Tag: Jakeem Grant

Watch: Dolphins score 2 touchdowns in 75 seconds

The Miami Dolphins scored on a long fumble return against the Los Angeles Rams.

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Emmanuel Ogbah separated the ball from Jared Goff with a crushing hit and Andrew Van Ginkel was happy to pick up the gift and take it 78 yards to paydirt in the second quarter of the Miami Dolphins’ game with the Los Angeles Rams.

The strip-sack into a touchdown came plays after Myles Gaskins of Miami had fumbled to set Los Angeles up inside the Dolphins’ red zone.

Ogbah came off the line and went untouched into the Rams’ quarterback, who had the ball jarred from his grasp.

Van Ginkel, a second-year linebacker from Wisconsin, picked up the gift and was off and running.

It is the second-longest fumbled return for a touchdown in Dolphins franchise history. Jason Taylor had an 85-yard return during his Hall of Fame career.

The Dolphins’ Jakeem Grant then took a Johnny Hekker punt 88 yards for the longest punt return in franchise history as the Dolphins grabbed a 21-7 lead in 75 seconds.

Should Dolphins be worried about lingering injuries at WR?

Should Dolphins be worried about lingering injuries at WR?

Two of the Miami Dolphins’ most important pass catchers for the 2020 season are DeVante Parker and Jakeem Grant. Parker’s importance to the wide receiver room is obvious when you take into account how much volume of the team’s 2019 passing attack ran through the former 1st-round pick. Grant, on the other hand, is Miami’s best chance for a speedy threat to get vertical and keep spacing issues present in opposing defenses. Yes, Parker can get vertical, but Grant is the race car with the blazing fast speed.

But importance to the passing game isn’t the only thing that these two have had in common — durability has been a big question for both players for the better part of their time with the Dolphins. Parker finally pieced together a healthy season last year and was rewarded with over 1,200 receiving yards as a result. But each of his prior seasons saw him battling some lingering issues. Grant, on the other hand, has never had a lot of volume on offense but still managed to land on injured reserve in each of the last two seasons.

Most alarming of all? Both Grant and Parker have experienced minor injuries thus far in training camp. Parker has missed the last week of practice for the Dolphins. And although he is expected to be okay for the start of the season, his setback in durability does threaten Miami’s ability to field a dynamic group of receivers this season.

Should the Dolphins be worried? Parker has spent more time this past week on the exercise bike at practice than he has running routes. And while Jakeem Grant has at least been dressed for practice, he needs a fully healthy season to buck the narrative about his durability. And Miami needs both to be healthy desperately.

There’s no need to panic, but this is an issue that will need to be watched closely. If the Dolphins continue to see lingering injuries pile up for both players, it will further amplify the team’s need to spend aggressively in upgrading the wide receiver room after the 2020 season comes to a close. In the meantime? They’ll have to make due with what they’ve got — but the team would love for Parker and Grant to both see all 16 games for Miami.

Three Dolphins who received positive reviews from Day 1 of pads

Three Dolphins who received positive reviews from Day 1 of pads

Yesterday’s padded practices are in the books for the Miami Dolphins and things are at the very least starting to feel somewhat normal on the gridiron. The accessibility for training camp isn’t what you’d find during a standard year and the Dolphins media even has new restrictions on what can and cannot be shared from the team facilities — no tweeting about plays or first-string options.

It’s a new challenge, but a welcomed challenge when you consider that the pads are back on and legitimate football is taking place. One thing that can be talked about? Some of the standout performers from each practice — for better or for worse. Which Miami Dolphins were able to get noticed yesterday for Day 1 of pads?

Here are three who have received generally positive reviews.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

WR Jakeem Grant

Grant will have the first crack at winning the WR3 job for the Dolphins — he’s got the critical speed Miami is sorely lacking on the perimeter. That speed was capitalized on Day 1 of pads, as Grant connected on a long bomb with QB Josh Rosen. Grant may ideally be a slot player from his size alone, but the Dolphins are expected to stretch the field horizontally, so Grant’s twitch and speed is just as dangerous away from the traffic and pushing over the top when he’s on an island.

