Tag Archive for: Miami Dolphins

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.

Could Le’Veon Bell end up in Miami? Flores won’t say no.

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Today is the day free agent running back Le’Veon Bell will be wined and dined (from a distance) by potential NFL teams.

Could the Miami Dolphins be interested in Bell’s services? That I can’t say for sure.

However, I will make a case as to why I think he would be a welcomed addition.

But first, a word from our good friend Adam. #FreeRapoport

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Miami Dolphins were at least in talks about the playmaking RB before his release.

No one truly knows how deep these talks were between the Dolphins and Jets. But after listening to the video, I get the feeling New York may have been a bit desperate?

But I don’t care. Let the speculation commence!

Flores won’t say ‘no.’ 

Yesterday, Flores didn’t really speak on the 28-year-old RB. Except he did, when he snuck this little nugget into his discussion on the Jets running back room without their Pro Bowl RB.

Look, Le’Veon Bell is a great player. I think we all know that. He’s had a lot of production in this league – run, pass and just a dynamic player.

Today, when asked what he thought about Bell and a potential new home in Miami, Flores dropped another nice little quote.

Where does Bell fit into the offense?

No disrespect to Myles Gaskin, who is proving to be an NFL RB and a key piece to Miami’s backfield, but Bell is a different breed of running back. And while the Jordan Howard experience may have failed or the team continues to struggle to get Matt Breida involved, the Dolphins could use something a little bit more.

Enter 28-year-old Le’ Veon Bell, hungry AF to prove to the doubters wrong. Most importantly, to prove Adam Gase wrong.

Bell had success in a similar offense in the past. And despite his recent woes in New York (and even his later years in Pittsburgh), I’m not convinced the book is closed. His patient running style would be effective behind Miami’s newly revamped offensive line and adding a weapon like him to an offense already averaging 27.2 points per game–watch out.

The Final Yard

I won’t lose sleep if the Dolphins miss out on Le’Veon Bell. But, rarely, a player that has eclipsed over 6,139 yards and 38 touchdowns falls from the sky. And while he’s proven to be an exceptional runner, it’s his ability to line up in the slot and split out wide that admittedly intrigues me most.

How would a defense stop DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki, Preston Williams, Jakeem Grant/Isaiah Ford, and Le’Veon Bell when all split out wide? Then, think of the different packages, whether it be (Gaskin/Bell, Bell/Breida, Gaskin/Breida, Bell/Howard, etc..) or even Lynn Bowden-Malcolm Perry.

I need a cigarette.

Miami’s offense is already scary. But adding a player like Bell would turn the Dolphins offense into a Megazord. An unstoppable force. And for a team already averaging 27.2 PPG, that’s scary.

He might not sign in Miami, but Le’Veon Bell would be a great signing for the Miami Dolphins.

Best of all, we could go around and tell anyone who listens, Gase swapped Bell for Ballage

Stock up, Stock down vs San Francisco 49ers

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Welcome back to another installment of Stock Up Stock Down. In Week 5 of the NFL season, your Miami Dolphins came out on top against the San Francisco 49ers in a surprisingly dominant fashion with only a few things to nitpick at. We took control of the game from the first drive and did not let up throughout the game. With so much to dissect, let’s dive right in

Stock Up

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Ryan must have a couple of burner Twitter accounts and saw all the calls for Tua to start because he came out on fire from the very first play. All last year we praised Fitz for his ability to give his receivers a chance to make plays on the ball by throwing the 50/50 balls, which he has done this year but only to Gesicki and DVP, and it was apparent starting the game with a deep shot to Preston for 47 yards and culminating with a 3 yard TD pass to Adam Shaheen.

Ryan led an efficient offense all afternoon long, finishing with not just the stats (22/28 350 yards 3 TD) but also scoring on 9 of the 12 drives the offense was on the field (1 was the final drive to kill time and in the game). Overall, because of his play, I doubt we hear anything else about Tua starting until we after we play the Jets at home in Week 6.

Preston Williams

All season long, Fitzpatrick has shown a level of confidence in DVP and Gesicki, but this week it appears the level of trust extended to Preston and showed what it could result in. Preston, from the first play, took the extra trust and earned more with a 47-yard deep catch to start the game, and he did not let up the rest of the game leading to the first 100-yard game of his young career. He finished the afternoon with 4 catches for 106 yards and a TD in what I would call the most complete game of his career. The key here is going to continue to see this effort and attention to detail from the Unicorn because if we do, the sky is the limit for him.

