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Dolphins Cardinals

5 Keys to the Dolphins vs Cardinals in Week 9

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The Miami Dolphins (4-3) head west to face the Arizona Cardinals (5-2) on Sunday afternoon. The Dolphins arrive after a 28-17 win where the defense dominated the LA Rams. This alleviated the pressure on first-time start Tua Tagovailoa. But that pressure returns in his first career road start against a similarly talented young quarterback in Kyler Murray.

The last time Tagovailoa and Murray squared off, they put on a show at the 2018 Orange Bowl. The two complied 735 yards in that one. It’s unlikely fans will see that type of performance on Sunday, considering the solid defenses in this one.

So here’s a look at five keys to Week 9’s Dolphins-Cardinals matchup.

Dolphins-Cardinals: Get the Offense Going

In three of Miami’s four wins this season, the offense got on the board first. The Dolphins managed to build early leads against Jacksonville, San Francisco and New York. Although the Rams put points on the board early last week, Miami thundered back with 28 straight in the first half.

What’s clear is, if the Dolphins offense can get going early, they win. The problem recently has been a struggling offense. In the second half against the Jets, Miami managed just 102 net yards on just 4.0 yards-per-play.

Against the Rams, those struggles continued. the Dolphins gained 145 yards on 48 offensive plays, good for just 3.0 yards-per-play. Facing an explosive Cardinals team, Miami will have to put up points.

Miami needs to win time-of-possession and string together extended drives. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey called a conservative game last week, especially after the early lead, but he might need to open it up against Arizona. Tagovailoa, meanwhile, needs to develop chemistry with his receivers.

Fans look forward to seeing if Tagovailoa can build on his statistically underwhelming debut. Tagovailoa went 12-of-22 for 93 yards and a touchdown. He lost a fumble but was victimized by at least three drops.

Contain Kyler Murray

The challenge of containing Kyler Murray stands as Miami’s top priority against the Cardinals. Murray quarterbacks a potent offense that scores 29.0 points-per-game (eighth) and piles up 419.1 yards-per-game (first in total offense).

Murray’s ability to run could be Miami’s most difficult task. Murray leads all quarterbacks with 437 rushing yards. He gains 6.7 yards-per-carry and averages 62.4 yards-per-game. He’s scored seven rushing touchdowns and remains a real threat in the red zone.

This season, the Dolphins have struggled against mobile quarterbacks. Losses to Cam Newton, Josh Allen and Russell Wilson can be traced to an inability to contain those QBs, particularly when they extended plays with their feet.

The Dolphins will need to shut down Arizona’s rushing game beyond just Murray. Their 160.7 rushing yards-per-game is second in the league. Although they’re likely to be without former Dolphin Kenyan Drake, Chase Edmonds remains a shifty, talented back. Edmonds averages 6.1 yards-per-carry and Arizona’s attack overall nets 5.2 yards-per-carry (second-most).

Miami’s run defense allows 125.1 yards-per-game and 4.9 yards-per-carry, both 21st in the NFL.

Dolphins-Cardinals: Run the Ball

If Miami is going to win this game against the Cardinals, they’ll need some semblance of a running game. What hurts the Dolphins in that regard is they’ll be without starting running back Myles Gaskin, who has been placed on the IR.

Matt Brieda and Patrick Laird are both questionable heading into Sunday’s contest as well. The newly acquired DeAndre Washington remains unavailable thanks to the league’s COVID-19 protocols.

Finding a consistent rushing attack continues to confound the Dolphins. In 2019, Miami had the worst ground game in the league (72.3 yards-per-game). This season, the Dolphins aren’t much better. Miami runners gain an average of 98.0 yards-per-game (fifth-worst) and average just 3.6 yards-per-carry (second-worst).

The Cardinals, though, feature a rush defense that can be run on. They allow 131.1 yards-per-game (eighth-most). A consistent ground game could alleviate pressure on Tagovailoa.

Without Gaskin, Miami probably turns to Jordan Howard, who hasn’t been active since Week 4. Howard stands as the most experienced option. Other options include former practice squad talent Salvon Ahmed, and perhaps Brieda and Laird, if they’re healthy.

Win Strength v Strength

Miami’s three-game winning streak comes thanks in large part to dominant defensive play. Since Week 5, the Dolphins defense ranks top-3 in points allowed, sacks, takeaways and third-down conversion rate. The Dolphins are tops in the NFL in scoring defense (18.6 pints-per-game) and Xavien Howard leads the league with four interceptions.

The defense pins opponents to obvious passing situations, pressures the quarterback and gets off the field. Over the last three games, opposing QBs are 0-for-14 when throwing the ball 20-or-more yards in the air. But the Dolphins D will have its hands full with Murray and the Cardinals.

DeAndre Hopkins might be the best receiver in the NFL these days. He’s snagged 57 catches for 704 yards and three touchdowns and hogs targets from Murray. Hopkins has 73 targets this season and has caught 78.1 percent of them. The next closest receiver is Larry Fitzgerald, with 37 targets.

The Dolphins feature one of the best cornerback tandems in the league with Howard and Byron Jones. In four games with those two on the field, the defense allows just 13.8 points-per-game and 5.5 yards-per-pass.

