What the data shows on Cam Smith’s high usage. And a Dolphins signing and personnel notes
After spending his rookie season essentially in mothballs and the first month of this season on injured reserve, Dolphins cornerback Cam Smith logged his first significant NFL playing time the past two weeks. And the results weren’t particularly good.
With No. 3 cornerback Kader Kohou sidelined by a neck injury, Smith played 64 snaps against Arizona and 35 on Sunday against Buffalo and was victimized for a combined nine receptions in 10 targets against him for 89 yards, per Pro Football Focus metrics. That amounts to a bloated 137.1 passer rating in his coverage area.
Against Arizona, he played 35 snaps and struggled, permitting all five passes thrown in his coverage area to be caught for 63 yards and a touchdown.
In 29 snaps against Buffalo, he allowed four completions in five targets, but for only 26 yards. But he also committed a penalty, appeared guilty of another penalty that was charged to Marcus Maye and saw Siran Neal snatch away some of his playing time in the second half.
In Smith’s defense, he made a good play in coverage that was negated by a Jordan Poyer penalty on Buffalo’s final game-winning drive. And Smith was around the ball a lot, even though he gave up too many completions.
Smith, a second-round pick in 2023, logged just 20 defensive snaps as a rookie, and last year’s defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, played undrafted rookie Ethan Bonner ahead of Smith in the playoff loss against Kansas City.
But new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver opted for Smith ahead of Bonner, who was active for the game but didn’t play a defensive snap.
Kohou likely will resume serving as Miami’s No. 3 corner when he returns from his neck injury. The identity of the team’s No. 4 corner — Smith or undrafted rookie Storm Duck — will become clear over time. Duck missed the past two games with an ankle injury.
Smith and Duck have not yet been healthy and available for the same game.
Duck has allowed five of seven targets to be caught for 38 yards this season.
Kohou, who has rebounded from a difficult second season, has permitted 14 of 24 targets to be caught for 128 yards and an interception.
THIS AND THAT
Among the reasons that linebacker David Long Jr. didn’t play a defensive snap against Buffalo were his difficulties in pass coverage.
This season, quarterbacks have completed 22 of 23 passes for 246 yards (11.2 average) and a TD with Long in coverage.
Long’s replacement, Anthony Walker Jr., wasn’t much better, allowing seven of eight targets against Buffalo to be caught for 62 yards (8.9 yards per reception).
Meanwhile, fellow starting inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks permitted five of seven targets to be caught for 97 yards and two TDs against the Bills on Sunday.
That means that in Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen’s past seven meetings against the Dolphins, he has completed 63 of 74 passes for 711 yards (11.3 per reception) with eight touchdowns and no interceptions when throwing specifically against Miami’s inside linebackers.
▪ Pro Football Focus’ Ryan Smith noted that Dolphins rookie Chop Robinson had his best game against Buffalo, including three quarterback pressures, his first career sack and a pass-rush win rate of 21.1 percent, which was tied for 10th best among NFL players that logged at least 15 defensive snaps in Week 9.
Robinson said offensive tackle Terron Armstead, who is assisting him on pass rush moves and other intricacies of the game every Thursday, has become akin to an “uncle” to him.
▪ As for the Dolphins’ other outside linebackers on Sunday, Emmanuel Ogbah had just one pressure in 35 passing rushing snaps while playing through a tear in his biceps. Tyus Bowser had one pressure in 11 tries, and Mo Kamara had no pressures in three pass-rushing snaps.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, needed in coverage, rushed the quarterback twice against Buffalo after blitzing a combined 20 times the past two games.
▪ Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who has played nearly four games this season, is second in the league in completion percentage behind Detroit’s Jared Goff at 72.7 and and 13th in passer rating at 96.7.
▪ The Dolphins signed Tucker Addington to their practice squad and he will be elevated and serve as the team’s long snapper on Monday against the Rams. The Dolphins made no commitment beyond that to Addington, who drew interest from two other teams this week.
Blake Ferguson, who has been the Dolphins’ long snapper since 2020, has been on the reserve/non-football illness list and is eligible to return after the Rams’ game. If the Dolphins bring him back this season, he would be the fourth of eight permitted players allowed to return off injured reserve, following Tagovailoa, Smith and River Cracraft (who could be activated this week).
Linebacker Bradley Chubb, who is on the physically unable to perform list, would not count toward those eight if he returns this season, which Mike McDaniel said he expects.
Addington, a Sam Houston State alum, has appeared in seven NFL games for New England and Washington.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 11:10 AM.