Jason Sanders

Last week I placed Jason Sanders in the stock up as a slight to Flores’s inability or unwillingness to make tough decisions, but the start to the year that Jason has had is truly something to marvel at. Jason has started the year 14/14 on field goals and another 10/10 on extra points. It is a piece of mind to know that your kicker is perfect on every kick each time you send him out there.

Defense

This must be what it feels like to have a defensive-minded Head Coach because the D was flying around all afternoon long. Throughout the game, we saw players like Jerome Baker, Eric Rowe, Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, and even Andrew Van Ginkel. Jerome finished with 8 tackles and a huge sack at the end to ice it. Rowe shut down Kittle to a tune of 4 catches for 44 yards. Xavien got an interception, which is his third game straight with an interception. Byron Jones seemed to be the missing piece that solidified the rest of the defense as Noah was not tasked with an impossible task. Lastly, one of my personal gems through my analysis of his tape, AVG. AVG was a wrecking ball off the edge all afternoon long, totaling 6 tackles 1 sack, 1 FF, and 1.5 TFL. For more in-depth on AVG.

Coaching Staff

The Coaching Staff all should get some credit for the game plan and adjustments made throughout the game by getting an early lead after a 4th down stop. After that momentum swing, it was all downhill for the 49ers. On the defensive side, the coaching staff placed their players in positions to succeed by eliminating the 49ers offense from ever getting in rhythm through the air. We realized early on that their secondary was extremely small, with the lone exception was Brian Allen, who was just activated this week. All game long we attacked a beat up and weak secondary. Preston being single teamed all game led to us hitting him early and getting him his 100-yard game as well as getting another huge game from Mike Gesicki.

Stock Down

Jordan Howard

I find it hard to imagine seeing Jordan Howard in a Dolphins uniform for very much longer. A random and surprise coaching decision to not dress Jordan for the game led to more of Breida and Myles taking over goal-line duties. I still am of the opinion that if Howard was given the same role and opportunity as Myles, he would more than show the skills that have made him a 1,000-yard RB in the league.

Rushing Attack

It seems counterintuitive that we would sit a talented RB while still averaging only 2.8 yards per carry before the game. That is unacceptable and by looking at the tape Myles is only getting whatever the offensive line is getting for him. I don’t see any explosive moves or ability to make a man miss and take it to the house and while Coach Flores has bromance for Myles, but we need to start getting the ball to Breida and even Jordan Howard. Think about this, Myles had a 21-yard run (his longest on the year) and had a total of 57 yards rushing on 16 carries. My math is funny sometimes but 15 carries for 36 yards equals 2.4 yards a carry. Unacceptable.

Jesse Davis at Right Tackle

It’s becoming harder to see a world where Jesse Davis comes back to have his job on as the Right Tackle once Austin Jackson comes back from IR. Seeing both Solomon Kindley and Robert Hunt move bodies around all game long really showed that we have a solid foundation to build on and one which needs as much playing time as possible, even if it comes at the cost of veterans who are mere stopgaps for the future. By all indications our investments this past draft have been fruitful and eventually we will have an OL with 3 rookies playing and based off the early results, we have no need to feel nervous about saying that.

Rush Defense

I really have a tough time understanding how a team that finished with 26 less points than us still manages to average 6.8 yards per carry totaling 131 for the day and 1 TD. Somehow while being up the entirety of the game, we still allowed San Francisco the ability to run the ball when they wanted to even though they had to throw it all game to try and get back into it. If this had been a closer game or even a game that San Francisco got a lead in, are we talking 200+ yards rushing being given up? It does little to play the what if games, but this is a trend that still has not been broken and with the potential loss of Davon Godchaux we lose one of our most experienced run defenders to an already porous rush defense.

Overall this team pulled off a great win which should show guys that these types of results are possible when everyone is playing together, mistake free and discipline brand of football. Coach Flores constantly preaches about each player starring in their role and if everyone can buy in to that we may be able to go on a little win streak here with the lowly but still rival New York Jets coming into town.