Hopkins torched Howard the last time the two faced off (back in 2018). Hopkins caught six of seven targets for 82 yards and two touchdowns while with the Houston Texans. This week, Howard could look for redemption, or the team could slot Jones in front of Hopkins. Howard could face Christian Kirk (who’s averaging 15.4 yards-per-catch and has five receiving touchdowns).

Although normally a tight end eraser, Eric Rowe could matchup with Fitzgerald, who’s largely been used like a tight end by the Cardinals this season.

Dolphins-Cardinals: Protect Tua

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Although the Cardinals will be without Chandler Jones, Miami’s offensive line will still need to keep their quarterback upright. Arizona sends an extra rusher 38.6 percent of the time, which is the fourth-highest rate in the NFL. The Cardinals’ 19 sacks are 10th-most in the league. They’re also top-10 in knockdown percentage (8.9) and pressure rate (23.5).

Against the Rams, Tagovailoa faced only five blitzes, according to Pro Football Focus. His touchdown pass came against a blitz. For the Cardinals, Haason Reddick leads the team with five sacks and 20 quarterback pressures.

Miami’s offensive line could see the return of Austin Jackson from the IR. In his absence, fellow rookie Robert Hunt has played well at right tackle and Jesse Davis has played well at left tackle. Jackson may not play or could be used as a sixth linemen in some formations.

Give Tagovailoa time and the Dolphins may put up points. The Cardinals allow 20.9 points-per-game (ninth) but 378.4 yards-per-game (22nd). The passing defense cedes 247.3 yards-per-game (18th) and 63.1 percent completions.

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Dolphins trade

Dolphins Make Moves at the Trade Deadline

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Although all of the attention on November 3rd is on the national election, and rightly so, the NFL also had big decisions to make. The NFL’s trade deadline came and went on Tuesday, and while not normally an active occasion, the Miami Dolphins made a couple of interesting moves.

While there were a number of major names on the market, most teams kept their rosters intact. Rumors of players like New England’s Stephon Gilmore being moved amounted to nothing. Teams may have hesitated to pull the trigger because of concerns over next season’s salary cap and delays in player availability due to COVID-19.

Miami, though, saw an opportunity to add depth at a position of need and did so.

Dolphins Deal Ford to New England

The Dolphins completed a rare in-division trade with New England. Miami sent receiver Isaiah Ford to the Patriots for a 2022 seventh-round pick. This came as something of a surprise, considering the Dolphins liked Ford coming out of Virginia Tech in 2017. Miami selected Ford with a seventh-round pick but he’ll be a free agent at the end of the season.

Ford landed on the IR in 2017 and bounced between the active roster and the practice squad afterwards. He played only one game in 2018, but found a role last season. He played eight games in 2019 and made 23 receptions for 244 yards. This season, he played in all seven games and caught 18 passes for 184 yards.

Ford’s departure opens additional opportunities for Jakeem Grant, rookies Lynn Bowden Jr. and Malcolm Perry, as well as the recently activated Antonio Callaway. While Grant should see his role expand, Callaway could take time from the two rookies.

Callaway made 43 catches for 586 yards as a rookie in 2018. But he was suspended 10 games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy in 2019. He spent a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL before being signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad this season.

Dolphins Trade for RB Depth

The Dolphins also acquired running back DeAndre Washington from Kansas City during on trade deadline day. Miami sent the Chiefs a conditional 2021 sixth-round pick in exchange for the reserve running back and a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick. This trade comes in the wake of injury news regarding Myles Gaskin.

Gaskin leads Miami in rushing this season with 387 yards and two touchdowns, but just a 3.9 yards-per-carry average. He’s tied for the team lead in receptions with 30. Gaskin sustained a strained MCL late in the win against the Rams. He’s expected to miss three weeks.

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Washington, meanwhile, has just three carries for five yards in 2020. He spent his first four seasons with the Raiders and tallied 1122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 4.0 yards-per-carry. He has 89 catches for 615 yards and one touchdown in his career. Washington rarely played this season, particularly after KC’s acquisition of Le’Veon Bell.

The Raiders selected Washington with a fifth-round drafted pick in 2016 out of Texas Tech. Current Dolphins senior personnel executive Reggie McKenzie was the general manager of Oakland then. Washington won’t be available to play for the Dolphins this weekend as he navigates the COVID-19 protocols.

The Dolphins have the fifth-worst rushing attack in the NFL, averaging just 98 yards-per-game. Their 3.6 yards-per-carry average is second-worst in the league.

Without Gaskin or Washington, the Dolphins will turn to Matt Breida and Patrick Laird, as well as Jordan Howard, who’s been inactive in recent weeks, and possibly practice squad RB Salvon Ahmed.

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! 
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

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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!

Tua Tagovailoa had reason to celebrate as the Dolphins won in his first NFL start against the Rams.

Miami Dolphins: Week 8 Stock Report

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Welcome back guys to another installment of Stock Up Stock Down. This was the most anticipated game in my memory following our Dolphins and while the Offense did not play the way we would like, the team did enough to prove that its not a liability and can in fact still compete for a playoff spot with a rookie QB at the helm. With so much to dissect let’s dive right in:

Stock Up

Ogbah:

During the Bye Week I went back and really looked at and analyzed the play of Emmanuel Ogbah who has been on a tear.

