Tag Archive for: Jakeem Grant

Miami Dolphins

Preseason Week 3 – Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals: 5 players to watch

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The end is near. Preseason is nearly over, and so is the tenure of some players on the Miami Dolphins roster bubble. Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, many of these players are getting one last chance to shine and prove they’re worth keeping on the team. Whether that’s with the Dolphins, or another team, remains to be seen.

But regardless, the game still has to be played. Amidst the dramatic rumors once again surfacing of a trade for Texans QB Deshaun Watson, and the return of linebacker Vince Biegel to the injured reserve list, here are the top five players to watch on Sunday.

1. Shaquem Griffin – LB

Perhaps no one has more to gain in this final preseason game than Shaquem Griffin. For what his role on the team is, Griffin has a lot of competition. But now that Vince Biegel is back on IR, Griffin’s chances of making the final roster have increased drastically. Like Biegel, Griffin’s best attributes are speed and raw effort. He can be useful as an extra blitzer on passing downs, and he’ll get plenty of action on special teams.

Griffin still has a lot to overcome, however. The linebacker corps is loaded with talent, and it’s unlikely the Dolphins keep a surplus of linebackers just to keep Griffin. He’ll have to put on a drastic performance if he really wants to stick in Miami.

There is some extra hope, however. With the practice squad retaining last season’s COVID-19 rules, the Dolphins can retain six players on their squad with more than two accrued seasons of NFL experience. So if no one else decides to sign him, Griffin can be stashed there. If he does well enough, some other team may add him to their roster. If not, it isn’t hard to speculate Griffin will be a top priority addition.

2. Jason Strowbridge – DE

While Jason Strowbridge is likely to be another quick candidate for the practice squad if he’s waived, he would like to make the final 53-man roster. Problem is, Strowbridge hasn’t done much to really stand out above the rest of his teammates.

He does have one thing going for him, however. Unlike Jonathan Ledbetter and Tyshun Render, his main competitors at defensive end, Strowbridge was actually drafted by the Dolphins. Miami’s front office thought so highly of him, they drafted him in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL draft. Both Render and Ledbetter were undrafted free agents. Teams have a tendency to give a certain amount of bias towards players they invested assets into.

Of course, head coach Brian Flores has never been shy about moving on from players, even higher profile ones. If Render or Ledbetter flash more than Strowbridge does in this last game, they may get the nod over him.

3. Greg Mancz – OL

Once the Miami Dolphins traded for Greg Mancz, the competition got that much tighter for everyone else. More than likely, the veteran Mancz will be viewed as a center, which does not bode well for the likes of Matt Skura, who hasn’t lived up to his lofty expectations. Skura hasn’t even managed to beat out Michael Deiter for the starting center position. Granted, Deiter has been decent for the most part, but certainly not dominant.

So where does this leave Mancz? Reports out of Baltimore indicate that Mancz would not have made the 53-man roster for the Ravens. But apparently GM Chris Grier thinks highly enough of Mancz that he didn’t want to risk another team picking him up first. Mancz’s history with co-offensive coordinator George Godsey from his Houston Texans tenure doubtlessly has something to do with it as well.

Mancz can play at multiple positions on the offensive line, so as a depth move this makes sense. The reason for watching him is not to see if he makes the roster or not. It’s to see if the Dolphins can get something out of him the Ravens weren’t, because many Ravens fans are calling their GM a genius for making this move.

Losing trades isn’t something Chris Grier is known for, but it’s not unheard of either. A strong performance from Mancz on Sunday will alleviate some of the concerns.

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4. Patrick Laird – RB

This slot could have gone to either Laird or rookie Gerrid Doaks. This time the dubious honor goes to Laird simply because his effort hasn’t been enough for the eye test this year. Doaks isn’t a superstar by any means, but he has flashed enough to garner attention. And with the top three spots almost certainly going to Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and Malcolm Brown, that leaves maybe only one slot for another running back. Even Laird himself has nothing but good things to say about the 7th round pick.

“I think he’s done a really good job of transitioning into the NFL.” Laird said on Friday. “I think you guys have seen the clips. He runs hard. Gerrid is a good running back.”

Of course it’s unlikely that Laird would say anything else. He’s been nothing but the model teammate since arriving in Miami. However, he and Doaks will be having quite a battle for that final roster spot. If Laird gets cut, Miami would need to sacrifice one of their veteran practice squad spots to retain him. If Doaks is waived, he’ll need to get through waivers before the practice squad is even a possibility. That makes his situation much riskier.

Laird has always gotten by with his sheer effort and determination. But his physical ability is nothing to write home about. If Laird wants to be the team’s fourth running back, he’ll need to outplay Doaks, and by a rather significant margin. If he doesn’t, he’ll probably be on the outside looking in.

