Dolphins wrap up preseason with 48-10 win over Eagles. What stood out
The Dolphins will head into the regular season on a high note after beating the Philadelphia Eagles 48-10 in their preseason finale on Saturday. It came with a caveat: Miami played most of its starters, while Philadelphia played it safe and opted to sideline its starters. But it was still a dominating performance from the Dolphins’ first-team units before they let the backups handle the rest of the night.
Here are four takeaways from the team’s final preseason game.
All the questions about Tyreek Hill’s potential in the Dolphins offense may need to stop.
All it took was one play to get wide receiver Tyreek Hill involved in the Dolphins’ new-look offense. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa faked a handoff and tossed his first pass of the game downfield to Hill, who was able to bring in a sliding catch for a 51-yard gain. He would catch another 13-yard pass before the drive ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass and his night concluded.
The brief debut quickly showcased Hill’s impact. The Eagles were running a two-high-safety concept but Hill was still able to outrun the cornerback and safety (Tagovailoa said it could have been a touchdown if he placed the ball better). Hill’s potential in the Dolphins’ offense has been debated all summer but training camp showed Miami will find ways to get the ball in his hands early and often. His first moments at Hard Rock reaffirmed that.
The Dolphins will have to wait until Week 1 to see how far their offensive line has come.
Terron Armstead was kept out of the preseason finale, making the left tackle part of a handful of Dolphins players who didn’t participate in the exhibition games. It was no surprise as the team has been cautious with his practice reps throughout the summer. With Armstead once again sidelined and the remaining four starters in the lineup, the Dolphins offensive line had its best outing against the Eagles’ backup defensive front. Miami rushed for 203 yards — more than doubling its output from the first two games — and allowed only one sack.
Again, reaction to the performance should be tempered — the Eagles didn’t play a single projected starter from a defensive front that should be one of the league’s best this season. Armstead should make the offensive line even better when he makes his Dolphins debut on Sept. 11. How much better remains to be seen.
The Dolphins began and ended the summer with little clarity at the bottom of their running back room.
When camp opened in late July, the Dolphins had a clear 1-2 in the backfield — Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert — and a veteran in Sony Michel who was viewed as the favorite for the third spot. But the team also had a pair of backs in Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed who have flashed in their young careers. Both were capable of pushing Michel or securing a fourth spot — not to mention upstarts Gerrid Doaks and ZaQuandre White. But the preseason ended and the state of the final running back spots still appeared up in the air. Michel was seemingly limited in the first few weeks of camp but played in each preseason game. He was still on the field late in the third quarter of the preseason finale, a period normally reserved for players fighting for a roster spot. Each of the backs vying for a spot had their moments — Gaskin and Ahmed more so than Michel — which will make for a tough call as the roster is cut to 53 by 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Jason Jenkins’ impact could be felt through the emotional postgame reactions.
Football took a backseat after the Dolphins’ win as Tagovailoa and head coach Mike McDaniel reacted to the tragic death of senior vice president of communications and community affairs Jason Jenkins.
“Jason was a beacon of the community,” Tagovailoa said. “That’s what I think of when I hear of Jason’s name. This guy is always wanting to do stuff for other people.”
McDaniel, who was informed about Jenkins before the game and told players after the game, fought back tears as he spoke. “His investment into the team and the community, it didn’t take long to see the great work he did.”
Tagovailoa called the team’s postgame locker room “emotional,” as multiple players struggled to grapple with the news and others spoke but were overcome with emotion.
Several members of the team paid their respects to Jenkins and his family on social media after the game.
“Rest In Peace Jason...one of the most incredible and selfless humans I have ever met,” outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips wrote on Twitter. “We will continue your legacy in the community, the impact you have made will last far beyond the physical.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2022 at 11:46 PM.
