The game-changing passing play within the Miami Dolphins’ 20-7 season-opening win over the New England Patriots got here when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hit receiver Jaylen Waddle over the center for a 42-yard landing on fourth-and-7 on the finish of the primary half.
But the choice that Tagovailoa constantly discovered all through his 23-of-33 efficiency for 270 yards was his shiny new toy, star receiver Tyreek Hill.
Hill was focused 12 instances, making eight receptions for 94 yards in his Dolphins debut.
“Our plan is always to get him involved,” coach Mike McDaniel stated. “I think each and every game we’ll do our best to feature him unless the defense has to fully commit to take him away.”
Hill was present in area a number of instances, beating his man beneath alongside the sideline and at the very least as soon as within the center. He took a brief display screen and went for 18 yards. The 5-foot-10 speedster even went up and took a cross away from New England cornerback Jack Jones that would’ve been intercepted.
“My main thing is, ‘that’s my ball; I’ve got to go get it,’ ” Hill stated concerning the contested catch that went for his game-long 26-yard achieve. “I’m going to make sure I protect that. That’s my whole mindset.”
Five of Hill’s eight catches went for first downs, extending drives and conserving the Patriots protection on the sphere because the Dolphins gained the time-of-possession battle by 5 minutes whereas New England handled South Florida’s scorching and humid early-September circumstances.
“Dude’s a cheat code,” Tagovailoa stated postgame. “It feels awesome having someone like Tyreek.”
Hill additionally had one stick with it a sweep that went for six yards. Waddle ended up with 4 receptions for 69 yards on 5 targets. Running again Chase Edmonds had 4 catches on 4 targets, totaling 40 yards. No different Dolphin had greater than two targets, with tight finish Mike Gesicki solely seeing one cross come his approach, catching it for 1 yard.
Dolphins accidents, inactives
Dolphins proper sort out Austin Jackson exited the sport with an ankle harm within the second quarter on Sunday.
Greg Little changed Jackson within the lineup, and Jackson by no means returned. No replace was given after the sport.
Jackson slowly walked off the sphere throughout a second-quarter drive. He initially went into the group’s blue medical tent earlier than being escorted into the locker room by trainers. Jackson returned to the sideline later, with out re-entering the sport.
Little additionally left momentarily, inflicting Robert Jones to return in at proper guard and Robert Hunt to kick out to the sort out till Little returned. Left sort out Terron Armstead missed a drive, inflicting the Dolphins to do the identical on the left aspect with Jones inserted at guard and Liam Eichenberg shifting out to left sort out.
Tight finish Cethan Carter left Sunday’s recreation with a head harm on kick return protection. Carter was initially immobile on the sphere earlier than he walked to the sideline and was then carted into the locker room. He was dominated out for the rest of the sport moments later.
Dolphins nostril sort out Raekwon Davis and outdoors linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel performed the group’s regular-season opener after coming into questionable. Davis began in his common submit within the coronary heart of Miami’s defensive position and registered 5 tackles. Van Ginkel made one assisted particular groups sort out.
Davis popped up on the Dolphins’ harm report on Thursday with a knee concern. He stated this previous week that the knee “got rolled up on” within the Thursday follow, and he was restricted once more at Friday drills, seen sporting a compression sleeve on his proper leg.
Van Ginkel, who additionally was questionable coming into Sunday, was restricted all through the week of follow with an sickness. He had his appendix eliminated almost three weeks in the past.
Safety Eric Rowe (pectoral), working again Salvon Ahmed (heel) and tight finish Tanner Conner (knee) missed Sunday’s recreation after being questionable getting into.
The Dolphins additionally had edge defender Trey Flowers, cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, broad receiver Erik Ezukanma and quarterback Skylar Thompson as inactives. None of them had pregame harm designations.
In addition to the inactives, the Dolphins are with out beginning cornerback Byron Jones for at the very least the primary 4 video games of the season on the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform checklist, recovering from offseason decrease left leg surgical procedure.
Igbinoghene, the 2020 first-round choose, didn’t play regardless of Miami being skinny at cornerback. Nik Needham took on the accountability on the boundary, along with his standard nickel function, whereas Keion Crossen and undrafted rookie Kader Kohou noticed prolonged motion.
Flowers, listed as an out of doors linebacker however working towards with the defensive position this previous week, was inactive for his first recreation after signing with Miami following the preseason.
Jenkins remembered
The Dolphins, on Sunday, additional honored Jason Jenkins, the group’s senior vp of communications and group affairs who died on Aug. 27 on the age of 47.
A second of silence was held earlier than kickoff between the Dolphins and Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Jenkins’ spouse, Elizabeth, and three youngsters, Liya, Aiden and Sloane, accompanied Dolphins captains Tua Tagovailoa and Elandon Roberts on the sphere for the coin toss. An image of Jenkins with flowers and a soccer that learn “Jason Jenkins 1974-2022″ was arrange on the press field entrance.
The Dolphins held a celebration of life occasion on the stadium on Monday to recollect Jenkins. They additionally established two memorial funds in his identify: the Jenkins Children’s Fund, which helps Jenkins’ three youngsters, and the Jason Jenkins Humanity Impact Fund, which will probably be directed towards serving to folks by the assorted organizations Jenkins liked and served.
Across the NFL this previous week, group PR departments wore their greatest outfits, or dressed “to the nines” to work in remembrance of Jenkins, who was at all times recognized to decorate sharp. They posted photographs beneath the hashtag #2the9s4Jason.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com