With 2 rookies and 2 free-agent additions, the Dolphins’ O-line is an unlikely strength
Mike Gesicki had an elaborate touchdown celebration planned for his first score Thursday in the Miami Dolphins’ 31-13 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It had something to do with blackjack and Durham Smythe pretended to deal his fellow tight end a hand, but Smythe was on the bench for the scoring play, so Gesicki had to improvise. Instead, he handed the ball to Solomon Kindley and let the guard spike the ball.
It was a fitting capper to a dominant first half in Jacksonville. The Dolphins erupted for 21 points in the first 20 minutes, scoring on each of their first drives to take a 21-7 lead into halftime. None of it could’ve happened without the much-improved play of Miami’s rookie-laden offensive line.
“I did hand the ball to Solomon,” Gesicki said. “That was not planned.”
With Solomon at right guard and fellow rookie Austin Jackson at left tackle, Miami (1-2) mowed over the Jaguars (1-2) on the opening drive at TIAA Bank Field, going 84 yards on 12 plays with eight rushes while only facing two third downs to take a quick 7-0 lead. On their first three drives, the Dolphins averaged 7.4 yards per play to build a 14-point lead, which would never shrink back to single digits.
Miami scored another touchdown with a short field to stretch the lead to 28-7 early in the third quarter and the Dolphins spent most of the rest of the game running out the clock on their first double-digit win since 2017.
“We had some success early in the game. I wish we would’ve ran it better second quarter on. That’s something we’ll talk about and try to get improved this week,” coach Brian Flores said. “I liked what I saw out of that group.”
While Miami finished with only 294 yards of total offense, the Dolphins also only allowed one sack on a designed quarterback rollout, when Ryan Fitzpatrick should’ve been able to throw the ball away. Jacksonville only even hit the quarterback five times.
Those numbers alone are encouraging for an offensive line, which was a major weakness for Miami in 2019.
Through three games, the Dolphins have given up only five sacks and three of those came Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. In the first three games of 2019, Miami gave up 13 sacks and at least three in every game. The Dolphins didn’t have a game with fewer than three sacks allowed until Week 7 — the only time all year Miami didn’t allow multiple sacks.
Of course, this group barely resembles the group from a season ago, simply from a personnel standpoint. Jackson and Kindley were both playing college football this time last year. Guard Ereck Flowers, from Miami Norland Senior High School in Miami Gardens, was just starting a breakthrough season with Washington and center Ted Karras was playing for the New England Patriots. Only offensive lineman Jesse Davis, now the starting right tackle, was even in South Florida last season.
“I know a lot of the focus is on the rookies, but Ted Karras, E-Flowers, Jesse — these guys are competitive. They’re tough. They’re smart. It’s important to them,” Flores said. “I think there’s a lot of leadership in that room and the young guys just follow their lead. I think they understand that’s a unit, basically — not individuals, but one unit and they try to play that way.”
On the opening drive Thursday, the line looked downright dominant. Running back Myles Gaskins’ first four carries went for 9, 5, 6 and 7 yards. Fitzpatrick went 4 for 4 for 49 yards and a touchdown, and didn’t get hit once. The Dolphins didn’t face a third down until they were at the Jaguars’ 9-yard line — a third-and-1, which Gaskin easily picked up with a 4-yard run up the middle.
“They were making it real easy on me,” the halfback said. “Those guys did their job. They did a great job for me.”
Added Davis: “I think we had a good plan. We knew kind of what they were going to be lining up in and then their answer was movement on the line, trying to get our gaps.”
This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 1:04 AM.
