim of a hip-drop tackle by defensive back Sean Murphy-Bunting.

Hill entered that game on pace to finish with 2,098 yards, but he never reached 100 yards afterward and ended up with a still-remarkable 1,799 yards.

DOLPHINS NEED TO GET HILL GOING

While the extra motivation is great and all, Hill needs to start producing at a Tyreek Hill level if the offense is to get out of its funk.

Hill was limited to 64 receiving yards combined in the losses against the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks in the past two games, the lowest two-game total of his Dolphins tenure. The only one that was worse was the final two games of the 2022 season when Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson got starts against the New England Patriots and New York Jets.

With Tua Tagovailoa again sidelined, Hill's obvious chemistry with his quarterback remains. Let's remember he had 177 receiving yards in the 2022 game against the Minnesota Vikings when Thompson started. Bridgewater replaced him in the second quarter because of injury.

Hill was asked this week whether he and teammate Jaylen Waddle had been told they'd get the ball more often.

"Our job is to be a good teammate," Hill said. "As frustrating as it is as a player because it can get tough for both of us because we're so used to being such big game changers and stuff like that, it's tough.

"But at the end of the day, we've got to understand that we have great players on this team who can make plays and whenever our plays come, we got to make our plays. We just can't be the guy that always wants the ball and then when the ball comes, we don't make the play. We got to be able to rely on our teammates."

Hill also disputes the idea that he needs to demand the ball.

"I got out of that," Hill said. "I've grown through that stage of my life. I've been talking to my therapist and she said, 'Don't get into arguments on the sideline,' so I've let it go. I've let that side of me go of demanding the ball."

The truth is, though, that the Dolphins clearly are a better team when Hill does get the ball in his hands.

Getting that done Monday night against Sneed and against the Tennessee Titans would make it even sweeter.