5. Malcolm Perry – WR

The former Navy superstar was really hyped up for his versatility when he was drafted in the 7th round last season. Unfortunately, none of the fantasies have become reality as of yet. No wildcat craziness, no surprise passes, no shifty running of the football. The Miami Dolphins have treated Malcolm Perry as just another normal cog in the machine. One could argue they’re saving his talents for an extreme emergency, but it’s hard to justify a roster spot for a gimmick.

With Lynn Bowden Jr. on IR for the season, Perry is the default gadget player. His skillset offers options that his biggest competition, Kirk Merritt does not. Perry can actually play running back and even quarterback if an extreme emergency happened. But Merritt is a more accomplished wide receiver as of this moment, so it boils down to what do the Miami Dolphins think they need more?

Even without Merritt, Perry will have to fight for his spot. His best chance to make the roster at this point is the unexpected departure of either Jakeem Grant or Preston Williams, two more established players who have rumors swirling around them whether Miami will continue to invest in them. Perry showing up and making plays against the Bengals will make the decision much more difficult for Brian Flores.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

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Preseason Week 2 – Miami Dolphins vs. Atlanta Falcons: 5 players to watch

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After the first preseason game ended in a disappointing loss against the Chicago Bears, the Miami Dolphins will look to bounce back against their second training camp partner, the Atlanta Falcons. To be fair to Miami, the starting players looked impressive. QB Tua Tagovailoa looks vastly improved, even if the one interception in the endzone ruins his stats. As for the defense, even without Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, they stifled Andy Dalton and Justin Fields. The Bears didn’t get their first 1st down of the game until just a few seconds left before the end of the first half.

It wasn’t until the 3rd and 4th string players entered the game that things went awry. So when Justin Fields says the game was slow to him, remember who he was facing. He may live to regret that comment. The only true concern the entire game was the offensive line. They could not run block at all. The Miami Dolphins hope to change that against the Falcons. Alex Donno did his show, “Donno Daily,” and the five starting offensive linemen were the immediate choices for five players to watch during the live stream.

Now while that comment was made mostly as a joke, it is still valid. The offensive line needs to perform better than last week. So with that said, let’s take a look at the other top five players to watch during the second preseason game.

1. Tua Tagovailoa – QB

Let’s not beat around the bush this time. Obviously, everyone will want to see what Tagovailoa does in his second preseason outing. Will he continue to find holes in the defense? Can he navigate the pressure in the pocket? Will he make better decisions with the football in the red zone? Again, Tagovailoa looked masterful against the Bears. Except for that one bad decision that resulted in an interception in the end zone.

Some have said it’s a result of Tagovailoa’s lack of arm strength. True, he doesn’t have a cannon for an arm like Justin Herbert. His success is based on timing and reading the defense. Which, for those who paid attention to how Tagovailoa played at Alabama, has been his game from the very beginning. Watching the throw on replay, the main issue was when he decided to throw it, not how fast the ball got there. Even for a super strong arm, the throw was risky.

These are the kinds of things that happen with young quarterbacks, particularly ones that don’t have immense physical capabilities. Tagovailoa is learning how to dissect defenses and find the openings in them. His arm isn’t “weak,” it’s merely average. Sadly, average has become the new weak in the eyes of many. QBs like Tagovailoa take a little longer to develop. But history has shown that some of the QBs in NFL history were not known for their cannon arms.

They did, however, have an innate knack for knowing where to go with the ball and when. That is what to expect from Tua Tagovailoa. Watch to see if he displays more of that trait tonight.

2. Salvon Ahmed – RB

It’s no secret that the Miami Dolphins want to use a running back committee approach. There is no set “starter” per say, it’s all about the matchups. Basically, every time anyone asks head coach Brian Flores about the starter at running back, he gives a similar answer.

“We like all our backs.” He said on Thursday. “They’re all a little bit different. They all have the ability to play multiple downs. We are going to try to use them all. From Malcolm (Brown) to Myles (Gaskin) to Salvon (Ahmed). Patrick Laird has gone in there and done some good things. (Jordan) Scarlett has gone in there, he had a couple good runs last week. (Gerrid) Doaks has gone in there and had some good runs. We try to use them all.”

Nevertheless, it doesn’t stop specific players from standing out above the rest. Only one RB actually managed to shine against the Bears, and that was Salvon Ahmed.

Both Ahmed and Myles Gaskin hail from Washington. They were teammates there and between the two of them, Gaskin was the starter while Ahmed was the change of pace back. That dynamic seems to be repeating itself, as Gaskin tends to get the heavier carry load. However, if the pattern continues where Ahmed gets production with his superior speed, the Miami Dolphins may need to reanalyze that.

