Takeaways from Panthers’ final preseason game

/0 Comments/in , /by

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers wrapped up their eighth and final preseason game Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena, losing 4-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

 

With preseason play now over, the Panthers will have to get their active roster down to 23 before the the regular season opener.
 

Here’s some Panthers’ takeaways from the last tune up game.

 

Eetu Luostarinen continued a strong preseason 

Eetu Luostarinen’s value to the Panthers is a high one. He plays up and down the lineup, on special teams, on the wing or at center — he’s everywhere.

 

With Sam Bennett now out with an injury, Luostarinen jumped back up to center, playing on line 2 with Matthew Tkachuk tonight. Depending on how long Bennett is out, he may be getting an extended stint down the middle.


Luostarinen was the best forward tonight in the Panthers’ loss, grabbing a goal and an assist to end off his preseason with four goals. 

 

Like the rest of the team, Luostarinen is ready to get the 2023-2024 campaign started.

 

“We’re really excited,” Luostarinen said postgame. “There’s still some things we can do better but I think overall we’re just ready to go.”

 

 

Depth forwards pushing the offense

Both tonight and Thursday’s game saw quality offensive contributions from players in the bottom-six. 

 

Florida’s first goal of the game was scored off the rush, and shorthanded by Ryan Lomberg. 


In back-to-back games, Florida’s favorite hard hitting winger got on the scoresheet with a nice shot past the Lightning netminder.  

 

Later in the game Florida had another quality chance to get on the board off a rush from Nick Cousins and Zac Dalpe.

 

 

When the final roster comes out, the winners of 12-14 forward spots will be interesting to see. Zac Dalpe, Kevin Stenlund, Steven Lorentz, and Justin Sourdif have all had good showings this preseason.

As for what happens with the final roster, Florida has a few days to sort things out.

“The three days before opening night there’s still a whole lot of things that are involved in the cap and the injury situation,” head coach Paul Maurice said postgame. “The numbers will get back down to one room and we can get back to work.”

 

 

Still no “clear cut” winner for the seventh defenseman spot

The first five names on the blueline to start the year will probably look like this: Gustav Forsling, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Josh Mahura, Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola. 

 

As for the sixth defenseman, Mike Reilly’s play during camp and preseason should have been enough to win him that job. So who gets the seventh spot?

 

After Lucas Carlsson and Matt Kiersted were sent down to the AHL, the two in the running are Casey Fitzgerald and Uvis Balinskis. 

 

Neither of them really stood out in tonight’s game, however Fitzgerald has stepped his physicality up this preseason, compared to what we saw in his limited games last year with the Panthers.

 

 

In this competition for the extra defenseman, Fitzgerald had the “head start” in familiarity, being with the Panthers from mid January through the playoffs. Balinskis on the other hand joined the Panthers organization this offseason after spending his entire career in Europe.

 

If sent down to the AHL Balinskis would be exempt from waivers, Fitzgerald would not.

 

Who will claim the Panthers’ final forward spots?

/1 Comment/in , /by

Later this week the Florida Panthers will have their roster finalized for their Oct. 12 season opener in Minnesota. But, before the final cuts are made the Panthers coaching staff will have two more preseason games to determine who stays and who goes.

 

The next week will be crucial for the bubble players who are still fighting for a job on the regular season lineup. With just a few spots open on the roster, the two remaining exhibition games will be the last shot to make an impression.

 

Before discussing who can grab the final forward spots, let’s go over how the team probably will fill out up front.

 

Forward locks

The forward group — at least the top-9 — is pretty much finalized. All the forwards who picked up bumps and bruises in last season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are fortunately back and healthy for the Panthers. Evan Rodrigues is the lone newcomer who is guaranteed to jump into the top-9 — he’ll most likely start the season on the top line wing next to Aleksander Barkov. 

 

As for losses, Anthony Duclair is the biggest forward departure from last year’s Stanley Cup Final team. Duclair, who was a top-9 winger for the Panthers, was traded to San Jose in the offseason. For line purposes, the loss of Duclair was offset by the addition of Rodrigues.

 

This is how I see the Panthers forward depth chart at the moment. 

 

Centers: Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, Anton Lundell, X

 

Wingers: Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Reinhart, Eetu Luostarinen, Ryan Lomberg, Nick Cousins, X

 

* “X’s” are open roster spots 

Projected Lines

 

Verhaeghe-Barkov-Rodrigues

X-Bennett-Tkachuk

Luostarinen-Lundell-Reinhart

Lomberg-X-Cousins

Off these initial projections, I have the third line locked up with Lundell, Louostarinen and Reinhart. The trio were very good together in the playoffs and they’ll stick together to at least start the season — giving Florida a very strong third line.

 

For now, I have Verhaeghe and Rodrigues together on Barkov’s wings whilst keeping the Tkachuk-Bennett duo together. For Bennett and Tkachuk, they found lots of success in the playoffs when coach Paul Maurice inserted Nick Cousins on their line. The trio started the preseason together, however coach Maurice mixed it up in Tuesday’s game against Tampa — putting Cousins on line 4, while slotting Mackie Samoskevich on Bennett’s wing. 

 

Lomberg and Cousins will both be on the team’s final roster and I’d expect their best usage to be in a bottom-six role, so I project they’ll start the season on the fourth line. 

 

Based on my projections, this leaves one top-9 winger spot and the fourth line center job open. Keep in mind, NHL teams can carry up to 23 players on their active roster, so there will be extra skaters who don’t get into the lineup but will be on the team, as well as IR players.

LINE 4 Center

Looking at the fourth line center spot, that’s an unclaimed position still up for the taking.

 

During the early stages of training camp, coach Maurice spoke about this fourth line center battle — saying “there’s some competition for the job” and that having “size and speed” is an important thing for the fourth line.  

 

The following guys fit that mold.

 

Steven Lorentz —  Lorentz came to Florida this offseason on the opposite end of the Anthony Duclair trade. After watching him during camp and preseason, I’ve begun to understand why the Panthers’ brass wanted to get him in Sunrise. The 6’4, 206 pound center is a big man on skates, but he moves surprisingly well for a guy of his stature. In 192 career NHL games, the 27-year-old has put up 40 points between San Jose, and Carolina. The stat that jumps out the most for Lorentz is the 247 hits he has accumulated across those games. He likes to get physical — which is important for someone his size. 

