Here are some takeaways from the Miami Dolphins’ dropping beginning quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a scary head damage, and falling to the Bengals in Cincinnati:
Teddy Bridgewater is a succesful backup
There have been questions on backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater after his transient 0 for two look final Sunday in opposition to Buffalo. Bridgewater had a pricey interception late within the fourth quarter Thursday with the Dolphins trailing the Bengals, 20-15. He threw excessive and behind tight finish Mike Gesicki and the go was intercepted by security Vonn Bell with 3:05 left. But Bridgewater had a pleasant first half Thursday in aid of injured Tua Tagovailoa. Bridgewater had a landing on a 7-yard shovel go to working again Chase Edmonds, who fought his method into the tip zone. Bridgewater additionally had a pleasant 64-yard completion to huge receiver Tyreek Hill that resulted within the go-ahead discipline objective at, 15-14. — Chris Perkins
Dolphins have been good to activate Skylar Thompson
When Tagovailoa went down briefly final week Bridgewater entered the sport however the Dolphins didn’t have a backup for Bridgewater. Against Cincinnati, with Tagovailoa battling again and ankle accidents, the Dolphins activated third-team quarterback Skylar Thompson, the rookie seventh-round decide from Kansas State, for the primary time this season. It turned out to be a very good factor. No one might have predicted Tagovailoa’s damage Thursday however the Dolphins had the foresight to activate Thompson with Tagovailoa probably lower than 100%.
Cornerback Keion Crossen will get the beginning
The Dolphins began of their nickel protection with cornerbacks Xavien Howard, Kader Kohou and Keion Crossen. It was Crossen’s first begin of the season. Cornerback Nik Needham, who began the earlier three video games, didn’t begin Thursday. But Needham and security Eric Rowe performed roles in sure packages. Starting cornerback Byron Jones (leg) is eligible capable of come off the physically-unable-to-perform record subsequent week and it’s a very good factor. Howard left the sport with a groin damage early within the fourth quarter and didn’t return.
Tyreek Hill does certainly return punts
For the primary time this season Hill was deep to return a punt. Safety Jevon Holland returned the entire earlier punts this season. Hill, in fact, is a harmful return man along with his pace, quickness and shifty strikes. On high of that, Holland performed 96 snaps final week (92 from scrimmage, 4 on particular groups) and might need wanted a break. Either method, this was an instance of coach Mike McDaniel and particular groups coach Danny Crossman displaying one other wrinkle. We’ll see if/when fellow shifty huge receiver Jaylen Waddle returns punts, which McDaniel and Crossman stated is a risk. Holland, by the best way, dealt with punt return duties within the third quarter.
Xavien Howard is human
Howard, the All Pro cornerback who was battling by means of a groin damage, shadowed Bengals huge receiver Tee Higgins and was doing nicely till Higgins broke unfastened for a 59-yard landing reception late within the second quarter. Howard additionally missed a sort out earlier within the sport. Howard was declared questionable to return within the fourth quarter with a groin damage and didn’t return. It’s the identical damage he’s been combating for a few weeks.
Special groups errors are including up
Kicker Jason Sanders had a 52-yard discipline objective blocked within the second quarter after which hit the upright on an additional level later within the second quarter. The particular groups miscues are starting so as to add up for the Dolphins when you think about the 103-yard kickoff return landing and the butt punt (punter Thomas Morstead’s punt hit blocker Trent Sherfield within the bottom and bounced out of the tip zone for a security) in final Sunday’s Buffalo sport. On a a lot smaller scale, Morstead had a 67-yard punt within the third quarter however the Bengals returned it 23 yards. The Dolphins gained the Baltimore and Buffalo video games, in fact, they usually’ve made quite a few particular groups performs. But keep watch over these errors/missteps.
Offense’s No. 3 weapon is by committee/matchup
We know Hill and Waddle are choices 1 and a pair of for the Dolphins offense. But the No. 3 choice amongst working backs Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert, huge receivers River Cracraft and Sherfield and Gesicki is likely to be on a game-by-game foundation relying on matchups. At completely different occasions the Dolphins have relied on every of the others to be the No. 3 offensive choice and it’d proceed that method the remainder of the season. Mostert had 15 carries for 69 yards and two receptions for 12 yards.
Defense remains to be stout
The Dolphins protection made a fourth-quarter goal-line stand to carry Cincinnati to a fourth-quarter go-ahead discipline objective at 17-15 as an alternative of a landing, marking one more time the protection stood stubbornly this season. The protection additionally made a stand within the second quarter, stonewalling working again Joe Mixon on a toss sweep proper on fourth-and-1 on the Dolphins’ 24-yard line. The Dolphins protection isn’t nice statistically, and it’s sprung a leak right here and there, but it surely nonetheless manages to make large performs.
