Coach Flores and players on the Miami Dolphins voice frustration following loss to Jets

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In a game that meant little outside of draft position, Miami’s coach Brian Flores was fuming following Sunday’s 22-21 loss to the New York Jets.

Jets kicker Sam Ficken converted a game-winning field goal as time expired, but it was a play leading up to the kick that had Flores irate.

To make matters worst, the pass interference wasn’t called on the field, but was reviewed and reversed.

Flores didn’t want to answer questions about the call when speaking to the media. As we saw during the game, he was quite animated after discovering the no-call was reversed.

“It’s a tough call,” quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. “We had guys step up. Pat Laird made some nice plays and Isaiah made some nice plays. Those are the things I try to focus on as the positives for us and the things we did well and maybe some of the things we could have done better. We obviously scratched and clawed our way back into that game and it would have been a nice one to win.”

Jason Sanders converted a franchise-record seven field goals in the loss. However, if Miami had found the end zone at least once, the call would’ve been a non-factor.

“I think we’re all disappointed,” Fitzpatrick added. “We’re just disappointed in losing the football game. There’s a lot of emotions that go into that.”

Nik Needham finished with four tackles, two passes defended and was in coverage for the game-changing call.

“Honestly it’s trash,” Needham said of the call. “We lost on a call. It’s trash. I’m not going to lie.”

Despite low expectations, it is clear that the Dolphins were never trying to “tank” the season away.

“Any loss is tough to swallow,” Flores said.  “So, this is no different than any other loss. They’re all tough to swallow. Our guys played hard and I’m proud of the way they work. It’s a tough one.”

 

 

Dolphins displaying true ‘next man up’ mentality

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One of the key philosophies of the New England Patriots for the past decade has been their ability to take backup players and make them play like starters. Whoever takes the place of the injured player has to provide the same level of play. Teams in the NFL look for that “next man up” mentality year in and year out. Only some actually manage to find it. However, it seems that the 2019 Miami Dolphins are on their way to putting it all together in that regard.

Observe what Miami has endured this season in the injury department. Even after trading a vast majority of their best players, those who remain on the team still are not contributing due to circumstances beyond their control. They are now all on season-ending injured reserve.

  • CB Xavien Howard – Knee
  • WR Jakeem Grant – Ankle
  • WR Preston Williams – ACL
  • SS Reshad Jones – Chest/Ankle
  • FS Bobby McCain – Shoulder

And the list goes on and on from there. As a result, the Dolphins are being forced to call on players who normally wouldn’t even make an NFL roster to take their place. Yet they make it work. They compete week in and week out in spite of their withering roster.

Unfortunately, it got even harder for Miami on Sunday. Both DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson, two of the Dolphins remaining wide receivers, left the Jets game with possible concussions. That left only Allen Hurns, newcomer Mack Hollins, and the returning Isaiah Ford as their wide receivers for the game. Parker is having a career year, so losing him especially hurt.

“It definitely made it a little bit difficult.” Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said after the game. “We had guys out there hobbled and giving everything they had. I was proud to be in the huddle with those guys. I know there’s a lot of stuff people won’t see or don’t really care to write about, but there were some guys that really gutted it out today. It was tough sledding in the second half from communications and lining up for us just because of some of the injuries we had.”

But again, while it was tough, it wasn’t impossible. Isaiah Ford responded by playing the best game of his career. The young receiver out of Virginia Tech caught six passes for 92 yards against New York. Obviously, he’s unhappy with the loss. But he’s glad he got a chance to show what he’s capable of.

“I’ve had confidence in myself the entire time that I can play at this level.” Ford said. “I know I can go on the field and help our team win.”

Undoubtedly, it’s good to see players like Ford stepping up. But who could predict the Dolphins would even be in this situation by this point?

“Just when you thought this season couldn’t get any crazier.” Fitzpatrick said. “Isaiah has been on the active (roster) and off, on the practice squad and up and down. He’s worked so hard. He’s a guy we have so much faith in as quarterbacks because whenever anybody has a question, sometimes when coaches have questions, we’ll go back to Isaiah and say, ‘What is this signal? What is this route?’ and he knows everything. I was happy to see him get out there and get an opportunity to catch some balls and really take advantage of it and make the most out of it today.”

In spite of that, Brian Flores admitted that it isn’t easy to compensate for the loss of top players like that.

“It complicates things a lot.” He said. “Obviously, when you go into a game with a specific game plan with guys in mind. When you lose one player at any position, you have a backup for that. When you lose two, that’s when it’s tough … Again, Isaiah Ford stepped in and played well. Mack Hollins who we just got a couple days ago, he stepped in and gave us some good snaps, drew a pass interference penalty. And then our tight end group, they really stepped up for us. So, I thought as a collective group, given the adversity of losing two guys, I thought we battled through it.”