The Atlanta Falcons run defense isn’t exactly top-tier. Unless there’s a complete meltdown in blocking, Ahmed or one of the other backs should be able to gain some yards on the ground. Keep a close eye on Ahmed and see if he looks better than the others.

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3. Austin Jackson – OT

At least one offensive lineman still had to make this list, in spite of the discussion with Alex Donno. Without doubt, Austin Jackson has taken a beating over this past week. Reporters, fans, coaches, they’ve all been pushing him in hopes that he’ll rebound after his terrible performance against the Bears in his first ever preseason game. True, they are being patient with him. On the other hand, the Miami Dolphins obviously want to see some improvement from him as time passes. This will be an opportunity to do so.

Jackson was a high ceiling prospect coming out of USC. That’s why the team felt compelled to draft him 18th overall. He has all the physical tools, it’s just a matter of putting them all together. That’s partly coaching, but it’s also on him to do his part. He’s working hard, trying to make the most of his reps. Even Tua Tagovailoa is doing his part to help Jackson get back on his feet.

The Atlanta Falcons pass rush isn’t known for being dangerous. In fact, most Falcons fans have lamented their complete inability to get to the quarterback and create any sort of pressure. That changed during the joint practices with the Dolphins. According to numerous reports, Tagovailoa was harassed in the pocket all week long, which isn’t a good sign for Miami. The struggle is so real that the Dolphins even decided to give up a 7th round draft pick to take a flyer on former Panthers OT Greg Little.

Austin Jackson is the man to watch simply because his struggle was the most obvious last week. Any sort of improvement this week will be welcome.

4. Jaelen Phillips – LB

The Miami Dolphins kept Jaelen Phillips out of the first preseason game in spite of the fact he participated in practice against the Bears. The plan, according to Brian Flores, was to bring him along slowly. Now Phillips has gotten in a full week with no setbacks. It’s more likely that this time, the former Miami Hurricanes star will get a chance to see real game action for the first time in his career.

But that isn’t guaranteed.

Phillips has the potential to become the modern-age Jason Taylor if he reaches his full potential. In many ways, he’s what Dion Jordan could have been if he hadn’t essentially thrown his career way with off-the-field issues. The only thing stopping Phillips from getting there is his own health. His ceiling is staggering, but he won’t reach it if he doesn’t play. The first thing to watch against the Falcons is if Flores allows him to play.

If the answer to that is yes, then watch to see how Phillips does rushing the passer, dropping back into coverage, and being an overall menace to the Falcons offense. If he happens to start, then that will say even more about what the Miami Dolphins think of him.

5. Jakeem Grant – WR

Depending on who you ask, Grant is either a lock to make the Miami Dolphins roster, or his days are numbered and it’s only a matter of time before he’s cut. The split opinion of the Texas Tech standout is truly remarkable. He is undeniably a dynamic playmaker once the ball is in his hands. But that in and of itself is the problem. It’s not always a guarantee that the ball will get into his hands.

As a kick and punt returner, it’s hard to find better options on the roster than Jakeem Grant. The only one who even comes close is rookie Jaylen Waddle, and he’s expected to contribute much more as a wide receiver. It might not be in Miami’s best interest to put Waddle out there to be targeted. As a wide receiver, Grant has a checkered past marred by multiple drops. These drops have caused the fan base to largely turn on Grant, but apparently the coaching staff still sees value in him.

It’s still not a guarantee that Grant will make the roster. He has to show he’s reliable as a receiver as well as a return man. Thankfully, he and Tua Tagovailoa seem to have a strong rapport building in training camp. He’s been the target of a number of Tagovailoa’s practice touchdowns, which shows they can make it work even against Miami’s starting defense, as well as Chicago and Atlanta’s.

Love him or hate him, Jakeem Grant brings electricity to the roster. As it’s unlikely most of the projected starters at wide receiver will play against the Falcons, Grant will have ample opportunity to showcase his skills. He needs to make the most of it to keep the leg up he has on some of the other fringe players.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

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Miami Dolphins Training Camp Notes: Day 4 – Linebackers, big plays, Albert Wilson, more

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As the Miami Dolphins training camp welcomed fans back, debuting their brand new facility, the audience was treated to a performance which saw both sides of the ball make plays. Now, here are some of the big highlights to take away from Day 4 of training camp.

Linebackers

The linebacker corps for the Miami Dolphins is proving to be incredible facing off against the offensive line. Now, it remains to be seen if this will remain the case when the pads come on, presumably on Tuesday, but for now it seems like Miami’s pass rush is a lot better than anyone assumes. Brennan Scarlett, Shaquem Griffin, Jerome Baker, Vince Biegel, even Calvin Munson. All of these linebackers made at least one notable appearance during Saturday’s practice.

