Tag Archive for: Miami Dolphins

Nik Needham shining in his second stint with the Miami Dolphins

/0 Comments/in /by

Nik Needham spent his college playing career at the University of Texas at El Paso developing his football skills. The cornerback finished with 213 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss and three interceptions. He added a school record of 33 passes broken up in 41 career games.

However, that wasn’t enough to land a spot on Miami’s 53-man roster as the Dolphins waived him on Aug. 31, the final day of roster cuts.

“He came in here, worked hard, got cut – we knew the work ethic was there but got cut,” defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said. ” [Josh Boyer, cornerbacks coach, told him] you’re going to have to transform your body. You’re going to have to – in terms of just how important it is to you, that’s a decision you’re going to have make.”

Needham signed to join the practice squad the following day. He earned a spot n the 53-man roster right before Miami’s game against Washington. Since then, the rookie has made the most out his opportunity.

He tallied a team-high nine tackles in Miami’s win over New York. One of those tackles was a sack of quarterback Sam Darnold, the first of Needham’s career. In Sunday’s win over the Colts he added his first-career interception.

Not only did Needham listen to Graham’s advice, but it is quickly paying off.

“He’s starting to see really the fruits of his labor in terms of the success on the field and he knows he still has a long way to go,” Graham said. “This week [against Buffalo] is going to be a huge challenge with the receivers we’re going to see when they play down here from Buffalo. He’s making steps in the right direction.”

Needham has started four of the last five games for the Miami Dolphins. On Sunday he contributed three passes defended against the Colts.

“Nik played well [against the Colts],” coach Brian Flores said on Monday. “We brought him in as a free agent and he did some good things in OTAs and had some struggles like most rookies do in the preseason and wasn’t quite ready, so we put him on the practice squad. It’s part of their journey, I should say. He spent a few weeks on the practice squad. I think getting released and going through that process took him through a little bit of the reality of what the National Football League could be. He’s turned some things around and he’s still got a long way to go, but all of those things play a role in kind of how we performed yesterday and hopefully he continues to do that.”

Needham’s stock has grown over the last few weeks, but his goal is to help the team.

“It just felt good to contribute to the old guys and help get a win,” Needham said. “That is all I am really worried about – I just want to win. It felt great.”

The Dolphins are working to build on a perfect 2-0 record in November.

“I think over the weeks we are just building chemistry and really play for each other,” Needham said. “Game changing plays happen out there and we don’t back down or give up we just go back out there and fight. That’s the main goal every week.”

Miami will look to make it three-straight wins this Sunday. The Dolphins have a divisional match against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium.

 

Adam Gase is the Tanking Remedy

/0 Comments/in , /by

Former Dolphins Head coach, Adam Gase, got embarrassed by his former team this weekend. The so-called “Offensive Guru” has had a rough start since his tenure with the Jets began. He is undoubtedly on the hot seat after a 1-7 start with a team that had such high expectations after spending boatloads of money acquiring high profile talent this offseason. 

 

His genius offensive play call has the Jets ranking 32nd in almost every major offensive category. His ability to be a Quarterback whisperer has Sam Darnold looking fantastic with six touchdowns and nine interceptions in five games this season. The whole appeal to hiring Gase was this so-called revolutionary offense that would have defensive coordinators terrified. 

 

Adam Gase is a complete fraud of a head coach with one fluke playoff run led behind Jay Ajayi’s monster run during his first season as a head coach. The Jets are going through absolute chaos as the media and fans have both completely turned on Gase. After being dismantled By the tanking Dolphins chants of “Fire Gase” ensued as he walked into the tunnel of Hard Rock Stadium. 

 

 

 

The absolute best thing Gase did Sunday though was sitting on the bench alone early In the fourth quarter looking as If he was scheming up some mastermind plan. This all happening while his team was trying to make a crucial stop to get back into the game. He looked like a fan watching the game rather than being a head coach. 

 

 

His press conference afterward was also memorable. He declined to comment on whether he deserved to be fired from Miami, which 100% he did deserve. After the loss, Gase was asked about the embarrassment of losing to the dolphins and stated “It’s the NFL. You can’t be embarrassed by this s***”. Maybe Gase plan all along was to screw the dolphins out of that first overall pick in April’s draft and I can say without a doubt no one in Miami misses this fraud of a head coach Adam Gase. 

