Tag: Dolphins

Terron Armstead, 3 other Dolphins sit out Wednesday practice

Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey were among the Dolphins players limited in practice Wednesday.

Four Miami Dolphins players sat out practice Wednesday, although only two were due to injury.

Veteran cornerback Kendall Fuller missed practice as he recovers from his second concussion of the season and coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Wednesday that he’s “pessimistic” about Fuller returning in Week 12.

Left tackle Terron Armstead sat out practice and is listed with a knee injury. The 33-year-old lineman was questionable for Week 11, but played through the injury.

The other two players who were missing Wednesday — defensive lineman Calais Campbell and safety Jordan Poyer — were given the day off for rest:

Wednesday participation

DNP

  • OT Terron Armstead (knee)
  • DT Calais Campbell (rest)
  • CB Kendall Fuller (concussion)
  • S Jordan Poyer (rest)

Limited

  • WR Tyreek Hill (wrist)
  • FB Alec Ingold (calf)
  • DT Benito Jones (shoulder)
  • G Robert Jones (knee/groin)
  • CB Jalen Ramsey (knee)
  • G Isaiah Wynn (quad/knee)

Full

  • OLB Tyus Bowser (knee/calf)
  • C Aaron Brewer (shoulder/calf)
  • LB Jordyn Brooks (wrist)
  • TE Julian Hill (shoulder)
  • S Jevón Holland (hand/knee)
  • S Patrick McMorris (calf)
  • RB Raheem Mostert (hip)

Wynn and McMorris are both on injured reserve and would each have to be moved to the active roster to be available to play Sunday.

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Mike McDaniel on benched veterans: ‘You’re entitled to nothing’

“The best players have to play and that’s my job to follow through with that.”

The Miami Dolphins haven’t been shy about mixing up their lineup amid a rough start to the 2024 season.

Running back Raheem Mostert has just three carries in the last two weeks, tight end Durham Smythe is averaging one target per game after finishing third on the team in targets last year, and David Long Jr. was waived just two months after he was named a defensive team captain.

“I think it’s been the same pattern each and every season,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday afternoon. “One thing that I’m very upfront with with the players, the second they get in the building, the second we start talking projected lineups or positions within a position group, I think it’s important people know you’re entitled to nothing in this world.

“Playing time is solved by players on the field and the best players have to play and that’s my job to follow through with that. I don’t look at someone lost something, I look at who earned the opportunities.”

Among the beneficiaries of that philosophy are De’Von Achane, who already has 168 touches this season after finishing his rookie year with 130. and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., who has stepped into the starting lineup in the last three weeks.

“It’s something that I think is important to players, in general, is — not only for themselves — but teammates want the teammate next to them that best deserves that situation,” McDaniel said. “Quite frankly, everyone that roots for the Dolphins is counting on me to make the hard decisions, regardless of what the ifs, ands, or buts, you have to do what’s the best for the team.”

More recently, the Dolphins turned to undrafted rookie Storm Duck to play extensively against the Las Vegas Raiders with Kendall Fuller out of action rather than relying on 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith.

“Tomorrow if Cam Smith completely outplays Storm Duck and we feel comfortable with what we’re doing, he’ll absolutely play over Storm Duck,” McDaniel said. “Everybody’s very aware of that. I think it’s very important to get the most out of people that they realize that it’s about what they’re doing in unison with what they’ve done. They get to dictate the terms at the present and moving forward.”

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Dolphins ‘pessimistic’ about starting CB’s chances of Week 12 return

The Dolphins will probably have to rely on Storm Duck and Kader Kohou to pick up the slack again in Week 11.

The Miami Dolphins expect they’ll likely be without starting cornerback Kendall Fuller for another week.

“He was sweating on the bike a little bit, but it’s hard to say. I would be pessimistic about this week, but we’ll see,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said of Fuller on Wednesday.

Fuller, 29, missed the Dolphins’ Week 11 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a concussion suffered the week prior. It’s the second concussion of the season for the cornerback, who previously missed a Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans before returning in Week 5.

With Fuller out of action last week, the team relied on veteran Kader Kohou and undrafted rookie Storm Duck to pick up the slack. Second-year cornerback Cam Smith was on the field for seven snaps.

Presumably, it’ll be a similar formula against the New England Patriots if Fuller remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Fuller signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins in the offseason after playing the last four seasons with the Washington Commanders. In eight games, his 69.5 grade on Pro Football Focus ranks sixth among Dolphins defensive players and fourth among defensive starters behind only Jalen Ramsey, Calais Campbell, and Zach Sieler.

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Dolphins legend is Hall of Fame semifinalist for the first time

Richmond Webb is closer to Pro Football Hall of Fame induction than he’s ever been.

Former Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Richmond Webb reached the semifinalist stage of the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting process for the first time and is one of 25 remaining candidates for the Class of 2025.