It should be noted that Jaelen Phillips was held out of practice due to a minor injury. So his name being omitted is not a cause for alarm. But the linebacker spot is going to be loaded, particularly with Scarlett making a serious push. Of all the linebackers who practiced today, Scarlett made more plays than any of them. If that continues, Brian Flores will have some seriously difficult decisions to make.

Christian Wilkins

Speaking of players standing out above the crowd. Former first round pick Christian Wilkins spent most of his afternoon playing against the second team unit. Now, this is not a detriment towards Wilkins. If anything, it just shows what kind of depth is available along the defensive line that Wilkins is relegated to second team duty. To really emphasize the mismatch, there were several occasions throughout the day where Wilkins had to either be double teamed, or he burst through the offensive line the moment the ball was snapped.

There’s no question Wilkins is more than good enough to play with the starters, and he’s certainly a lock to make the team. All this proves is that the defensive line will almost always be fresh, barring an outbreak of injuries.

Albert Wilson

Miami Dolphins training camp is making one thing very apparent. Albert Wilson is still an excellent wide receiver in the NFL, and he’s proving it beyond the shadow of a doubt in training camp right now. He and Tua Tagovailoa are building a remarkable rapport, connecting on huge plays throughout the last several days, including today. This time, it was a 63-yard touchdown on a slant that was threaded between two defenders, one of which was Byron Jones. Not only that, he made a diving catch in the endzone during goal line drills to bail Tagovailoa out of trouble.

If there was any question as to whether or not Wilson was going to make the roster, it’s rapidly disappearing. No other wide receiver on the entire team has made as much of an impact as Wilson so far. It’s not even close. Even Tagovailoa’s Alabama teammate, Jaylen Waddle, has not proven to be so effective at navigating the defense. Wilson is always open and making big catches. If they continue building chemistry at this rate, Wilson may have himself a career year. That will undoubtedly lead to a big contract in the offseason.

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Big plays galore

The big plays did not stop with Wilson. All day long, on both sides of the ball, plays were made that if they were in-game, would turn the tide instantly. Going back to Brennan Scarlett, not only was he harassing Tagovailoa all day long, but he even forced a fumble out of Lynn Bowden Jr.

Zach Sieler dominated Robert Hunt and got a sack against Tagovailoa almost as soon as the ball was snapped. He also got in the way of a lot of runs throughout the afternoon.

Jakeem Grant leaped up and made a turnaround catch in midair in tight coverage, continuing from yesterday’s stellar performance.

Cornerback Terrell Bonds intercepted Reid Sinnett in the endzone, and then Jamal Perry did the same thing during the same drill against Tagovailoa.

Later, Tagovailoa weaved through pressure, kept his eyes downfield, and lobbed it up to Adam Shaheen who caught the jump ball in midair for a big gain.

All this to say, the Miami Dolphins are certainly going to be an exciting team to watch in 2021.

Michael Palardy

One final note before wrapping up these Miami Dolphins training camp notes. The team seems to have made a huge upgrade at punter. With Matt Haack now in Buffalo, Michael Palardy has come in and shown an incredible ability to punt the ball exactly where it needs to be for the perfect trajectory.

Gone are the days of 50/50 chances of either a booming punt or a shanked punt. Palardy is offering something the Miami Dolphins haven’t had for quite some time. Consistency.

Practice MVP: Albert Wilson

Struggled: Noah Igbinoghene

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

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Dolphins Chargers Win

5 Takeaways from Dolphins Win Over the Chargers

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The Miami Dolphins (6-3) continued their ascent in the AFC with a solid win over the Los Angeles Chargers (2-7). The victory marked Miami’s fifth-straight and propelled them to the 6-seed in the conference.

Touted as a duel between two rookie quarterbacks, the Dolphins signal-caller played an efficient game, whereas his counterpart made a critical error in the fourth quarter. The win over the Chargers puts Miami at 6-3 for the first time since 2001. The five-game win streak is the longest for the franchise since 2016, when they won six-in-a-row.

Here’s a look at five takeaways from the Dolphins win over the Chargers.

Dolphins’ Tagovailoa Steady in Win Over Chargers

In a game where pundits pit Tua Tagovailoa versus Justin Herbert, Tagovailoa came out on top. Football analysts have lauded Herbert for his statistical prowess thus far, but that’s led to very little winning for the Chargers. Miami, meanwhile, saw their rookie quarterback led them to yet another victory.

Tagovailoa’s now 3-0 as a starter and is the first rookie in Dolphins history to win his first three starts. He finished 15-for-25 for 169 yards and two touchdowns. His back-to-back games with two touchdown passes tie him for the third-longest streak of multiple touchdown pass games by a Dolphins rookie quarterback.

Tagovailoa’s the only rookie QB in Dolphins history to not throw an interception in his first three starts. And he’s one of only two quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era (Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz the other) to win all three of his first career starts and not throw an interception.

