It’s only the preseason, and most NFL teams don’t play their starters a lot, especially since the NFL went to the new 17-game format over a year ago and eliminated one preseason game. The Miami Dolphins are no different than any other team. In the first game last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dolphins played mostly their backups, and for good reason. There’s no reason to play your starters when their positions on the team are secure, so why bother to expose them to harm’s way? Last night, the Dolphins played most of their starters for a series or two but held out key players like Xavien Howard, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Terron Armstead. Holding out Howard is a good move for no other reason than because he’s the team’s best player on defense. Armstead is being brought along slowly after coming off knee surgery in the off-season. Waddle has a minor injury, so there is no reason to play him. Hill isn’t hurt but probably shouldn’t play either. 


However, with the key players on offense sitting out, the reality is we won’t know much about this offense until the season starts. The offense isn’t showing a whole lot, and they are playing their backup players. The Dolphins rushing offense is none existent. After rushing for just over 40 yards in the first game, the Dolphins only ran for 4 yards in the first half alone last night and that was against the Las Vegas Raiders backups because they were resting players. With Armstead not playing until the season starts, we truly won’t see how are starting offensive line will look with the running game. We do know that if Armstead goes down, the Dolphins don’t have a capable back up left tackle because Larnel Coleman hasn’t looked good. He’s been giving up pressure to his quarterback and has missed some blocks on running plays, like last night’s first play, which resulted in loss of yards. He also had a critical false start penalty when the Dolphins went for it on 4th and one just outside the red zone. It hasn’t been pretty to watch him so the Dolphins will probably have to search the waiver wire for a capable back up just in case. Now the rest of the starting offensive line did look good in pass protection, but like I said they were playing the Raiders backups so how good can they? I don’t know, but at least they look like they belong, unlike last year, so time will tell how this offensive line looks. 

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One thing I have been encouraged by is the wide receivers the Dolphins have after Waddle and Hill. The Dolphins seem to have a group that has potential with this group. Their 4th round pick Erik Ezukanma has been having a very good training camp and after a quiet first preseason game, made a lot of plays Saturdays night with 6 catches for 114 yards. The Dolphins’ undrafted wide receiver Braylon Sanders also made a few plays last night. This team seems to have good depth for the first time in years, but how will these young guys play when the season starts? More importantly how will this offense look when Waddle, Hill, and free agent Cedrick Wilson get on the field together. At least these guys are practicing and not hurt like last year’s bunch. I’m excited about this group, but we won’t see it until the regular season. 


The biggest mystery to me has been the tight ends. I know they are going to be blocking more, but what will they look like in the passing game? Also, what are they doing with Mike Gesicki? After the second game of the preseason, it’s pretty clear that he doesn’t fit in this offense, and the team should try to trade him and get what they can for him because he can’t block, and you can’t change that. Why is he the only starter on offense playing into the 2nd half of a preseason game? I’m not buying he needs the extra work. I don’t think he fits in this offense, and the team is trying to make this work. I said before the offseason, I would have let Gesicki walk because I didn’t think he fit into the offense and now it appears that’s the case. Could it get better? Yes, it could, but I don’t see it. The Dolphins are trying to fit a square peg in a round hole with Gesicki, and it’s probably best to shop him around. 


Amazingly, the last thing I bring up is the quarterbacks. Tua Tagovailoa looked good and efficient last night with his primary weapons sitting out, but I know Tagovailoa can be efficient and manage the game. I want to see how he is when the season starts with Hill and Waddle and see him push the ball down the field. He did an excellent job of moving around the pocket and stepping up when he had to, which is something I couldn’t say last year, but again it against backups. Teddy Bridgewater was disappointing. I’m having a hard time of getting that intentional grounding penalty in the end zone out of my head when he was holding the football forever and all he had to do was throw it away, but instead dumps it in the ground. That’s a mistake I can see a rookie as Skyler Thompson make, not Bridgewater, so he has to step up. Thompson has looked impressive in the preseason, and I’m not saying he should supplant Bridgewater as the number two quarterback. Still, the Dolphins have to keep him because every team needs a developmental quarterback, and they can’t risk losing him on the waiver wire to put him on the practice squad. That’s what happened last year during the season with Reid Sennett and the Dolphins lost him. They need to keep him. He plays like he belongs and the game don’t look too big for him. He has looked good in his 6 quarters of work in the preseason not perfect, but he shows you something. 


With the last preseason game next week, the Dolphins will play all of their backups, so we won’t see their starters together until week 1. They are practicing, which is good, and they don’t have any real injuries now and are taking a cautious approach with their key players. However, we aren’t going to know what this offense can do until the season starts. It’s good to see highlights from camp, but it’s not real games. Most of those plays aren’t even in pads. I think this offense will be better, but won’t know until September 11th.Â