Speedy Miami Dolphins receiver’s ‘confidence is growing’ after slow start to 2019
Slowly but surely, Albert Wilson is returning to form.
The speedy wide receiver who has been hampered by injuries since the middle of last season showed his breakaway speed early in the Miami Dolphins’ 37-31 upset victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday when he took a handoff from running back Kalen Ballage in a Wildcat packet and turned a jet sweep into a 28-yard gain.
“I feel like I’m back to where I was last season,” Wilson said, “and I still have time to improve from there.”
Granted, five catches for 32 yards to go along with that 28-yard run isn’t a great stat line on its own.
His performance was understandably overshadowed Sunday by DeVante Parker’s breakout performance, the steady improvement of Mike Gesicki and the wild trick-play touchdown pass from punter Matt Haack to kicker Jason Sanders.
But Wilson’s production — however modest — is a positive sign.
Also, consider the circumstances.
A hip injury in Week 7 last season shut Wilson down for the season. He missed organized training activities and training camp.
He then missed more time early this season with a calf injury.
Overall, the 27-year-old from Fort Pierce has just 149 receiving yards, 36 rushing yards and a touchdown on 29 touches through nine games played.
But that production has increased as of late.
Eleven of his 25 catches — and 100 of his 185 yards from scrimmage — have come in the past two weeks.
“You can see his confidence is growing,” receivers coach Karl Dorrell said. “He’s had an injury that he had to deal with early on in the season. He’s still not 100 percent, but he’s getting close and you’re starting to see his movement improve.”
‘Solid rookie year’
Flores said has been impressed with rookie left guard Michael Deiter’s first NFL season.
Deiter, the Dolphins’ third-round pick out of Wisconsin, is the only offensive lineman to start every game for Miami this season.
“Deiter, I think he’s had a solid rookie year,” Flores said. “He’s continuing to develop on a day-to-day basis. He’s had some ups and downs. He just needs to continue to trust the process and play with consistency, effort, grit, toughness on a consistent basis. I think he’s trying to do that, and we’re going to stay on him to keep doing that. That’s for sure.”
This and that
▪ The Dolphins on Thursday were awarded defensive end Zach Sieler off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens and waived tackle Isaiah Prince to make room on the 53-man roster. Sieler, 24, was a seventh-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Ferris State, where he recorded 33 sacks over three seasons. He appeared in six career games for the Ravens. Prince was the Dolphins’ sixth-round pick in 2019 out of Ohio State. He played in four games this year with two starts.
▪ ESPN’s Field Yates reported Thursday that the Detroit Lions also put in a waiver claim for Mack Hollins. Miami had the higher waiver priority, so they received him.
▪ Flores said linebacker Jerome Baker, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, linebacker Raekwon McMillan, safety Eric Rowe and defensive back Jomal Wiltz as the players who corral the defense when the Dolphins fall behind early.
▪ Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky on Thursday beat out the Dolphins’ Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff for the NFL’s FedEx Air Player of the Week. Fitzpatrick threw for a season-high 365 yards and tied his season high with three touchdown passes in the win over the Eagles. Trubisky completed 76.3 percent of his passes for 338 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the Bears’ comeback victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
▪ Baker (chest), cornerback Nik Needham (groin), safety Steven Parker (groin) and cornerback Ken Webster (ankle) were limited in practice for a second consecutive day ahead of Sunday’s 1 p.m. game against the New York Jets.
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 3:24 PM.
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