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Who will the Dolphins settle on to return kicks in 2020?

Who will the Dolphins settle on to return kicks in 2020?

The Miami Dolphins’ most successful kick returner in recent memory is back once again in 2020 — that would be wide receiver Jakeem Grant. Grant has logged a grand total of four return touchdowns over the last four seasons; his open field speed and agility are a lethal threat when you give him too much room to work. But the Dolphins do have a conflict on their hands, as the opt-outs of WRs Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson will undoubtedly push Grant up the wide receiver depth chart — so much so that he is presumed to be the team’s No. 3 option in an offense that is projected to run a ton of “11 personnel”, which will put Grant frequently on the field.

And, when you pair that added demand to a resume that has seen Grant miss 12 games over the last two seasons and end both of the last two years on injured reserve, the Dolphins may want to consider being selective with how they choose to utilize Grant — even if it means they don’t feature him as the kick returner.

Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman met with the South Florida media this morning and was asked about the dynamics of the team’s return game and, more specifically, who might challenge Grant for return duties.

“We’ve got a couple of guys that have both done it in the professional ranks, we have guys that have done it in the college ranks and then we’ve got some guys that we’re trying to train – it’s amazing how many guys want to show you their high school highlight tape and show you how good they were. They all think they can do it! But we’ve got a good group working,” said Crossman.

“Like always, it will play its way out and then how those roles develop (will be) based on what else is happening offensively and defensively.”

Ah-ha! There’s a big clue — the Dolphins’ return duties will be based on what else is happening on offense and defense. If Grant does indeed take on a larger offensive role, it is likely to impact how much he will be utilized in the return game. So who else is a candidate? The Dolphins have two prominent additions worth eyeing — WR Chester Rogers and CB Noah Igbinoghene. Crossman acknowledged both as having received consideration.

“As far as Chester goes, yeah he has a good history. Again, he’s one of those guys where we’re excited to have a guy that’s got a good history and has some success in this league,” he said.

“(Igbinoghene) is another guy that we’re looking at. Again, anybody that’s had any history, they’re out there before practice, they’re out there during practice. We’ll put eyes on all of them.”

WR Preston Williams got some brief experimental time at returner last season, too — but his role on the offense figures to be significant, even more so than Grant. If Grant becomes WR3, Rogers may become the de facto favorite, given that he’ll be a depth piece on offense whereas Igbinoghene projects as having a prominent role on defense as the nickel back.

How can the Dolphins get the most out of Jakeem Grant in 2020?

How can the Dolphins get the most out of Jakeem Grant in 2020?

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jakeem Grant has plenty of support from fans in his bid to prove once and for all that he’s more than a specialist. Grant has claimed this summer that he’s a wide receiver first and foremost — despite his general lack of production in the passing game over the course of his first four seasons in the pros.

Grant, who has played in 52 career games with Miami from 2016-2019 (he missed 6 games in each of the last two seasons), has logged 53 receptions for 635 yards and 4 touchdowns over that span — but he’s also added over 2,000 kick return yards, 589 punt return yards and logged 4 return touchdowns over that same span. If you looked at Grant’s current body of work, it would seem as though he’s best off in a specialist role.

But if Grant were to ever get the conditions needed to disprove that narrative, he’s got them here in 2020. The Dolphins bid farewell to both Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns last week due to COVID-19 opt outs, leaving Grant as the clear and obvious WR3 on this roster behind DeVante Parker and Preston Williams. Yes, the Dolphins signed Chester Rogers and Ricardo Louis over the weekend. Yes, the Dolphins have promising young players in Isaiah Ford and Gary Jennings to push for playing time. But Grant’s electric speed and experience should push him into the starting WR role.