Tagovailoa also registered the first tackle of his career after a botched snap from Ted Karras led to a fumble. The young signal-caller’s moxie and confidence continue to grow with each start. He’s been accurate and adept at fitting passes into tight windows. It’s clear he has the confidence of the coaching staff and the team.

Ogbah Continues His Great Play

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Emmanuel Ogbah’s been great. He sacked Herbert on the opening play of the fourth quarter. The sack was Ogbah’s eighth of the season and gave him six consecutive games with a full sack. His eight sacks are tied for fourth in the NFL. The six-game sack streak for Ogbah is tied for the second-longest in Dolphins history, trailing just Jason Taylor’s eight-game streak in 2002.

Ogbah also had two passes defensed, including one pass tipped on a fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter that forced a turnover on downs.

His continued productivity has elevated this Dolphins defense. The pressure players like Ogbah generate helps the team’s secondary. It was clearly evident in Xavien Howard’s fourth quarter interception of Herbert. With that interception, the Dolphins defense has now registered at least one turnover in each of the last 15 games.

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Dolphins Special Teams Elite in Win Over Chargers

The first big play of the day came from Miami’s Special Teams. Andrew Van Ginkel got free rushing up the middle and blocked LA’s punt. Jamal Perry recovered the fumble on the one-yard line. It was the first blocked punt by the Dolphins since Brandon Bolden got one on November 11, 2018 at Green Bay.

In addition to that play, punter Matt Haack pinned the Chargers at the five-yard line, flipping field position in a tightening game. Haack is fifth in the league in punts inside-the-20 (17) and eighth in net punt average (42.9). Against the Rams, Haack pinned five punts inside the 20. It was his sixth career game with at least five punts inside the 20, which is a Dolphins record.

Jakeem Grant also helped the team flip field position with his punt returns. His 294 punt return yards lead the NFL. His 14.7 punt return average stands as third-best and he leads the NFL with three punt returns of over 20 yards.

Grant surpassed Tommy Vigorito (830) for fifth place in Dolphins history in all-time career punt return yardage. Grant now has 883 career punt return yards.

Jason Sanders, meanwhile, remains one of the best kickers in the league and arguably the best kicker in Dolphins history. Sanders saw his streak of 20 consecutive makes snapped in this one, but he did net three field goals. His 20 makes are tied for second-most in the NFL so far. His .952 average on field goals is also second-best.

Sanders’ five makes from 50-yards or longer stand as second-most this season. He is 23-for-23 on point-after attempts.

Jakeem Grant Emerges as Offensive Weapon

When the Dolphins lost Preston Williams to the injured reserve, there were questions surrounding who would fill the void. Miami had several options, but Grant stood out on Sunday

Grant caught a three-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to give Miami a 14-0 lead. It was Grant’s first touchdown reception since he had two in a game on September 23, 2018 versus Oakland. Grant led the Dolphins in receiving on Sunday with four receptions for 43 yards.

His ability to create separation on his routes makes him a reliable go-to for Tagovailoa. In his three starts, Tagovailoa has targeted Grant 12 times, which matches the amount of targets Grant received from Fitzpatrick through the first six games of the season.

Grant’s game-breaking speed adds a layer previously absent from this offense. While they’ve yet to incorporate it, Grant is regularly in pre-snap motion, indicating a jet-sweep could be part of the offensive game plan moving forward.

Dolphins in Prime Position for Playoff Push After Win Over Chargers

The AFC East playoff picture remains a logjam after Week 10. Thanks to Kyler Murray’s Hail Mary heave against Buffalo, Miami stands within 0.5 game of the Bills with seven games to go. A win next week in Denver would pull the Dolphins even with Buffalo because the Bills are on their bye.

The Dolphins currently hold the 6-seed in the AFC standings, one of six teams to sport a 6-3 record. Miami holds the tiebreaker over the Titans and Ravens based on best win percentage in conference games. The division tiebreaker keeps the Dolphins ahead of Cleveland (Baltimore wins tie break over Cleveland based on head-to-head win percentage).

The Colts lead the AFC South. Miami trails the Raiders in the standings because Las Vegas sports a better conference win percentage. The Dolphins travel to Vegas in Week 16.

According to Tankathon.com, the Dolphins sport the 12th-easiest remaining slate of games, based on strength of schedule. Miami final seven opponents have a combined .477 winning percentage. The Bills, meanwhile, face a slightly tougher slate, as their final six opponents have a .509 winning percentage.

Three of the other teams vying for an AFC playoff spots hold easier roads ahead: Baltimore (.461), Cleveland (.445) and Las Vegas (.444).

What this means is, Miami needs to win the games in which they are favored and knock off, at the very least, the Raiders in Week 16. The Week 17 matchup against the Bills could very well be for the AFC East division title.