 

This week was just another day in the office for Ogbah as he was a huge part of the pressure that caused Goff to look as pedestrian as he did. Ogbah was able to get another sack this game marking the 6th straight game with at least .5 of a sack as well as another deflected pass showing his complete game.

 

Elandon Roberts:

Elandon started off the year with a big role which he seemed to have been losing before the injury that ultimately made him miss a game. After missing time, he has looked better and better with each passing game. Against the Rams Roberts made 2 of the loudest hits I have ever heard on a football field. On one play he blew up the lead blocker so bad that he made the blocker tackle the ball carrier.

 

 

Jerome Baker:

After a questionable couple of games after his monster performance Week 1, it is nice to see Jerome put back to back elite games together. This afternoon Jerome was all over the field wreaking havoc on a Rams Offense. Jerome not only did his job on the run game with 13 tackles (5 solo), but also rushing the passer with 1 QB hit and even 1 Pass Defended.

 

 

Eric Rowe:

Another player that I did a deep dive in this past week.

 

Eric showed all afternoon long his versatility and why this coaching staff trusts him with so much. Eric showed his love for contact with 7 tackles (5 solo), his prowess for defending the pass with an unreal 5 PD and lastly, not just the interception he did get but also the one that he almost had which would have surely been a house call for a touchdown. This has become Coach Flo ultimate chess piece as he can be put anywhere and handle any role or assignment.

 

 

 

Team Chemistry:

With all the media and national noise about how terrible of a move it was to go to Tua and how veterans won’t play as hard when they know the organization is only looking at the future, it was hard to see as complete of a team performance as the one we saw Sunday, actually happening. The Defense harassed Goff into 2 interceptions and 2 fumbles lost with one being taken to the house. Special teams taking a punt to the house. Even all the love shown after Tua’s first touchdown of his career showed a team that wanted to fight for their new QB and to shut up the national media as we have a team can compete now for a playoff spot.

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Trust the Flocess

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Stock Down

 

Myles Gaskin:

After such a positive performance against the Jets, Myles unfortunately came back down to Earth. With 47 yards on 18 carries an average of 2.6 yards per carry is cringe-worthy, add to that 6 targets, 2 drops, and only 3 catches for 16 yards and it leads back to the question of why we haven’t given these type of opportunities to either Breida or even Jordan Howard. Multiple times on 3rd and short and he just was unable to get the 1 or 2 yards necessary to keep the offense on the field.How many more of these below average performances before we start to give opportunities to others on the team.

 

 

Offense:

As good as a team performance as we had, the one unit that did not hold its end of the deal was the Offense. We only had 8 first downs all afternoon while the Rams had 31 first downs. The offense only ran 48 plays compared to the rams 92. The 2 most alarming stats of the offense was Total Yards with only 145 compared to 471 for the Rams and 3rd down conversions with the Dolphins struggling to the tune of 3 out of 12 converted successfully.

 

 

 

Rush Defense:

In a game that closing the 2nd quarter we were up 28-10, it seems next to impossible to consider how the Rams were still able to run the ball for 4.5 yards per carry. This is now the 3rd week in a row where I find myself mentioning that without the lead our opponents would have ran the ball for what may have been over 200 yards. What is most concerning is with the Rams pass effectively neutralized because of the pass rush, we still allowed them to rush it 29 times with no answer.

 

Overall this win puts us over .500 for the first time since November 4th, 2018. Tua and the offense are going to have figure out a better game plan to get him comfortable. We put a lot on tape to analyze this upcoming week as we get ready to travel and face Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals. Follow me @exclusvty on twitter to get a close-up analysis this week of Tua and others. Till next time guys, Fins Up!

 

 

 

Dolphins Rams

5 Keys to Dolphins vs Rams in Tua’s debut

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The Miami Dolphins (3-3) made headline news during the bye week. The switch to Tua Tagovailoa initiated a cascade of national coverage. Football pundits fell on either side of the fence. A heated debate over the Dolphins offensive line unfolded on Twitter. And all of this amped up the excitement of Dolphins fans as the game versus the Ram (5-2) approaches.

The matchup of a Brian Flores defense versus a Sean McVay offense last happened in Super Bowl LII. New England shut down the Jared Goff-led Rams in the lowest scoring Super Bowl of all-time. Flores’s defense frustrated Goff by alternating looks. That might be something seen in Week 8, especially considering Kyle Van Noy, a key player in Patriot’s defensive effort then, will be on the field for Miami.

At 3-3, Miami is one game out of first place in the AFC East. A win here would be the team’s third in a row and keep them in the thick of the playoff race. The Rams, meanwhile, travel east for an early game on a short week.

Here’s a look at five keys to the Dolphins versus the Rams in Week 8.

Dolphins vs Rams: Be Patient

The Rams defense allows for short completions in the passing game, so be patient. The defense doesn’t disguise coverages often and tends to play straight-up. The deployment of Aaron Donald remains fairly consistent.

LA occasionally tries to disguise their backend coverages through alignment. They hide their 2-deep coverage with an initial Quarters look. Sometimes, they lineup in Quarters then play man-to-man with two deep safeties.

