We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, display personalized content and targeted advertising, analyze site traffic, and understand where our public To learn more or to unsubscribe, read our cookie policy.Please also read our privacy notice and terms of use, which came into effect on December 20, 2019
The Miami Dolphins showed up and showed up on Sunday, towering over reigning NFC champion, San Francisco 49ers Returning with the 43-17 win, the Dolphins moved up to 2-3 on the year and said they were here to compete and compete now Even as the team continues a rebuild that began with the destruction of last year’s roster, they are not a team to be overlooked every week
Miami is Here They played a full game, in every aspect of the game, and they looked like a team ready to fight for the rest of the season
Miami showed Ryan Fitzpatrick became the only Dolphins quarterback unnamed Dan Marino to throw for 350 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions Xavien Howard recorded his third interception of the season, placing him tied for the lead early in the season Miami team’s five sacks on Sunday placed them seventh of the season in sacks.The overall defense performance saw them come close to last in every team defense measure in the middle of the peloton – and nine points per game allowed this year The offense is 13th this season in points scored per game
Obviously those stats are pending for two more games to be played this week (Tuesday Night Football?), but the Dolphins look a lot more like a finished building than the cracked and crumbling foundation they were at the end of the 2018 season They take a closer look at a finished product than they even were just last year, when the team was demolished so the foundation could be repaired and the spikes reinforced.
Ryan Fitzpatrick finished 22 for 28 for 350 yards with three touchdowns and a 154.5 passer rating – just under the 1,583 perfect score ESPN’s quarterback scoring metric, quantifying a quarterback’s performance -back on a scale of 0 to 100, with higher score indicating better performance and 50 representing average play, Fitzpatrick rated at 991
Running back Myles Gaskin was asked to carry the ball 16 times, scooping up 57 yards, an average 36 yards per carry, with one touchdown Matt Breida added nine carries for 28 yards, giving him a 31 average
Tight end Mike Gesicki and Gaskin are tied for the team lead with five receptions apiece, with Gesicki in 91 yards and Gaskin 34 wide receiver Preston Williams caught four passes for a 106-yard team and a touchdown, while wide receiver DeVante Parker caught two passes for 50 yards and a score tight end Adam Shaheen caught a pass for three years, scoring Miami’s first possession touchdown and starting the blowout Nine different receivers caught at least one pass on Sunday, six of them totaling at least 20 receiving yards
In defense, linebacker Jerome Baker led the team with eight Baker tackles, with linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, linebacker Elandon Roberts and defensive end Zach Sieler all registering a sack. Safety Bobby McCain and Howard each had an interception, while defensive tackle Christian Wilkins recovered a fumble
Kicker Jason Sanders was 5-for-5 on field goals, the second straight game he has reached that mark
Williams, who missed the second half of last season with an ACL tear, entered his second season in the league in good health, but he still didn’t seem completely comfortable on his knees That appears to have changed on Sunday, with the wide receiver aggressive and attacking the ball.If Sunday’s performance is what the Dolphins and Dolphins fans can hope to see the rest of the year from Williams, Miami’s attack will take a huge leap. forward in the last 12 weeks of the season Williams and Parker attack on the outside, with Gesicki working in the middle of the field and Jakeem Grant and Isaiah Ford entering at an angle and crossing roads The Dolphins have the right set of receivers to make the offense explosive, and if Williams is completely trusting at his knee, the explosion could begin
Defense also looks set to explode Miami defense was supposed to be the team’s strength this year, especially the high school where the Dolphins added Byron Jones this offseason to play Howard The Dolphins were supposed to have two of the best cornerbacks this season, but injuries slowed them down Howard underwent knee surgery in the offseason and was brought back to playing time early in the season Jones was injured in groin four times in week 2 and hadn’t played since Sunday both appeared to be 100% and the defense looked like what everyone expected to see this year The communication issues in the first quarter of the season seemed to go away, the team didn’t have to rely on rookie Noah Igbinoghene or sophomore cornerback Nik Needham almost as heavily McCain seemed much more comfortable in safety, while Eric Rowe played like a beast against McCain
The pass surge also helped Miami’s Five Sacks and the constant pressure on both quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and CJ Beathard, who replaced Garoppolo at halftime, disrupted the 49ers’ passing attack He has forced bad throws And the secondary took advantage of these errors
Across the line of scrimmage, Miami’s offensive line was forced to adjust to the loss of rookie left tackle Austin Jackson, who was on reserve injured last week They moved Jesse Davis from right tackle to left tackle, then slid rookie Robert Hunt into the right tackle position It worked Miami now has two rookies starting on the right side, with Hunt next to right guard Solomon Kindley, but it worked The line was effective Fitzpatrick was sacked twice in the day, but one of those was the quarterback coming out of the pocket and not feeling the presumption coming behind him and both came when Fitzpatrick deployed and had time, but no open receivers so he ate the ball and gave Miami a shot for a basket The Dolphins’ offensive line has played well and continues to improve every week, even with the changes hitting them this week
Every aspect of the game worked for the Dolphins on Sunday They came away with an easy 43-17 win and they positioned themselves to be a factor the rest of the season Miami is now starting to prepare for the New York Jets after that the NFL has adjusted the schedule for Week 6, making changes after the New England Patriots further tests positive for coronavirus.If the team continues to play together as one unit, they could continue to roll against their AFC East rivals in week 6
Dolphins
World News – USA – Dolphins play as a team, dominate 49ers in Week 5