 

Kevin Stenlund — Keeping the theme of big guys on the ice, Stenlund comes in even taller than Lorentz at 6’5, 215 pounds. The Swedish center has 29 points and 125 career NHL games under his belt, splitting that time between Columbus and Winnipeg — also appearing in all five of Winnipeg’s playoff games last season. He doesn’t play as physical a game as Lorentz, but he has had some moments around the front of the net this preseason, which got him in the box score. 

 

Alexander True — One more 6’5 skater for the preseason squad, Alexander True doesn’t have a ton of NHL experience — appearing in just 27 games — but he’s been doing enough during camp to stick around through the first portion of the cuts. Spending most of his North American career in the AHL, True has been very effective in the minors and even had a run with Florida’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers in 2021-2022 when the Seattle Kraken shared the affiliate.

 

It’s Important to note that none of True, Lorentz or Stenlund are waivers exempt, so in the chance that they are sent down to the AHL, they’d have to pass through waivers. 

Top-9 Winger 

With possibly one job open in the top-9, who jumps in for that spot?  Realistically, I think the two options to start the season are as follows.

 

Mackie Samoskevich — The hottest Panthers’ story for the last few weeks has been that of 20-year-old rookie Mackie Samoskevich. In his first NHL preseason, Florida’s 2021 first-round pick has done just about everything he’s needed to have a legitimate shot of playing opening night. 

 

Samoskevich has made the most of his chances to show the coaching staff that he’s an NHL player. He’s picked up three goals and six points in five preseason games — springing himself up the ladder of players fighting for a spot on the 23-man roster. Offensively Samoskevich has shown in these exhibition games that he can play in the NHL. There’ve been some defensive mishaps by him, but you’re going to see that with kids who are adjusting to the highest level.

 

There’s two reasons why I can see Samoskevich not making the team right out of camp. One, is that they want him to get more game time in the AHL before coming up to the NHL. Florida won’t play Samoskevich fourth line minutes — which is smart because his game and development is wasted in a bottom-six role. If that was the only option then the AHL would make sense. However, he’s played himself into consideration for a roster spot this preseason, and I think he’s earned it. The main reason why I could see him going down to Charlotte is because he’s waiver exempt. With the other forwards still on the camp roster not being waiver exempt, it wouldn’t surprise me if Florida decides to not risk sending down a player they like who has a high probability of getting claimed by another team.   

 

Grigori Denisenko — Florida re-signed Denisenko in the offseason on a two-year “prove it” deal. The 2018 first-round pick has shown flashes of his skill and speed throughout his sporadic time in Florida, but the offense has yet to fully translate to the NHL. 

 

The Panthers haven’t given up on Denisenko, who did appear in a Stanley Cup Final game last postseason. The 23-year-old hasn’t played a lot this preseason after picking up an injury last week. Heading into camp it seemed like Denisenko would have a shot at slotting into a top-9 slot to start the regular season, however the lack of exhibition games and emergence of Mackie Samoskevich makes me wonder what the next plan will be for Denisenko when healthy.

 

I don’t think Florida would want to play a game of roulette and see if he clears waivers in efforts to reassign him to the AHL. Does he get that top-9 chance? Could they keep him in Florida as a scratch? If Denisenko is ready to go sooner than later, the final roster moves are going to be interesting.

Depth forward options

Besides the last man out of the fourth-line center competition, here’s a list of possible depth options for the 13th forward.

 

Zac Dalpe — Panthers fans are very familiar with Zac Dalpe, who was part of Florida’s 2023 playoff run. The Charlotte Checkers’ captain spent a large portion of last season in Florida — whether he was getting game time or just skating as a scratch. Maurice knows what Dalpe brings as a depth forward and has trusted him in important moments, like desperation time in elimination playoff games. He’s a reliable guy on your fourth-line that does his job and the guys love him. If he sticks around, I see him back in that 13th forward role.

 

Brett Ritchie — Ritchie, 30, was brought into camp as the lone player on a PTO, and the veteran is still around after a few waves of cuts. The 6’4 forward has been in the league since the 2014-2015 season, playing in 391 games between Dallas, Calgary, Boston and Arizona. Ritchie hasn’t been able to get on the board in his three preseason games this year, and he’s been held out of the lineup in Florida’s last two matches. He may have one more chance to get into a game before the final cuts are made, which will probably be his last shot to get a deal with the Panthers.

 

William Lockwood — Lockwood is the most interesting depth option for me. In his preseason debut against Nashville he looked like one of the best players on the ice — getting a goal and an assist. Weighing in at 5’11, 172, Lockwood is one of the smallest guys on the camp roster, but he hasn’t played like it. It was impressive how he worked in front of the net to create chances, and it lead to quality scoring opportunities. Maurice said after the first set of preseason games against Nashville that he liked Lockwood’s game that night, but that he “also liked his whole camp.” He was a “decision guy” as Maurice put it following the Nashville game last week, and has made it to the 35-man roster. I think when the final 23 comes out, Lockwood will be assigned to the AHL, but if he can clear waivers he’ll be a sneaky good option for an in-season call up.

In Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins might have their Spo

/0 Comments/in , /by

No one entirely understood what they were watching last Sunday, as the Greatest Show on Surf swamped the visiting men from the mountains. But perhaps one man had a bit more perspective, sitting in a Hard Rock Stadium booth with his sons, taking photos with former Dolphins such as Shawn Wooden and all-time sporting greats such as Wayne Gretzky.

“I love watching Mike’s offensive plans,” Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra texted back, as South Florida’s sports fans everywhere continued celebrating a 70-20 Miami Dolphins victory.

70-20.

70-20!

Even Spoelstra’s Heat — with their 12 playoff appearances, six NBA Finals appearances and two championships since his ascension in 2008 — have never been quite so overwhelming as Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins were last Sunday. Not even during a 27-game winning streak. Not even with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and now Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

But that’s the thing.

It’s not about the short term, no matter how spectacular, as Spoelstra and his new friend McDaniel know.

It’s about what you sustain.

And so that brings us to today, Sunday in Buffalo, against the only squad that stands in the way of AFC East supremacy — with the Jets and Patriots each in some semblance of disarray.

And that brings us to tomorrow, and whether McDaniel can prove as resilient, resourceful and permanent as Spoelstra has proven, just just for a game or season but for more than a decade.