 

 

 

Dolphins Win 49ers

5 Takeaways from Dolphins Win over 49ers

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When the 2020 schedule came out and Dolphins fans saw a Week 5 game against the defending NFC Champs in San Francisco, most chalked that up as a loss. But quite a bit has changed since then, including the NFL’s schedule. And instead of a loss, the Dolphins went into Levi’s Stadium and dominated the 49ers, earning a 43-17 win.

With the win, Miami improved to 2-3 on the season and injected new life into their potential playoff hopes. With the schedule changes, the Dolphins could be favored to win four of their next six games.

Here’s a look at five takeaways from the Dolphins win over the 49ers.

Aggressive Play-calling Leads to Offensive Explosion

The Dolphins entered Sunday’s game averaging 23.3 points-per-game, a respectable figure despite the 1-3 record. However, a week after settling for five field goals in a 31-23 loss, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey seemed focused on getting his club in the endzone.

Miami opened their first offensive series with a 47-yard connection from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Preston Williams. From there, it seemed like the Dolphins offense marched up and down the field at will, often attacking San Francisco’s secondary.

Miami totaled 43 points on the road in this one, a figure the club hadn’t reached since scoring 45 in 1986. The 436 yards of offense were the most this season and the team’s most on the road since 2016. The Dolphins’ nine scoring drives were Miami’s most since 1991.

The first half offense caught fans off guard for how effective it was. Miami ran 33 offensive plays and gained 281 yards in the half, an average of 8.5 yards-per-play. The Dolphins scored three times from the two-minute warning and finished with 30 points overall. It was just the third 30-point half since 2000 for the Dolphins.

Preston Williams Returning to Form in Dolphins Win over 49ers

Williams went from being an unheralded, undrafted fringe prospect, to one of the league’s most exciting rookie wideouts last season. But in November, Williams suffered a torn ACL which ended his year. Since, he’s been diligently working to regain his form and confidence.

And after an uneven start to 2020, Williams broke out in a big way against the 49ers. Williams caught four passes for a career-high 106 receiving yards and a touchdown. He had pair of plays over 30 yards, including the touchdown, as well as another 19-yard gain.

His ability to create separation and sore over smaller defenders to secure catches was something unseen from Williams since prior to his season-ending injury.

“I’m getting closer to that year mark with my knee,” Williams said. “I’m starting to get more comfortable out there … just trying to get back into that football shape and get me feet back under me. I know a lot earlier in the year I was falling off some routes. Now I’m starting to feel better every week.”

Pass Rush Gets Home, Helps Secondary in Dolphins Win over 49ers

The Dolphins entered Sunday’s contest with nine quarterback sacks, but they had struggled t contain mobile quarterbacks this season. San Francisco’s starter, Jimmy Garoppolo, coming off a high-ankle sprain, looked hobbled all day, and the Dolphins took advantage of that.

Miami teed off on 49er quarterbacks, bringing pressure and getting eight quarterback hits. That’s the second-highest total this season, behind the 10 QB hits against Jacksonville (the Dolphins other win this season).

Miami tallied five sacks on Sunday, the most in a game since 2018. Five different defenders registered a sack in this one: Jerome Baker, Emmauel Ogbah, Elandon Roberts, Zach Sieler and Andrew Van Ginkel. Ogbah and Van Ginkel each had a strip-sack.

The consistent pressure from the Dolphins defense forced San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan to make a change under center. The 49ers went with C.J. Beathard in the second half in an effort to protect Garoppolo.

This pressure helped the Dolphins secondary find its form in this one as well. The return of Byron Jones certainly helped, too. Xavien Howard picked up an interception in a third-straight game and Bobby McCain added one as well. Miami’s pass rush and secondary limited the 49ers to just 128 net passing yards, the fewest allowed by the Dolphins since 2018.

Jason Sanders Could Be Best K in Dolphins History

One of the clear bright spots through the inconsistent play early this season has been Jason Sanders. After a five-field goal performance in Week 4, Sanders followed that with another stellar effort in this one. He netted all five of his field goal tries and each of his four point-after attempts.

Sanders 14-for-14 start to the season broke a Dolphins record for most consecutive field goals made to open a season. Pete Stoyanovich (1990) and Olindo Mare (2001) shared the previous 13-for-13 mark to open a season for Miami.

Sanders has now netted his last 16 field goal attempts, going back to last season. That’s tied for third among most consecutive makes in franchise history. The record is 19 straight makes by Mare (1999). Sunday’s game marked the third time in Sanders’ career that he’s hit five field goals in a game, which set a new franchise record.