Webb, 57, was the No. 9 selection in the 1990 NFL draft and spent 11 seasons with the Dolphins mostly protecting Dan Marino’s blindside. The stalwart left tackle earned Pro Bowl honors seven times, was a two-time First Team All-Pro, and a two-time Second Team All-Pro during his time in Miami. Webb then finished his career with two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Among those that didn’t advance to the semifinalist stage is former Dolphins wide receiver and current wide receivers coach Wes Welker.

Webb is one of seven first-time semifinalists along with Luke Kuechly, Eli Manning, Terrell Suggs, Earl Thomas, Adam Vinatieri, and Marshal Yanda. All six of those players are in their first year of Hall of Fame eligibility.

Later this year, the list of 25 semifinalists will be trimmed to 15 finalists.

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Mike McDaniel explains Dolphins’ new emphasis on ball-control drives

The Dolphins had as many 14-play drives Sunday as they did their entire 2023 season.

During the Miami Dolphins’ prolific year of offense in 2023, they had three drives with at least 14 plays. On Sunday, they matched that total in a single afternoon.

During a 34-19 win against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Dolphins put together a pair of 14-play drives along with a 16-play drive that was the longest for the team since Mike McDaniel was hired in 2022. It wasn’t an aberration either. In the six games Tua Tagovailoa has started this season, Miami has put together 16 drives with at least 10 plays.

In the absence of big plays from Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane, the Dolphins have found a new identity as a team willing to methodically grind away at its opponents.

“When you have some offensive production, or sustained offensive production, specifically with last year … you’re going to get offseason attention and people are going to have a different plan for you,” McDaniel said Monday. “You have to adjust to what is being presented to you and people have different plans of actions.

“Once people put two-high conservative and/or two-man coverages against your offense — until you’re able to take advantage of that through the quarterback extending plays or throwing shorter to space and staying efficient and maximizing those gains with YAC — until you prove that you’re able to execute and have games like that where you don’t punt the ball, you’re going to get that type of defense.”

Will the Dolphins’ recent success with lengthy, mistake-free drives force defenses to rethink their approach to stopping Tua Tagovailoa and co.? It remains to be seen. But McDaniel is hopeful that Miami is learning lessons that will pay dividends down the stretch.

In 2023, the Dolphins offense faded in the final weeks of the season. After averaging 31.5 points and 414.1 yards in the first 15 weeks, Miami managed just 18.3 points and 341.7 yards per game in the last three. A 26-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs followed.

“Something that we’ve been talking about since the start of the offseason in conjunction with forecasting how do we win elimination games? How do you win down the stretch of the season?” McDaniel said.

“Something that has been on the forefront of our guys’ minds in terms of we’re finding different ways to execute and move the ball down the field and score points, and I think that’s an important part of the process when you’re talking about a winning formula for big games and elimination games in particular, which is what we’re trying to grow to.”

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Where the Dolphins landed in power rankings after Week 11 win

Experts are slowly starting to believe in the Dolphins again after back-to-back wins.

A win against the Las Vegas Raiders isn’t exactly a statement game, but the Miami Dolphins put together a nearly perfect offensive performance in Week 11.

The Dolphins didn’t punt once or turn the ball over at all against the Raiders, turning every one of their possessions into points with the exception of a last-minute drive at the end of the first half.

Back-to-back wins haven’t yet convinced most experts that the Dolphins are in the top half of the NFL. But they’ve continue to inch forward in most rankings.

Here’s where experts now rank the Dolphins heading into Week 12:

Miami will face the 3-8 New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday in a Week 12 matchup.

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Jonnu Smith says Dolphins teammate is ‘LeBron James of the NFL’

“The guy is 1,000 years old and playing like he’s 21.”

LeBron James will turn 40 next month, but the NBA legend’s production on the court doesn’t show it. The Los Angeles Lakers star is averaging 23.3 points, 9.2 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game so far in his 22nd career season.

Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith says there’s a player on his team that has managed similar age-defying play.

“Calais [Campbell] is one of my favorite teammates in all the sports I’ve played,” Smith said Monday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “He’s like the LeBron James of the NFL right now. As far as his age and the production that he brings to the game, still playing at a high level. The guy is 1,000 years old and playing like he’s 21.

“The best leader I’ve been around. Good dude, good person, deserves everything that’s coming to him.”

Campbell, 38, recorded his fourth sack of the 2024 season in a 34-19 win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. It brought his career total to 109.5, moving him into a tie for 29th all-time. With two more sacks, he’d pass fellow future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald for 28th.

The Dolphins signed Campbell to a one-year, $2 million contract in the offseason. In August, he revealed it was “the cheapest offer” he received “by a large margin,” but he took the deal because he believed in the team.

When the Dolphins spiraled to a 2-6 start to the year, they reportedly received calls from other teams looking to acquire Campbell before the midseason trade deadline. But Miami spurned those offers to keep the 17th-year defensive lineman.

