Despite a Wednesday joint practice against the Detroit Lions that shamed the Miami Dolphins players, their families, the organization, the ghost of Don Shula (super sky point) and Dolfan Denny, the team went ahead and played its scheduled preseason game at Ford Field on Saturday regardless. We examine the 24-17 win, quarter-by-quarter, in the Big Breakdown.
HIGHLIGHTS
– Wilson improves; Ewers even better as he leads reserves on 91-yard scoring drive
– Ollie Gordon easily outplaying Jaylin Wright in competition for backup running back
– Battles play out for the final roster spot(s) at wide receiver
– All three rookie defensive tackles play well, Jordan Phillips on the ascent
– Cornerback Ethan Robinson awakens
FIRST QUARTER
– Dolphins were lucky WR Kennedy was holding Ethan Bonner on what would have been a long run as Dante Trader Jr., in his first time back from injury, dove and missed the tackle on the outside.
– Looks like the current 1s at cornerback are Bonner and Storm Duck, who seems to have secured one of the two outside jobs.
– Note to readers: given the team nature of offensive line play and that this is mostly a starter-less game that will primarily feature players who won’t be on the roster and without having all-22 film — there won’t be much focus in this piece on the offensive line.
– The defensive line held stout in the middle early but the edge players are having trouble with containment. A lot of talk about Derek McClendon and Grayson Murphy due to their pass rushing skills, but they have to do better against the run to make the roster.
– Lions offense drew a flag seemingly because Trader showed blitz at the last second. Weaver continues to display a desire to send pressure from any position in an effort to create confusion.
– Channing Tindall continues to show his value on coverage teams.
– Wilson held the ball too long in preseason game 1 and continues the trend early in game 2. Not a way to succeed in McDaniel’s timing-based offense.
– On third down, Wilson got rocked and it wasn’t his fault. Lions sent two on a delayed blitz and the Dolphins had only Jaylin Wright available as a blocker. Not sure if Wilson should have recognized the numbers pre-snap and checked out of it.
– Miami continues the trend from last week of showing heavy defensive fronts on early downs. It seems to be succeeding in creating tougher late-down situations. They ultimately stopped doing this as the game progressed and went with more vanilla offensive and defensive looks, likely to allow roster battles to play out more clearly.
– Tight end Tanner Conner involved early via a shovel pass and a reception where he put his head down for extra yards.
– One of Wilson’s better throws of the preseason, a touch pass to Pharaoh Brown that the tight end took down to the 3, was called back for illegal formation. Tackles are being called a lot this preseason for playing off the line, and this was one of those cases.
– WR Dee Eskridge took a Wilson screen 28 yards and it was the smallest guy on offense with the first block to spring him, Tahj Washington. He also got a real nice block downfield from Jackson Carman.
– Eskridge closed out a strong drive for him by scoring on an 11-yard pass from Wilson. Eskridge seems close to cementing a roster spot.
SECOND QUARTER
– The illegal use of hands penalty on right tackle Larry Borom on the first drive of the quarter was a fitting capper on one ugly play. Wilson had his pass broken up dangerously deep in Miami’s end after he used the same odd delivery on a short ball as he showed last week, this time intended for Wright. As for Borom, it was an even worse look as the Lions edge rusher got into his chest and dominated the rep, forcing the penalty.
– Conner should have caught Wilson’s next effort in the seam, which was a tad high but has to be caught if you’re one of the team’s “receiving” tight ends.
– On the next play, very bad decision by Wilson on a target for an extremely covered Dee Eskridge. Should have been intercepted.
– I don’t know if it’s a lack of confidence or somehow a diminished skill set, but on two throws Wilson should have been ripping it, he threw balls of average pro velocity. The underthrown deep ball would be on repeat by #BillsMafia by now if that has been Tua.
– Safety Patrick McMorris is a player I struggled to see the value in coming out of Cal and I don’t have the ability to say things have changed. He’s not that fast and plays too deep to be effective. Have to imagine he and Trader are tied to the same roster spot.
– On the flip side, despite my personal ties to Maryland football I am glad to say I think DT Jordan Phillips is going to prove me wrong. The strength was always obvious but he really didn’t make as many plays as one would expect with the Terps. But between his play in the first half today and that amazing rep in goal line last week, Phillips has earned his spot on the roster easy, as well as a rotational role on gameday.
