News and observations from Dolphins’ victory over Saints as preseason wraps up
Observations from the surprisingly well-played Dolphins-Saints preseason game Thursday night, a 16-13 Miami victory, as we await Jadeveon Clowney’s fate:
▪ Who starts at quarterback for Miami Week 1 technically remained a mystery heading into the game, but all signs have pointed and continue to point to Ryan Fitzpatrick getting the job.
The latest data point: Josh Rosen dressed Thursday night. Fitzpatrick, who dealt with an undisclosed illness this week, did not.
And while Jake Rudock got the start (and as we’ll explain in a bit, was quite good), it was telling that Rosen — and not Fitzpatrick — was the emergency quarterback even though essentially every Dolphins starter got the night off.
Coach Brian Flores said he expected to have a decision on Miami’s 2019 starter by this weekend, but based on practice reps and game rotation, it seems the decision has already been made.
So, barring a big surprise, get ready for FitzMagic, Miami fans.
UPDATE: Brian Flores named Fitzpatrick the Dolphins’ Week 1 starter after the game.
▪ Great to see Albert Wilson not only play in a game, but take a couple of big hits and bounce right back up.
Thursday was his first live action since Oct. 21, when he seriously injured his hip. He went on injured reserve shortly thereafter, but elected against surgery. Instead, he elected for just rehab — a process that took a good 10 months.
Wilson only played the first series but did have two catches for 16 yards and one carry that lost 2 yards. He said earlier this week that he is back to running full speed and will be ready for the opener.
That gives the Dolphins a good problem at receiver: How to use them all? Assuming Kenny Stills is not cut or traded, they have five real threats in Stills, Wilson, DeVante Parker, Jakeem Grant and Preston Williams.
“It’s great to see him out there,” Flores said. “We got him a few touches. He played fast and made some plays. That’s what we expect to see out of Albert. It was good to see him out there.”
▪ Rudock has earned a second look as a developmental quarterback.
After not seeing the field in the third preseason game, Rudock was excellent against the Saints. He completed his first nine passes, went through his progressions and showed excellent poise when protection broke down around him.
He finished the first half 13 of 16 passing for 152 yards and a touchdown, which came on a two-yard connection to Reece Horn.
Would the Dolphins keep him as their third QB behind Fitzpatrick and Rosen? It would come at the expense of another position, but he showed glimpses in games and practice that he could be a viable backup in this league.
Rudock does have practice-squad eligibility, so perhaps the Dolphins try to stash him there. But he would have to clear waivers, and after the tape teams have on him from Thursday night, that’s no sure thing.
▪ It might have been too little, too late, but rookie running back Myles Gaskin had his best night as a Dolphin. Gaskin had 54 yards from scrimmage during a second-half field goal drive, and showed the kind of explosive speed that made him appealing to the Dolphins in the draft.
It will be interesting to see if the Dolphins keep Gaskin or Patrick Laird as a fourth running back. They probably won’t keep both, particularly since Mark Walton has locked down the No. 3 job.
If there was any doubt about his roster status entering the game (and there wasn’t), Walton erased it with 52 yards on 12 carries in the first half.
Wide receiver Isaiah Ford, who’s presumably competing with Brice Butler and Allen Hurns for one roster spot, also helped his case Thursday.
▪ Guard/tackle Aaron Monteiro almost certainly will not be on the team’s 53-man roster, but he played an important, revealing role Thursday night. Monteiro lined up as a sixth offensive lineman on consecutive snaps, acting as a blocking tight end.
Is this a sign of what’s to come in the regular? Perhaps — particularly if the Dolphins trade Laremy Tunsil. Doing so would give the Dolphins arguably the worst group of starting tackles in the league in Zach Sterup and Jesse Davis.
Perhaps they would keep another big body in the trenches and max protect.
Right guard Shaq Calhoun was the only projected starting offensive lineman to play Thursday and had his best game of the preseason.
▪ A couple of nits to pick: the Dolphins’ zone defense, which had been pretty good through the preseason, had one bad bust as Lil’Jordan Humphrey split Tre’ Watson and Mo Smith for 43-yard completion down the middle. ... Torry McTyer gave up a 12-yard touchdown catch to Emmanuel Butler after getting beat on a double move. ... Sterup had some good, some bad. He whiffed badly on a failed run. ... The Dolphins better hope Jakeem Grant stays healthy. They don’t have a viable punt returner behind him, as this preseason proved.
This story was originally published August 29, 2019 at 10:10 PM.