These are approaches that Tagovailoa had success against while at Alabama. These coverages can leave openings in the defense while the defenders flex into the different positions. But the key will be Tagovailoa’s ability to recognize the coverage and deliver the ball to the appropriate place, even if it’s short.

 

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Attack Darius Williams

LA paid a high price for All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey. He tends to travel from the outside to the slot. Ramsey occasionally mirrors the opponent’s best receiver. He allows just 53.5 percent of passes completed, giving up 5.33 yards per target. While he can be challenged, the Dolphins might look elsewhere.

Ramsey may draw the DeVante Parker assignment for the Rams. Parker’s been the focal point of Miami’s passing attack thus far. He’s seen 40 targets and made 29 catches for 364 yards and two touchdowns, but all of that was with Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The Rams other wide corner is Darius Williams. He’s 5-foot-9, 187-pounds. Williams will likely matchup against Preston Williams, who stands at 6-foot-5 and has caught a touchdown in three of the last four weeks.

Dolphins vs Rams: Use RPO

Next Gen Stats indicated this week that the Dolphins deploy the widest formations in the league (30.1 yards). These wide formations afford space to the receivers and the runners as they move in and out of their routes and cuts. This also spreads out the defense and makes disguising blitz packages somewhat more difficult for some teams.

This wide set up also allows for the offense to use run-pass option, and the switch to Tagovailoa might make that even more likely to happen.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said on his ‘Move the Sticks’ podcast that an anonymous GM called Tagovailoa “the best RPO quarterback he’s ever seen … ball-handling, he’ll hit that slant a million times over.”

Dolphins offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey, was one of the first coaches in the NFL to integrate the run-pass option.

“Chan was a little bit ahead in the RPO game early on before it became I guess, ‘in-style’ for the league,” Dolphins GM Chris Grier said of Gailey back in February.

In his media availability this week, Gailey revealed the team regularly used pre-snap RPOs. He also said Tagovailoa was “good at reading and seeing” when using the option. This could be an element to play on Tagovailoa’s strengths and to mitigate LA’s pass rush.

Attack Jared Goff

The Dolphins have struggled against mobile quarterbacks, but Goff isn’t one of those. He works in the pocket with a strict timing in mind. Goff likes to hit his backfoot and make the throw. If the Dolphins can pressure him off his spot, he’s far less effective.

While Miami features the league’s widest offense, the Rams sport the NFL’s most closed. The closed-in formation could lead to quick option looks and receivers coming free after rub routes. Miami’s secondary will need to maintain discipline and communicate well.

Don’t be surprised if Byron Jones travels with Cooper Kupp, even to the slot. Xavien Howard could pair with Robert Woods on the outside.

Jones and Howard have been targeted a combined 22 times since Jones’s return in Week 5, but they’ve allowed just six receptions for 69 yards. For the season, Miami’s pass defense allows 62.2 percent completion percentage and their 86.3 QB-rating against is ninth best.

Goff enjoys operating out of the play-action, both straight and with a bootleg. His 93 play-action drop backs lead the league and he’s completed 68.8 percent of those attempts. Miami will need to limit the Rams’ effective running game in order to attack Goff.

Dolphins vs Rams: Protect Tua

Obviously.

Last week against the Bears, the Rams registered four sacks and eight quarterback hits. Their 24 sacks are third-most this season and they’ve piled up 86 pressures. Donald has tallied 45 of those pressures on his own. Michael Brockers has 15.

The Dolphins offensive line, meanwhile, has allowed just 10 sacks this season, ninth-fewest in the NFL.

The interior line will be particularly important, and they’ve played well thus far. Ereck Flowers, Ted Karras and rookie Solomon Kindley have surrendered just 21 pressures in 717 combined pass-blocking snaps. Of those 21 pressures, only seven have resulted in quarterback hits.

Tagovailoa can protect himself by not holding the ball for more than about 2.5 seconds. If he does, Donald and the Rams will find him. LA tends to get home with their four-man rush, blitzing only 28 percent of the time (14th-lowest rate).

Top 5 Things to Watch in Tua’s Week 8 Season Debut

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Tuanigamanuolepola Tagovailoa. After Coach Flores announced Tua as the starter on October 20th the world has been on fire with every type of opinion toward our face of the franchise. I did my own analysis of the 5 snaps vs the Jets which will be posted below. Now that his first start is finally here it has made it next to impossible to talk or focus about anything else. I will do my best to bring you SOMETHING else to watch for in Week 8 when your Miami Dolphins host the LA Rams, so without further ado, lets dive in.

 

Offensive Line:

It would not be an official Dolphins piece without a mention of how bad the offensive line is if you followed the national media guidelines to covering this team. I want to be clear that by no means is this group a top oline, but they sure aren’t a bottom 5 oline either. Keep that in mind as you watch them this Sunday go up against Aaron Donald and company and the heavy scrutiny they will face if they do not protect the franchise. I have full confidence that this group will come out determined to prove the media wrong and own the line of scrimmage. Also check this analysis of the online play by an ex lineman.