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Dolphins place Preston Williams on IR; who steps up in his absence?

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Early on in Sunday’s matchup vs. the Arizona Cardinals, Dolphins wide receiver Preston Williams started to find a grove with rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa. It was the start of something beautiful, and we started to see those WR1 type skills that we knew he possessed. Which, to be honest was needed after his struggles from a week ago.

Williams secured 4/5 targets for 60 yards and a touchdown. Everything was good–until it wasn’t.

At some point during the Unicorn’s 15-yard touchdown reception, he tweaked his ankle. And although we are uncertain exactly what the injury is, we now know it will keep the second-year wide receiver out for at least three weeks.

Here’s exactly what coach Flores said regarding Williams from the Sun Sentinel’s Omar Kelly.

The question now is, where do the Dolphins turn to find receiver help? The trade deadline is over. Any help at this point needs to come from another team’s practice squad (unprotected) or internally. And if this coaching staff has shown us one thing since they’ve got here, it’s that those players that put in the work will be rewarded.

Here are 5 players the Dolphins need to step up in Williams’ absence

Jakeem Grant

Grant is a fan-favorite. But despite his big-play abilities, we’ve yet to see him truly unleashed in the way many believe he should be. This is his time to prove he’s more than just a wide receiver. And as I pointed out last week, his speed allows him to create separation that other wide receivers on the roster are not capable of. Tagovailoa turned to Grant a few times in critical situations over the last two games. Is this the beginning of Grant’s transformation to becoming the WR he knows he can ?

It’s your time to shine, Jakeem.

Antonio Callaway

The 23-year-old speedster from Miami, Florida, hasn’t played in an NFL game since Week 9 of last season. But yet, fans are excited about what he can add to this offense. Personally, Brian Flores tempered my expectations a bit when he said he only saw Callaway practice for the first time last week. I don’t know where things stand now, but Miami hopes they can see more of the player he was in college and as a rookie in Cleveland, where he scored five touchdowns.

The Dolphins could really use 2018 Antonio Callaway, now, more than ever.

The Franchise

 

Malcolm Perry

Lynn Bowden would’ve been part of this article, but he’s currently on the COVID-19/Reserve-list, and I think what I say for Perry can apply to both players–given their unique skill-sets and versatility. With Bowden out in recent weeks, Perry has found his way into the lineup. But besides a first-down reception vs. Los Angeles and a creative triple-option from Chan Gailey vs Arizona, he has been quiet through eight games.

Now, with Williams injury and the offense slowly starting to evolve, Malcolm Perry should see an uptick in snaps.

Mack Hollins

The former 4th-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles is known for making big plays on special teams. But as we were reminded on Sunday, Mack Hollins is a wide receiver first. Hollins was productive in college, where he recorded 81 receptions for 1,667 yards and 20 touchdowns. He may not have had a breakout NFL career, but at 27-years-old there’s still plenty of time. And after seeing the way he went up and plucked that football, it really might be the return of the Mack?

 

Kirk Merritt

After The Glitch’s success in 2019, Dolphins fans could not wait to find ‘tHE nExT pReStOn WiLLiAmS.’ And despite being firmly supplanted on the team’s practice squad for a majority of the year, fans were ecstatic to hear when they found out he would travel with the team vs. Arizona. Now, with a game under his belt, could the rookie be asked to do more for the Dolphins?

Merritt’s career sky-rocketed after he transferred to Arkansas State. He recorded 158 receptions for 1,811 yards and 19 touchdowns. And with legit 4.33 speed, Miami needs to find out what he can do and, most importantly, give him an opportunity to showcase his skills./

Final Yard

Losing Preston Williams is a big blow to Miami’s offense; no one can deny that. But as we’ve seen all season long, Brian Flores and his team will find ways to adapt and continue to push forward. I can’t sit here and tell you WHO is going to step up, though I’d put a wager on more opportunities for Jakeem Grant, Antonio Callaway, and Mike Gesicki, above the rest. But let’s be honest, no one thought Myles Gaskin would be the Dolphins starting RB. Or Zach Sieler would be making dominant plays on Miami’s defensive line.

It’s a next-man-up mentality in Miami. And I’m certain each of the Dolphins young wide receivers are biting at the bit for any and every opportunity.

Carpe Diem.

 

 

 

 

Dolphins Win Rams

5 Takeaways from the Dolphins Win Over the Rams

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The Miami Dolphins (4-3) did something most didn’t expect on Sunday: they dominated the Los Angeles Rams (5-3). The vast majority of football pundits called this a win for the Rams. Local and national media keyed on Tua Tagovailoa’s first career start. But it was the defense that dominated in this 28-17 victory.

