Miami Dolphins: Highs and lows of preseason opener
Positive Notes
First and foremost, it was great to see Ryan Tannehill out there. Say what you will about the guy, but he’s not Jay Cutler and that’s a good thing. He missed a big first down pass on the first drive, but for the purposes of this game, he looked good. Especially when you consider that it’s been about a year and a half since he’s played a down of football.
The key is that he moved around well and didn’t look timid out there. He made a nice first down throw on the run and that may have been the most important play of the game in terms of relevance to the future.
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Beyond Tannehill, the thing that stood out most to me was the rushing attack throughout the game. As a team the Dolphins averaged 5.3 yards per carry. Hopefully, that can translate beyond this game and into the regular season. This team has shown over the past few seasons that when they are able to establish a rushing attack they can win games in bunches.
The young kids all looked pretty good as well. First-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick looked solid and I like what I saw from tight end Mike Gesicki. He didn’t connect on any receptions but got open and went up to get the ball in the end zone. The throw was just off.
Isaiah Ford and Rashawn Scott continued their strong play and looked great. Rookie running back Kalen Ballage showed off his skill set too. He had a great catch and run, which unfortunately fumbled trying to hurdle a defender. Still, it was a glimpse at what he could be and the fumble was fluky.
Of course, it’s also good to see the team didn’t suffer any major injuries. That is always the biggest concern during the preseason. Special teams ace Mike Hull did go down and was carted off but he appears to be okay. What was feared to be a torn ACL looks like an MCL sprain and he could even be ready for Week 1. What looked like a potential disaster was avoided as the team got some good news on Friday.