The latest test for Tagovailoa, Dolphins offense? Preparing with a depleted backfield
Nothing has come easy for the Dolphins offense this season.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has missed extended time with fractured ribs and a fractured middle finger on his left hand. The offensive line has gone through seven different starting combinations. Injuries have kept wide receivers DeVante Parker sidelined for seven games and fellow wideout Will Fuller out since Week 4.
The latest setback to an offense that has made strides in recent weeks is a cluster of positive tests that have sidelined the Dolphins’ top running backs and put their availability for Sunday’s home game against the New York Jets in jeopardy.
Coach Brian Flores on Wednesday had no update on the three backs who have landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list in the past week — Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and Phillip Lindsay — and so the Dolphins practiced Wednesday with a running back group that includes veteran Duke Johnson, rookie Gerrid Doaks and third-year player Dexter Williams, signed to the practice squad Monday.
There still remains a possibility that one or more of the backs could return in time for Sunday’s game, especially Gaskin and Ahmed, who returned positive tests late last week, but for now, the team is preparing to play a game with a cast of players who have had limited roles this season.
One positive development was the return of Malcolm Brown at practice after he missed six games on injured reserve with a quad injury.
“Good communication, good fundamentals and technique, ball security,” Flores said of what he’s seeking in any running back who may fill in. “As a running back, there’s seeing the front, seeing the linebackers. Understanding where lanes should open up and things like that’s what I’m looking for.”
Tagovailoa said the points of emphasis in practice won’t change despite seldom-played running backs such as Johnson and Doaks taking on more reps.
“Same things, with handoff, run game,” he said. “Getting them some route opportunities, whether they’re in empty formation or if they’re running a route from the backfield. Same old thing. ... I would say it’s the same thing. The only thing with it is understanding how they run their routes and basing it off of how they do certain things.”
In the midst of placing the top three running backs, along with rookie safety Jevon Holland, on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Dolphins on Monday elevated Johnson to the active roster as a COVID-19 replacement, a sign that one or more of the team’s backs will be unavailable for Sunday.
If active, it would be the first time Johnson plays since he made his team debut against the Jets on Nov. 21, 1 a 24-17 Dolphins win. Johnson, from the University of Miami, rushed four times for 18 yards in the game.
“He’s a professional. He’s had a lot of production in this league,” Flores said of Johnson. “He’s preparing, and he always prepares as if he’s going to play. If he gets an opportunity, hopefully he’s put himself in a position to take advantage of it. That happens over the course of the week.”
Said Johnson: “For me, it’s whatever the team needs. Running, catching, blocking, special teams. For me, the goal is always to help my team win in any capacity.”
The Dolphins haven’t run the ball particularly well this season, tied for 23rd in attempts and 31st in yards per attempt. However, the team has shown more willingness and success, especially in late-game situations, such as the 12-play, 45-yard scoring drive that put the game away in the teams’ first meeting.
During the past three games, the Dolphins have eclipsed 100 yards twice and averaged 32.3 rushes per game. The Jets rank 29th in rushing defense, allowing 138.8 yards per game.
The Dolphins’ short passing game has at times served as a substitute for the running game, but Flores and Tagovailoa said attempting to strike that balance between run and pass won’t change much if at all, no matter who lines up in the backfield Sunday.
“I don’t see it any other way than the way we’ve been playing these past few weeks,” Tagovailoa said. “If the defense allows us to throw the ball, then that’s what we’re going to do. If they allow us to run the ball, then that’s what we’re going to be doing. We’re not going to change our game plan unless it’s not something that we game plan for according to what the defense gives us.”
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 2:40 PM.