– Unlike fellow rookie Kenneth Grant who is mostly a 3-technique so far, Phillips has played a lot at nose and in a 1i spot just off the center. Count on seeing him in goal line all year.
– LB/ST Eugene Asante plays violent. He wants to bang. Roll the tape back and watch the plays he’s in on. He may not make it but he’s damn sure leaving it all out there.
– Biggers has a real hard time as an NFL defensive tackle against better linemen. In two games I’ve seen him both turn sideways in an effort to get skinny (failed) and literally turned sideways and dominated by a Lions guard. He is likely too tall to be effective inside unless he gets much stronger. (Biggers did better inside later in the second half).
– This was my pre-draft note from 2024 on WR Tahj Washington: “Real good college player but just too small to be an effecve pro; more quick than fast.” Washington took a big hit with a helmet right on the ball on a leading pass from Wilson and held on. Like his teammate with the same surname, Washington is tough as nails despite playing at 176 pounds. He’s making it tough for the Dolphins to take a chance and put him on practice squad. Strong preseason with few hiccups.
– Ollie Gordon replaced Wright with just under 7 minutes left in the quarter, a good sign that there’s a healthy running back competition underway (Gordon getting reps with 2nd team offensive line).
– Wright did better getting his feet going in the backfield today but the result was the same. Not too much success – 4 carries, 3 yards, long of 3.
– The “throw it away” timer in Wilson’s head is not going off. He holds the ball way too long.
– WR Erik Ezukanma has had a solid game, including a block on a screen to T. Washington that turned a no-gain into about 5 yards.
– Finally, at 2:48 — after a nice 3rd down conversation to Gordon — Wilson let’s it rip to Conner on an out. No question there’s nothing wrong when he throws with confidence.
– Edge Grayson Murphy went untouched on his sack last week due to a missed assignment. This week he made the Lions left tackle completely whiff after using a little shake and then swipe with his left arm. Whether he sticks here or not, that tape will have him land somewhere.
– CB Jason Marshall Jr. is a big cornerback who hasn’t yet learned to play like one. Coverage far too soft, particularly on third down.
– Overall, Wilson showed improvement. Not to the stage there’s a comfort level with him if things go wrong for Tua, but better, especially on the drive that ended the first quarter.
THIRD QUARTER
– Heads up play on special teams by Gordon on kick returns to start the quarter (sidebar: complete candor, I had no idea what the ruling was going to be on that play) that signals both good coaching and being coachable. Gordon followed it up with a 4-yard first down run.
– Quarterback Quinn Ewers started the half under center and his first throw is on the money to his favorite camp target Theo Wease Jr. but batted away. You could lip read Tagavailoa saying to Wilson on the sidelines: “Nice pass though” while smiling and nodding his head. Ewers skipped the next pass on third down.
– Marshall did a nice job against the run on first down, beating his man inside for a TFL. Looked his size.
– DT Jordan Phillips in two seasons at Maryland had no sacks. He notched 1.5 today. Great set of preseason games for the 20-year-old defensive tackle.
– If the preseason is any indicator, teams are going to have to solve Craig Aukerman‘s doubling the gunners. It really isolated the two players the opponent wants down field fast and creates distance for the returner in the form of space to receive the ball and see open lanes.
– Gordon is the second-best back on this team and should see touches as such. He’s shown no real weakness. That he’s doing it with 3s is irrelevant. He sees holes and can get his feet there. And once he gets a head of steam, he’s just fine with going head up on a defensive back. The sound of pads created by your running back is a good way to fire up an entire team.
– Ewers throw to Wease Jr. was a strike thrown from his back foot. Miami is looking like it lucked out more and more each day that Ewers played 2024 hurt — he shouldn’t have been there for them.
– CB Cam Smith makes his first appearance of the preseason at 10:31 3rd.
– After a nice play on first down from Cameron Goode and the defensive line overall and on second down LB Eugene Asante hits a Lions RB for a three-yard loss and the cracking sound is clear as day on the broadcast (Kim Bokamper mentions it on the Dolphins’ broadcast). When Asante recognizes the play, he turns into a missile. He’s at least got practice squad in the bag right now.
– Returns were WR A.J. Henning‘s best shot and his fumble will be damning at cut down time. Good hustle by Cam Smith behind the play actually. Henning also bobbled a fair catch in the first quarter.