The win over the Rams stands as Miami’s third straight victory and has propelled them into the thick of the AFC playoff race. Here’s a look at five takeaways from the Dolphins win over the LA Rams.

Win Over the Rams: Dolphins on a Roll

The Dolphins entered Sunday’s game looking to improve their playoff position while breaking in a new quarterback. Much of the discourse ahead of this game surrounded Miami’s decision to go with Tagovailoa and doing so in the midst of a postseason push.

Many questioned the change. Ryan Fitzpatrick had the Dolphins’ prospects looking up and some wondered if going with an unproven rookie may have undercut Miami’s chances. The defense, meanwhile, disregarded those questions and came to play yet again.

With the victory, the Dolphins have now won three games in a row for the first time since 2018. It’s the first time the Dolphins have won three games in a row by 10-plus points since 2014. Miami has won four of its past five and is 9-7 in its last 16 games. The team is above .500 for the first time in the Brian Flores era.

This stretch arrives as Miami’s schedule softens some. Four of the Dolphins’ next five games come against teams with losing records. If Miami can go 4-1 over that span, they’ll enter the home stretch 8-4 and likely in strong playoff position.

Dolphins Defense Dominating

The Dolphins held the Rams to just 17 points in Sunday’s win. With that performance, Miami’s D vaulted to the top of the NFL in terms of scoring defense. This group allows just 18.6 points-per-game, the lowest mark in the league.

What’s helped Miami maintain this defensive dominance is quarterback pressure. On Sunday, the Dolphins registered their 18th and 19th sacks of the season, ninth most. In addition to the sacks, the Dolphins hit Jared Goff another six times.

“The key to the game was just attack Jared Goff,” said Dolphins DE Emmanuel Ogbah after the game. “As a defense we did a good job rushing them, rushing coverage, going head-to-head, rolling all them boys back; that did a great job for us and we got a chance to get back there.”

The Dolphins pressured Goff throughout and prevented the Rams’ QB from finding a consistent rhythm until it was too late. Miami managed four takeaways, intercepting Goff twice and forcing two Goff fumbles. The Dolphins’ 13 takeaways this season are tied for second-most in the NFL thus far.

In addition, Miami broke up 13 pass attempts. The Dolphins now have two players in the top-10 in Passes Defensed. Eric Rowe’s nine pass breakups are tied for sixth-most and Xavien Howard’s eight are tied for ninth-most.

The Dolphins’ dominance on third down continued in this one as well. The Rams converted 7-of-17 third down tries, but many of those came late. For the season, Miami’s 33.3 percent third-down conversion rate stands tied for second lowest in the league.

Dolphins Win Over the Rams: Jakeem Grant Value Trending Up

Jakeem Grant broke the game open with his 88-yard second quarter punt return. For the third time in his career, Grant took a punt for a touchdown. With the score, Grant became the all-time franchise leader in punt return TDs. He’d been tied with Freddie Solomon, Tom Vigorito and O.J. McDuffie prior.

“All credit to my teammates that were on the unit,” Grant said of the return. “I don’t even think I got touched, so like I said, man, it’s all credit to them.”

The 88-yard punt return stands as the longest in Dolphins history. The previous record was 87 yards by Vigorito (9/10/1981 vs Pittsburgh) and Ted Ginn Jr. (11/18/2007 at Philadelphia). His 816 career punt return yards moves Grant to sixth all-time for Miami. He passed Scott Schwedes (732 yards), Jarvis Landry (804) and Solomon (810) up the chart.

But Grant did not just contribute on Special Teams. He made a 15-yard reception on a comeback route late in the first quarter. The first down put Miami inside the Rams’ 10-yardline and helped set up the game-tying touchdown. Grant has a budding connection with Tagovailoa, and his speed could be integrated more into the offense.

Ogbah & Rowe Continue To Play Well

Ogbah continues his dominant play from his defensive end position. Ogbah’s strip-sack of Goff in the second quarter led to a 78-yard scoop-and-score by linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. The Dolphins took the lead on the play and never looked back.

Ogbah has now registered a sack in each of the last four games and has at least a half sack in every game since Week 1. His streak of four-straight games with a sack is the longest since Cameron Wake picked up a sack in five straight in 2016. His sixth sacks in 2020 are tied for sixth-most in the NFL.

Rowe, meanwhile, continued his dominance against tight ends. Against the Rams, Rowe recorded five passes defensed, a career-high, and an interception in the win for the Dolphins. He dropped what would have been a pick-six as well.

“Kind of through the week, we caught wind of ‘Rams defense this, Rams defense that.’ We’re like, ‘man, they need to worry about our defense,’ and that was one of our focuses on mind to show up,” Rowe said after the game.

“People keep sleeping on our defense and that’s fine, but we’re going to show up every week.”

