Dolphins make another lineup change. And notes, nuggets, grades at every position
News and notes at every position following the Dolphins’ 34-19 win against the Raiders on Sunday:
▪ Cornerback: With Kendall Fuller out with a concussion, the Dolphins replaced former second-round pick Cam Smith with undrafted rookie Storm Duck as their primary No. 3 cornerback, supplementing Jalen Ramsey and Kader Kohou.
Duck played 36 snaps on Sunday, while Smith played 8.
Duck permitted three catches in four targets for 21 yards. Smith wasn’t targeted during his limited playing time.
For the season, Duck has allowed 8 of 11 targets to be caught for 59 yards. Smith has permitted 13 of 15 to be caught for 139 yards and a TD.
In fairness, Smith has faced tougher quarterbacks than Duck has, a group including Josh Allen, Kyler Murray and Matt Stafford.
One player who hasn’t been part of the equation: second-year cornerback Ethan Bonner, who was a favorite of former coordinator Vic Fangio but is running behind Smith and Duck in the eyes of this coaching staff. Bonner was again a healthy scratch on Sunday.
Siran Neal, the other available cornerback Sunday, played only on special teams.
Kohou allowed four of four targets to be caught for 29 yards and a touchdown.
Ramsey permitted six of eight targets to be caught for 39 yards and an interception. Both played all 65 defensive snaps.
▪ Safety: Jordan Poyer continued to struggle in coverage, permitting all three targets in his coverage area to be caught for 52 yards and a touchdown. For the season, Poyer has permitted a 144.6 passer rating in his coverage area. That’s third worst among all safeties targeted at least 20 times, according to Pro Football Focus.
Jevon Holland permitted a 10-yard completion in two throws against him.
PFF rated Poyer the Dolphins’ third-worst player on defense on Sunday, ahead of only starting edge players Tyus Bowser and Emmanuel Ogbah.
▪ Inside linebacker: Jordyn Brooks played all 65 defensive snaps and Anthony Walker Jr. played 64 and they combined for 22 tackles.
PFF rated Walker third and Brooks 13th among the 18 players who took snaps on defense for Miami on Sunday. But on the flip side, PFF also rated Brooks and Walker as Miami’s top two run defenders Sunday.
▪ Outside linebacker: Chop Robinson played only the third-most snaps among the Dolphins’ four active edge rushers, but PFF rated him Miami’s best player on defense Sunday.
Robinson (28 defensive snaps) had six quarterback pressures but no sacks.
Ogbah (41 defensive snaps) had two pressures and a sack.
Bowser (39 defensive snaps) and Quinton Bell (17 defensive snaps) did not have a single quarterback pressure.
▪ Defensive tackle: PFF gave high marks to Benito Jones (ranked fourth among all Dolphins defenders on Sunday) and Zach Sieler (fifth).
Sieler played 49 snaps, Calais Campbell 37, Benito Jones 32, Da’Shawn Hand 29 and Neil Farrell 9.
▪ Running back: The large disparity in snaps between De’Von Achane and everybody else continued for the second game in a row.
Achane played 42 offensive snaps, Jaylen Wright 18 and Raheem Mostert 10.
Achane’s 46 receptions are second among all NFL running backs this season (behind Alvin Kamara), and his 17 touchdowns since entering the NFL are second most among all players selected in the 2023 Draft (behind Jahmyr Gibbs).
PFF rated Achane Miami’s third-best player on offense on Monday, behind left tackle Terron Armstead and receiver Tyreek Hill.
▪ Tight end: Jonnu Smith played a season-high 55 of Miami’s 68 offensive snaps en route to catching six passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Smith and Cincinnati and ex-Dolphins player Mike Gesicki are the only NFL tight ends with 100-plus receiving yards and two touchdowns in a game this season.
Julian Hill played 38 snaps and Durham Smythe 23.
▪ Wide receiver: The gap between Malik Washington’s playing time and the snaps of the other backup receivers continued to widen.
Washington played 27 offensive snaps, compared with 16 for Odell Beckham Jr. and six for River Cracraft.
Jaylen Waddle played 53 of Miami’s 68 offensive snaps and Tyreek Hill played 52. Hill’s seven receptions were his most in a game this season.
▪ Offensive line: Among 17 players used on offense by Miami on Sunday, PFF rated Armstead first, Kendall Lamm ninth, Liam Eichenberg 12th, Aaron Brewer 16th and Robert Jones 17th.
Brewer yielded his first two sacks of the season, according to PFF’s evaluation.
No other offensive lineman permitted a sack. Armstead allowed just one pressure in 41 pass blocking chances.
PFF rated Eichenberg as Miami’s second-best run blocker on Sunday, after Armstead.
▪ Quarterback: Here’s where Tua Tagovailoa stands after Sunday.
This story was originally published November 18, 2024 at 11:27 AM.