And, to be fair to Grant, he’s electric in short spaces and can run plenty of routes with plenty of precision. But route running isn’t the concern with Grant — durability is. The Dolphins are now charged with making the most of Grant’s skill set while protecting him from the kind of wear and tear that has ended each of his last two seasons prematurely. Grant has, over four years, logged 1,060 snaps — an average of 265 snaps per season. And of those 1,060 snaps, 410 of those snaps have come on special teams.  Grant becoming a starting wide receiver isn’t going to be an easy transition, but one that the Dolphins must figure out.

One way for the Dolphins to make the most of Grant’s ability while also protecting him from injury is to play him on the perimeter as compared to in the slot. Running a 5-foot-7, 171 pound wide receiver over the middle of the field on slants feels like a recipe for disaster — so put Grant on the outside and charge him with playing vertically. There, he can use his quickness and leverage to defeat press and avoid the kind of bone-jarring hits that might cause a soft tissue injury and land Grant on the injured reserve list for the third consecutive season.

The Dolphins, who are expected to implement a lot of RPO concepts in 2020, can use their bigger bodied receivers to dip into those areas of the field between the hashes and absorb body blows. Leave that to the big men and let Grant blaze on the outside — it may be Grant’s best chance to live up to his potential and become the receiver he believes he can be.

Dolphins tease training camp with hilarious Jakeem Grant clip

Dolphins tease training camp with hilarious Jakeem Grant clip

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jakeem Grant hasn’t been able to create the level of production that he seems to be physically capable of as an NFL wide receiver, but there is no denying that he is still the team’s most dangerous threat in the open field. Grant, who has to this point made the majority of his impact as a returner (4 career return touchdowns), could be aligned for a big breakout this season if he’s able to stay healthy.

Grant has finished each of the last two seasons on injured reserve — so that is a big “if”. But Miami would sure love to see a full season of a healthy Grant, given that his elite long speed and high amount of short area quickness figure to translate well to new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s offensive system.

Grant has been hard at work to get back to full health and to also prove that he is a wide receiver first and foremost this offseason — and after seeing the Dolphins’ latest tease for training camp, there’s nothing we’d like to see more than Grant live up to his athletic potential.

Grant’s friendship with WR DeVante Parker makes them one of the most entertaining duos on the roster — the two recently went head to head on the Dolphins’ social accounts for a game of trivia, which did not disappoint. And if the pair can become as entertaining on the field as they are off it and on the practice fields, the Dolphins will definitely have themselves a successful passing offense in 2020.

Dolphins veterans, including both Parker and Grant, are in the building today for Miami as the team continues to lay the foundation for the 2020 NFL season.

Four Miami Dolphins facing make or break seasons in 2020

Four Miami Dolphins facing make or break seasons in 2020

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Dolphins are angling to move themselves up the standings this season — the 2019 campaign saw the Dolphins finish last in the AFC East and with one of the five worst records in football. That wasn’t necessarily unexpected, but to see the same results in 2020 would certainly be a disappointing development after so much new talent was added to the team this offseason.

More expectations will naturally lead to more pressure — and these are four Miami Dolphins players who will have pressure to perform in 2020. If they don’t, the Dolphins could be in the market for a replacement next winter.

WR Jakeem Grant

Grant is a very likable talent who brings explosive speed and the potential for big plays down the field. With his suddenness in short spaces, Grant poses a unique matchup for opposing defenders — but he’s struggled with durability throughout the past few seasons and has never been more than a complimentary player to this point in his career. If Grant is going to be taken seriously as a potential long-term staple of the wide receiver room, this needs to be the year he steps up.

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Dolphins WR Jakeem Grant looks to be back to 100 percent

Dolphins WR Jakeem Grant looks to be back to 100 percent

If you watch the tape on Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jakeem Grant, you’ll see that he’s close. To what exactly? To shaking the narrative that he’s simply a return man — and instead that he’s a legitimate NFL receiver. When Grant has been on the field, he’s had success creating separation and making strong plays on the football in the air.

But the durability component has been the troubling trend for Grant over the last two seasons — he’s ended both the 2018 and 2019 seasons on injured reserve and he missed a total of 6 games for the Dolphins in 2019. But Grant looks to be back to full capacity as of late.