 

 

Rush Offense:

Coming off a week where we were able to average 5.2 yards per carry, we will need another effort like this to help Tua. One of the things that I hope the Dolphins attempt to do is continue to run the ball regardless of the score. We need the Ram’s defense to truly believe we want to run the ball because if this is a game that forces Tua to throw more than 35 attempts, I don’t think that’s the recipe we want for his first start. We need Myles and Breida to step up and have another good day rushing for Tua and this offense to function as designed.

 

Chan Gailey:

One of the things that’s become apparent as the year has gone on, is what a great hiring Chan Gailey was. At the time I was hesitant of such an old coach transitioning Tua into a modern NFL considering he last coached in 2016 with the Jets but Chan has destroyed those notions emphatically. This offense, per next gen stats, has the longest average distance between the two widest players in the offensive formation. AKA a spread offense, which is what Tua excelled in. I expect the Dolphins to try to receive the ball first to start the game getting Tua comfortable. Gailey has shown that he has the ability to game plan a strong 15-25 plays to start the game and would not be surprised to see the Dolphins up early in this game.

 

 

Flores vs McVay:

With all the attention going to Tua and rightfully so, no one has brought up the history of McVay vs Flores. Both of them being very familiar with each other, with Flores having figured out his offense on the biggest of stages. This game is one that I think both of these coaches are exact opposites in that McVay is a genius on the offensive side and Flores having earned his job through his work on the defensive side. Strength vs Strength, this will be a matchup that will be decided with what the weakness of each coach does. For McVay that means his defense and for Flores that of course means his offense.

 

Team Response to QB Change:

If you only followed the national media like ESPN, Good Morning Football, Skip and Shannon and others, you may have gotten the idea that this team is upset and confused over the change of QB. I assure you that only a handful of players were shocked with less than that feeling as strongly as Fitz did in his conference the Wednesday after the announcement. Let me clear this notion up as the players are all behind Tua and that includes Fitzpatrick, even if he did sulk a bit. Tua’s involvement overall with the team is what makes me think that they know this kid is the real deal. You hear different stories from Tua having a Tuesday meeting with Flores every week to watch tape, to Tua asking specific defenders like Bobby McCain and even Josh Boyer came out this past week to speak on Tua trying to dissect the defense point of view. With all that being said, I fully expect an energized team that’s ready to stand up and defend their new QB.

 

Ultimately, one week will not let us know what we can expect from Tua for the next 4 years but a start on the right foot will go a long way to shut up the national media. For all the talk of how good the Rams are no one is mentioning a west coast team being forced to fly cross country to play what essentially is a 10 am game for their body clocks. I cannot wait for next week’s installment of Stock Watch to see how we performed so make sure to keep an eye for it. Till next time guys, Fins Up!

Adam Shaheen

Miami Dolphins sign TE Adam Shaheen to 2-year extension

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While teams scramble to acquire the unwanted players of other teams, the Miami Dolphins are taking care of their own. Early Monday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Miami Dolphins officially extended tight end Adam Shaheen to a 2-year extension. His previous contract was set to expire after this season. Shaheen’s new deal is worth up to $7.9 million and includes a fully guaranteed $3.2 million.

This turns out to be a nice feather in the cap of general manager Chris Grier, who acquired Shaheen from the Chicago Bears for a conditional 7th round pick back in late July. While by no means a superstar, Shaheen has proven to be a reliable role player, much like Nick O’Leary was for Miami back in 2018-19.

Through six games this season, Adam Shaheen has only five receptions on seven targets. However, two of those receptions have gone for touchdowns. Also, he has 58 reception yards, most of which came from a huge 44-yard play down the seam against the New York Jets.

Seeing that the Bears originally drafted Shaheen in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft, it’s obvious he’s talented. But injuries derailed his early career, and during the games he did play in Chicago, he struggled to make an impact. Through 33 career games, Adam Shaheen has a grand total of 31 receptions for 307 yards and and six touchdowns.

“I think he’s come in obviously via trade and he’s really worked hard.” Head coach Brian Flores said Wednesday. “I think he’s been productive over the first six weeks of the season. We just felt like he was somebody we wanted to keep around for a few more years. There were some discussions ongoing and those guys were able to strike a deal.”

Shaheen’s extension indicates the Miami Dolphins believe his best football is still ahead of him. Together with Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe, the three have turned into a reliable trio.

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

Emmanuel Ogbah

Emmanuel Ogbah channeling the power of #91 for Miami Dolphins

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When the Miami Dolphins started handing out numbers for their offseason additions, many fans were skeptical about handing #91 to a former second round pick who never lived up to the draft day hype. After all, that number, in the hearts of Dolphins fans, belongs to the one and only Cameron Wake. Wake’s ability to rush the passer for Miami was unmatched. To give it to someone like Emmanuel Ogbah didn’t feel right. But as the season drags on, Ogbah appears to be channeling the magic once used by Wake.

In just six games, Ogbah is close to matching his career high in sacks for a season. His fifth sack of the year came on 3rd and 4 in the 4th quarter against the New York Jets. Notorious Dolphins killer Joe Flacco, who up until last Sunday was undefeated against Miami with a 7-0 record, snapped the football and found himself running for his life as safety Eric Rowe came on a blitz. Flacco managed to spin away, only to come face to face with a charging Ogbah. There was no escape for the former Ravens starter, and Emmanuel Ogbah dragged him down for a massive 28-yard loss, knocking the Jets out of field goal range and ultimately preserving the shutout.