Once again, coaching deserves credit for adapting and helping players shine in bad circumstances. Flores will have a lot of roster turnover come next season, with talent coming from free agency and the draft. But here and now, he has to work with what he has. What he has is not good. However, that’s what “next man up” is all about. The Dolphins are taking players who have far less talent, and bringing it to the wire every game. That alone is a sign of things to come.

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

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s bomb to DeVante Parker was the longest pass of Week 13

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In a season of lows, Ryan Fitzpatrick has provided some excitement for Dolphins fans. Miami has won three of its last five games and Fitzpatrick is a crucial part of the recent run.

Sunday’s 37-31 win over Philadelphia was no different. Fitzpatrick finished the afternoon with three touchdowns and 365 yards. His favorite target on the day was DeVante Parker, who caught seven receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns.

Fitzpatrick showcased his big arm on a third and 13 from Miami’s 40-yard line that went 52.4 yards through the air and ended in Parker’s arms for a long completion.

Parker and Fitzpatrick have developed quite the rapport. Parker already has career highs in yards and touchdowns. He also caught touchdowns in three-straight games earlier in the season. Keep in mind, there are still four games remaining in the 2019 season.

Fitzpatrick’s big performance was noticed by the league as he was nominated for the FedEx Air & Ground player of the week award.

Madden also added a little Fitzmagic to the popular video game with a new Fitzpatrick card available in the Ultimate Team game mode.

It is also worth noting that Ryan Tannehill, the former quarterback with the Dolphins, was responsible for one of the week’s longest passes. Tannehill has been impressive with the Titans since taking over as the team’s starting quarterback. He has thrown 12 touchdowns to just four interceptions with a quarterback rating of 113.9.

The Titans are currently 7-5 and riding a three-game winning streak. They’re currently one game behind Houston and will play them twice over the seasons final four games.

Miami will look to end the season on a good note. They’ll head to New York on Sunday to face Adam Gase and the Jets. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

Dolphins sign Eric Rowe to three-year contract extension

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Dolphins sign defensive back Eric Rowe to three-years, $18-million contract extension.

Prior to the 2019 season, it was Minkah Fitzpatrick that was praised as the versatile defensive back in Miami’s secondary. However, not long after the season kicked off, did his true colors start to show. And whether it was an outburst from his mother on Twitter. Or a dispute with the coaching staff privately, Fitzpatrick was never going to last in Miami. So, the Dolphins traded him to Pittsburgh in exchange for a first-round draft pick. Unfortunately, this left a large hole in the back-end of the Dolphins’ defense. One that wouldn’t get situated until midway through the 2019 season.

The unusual suspect was Eric Rowe.

Rowe, 26, was a New England disciple. He spent three seasons with the Super Bowl Champions, before following Coach Brian Flores and his staff to Miami. He was widely considered a low-risk, high-reward signing–a placeholder, some might say. But since transitioning to safety after the Dolphins suffered a plethora of injuries, Rowe has been outstanding. This season, Rowe has started 11 games for Miami recording 59 tackles with 7 pass defended. Again, he has been outstanding since mo

On Sunday, Rowe made his presence felt. He continued is dominance vs tight ends, something Miami has failed to do as of late. In fact, Rowe held Zach Ertz to just three catches for 24 yards. He also broke up a touchdown in the back of the endzone, that could’ve significantly altered the outcome of the game.

It was reported before Sunday’s game that Miami was looking to extend the versatile defensive back. And that’s exactly what they did.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Miami Dolphins have agreed to a three-year, $18M extension with Rowe.

Who’s next?

Fitzpatrick, Parker, Gesicki tank-proof as Dolphins stun Eagles

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This seemed like the Dolphins’ ideal afternoon until the 2019 season mercifully ends.

Play hard. Play smart. Play close. Lose, while others among the NFL’s lowliest win — in this case, the Bengals and the Redskins.

Except for one thing.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki and Brian Flores didn’t oblige.

All four were outstanding in Miami’s come-from-behind 37-31 win against the sagging Philadelphia Eagles, part of the NFL’s worst division. The Dolphins, yes, the Dolphins, simply couldn’t stop scoring, with 23 unanswered in the second half. Without a running game, at least until tank commander Kallen Ballage left for Patrick Laird due to a leg injury, Fitzpatrick was nearly perfect in the second half, finishing 27 of 39 for  365 yards. Parker and Gesicki combined for 238 of those yards, manhandling their matchups, frequently high-pointing the ball, with Fitzpatrick completing 12 of 17 to them.

