Dolphins tigh tend Mike Gesicki scored two touchdowns before suffering an injury.

Pressure Point: Dolphins show resilience in loss, but injuries hurt

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The Dolphins can walk away from Sunday’s 33-27 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs with only one major lament.

That would be the injuries to key players on an offense that was already hamstrung by health issues.

In particular, the loss of tight end Mike Gesicki, who left with a potential serious injury to a shoulder or collarbone on the possession after his second touchdown of the day which came on a spectacular catch under tight coverage.

Otherwise, there was a lot to like about the resilience shown by the Dolphins in a 17-point fourth quarter rally.

Certainly no complaints about the defense, which had four takeaways including three interceptions of Patrick Mahomes, tying a career high for the former MVP.

The toll on an already limited offense doesn’t bode well for the 8-5 Dolphins’ playoff hopes with the gauntlet of Patriots, Raiders and Bills still to come.

Coach Brian Flores didn’t offer any information about Gesicki’s condition. But quarterback Tua Tagovailoa implied that his favorite receiver may be out for awhile.

“I told him my thoughts and prayers are with him,” Tagovailoa said. “The rest of the team is praying for him. … You just hate to see that for someone like him.”

Receiver corps decimated

Wide receivers DeVante Parker and Jakeem Grant went out with injuries in the first half. The offense came into the game missing the top three running backs on the depth chart and the starting left guard.

Nonetheless, Tagovailoa led the comeback with two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter on the way to his first 300-yard passing day in the NFL. Notably, he did some of his best work with what amounted to the junior varsity following Gesicki’s exit and kept it interesting until a last-ditch onside kick failed in the final seconds.

“We’ve got a resilient team. They don’t quit,” coach Brian Flores said.

Injuries aside, the day confirmed what was already apparent: The rebuilding Dolphins need quite a few more skilled pieces on offense to be able to match up against the top teams in the league.

With four picks in the first two rounds of the 2021 draft, they will have an opportunity to upgrade the receiving corps and give Tua an array of playmakers like he had at Alabama.

They won’t need to address the quarterback position, even though Tua has emerged as a polarizing figure in some outposts of the fan base for whatever reason.

Tagovailoa shows ‘good stuff’

Tagovailoa is 4-2 as a starter with nine touchdowns, one interception, 62 percent on completions and a 95.2 passer rating.

Oh, and Tua is now ninth in the AFC in passer rating, just ahead of fellow rookie Justin Herbert.

His first career interception came Sunday after avoiding the rush and tossing a deep ball to Grant that was slightly underthrown and hung up long enough for Chiefs cornerback Rashad Fenton to deflect it to Tyrann Mathieu.

A better receiver than Grant might have caught that ball. But go ahead, put that pick on Tua.

There have been plenty of drops of balls that Tua has put in catchable spots, including a touchdown Parker let slip through his hands in the back of the end zone in the second quarter.

Tony Romo, former quarterback turned network analyst, noted some instances when Tagovailoa held the ball too long. Romo also pointed to a problem of receivers not getting open.

He highlighted a third-and-8 play with three receivers stacked on the left and none of them get gained any separation from defenders. Tagovailoa had to scramble short of the first down.

But where some fans see cause to quibble about Tua, Romo said near the end of the broadcast, “Lots of good stuff I saw out of Tua today.”

Tagovailoa was critical of his own play, particularly in the third quarter when three possessions ended in punts and another in a safety on a sack.

“Not taking what the defense is giving me is pretty much plain rookie mistakes,” he said. “You can’t do that against a Super Bowl-caliber team like the Chiefs.”

Dolphins defense shines with big plays

Meanwhile, there was plenty of good stuff from the Dolphins’ defense, despite Mahomes’ 393 yards passing and the Chiefs’ run of 30 unanswered points in the middle two quarters.

Not all of that was on the defense. Ultimately, a 67-yard punt return and the safety loomed large in the outcome.

Cornerback Xavien Howard continued his remarkable season with his ninth interception on a one-handed grab and started the Dolphins’ fourth-quarter rally.

Linebacker Jerome Baker had 2.5 sacks, including chasing Mahomes into a 30-yard loss.

Nobody has found a way to stop this Chiefs offense cold all day. The hope on defense is to make enough plays to give your offense an opportunity to put up more points.

It’s a tall order, but the Miami defense did that Sunday.

The offense doesn’t yet have a complement of playmakers that scare an opponent like Mahomes and his compadres.

Tua needs more polish and a better hand of cards to play.

But as Romo’s trained eye attests, the rookie has shown enough good stuff that Dolfans should chillax and feel encouraged about the future.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Tua vs Mahomes could be the beginning of something special

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For the first time since 2003, the Miami Dolphins are 8-4 and currently hold the No.6  seed in the AFC.

Which is crazy, isn’t it? I mean, when you think about how far this team has come in such a short amount of time, it should give fans everywhere a reason to be excited.

After all, it seems like only yesterday when ESPN’s Mike Greenberg begged the league to punish the Dolphins for deliberately tanking. (OH THE IRONY!) But then things started to come together. And Brian Flores and his team were playing pretty damn good football towards the end of last season. This had many wondering whether or not the Dolphins had won too many games to get a franchise-altering quarterback.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

The Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the 5th-overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. And while some fans and experts are debating whether Tua will be a superior QB to Justin Herbert or Joe Burrow, there’s a much bigger question at play.

Can Tagovailoa become a generational quarterback capable of going toe to toe with the NFL’s elite?