“I know a couple of plays before I know I had missed him on one.” Ogbah said after the game. “I just knew he wasn’t going to get away from me this time, and I knew Eric Rowe pulled him up and he came back around, and I just saw him clear as day so I just took my shot.”

And the rest of the players on defense were very happy that Ogbah took that shot. The Jets were driving down the field, the Dolphins were running out of gas, and he came up big just when the team needed him most, just like the former wearer of #91.

“We were excited we made the play, we were a little mad it was Ogbah because normally we don’t like him like that.” DT Christian Wilkins joked. “We just kind of deal with him on the team. You know, no, that was definitely a big play. We were real hype about that. Ogbah has been working his butt off all year, making plays for us on defense, so it was good to see when he can make plays like that, and we were all dead tired, too, at that point, so it was nice to get a little bit of a rest on that one.”

Of Ogbah’s five total sacks this season, four of them have come in the last three weeks. His predecessor wearing that number had streaks like that. However, one thing that Ogbah can do that Wake didn’t do very well is set the edge. Per ProFootballFocus, Ogbah was excellent against the run against the Jets, earning an 82.3 grade in run defense. Naturally, when looking at PFF, those numbers must be taken with a grain of salt. But there is one stat that can’t be ignored. On top of leading the team in sacks and QB hits (10), Ogbah is also tied for first in tackles for a loss with linebacker Elandon Roberts.

This surge of production seemingly came out of nowhere. Miami’s pass rush was abysmal in the first few weeks of the season. However, now the defense seems to have figured everything out. They are now tied for third place in the NFL in points per game allowed. Their third-down defense is the absolute best in the league.

“The first game we have to get used to working together, so I think it took us a little time.” Ogbah said. “But I think we’re on the right path now. We just got to keep it going, keep building.”

That steady improvement has been the key to Miami’s success so far. When the season started, in week one the defense gave up over 200 yards rushing to Cam Newton and the New England Patriots. In week two, they dared the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen to throw the ball instead. They ended up surrendering over 400 yards passing as a result. The new additions to the team, Ogbah included, appeared to have no impact. All that has changed in the recent weeks. Miami’s defense is coming on strong. The pass rush is igniting, and Ogbah is the spark firing them up.

“These guys like playing together, so when other guys make plays, whether it’s offense, defense, special teams, you see a lot of excitement, a lot of energy.” Head coach Brian Flores said. “Guys were excited for Ogbah to make a play. Guys were excited about the situation, of getting a stop and getting them out of field goal range, and they were excited about the potential to get a shutout. That’s what I like to see, guys enjoying kind of the process of working through the week, prep and preparing, walk throughs, meeting, practice, and then going out and executing on a Sunday afternoon.”

It should be noted that Miami hasn’t shutout an opponent since 2014. Cameron Wake recorded a sack in that game against the San Diego Chargers. Now Ogbah is making a similar impact as the Dolphins strive towards greatness once again.

Some superstitions persist due to emerging patterns. The curse of the Indian burial ground under Hard Rock Stadium is one. Many fans consider #19 to be cursed since the drafting of Ted Ginn Jr. in 2007. Jakeem Grant is doing his best to break that curse. But, perhaps, there are gifts attached to numbers as well. Emmanuel Ogbah doesn’t have the same pass-rushing prowess as Cameron Wake, but his production is just as impressive so far. In the end, it’s production that matters. Even the production that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet.

“I think Ogbah has done a good job.” Flores said on Monday. “He’s played multiple positions, he’s smart, he’s tough. I think for a lot of people, the sacks are the big stat for a lot of people but I think he’s doing a good job in the run game, setting the edge, tackling. When he has to deal with a double-team block, he deals with it and has no problem taking on a double and freeing up another guy. Those are the plays that aren’t flash plays, but they are important plays for any team.”

Will Emmanuel Ogbah replace Cameron Wake in the hearts of Dolphins fans? No, he won’t. #91 will always belong to Cameron Wake when all is said and done. Ogbah came in and signed a 2-year, $15 million dollar contract with Miami to try and revive his career. If he can even come close to living up to Wake’s legacy, Ogbah should have a long, productive career as a member of the Dolphins. Remember, he’s only 26 years old. There’s still plenty of football ahead of him, as long as he can keep channeling that same Wake magic.

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

Dolphins Win Jets

5 Takeaways from Dolphins Win Over the Jets

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The Miami Dolphins dominated the New York Jets on Sunday. The Dolphins 24-0 win stands as the team’s first shutout since 2014. Improving to 3-3 on the year marks the first time in the Brian Flores era that Miami has been at .500. With the Jets floundering to 0-6 under Miami’s former head coach Adam Gase, it becomes more clear with each passing week that the Dolphins have the right leader in Flores.

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

Dolphins D Dominant in Win Over Jets

The Dolphins haven’t shut out an opponent since they blanked San Diego six seasons ago. They hadn’t shut out the Jets since the 1983 AFC Championship game. The defense’s domination delighted Dolphins fans as they shut down the purported “offensive guru” Gase.