And the undrafted Laird, who should have been playing more the past few weeks, showed wiggle on the drive that put the Dolphins ahead late. They did this is front of a crowd that was roughly 70 percent Eagles fans, serenading them with “Fly Eagles Fly.”

And they did it with Flores flair, with the first year head coach taking every conceivable chance, a welcome change from most of his predecessors.

A deep completion to Parker for a touchdown on fourth down, and another fourth down conversion to Parker on the clinching drive.

One of the most creative trick plays you’ll ever see, as punter Matt Haack flipped to kicker Jason Sanders for a touchdown.

And so, now with the Jets, Giants and Bengals remaining on the schedule, the Dolphins could be headed for 6-10.

Think about that? 6-10! After the way this season started.

Maybe Tua will be available at No. 8.

Here’s the best from the account of our Josh @Houtz, serial videographer and Laird fanatic…..

 

Make that two: Harrell decides to stay home, commits to Miami

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Not even 24 hours after RB Jaylan Knighton announced his commitment to the Hurricanes, Champagnat Catholic safety Jalen Harrell followed suit early Friday afternoon on his birthday and chose to stay home to play for the hometown Hurricanes.

The 6’2” 181 lb. safety chose Miami over Georgia Tech and Nebraska.

Harrell is currently ranked as the 23rd best safety in the country and 231st overall according to 247Sports. He transferred to Champagnat Catholic for his senior season after attending Miami Central previously.

According to MaxPreps, he currently has 48 tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception through nine games.

Harrell had been committed to the Seminoles for over six months before re-opening his recruitment in October. And even while he was committed, Miami safeties coach Ephraim Banda still kept in contact with Harrell and paid off dividends upon receiving the news.

Miami had him in Coral Gables for an official visit on November 9th and he got the chance to watch Miami’s beatdown of Louisville. 

With Knighton and Harrell now in the fold, Miami now has the 14th best class in the country and 2nd in the ACC with their 21 commitments.

While it is somewhat surprising that Miami received Knighton and Harrell’s commitments following the unfortunate loss to FIU this past weekend, this exemplifies coach Manny Diaz’s approach towards recruiting.

Diaz has reiterated that he wants players that understand the value of suiting up in the orange and green despite any turmoil or adversity that may get in the way.

In my opinion, the fact that both players mentioned “staying home” or “making the crib great” goes to show these are a couple of special commits on top of the fact that they have a chance to be impact players the minute they step foot on campus. 

Miami adds another RB to 2020 fold in Deerfield star Jaylan Knighton

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Head coach Manny Diaz and the Miami Hurricanes staff received a nice bit of news as they were chowing down on Thanksgiving dinner. Only three and half weeks after de-committing from Florida State, four-star running back Jaylan Knighton from Deerfield Beach has committed to the Miami Hurricanes, noting in his commitment note that “supporting the city I grew up in is best for me.”

Jaylan is ranked as the 10th-best All-Purpose back in the country and the 100th player overall according to 247Sports. He is the second tailback in Manny Diaz’s 2020 recruiting class, joining five-star Belen Jesuit star Don Chaney.

The 5’9”, 185 lb. Knighton also been clocked at 4.49 seconds in the 40-yard dash and has a vertical leap of 32.9 inches. Jaylan will also finish his career at Deerfield Beach as the 2nd all-time leading rusher in Broward County history.

Keeping his recruitment under wraps for the most part, Knighton had been committed to the Seminoles for about three months. But amidst the uncertainty at head coach following FSU’s loss to Miami, Knighton made the decision to de-commit from the Seminoles to re-evaluate his options. That’s when coach Diaz and running backs coach Eric Hickson once again got to work in hopes of convincing Knighton and his family that Coral Gables was the place for him, with his campus visit on 11/18 sealing the deal.

Indeed, it is a big deal landing Knighton despite the adversity Miami is currently enduring. But it’s an even bigger deal considering that the team is 6-5 and they have the two best running backs out of South Florida committed and two of the top three in the entire state. 

Assuming Deejay Dallas returns for his senior season (which according to reports is more unlikely than not), Miami’s backfield will be reminiscent of the early 2000s, if not better: Dallas, Cam Harris, Lorenzo Lingard, and now Don Chaney and Knighton. 

Dolphins draft Tua Tagovailoa in latest Tankathon Mock Draft

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Despite the injury to Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins still use the third-overall pick on the once-in-a-generation QB in Tankathon’s latest 3-round Mock draft.