 

 

Many media outlets have been extremely critical of this Dolphins season for their tanking tactics. Steve Young last week on Monday night football stated that the Dolphins are “putting people’s health at risk.” This morning on “Get Up” Pat McAffe offered an apology to the dolphins and ripped Coach Gase further saying “you lost to a team that is actively trying to lose.” The national media will continue to Scrutinize the Dolphins but they have gradually improved every week unlike our friend Adam Gase who continues to decline every week, losing to teams who “put players at risk.” 

Miami Dolphins Good Fortunes Last all of one day

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Dolphins earned their first victory of the 2019 season Sunday and all was well in South Florida sports.

 

For roughly 24 hours if that.

First news broke that wide receiver Preston Williams was being shut down for the season with a knee injury.

 

Williams finishes a breakout rookie season with 32 receptions for 428 yards and three touchdowns, two of those scores came in his final game Sunday against New York.

Adding company to the misery, at least for Dolphins’ fans stateside, it was also announced Miami would again be playing overseas next year.

 

Season ticket holders will again be losing a home game in Miami Gardens but there is good news, they’ll save about 12% on the cost of tickets!

Those same season ticket holders can forgo the International Series and enjoy just seven games against what would be likely a last place schedule.

But wait, there’s more…

On a busy news day, you might as well keep the hits coming.

 

Walton will be suspended for the next four games as a result of his three arrests in the offseason.

 

Walton was the new lead back after the departure of Kenyan Drake to Arizona. Kallen Ballage will now assume that role, look for more roster moves in the running back room as the week goes on.

After a resounding win against Adam Gase and the Jets, thankfully the 2019 Miami Dolphins have quickly returned to form we all know and love.

 

 

Miami Dolphins lose Preston Williams for rest of 2019 season

/11 Comments/in /by
The Miami Dolphins suffered a major injury loss on Monday.

The Miami Dolphins wide receiving unit has suffered a huge loss. Monday, an MRI revealed a season-ending knee injury for Preston Williams per multiple media reports. He is done for the season.

The rookie from Colorado State was really impressing over the course of the season. In what has been an up-and-down campaign for the Miami Dolphins, Williams has played well. Signing as an undrafted rookie, the Colorado state product made a good first impression in his opening season. He caught 32 passes for 428 yards and three touchdowns. His best game of the season came on Sunday against the Jets. He caught five passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Averaging 14.4 yards per reception, a 26-yard grab was his longest of the afternoon.

Williams was a player that made an impact from the get-go. In the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, he caught three passes for 24 yards and a touchdown. In a season that has been all about rebuilding, he has been a bright spot.

Williams a key component of Miami Dolphins future

The next goal for Williams is to make sure that he gets healthy for the 2020 season. In a season where Miami is sending players packing in an effort to gain capital and rebuild, Williams looks to be a part of this organization for a long time. He has the potential to become a top target for the future. Hopefully, everything goes well during the rehab process so he can get back on the field as soon as possible.

The Miami Dolphins are going to need big contributions from two players specifically the rest of the way. Tight end Mike Gesicki is one of them, and wide receiver Devante Parker is the other.

Gesicki heads into Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts looking to build off his successful performance from last week. He had his best game of the season, catching six passes for 95 yards.  Parker had a great game as well, catching four passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. Those two will look to spearhead the Miami Dolphins passing offense for the foreseeable future.

This is certainly unfortunate news for the Miami Dolphins. Hopefully, Williams can come back even stronger in 2020. He is certainly a promising young player with a ton of talent. Here’s to hoping his recovery efforts go according to plan.

Tank That! Dolphins Beat Adam Gase’s Jets for 1st Win

/0 Comments/in /by

MIAMI GARDENS — You could see this coming.

Really, you could.

You didn’t even Adam Gase’s fancy, darting eyes.

The reasoning was simple. On one side you had a team that was clearly improving under its first-year coach, Brian Flores, even though the Dolphins were trading or idling their better players. On the other side, you had Gase, and a Jets team that had already tired of him. So this was somewhat predictable. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a capable NFL quarterback when he has time, and he had time just enough times Sunday, in a 26-18 victory. Gase is a fraud, and his time with the Jets may soon come to an end, after signing a long-term contract this offseason.