It Might Not Be Tua-Time Just Yet

On Wednesday, Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said: “Right now, we feel like Fitz gives us the best chance to go out to California, complete and try to win a ballgame.” Those words seemed prophetic, considering Fitzpatrick’s performance and the Dolphins dominance overall.

Fitzpatrick completed 22-of-28 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns. He posted a passer rating of 154.4, which is the second-highest mark in his 16-year career and the third-highest single-game mark in franchise history (Fielder, 156.0, at Dallas 2003; Tannehill, 155.3, v Oakland, 2018). Fitzpatrick has now thrown over 300 yards in five of his past seven games.

“People hate me, people love me, depending on the week,” Fitzpatrick said.

The Tua-time crowd will likely be silenced for a time after Fitzpatrick’s performance. Coming off an ineffective two interception game in a loss last week, the cries for Tua Tagovailoa grew louder. Some saw Week 5 as the chance to switch to Tagovailoa, but an injury to starting left tackle Austin Jackson may have slowed that momentum. And after his performance this week, Fitzpatrick is likely the starter for the foreseeable future.

Tagovailoa remains the backup for now, in part, because Flores believes Fitzpatrick gives the Dolphins the best chance to win. And with the shuffled schedule putting winnable games on tap, Miami will push for the playoffs.

Flores says he’s confident that should Tagovailoa be forced into a game that he could go in there and be effective, but he doesn’t feel the fifth overall pick is ready to take over as starter.

“I think (Tagovailoa) continues to improve every day,” quarterbacks coach Robby Brown said. “He comes in, he works hard from a mental perspective. He works hard from a physical perspective. He’s sitting under a really smart guy right now that helps him out. He asks good questions during the game sitting there listening to the play. Then when we come over and look at the pictures, he asks good questions, so I think his development, I’ve been pleased with it so far. It’s just … keep doing what he’s doing, and going in to prepare every single day. He’s done a good job with that.”

Dolphins schedule

Dolphins Schedule Update

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The NFL handed down a massive announcement on Sunday in the wake of positive COVID-19 tests involving the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots. This change resulted in a domino effect which altered the schedule for eight different teams, including the Miami Dolphins.

Sunday’s announcement revealed eight different changes to the 2020 schedule, affecting games in Weeks 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11, as well as the shifting of bye weeks.

Dolphins Schedule Changes

For the Dolphins, the league’s decision to push back the Broncos-Patriots game by a week knocked over the dominos for the Fins. Instead of a road game in Denver next week, the Dolphins will now host the New York Jets. In the original 2020 schedule, Miami faced the Jets in back-to-back games (Week 10, Week 12) with a bye in between.

Considering the Jets’ 0-5 record and struggles overall, Miami could enter their bye with a 3-3 mark. After a week that saw Ryan Fitzpatrick lead Miami to a win over the 49ers, another win could further delay the eventual turn to Tua Tagovailoa as starting quarterback.

After the new bye week in Week 7, Miami will host the Los Angeles Rams (4-1) in Week 8. Then, in Week 9, the Dolphins travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals (3-2). Both of those contests were unchanged from the original schedule. For Week 10, Miami will host the Los Angeles Chargers (1-3), a game originally scheduled for Week 7. From there, the Dolphins Week 11 contest will be in Denver against the Broncos (1-3).

“It’s a different year, and everyone has t adjust and be flexible,” said Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. “We just have to adapt.”

Flores revealed he met with the club before the game against the 49ers to talk them through the schedule changes. He also mentioned the coaches have already begun breaking down film of the Jets in preparation for their next game.

It seems clear the NFL remains dead set on fully completing its regular 16-game schedule slate. This change took place early enough in the season that the league had space to rearrange contests. Should a similar situation arise closer to the end of the season, that might force the NFL to push back playoff games or even alter the playoff format.

Five things to watch: Miami Dolphins vs San Francisco 49ers

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Coming off a terrible loss that we had a chance to win, your Miami Dolphins travel cross country to play the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers and Kyle Shanahan have been dealing with a shocking amount of injuries early on in the year, which will very likely force the 49ers to not have either their starting QB or RB. Can your Miami Dolphins take advantage of an opponent who is struggling to even field a healthy team by all indications? Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Offensive Line

Coming off a game where they only allowed 1 sack, the offensive will once again be asked to slow an effective pass rush down. The injury report has not been kind to the offensive line so far as Solomon Kindley started limited in the week but is now a full participant. Unfortunately, our other rookie Austin Jackson began the week with 2 did not practice designations. Without at least a limited practice before the game, we will most likely be going with a backup LT. Not really the best recipe if you wanted to possibly get your rookie QB some snaps.