McDaniel had more working against him than Spoelstra did when each was hired, even though he was roughly the same age. While the Heat have been the model of stability since Pat Riley’s arrival in 1995, with Spoelstra just the third official head coach in that time, McDaniel is the 9th, and 12th if you include the interims. The Heat have been the sturdy ship while the Dolphins have been a pool float over the past quarter-century, and so any hire is met with skepticism, as this one was. Yes, McDaniel was touted as a genius by many who had encountered him, but so was Adam Gase. He hadn’t played professionally, nor did he look the part, not for anything but the IT department. And unlike Spoelstra, whose rise was also unconventional in that he came up from the Heat video room, McDaniel didn’t have anyone of the gravity of Riley, someone who had seen him day after day, anointing him.

But McDaniel and Spoelstra, while somewhat different in terms of personality — McDaniel, for starters, enjoys silly media repartee while Spoelstra loathes any such small talk — share some qualities that may have been overlooked by many initially. It’s not just the willingness to innovate, norms and critics be damned, from Spoelstra’s Pace and Space to McDaniel’s “Cheat Motion” that will is now an NFL rage.

It’s their relatability — each self-deprecating in his own way, each willing to take the bullet for those under their command.

And, mostly, it’s their empathy.

Spoelstra has shown that in spades since he’s become the Heat’s singular voice during the season, with the way he speaks about and treats his players, others in the organization, opponents and even reporters — I have too many stories I could share. I’ll never forget the lengthy message Spoelstra sent a media colleague after his son passed, a message that turned my friends to tears as he showed it to me at the memorial.

McDaniel seems the same.

That quality has allowed his quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, to shrug off all the skeptics and take this satisfying star turn, following all the negative reinforcement from prior coach Brian Flores. McDaniel did more than just believe in Tua. He was vocal and adamant about such belief — again, critics be damned. And he was consistent with his support, not only for what Tua was doing and would do, but what had been done to him by the doubts of the prior regime.

That is a rare quality for a coach, and maybe that’s why McDaniel and Spoelstra have become so chummy so quickly.

A year ago at this time, I was in the Bahamas for Heat training camp and pulled Spoelstra aside to get his view of McDaniel, who was less than a month into his first NFL season. Spoelstra smiled broadly. He likes this stuff more than talking about tired NBA narratives, for sure.

And it was clear how much he liked McDaniel’s approach, from a visit to the Dolphins’ 2022 training camp.

When I noted that McDaniel was about the same age as Spoelstra was in 2008:

“It’s amazing. And he’s way more advanced. And just understands the picture and dynamics of building a team. I was really impressed. Our whole staff was impressed. By the whole vibe up there. During training camp, when we saw it, they were working really hard. And it was one of those South Florida hot days. But they had fun out there too. So they were trying to get something accomplished, they were doing it with joy, I really enjoyed that day, and came away impressed with him. Yes, he looks young. He fits right in. But his maturity and understanding of how to teach football, it belies his years.”

Of their shared unconventional path, Spoelstra said he related, “Just even talking to him. The sports are different. But how you think, I always find that really interesting in talking to people. I tend to now, at this point of my career, learn more from people outside the industry….. You tend to look at things a little bit more differently when you go outside our sport. That’s why I’ve enjoyed those kind of visits….. We had a terrific day, and he was very gracious to give us a couple hours afterwards, and just talk some shop. And you can kind of see how he in general thinks differently, and that leads to innovation. When you’re questioning things, and questioning the norm, and being open to new possibilities. It may be obvious but because it’s not what everybody else is doing, we all tend to fall into that trap sometimes.”

What did McDaniel want to know from Spoelstra?

“You know, I get that a lot of what it’s like to coach teams that are ready,” Spoelstra said. “And to take that real step. That was probably a decent amount of the conversation. He was probably getting frustrated with us, because every time he turned it to us, we flipped it and we were asking more questions about what they do and how they got to that point. I might not understand all the schematics of how they do it, but I loved seeing the process of ‘OK, how did you start with this, and why did you think of it differently to get it to that?’ And if the whole league is zigging and you may be zagging in different pockets, how can that create a competitive advantage.”

Sp9elstra found ways to create plenty of competitive advantages with an undermanned Heat roster this past season, particularly in the postseason, and McDaniel was there to see it, sometimes with Dolphins GM Chris Grier, sometimes with others, watching warmups, sitting in a courtside seat — with Spoelstra strolling and stomping right in front of him — and then spending time in the back tunnels, politely and earnestly chatting up Spoelstra, players and the staff.

Friday, I mentioned that Spoelstra not only was in attendance for the Dolphins’ scoring deluge against Denver, but praised McDaniel on his plan.

Why does McDaniel believe the men — leading two organizations that haven’t always felt aligned — have bonded so much?

Have they spoken about strategy?

“No, I think we’ve talked about the commonalities which we share, and different ways to look at the game,” McDaniel said. “And really the biggest commonality that we’ve shared is we’re in a business where our job is to motivate and curate and get the best out of the players that we have. And you know, it’s a complicated life of the professional athlete, where you have so many people in your ear, there are so many people making money off of you, and to be able to take these highly successful individuals and make them a team, I think there’s a shared experience that we have mostly focused on when we’ve talked. Because it’s some of the biggest problem solving that you really need to undertake.”

No matter the sport.

“I use basketball references all the time, and I think watching the Heat play gave me all sorts of motivation in the offseason, just by team over everything, and what is the saying, ‘The sum is greater than the parts… or whatever,'” McDaniel continued, in his typically folksy style. “That’s what I see from them. And I think that pretty much applies to professional football in general, because you always have talented players across the board, but working together is what generates results. We have a cool relationship. It’s not direct X’s and O’s. Like I can’t help watching basketball and following the ball. And I know that to be wrong from a coach’s perspective, because when I watch football I see all the things moving at once, I’m not just staring at where the ball is going. But I can’t do it in basketball. So I would be very little help. It would be very one-sided. Like, ‘Tell me how you do things again.’ And we have a more equitable friendship, I would say.”

He need not follow the ball in Spoelstra’s sport.

Just the success, and then sustain.

It’s been quite a start.

 

Ethan Skolnick is the CEO of Five Reasons Sports Network.

 

 

 

 

Five Standout Players from Panthers Two Split Squad wins over Predators

/0 Comments/in , /by

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers returned to Sunrise on Monday afternoon for their first set of preseason games, taking on the Nashville Predators in a split squad doubleheader.

 

In the first matchup of the day, Florida comfortably took down Nashville, winning 5-0 off multi-goal performances from both Eetu Luostarinen and Mackie Samoskevich.

