Miami Dolphins: Kenny Stills needs to get more touches
By Larry Brake
Kenny Stills is a major weapon in the Miami Dolphins offense and, for the unit to improve, the wide receiver needs more touches in the 2019 season.
The Miami Dolphins will make a major step towards challenging for the AFC East divisional title. Miami has two new quarterbacks to move the offense and weapons to fuel the firepower. In order to take pressure off the rushing attack, wide receiver Kenny Stills needs to get more touches in the 2019 season.
Stills is beginning his fifth season in Miami. In the previous four seasons, he has not benefitted from receiving passes from a top quarterback as he did in New Orleans. Expect him to be a major contributor to the offense under either Josh Rosen or Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Stills is clearly the top receiver on the Dolphins current roster. While in a Dolphins uniform, Stills has caught 164 passes for 2,566 yards with 24 touchdowns. Most importantly, he averages 15.6 yards per reception. Stills moves the chains downfield and makes big plays.
Last season, Danny Amendola had 59 receptions with 575 yards and one touchdown. He was the beneficiary of Stills drawing deep coverage. Albert Wilson and DeVante Parker should garner enough attention that Stills should run free in single coverage.
Stills is very similar to former Miami great Paul Warfield. Like Warfield, Stills played for a different team in his early career. Warfield played in Cleveland and Stills played in New Orleans.
Stills has surpassed Warfield in receptions as a Miami receiver. However, Warfield accrued 3,355 receiving yards to Still’s 2,566 yards. Hopefully, Stills can pass Warfield by Week 9 in career receiving yards in the Dolphins franchise record book.
If the Dolphins are to make a playoff run, Stills has to get more touches. Miami can not afford to face third-and-long on a consistent basis. They have to stretch the field on each down and not be predictable.
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Last season, Miami lost three consecutive games to end the season. They were outscored 100-41. They would have finished 10-6 if they had won those three games. Stills caught five passes for 49 yards in those last three games. Thus, Miami needs to get touches to Stills this year. It will interesting to see how he meshes with the new quarterbacks.