Category: Miami Dolphins

Mike McDaniel regrets play call on costly fourth down vs. Packers

Mike McDaniel says there was one play call from Thursday night that he’d “absolutely like to have back.”

The Miami Dolphins threatened to make things awfully uncomfortable for the Green Bay Packers in the second half. After a 70-play touchdown drive and a defensive stop, the Dolphins drove over 80 yards and threatened to score another touchdown that would’ve potentially cut Green Bay’s lead to eight.

Instead, a second down run for De’Von Achane from the 1-yard line was stopped for no gain. A third down pass to tight end Jonnu Smith was knocked away by a Packers defender. And finally, Tua Tagovailoa was sacked on fourth down.

“There is a play call that I’d absolutely like to have back,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel told reporters of the fourth down play. “It was a collection of things over the four-play process that will be tough for us to swallow when we watch the film.”

On the final play of the drive, Tagovailoa faked a handoff to Achane before looking for a receiver to get open. But only Jaylen Waddle and Durham Smythe, who were both tightly covered, even made it across the goal line before Packers pass rushers swallowed up Tagovailoa.

The other three options never came close to getting free. Alec Ingold tripped over the leg of right tackle Kendall Lamm, and both Achane and Julian Hill struggled to find their way through traffic in the middle of the field. The result was a disastrous fourth down call that never had a chance.

According to Tagovailoa, Ingold was the first read on the play.

“I had seen Alec [Ingold] fall and as I got through to Jaylen [Waddle], I couldn’t really navigate to see if he won his matchup or not,” Tagovailoa said. “By that time I was just trying to maneuver through the pocket and hopefully find an opening to find somebody on a scramble drill.”

The turnover on downs essentially slammed the door on the Dolphins’ comeback bid and the Packers nailed the coffin shut with a 78-yard drive capped by a field goal that pushed their lead to 19.

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Mike McDaniel explains why Dolphins left Shaq Barrett on retired list

The Dolphins didn’t want to cut a player who “earned the right” to be on the roster to make room for Shaq Barrett.

Two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Shaquil Barrett retired in July, days before the Miami Dolphins were set to begin training camp. While he changed his mind earlier this week and applied for immediate reinstatement, the Dolphins shut it down.

Rather than activate Barrett from the team’s reserve/retired list or release the pass rusher so he could make his return from retirement elsewhere, the Dolphins decided to do nothing. By leaving him on their reserve/retired list, the Dolphins guaranteed that the former Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers player won’t play at all in 2024.

“Just talking with [general manager] Chris [Grier], and where our roster was at and the players that have earned the right to be on [the roster],” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Friday night after a 30-17 loss. “It’s a number’s game in the NFL. The timing I don’t think was necessarily ideal.”

By activating Barrett, the Dolphins would’ve had to release a player to find room for the pass rusher on the roster. That could be a tough call with the eventual returns of linebackers Bradley Chubb and/or Cameron Goode from the PUP list potentially forcing two more players off the 53-man roster.

But some criticized the Dolphins for not parting with Barrett to allow him to play elsewhere.

“Like I said we just found out on a day that I had a press conference with you guys, and it was more of that,” McDaniel said. “It wasn’t whether he wanted to play there or here. He knew we had his contractual rights, so it was more of where we are at, and let’s look at our roster.”

The Dolphins are near the bottom of the NFL in sacks with Chubb yet to play a game this season and Jaelan Phillips lost for the year with a season-ending knee injury. While first-round rookie Chop Robinson had a stellar November, Miami hardly touched Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love in a Thanksgiving loss.

Barrett, 32, led the NFL in sacks with 19.5 in 2019 and recorded 4.5 last season.

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Dolphins still clinging to playoff dream: ‘I feel 10-7 gets us in’

The Dolphins’ narrow path to the playoffs got much tighter with their latest loss.

A narrow path to the postseason for the Miami Dolphins got significantly tighter Thursday night with their 30-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Now at 5-7 on the year, the Dolphins’ only realistic shot at the playoffs is to track down and pass at least one of four teams: the 8-3 Pittsburgh Steelers, 8-4 Baltimore Ravens, 7-4 Los Angeles Chargers, or 7-5 Denver Broncos. That’s an uphill climb they still think is possible.

“I told the guys I feel 10-7 gets us in,” Dolphins defensive lineman Calais Campbell told reporters after the loss. “We got to believe that our efforts will matter if we do what we’re suppose to do, I think it gives us a shot. I’ve seen some crazy things happen.”

“I wouldn’t say the dream’s dead for our team just yet, anything can happen in this league,” Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said.