 

The last game on the schedule was another good result for the Panthers, with the second group matching the first’s goal total in a 5-2 win. Newly reacquired Panther Dmitry Kulikov was the first star of the game for the second group with two goals and an assist.

 


Here’s five players who were worthy of a mention from the two split squad games.

 

Mackie Samoskevich

The man that many Panthers fans will have a close eye on this preseason is 2021-first-round pick Mackie Samoskevich.

 

Samoskevich made his NHL preseason debut in the first game of the day — playing on a line with Panther’s regulars Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen. 

 

“Having the first game out there is pretty special,” Samoskevich said. “”It was a fun one for sure, I had a blast out there.” 

 

The 20-year-old looked more than in place in his first game against NHL competition, finishing the game with two goals and an assist.

 

Going from college to the AHL and now the NHL preseason in just a matter of months takes some adjusting, but Samoskevich didn’t let the transition affect him too much.

 

“The building is pretty big so it kind of gets to your head a little bit, but I loved it,” Samoskevich said. “I’m not one to get too nervous, I like to stay pretty before the game so it wasn’t too bad.”

 

Samoskevich has a legit shot to make this team, and tonight’s showing was a step in the right direction.

 

Oliver Ekman-Larsson

OEL comes to South Florida with 902 NHL games under his belt. The Panthers brought in the two-time All-Star this offseason to bolster up a blueline that will be missing Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Mountour — two of their top three defenseman — for the first few months of the season. 

 

Ekman-Larsson paired up with his fellow countryman Gustav Forsling on the top unit in group 1’s 5-0 win. He finished the game with three assists, in 20:58 of ice time. 

 

During preseason you’ll see a lot of guys get ice time on special teams, even if they wouldn’t necessarily be a first or second option during the regular season.

 

Ekman-Larsson on the other hand could definitely eat up special teams minutes during the year and he was given the opportunity Monday night, playing on both the penalty kill and power play.

 

Last season when he was with Vancouver, Ekman-Larsson suffered an ankle injury in mid February, which would ultimately end his season. Monday night was the first game the 32-year-old has played in since Feb. 15.

 

Paul Maurice said after the split squad games that you’ll see less NHL players over the next few preseason matchups as they’ll be evaluating which bubble players make the final roster. 

 

“I mean, I think I don’t need to see Forsling right,” Maurice said when talking about the future exhibition games.  

 

It’s a shoo-in that Ekman-Larsson will be on the opening night roster, but he may get a few more exhibition games compared to the other NHL guys since he is returning from an injury.

 

“Ekman-Larsson, we’ll have lots of discussion because he hasn’t played for a while, he missed a bunch of games and he likes to play them to get into his rhythm,” Maurice said postgame “Priority one here is to get your NHL guys ready, that’s the first thing we have to do.”

 

Eetu Luostarinen 

The Panthers really missed Eetu Luostarinen in last year’s Stanley Cup Final. The 25-year-old Finn can play anywhere in the lineup — on the wing or down the middle — and special teams. 

 

In his first game back since getting injured in the Eastern Conference Finals, Luostarinen didn’t miss a beat — scoring twice for the Panthers.

 

“It was fun,” Luostarinen said after the game. “I felt 100 percent so that’s a good thing.”

 

Luostarinen was a regular and important player for the Panthers last year, so a bad showing in the preseason wouldn’t have been the end of the world. Nonetheless his first competitive action since breaking his tibia in May was positive. 

 

Luostarinen signed a three-year extension earlier this summer — keeping him under contract through the 2026-2027 season. 

 

Spencer Knight 

The last time Spencer Knight played in an NHL game was Feb. 18 against Nashville. He left the team later that month to enter the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. 

 

Now back with the team, he started his first game in over seven months today with the first group. 

 

There wasn’t a whole lot for Knight to do in the 29 minutes he played tonight, but he still shut the door, stopping all 13 shots he faced.

 

“It was a good game, good to get back into game action,” Knight said. “I think after a while the practices get kind of repetitive and you need to play the game.”

 

Knight came out with his story a few weeks ago in an interview with Ken Campbell of The Hockey News — where he talked about enrolling in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program for help in dealing with an ongoing case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

 

“It’s been good, you know there’s nothing to hide and I think I’ll become a better person and player from it,” Knight said when asked about coming forward with his story. “Hopefully there’s someone out there, they read my story and hopefully it helps them too.”

 

Ever since he returned to the organization in July to take part in development camp, Knight has been showered with love from Panthers fans, which was once again the case on Monday night. 

 

“It’s great… The fans have always been so supportive, so passionate, everytime I interact with them they’re just awesome.” 

 

Sam Bennett 

Florida had most of their NHL regulars in the lineup across the two games today, and their NO. 2 center was a big part of the second victory today. 

 

“It was good to be back out there and play in a real game-like situation, ” Bennett said. 

 

Sam Bennett had a goal and two assists in the second group’s 5-2 win — centering Matthew Tkachuk and Nick Cousins. Panthers’ head coach Paul Maurice gave this line combination another go after their success together in last season’s playoffs. 

 

“I think it’s almost a little bit of a benefit of playing so long into June that you don’t lose the feel and you still have that chemistry,” Bennett said about playing with Tkachuk and Cousins. “Definitely looking forward to starting the season with those two.”

 

Bennett’s linemates also got on the board, with Cousins picking up two assists and Tkachuk with one. 

 

“Those two make it so easy for me,” Cousins said about Tkachuk and Bennett. “I thought chemistry was back tonight and probably just keep that going.”

Tua Tagovailoa, with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, had an uncharacteristically poor performance in the loss against San Francisco.

Pressure Point: 3-0 Dolphins ready to take the Achane Train to Buffalo

/0 Comments/in , /by

The most impactful decision Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel had to make Sunday had nothing to do with the outcome the game.

It was whether or not to attempt a field goal in the final minute that would have given the Dolphins the record for most points in an NFL game.

With a 70-20 lead over the Denver Broncos and a 3-0 start to the season assured, it was no surprise McDaniel opted for the kneel-down.

It was the classy choice, the correct choice. It was actually an easy call for McDaniel, who said later, “It’s not really what I’m about.”

So the record stays with Sonny Jurgensen and the Washington Redskins in a 72-41 rout of the New York Giants in 1966.

“I think in this league, it’s all about respect in the NFL,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said in his postgame presser. “We’re not trying to go out there and humiliate teams.”

