That’s the mantra that Mike McDaniel brought to the Miami Dolphins when he took over as head coach. The Dolphins wasted no time finding adversity during the first drive of the game with a snap that went over Tua’s head right after a lengthy gain to Tyreek Hill. 2nd and 35 quickly led to a Dolphins punt, allowing the Jaguars to drive nearly the length of the field. Cue opportunity: Jerome Baker and Jevon Holland came together on a tackle against running back Tank Bigsby, leading to a fumble and a Dolphins recovery. The ensuing drive saw the Dolphins march down the field, thanks in part to a 41-yard gain by Salvon Ahmed, ultimately leading to a field goal by Jason Sanders.
Tua once again followed up a mistake with a scoring drive; adversity and opportunity do go hand in hand, and I enjoy seeing the response and not allowing mistakes to pile up. One thing became painfully obvious during the Jaguars’ second offensive drive: Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler are extremely important parts of this defense. The Jaguars’ run game was getting chunk play after chunk play, which is not a recipe for success. Wilkins needs to be paid, and that should be a top priority. Hopefully, Chris Grier feels the same way. After this game, the Dolphins will have to start working on their 53-man roster and will not play again until they face the Los Angeles Chargers on September 10.
Mike White is in concussion protocol and might have secured the number two quarterback spot due to the play of Skylar Thompson. Two of his first three passes were intercepted; he did manufacture a drive that ended with a field goal but looked far away from the Thompson we saw against the Houston Texans. Either way, we know Thompson will make this roster, but most likely as the third-string option. The second half consisted of the players who are likely on the bubble giving it their all as they try and secure a future somewhere in the NFL.
With all of that in mind, here’s who I think will make the roster come Week 1 of the regular season:
QBs: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson
RBs: Raheem Mostert, Devon Achane, Salvon Ahmed, Chris Brooks
FB: Alec Ingold
WRs: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Robbie Chosen, Erik Ezukanma, River Cracraft
TEs: Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert, Elijah Higgins
OL: Terron Armstead, Isaiah Wynn, Connor Williams, Robert Hunt, Austin Jackson, Dan Feeney, Kendall Lamm, Lester Cotton, Ryan Hayes
DL: Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Raekwon Davis, Brandon Pili, Da’Shawn Hand
OLB: Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Emmanuel Ogbah
ILB: Jerome Baker, David Long Jr., Andrew Van Ginkel, Channing Tindall, Duke Riley
DBs: Xavien Howard, Jalen Ramsey, Kader Kohou, Cam Smith, Nik Needham, Eli Apple, Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, Deshone Elliot, Verone McKinley, Trill Williams
Special Teams: Jason Sanders, Jake Bailey, Blake Ferguson
Remember, this is very much a prediction, and I’m glad I am not in Mike McDaniel’s shoes when it comes to deciding who has to be cut. All we can do now is trust that come Week 1, the best 53 players will be left, and the 2023 Miami Dolphins will end up being serious contenders.
The game ended early due to a scary hit that led to Dolphins wide receiver Daewood Davis leaving on a stretcher. Prayers go out to him as we wish him a speedy recovery.