We’re about to find out.

The Franchise

Tua Tagovailoa vs. Patrick Mahomes

First, let me start by saying that I know quarterbacks don’t directly faceoff against one another. This isn’t an opening tip-off in basketball. Or a penalty shot in hockey. Football is a team game. We all know this. And yet somehow, we sit here and view Sunday’s matchup between arguably the greatest QB to ever play the game and Patrick Mahomes… I’m kidding. But you get the point. Tua is not going up against Mahomes; he instead has to execute vs. Kansas City’s defense.

But all we continue to see is Mahomes vs. Tagovailoa.

And that’s not uncommon.

“He’s probably a left-handed Patrick Mahomes,” said one scout. “He does the same things Mahomes does. He gets out of the pocket. He doesn’t need to set his feet. He can throw the ball the length of the field,” the NFL scout said, via The Athletic. “Take a look at the LSU game. He had never been in that situation before in his life and he brought them back. … He does have inconsistent mechanics. He needs to square up and set his feet more. But left-handers do things differently.” 

Now, I’m not going to sit here and compare anyone to Patrick Mahomes. Well, maybe Dan Marino. But I’m not ready to compare Tagovailoa to Mahomes, and that’s okay. Nevertheless, Sunday’s matchup would be a huge step in the right direction. Moreover, it’s something that this fanbase, this football team, and this city deserve.

Listen to what Mahomes had to say about Miami’s young signal-caller

Now some might take what Mahomes said and dissect it, only to find out he was being sincere. I don’t think he meant anything bad by the “game-manager” comments. Because Tua himself would tell you this defense has played a huge part in the team’s success. And he hasn’t been asked to go out there and make the same plays as a Patrick Mahomes–not yet anyway. That will all change on Sunday, and Tua and Miami’s offense will be ready.

“I think we’re going to need to execute every time we go out there offensively. I don’t think we need to do anything new. We’ve just got to go out there and have all 11 guys playing together and being on the same page, really. We’ve just got to be able to go out there and execute, do that and in the red area, I know (Offensive Coordinator) Chan (Gailey) has something really good for us. But we’ve got to execute offensively. I believe we have the plays, just not executed the way we had done it in practice. It’s all about execution and you can only take it a play at a time and just don’t worry about anything else.”

Tua went on to praise Patrick Mahomes for the type of generational talent he is.

 

But please, temper expectations!

We’re going to have to continue to remind ourselves on Sunday that this is only year two of Brian Flores’ rebuild. And let’s face it, Andy Reid is one of the top coaches in all of football. Everything he touches turns to gold, and paired alongside Mahomes; it’s going to be a tough task. But Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could ultimately be the deciding factor. Not only is he one of the top defensive minds in all of football, but he knows how to get after the QB. It will be up to Chan Gailey and Miami’s young offensive line to not only get the team in the best position to succeed but to keep their franchise signal-caller upright.

Because let’s face it, if the Dolphins want to have any chance on Sunday, they’re going to have to get a superstar performance from Tua Tagovailoa.

You can still vote for Tua Tagovailoa for Rookie of the Week!

Final Yard

 

I don’t know that we will ever see another quarterback as talented as Patrick Mahomes. I think he’s that damn good. But football is a team sport. And with an elite defense by his side and all the tools to go toe to toe with the NFL’s elite, why can’t Tagovailoa outshine Mahomes in Miami? Why can’t Brian Flores do to the Chiefs defense–exactly what he did to them back in the AFC Championship game in 2019? Quite frankly, why not Miami?

If the Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa hope to play meaningful football games well into January (any time soon), they’re going to have to get through Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs consistently.

Sunday’s matchup is just the first of what could become the next great QB duel. And I, for one, am here for it. Now, all Chan Gailey and the Dolphins offense has to do is #LetTuaCook.

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Miami Dolphins need to improve in these five areas

Pressure Point: Final 4 weeks true test for feisty Miami Dolphins

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As the NFL playoff race approaches critical mass, there’s not much to be learned by combing through the debris of the Miami Dolphins’ ugly win against the Cincinnati Bengals.

It was a game that featured two dustups, including a bench-clearing shove fest, five ejections, 14 penalties totaling 116 yards and multiple injuries for each team.

A thoroughly ugly and interminable affair of football. The outcome was significant for the Dolphins, 19-7, which boosted them to 8-4 for the first time since 2003 and kept them in the thick of the AFC race.

Not to make too much of defeating a downtrodden opponent that hasn’t won on the road since 2018. The Dolphins played down to the Bengals’ level for a half, then put the hammer down in the third quarter.

They did what they needed to position themselves for a meaningful December, which has been a rarity for Miami the past two decades.

The next four weeks will give a truer read on where this Dolphins rebuilding project stands than anything that has transpired so far.

Tough stretch to the playoffs

The gauntlet to the playoffs begins next Sunday at home against the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. That is followed by a visit from the New England Patriots, who have reawakened from the seeming ashes of their dynasty by winning four of their past five, including a 45-0 thrashing Sunday of the Chargers and that rookie quarterback some Dolfans inexplicably think the Dolphins should have drafted.

The season concludes with visits to Las Vegas against the playoff-contending Raiders and Buffalo for a potential showdown for the AFC East title.

Are these Dolphins, currently holding the sixth of seven playoff spots, ready for the rigors of a genuine playoff race?

Steve Kornacki, MSNBC’s superstar election numbers cruncher, brought his big board to Sunday Night Football for a breakdown of the NFL playoff picture. Kornacki put the Dolphins’ chances of making the playoffs at 51 percent.