Certainly not against the team that McDaniel got a start in his unlikely rise to an NFL head coach as a ball boy.

Dolphins shatter franchise records for points, yards

The Dolphins’ offensive made its points and then some. Their 726 total yards were also second-most in NFL history (Rams, 735 in a 1951 game).

Sunday was a feel-good romp that showed how good these Dolphins can be. Next week at Buffalo will give the best indication yet about how good they really are.

They couldn’t have conjured a better confidence builder for that challenge.

Already playing at a gallop in their first two wins with the Thrill-Hill-a-Minute offense, Sunday they unleashed a new weapon in the Achane Train.

In his first complete game, rookie De’Von Achane had 18 carries for 203 yards and two touchdowns and four catches for 30 yards and two touchdowns. In doing so, the third-round draft pick from Texas A&M showed the speed, balance and cutback ability that can elevate this offense to scary good.

The twitchy-quick Achane is as much fun to watch in the open field as star receiver Tyreek Hill, who had 157 yards receiving including a 54-yard touchdown that got the Dolphins’ day off to the races.

All the jitterbug moves and abrupt change of direction shows Achane has some Barry Sanders qualities and instincts.

“He’s a confident young man and he knew for sure he could do this, that he could do it at a high level,” said veteran left tackle Terron Armstead, who made his season debut and threw some blocks that helped spring Achane. “He’s special.”

Dolphins impress with diverse offense

The dominant overall performance by the Dolphins was a big step toward what has the makings of a special season.

The record-setting home opener provided an excess of superlatives.

Veteran running back Raheem Mostert also had four touchdowns — three of them rushing — and totaled 142 yards combined rushing and receiving.

Anyone still disappointed the Dolphins didn’t mortgage their future to sign Dalvin Cook?

Oh by the way, Tagovailoa completed his first 17 passes, one short of Ryan Tannehill’s Dolphins record to start a game. He went on to throw for 309 yards with a near-perfect passer rating of 155.8 before taking the fourth quarter off.

This was all without star receiver Jaylen Waddle, who remained in concussion protocol.

Most impressive was the balance of the offense. The Dolphins ran the ball 43 times while throwing 28 passes. They rushed for 350 yards while averaging 8.1 a carry.

They also unveiled a new conga-line touchdown celebration.

Do Dolphins have room to improve?

Kudos to the offensive line that not only opened running lanes but also kept Tagovailoa sack free and virtually untouched.

The defense did its part with three takeaways. Most important was forcing a three-and-out after McDaniel’s gamble on fourth-and-short in Miami territory failed early in the third quarter. That quelled the Broncos’ last chance to get back into the game.

Afterward, McDaniel said, “I was most proud of the unrelenting nature we had.”

Even with the 50-point margin of victory, Armstead indicated there were aspects of the overall performance that are open to improvement, such as cleaning up penalties and execution of assignments.

McDaniel echoed that when he said: “Shame on us if you put a ceiling on what you’re capable of … It’s amazing what a group of people can do going in one direction. The points don’t carry over but I think this is a meaningful game for a lot of guys.”

Focus on wins, not records

As for declining to go for the scoring record, McDaniel said, “I will be fine getting second-guessed for turning down NFL records. … I would hope that, if the shoe was on the other foot, the opponent would do the same.”

It is the professional perspective, and it should enhance McDaniel’s growing stature in the league.

He is well aware, the grandiose numbers from Sunday’s rout will ring hollow if the Dolphins don’t follow it with a similarly unrelenting effort next week at Buffalo.

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

Mateo’s Hoops Diary: In Dame deal, Cronin over his head

/0 Comments/in , /by

Jack Kent Cooke and Barbara Jean Carnegie. Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Alvarez.  Mick Taylor and The Rolling Stones. When relationships run their course, the end can be as bitter as watching a partner’s success without you. Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers are in the midst of a public divorce. We should be lucky it’s not as bad as it was for Tiger Woods, or no one has gone crazy like OJ.

 

Joe Cronin is that guy at the party who refuses to accept his partner (Lillard) is eyeballing the big shot in the room. Training camp is 11 days away, and Lillard keeps liking posts online thanking him for his services in Portland. Right now, it’s getting uncomfortable, but hopefully, it won’t turn toxic, but this is the NBA after all.

 

Friday, Cronin’s chief crony (Adrian Wojnarowski) echoed the calculated whispers fed into his shell that Portland was looking around the league for more offers and that recent chats didn’t include the Miami outfit. Comically, I heard no mention of the Heat daring them to find a better deal. History is likely repeating itself from last February when Woj insisted the Brooklyn Nets had no interest in trading Kevin Durant, only for him to pivot when he had no choice.

 

The reaction around the league for the KD swap was that Phoenix compensated Brooklyn fairly while getting away like John Dillinger. ESPN graded the Nets a B for the exchange, yet included this detail in its reasoning in its exclusive content: “It would be interesting to know what the Nets could have gotten from the New Orleans Pelicans and Toronto Raptors, teams with higher-upside young prospects and (in New Orleans’ case) tantalizing draft picks coming from the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.”

 

At the time of the deal, Mikal Bridges, the best player in the swap, was described as “the definitional 3-and-D archetype,” but since the trade, he has blossomed into a player on the verge of stardom.

 

By the way, Durant only helped the Nets win one series, tried to have the owner fire his GM and coach, and was gone midway through the first year of his four-season extension. Brooklyn got back Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Juan Pablo Valet (currently with Bàsquet Manresa), four First Round Picks, two Second Round Picks and one pick swap.  Durant is still in the top 10 in the world and likely among the greatest 25-ballers to ever touch the hardwood.

 

At the end of the article, there was this: “Ultimately, debating whether the Nets got enough for Durant is almost beside the point…”

 

Suddenly, these PR agents masquerading as analysts/reporters demand that the Trail Blazers get a war chest of picks, a star player, the rights to Michael Jackson’s master recordings and, if I hear correctly, a blood sacrifice.  Allegedly, Blazers brass wants the Heat to “scrounge” its bulletproof offer, too, but that would be an exercise in futility for Pat Riley’s team.  They won’t compete with themselves.  The adults in the room indicated the interest is there, but sloppy Joe Cronin has pigheadedly searched for a suitor that doesn’t exist beyond third-team relief.

 

Why should anyone else trade for Lillard? Don’t they know of the power the pissed-off star player wields and how coaches are quick to meet the proverbial guillotine? Let another team bring him in. I guarantee 30% effort on his behalf, enough to break a sweat but not nearly to win. Such a move would likely put the coach and executive’s jobs at risk for wasting everyone’s time. 