Miami’s defense elevated its play on Sunday, limiting the Jets to 2-of-17 on third down tries. For the season, the Dolphins top the NFL in third-down defense, allowing just 31.3 percent of conversions. Miami stands fourth in scoring defense (18.8 points-per-game) and sixth in sacks (17).

In the win over the Jets, the Dolphins held Flacco to 148 net passing yards. Last week, the Dolphins surrendered just 128 net passing yards to San Francisco, making this effort the first since 2010 Miami has limited opponents to fewer than 150 net passing yards in consecutive games.

The defense kept the Jets to just 93 yards in the first half, allowing just five first downs and forcing six punts. This helped Miami build a 21-0 halftime lead.

Ogbah, a Great Investment

Among the other free agent additions for 2020, Emmanuel Ogbah’s name might have been an afterthought. But he’s become a force for this defense in the pass rush.

Ogbah recorded two sacks in the Dolphins win over the Jets. His effort stands as Miami’s first two-sack performance since Cam Wake and Akeem Spence both had a pair of sacks versus the Jets in November 2018. Ogbah’s now recorded five sacks this season, tied for second-most in the AFC. Sunday also saw him register six QB hurries and two more QB hits.

The Dolphins are getting the most out of their two-year, $15 million investment in Ogbah. He’s registered a sack in three straight games and at least half a sack in five straight. He’s just a half-sack shy of his career high (5.5)

Howard Returned to Form

Xavien Howard registered his fourth interception of the season after he picked off Joe Flacco in the second quarter. Howard has clearly returned to his 2018 ballhawking form after a knee injury limited him to just five games last season.

Sunday marked the fourth straight game with an interception for Howard. His four-game streak is the second-longest in team history, behind safety Dick Westmoreland (five straight games with an INT in 1967). Howard’s four picks this season are tied for most in the NFL and he’s ninth in pass-breakups (6). His 16 interceptions since December 2017 are the most in the NFL in that span. He’s made an interception in 11 of his 46 career games.

Adding Byron Jones aided this secondary and Howard specifically, but Howard has elevated his play in 2020. He’s held opposing quarterbacks to 12-of-26 passing (46.2 percent) with just one touchdown and four interceptions.

Gaskin, a Bell Cow?

Seemingly overlooked this offseason with the additions of Matt Breida and Jordan Howard, Myles Gaskin felt like the forgotten man amid all of the Le’Veon Bell chatter this week. Gaskin posted a video to social media of his highlights, then followed that with his best performance as a pro.

Gaskin gained a career-high 91 rushing yards on 18 carries (5.1 average). He added four receptions for 35 yards as well. His 126 all-purpose yards also set a new career-high for the second-year running back. The last time the Miami saw a running back total at least 126 scrimmage yards was Kenyan Drake’s 193 performance versus New England in December 2017. Gaskin’s 91 rushing yards are the most by a Dolphins RB since Kalen Ballage ran for 123 yards versus Minnesota in December 2018.

Gaskin’s emergence as a legitimate NFL starter belies his seventh-round pedigree. He continues to take a larger share of the running responsibilities, and his ability as a pass-catcher helps keep opposing defenses honest. Gaskin’s play has resulted in back-to-back healthy scratches for Jordan Howard.

Bye Week Comes After Dolphins Win Over Jets

The Miami Dolphins saw their scheduled shuffled by the NFL last week. In the wake of COVID-19 positives for the New England Patriots, the league changed the schedules for eight different teams. For the Dolphins, that meant they faced New York in Week 6 instead of Denver. It also means Week 7 becomes their bye, instead of Week 11.

The Bye comes at the right time for the Dolphins, as several veterans are hobbled. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy landed among the inactives after groin and foot injuries limited his participation in practice this week. During the game, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel exited in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion. He did not return.

Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill hurt his hand in the third quarter. In the fourth, wide receiver DeVante Parker (groin) and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (shoulder) also sustained injuries. The early Bye affords these players a week of healing and rest ahead of an important stretch for the Dolphins.

Miami has a slate of six winnable game ahead of them, and they’ll need a 5-1 or 4-2 stretch to set themselves up for the playoffs. According to Tankathon.com, the Dolphins have the 10th-easiest remaining based on strength of schedule. They’ll need to bank wins here over the next few weeks, as their final four games see Miami play the Chiefs and the Patriots at home, then travel to Las Vegas and Buffalo to finish.

Dolphins Jets

5 Keys to Week 6: Dolphins vs Jets

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The Miami Dolphins return home to face their longtime rival, the New York Jets, who are winless and rudderless. Former Dolphins head coach Adam Gase finds himself on the hot seat after another disappointing start to a season and having alienated another star.

Meanwhile, Brian Flores, Miami’s current head coach, continues to foster a positive culture, built around communication and cohesion.

“It’s about having the right people, having the right cohesive group,” said Flores on a conference call on Wednesday. “It’s about communication. I think it’s about having good people who are team-first, selfless and want to do things for the greater good. People who are tough, who are smart, who are competitive, put the team first and people who love to do what they’re doing.”

Flores maintains the Dolphins are still building, but he’s laid a solid foundation. Something Gase never did in Miami.

Here’s a look at five keys to the Dolphins Week 6 matchup against the floundering New York Jets.