Getting to 10-7 would mean winning five straight to close out the regular season. Left on the schedule for the Dolphins are home games against the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers, along with road games against the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, and Jets.

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Dolphins linebacker says team was ‘soft’ in cold weather vs. Packers

The “soft” label for the Dolphins isn’t going anywhere, especially when the description is coming from within the team’s own locker room.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel didn’t think the cold weather at Lambeau Field was the reason his team missed 20 tackles against the Green Bay Packers. Other players on the defense agreed with that assessment.

Starting linebacker Jordyn Brooks wasn’t one of them.

“I felt like we let the elements control the way that we played,” Brooks told reporters after the 30-17 loss, via Chris Perkins of the Sun-Sentinel. “I thought we were soft, simple as that. I thought we were soft today.

“I don’t know if guys were too cold. I don’t know what it was, but I feel like the elements played a part in how we played as a group.”

Brooks, who joined the Dolphins in the offseason on a three-year deal after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, finished with nine tackles in the loss.

Earlier this season, several Miami defensive players took umbrage with their former teammate, DeShon Elliott, calling the Dolphins “soft as [expletive]” in a podcast appearance. But that description of the franchise came just a few months after safety Jordan Poyer, who joined the Dolphins in the offseason, said he previously knew the team as one that would fold under pressure.

The “soft” label for the Dolphins isn’t going anywhere after the team missed 20 tackles Thursday, especially when that description is coming from within the team’s own locker room.

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Dolphins announce 6 inactives for Week 13 vs. Packers

Dolphins rookies Mohamed Kamara and Patrick McMorris are both in the lineup Thursday against the Packers.

The Miami Dolphins will have left tackle Terron Armstead in the lineup Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers.

While the team ruled out three defensive players — linebacker Tyus Bowser, cornerback Kendall Fuller, and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. — Armstead was the only player for Miami who was listed as questionable for the Thanksgiving game. The five-time Pro Bowl left tackle was also listed as questionable for Weeks 11 and 12, but also played in those two games.

The Dolphins also have fifth-round and sixth-round rookies Mohamed Kamara and Patrick McMorris in the lineup. Kamara has only appeared in two prior games, but is playing with Bowser out of action. McMorris was activated from the injured reserve earlier this week and will make his NFL debut Thursday.

With kickoff 90 minutes away, here are the players ruled out by each team:

Dolphins inactives

  • CB Ethan Bonner
  • CB Kendall Fuller
  • QB Tyler Huntley (3rd QB)
  • TE Jack Stoll
  • WR Dee Eskridge
  • LB Anthony Walker Jr.

Packers inactives

  • CB Jaire Alexander
  • LB Edgerrin Cooper
  • OL Jacob Monk
  • WR Romeo Doubs

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Dolphins activate quarterback, send veteran pass rusher to IR

The Dolphins now have three quarterbacks on the active roster after bringing one back from the injured reserve.

The Miami Dolphins activated quarterback Tyler Huntley off the injured reserve Thursday and made room for him on the roster by sending Tyus Bowser down for an IR stint.

Huntley, 26, joined the Dolphins earlier this season while Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined with a concussion. The former Baltimore Ravens quarterback made three starts, completing 59.1 percent of his passes with 377 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

In a Week 7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Huntley suffered a shoulder injury that landed him on IR.

With Tagovailoa back in the fold, the Dolphins don’t plan on seeing Huntley back on the field anytime soon. It also seems unlikely that the team will keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster for long.

“Ultimately, it’s important to have three guys over a long stretch of time,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said earlier this month. “But in the short term, we’ll adjust by the needs of the team for sure.”

Stashing either Huntley or Skylar Thompson on the practice squad may prove to be a logical move for the Dolphins.

Bowser, 29, was signed by the Dolphins in October off the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad. In nine games with Miami, he has 10 tackles and zero sacks.

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Dolphins decide to leave 2-time Pro Bowl pass rusher on retired list

Shaq Barrett changed his mind about retirement, but he won’t be making a 2024 return after all.

Two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Shaquil Barrett won’t be making a midseason return from retirement after all.

The Miami Dolphins had until 4 p.m. ET on Thursday to decide whether or not they’d activate Barrett from the reserve/retired list. The team opted against adding the pass rusher to their roster, and also decided not to release Barrett — meaning he’ll miss the remainder of the 2024 season.

Barrett, 32, signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins in the offseason, but decided to retire in July, just days prior to the start of training camp. Earlier this week, the pass rusher decided to apply for immediate reinstatement, which was a decision that Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said he was “fully caught off guard” by when he heard the news Tuesday.