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Chop Robinson has been one of the NFL’s best pass rushers in November

Chop Robinson has recorded a pressure on a phenomenal 23.9 percent of his pass rush snaps in November.

The lightbulb has gone on for Miami Dolphins rookie outside linebacker Chop Robinson.

The No. 21 pick in the 2024 NFL draft had a slow start to his first season with zero sacks in the Dolphins’ first seven games. But that has given way to a strong November for the rookie.

In three games this month, Robinson has recorded two sacks, two tackles for loss, and 15 pressures. According to Pro Football Focus, only five players in the NFL — Tuli Tuipulotu, Jeffery Simmons, Trey Hendrickson, Jared Verse, and Kyle Van Noy — recorded more pressures in the last three weeks. And all of them did it with at least 100 pass rushing snaps while Robinson recorded his 15 pressures on 78 snaps.

His rate of recording a pressure on 23.9 percent of his rushes is best in the NFL among players who have more than 40 pass rushing snaps in the last three weeks.

“He’s found a way to disrupt the passer for us, which is exactly what the doctor ordered at the right time,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Monday.

With Jaelan Phillips lost for the year with a knee injury and Bradley Chubb yet to return from the knee injury he suffered at the tail end of the 2023 season, the Miami pass rush was in desperate need of Robinson’s uptick in production.

The question now is how his recent success will impact opposing game plans, and if the rest of the Dolphins defense can take advantage.

“Once you are making plays or you’re creating disruption, then you have to find a way to impact the game once people devote the appropriate attention, which always comes when you’re making an impact on the game,” McDaniel said.

“When someone devotes extra attention to Chop, he needs to be productive in those situations. And then his teammates have to take advantage of the extra space — whether that’s a halfback getting out late because he’s trying to chip his way out, or the guard getting out to the tackle to provide help, which in turn gives some lightness in protection internally. All those things play off each other. … We’ll have to take his positive plays and make more positive plays.”

The Dolphins expect Chubb to return at some point this season, but McDaniel hasn’t indicated that it’ll happen any time soon. If the team hopes to continue its climb back into postseason contention, it’ll need Robinson to continue his emergence as a bright spot on defense.

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NFL playoff picture, Week 11: Dolphins back in the mix

The Dolphins are creeping their way up the standings in the AFC.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The Miami Dolphins earned a second straight win Sunday with a surgical dissection of the Las Vegas Raiders. The 34-19 victory improved the Dolphins’ record to 4-6 and kept the team in the mix for a playoff spot.

While there’s still work to be done for Miami, the team is hot on the heels of other teams in the AFC that are vying for one of the conference’s seven postseason berths.

But unfortunately for the Dolphins, not much ground was given up by the teams ahead of them. With Week 11 in the books, here’s how the AFC standings stack up:

  1. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-1 (30-21 loss vs. Bills)
  2. Buffalo Bills: 9-2 (30-21 win vs. Chiefs)
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-2 (18-16 win vs. Ravens)
  4. Houston Texans: 7-4 (34-10 win vs. Cowboys)
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: 7-3 (34-27 win vs. Bengals)
  6. Baltimore Ravens: 7-4 (18-16 loss vs. Steelers)
  7. Denver Broncos: 6-5 (38-6 win vs. Falcons)
  • Indianapolis Colts: 5-6 (28-27 win vs. Jets)
  • Miami Dolphins: 4-6 (31-19 win vs. Raiders)
  • Cincinnati Bengals: 4-7 (34-27 loss vs. Chargers)

The six AFC teams not listed all have at least eight losses.

What may loom large at the end of the year is the Dolphins’ 16-10 loss to the Colts in October. However, if Miami keeps winning, those tiebreaking consequences could be left in the dust if Indianapolis picks up more losses.

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Dolphins player of the game, Week 11: TE Jonnu Smith

All six of Jonnu Smith’s receptions Sunday resulted in either a first down or a touchdown.

In a 34-19 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Miami Dolphins offense was surgical and efficient. The most reliable and dynamic target for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who had to consistently get the ball out quick, was tight end Jonnu Smith.

The veteran pass catcher finished his big day with six receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

Smith’s first touchdown occurred on the opening drive of the game. Miami embarked on a 14-play, 70-yard drive that took over eight minutes off the clock. The Dolphins found themselves in a fourth-and-goal situation a yard away from the end zone and Tagovailoa connected with Smith for the game’s first touchdown.

Smith’s second touchdown was the dagger of the game when Tagovaioa found the tight end wide open in the middle of the field for a 57-yard touchdown

That touchdown was the final blow and all but sealed a Dolphins victory. All six of Smith’s receptions Sunday resulted in either a first down or a touchdown.

After a slow start to the season, Smith has settled into the Miami offense and has found a significant role, becoming one of Tagovailoa’s favorite targets. That was especially evident Sunday in a stellar performance.

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