When the season started, many believed the ultimate goal was acquiring Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. And whether or not you believe that was the plan all along, it has been a roller coaster of emotions to the say the least. After all, Miami started the season 0-7 and it seemed like a certainty they would get their guy. But then they won two straight games and the future seemed a bit more hazy. Since then, Miami has dropped two games in a row and with the rebirth of Andy Dalton in Cincinnati, 2-14 seems like a real possibility.

However, the biggest thing to happen since the last time I penned one of these articles, is the season-ending injury that Tagovailoa suffered nearly two weeks ago.

To read about the injury and my thoughts on whether or not the Dolphins should still draft Tagovailoa, click HERE

As of now, it is a bit murky on which pick Miami would have if the season ended today. Some say they would draft fourth-overall, while our good friends over at Tankathon say they will have the third-overall pick. Nevertheless, if things going according to plan, the Dolphins should be drafting top-3 in April’s draft. Which would net them LSU QB Joe Burrow, Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa, or Ohio State pass-rusher Chase Young.

In the latest Tankathon three-round mock draft, the Dolphins do what many fans wanted the team to do from the very beginning.

First Round

Despite his season-ending hip injury and the concern that he may never be the same talent he once was, the Dolphins have desperately needed a quarterback for the last twenty years  So, unless Cincinnati goes with the elite pass-rusher from Ohio State, that leaves only one worthy QB still on the board.

With the third-pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select–Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Hip injury and all, Tagovailoa is probably the most talented QB in the class. And if he were truly the Dolphins target all along, Miami should pull the trigger without any hesitation. In 2019, Tagovailoa completed 180/252 passes for 2,840 yards, 33 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Truth is, he was well on his way to being a legit Heisman contender, but again, the injury. In the end, no one truly knows how Tagovailoa will heal from the injury and where he will be projected to go in 2020. Hell, he could still decide to return to school if he wanted to. But that wouldn’t be in his best interest, especially with the 2021 class loaded with QB talent. Finally, the Dolphins get ‘their guy’ in Tua Tagovailoa.

Miami has a lot of needs that should be prioritized before the team uses a first-round pick on a wide receiver. But no one can deny Tee Higgins skill-set and how it should translate to the NFL game. And with Preston Williams out for the foreseeable future. With Pittsburgh’s first-round pick, the Dolphins choose to bring in another weapon for their recently drafted QB. With one more pick in the first-round and a ton of needs, Chris Grier gets HC Brian Flores a new weapon for his defense-selecting Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis.

Second Round

At the top of the second-round, the Dolphins address one of their biggest needs on the offensive side of the football. And although there’s a very good chance a running back or two will go on day one, Miami lands arguably the best back in the class. With the 34th-pick in the 2020 draft, the Miami Dolphins select De’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia. Kalen Ballage clearly isn’t getting things done and the Dolphins would be wise not to invest a ton of money via free agency. Swift can do it all and would be a perfect fit in Chad O’Shea’s offense.

Later in round two, Miami finally addresses the offensive line selecting Iowa OT Alaric Jackson. Truth is, the Dolphins’ offensive line has been an absolute turnstile this season. And though I fully expect them to invest a lot of money on the offensive line in free agency, it would still be wise to draft some young talent to build upon. Jackson would start immediately and help both of his fellow rookies- Tagovailoa and Jackson.

Third Round

Lastly, in round three Miami does the unthinkable and take yet another offensive lineman. This time drafting TCU’s Lucas Niang. The Dolphins invested in Tua and now they are making sure to cover their investment, fixing the offensive line like many have long yearned for.

This will change many more times between now and April 23, 2020. With that said, how do you feel with Tankathon’s latest mock draft?

Josh Houtz (@houtz) is a die-hard fan of the Miami Dolphins, and wants Tua Tagovialoa, No Matter What! #Tankovailoa

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Zach Thomas named Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist

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Zach Thomas is one step closer to heading to Canton.

The semifinalists for the 2020 Pro football Hall of Fame class were announced on Monday, and a former Miami Dolphins’ player was part of that illustrious group.  Furthermore, it was a name fans are sure to remember. Linebacker Zach Thomas was among the semifinalists.

Thomas, had a great career as a member of the Miami Dolphins. Playing from 1996-2008, he appeared in 182 games. Thomas started off his career strong, as he was selected as the AFC defensive Rookie of the year in 1996. Playing in a total of 184 games, Thomas recorded 1,727 combined tackles. He led the league in tackles in 2002 and 2006 with 156 and 165  respectively. In addition, he was also a seven-time Pro Bowler. Making the game in five consecutive seasons from 1999-2003, he was a familiar face in Hawaii.

Thomas received other accolades along the way. He was a First-Team All-Pro five times and finished his successful career in 2008 with the Dallas Cowboys. Thomas’ 94 combined tackles that year was certainly a fantastic way to conclude a productive career.