But they must navigate a minefield to get there, through those final four games and with several challengers on their tail: 8-4 Colts (currently holding the final playoff spot), 7-5 Raiders, 6-5 Ravens and 6-6 Patriots.

Notably, Kornacki gave the Ravens, now ninth in the race, a 47 percent chance of making the playoffs, virtually the same as Miami’s.

“Baltimore has the easiest stretch run schedule in the league,” Kornacki said. “Miami, meanwhile, they’re playing Kansas City next week, so they’ve got a much tougher schedule.”

Will 10 wins be enough?

Figure the Dolphins can afford to do no less than split the final four games, but even 10 wins is no guarantee of emerging from this crowded field. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, this is the first time since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger that one conference has had as many teams with a winning percentage of .667 or better through Week 13.

If defense is the foundation of championship runs, the Dolphins can point to their No. 2 ranking in average points allowed of 17.7, just behind Pittsburgh’s 17.1.

Except for one stumble on a two-yard out that turned into a 72-yard touchdown, the Dolphins could claim another immaculate day of defense Sunday. They held the Bengals to 30 total yards in the second half, finished with six sacks and two interceptions.

But the premise that defense wins has been knocked off-kilter in this age of highfalutin offense. Putting the kibosh on recent practice-squad graduate QB Brandon Allen didn’t prepare the Dolphins for dealing with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who will be aiming to reprise their recent success at Hard Rock Stadium earlier this year in Super Bowl 54.

For any chance against Kansas City, Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense must reprise the effort they mustered at Arizona in winning a shootout against Kyler Murray and the Cardinals.

It’s a tall order against the Chiefs, who by the way are allowing only 21.2 points a game.

Tua quiets critics

But that’s why it was incumbent on offensive coordinator Chan Gailey to loosen the reins on Tagovailoa in the second half. Also why the rumblings about benching Tua at halftime were ludicrous, especially those expressed by network analysts who should have a much better grip on the big picture of where these Dolphins are and what they are trying to become.

Can that nonsense be put to rest now that Tua is 4-1 as a starter and has thrown for seven touchdowns with zero interceptions?

As Matt Infante of ThePhinsider.com noted on Twitter, only three rookie quarterbacks in NFL history have won at least four of their first five starts while posting a passer rating of at least 95: Dan Marino, Ben Roethlisberger, Dak Prescott and Tagovailoa.

Yes, Tua was off the mark and out of sync during the first half. But he finished with 296 yards and would have easily recorded his first 300-yard game if Jakeem Grant hadn’t dropped a deep ball delivered in stride.

Tagovailoa is far from a finished product. He is also leading an offense short on playmakers, which will be addressed in the next draft.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins have given themselves a legitimate chance at the playoffs this season even while a work in progress.

These next four weeks will reveal just how much work is still to be done.

But one thing for certain is these Dolphins won’t be a pushover at crunch time as so many of their predecessors have been.

Flores: ‘These are my kids’

That was evident Sunday when coach Brian Flores led the charge at the Bengals’ bench after Grant got flattened for the second time while waiting to field a punt.

“Look, I’m going to stick up for my players,” Flores said. “I’m just going to be honest, these are like my kids.”

Flores lamented that his emotional reaction was receiving more attention than his team’s dominant performance in the second half. But the impact of the coach standing up for his players will serve the team far longer than thumping an inferior opponent.

“It just means a lot. He’s not just a coach out there. If his guy gets hurt, he’s not going to let it go. He stands up for us as a team,” Tagovailoa said. “You got to see, not just him, but other guys going in there trying to defend Jakeem [Grant] and whatnot. But I think it’s a testament — although it happened the way it did, it’s also a testament to how close we are as a team.”

These next four weeks will tell how close these Dolphins are to being the team they aspire to become.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Dolphins Broncos

Dolphins: The Cheesecake Factory of NFL Backfields

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By Michael Christian

 

POTENTIAL HOT TAKE: The Cheesecake factory is one of the most overrated restaurants!

Their menu has what seems like hundreds of entrée options and none of them really blow you away. Instead of specializing their entrée’s and creating some signature dishes, they decided it would be best to have a bunch of options to make give everyone a choice, but they all are mediocre at best.

The Miami Dolphins running game has sort of become the Cheesecake Factory of NFL backfields.

The backfield currently consists of five running backs with very similar skill sets and body types. The problem is that none of them truly excels. At least that is what it seems like 11 games into the season.

Let’s look at their stats:

 

Anybody stand out to you? No? Didn’t think so.

There is no consensus on which of these running backs is best. Throughout the season each running back has had moments where you got excited and want to see more but then they fumble, allow a sack, or drop a crucial pass.

The Dolphins, under Flores and Grier decided that a Cheesecake Factory like approach to their backfield was their best bet. Instead of investing heavily in one running back, the Dolphins decided to spread the wealth and hope that one of them was the answer.

Gaskin was a seventh-round draft choice, Breida was acquired for a fifth-round pick, Washington was traded for mid-season, and Ahmed and Laird were both undrafted.

None of these options cost much in terms of resources, and it shows in the performance of the run game each week.

At this point in the season the Dolphins are contending for a playoff spot, and no one has a clear picture as to who the lead back is. I’d argue that the Dolphins aren’t even sure as proven by the constant rotations and minimal running in the Jets game.

