Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel had to feel good with the starters and top reserves work in Saturday's first half vs. the Texans ... if you don't look at the first play.
Throw out one play and the Miami Dolphins couldn’t expect much more from the starters and top reserves in their 28-3 preseason win Saturday in Houston. So make of that one play what you will. It was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s first play in a game situation since Christmas Day.
He rolled left on Saturday’s first play and threw right to Houston’s Denzel Perryman. He didn’t see the former University of Miami linebacker. It had a chance to get worse than an interception returned to the Dolphins’ 7-yard line, too. Tagovailoa was involved in the tackle, which is something else the script didn’t call for in the opening 14 seconds.
Tagovailoa returned from that opening blooper and led a crisp, 14-play, 93-yard drive. Coach Mike McDaniel talks a lot about responding to adversity, and you’ll no doubt hear that. You also saw a little bit of everything and everyone you’d want to get some work on the drive. Tyreek Hill. Braxton Berrios. Durham Smythe. The running game worked, meaning the offensive line worked (see below). It was against Houston’s No. 1 defense for context, too. Tagovailoa completed 5-of-6 passes on the drive for 61 yards and was 3 for 3 on third downs.
Bottom-line: One bad play and one good drive for Tagovailoa. A good day for the defense, starting with that goal-line stand after the interception. Let’s not overdo anything up or down in preseason. The question becomes how it translates into getting ready for the Sept. 10 opener. Everything looks fine in the big picture … if you overlook that opening play.
2. For all the hand-wringing over the offensive line, can it get some good words for its Saturday work? It played fine. Better than fine, really, against Houston’s No. 1 defense. Without left tackle Terron Armstead, the line protected Tagovailoa well and opened holes enough for Raheem Mostert to run six times for 30 yards. The subs came in after that long drive and, by half, the Dolphins had 19 carries for 140 yards. The Dolphins ended up with 205 rushing yards on 38 carries. Has Isaiah Wynn taken the left guard position? Seems like it. Does concern over the line’s play go down a notch? Maybe. Let’s see it in the regular season.
3. The Dolphins drafted De’Von Achane to be a speed back but Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed aren’t going down easy. Gaskin had seven carries for 57 yards against Atlanta a week ago. Ahmed had eight carries for 88 yards and a long of 65 in Saturday’s first half. Ahmed also had four catches for 32 yards in the half. The only negative was Ahmed got run over blocking a blitzing 6-foot-4, 243-pound Will Anderson and the Houston edge rusher made Tagovailoa dump the ball. Then again, that’s a tough task for a 5-11, 197-pound back. Achane, meanwhile, was slammed to the ground and the question now is his shoulder. The Dolphins might need this depth at running back already.
4. Noah Igbinoghene got the start at cornerback and was beaten twice by Houston rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Good throws. On a third-and-7 sideline pass to Robert Woods for 11 yards, Igbinoghene just didn’t make the play. That’s been a lot of the story of Igbinoghene as you get to his fourth year. With Jalen Ramsey hurt, he’s been given every chance to again take the job. Eli Apple made a couple plays after Igbinoghene and the first-team defense left.
5. Skylar Thompson had a good day Saturday. My thought all along was Mike White was handpicked by McDaniel and paid free-agent money to get the backup quarterback job. Maybe it still works out that way. Thompson came in for Tagovailoa and completed 7-of-11 passes for 57 yards and an 18-yard touchdown to Berrios in the first half. He then took a hit and went to the medical tent early in the third quarter before returning. He then completed a third-and-11 pass to River Cracraft for a 21-yard gain. He finished completing 15-of-22 passes for 157 yards and three touchdowns. It’s hard to separate White and Thompson in practice. Maybe McDaniel just did by playing Thompson so much Saturday. Maybe White will get his chance next Satuday in Jacksonville. Stay tuned. All you know is whoever becomes the backup becomes a top 5 player of importance in the big picture of the season.
