The Miami Dolphins could’ve have folded on Thursday.
Defensive tackle Zach Sieler didn’t dress. The same goes for receiver Tyreek Hill, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and fullback Alec Ingold. Based off of the injury report alone, it appeared that the Dolphins could be in for back-to-back drubbings – even if edge rusher Chop Robinson returned.
They did not. Already undermanned and against the reigning NFC No. 1 seed Detroit Lions, the Dolphins showcased better execution on offense and got stingy on defense when it matter most: the situational period at the end of practice.
Much like Wednesday’s dismal performance, observers shouldn’t overreact. Joint practices, more than anything, aren’t the end all be all. Rather, it’s a chance to go against different competition in a controlled setting.
That said, you can learn a lot about a person when they face adversity. And for the Dolphins to respond in such a way, especially down some very key players should not be overlooked
TOP PERFORMERS
With no Hill, Dolphins wide receiver Tariq Black got more reps.
And he definitely delivereed.
He started his day with a touchdown catch courtesy of quarterback Zach Wilson during seven-on-seven. Black then subsequently drew back-to-back pass interference calls on the Lions cornerbacks. Once team drills began, the former Texas Longhorns standout caught a rocket screen that he took 20 yards.
Black also drew a pass interference on the Dolphins’ final play of the day, a crucial fourth down that saw the Lions defensive back push the wideout after the ball was thrown. Unfortunately, the refs didn’t call it.
Still a solid day for a receiver as he tries to make the roster.
Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa connected early and often on Thursday, a good sign considering the offense appeared out of sync on Wednesday.
In fact, Tagovailoa found Waddle for three touchdowns on the day, all of which came during red zone seven-on-seven.
Although Waddle only caught one ball during the team drills and narrowly missed a 55-yard bomb, his performance still matters because it gave the Dolphins a necessary spark to start the day.
STOCK UP
Shoutout wide receiver Dee Eskridge for the play of the day by far.
Tagovailoa found Eskridge on a 20-yard touchdown that saw the receiver jump over Lions cornerback DJ Reed to make the impressive snag.
The entire Dolphins offense erupted and ran down to end zone to celebrate with Eskridge. In addition to the play of the day, he caught a post route for roughly 20 yards.
Eskridge needs to keep this up as he tries to carve out a role in the Dolphins’ receiving core.
STOCK DOWN
This one unfortunately falls on the entire cornerback room
A day after Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown made the Dolphins’ Jack Jones look like barbecue chicken, the rest of the cornerback room was rather lackluster.
Cornell Armstrong got left in the dust on red zone touchdown to St. Brown. Storm Duck gave up an another redzone touchdown to St. Brown, only this time it happened on a jump ball. And Kendall Sheffield – with safety Ifeatu Melifonwu assisting – let Lions receiver Jameson Williams go deep for a touchdown of more than 40 yards.
While Duck redeemed himself with a deflection during the final situational period of the day, the corners, overall, didn’t have the best showing across the past two days. The position already had a bit of question mark considering the lack of experience and Kader Kohou’s season-ending injury but with the pass rush virtually nonexistent as Sieler and Phillips sat out, the unit simply got outplayed.
INJURY UPDATES
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill sat out as he continues to deal with an oblique injury.
Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips remains out with an undisclosed injury.
Defensive tackle Zach Sieler sat out for an undisclosed reason
Edge rusher Mo Kamara remains in concussion protocol.
Right tackle Austin Jackson has a lower leg injury and is expected back by the Sept. 7 opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
Safety Ashtyn Davis is out indefinitely with a leg injury.
Fullback Alec Ingold remains in concussion protocol.
Offensive linemen Andrew Meyer is not close to returning from an undisclosed injury.
Offensive lineman Kion Smith returned to practice after sitting out with an undisclosed injury.
Offensive lineman Bayron Matos remains out with “an above the shoulder type injury.”
WHAT THEY SAID
“It was very important,” Dolphins center Aaron Brewer said Thursday of the ability to bounce back after a disastrous first joint practice. “It’s just the the name of the game. You have your good days, you have your bad days. And once you have your bad days, you flush it and come back better.”
Added Brewer: “It shows what we’re made of and how we deal with adversity. That’s when you see who your team is – when you have adversity and how you respond to it.”