I would give Washington the most touches as he is a better pass blocker and seems to have a bit more wiggle to his game, but he is currently limited with a hamstring injury. Due to the injury, and just the way Flores likes to run his team, I expect the lead running back will be a fluid situation featuring whichever running back practiced best that given week.

The Cheesecake Factory approach, when it comes to running backs, has not uncovered a gem for the Dolphins so far this season. Now, we just have to hope that one of the five guys will be enough to help keep our offense moving forward, and our quarterback standing up long enough to make it to the playoffs.

Brian Flores makes it clear that Tua Tagovailoa will be the Miami Dolphins quarterback when he is healty. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports Network)

Pressure Point: If Tua is healthy, he’s the Dolphins’ QB—as he should be

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The main conclusion about the Dolphins’ 20-3 win Sunday against the hapless Jets (0-11) is Miami did what was needed to hold serve against the worst team in the NFL.

They got the result that was expected. Combined with losses by Las Vegas and Indianapolis, the 7-4 Dolphins moved into the sixth seed (out of seven) in the AFC playoff race.

Individually, cornerback Xavien Howard (seventh interception) and kicker Jason Sanders (two more field goals longer than 50 yards) reaffirmed their status as super stars having All-Pro seasons.

What Sunday’s result didn’t do was ignite a quarterback controversy, though some short-sighted observers are sure to stoke the embers.

Coach Brian Flores nipped that in the bud postgame, asserting that Tua Tagovailoa (thumb injury) will be back at the controls as soon as he is healthy.

Flores: Tua is the guy

“Yeah. If he’s healthy he’s the guy. I don’t know how many different ways I’ve got to say that. You keep asking, I’ll keep answering the same way,” said Flores, adding that Tagovailoa was close to being able to play Sunday.

“He’s dealing with something with the hand. We’ll take it day to day. He’s a tough kid, he wants to be out there,” Flores said. “Thankfully, we have other guys who stepped up.”

Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, in throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns, provided what any team would hope to get from its backup quarterback.

“It’s good to have Fitz,” Flores said. “He’s obviously a leader on this team. He’s been that for awhile. He’ll continue to be that for this team.”

As Flores pointed out, Fitzpatrick gave a competent, veteran performance. He was particularly effective in utilizing his best receiver, DeVante Parker — something Tua needs to improve at — who had eight receptions for 119 yards.

Fitzpatrick was good enough, not spectacular

But let’s not overstate Fitzpatrick’s performance. He didn’t exactly light up a Jets defense that ranked 30th in the league (29th in pass defense).

He had a run of 10 consecutive completions in the first half. But in the second half his accuracy was erratic.

Notably the Dolphins’ first five possessions in the second half went punt, punt, fumble (Matt Breida), fumble (Patrick Laird), punt. Fitzpatrick finally put together an 80-yard touchdown drive, aided by 32 yards in penalties, to put the Jets out of their misery and one step close to a chance to draft Trevor Lawrence.

The Jets are playing for the future. Frankly, so are the Dolphins.

Granted, Flores has the rebuilding Dolphins in playoff contention much faster than it was reasonable to expect.

They may actually get there, riding the backs of a defense that has blossomed into a high-end unit.

Flores was quick to credit defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, saying, “He’s done a great job the entire year. I think often times people give me too much credit.”

But let’s face it, these Dolphins aren’t constructed to vie with the top teams for a serious run in January. Not with an offense so lacking in playmakers.

Aside from Parker, there is little to fear in the receiving corps, particularly with Preston Williams out for the year and Albert Wilson opting out due to the coronavirus.

Receiver is Dolphins’ biggest draft need

The Dolphins will a chance to address that deficiency in the next draft. Wide receiver should be right at the top of the shopping list. Running back should be another priority, though DeAndre Washington showed some promise with some tough running in the fourth quarter that helped close out the victory.

The lack of depth at receiver is apparent regardless of the quarterback. But Tagovailoa can take a lesson from Fitzpatrick in making better use of Parker, who has the ability to beat defenders for contested balls. And he will.

Remarkably, a surprising number of fans were ready to toss Tua overboard after a poor outing at Denver. That despite leading wins in his first three starts while throwing for six touchdown and zero interceptions.

Some went so far as to suggest the Dolphins made the wrong choice in taking Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert. Even though Tua outplayed Herbert in beating the Chargers the week before.

No question, Fitzpatrick is more poised and in command of the offense than Tagovailoa at this point. He’s been doing it for 17 years.

Tagovailoa has four starts under his belt after having no preseason to aid in getting a grip on playing at this level.

Dolphins must look beyond 2020

Does Fitzpatrick give the Dolphins the better chance to make it to the playoffs? Maybe.

But it’s no certainty. And Flores made it clear that is not the way he is assessing the situation.

“We’ll take this one day at time, try to improve and get better on a daily basis,” Flores said, reiterating the mantra he has recited since Day 1. “I’m actually saying that very sincerely. So to get into a playoff this or that, I’m not really into that. I’m into, let’s get better tomorrow. Let’s prepare for the next opponent.”

So it’s not playoffs 2020, or bust. For Flores, it’s about preparing to make an impact in the playoffs when the ingredients are present to make it happen.

The objective is for Tagovailoa to lead the way. Unfortunately for Dolfans, who have waited so long for an impactful playoff team, that will require a bit more patience.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Tua Tagovailoa experienced his first NFL loss and benching on Sunday. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports Network)

Pressure Point: Tua one of many Dolphins who played poorly in loss to Broncos

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This will go down as Tua Tagovailoa’s first NFL defeat after wins in his first three starts.

