The Miami Dolphins couldn’t edge out the Philadelphia Eagles for a win in Preseason Week 3, but what did we learn about the Phins in the loss?
In the third week of the 2017 NFL Preseason, the Miami Dolphins came out of the gates with their starting units, as did their opponents, the Philadelphia Eagles. And those first-team offensive units were ready to rock in a big way. They each amassed 14 points in what felt like a blink of an eye in the first quarter, setting the tone for the matchup.
The starters played most of the first half — as is the norm in Preseason Week 3 — and the scoring didn’t stop. Following the 60 full minutes of play, the Eagles edged out Miami with a 38-31 final score.
As has been said by just about everyone, results in the preseason don’t actually matter. What does matter, though, is what the players looked like and what the team and fans saw out on the field in Philly on Thursday night.
Having that in mind, let’s take a look at three things that we can take away from this matchup for the Dolphins.
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3. DeVante Parker is about to explode with Jay Cutler
For the past few seasons, we’ve heard buzz coming out of Miami regarding wide receiver DeVante Parker. Taken with the Dolphins’ first-round pick in 2015 (No. 14 overall), the 6-3 pass-catcher has been a breakout candidate as a rookie and then in Year 2. While he showed flashes, though, he never really saw his breakout come to fruition.
He improved from his rookie season to 2016, catching 56 balls for 744 yards and four touchdowns last year. With Jay Cutler coming to take the reins of the offense in the wake of the Ryan Tannehill injury, though, many began predicting a breakout for Parker again. And though early returns left questions about that, we saw flashes in this game.
The Louisville product only caught two passes, but one happened to be a monstrous 72-yard play where he and Cutler connected. And that’s something that could become the norm.
As Parker and his new quarterback build a rapport, they are great complements to one another. Cutler has the big arm to deliver the ball down the field or into tight windows and Parker is the highly athletic, big-bodied guy that thrives with that type of throw. This could be a special year for Parker.
2. The defensive front will be fearsome
There are a number of questions entering 2017 about the Dolphins defense. Linebacker is the biggest issue, especially with rookie Raekwon McMillan tearing his ACL. What’s more, there are some concerns in the secondary. However, at least some of those issues could be quelled by a stout defensive line that showed their prowess in this game.
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Looking at the Pro Football Focus Refocused report for the matchup, three of the Dolphins five highest-graded players were on the defensive front: Ndamukong Suh, Praise Martin-Oguike and William Hayes. Suh and Hayes are the keys here as both should play a huge role in the success of the defense in 2017. And if they’re already performing at this level, imagine them working with the likes of a healthy Cameron Wake and a solid rotational edge rush.
This unit is going to drive the defense in a big way in 2017.
1. Jay Ajayi was far from a fluke
One narrative that has been floating around regarding the Dolphins revolves around running back Jay Ajayi. The Boise State product came into the league and took a long time to earn his spot as a starter. Once he did, though, he turned on the jets with three 200-yard performances last season and clearing 1,000 yards easily for the season.
Because of a bit of a hot-and-cold year, though, many have surmised that last year was a fluke for Ajayi. In turn, there have been many who project that the Dolphins running back will drop off from what he did last season. This game, like the rest of his work this preseason, made that seem like a silly notion.
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Ajayi finished this matchup against the Eagles — who sport one of the league’s best defensive fronts — averaging 5.9 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns in limited action. What’s more, Pro Football Focus’ Refocused recap also noted that he averaged 5.1 yards after contact and broke three tackles despite having just nine totes.
Suffice it to say that, if healthy, Ajayi isn’t going anywhere.