Dolphins pack the home
Cincinnati had its largest-ever crowd at Paycor Stadium Thursday night time at 67,260, eclipsing the 66,271 that they had for a wild-card sport in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Bengals entered Thursday with a 1-2 file, and have been coming off a 27-12 victory over the New York Jets. Most seemingly the sport would have had an enormous crowd whatever the opponent as a result of it was a major time sport. But internet hosting the Dolphins, who got here in undefeated, had to assist appeal to a number of extra of us.
Dolphins are used to fourth-quarter deficits
The Dolphins trailed within the fourth quarter for the third consecutive sport Thursday. They trailed Baltimore, 35-14, getting into the fourth quarter, trailed Buffalo, 17-14, getting into the fourth quarter, and trailed Cincinnati, 17-15, in Thursday’s fourth quarter. The Dolphins didn’t rebound from this fourth quarter deficit however in addition they seemed pretty comfy taking part in from behind.
It is one factor to be have nice pace instruments … however one other to take full benefit
Last yr, the Dolphins had seven go performs of at the least 40 yards. This yr, lower than 1 / 4 of the season in, they’ve matched that quantity after the 64-yard connection from Bridgewater to Hill and are on tempo for 30. Miami’s most up to now 28 seasons has been the 17 of 2016. Though it was a distinct period within the passing sport, through the Dolphins’ record-setting season of 1984, when Dan Marino threw for five,084 yards, Miami had solely a dozen go performs of at the least 40 yards. — Steve Svekis
The run protection has been excellent
While, certainly, the Dolphins got here in to the Bengals sport with 348 dashing yards allowed this season (116.0 per sport), good for twentieth within the NFL, these numbers had been skewed by Miami taking part in the 2 most cell quarterbacks within the league, definitely amongst these proficient at throwing the deep ball. Taking away the 166 yards on 17 carries by Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, the Dolphins had yielded solely 182 dashing yards in 53 runs (3.43 yards a carry). The complete yards can be third within the league and the yards per carry fifth. It might be fascinating to see how the dashing protection settles in because the quarterbacks they face have extra sedentary ft. After 61 yards allowed to the Bengals backs on 25 carries, the numbers solely enhance, at 243 yards in 78 carries (3.12 yards a carry)
The run sport is off to one of many worst four-game begins in staff historical past
Almost one quarter of the yr in, the Dolphins, with their 85 dashing yards in Cincinnati, will head into Week 5 with 277 on the season. That ranks tied for fourth-worst within the franchise’s 57-season after 4 video games.
By a key metric, that was the perfect 3-0 begin in staff historical past
Of the 14 occasions the Dolphins have began the season 3-0, they’ve by no means entered Week 4 with the groups they’ve confronted having nearly as good of a mixed file as their 2022 opponents do. The Bills and Ravens have a 4-0 file of their different video games, and the Patriots are 1-1. And, within the Patriots’ case, they misplaced to the Ravens. So, in video games the place the Dolphins first three opponents have performed groups that weren’t the Dolphins or an different Miami opponent, these foes have gone 4-0. Here is an inventory of the opposite years opponents throughout Miami’s 3-0 begins and their mixture file at season’s finish and after Game 3: 1979: 23-22, 3-3; 2002: 22-23, 3-3; 1984: 22-23, 3-3; 1981: 22-23, 4-2; 1998: 20-25, 2-4; 1995: 20-25, 4-2; 1982: 10-13-1, 4-2; 2013: 19-26, 4-2; 1996: 19-26, 1-5; 1977: 16-23, 2-4; 1972: 16-23, 4-2; 2018: 17-28, 3-3; 1992: 15-30, 4-5
Dolphins’ protection has stiffened inside 2 yards of the tip zone
This season, Miami’s protection has confronted 14 performs from their very own 2 or 1. Three performs have gone for touchdowns, however there have additionally been two turnover on downs and a pressured discipline objective. In these 14 performs, there have been a internet 0 yards gained.
On deck: At New York Jets, Sunday, Oct. 9, 1 p.m., MetLife Stadium
The Dolphins will seemingly be getting their second crack on the Jets’ 2021 second decide within the draft, quarterback Zack Wilson. Last yr, in his tenth profession sport, Wilson received off to a very good begin in opposition to Miami at Hard Rock Stadium, finishing 9 of his first 13 passes for 118 yards and burrowing in for a landing on a goal-line sneak, because the Jets seized a 17-10 lead with a minute left within the first half. The Dolphins nonetheless, found out Wilson after that time and dominated. For the remainder of the sport, Wilson went 4 for 10 for 52 yards and was sacked six occasions for 44 yards, equating to a internet 8 passing yards over the ultimate 31 minutes of the sport.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com