Dolphins Over the Rams: Tua Plays Well Enough to Win

Get one of the many original Tua t-shirts on sale now over at FiveReasonsSports.com!

The fanfare over Tagovailoa’s start remained the headline in the lead up to this one, but it didn’t look great at the beginning. Tagovailoa suffered a strip-sack turnover at the hands of Aaron Donald on his second snap as a starter. To his credit, though, Tagovailoa came back and played well enough for the Dolphins to secure the win over the Rams.

Tagovailoa finished 12-of-22 for just 93 yards and a touchdown, in addition to the fumble. The offensive game plan seemed conservative and Tagovailoa’s receivers dropped at least four passes, including two that would have resulted in a first down.

“I don’t think I played to the standard of what this offense is capable of,” Tagovailoa said after the game. “There were certain plays where I could have stepped up and made the right throw, made the right decision.

“Aside from that, thank God we’ve got a good defense, so when we do start to string good plays together, we know that we can be able to make plays and then get the ball back and continue to try to do the same.”

Tagovailoa admitted he could’ve played better, but he said he also enjoyed the game as well. He particularly enjoyed getting hit.

“I’m not going to lie, I did enjoy getting hit that first time. That was definitely a welcome.”

The Dolphins (4-3) head to Arizona to face the Cardinals (5-2) in Week 9. Get the Five Reasons Sports original Tua shirt HERE!

And don’t miss the Five Reasons Dolphins Postgame show below!

Oddsmakers favor Ryan Fitzpatrick starting for Dolphins over Josh Rosen

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Right or wrong, there’s something to be said about betting odds. Las Vegas has a way of knowing what’s going to happen any given season, even if their predictions don’t make sense in the minds of fans. They’ve even weighed in on who’s more likely to start for the Miami Dolphins come week one of the regular season. Will it be longtime veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, or young prospect Josh Rosen?

So far, the oddsmakers favor Fitzpatrick.

To be fair, the odds were made back in late July. This is before Josh Rosen put together a fairly impressive preseason. But taking into account what head coach Brian Flores is saying, it’s starting to look more and more likely that Vegas is right again, even if the logic behind it is increasingly faulty.

“He played well, and that makes the decision harder.” He said this past Thursday after the preseason win against Jacksonville. “I think that’s pretty clear, clear and evident. But there’s – again, there’s other things at play here. ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) played well, I thought, and there’s some things – when you’ve got a young quarterback, again, I’m a proponent of not rushing that, not rushing the process for young players. So we’ll make the decision for what we think is best for Josh, ‘Fitz,’ and this team.”

The best decision for this team, he says. Best decision for Rosen, he says.

What else does Rosen need to do to prove he’s worthy of earning the starting job?

Flores has said that he wants Rosen to work on his decision making, to not take so many chances. However, most of Rosen’s chances seem to lead to positive results. In the end, that’s all that any coach can hope for, right? Isn’t it refreshing to have a QB who can improvise and make plays even when everything is crumbling around him? This goes for his potential as a franchise QB as well. He’s showing a lot of traits that suggest he can be a franchise QB. Someone who can lead a team to the promised land…after some serious investment into the offensive line of course.

And yet Las Vegas is saying Ryan Fitzpatrick is still more likely to start over Rosen. Is Flores just stubborn? Unwilling to let Rosen start over Fitzpatrick since one is a veteran and one is a young guy still trying to stabilize his footing? Josh Rosen needs to learn, and if 2019 is truly a wash no matter what, what is gained by starting Fitzpatrick over Rosen at this point?

Back in June, it was suggested that the best man should be the Dolphins starting quarterback. Brian Flores needed to make sure everyone knew that performance would dictate who plays and who doesn’t. Back then, Rosen was behind Fitzpatrick. After this preseason, however, it appears Rosen has outplayed Fitzpatrick in almost every aspect. Is that not grounds for starting? If Flores is honest, there should be no reason for debate.

Vegas always seems to be right, and Vegas insists Fitzpatrick is the man to start 2019. But if they are right, then a microscope needs to be placed on Flores and everything he says at this point. Even the players don’t know what’s going on at this point, since Flores doesn’t give updates.

“No, he really doesn’t. He keeps it plain and simple.” wide receiver Jakeem Grant said Sunday. “Everybody knows there’s a quarterback battle going on. We just get in and compete with both of them. It’s either we’re in with Josh (Rosen) or if we’re in with ‘Fitz” (Ryan Fitzpatrick). Either way it goes, we love those guys. They are both great, talented quarterbacks and I think that both of them can lead us to the promise land.”

Based on the preseason, it’s clear who’s more capable at this point. Josh Rosen should start. True, Las Vegas won’t appreciate it, but the Dolphins need to see what they have in Rosen, and the young UCLA standout has earned his chance.