 

Keep in mind, one of the four pillars of South Florida media, Barry Jackson (Miami Herald), reported that Lillard would ask for a trade to Miami if dealt to another squad. 

 

Lillard is one of the top point guards in the league. Citing the Durant trade as the standard price on a deal is foolish.  Sub Zero (Lillard) is a Portland hero, and only Bill Walton and Clyde Drexler can say they did more for the team. But he’s never impacted winning like the Slim Reaper has. Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell did go for hauls, but spare me.  Neither should have.  The Heat are not required to jump off a cliff because Cleveland and Minnesota walked too close to the edge and tipped over.  

 

Woj carrying Portland’s water won’t spur irrational action by the Heat.  With the season quickly approaching, I believe it starts, and Portland, at some point, circles back to Miami because the vibes are sour due to another season of mostly losing.  Lillard will eventually turn into the malcontent who can’t be around the young players because it’s clear what he wants is the last thing they do.

Matthew Tkachuk speaking to media

The Florida Panthers hit the ice for training camp

/1 Comment/in /by

CORAL SPRINGS — It’s been a little over three months since the Florida Panthers were last together on skates.  The offseason was a short one – at least in comparison to most of the league – with the Panthers only getting about 100 days off between Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final and the start of training camp. 

 

With the NHL summer wrapped up, the Cats were back on the ice today to kick off what they hope to be a long and fruitful  2023-2024 NHL season.

 

“Honestly it feels like I was here a couple weeks ago talking after the season so that’s exactly what we want,” said Panthers’ captain Alekasnder Barkov at media day. “We want to have seasons as long as possible and that’s what we work for. We worked hard last year and we deserved to be in the finals. We want to do the same thing this year again.”

 

While the Stanley Cup Final loss wasn’t long ago, the players’ focus is on the season ahead, not the run of yesteryear.

 

“I personally hate talking about last year,” Matthew Tkachuk said ahead of training camp. “There were some great memories but it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, so you cannot dwell in the year’s past but you can keep it in your mind.”

 

“We got to create some new memories this year.”

 

The 59-man training camp roster composed of many of the guys who were part of Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final last year — mixed in with some new faces who got their first taste of Panthers’ hockey today in Coral Springs. 

 

Year two of head coach Paul Maurice’s training camp was as physically demanding as year one. By the end of the respective 90 minute sessions guys were leaning over their sticks as they tried to catch their breath. 

 

Maurice works his guys hard in camp, focusing heavily on battles down low, rushes, puck possession and end of session bag skating. 

 

“It’s a hard camp, last year it was hard and this year seems to be just as hard so we’re prepared for it,” Sam Bennett said following day 1 of camp. “It’s gonna be good for us.”

 

While Bennett knew what to expect coming into camp, off-season signing Evan Rodrigues was one of the new Panthers who got his first formal on ice experience with the team today. 

 

“I think that we’re going to work, that’s kind of the team’s identity… we’re going to try to skate teams through the ground,” Rodrigues said. “That’s why I signed here, I thought it was a perfect fit for me, it’s fast paced, it’s skilled, it’s hard.” 

 

Going back to last season, Maurice would constantly reflect on how hard the guys worked in training camp — laying down the groundwork that would follow them through their rollercoaster of a season.

 

The same message was planted into the ground, or ice, today. 

 

“It has to be at least as hard this year as it was last year, we should have increased the capacity to endure,” Maurice said. “I also think there’s a lot of danger in believing that when I come to camp that we’ve got this thing figured out. We have lots of room to improve on the systematic basis.”


As for last season, Maurice was fine talking about it as this new campaign is set to get underway. 

 

“For me it was an incredibly enjoyable experience. Instead of thinking about the highs and lows and the excitement, just ask the question. Why?” Maurice said when asked about the 2022-2023 team. “What is it about this group of guys that made that room the way it was? “

 

“We have to fight for the culture of hard and that togetherness they have.”

 

The players haven’t forgotten about what they experienced as a group just a few months ago, but they also recognize it’s a new year, new season and new chance to get back to June.

 


Florida will continue camp through Sunday, before starting preseason action with a split-squad double header at home against Nashville on Monday.

The Panthers will not be sitting any of their available veterans on Monday, per Maurice.

Tua Tagovailoa has thrived in coach Mike McDaniel's offense with the Miami Dolphins.

Pressure Point: Dolphins alter script, follow gritty path to 2-0

/1 Comment/in , /by

Lately when the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots get together, the final act tends to be outlandish.

Such as the Miami Miracle when the Dolphins used several laterals for a you-gotta-be-kidding victory on the final play in 2018.

Sunday night the Patriots were trying to pull off an improbable comeback of their own and instead got a ‘Strange Ending’ when former Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki, coming up short on fourth down, pitched the ball back to guard Cole Strange.

It took seemingly everyone at the Dolphins’ disposal, including the driver of the team bus, to bring the bull elephant down an inch or two short of a first down and preserve a 24-17 Miami win and improve to 2-0 (both on the road).

Replay reversal got it right on ‘Strange Ending’

It was even tougher than it sounds, as it took a replay review to reverse the initial call. The reversal was clearly correct, though it left all of New England and NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth in disbelief.

It helped square the ledger on some head-scratching officiating that went against Miami earlier.

It also left Dolfans strung out, thinking, that was a lot tougher than seemed necessary when the Dolphins’ offense was clicking on the way to a 17-3 halftime lead.

The second half was a different story as the Patriots made things uncomfortable for Tua Tagovailoa and his high-flying receivers.

O-line paves way for Mostert

The Patriots brought the Miami offense down to earth, and that’s a good thing in the bigger picture for the Dolphins’ season. It showed they have the resources to win gritty as well as gaudy, which they will need to do more often than once.

Unlike last week when Miami put up fantasy league passing numbers to outscore the Chargers, this time it took running the ball and the defense making some impact plays to fend off the Patriots.

The offensive line, which has done an admirable job of protecting Tagovailoa in the first two games, cleared the path for Raheem Mostert to rush for 121 yards (6.7-yard average) and two touchdowns, including a 43-yard runaway for Miami’s only points in the second half.

Good to see the zone-blocking scheme find traction, springing Mostert to the outside on the first touchdown and inside on the long gallop.

