With Fitzpatrick out, Tua and Rosen get more work at Dolphins camp. Here’s how they did.
Highlights and observations from Day 4 of Miami Dolphins’ padded training camp practices on a Friday:
▪ On a day when Ryan Fitzpatrick was absent for personal reasons, both Josh Rosen and Tua Tagovailoa got significantly more work. And though Rosen had the better day, both disappointed. Their combined passer rating: a dismal 48.5.
For Tagovailoa, it was his worst performance over four days of his first training camp.
In Tagovailoa’s first six passes, he threw one interception and lofted a second one that probably also should have been picked off.
Here’s a breakdown on how Tagovailoa did on passing plays in 11 on 11 team drills:
Series 1 for Tagovailoa: He double-clutched the snap on first down and threw incomplete… He completed a 3rd and 7 throw to Jakeem Grant for a 10-yard gain…
On the next play, he threw a pass with no offensive player in the area and Breon Borders made the interception in what was a clear miscommunication with a receiver… Then he threw a one-yard screen pass to Patrick Laird, who was blown up in the backfield by linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill.
Series 2 for Tagovailoa: On the first play, he threw a deep ball — not much oomph on it — to Jakeem Grant. It should have been picked off by Borders, but Borders fell down and Grant caught it for 40 yards…. Then Tagovailoa made a poor throw to Malcolm Perry on a pass that went incomplete.
Series 3 for Tagovailoa: He didn’t throw a pass.
Series 4 for Tagovailoa: He evaded a rush but threw an incompletion. Then Ricardo Louis dropped a pass.
Series 5 for Tagovailoa: On a bootleg, Tua threw to tight end Chris Myarick, who inexplicably didn’t turn around on a pass that went incomplete. He then double-clutched and threw to Grant, with the ball going off his fingertips. Then Tua made an excellent back-shoulder pass to rookie Matt Cole for a first down on third-and-3.
Series 6 for Tagovailoa: He threw a screen pass to Matt Breida for a loss of two. Then he was sacked by Van Noy. And the series ended with Tagovailoa overthrowing Mike Gesicki, with Eric Rowe in coverage.
Series 7 for Tagovailoa: Chandler Cox dropped a shovel pass on what should have been a touchdown... Then Tagovailoa connected with Williams for a gain of three. The final play of the possession was a rushing attempt... And then he was sacked by Emmanuel Ogbah.
Series 8 for Tagovailoa: This was a hurry-up drill. He threw incomplete on he first pass, then completed a 25-yarder to Gesicki. He spiked the ball on third down and then was intercepted by Igbinhoghene on fourth down; with the rookie out-muscling Grant for the ball.
Series 9 for Tua: He had two more late passing attempts, completing one for 16 yards.
So Tagovailoa ended up going 6 of 15 for 95 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions and one sack in 11 on 11 drills.
▪ As for Rosen passing attempts in 11 on 11 drills:
Series 1 for Rosen: He threw to Preston Williams for 13 yards and then completed a deep pass to Williams for 25 yards. Williams made a great adjustment with the ball in the air on the second of those two completions.
Series 2 for Rosen: He threw a terrible pass but Noah Igbinhoghene dropped a potential interception. Then he threw behind Williams, and Igbinhoghene broke it up.
Series 3 for Rosen: He threw an out-route to DeVante Parker for seven yards, then connected with Williams for a 14-yard completion, beating Byron Jones in coverage.
Series 4 for Rosen: He completed a 38-yard pass to Isaiah Ford, with Jones beaten in coverage… Then Perry dropped a Rosen pass, but it probably should have been a sack by linebacker Kyle Van Noy if this had been a real game… Rosen then threw deep to Parker, but the pass was late and short and broken up by Igbinoghene…. Then McCain sacked Rosen on a safety blitz.
Series 5 for Rosen: Three of the four plays were runs. He completed a five-yard pass to Myles Gaskin on a wheel route on the other play, which went for a touchdown.
Series 6 for Rosen: He completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to Grant, with Nik Needham busting coverage. Then Rogers dropped what should have been another TD pass by Rosen. And Rosen threw incomplete on the third pass of this series.
Series 7 for Rosen: This was a hurry up offense drill, and Rosen threw three incomplete passes and then threw an interception to Tae Hayes on fourth down.
So Rosen ended up going 6 of 14 for 104 yards, one touchdown, one interception and three sacks.
▪ During 1 on 1 drills, Tagovailoa threw perfect passes on fade routes to Perry and Mack Hollins for completions. Chester Rogers made a leaping catch on a Tagovailoa pass that wasn’t particularly well thrown.
▪ Linebacker Jerome Baker limped off to the locker-room with an undisclosed injury.
▪ Don’t totally discount Julien Davenport in the battle with rookie first-round pick Austin Jackson for the starting job at left tackle. The Dolphins would love if Jackson is ready to take on the job from Day One and he’s being given every opportunity to claim it. But this remains an unresolved competition.
That’s all we can say about that, because the Dolphins aren’t permitting reporters to identify who’s with the starters.
Davenport has allowed 18 sacks in his first 26 games as an NFL tackle.
But Christian Wilkins bull-rushed past Jackson on one play Friday, a sign that the rookie still has a ways to go.
▪ Fitzpatrick and safety Kavon Frazier — both out for undisclosed personal reasons — were the only Dolphins not at practice, aside from cornerback Xavien Howard, who remains in quarantine after landing on the COVID-19 list nearly two weeks ago.
▪ Michael Deiter did a good job standing up rookie defensive tackle Benito Jones on one play.
▪ Van Noy pushed up and flattened nicely on rookie guard/tackle Robert Hunt for a would be sack.
▪ Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah beat guard Shaq Calhoun on an inside move.
▪ Rookie second-round pick Raekwon Davis continues to impress with his strength in pit drills. He’s very difficult for an offensive lineman to lock up.
This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 12:00 PM.