Slowing down Shanahan’s Run Game

For us to have any chance in this game, we need to limit what Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers do best, which is run the ball. Like last week and slowing Russell, it is going to a lot easier said than done. They could be down their 2 best RB with both Mostert and Tevin Colman dealing with injuries meaning If we can stop 3rd and 4th string RB from running wild on us, we would be making them one dimensional on offense, which is the opposite of what they want with Nick Mullens or C.J. Beathard out there.

Establishing the Run Game

It cannot be stated more what a disappointment our running attack has been. I mean to strictly leave it on the RBs inability to make explosive plays and the coaching staff’s inability to try different players in different roles. This is a sort of revenge game for ex-49ers RB Matt Breida, meaning there would be no better game to get him or even Jordan Howard more than the 4.5 carries they have been averaging over the first four games.

A quarter of the season is gone, and as much as Coach Flores loves Myles for what he represents, he is not a starting RB in the NFL. We need to start exploring all our options because this patriots style of RB use is great when you have talented RBs that can excel in their roles, but when you force Jordan Howard to only be a goal-line back and get 4.5 carries a game when he has shown to be a multiple 1000 yard rusher it becomes increasingly more frustrating as each game passes.

Miami Traveling

Last week I spoke about the Seattle Seahawks and the historical struggles of west coast teams traveling to the east coast and essentially playing a 10am. Well, we can go ahead and reverse the roles because east coast teams traveling to the west have also historically struggled to execute. In what will be a quick trip as the Dolphins are traveling their Saturday due to COVID regulations, can we as a team go in their focus, locked and loaded to get our second W of the year, or will we be flying home Sunday night knowing we just earned our 4th loss of the year?

Coaching Staff

After a quarter of the year, most teams begin an introspective process to assess what went right and what went wrong during the first 25 percent of the year. The entire coaching staff’s performance has to be top on the list of what went wrong.  The entire staff needs to hold themselves accountable as they would a player missing a block, assignment, or tackle.

Decisions are coming on the horizon that could very well affect the next decade of this franchise when it comes to Tua Tagovailoa. Already this week, we have had to “announce” who our starting QB is with Flores coming out and saying that not only is Fitz our starter this week but also that Tua is not ready and that if he was Tua’s father, he would not want him to play yet, but he’s already a snap away from being in the game as the backup QB, so why those comments?

Ultimately, it will take an entire team effort for 60 minutes to steal this game away as we enter 9-point underdogs. Can Fitzpatrick hold off Tua for another week? Will Jerome Baker finally show up after 16 tackles total in the 3 games after his 16-tackle game? How much of a difference will a healthy Byron bring to a defense that has been getting torched all year? All questions of great importance for not just the rest of this year but also next year. Till next time guys, Fins Up!

Dolphins 49ers

5 Keys to Dolphins vs 49ers

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The Miami Dolphins (1-3) travel to the West Coast for a key Week 5 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers (2-2). Miami looks to rebound after a tough but winnable game last week against the Seattle Seahawks. Meanwhile, the 49ers want to win after a disappointing 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week.

The Dolphins enter the game as a nine-point underdog and they’ve recently placed their starting left tackle on the injured reserve. San Francisco should see the return of their starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who hasn’t played since Week 2. Working in Miami’s favor? The 49ers are 0-2 at home this season.

Here’s a look at five keys for the Dolphins Week 5 matchup against the 49ers.

Dolphins-49ers Key: Continue to Stop the Run

Although the defense has not played up to expectations thus far in 2020, one of the areas where they’ve improved from last season is against the run. Miami’s run defense allowed 136.4 rushing yards per game last season. In 2020, after surrendering 217 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1 versus the Patriots, they’ve responded since. In Weeks 2-4, Miami allowed just 94 rushing yards per game and four rushing touchdowns total.

They’ll need a similar effort in Week 5 against the 49ers. San Francisco averages 128.5 rushing yards per game in 2020, and they’ve scored seven touchdowns on the ground. Jerick McKinnon leads the team with 193 yards, and the team expects Raheem Mostert to return for Week 5.