Van Ginkel stands out in stand-in role

The Dolphins’ defense, embarrassed a week ago when shredded by the Chargers for more than 200 yards rushing, held the Patriots to 88 yards on the ground (3.5 yards per carry) and had two takeaways in the passing game.

The national TV audience was introduced to linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who filled in for injured edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (back) with a Herculean effort, recording a sack, three quarterback hits and six tackles, including meeting Strange head-on on the final stop.

The key to that game-ending stop, though, was safety Jevon Holland having the good sense to go low and take out the big man’s legs.

But Van Ginkel’s effort was eye-opening. Hopefully, it showed defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who moved Van Ginkel to inside linebacker this season, that he is much more effective working from the outside.

The other defensive standout was Bradley Chubb, who had his best game as a Dolphin. The veteran linebacker, acquired at a steep price at the trade deadline last season, forced a fumble in the first half and had a sack on the final drive. David Long Jr., in his second game for Miami, also had a sack and finished with seven tackles.

X-man still has Parker’s number

Star cornerback Xavier Howard, picked DeVante Parker’s pocket for an interception, as he often did in practice during Parker’s seven seasons in Miami.

On the flip side, Eli Apple continued to be a liability filling in at the opposite corner while Jalen Ramsey rehabs. Can we try another stand-in?

On offense, early in the game the Dolphins gave another indication of how good they can be when operating Mike McDaniel’s system efficiently. With Tyreek Hill starting in motion and Tagovailoa getting passes off in just over 2 seconds, they are formidable.

In two games the Miami offense has put up 60 points and averaged 7.34 yards per play, which would be a record over a full season, as Travis Wingfield noted.

 

But Sunday also showed that Tua and Co. aren’t infallible. Patriots coach Bill Belichick employed three deep safeties to blunt the deep threat and rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez demonstrated that Hill can be covered.

Tua 5-0 vs. Belichick

For all the progress Tagovailoa has made, he is still susceptible to getting frustrated and making bad-decision throws, such as the one he underthrew to a well covered Hill and Gonzalez picked off.

In a fair assessment, McDaniel said, “I was happy with a lot of the stuff that Tua did, you know, but I think that forced throw to Tyreek in the second half is something that he was trying to win the game after a couple frustrating drives. And that’s something you have to learn from. You know, you don’t force the hand.

“But overall, I was really happy with how he bounced back from things that, you know, I know frustrate him. Any time he’s off on any sort of throw, you know, in the past, that frustration has really bled into multiple drives.”

So definitely room for growth and improvement. But tough to quibble too much with two quality wins on the road to start the season.

As Tagovailoa pointed out, “I think our team is 5 and 0 against Bill Belichick. It’s never a me thing. It’s never a me thing. And I don’t think we ever look at it as, ‘oh, we beat them once, we beat them twice, we beat them five times in a row.’ Every time we face Coach Belichick’s team, it’s always a challenge.”

There will be another challenge next Sunday when the Dolphins open at home against the Broncos and the following week when they face a bigger road obstacle at Buffalo.

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

Season Ticket: For Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa, it’s about what’s next

/0 Comments/in /by

And?

That’s the question that matters to Mike McDaniel, the Miami Dolphins’ coach with the zen sensibility. That’s the word he passes toward his premium, increasingly pugnacious passer, the one whose failure pleases so many, for reasons beyond any reason.

And?

“A human being has ears and eyes,” McDaniel philosophized on the Wednesday prior to the Dolphins’ season opener, a game they would win 36-34, on the road, from behind, with Tua Tagovailoa throwing for 466 yards. “For Tua, it’s literally as boring as the same thing we’ve been talking through each and every practice, when anything goes right or wrong. And it’s like, ‘And?'”

And?

“It’s worry about the next play, worry about how we are getting from the huddle to the line of scrimmage, worry about your technique and fundamentals, and your assignments,” McDaniel continued. “And you have to hold that independently. Because the second you start buying into a bad play or a good play, you’re, you’re really wishing the future into existence. It’s hard enough to play in this league, you can’t worry about extra stuff…”

“It’s that process that, across all sports, anybody who has been successful over a period of time has that process to them, because you are only as good as the next play that you have. And you shouldn’t stand on entitlement of previous plays if they were good. Or you shouldn’t shame yourself if you didn’t like the result. That mental fortitude, that strong mindedness, is something that not many people have. Tua’s wired that way, that gives him a chance to succeed.”

And….. so here we are.

Game 2.

In New England.

And Tua Tagovailoa, who has shown himself as resilient and defiant as any athlete in the South Florida market in some time, rallying back from a major collegiate injury, suffering silently amid an initial coaching situation (hello Brian Flores) that seemingly sabotaged him, enduring the slings and arrows from the national media about his arm, his physique, his concussion susceptibility and everything else…..

Now that quarterback — 1-0, in the MVP conversation already, and more sure of himself than ever — must show that he can succeed amid success. That he can counter complacency. That he can keep soaring and take his team with him.

So that’s what is at stake for Tagovailoa tonight, in front of a national television audience and against a legendary coach against whom he’s had uncommon success, already 4-0 vs. the Patriots of Bill Belichick.

Can he prosper as a frontrunner when even as the No. 5 overall pick, he’s always been the underdog?

What’s his “and” when all has gone well?

Because we know when he does when it doesn’t. Tagovailoa has shown an uncanny ability to excel after an error, in just about every game (see Green Bay, Christmas) when he wasn’t concussed. It happened again after he misfired on a 3rd and 12 deep in Chargers territory, down 24-20 in last Sunday’s fourth quarter, with his pass for new favorite Braxton Berrios intercepted in the end zone. The Dolphins, for a change in a game they were manhandled on the defensive front, quickly forced a punt.

Tagovailoa entered.

And if you’ve been following his now four-season career, you knew what was next.

First play.

Tyreek Hill.

Thirty-five yards.

Touchdown, and the lead.

Someone with more time than I will compute his career passing rating on plays and drives directly following one of his miscues, but the odds are it’s triple digits.

How?

When that’s when so many quarterbacks shrink and cower?

I asked him that this Wednesday.

“I think that’s been a big growth for me this offseason, is being able to sort of erase the next play, and really hone in on what the next play requires of me,” Tagovailoa said. “The saying of ‘each play stands on its own merit’ is sort of the approach that I take when I’m given a play to go throw out there. Sometimes that play could be an interception or I could have gotten sacked on that play. We call it again. We can’t think, ‘OK, since you threw this interception, you are not gonna read it that way anymore, you’re gonna change how you read it.’ For me, it’s all right, each play stands on its own merit. How would you read this if you were in your flow? You would read it this way. That’s how I tried, the OTAs, this camp, that’s how I tried to get my frame of mind, as far as each play, and you’ve just got to out there and make the correction and continue playing.”