Also, his first time pulled from a game for ineffectiveness.

All of which he summed up succinctly as: “It just sucks to lose.”

A lot of blame will be directed the rookie’s way in the Miami Dolphins’ 20-13 loss Sunday at Denver which ended a five-game winning streak.

But the Dolphins were beaten the old fashioned way in this one. They got soundly whipped up front.

This was a big change from what we’ve seen throughout Miami’s streak. The Broncos were too physical on the line of scrimmage. On offense and defense.

That was evident in the difference in yardage, 459 to 223, advantage Denver. And in the Broncos’ six sacks to zero for a Dolphins defense that has been so impressive in applying pressure in recent weeks.

Miami’s offensive line, featuring two rookies starting and three seeing action — rookie Solomon Kindley left with an injury and rookie Robert Hunt came in at tackle with Jesse Davis moving to guard — had its poorest game of the season.

Dolphins offense struggles

Often Tagovailoa had no time to set up. When there was time, Tua often took too long to find a receiver. That was due in part to receivers struggling to get open — the absence of Preston Williams, on injured reserve, is apparent.

Coach Brian Flores mentioned the trifecta of inadequacies — Tagovailoa, the line and the receivers.

He made the switch at quarterback to Ryan Fitzpatrick with 10:44 remaining because, “At the end of the day we weren’t moving the ball effectively and I just felt like we needed to give ourselves a spark.”

Flores said Tagovailoa wasn’t injured (he’d been on the injury list with an undisclosed foot issue during the week). He also nipped any quarterback controversy in the bud.

Tagovailoa will start next week against the Jets. As well he should.

Without a doubt, the rookie quarterback played poorly Sunday. The Dolphins punted on six of eight possessions with Tua. The only touchdown drive was 22 yards, set up by Xavien Howard’s interception.

“I felt like I was holding the ball a little bit too long,” Tagovailoa said.

Fitzpatrick provides spark but throws clinching interception

Veteran Fitzpatrick came in and provided a spark, leading the Dolphins to a field goal. Then, after Andrew Van Ginkel forced a fumble at the Miami goal line, driving the Dolphins from their own 1 to the Denver 15.

It was vintage Fitzpatrick. The ol’ gunslinger can come in and lead a dramatic comeback or he can take you to the brink and throw the interception that seals defeat.

The later is what happened as Denver free safety Justin Simmons read Fitzpatrick’s intention on a post to DeVante Parker and cut across to pick it off.

It was a bad day all around for the Dolphins in Denver.

Adding to the frustration, a win would have pulled them even with the Bills atop the AFC East at 7-3. It would have been Miami’s best start in 19 years.

Sure, it’s disappointing. But it’s going to happen on the road in the NFL that a team playing well gets outplayed by one that has been struggling.

Dolphins outplayed, outcoached

The Broncos, now 4-6, not only outplayed the Dolphins, they outcoached them.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio is a heck of a defensive mind. His game plan appeared to confuse Tagovailoa and his defense outmuscled Miami.

Tagovailoa finished 11 of 20 for 83 yards. He still has not officially thrown an interception in the NFL. A penalty negated one Sunday.

The accuracy that Tagovailoa had shown in previous games wasn’t there. When he did look deep, he overthrew speedy Jakeem Grant three times.

His most impressive completion of the day was the three-yard fade to Parker for the only Miami touchdown in the first quarter. Tua has been very good in the red zone. But he was unable to get them there again.

Tagovailoa said the right things about his fourth-quarter benching, saying he recognized it was for the good of the team.

Flores said he isn’t concerned about how the loss and benching will affect Tua: “He’s a confident kid. … I think he’s dealt with a lot of adversity. I think he’s fine.”

Tua said he viewed it as a learning experience.

“It’s one way hearing from Fitz when I come to the sideline. … It may seem like [a receiver is] covered to you. It’s another seeing him going out there and kind of doing it.

“For me, a lot of the time I’ve seen guys were covered but they’re not necessarily cover, if that makes sense. Just being able to see a lot of what Fitz was doing when he got in … a lot of it [was] learning lessons for me.”

Reality check for Dolphins

It was also a reality check for a Dolphins team that perhaps is not as good as it may have appeared during the winning streak.

But for perspective, it was the first loss in two months for a rebuilding team that wasn’t considered ready to compete for a playoff spot this year. And Miami remains very much in the race with winnable games the next two weeks.

Also a reminder that a rookie quarterback in his fourth NFL start, no matter how highly acclaimed, has a lot of learning to do and growing pains to go through.

It could be worse. The Cincinnati Bengals, who play the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in two weeks, lost prized rookie quarterback Joe Burrow to a season-ending knee injury on Sunday.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Houtz Special: Yes, you should use a waiver claim on Dolphins’ RB Salvon Ahmed

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Miami Dolphins RB Salvon Ahmed has looked impressive in Myles Gaskin’s absence. Here’s why you should pick him up in fantasy this week.

Most years, I strut around my fantasy leagues like Connor McGregor, knowing damn well I’m the big dog at the top of the mountain.

But not in 2020. I’ve done terrible this year. Maybe I can blame injuries or unexpected illnesses, but at the end of the day, I just suck.

Which brings me to my point.

I don’t care if you’re in first or last place. PPR or a Tyrannosaurus standard league.

The Franchise

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING!