The Dolphins will need to improve upon their current mark of 4.6 yards-allowed-per-carry, which is almost equal to San Francisco’s 4.7 yards-per-attempt average.

Blitz a Hobbled Jimmy Garoppolo

The 49ers expect to welcome back Garoppolo for this one. While Garoppolo sat with an ankle injury, Nick Mullens took the reins and did very little, eventually being pulled for third stringer C.J. Beathard.

The Dolphins pass defense has been one of the worst in the league, and that’s surprising considering the secondary was viewed as a strength coming into the season. Byron Jones’ injury certainly did not help matters. Xavien Howard is still rounding into form after last year’s knee injury though he does have an interception in each of the last two weeks. His 14 career INTs are tied for for the second most in the NFL since 2017.

A key for Miami will be to make sure Garoppolo is uncomfortable in the pocket. With a potentially gimpy ankle limiting his mobility, the Dolphins should look to attack with the blitz. San Francisco has surrendered 13 sacks this season, sixth-most in the NFL, despite solid play from their tackles. Miami blitzes 32.6 percent of the time and will need to generate the pressure up the middle.

Dolphins-49ers Key: Limit George Kittle

The key weapon in the 49ers’ offensive machine might be tight end George Kittle. After missing Weeks 2 and 3, Kittle returned the lineup with a monster 15-catch, 183-yard one-touchdown performance last week. He even had an additional carry for eight yards. Kittle caught all 15 targets in Week 4, making him just the fourth receiver or tight end since 2009 to be targeted at least 12 times and catch each pass.

Miami could use Eric Rowe or one of the other defensive backs in coverage against Kittle, but they’ll need to prevent the elite tight end from taking over this contest. They’ll need to use an array of coverages and should throw different defenders at him when possible.

”I don’t think you stop him, I think you just try to limit him,” head coach Brian Flores said of Kittle. ”You try to give him different looks — play zone, play some man. I think when you’ve got a player like this, you’ve got to think about doubling a guy like this; but again, he’s as physical as they get.”

Be Sure Tacklers

The Dolphins secondary surrenders 285 passing-yards-per-game thus far in 2020, fifth-most in the NFL. They’ve allowed six passing touchdowns, but have registered five interceptions, including a pivotal one in the endzone last week by Howard.

In Week 5, the secondary lines up against a number of big play threats on the outside in Deebo Samuel and rookie wideout Brandon Aiyuk. If and when those players make a catch, the Dolphins D will need to bring them down. Last season, Samuel was second among all receivers in yards-after-catch per reception, and Aiyuk has already scored on a pair of 30-plus yard runs this season. And Kittle has been one of the best in the game at it with the most yards after the catch among all tight ends and receivers since he entered the league in 2017.

The 49ers also like to run the ball outside as well. Last year, the 49ers ran 60 carries outside for 363 yards, three touchdowns and 17 first downs. On those runs, 255 yards were gained after contact.

Dolphins-49ers Key: Score Touchdowns

Last week, the Dolphins offense moved the ball well against the Seattle defense, but stalled in scoring territory. Jason Sanders kicked five field goals and the Phins didn’t get their first touchdown until late, on a Ryan Fitzpatrick run. He threw for 315 yards but had no TD passes and was intercepted twice.

Fitzpatrick has thrown four touchdown passes this season, but the 49ers enter with only three passing touchdowns allowed, which is tops in the NFL. Fitzpatrick will need to limit mistakes (like the two interceptions last week) and could focus again on DeVante Parker, who caught a career-high 10 passes 110 yards last week. The 49ers will be without Richard Sherman, so that should help.

The key to scoring those touchdowns might be getting the running game going. In Miami’s lone win this season, they picked up 138 rushing yards against Jacksonville. They’ve only eclipsed 100 yards one other time, last week (103 yards), and are averaging just 96.3 yards-per-game on the ground in their three losses. The 49ers defense, meanwhile, allows 110.8 rushing-yards-per-game.

Miami’s offensive line will likely need to buy Fitzpatrick extra time, considering the 49ers blitz at the ninth-highest rate in the NFL (34.2 percent blitz rate) this season. Although they’re without Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead leads the defense with 18 quarterback pressures. San Francisco has the third-highest pressure rate at 30.3 percent, but they rank only 18th in sacks (8).