The diminutive receiver shared a clip from a recent workout and the injured ankle that ended Grant’s season doesn’t look to be a problem in any way. And Grant wants the world to know that he’s not a specialist too; he seems intent on proving it in 2020.

Grant’s skillset is predicated around short area quickness and explosive speed. Those traits will be in high demand in Chan Gailey’s spread offensive look — where Grant’s dynamic speed will have the opportunity to be the big-play catalyst Miami will be searching for out of the slot. New quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has thrived throughout his career in college by dispersing the football to speedy slot targets who can take advantage of his accuracy to convert catches into catch and run opportunities. That’s the void Grant can fill and confirm once and for all that he is indeed a receiver first and foremost.

But he’ll need to have his best career season and continue to be wary of contact in highly congested areas if he’s going to be the critical X-factor on Miami’s offense that he has the potential to be.

The good news? Grant looks ready to rumble when training camp kicks off to showcase what he’s got in the tank for another year.

Dolphins WR Jakeem Grant reportedly heading to injured reserve

Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald is reporting that Dolphins WR Jakeem Grant will finish the 2019 season in injured reserve.

Just when Miami Dolphins receiver Jakeem Grant was looking like his old self, his season is reportedly over. Grant suffered a high ankle sprain last week against the Cleveland Browns — an injury that will unceremoniously cut short his 2019, his second consecutive year being shut down early due to injuries. That is the latest according to the Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley, who reported the news this morning.

Grant, who was given a 4-year contract extension by the Dolphins at the beginning of the 2019 season, will now join WR Preston Williams and a slew of other Dolphins for the final 5 games of the season on IR. With 19 receptions for 164 yards this season, Grant’s loss will be felt more in the kick return game, where Grant logged his 4th career return touchdown just two weeks ago against the Buffalo Bills.

Injury losses have tested the Dolphins on all fronts this season, but this injury to Grant is worrisome given his stature and having seen two straight seasons now cut prematurely short. There’s little question that the Dolphins have more pressing needs on their roster than the wide receiver position, but the team would be wise to target some depth and speed to help bring reinforcements into the fray of Miami’s 2020 campaign — a season expected to bring more competitiveness than what the Dolphins have shown for the vast majority of 2019.

Grant’s upcoming IR designation leaves Miami with just three receivers on the active roster: DeVante Parker, Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson (who suffered a rib injury against Cleveland on Sunday).

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What we learned from Bills’ Week 11 victory over Miami

What we learned, Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins, NFL week 11

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

With questions starting to creep in about the Bills and the overall outlook of their 2019 season, a comfortable, yet fun win, in Miami, was just what the doctor ordered for Sean McDermott’s team.

The Bills rebounded from a tough loss in Cleveland and got back on the winning track by lighting up the scoreboard at Hard Rock Stadium. Buffalo produced its highest-scoring output of the season in a 37-20 trouncing of the Dolphins.

The Bills offense got up off the canvas after a week of taking punches in the form of criticism from fans and local media for numerous subpar performances since September. Any offensive shortcomings the Bills have been experiencing this season were forgotten for most of the day Sunday as the Bills posted 424 yards of total offense and seven different scoring drives.

It was a big day for quarterback Josh Allen. Allen had his best outing of the season, completing 21 of 33 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 56 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown. Meanwhile, receiver John Brown had his biggest and best day yet for Buffalo with nine catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

The Buffalo defense had an overall strong day, even though Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 323 yards. The Bills sacked Fitzpatrick seven times and produced a takeaway for the first time since October. The run defense rebounded in a huge way by allowing Miami just 23 rushing yards. It was a major change for a run defense that had been gashed in recent weeks.

The Bills now sit at 7-3 and have to feel a bit more comfortable than they did last week about their playoff outlook. They can get to 8-3 this coming week back at home against the 3-7 Denver Broncos before they make their Thanksgiving trip to Dallas.

Here are four things we learned from the Bills’ win Sunday in South Florida:

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