Go to your nearest fantasy league app and search the name ‘SALVON AHMED’. Then decide who on your roster is the weakest link, and smash that claim button without hesitation. Now do this for all of your fantasy leagues.

(NOTE: For those of you who are in dynasty leagues, you probably should’ve picked him up last week. But if you mistakenly passed on him, it’s probably not too late.)

Sure, there are a few other players you could consider.

Chargers fans would suggest Kalen Ballage. And though I do think he’s playing better, I’m not falling down that rabbit hole again. Some other free agent running backs to consider are Rex Burkhead and Devontae Booker. Obviously, every league is different. But you should be able to acquire one of these players, and Ahmed happens to be at the top of my list. (surprise)

But this isn’t rocket science.

If you’re a contender, who knows what might happen where you might find yourself in need of a running back down the stretch.

And if you’re not a contender, why not pick up one of these players to prevent one of your opponents from getting help down the stretch?

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather make things difficult for others than sit by the wayside and watch the weeks slowly pass by. Again, I’m not saying completely burn a nice waiver spot. But if you have the chance to improve your team AND make life difficult for those around, please do. There’s also a very good chance if you’re reading this, you’re a Dolphins fan, which gives you even more of a reason to make a move.

Salvon Ahmed is playing well.

Last week, Ahmed carried the ball 7 times for 38 yards–which was the best we’ve seen from a Dolphins’ rookie running back in his NFL debut since Jay Ajayi in November 2015. Ahmed then followed that up by playing 44 (76%) of the team’s offensive snaps vs. the Chargers, on his way to 22 touches for 90 yards and his first career NFL touchdown. What’s most exciting to see is how quick and decisive he’s been with the football in his hand. Yes, Matt Breida could be back this week, and De’Andre Washington might get more involved in the passing game, but as we saw last week, Flores continues to ride the hot hand.

Miami’s RB coach Eric Studesville had nothing but praise for the rookies’ work habits.

Final Yard

In the end, this Dolphins backfield is hard to predict from a fantasy perspective. Some would say it reminds you of the stable of backs in New England and how they can attack you in a number of different ways. And I’d imagine that’s exactly the way Flores and his staff want it. So, while we all sit here and wait for the inevitable rookie running back in 2021, let’s enjoy what we have.

If you’re a fantasy football contender, put a claim in for Salvon Ahmed. If you’re not, you should too.

It should also go without saying, but if you have Myles Gaskin stashed on your roster, you should add Ahmed as a handcuff. No questions asked.

You can ultimately decide when and where to put Salvon Ahmed in your fantasy lineup, but this late in the season with very few options, he’s worth a dart throw for the Dolphins and your Fantasy football team.

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Tua Tagovailoa is 3-0 as a starter for the Miami Dolphins. (Craig Davis for Fivereasonssports.com)

Pressure Point: Dolphins find more than a QB—they find how to win

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The Tua train rolls on.

That would be the simplistic take on the 6-3 Miami Dolphins. It tells only a piece of the story — albeit an important one — though of a team that won all of five games a year ago and now in this very different season is on a five-game winning streak and stands a mere one-half game out of first place in the AFC East.

Much was made ahead of Sunday’s 29-21 Dolphins win over the Los Angeles Chargers about the first meeting between the quarterbacks drafted one pick apart this past April. So give the decision to Tua Tagovailoa (taken at No. 5 by the Dolphins) over Justin Herbert, if you must.

A better gauge is to look at how two teams that finished 5-11 in 2019 have done since that draft.

It is apparent that both teams have found their quarterback. Of greater significance, the Dolphins in their second season under coach Brian Flores have found how to win.

The Chargers, led by Herbert, have piled up impressive stats. Their offense came into Sunday averaging 420 yards a game, nearly 100 more than Miami (322.9).

But they left Hard Rock Stadium with a 2-7 record, all of their losses by a combined 29 points.

Tua puts up numbers that count

Some Dolphins fans seem bothered that Tagovailoa doesn’t have more gaudy numbers after three starts. They want 300-yard games (he has yet to produce one). They want Marino numbers.

What they are getting with Tagovailoa is of greater consequence: efficiency, effectiveness.

On Sunday, two touchdown passes, 169 yards, 106.9 passer rating, no interceptions.

In three starts, he has thrown five touchdown passes — to five different receivers — and has yet to throw a pick.

Tua joined Carson Wentz (2016) as the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era to win their first three starts without throwing an interception.

There were no sacks Sunday. A reflection on the pass protection, to be sure, but also on Tua displaying a quick release and ability to escape the rush.

After Sunday’s win Flores was asked about whether this is the style of play he’s seeking from his team — the implication being that the Dolphins are winning without dazzling.

“I’m not really into style, fashion … but playing team football — offense, defense, special teams — if that’s what you mean, everyone involved, everyone’s role is important, good fundamentals, good technique, and just trying to grind out wins in a tough league, every game’s hard.”

Regarding Tagovailoa, Flores said:

“We’ve talked about this. We have a lot of confidence in all our draft picks, that they’re going to develop and improve. He’s no different. That’s what we’re trying to do, develop and improve, and take it week-to-week.”

Many names add up to Dolphins’ win

On Sunday, the Dolphins won again not just because Tua did his part, but also because of names with less recognition like Andrew Van Ginkel (blocked punt that put them on the doorstep of the first touchdown) and Salvon Ahmed, an undrafted rookie who rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown in his first start at running back.

