Dolphins grades, tidbits, playing time changes. And Hill/Waddle slide down leaderboard
Notes at every position (except quarterback) in the wake of the Dolphins’ 16-10 loss at the Colts on Sunday, dropping Miami to 2-4:
▪ Wide receiver: Tyreek Hill’s two targets on Sunday were his fewest in 41 games, dating to a December 2021 game against Pittsburgh.
His 8 receiving yards were his fewest since a January 2022 game in Denver.
Hill, who did not do interviews after the game, has gone from first in the league in receiving yardage a year ago to 48th at 294. He’s on pace for 833 receiving yards, which would be his lowest since his rookie season.
Jaylen Waddle — who caught one of his two targets for 11 yards — is 58th in receiving yards at 269 and is on pace for 762 receiving yards, which would easily be the lowest of his career.
Here’s how coach Mike McDaniel explained their lack of involvement on Sunday.
On Sunday, Hill played 62 of Miami’s 69 offensive snaps, and Waddle played 59. And yet Hill touched the ball only twice on those 69 plays (including one run) and Waddle once.
Rookie Malik Washington played his most offensive snaps to date (25), and Braxton Berrios played five before leaving with a knee injury that he fears is serious.
Odell Beckham Jr.’s stat line was identical to his first game back against New England: 11 offensive snaps, two targets, no catches.
Pro Football Focus rated Beckham and fullback Alec Ingold tied for the worst performers among 19 players who logged offensive snaps for Miami on Sunday.
▪ Running back: The Dolphins gave 40 snaps to De’Von Achane, 23 to Raheem Mostert and just six to rookie Jaylen Wright, who averaged a team-high 6.6 yards on five carries.
Mostert and Ingold (27 snaps) had key fumbles. For Mostert, it was his 12th fumble in 710 career carries and sixth in 34 games as a Dolphin. For Ingold, it was his second fumble in eight rushing attempts this season and his second on 31 career carries.
Jeff Wilson Jr. was again inactive; agent Drew Rosenhaus said on his WSVN Fox 7 segment that he has not discussed a Wilson trade with the Dolphins but wouldn’t be surprised if there’s interest in him before the Nov. 5 trade deadline.
▪ Tight end: Julian Hill continued playing the most of the tight ends (36 snaps), compared with 34 for Jonnu Smith and 17 for Durham Smythe.
Hill allowed a sack and PFF gave him lower run blocking grades than usual.
Smith had seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, Miami’s first by a tight end since 2022.
Pro Football Focus rated Smith Miami’s best player on offense on Sunday; Hill was 11th.
▪ Offensive line: PFF rated center Aaron Brewer and left tackle Terron Armstead as the Dolphins’ second- and third-best players on offense Sunday, behind only Smith.
PFF rated left guard Robert Jones eighth among 19 players on offense, right tackle Austin Jackson 13th and right guard Liam Eichenberg 15th. Jackson and Eichenberg permitted two pressures.
PFF rated Brewer by far Miami’s best run blocker on Sunday.
▪ Defensive line: There was an increase in playing time for DaShawn Hand, whose 37 snaps were equal to starter Calais Campbell’s 37 snaps. Zach Sieler played 52 of Miami’s 62 defensive snaps, while Benito Jones played 27 and Brandon Pili 6.
Among 19 players who appeared on defense for Miami, PFF rated Campbell first, Hand fourth, Pili fifth, Jones eighth and Sieler 13th.
The Dolphins didn’t have a sack in the game and the Colts — without Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor — ran for 155 yards on yards 4.2 per carry.
▪ Outside linebacker: With a biceps injury sidelining Emmanuel Ogbah and Bradley Chubb still sidelined by last December’s knee injury, the Dolphins gave 38 snaps to Chop Robinson, 37 to Tyus Bowser, 16 to rookie Mo Kamara (making his regular-season debut) and 9 to Quinton Bell.
Aside from Kamara (rated sixth among 19 Dolphins defenders), PFF gave subpar grades to the others. Robinson was 15th, Bell 16th and Bowser 18th.
Robinson did not have a pressure in 16 pass-rushing chances and remains without a sack in his rookie season. He dropped into coverage four times and wasn’t targeted.
Kamara had two pressures on seven pass-rushing chances. Robinson, Bowser and Bell didn’t combine for a single pressure on 36 other pass-rushing chances.
▪ Inside linebacker: David Long Jr., who had been questionable with a knee injury, played 42 of 62 snaps on defense and was Miami’s worst player on defense Sunday, according to PFF. Anthony Walker Jr. played the 20 snaps when Long wasn’t in the game — opposite Jordyn Brooks, who played all 62.
Ranked one of the league’s best run-defending linebackers last season, Long was rated by PFF as Miami’s worst run defender, by far, Sunday.
Overall, PFF rated Brooks seventh best among 19 Dolphins defenders on Sunday. None of the three passes in Brooks’ coverage area were caught.
Campbell and Walker were rated Miami’s best run defenders Sunday.
▪ Safety: With Jevon Holland missing the game with a hand injury, Marcus Maye and Jordan Poyer played all 62 defensive snaps. Elijah Campbell and Nik Needham (who was elevated from the practice squad) played only on special teams.
PFF rated Maye 9th and Poyer 14th among the Dolphins’ 19 defenders who appeared in the game. Poyer permitted both targets in his coverage area to be caught, for 54 yards.
▪ Cornerback: Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller played all 62 defensive snaps and Kader Kohou played 49. Siran Neal played one snap; Storm Duck played only special teams before departing with an ankle injury.
PFF rated Kohou second and Ramsey third among all Miami defenders. Kohou didn’t allow a completion in three targets.
Besides permitting only 8 yards in receptions (on two completions and three targets), Ramsey had four pressures and two quarterback hits on six pass rushing chances. Fuller permitted four completions in seven targets for 49 yards.The Dolphins must active cornerback Cam Smith from injured reserve by Wednesday in order for him to be eligible to play this season.
