Of course, the only thing that really matters regarding tonight’s Dolphins game against Jacksonville is the health and safety of Daewood Davis, who was carted off the field on a stretcher after lying motionless for several minutes after taking a hit to the head from defender Dequan Jackson. The game was suspended with 8:42 left to play. Thankfully, he was conscious and had movement in all extremities post-game.
Game-wise, it was another first-half stinker for the Fins, who were outgained, outpassed, outrushed, outplayed, and, most importantly, outscored 17-6. Officially, the Jags let in first downs by a whopping 19 to 8, rushing yards 102 to 61, passing yards 145 to 123, and total yards 247 to 184.
The first-team offense looked okay. They started well with a 32-yard completion from Tua to Tyreek Hill on a drive that included a 42-yard run by Salvon Ahmed. The 11-play 74-yard drive ended with a Jason Sanders 24-yard field goal.
Defensively, the Fins struggled to stop the run and allowed two untouched rushing touchdowns. Other troublesome patterns include center Connor Williams’ inability to snap the ball accurately, quarterback Skyler Thompson’s wildly inconsistent play, which includes two badly thrown interceptions, and Noah Igbinoghene’s ability to cover any receiver short or long.
The second half didn’t start any better as rookie cornerback Sean Smith was badly beaten on a 74-yard touchdown pass from CJ Beathard to Tim Jones. The rest of the half was more or less a tryout for those last key roster spots on the 53-man roster.
Standouts included running back Chris Brooks, who once again impressed by showing the ability to break tackles on his way to 33 yards on six carries and two touchdowns. This guy can play in this league, but with such a talented running back room, he may be destined for the practice squad. River Craecraft had another solid game with five catches for 52 yards. Defensive end Jaylen Twyman made two nice plays, including a sack.
Cut day is Tuesday, when the Dolphins have to reduce their roster from 90 players to 53. Some solid players won’t make the team at the wide receiver and running back positions, given the depth at both. There will likely be some acquisitions from other teams’ cuts.
I know preseason games don’t matter, but based on these three games played, it’s hard to tell which Dolphins team will show up for the regular season opener in two weeks against the Chargers. They looked unprepared at times, but at other times, such as last week’s first half against the Texans, they looked ready to play and focused. This team has talent. Can the coaches get the best out of each player on a consistent basis and eliminate back-breaking fundamental mistakes such as pre-snap penalties and shotgun snap mishaps? I wish I could say yes, but I think the jury is still out.