Jakeem Grant had a game-high 43 yards on four receptions and a touchdown, helping fill the void with Preston Williams in injured reserve. He also contributed to favorable field position by averaging 19 yards on three punt returns.

There was unheralded Zach Sieler, a waiver wire pickup last December, continuing to stand out on the defensive line. He had two tackles for loss. On one, he pressured Herbert, who threw short to a back. Sieler hustled back and made the tackle.

There was cornerback Xavien Howard, flagged four times for pass interference a week ago, with a fourth-quarter interception that took the starch out of any Chargers comeback hopes.

There was defensive back Nik Needham, another undrafted player who has forged a key role in his second season. Needham had a sack and broke up a deep pass for three-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen.

The Miami secondary kept standout Charger wideouts Allen and Mike Williams mostly in check (combined five catches for 77 yards and a meaningless TD to Allen in the final two minutes).

Defense leads Dolphins’ resurgence

It was no accident Herbert had his worst statistical day in eight starts. The Dolphins defense kept him off balance by disguising their intentions on blitzes and coverage.

It is evident that while Tua may be the conductor, the Flores/Josh Boyer defense is the driving force in this run of seven wins in the past eight games.

“I think defensively we played, … We made it hard for them early in the game, getting off the field on third down. A lot of guys played well. I thought there was good communication, really across the board defensively, the kicking game, offensively,” Flores said.

Also notable was the response of center Ted Karras in standing up for the botched exchange with Tagovailoa as the Dolphins were on the verge of taking a 21-0 lead. Karras said his hands were wet with sweat in explaining why the ball squirted out like a greased pigskin and took full responsibility.

That one play swung the momentum to the Chargers and led to the outcome being in doubt until Howard’s interception.

It was Tua who chased down Nick Vigil and made the tackle on the fumble return.

“Well, that’s a gutsy play and one of the plays of the game and something that is just great team football and not on my part, on that play, and that hurts,” Karras said. “You want to always be the guy to be old reliable, but this team is so fun to play with and there’s a brotherhood here and I think that’s why it hurt me so much. But we rallied … We won the game and we’re going to keep rolling.”

Just another indication that these Dolphins are buying into Flores’ message of everyone doing whatever it takes to grind out wins, whatever it takes.

Including Tua, who ended his postgame media session by declaring, “Go, Fins!”

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

 

Dolphins Rams

Tua, Dolphins Defeat Chargers 29-21 in Action-Packed Performance

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The storyline of this game was all about a rookie quarterback battle between Tua Tagovailoa and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert.

And in some ways, that was exactly what happened. But perhaps more so, this game was about stone cold efficiency on all three sides of the ball. And where the Chargers faltered, the Dolphins delivered.

On the second play of the game, Nik Needham sacked Justin Herbert, setting up a third down conversion the Chargers couldn’t complete. On the punt deep in their own territory, Andrew Van Ginkel stepped up for a key block and recovery that led to the Dolphins’ first TD, a 1-yard run by Salvon Ahmed in the second minute of the game. The scoring drive summary was one play for one yard in four seconds.

That set the tone for the rest of the game with the Fins only punting twice. Tua Tagovailoa put together a number of excellent drives with the help of runningback Salvon Ahmed (85 yards, 1 TD), who got the start with three of the Fins’ top RBs out. Jakeem Grant proved he wasn’t just a return specialist as he averaged almost 11 yards per reception, and even Durham Smythe got in on the party on a beautifully designed touchdown play by offensive coordinator Chan Gailey that saw every member of the Chargers defense run in the exact opposite direction they should’ve been going in.

Los Angeles put up a fight and the Fins looked a bit lackluster after a mishandled snap by center Ted Karras in the second quarter, but they rallied in the third after a huge interception by Xavien Howard. “It changed the momentum,” the star cornerback said simply after the game. Howard and fellow cornerback Byron Jones effectively shut down the Chargers’ star wideout, Keenan Allen, who only totaled 39 yards on the day. He was targeted seven times and only reeled in three, thanks in large part to the Fins’ stellar secondary.

The Dolphins’ defense took Herbert down for two sacks (including one by Emmanuel Ogbah, who has a sack in six straight games) and eight QB hits. Five tackles for loss and six passes defensed ended in a largely dominant performance that the Chargers just couldn’t match.

Perhaps the real stars of the day, the offensive line protected the Fins’ most valuable offensive asset to near perfection and created opportunities all over the field for Salvon Ahmed. Outside of Karras’ misstep, the O-line stood strong and had arguably their best performance of the season. Tagovailoa was only hit once throughout the entire game and not sacked at all. Although he had a couple of lucky throws that perhaps should’ve been interceptions, he ended the day 3-0 as a starter with zero interceptions and five touchdowns on his rookie season. Not bad for a rookie with a bad hip.

The need-to-know in Canes recruiting: Offense

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Since the 2020 season kicked off, Miami’s noise on the recruiting trail has died dow just a tad bit but the momentum is still strong. The 9th-ranked Canes sit with 21 commits for the 2021 class, which is ranked 9th in the nation and 2nd in the ACC. So where does Miami stand with each position and what names should you be familiar with heading into next month’s Early Signing Period? Here’s some updates for you on the offensive side of the ball. 

 

Quarterback

Commits: None

 

Targets: Jake Garcia (Loganville Grayson, GA)

 

As the saying goes, you need a quarterback in every class. Regardless of how many you have on their roster or how many you took in the previous class, YOU NEED A QUARTERBACK. I think everyone can agree that a surplus of QB’s on your roster is better than a shortage.

