Miami Dolphins: 3 Takeaways vs. Raiders in Week 9

2. Julius Thomas finally showing up

When the Dolphins drafted Laremy Tunsil in the first round two years ago, the plan was to start him off inside with the notion he would be the left tackle of the future. That future became the present when former Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert was traded to Jacksonville in a series of trades that landed tight in Julius Thomas in Miami.

Thomas had struggled during his time in Jacksonville, but the hope was that being reunited with Adam Gase would re-kindle the kind of success Thomas had during his days in Denver. During his time with Adam Gase and the Broncos, Thomas was one of the best red-zone threats in the league. In two seasons, Thomas hauled in 24 touchdowns and was dominant inside the 20.

This season had been more reminiscent of the Jaguars days than the Broncos ones for Thomas, as coming into tonight’s game he had only 17 receptions and zero touchdowns. Thomas figured into the game-plan in a big way tonight, though, as the Dolphins targeted him over and over again.

Thomas finished the game with six receptions for 84 yards and his first touchdown of the season. It was the first signs of life from the aging tight end since his arrival, and hopefully a sign of things to come.

There has been a lot missing for the Dolphins offense this season. One of the biggest things has been an outlet for quarterback Jay Cutler over the middle. If Thomas is finally coming to life and can be that target, the offense may start coming around. They’re going to need to in a big way, as the Dolphins schedule gets much harder from here on out.