As some of you may recall, he was a successful linebacker in college as well. He was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015 after what was a stellar career. He recorded seven interceptions during his four seasons at Texas Tech. In total, he amassed 157 return yards and two touchdowns. He was named a consensus All-American in 1995 .

Zach Thomas provided tremendous value for Miami Dolphins

Perhaps one of the more overlooked points was his value as a draft pick. He was selected in the fifth-round with the 154th-overall pick in 1996. The Dolphins certainly got tremendous production out of him and it’s amazing that Thomas slipped that far in the draft.

It’s great to once again see Thomas named as one of the semifinalists. Most importantly, I hope he gets the call to Canton, because he meant so much to the Miami Dolphins and the game of football. As a kid growing up, I remember watching him play with such ferocity and decisiveness. He was not somebody you wanted to face on Sundays. He never took plays off, and he always seemed to give 110% effort every single snap. Hopefully, he will have a bust in Canton very soon.

Another Tough Weekend for Most Miami Sports Fans

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Many Miami sports fans approach games with cautious optimism, which often turns to utter hopelessness in a blink.

“Ok, UM has a cake walk against FIU. That should be an easy W let’s get it”.

Wrong.

 

“The Panthers have won five of six and the offense is rolling, they’ll keep it going in Carolina”.

Wrong again.

 

We knew the Heat would have a tough one in Philadelphia on the second night of a back-to-back, but a better performance was still expected.

No matter the actual weekly outcome for the Dolphins you can’t win.

If the Dolphins win, their draft position in April suffers.

If the Dolphins lose, you are summarily reminded how far away they truly are.

The biggest disappointment of the weekend by far belongs to the Miami Hurricanes who fell to Butch Davis and the FIU Panthers 30-24 Saturday.

Perhaps it should be overshadowed by the triumph of Davis and his feisty Panthers who clearly wanted the game more.

 

FIU came out focused and prepared, while the Hurricanes started with their far too common lethargy.

Which quickly turned into a comical attempt at motivating your team that is losing handily to a three touchdown underdog.

 

It was truly a massive setback for a Hurricanes program that was seeming to turn the corner.

 

For the Miami Heat, their loss at Philadelphia is not overly concerning.

What is a bit disconcerting is that the 76ers starting five outscored Miami’s 90-32.

The starting group for the Heat had a plus/minus as follows:

Leonard (-26)

Butler (-31)

Robinson (-26)

Adebayo (-26)

Nunn (-16)

The Heat put themselves out of contention early before finally putting up a fight in the final quarter when the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Philadelphia had four players in double figures led by none other than Josh Richardson with 32 points. Miami’s typically stellar 3-point defense was off, the 76ers hit 14-of-29 (48.3%) from deep.

Fortunately for the Heat this type of game shouldn’t linger long, some home cooking when they host the lowly Hornets Monday should get them right.

The Florida Panthers have been a great story early in the season with exciting, high scoring games being a regular event.

Coming off of three straight wins in which they scored a total of 14 goals, the Cardiac Cats had one of their worst offensive games of the year in a 4-2 loss at Carolina Saturday.

The 23 shots on goal for the Panthers was their second lowest total of the season.

Ironically their season high of 50 was also against Carolina, a 6-2 loss in October.

The goal scoring slump would continue Sunday despite a 45-26 shot advantage for the Panthers in a 5-2 home loss to Buffalo.

Florida has scored two or fewer goals in seven games this season, all losses.

With shaky goaltending again this season, the Panthers’ offense has to carry the burden most nights.

Next, and perhaps least surprising, the Miami Dolphins went into Cleveland and dropped to 2-9 on the season by a final score of 41-24.

The Browns jumped all over the Miami secondary and took a 28-0 lead before the Dolphins responded.

Miami would shrink the deficit to 28-17 before Cleveland would pull away in the fourth quarter.

Jarvis Landry (10 catches, 148 yards, 2 TD) had some extra venom for his former team.

 

Not surprisingly, Baker Mayfield (24/41, 327 yards, 3 TD, INT) picked apart a depleted Dolphins’ secondary most of the way.

The Dolphins will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

To put a bow on this misery package, the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team was bounced from the Charleston Classic Sunday 80-55 against UConn.

The Hurricanes reached the third-place consolation game after losing to Florida 78-58 Friday, meaning Miami was outscored by 45 points in the back-to-back losses.

And with that, another roller coaster weekend for Miami sports fans is in the books.

Follow us on Twitter for all things Miami sports @5ReasonsSports.

Photo courtesy of Tony Capobianco.