 

At this point, there’s pretty much only one guy that QBs coach/OC Rhett Lashlee has his sights set on and that’s Valdosta’s (GA) Jake Garcia. Garcia is originally from El Habra, CA but transferred to Valdosta after the state of California pushed back the 2020 high school football season to at least this upcoming spring. That meant no senior season for Garcia and with family living in the Atlanta area, it was a move that both him and his family were up for. However, Garcia’s season was cut short recently. After an ESPN feature story on how his family made the move and how he was cleared to transfer, two neighboring (and rival) schools of Valdosta filed a complaint. Somehow and some way, Garcia was allowed to transfer AGAIN to Grayson High in nearby Loganville, GA and play immediately. 

 

 

Miami’s been on his tail for quite a while, even while he’s been committed to USC, and this will continue to be a recruitment to watch for two reasons: the first is that he is one of two QBs committed to the Trojans (Miller Moss), and secondly, USC recently offered another QB out of Utah. That can only mean that they do not feel comfortable with the commitment status of one of their QB’s (take a wild guess). But according to some of the guests we’ve had on The Sixth Ring (Gaby Urritia of 247Sports and Stefan Adams of CanesInsight), for how long this saga has dragged on, it is concerning that Garcia has not switched his commitment. The situation is definitely fluid at this point.

 

Running Back

Commits: Thaddeus Franklin (Hollywood Chaminade Madonna, FL)

 

The Canes currently have four scholarship backs on the team, including two highly-touted freshmen in Jaylan Knighton and Don Chaney, but there’s a decent possibility that Knighton and Chaney could be the only two backs left in 2021. There’s also junior Cam Harris, who could opt for the NFL Draft, and Robert Burns, who I’m predicting to grad transfer in lieu of more playing time at another program. 

 

It’s looking more likely that they’re going to stick with just Franklin, the 6’2” bruiser back out of Broward County, as their only other target was Miami Central’s Amari Daniels. Daniels recently committed to Texas A&M. 

 

Wide Receiver

Commits: Jacolby George (Plantation, FL), Romello Brinson (Miami Northwestern, FL), Brashard Smith (Miami Southridge, FL)

 

The haul at receiver as of now should bring much excitement for Canes fans moving forward. In my opinion, Brinson is very underrated with solid speed and excellent footwork, even as the 24th-best receiver in the nation. Standing 6’2”, 180 lbs, he’s bound to fight for playing time in 2021 and could be a WR1 in the future. His skill set was on full display against Miami Southridge and five-star Florida commit Jason Marshall.

 

 

Miami also has Jacolby George committed, who’s also a four-star recruit, is probably the best receiver in Broward County and is not that far behind Brinson in the rankings. George only weighs in at 161 so he probably needs a year or two to add weight to see substantial playing time. 

 

To finish it off, Brashard Smith is on the shorter end of the stick at 5’8” but he is the ideal fit for Rhett Lashlee’s offense in the slot. 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins describes him as “a menace in the slot that’s capable of scoring anytime he touches the ball.”

 

Tight End

Commits: Elijah Arroyo (Independence Frisco, TX), Khalil Brantley (Miami Northwestern, FL)

 

Miami’s set, pretty much. The Canes should expect to lose Brevin Jordan after this season and possibly Will Mallory, which would leave them with just two scholarship tight ends in Larry Hodges and Dominic Mammarelli. Arroyo is a four-star prospect, ranked as the third-best tight end in the nation according to 247Sports and he’s been a star for Frisco so far this season. Through the first 3 games, he’s had 15 catches for 321 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. Brantley is one of three Miami Northwestern commits in the fold and is a key piece of the Bulls as they are considered to be the best high school team in South Florida. 

 

Offensive Line

Commits: Laurence Seymore (Miami Central, FL), Michael McLaughlin (Parkland Stoneman Douglas, FL), Ryan Rodriguez (Miami Christopher Colombus, FL)

 

Targets: Austin Barber (Jacksonville Trinity Christian Academy, FL)

 

Yeah yeah, you’ve heard the concerns about Miami’s OL from the past couple of years. For the most part, there’s still a lot of youth and inexperience but as it stands, Miami has a great trio of linemen committed and they’re the best of the best in South Florida. The highest-rated commit is Laurence Seymore, who is rated as the 10th-best guard in the country. Seymore is also Miami’s longest-tenured commit, having been committed since March of 2018. The 6’7” McLaughlin has since added good weight since committing to the Canes earlier this year and is hitting close to 300 pounds. Rodriguez looks to be the center of the future for Miami and is next in line to replace Corey Gaynor after this season. 

 

One name to watch going forward is Austin Barber out of Jacksonville. He recently backed off his pledge to Minnesota and OL coach Garin Justice has made frequent contact with him. However, as Adams reported on our show, it’s still relatively early in Miami’s chase for Barber and considering Miami now has 3 spots open, I would not be surprised if things heat up in Miami’s favor. 

 

https://twitter.com/Andrew_Ivins/status/1322229032012959745

 

Be sure to look out for another episode of The Sixth Ring on Friday night as we preview the Canes taking on Virginia Tech. Stay tuned to @5ReasonsCanes and @PaulAustria_ on Twitter for the latest in Hurricanes news and catch us on The Sixth Ring show twice a week as well pre and post-game.

 

Also, sign up for an account on Prizepicks.com, where you can pick the over/under on fantasy projections on some of your favorite players. Enter the promo code “five” to double your initial deposit.