– Though it took a little while, the first “virtual measurement” I’ve seen is pretty amazing technology. Dolphins hold the Lions on 3rd down by 4 inches.
– Ewers’ numbers (for two games now) will not reflect how poised and accurate he was. No problems getting them in and out of the huddle. Had a pretty throw on the run in tight coverage that was dropped by Tarik Black.
– If humans weren’t born with memory, it would be high time to get excited about Channing Tindall. If it were anybody else, I think we’d all be talking about his preseason play.
– Second half of the quarter riddled with penalties.
– Ewers again to Wease and he’s looking very comfortable in the offense. They should let them compete.
“It was a good day (for Quinn). There’s a lot of stuff that we can learn from, but it was, you know, cool to give him a couple opportunities that he made the most of and particularly orchestrating a 17-play drive at the end of the game.” –Mike McDaniel
FOURTH QUARTER
– Like Wright, Gordon gets hit in the hole as well at times but his combination of power and contact balance allow him to break tackles for positive yards and now some big gains. Achane/Gordon/Wright.
– Ewers is patient, buys time for a 9-yard touchdown throw to Wease, who owes him a steak at this point for all the targets. In today’s game, Ewers has shown the ability to both throw on the run with accuracy and from multiple arm slots. People quantify arm talent in different ways. Despite not having Wilson’s elite arm strength, Ewers has shown arm talent of just about every other variety through two preseason games — his throws have been on time, off balance, on the run, from varied arm slots, with touch and accuracy.
– Based on when they are entering the game, UDFA CBs BJ Adams and Ethan Robinson must not have made the desired impact at this point.
– He’s a second round pick and it’s the 4th quarter of a game full of guys whose careers will end in a few weeks, but Cam Smith has made a couple of nice plays. It’s a challenge to be excited.
– Gordon out at RB and newcomer Mike Boone in, who hits the hole hard on his first run.
– On the next play, Ewers makes his first really bad decision of the day, late on an out to the field side by Andrew Armstrong, who’s been quiet.
– Another (apparent) Ewers falter – delay of game on the next play. First real chinks in the armor all day these last two plays. Everything to this point has felt smooth.
– Ewers comes right back on 3rd down. With the Lions showing 8 men along the line and a five-man front, he delivers a small-window strike to Henning out of the slot, who got out of the press with a ton of shake before getting into his quick slant.
– I don’t think Henning will make it due to numbers and numbers of guys his size, but he’s the kind of player coaches really like. Practice squad probability high.
– Just under 6:00, Armstrong makes his first catch, shows good balance and breaks a tackle for a first down. He needs to do a lot more of this. He hasn’t looked like a guy who led the SEC in receiving.
– Wease has 6 receptions for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns in the half. I don’t see him making the 53 but he’s putting some space between himself and Armstrong right now.
– Final Miami possession in the game saw Ewers lead a 91-yard drive capped with a Jason Sanders field goal. Ewers could have capped the drive by running the ball in after scrambling, but made the wise choice and stayed safe/healthy and just forced it incomplete instead. Ewers finished the game with two TDs, no interceptions and a 123.7 QB rating.
– Start of the final defensive set, Biggers bats a ball down from the defensive tackle spot. He’s played a lot this half and performed well. He used his 34 7/8-inch arms to bat down seven passes at Georgia Tech, as well as block four field goals in his career.
— Clock winding down…
– A missed tackle by CB Ethan Robinson leads to a Detroit first down and on that first down, Asante lights another guy up from his linebacker position to break up a Hendon Hooker pass. If the battle is between Tindall and Asante, neither is giving an inch.
– When Tindall and Asante are on the field at the same time, Asante is the Mike.
– A ghost most of the two preseason games until this final drive, Robinson closed out the game playing slot and some safety on the final drive and he’s made two tackles.
– And WOW — that’s what we’ve been looking for out of Robinson from day 1. He closes out the game blitzing — as Weaver had him showing a lot in the first game — and using his __ vertical and hands to make a highlight-reel interception of Hooker inside the red zone. The Dolphins sideline went berserk.
– If he’s fortunate, the end of this game earned Robinson playing time up the depth chart ladder a little in practice this week and in the game against the Jaguars to see more of what kind of value he can provide. He’s missed some plays and has now finally made a few — and one real noticeable one.
Aqua & Coral Report 