Even some players were calling their shot:

It didn’t start well for the Dolphins:

But then Fitzpatrick and Preston Williams started to connect:

And the defense settled in a little, after letting Jets second-year quarterback Sam Darnold get comfortable early…

Fitzpatrick, who has been plagued by inconsistency since training camp, continued to find targets on the outside…

Hey, it’s DeVante Parker….

A Jets touchdown got taken off the board on a coach’s challenge, but they still made it closer by halftime after a couple of Dolphins’ mistakes…

If you were rooting for the Dolphins to win — which wasn’t all of you — then you feared the worst…

The Dolphins, however, had a little juice in the running game, at least when Kallen Ballage (2.0 yards per carry this season) isn’t getting the suspicious calls….

The Jets coach tried to use his wizardry…

Some of the Dolphins’ most criticized players showed up, though. That included a defensive back who has seemingly been torched since preseason…

And then the Jets went full Jets….

So the Dolphins and Jets are now both 1-7.

Flores, who has done increasingly solid work, has his first victory.

Miami won’t join the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns as the only winless teams in modern NFL history.

Williams, Parker and Mike Gesicki (95 receiving yards) continued to show promise, as did linebacker Raekwon McMillan.

Fitzpatrick (24 of 36, 295 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions) showed he may be worth keeping as a veteran backup next season, to whatever rookie the Dolphins draft.

That’s the good.

The bad?

The rookie may not be the one that fans wanted, not unless the Dolphins lose out, which won’t be easy with the Bengals and Jets still on the schedule.

The dream of Tua Tagliavailoa may be over.

Look for more content on the Dolphins here — and on Three Yards Per Carry.

The Dolphins' free agent signings fit into coach Brian Flores' scheme. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

ESPN FPI: Miami has a great shot at the top pick in next year’s draft

/0 Comments/in /by

According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Miami Dolphins have a 70 percent chance at the top pick in the 2020 draft. It is safe to say that 2019 hasn’t been the easiest season for the Miami Dolphins, but the front office, coaching staff and fan base is hoping it will pay off in the end.

Behind them is the winless Bengals, who have a 17 percent chance according to the power index.

However, Cincinnati did just announce the benching of Andy Dalton. The nine-year veteran has nine touchdowns and eight interceptions under center for the Bengals. In fact, he is the first quarterback to lead a team to both a 8-0 and 0-8 start.

However,  Ryan Finley is stepping in, a rookie who was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL draft.

Finley will have some help as star receiver A.J. Green is expected to return sooner rather than later for Cincinnati.

Despite a winless first-half of the season, Miami is hoping the Bengals can go on a run and win a handful of games in order to create some distance in the race for the first pick in the draft.

Keep in mind that Dolphins coach Brian Flores has his sights set on wins, not the top pick in the draft. Miami is starting to show signs of a competitive football team, despite the 0-7 record.

The Jets looking like one of the worst teams in the NFL, here are Miami’s “biggest” games remaining on the nine-game schedule:

Jets at Dolphins, Nov. 3; Dolphins at Jets, Dec. 8; Bengals at Dolphins, Dec. 22.

It hasn’t been the easiest season, but with a little luck, Brian Flores and company can continue to show signs that they’re the right crew for the job without ruining Miami’s chance at a top pick.

Miami Dolphins secure draft capital in Aqib Talib trade

/0 Comments/in /by

The Miami Dolphins made a move on Tuesday.

The Miami Dolphins have made a major move ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, and this one should boost the secondary. The Dolphins acquired Aqib Talib from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a late-round future draft pick.

If only, he was the Aqib Talib of old. He is currently on IR due to a rib injury. Chances are, he will never see a snap for the Miami Dolphins. Miami basically took on his $4.2 million salary for a fifth-round draft pick.

This is certainly an intriguing move to me. Miami gets an asset that will be used to bolster the team in the future. The fact that they were willing to take on the money portion of things surprises me. However, when you are in a rebuild, the price for a draft pick may be a bit hefty at times.

Miami head coach Brian Flores has already expressed public support for the move. From the sounds of it, Flores hopes to be able to work with Talib. However, there is no denying that the crown jewel in this deal was the draft pick. If the Dolphins can manage to keep Talib around for longer than just this season, that is great. However, I wouldn’t count on it. If Talib walks after the 2019 season, then Miami at least has a draft pick to play with for the future.