Dolphins v Jets: Get Points Early

The Dolphins stand at 2-3 and both of their wins can be characterized in the same way: Offense scored early. In those victories, Miami raced out to early 14-0 leads. Against both Jacksonville and San Francisco, the Dolphins controlled the pace early and forced the opposing offenses to become one dimensional in an effort to play catchup.

“We always talk about playing fast, starting fast. It’s something that we harp on, on a weekly basis,” Flores said earlier this week.

The Jets offense struggles to score. New York sits 32nd in points-per-game (15.0) and total points (75). They’re a minus-86 In point differential this season, which is staggeringly bad. That figure is 36 points greater than the next closest differential.

If the Dolphins can get on the board early and demoralize New York, there’s a good chance the Jets will quit on Gase and roll over. Gase may not leave Miami with his job.

Attack the Quarterback

In Miami’s two wins this season, they’ve tallied eight sacks and 19 quarterback hits. While they’ve struggled to contain mobile quarterbacks, Dolphins defenders have teed off against more stationary targets.

With 35-year-old Joe Flacco making the start for the Jets, the fear of a running quarterback is completely absent. Against San Francisco, the Dolphins brought pressure facing a hobbled Jimmy Garoppolo and his replacement, C.J. Beathard. Miami registered five sacks and eight pressures.

The defense should employ multiple fronts to make identifying the pressure difficult for the Jets’ offensive line. The return of Byron Jones last week saw Miami shift to more man-coverage, and certainly helped Xavien Howard, who picked up an interception in a third-straight game.

Miami needs to attack Flacco, especially considering the Jets have surrendered 15 sacks this season (8th-most).

Get Vertical on Offense

The Dolphins offense opened last week with a 47-yard connection from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Preston Williams. That set the tone for an offensive onslaught that tallied 43 points on the road. And facing a Jets defense that surrenders 265.6 passing-yards-per-game (8th-most), those opportunities should be there as well.

Last week, New York surrendered 380 passing yards to Arizona’s Kyler Murray. For the season, the Jets surrender a 100.2 passer rating and over eight yards-per-attempt. Their secondary allows over 70 percent of passes to be caught.

Last season against New York, Fitzpatrick completed three passes on throws of over 20 yards. Those three completions went for 72 yards and a touchdown. Against the 49ers, Fitzpatrick completed five throws of over 20 yards for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

Miami features big targets on the outside, including Williams, DeVante Parker and tight end Mike Gesicki. Those three dominated the Jets at home last season, combining for 15 catches, 224 yards and three touchdowns. Going vertical should open the running lanes for Myles Gaskin, who’s averaging just 3.9 yards-per-carry.

Finally Figure Out Flacco

Flacco remains undefeated in his career against the Dolphins. He sports a career 6-0 record versus Miami. He’s completed 72 percent of his attempts for 1,518 yards and 10 touchdowns. Flacco has thrown only three interceptions versus the Dolphins.

That said, all Flacco’s victories came while he quarterbacked the Baltimore Ravens. And this Jets roster is largely devoid of talent at this point.

Against the Cardinals, Flacco made his first start since Week 8 last season. He completed 18-of-33 passes for 195 yards and one touchdown. The Jets offense struggled on third down, where they converted only four of 13 tries. On the season, New York converts 34.7 percent of third down tries, the fifth-worst rate in the league this season. Meanwhile, the Dolphins allow just 38 percent of third down conversions, the seventh-best rate.

Miami’s secondary will need to key on Jamison Crowder, the Jets most dynamic offensive weapon. Crowder is primarily a slot receiver and currently leads the league with 111.7 yards-per-game.

Dolphins Need to Maintain Focus Against the Jets

The Dolphins enter this game as favorites for the first time in the Flores era. Miami hasn’t been favored in a game since December 2018 (21 games). They’re favored by more than a touchdown for the first time since November of 2016. As a team, the Dolphins haven’t won back-to-back games by double digits since 2015. That said, the Jets have lost each game this season by at least nine points.

This contest has all the making of a trap game. The Dolphins need a win to inject themselves into the playoff race. In addition to that, they’ll need to maintain focus against an opponent that wasn’t originally their scheduled one for this week.

The NFL’s changes seriously altered Miami’s schedule, but the players didn’t seem to care.

“It is what it is, it’s no big deal,” Gesicki said.

Howard voiced a similar sentiment. “It doesn’t matter which team is next. We just have to focus on the game plan.”

With the bye week now upcoming, Miami can’t have a letdown against the Jets. They’ll need to maintain their focus and discipline.

The Dolphins remain one of the league’s least penalized teams, having been flagged just 23 times for 195 yards through five games. The Jets, meanwhile, have committed 38 penalties for 365 yards, a characteristic consistent with Adam Gase teams.

Gase’s culture of alienating stars and blaming players has continued in New York. The Jets now turn to former Miami Hurricane and Dolphins, Frank Gore, who is starting to show his age with just 3.2 yards-per-carry in 2020, and rookie La’Mical Perine in the wake of Le’Veon Bell’s departure.

The Dolphins should handle their business here and win this ballgame. This starts a stretch of seven very winnable games for Miami. If they can emerge from this with a 5-2 of 6-1 record, they’ll be poised for a serious playoff push heading into a very difficult final four games in 2020.