The Dolphins lost Jaelan Phillips to a season-ending injury and are still waiting for Bradley Chubb to return from the PUP list. The team also placed Tyus Bowser on the injured reserve Thursday. However, it has seen an uptick in production from first-round rookie Chop Robinson, who is starting opposite Emmanuel Ogbah.

Activating Barrett would’ve required the team to release a player to make room on the 53-man roster. Releasing Barrett would’ve run the risk of the pass rusher joining and strengthening another playoff contender. Instead, the team decided neither route was the prudent decision.

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Calais Campbell’s brother details ‘bidding war’ at trade deadline

The Dolphins’ decision to keep Calais Campbell despite a litany of trade offers made a strong impression on the lineman.

Earlier this week, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that the team had an offer from the Baltimore Ravens for defensive lineman Calais Campbell that they turned down just before the NFL’s trade deadline.

According to Campbell’s brother, it was much more than just that.

“There was a bidding war,” Jared Campbell said on a podcast with comedian Michael Lenoci. “They had nine teams that offered at least a sixth-round pick. … Then there was a bidding war, so then the teams offered a fifth — the 49ers and the Ravens. The [Dolphins] said ‘Oh, we’ll go with the Ravens. You’re familiar with the team, they look good. You’re good.’ And the 49ers came in last minute and said we’ll give a fourth-round pick for him.”

Other teams in the mix, according to Jared, included the Cardinals, Bears, Commanders, and Bengals.

Receiving a fourth-round pick for a 38-year-old defensive lineman on an expiring contract is hard to turn down. The fact that the Dolphins kept Campbell in spite of those offers was a show of faith that wasn’t lost on the 17th year defensive lineman.

“Calais was prepared to be traded,” Jared Campbell said. “Somehow they came to the decision in the final hour before they were like ‘Hey, give us that pick.’ To be like, ‘No, we’re not going to do this.’ Calais was like ‘Man, it made me feel like love. Because if you turn down a fourth-round pick for a 38-year-old guy on an expiring contract, you must really want me.'”

The Dolphins’ faith has been rewarded in recent weeks. The team has won three straight since the Nov. 5 deadline and Campbell’s leadership has made a strong impression on his teammates.

The six-time Pro Bowler leads the team in sacks with four and tackles for loss with nine.

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Is Terron Armstead playing today? Injury updates for Dolphins OT

Dolphins offensive tackle Terron Armstead is dealing with a knee injury. Here are the latest updates.

The Miami Dolphins listed only one player as questionable for their Thanksgiving game against the Green Bay Packers and it’s a significant one.

Five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead is dealing with a knee injury that has kept him out of practice.

Terron Armstead injury update

While Armstead has missed almost every practice for the last three weeks, but he’s managed to continue playing through his injury. Despite being questionable in Weeks 11 and 12, the Dolphins still had their left tackle available in wins over the Raiders and Patriots.

“He had his mind right,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said of Armstead earlier this week. “Everybody knows that the unbelievable opportunity of playing on Thanksgiving is upon us, so guys, however they’re feeling, they’re just spending more time getting treatment and getting ready for this game.”

Dolphins OT depth chart

The Dolphins already lost right tackle Austin Jackson to a season-ending surgery and are starting veteran Kendall Lamm on the right side of their offensive line. That leaves second-round rookie Patrick Paul as the sole backup for Armstead on the left side.

Last week, with a win against the Patriots well in hand, Paul played 19 snaps in relief of Armstead.

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Chargers claim veteran S waived by Dolphins

The Chargers jumped at the chance to add a veteran to their secondary.

The Los Angeles Chargers claimed safety Marcus Maye off waivers a day after he was let go by the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday.

Maye, 31, signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins in June to backup the team’s starting duo of Jordan Poyer and Jevón Holland, and was thrust into starting duties in three games.

The Dolphins cut ties with Maye on Tuesday to make room on the 53-man roster for sixth-round rookie Patrick McMorris to be activated from the injured reserve. If Maye cleared waivers, he would’ve been a logical candidate to be retained by Miami as a member of the practice squad. Instead, he’ll join a Chargers secondary that starts Derwin James and Alohi Gilman on the back end.

In 11 games with the Dolphins, Maye recorded one pass defense, one tackle for loss, and 30 total tackles.

Aside from Poyer, Holland, and McMorris, the Dolphins also have special teamer Elijah Campbell at safety. The team has veteran defensive back Nik Needham and rookie Jordan Colbert on the practice squad.

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