It’s intriguing to see all this roster reshuffling. It may seem a little bit tedious right now, but it should put the Miami Dolphins in a better position for the future. Now, the big challenge for the organization will be to make sure that they make the right decisions with these draft picks in the coming years. Again, it is easier said than done. However, I am confident that the organization has done their research. For a rebuild as big as this one, it makes sense to not leave any stone unturned. That certainly was the mindset on Tuesday, as they continue to stockpile resources.

The Dolphins' free agent signings fit into coach Brian Flores' scheme. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

The Miami Dolphins are starting to lose the right way

/0 Comments/in /by

This was closer to the perceived plan prior to the season.

Lose, but with dignity.

Fall, but with pride.

Get closer to franchise changing quarterback Tua Tagliovailoa, but stay reasonably close on the scoreboard.

After an abominable start to the 2019-20, Brian Flores and his increasingly well-organized Miami Dolphins have been doing that lately.

They took a 14-0 lead Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, before dropping the game, 27-14. That dropped their record to 0-7,  and marked the third straight game that they didn’t entirely embarrass themselves. In fact, they covered again — the spread at BetDSI.com and other sportsbooks was 13.5 or 14 at kickoff.

This game turned on a mistake we would be lamenting for weeks if we really wanted them to win — Nick O’Leary letting a ball bounce off his chest, with the carom corralled by former Dolphin defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, the first of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s two interceptions. From there, Miami inexplicably called an all-out blitz on a 3rd-and-20, which caused a short screen to go the distance. The offensive line stopped blocking, and Ryan Fitzpatrick started running for his life. Xavien Howard sat down, a consistent pattern whenever it appears the Dolphins might mess up and win.

And the tank was back on.

The tank that is required to top (or bottom) Cincy, the Jets, and all the other terrible teams this season.

The tank that Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young isn’t so happy about…

Here are some of the tweets that told the story (there’s actually some good in here!):

 

Robert Nkemdiche signing

Robert Nkemdiche promoted to Miami Dolphins active roster

/0 Comments/in /by

The Miami Dolphins have updated their active roster.

The Miami Dolphins have made a decision on Robert Nkemdiche, promoting him to the active roster. It is unclear if he’ll play on Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nevertheless, his comeback is quite impressive.

He had season-ending knee surgery a little less than 11 months ago. Now, he is back to playing football.  As many of you know, he began his career with the Arizona Cardinals. He spent three seasons in the desert and came to Miami on a one-year, $1.16 million deal. The new deal came just 11 days after a failed physical designation with the Cardinals on July 28. From tearing his knee last December, to having the opportunity to play in a game, he has certainly come a long way.

For his career, he has 44 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. There is no doubt that the potential is definitely there. He was named to the  All-SEC first team in 2015 as a member of Ole Miss.

The ends are a plus for Miami Dolphins

Nkemdiche joins the likes of Christian Wilkins, Taco Charlton, John Jenkins, and Avery Moss at the defensive end position. This position could definitely be considered a source of strength for Miami. In particular, I’m excited to see the development of Christian Wilkins. The amount of youth at the position combined with the amount of veteran talent makes for a great combination.

Nkemdiche’s development will be interesting to watch as well. As a veteran, he is is trying to get back to what he was before his injury. It remains to be seen if he can do that.  A strong showing for this defense would certainly be a step in the right direction.

The Miami Dolphins have made it clear that they’re going to rebuild this roster. However, just because they are undergoing a rebuild does not mean that they lack talent. As long as Nkemdiche can say healthy, he is certainly a viable piece on the line. I’ll be interested to see exactly how he fits with the Miami Dolphins moving forward. His statistical production in particular is definitely something to watch.

Kenyan Drake’s Top 5 Miami Dolphins Moments

/0 Comments/in , /by

Kenyan Drake has always been a bit of a polarizing player for the Miami Dolphins since he was drafted out of Alabama in the 2016 draft. He has had stretches of fans asking, “why isn’t he touching the ball?!” and flashes of game-breaking ability.

With Drake being traded to Arizona today and we say our goodbyes, we will focus on the ladder of the two. The Three Yards Per Carry Podcast gives us their top five Kenyan Drake moments.

Number one shouldn’t shock anyone…….