The Miami Dolphins starters likely won’t suit up in Saturday’s preseason game against the Detroit Lions, according to coach Mike McDaniel.
“As of right now, I’m not planning on playing the ones in the game,” McDaniel said Thursday. “This practice does participate in the overall final assessment that I’ll make with the coaching staff tomorrow but as of right now, went into this practice planning for the ones not to play.”
The Dolphins responded favorably in Thursday’s practice following a disappointing outing the previous day against the Lions. Specifically, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa complained about a lack of “energy” that resulted in the Dolphins’ poor execution on Wednesday.
“It just felt like we didn’t have the energy that we’re used to when we practice and when we play against opponents,” Tagovailoa said Wednesday, “so that’s what I’m talking about when I talk about it was frustrating today.”
McDaniel admitted that Wednesday’s practice “irked” him, which likely contributed to his belief that starters had to earn the day off.
“I don’t like when things happen over and over and over, the same thing, and guys know that,” McDaniel said. “So the things that I very much didn’t like from yesterday, I showed them and I’m expecting those things to be fixed.”
With no starters on Saturday, the game will be used to evaluate not just the second- and third-stringers but also allows players who might not have been roster locks to go prove why they belong.
“When my focus is like that, generally guys find a way to make a new name for themselves,” McDaniel said Friday. “Every time we compete in a preseason game or a joint practice, you learn more about your team. There’s a different level of just energy in the air and the stakes aren’t – when we’re practicing against ourselves, either somebody’s winning the down and someone else is losing but getting better from it. Right? This one, you learn about competitors, you learn about guys that the moment might not be too big for them.”
And there’s certainly several positions that could see a guy or two step. The most obvious one happens to be cornerback, a position that, after the trade of Jalen Ramsey and the injuries to Kader Kohou as well as Artie Burns, could certainly use an injection of talent. It also didn’t help that the Lions’ dynamic receiver duo of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams consistently got burned the group.
“I got to learn so much about the cornerback unit because it challenged a lot of guys to do semi-uncomfortable things against super good receivers in one-on-ones,” McDaniel said Friday, adding that “St. Brown is about as good as they get.”
“You learn, ‘OK, what type of boldness that person has or are they just going to rely on stuff that’s worked before?’” McDaniel said. “Having said that, what a great rep of seeing how people respond after they get punched, and that’s all that matters. A lot of guys got competitively challenged and that’s the number one thing.”
In addition to corner, the backup offensive line needs to show more. Players like Kion Smith and Daniel Brunskill had poor outings against the Chicago Bears. The extended run in Saturday’s game should be beneficial for them as well as Yodny Cajuste, the Dolphins’ new offensive line signee.
Cajuste “basically was the guy that we were the most excited to add to the team based on his ability to pass protect and what we think are traits to be able to do well in our run game,” McDaniel said.
After a very physical two practices in Detroit, the Dolphins have another opportunity to show that they never back down from a challenge, something that didn’t always appear to bee the case. They did it once before on Thursday. Hopefully, it will happen again Saturday.