He did that last Sunday. He did that with the blonde bomber Justin Herbert on the other side, the favored gunner who is actually the real dink and dunker of the too, even if public perception tells you different. Herbert didn’t come through when it mattered. He rarely does. Tua does in most of the moments that matter: third downs, fourth quarters, and so on.

And Sunday in Los Angeles, he had a big number to show for it.

What of the ongoing concerns and complaints about whether he can throw deep?

“I don’t care,” he said, laughing. “I mean, I don’t care. 466 is, that’s what 466 is if I can’t throw deep. Thanks.”

466 was last week.

So was 36-34.

So now, for Tagovailoa and his Dolphins….

And?

 

The author, Ethan Skolnick, is the CEO of Five Reasons Sports.

Tua Tagovailoa will miss the Dolphins' game at New England and possibly more.

Pressure Point: Dolphins’ offense exhilarating in opening win; defense needs work

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Woke up still breathless from the Miami Dolphins’ thrill-a-minute 36-34 win win over the Chargers in the season opener at Los Angeles.

The numbers were staggering: 969 net yards by the two teams. There were nine lead changes. The Dolphins only punted once.

The Miami offense was a breathtaking journey on Mr. Tua’s Wild Ride with a heaping helping of Tyreek Hill.

The Dolphins put up 536 yards, including 466 passing by Tua Tangovailoa (28 of 45, three touchdowns, one interception, 110.0 passer rating.) He completed 11 of those passes to Hill, who with 215 yards and three TDs took a strong first step toward becoming the first receiver with 2,000 yards in a season.

Meanwhile, the Fins defense was a recurring gut punch that left you gasping for help.

Better late than never for Fins’ defense

Vic Fangio’s crew made its presence felt just in time to salvage the win and the new defensive coordinator’s esteem with two sacks and a forced intentional grounding.

Defensive tackle Zach Sieler, newly signed to a three-year, $30.75 million contract, got the first one. Then on fourth down, Jaelan Phillips and Justin Bethel met at the quarterback to end a day that otherwise belonged to high-falutin offense.

Kudos to them for that.

Usually what happens in these NFL shootouts is a very NBA-like result: whoever has the ball last wins.

It appeared headed that way after Jason Sanders missed the extra point after the Dolphins took the lead on Tagovailo’s last hook-up with Hill with 1:45 remaining.

The Chargers took over on their 25, needing just to advance into field-goal range. Their hopes died after five plays netted only eight yards.

An instant classic

It was another high-scoring classic that brought to mind the 1982 playoff epic won in overtime by the Chargers, 41-38.

An offensive shootout was not unexpected. What didn’t figure was that Chargers QB Justin Herbert’s handiwork would be mostly about handing off.

While Herbert threw for 228 yards and a touchdown (23 of 33), the Chargers amassed more yards (234) on the ground, and averaged more yards per play rushing than passing (5.9 to 5.5).

New Chargers OC Kellen Moore certainly brought a change in philosophy to the pass-happy Chargers, who in recent years lived or died wlth Herbert’s arm. They averaged just under 90 yards a game rushing last season.

In Moore’s first game in the role for L.A., he had Austin Ekeler (117 yards) and Joshua Kelley (91 yards) running roughshod over the Miami defense.

Dolphins can’t stop the run

The Dolphins never really slowed them down, let alone stopped the Chargers’ rushing attack.

In the end those two sacks and an earlier one by Kader Kohou that set up a Tua-to-Hill TD, were just enough for Miami.

If this Dolphins defense is going to be good enough going forward remains to be seen.

Certainly, expectations were much higher after Fangio was embraced as the team’s most important offseason addition.

A more conservative, less risky approach on pass defense than in recent years under Josh Boyer comes with Fangio. The porous run defense was alarming.

As was allowing touchdown drives of 94, 75, 75 and 75 yards.

Tagovailoa, receivers have field day

Exhilarating offense prevailed for Miami. Tagovailoa, Hill and Co. showed all they can be and that they can match scores with anyone if need be.

Tua’s performance wasn’t without flaws. He had two turnovers in the red zone, including a poorly thrown ball into the end zone that was intercepted.

But he came right back and hit Hill in stride on a streak along the sideline for a 35-yard touchdown. Rapid atonement has become a Tua hallmark.

He also showed a finishing touch by threading the winning 4-yard TD over a defender to Hill.

His most pressure-packed throw was the 47-yard completion to Hill on third-and-10 on that drive.

Also impressive was converting on third-and-15 with a pass on the run to Braxton Berrios. That jump-started a drive to a field goal that cut the Chargers’ lead to 31-30.

This time Dolphins rule middle ground

The bigger picture was the turnaround from what happened when these teams met last year. Remember how an injury-riddled Chargers defense applied press coverage and clogged the middle of the field and held Miami to 219 total yards?

This time Tagovailoa thoroughly carved up the Chargers secondary in the middle as his speedy receivers turned the game into what Chargers coach Brandon Staley aptly referred to as “a track meet.” Miami had nine plays of at least 21 yards.

Impact by multiple receivers

Another good sign was Tagovailoa had multiple completions to seven receivers. Tight end Durham Smythe, best known for his blocking, had three receptions for 44 yards. Tua made good use of secondary wideouts River Cracraft (three receptions, 40 yards including a touchdown) and newcomer Berrios (three receptions, 42 yards). Fullback Alec Ingold also had two catches for first downs.

Miami’s O-line stands tall

Perhaps most important, the offensive line didn’t allow a sack despite missing star left tackle Terron Armstead. Tagovailoa rarely felt heat from Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and other Chargers rushers.

The Dolphins’ run game showed promise early — Raheem Mostert had six carries for 32 yards and a touchdown in the first half — but then was abandoned.

Considering the Dolphins scored on seven of nine possessions (not counting a final possession of kneel-downs) it is difficult to find much fault with the offense or Tagovailoa’s performance.

It reiterated that as long as Tagovailoa, Hill and bookend wide receiver Jaylen Waddle are healthy, these Dolphins can be a force. But also that depth of talent on offense is more than star deep.

Going forward, an earlier wakeup call for the defense would be appreciated.

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