Here’s one thing Dolphins are doing better than any team in the NFL. And injury news
Brian Flores doesn’t yet have a win with a talent-deprived roster and he was castigated for the team’s eight-man rush on a Pittsburgh touchdown Monday. But say this about the first-year Dolphins coach: He gets his team to play disciplined football.
Through eight weeks of the season (seven games for Miami), the Dolphins have the fewest penalties in the NFL (39) and fewest penalty yards (319).
Tight end Durham Smythe said that’s not a coincidence.
“They’ve emphasized that more this year,” Smythe said of this group of coaches. “There’s a theme of discipline in this organization.”
Since the start of training camp, Dolphins players must run to the “takes no talent wall” — often a long run from the practice field — every time they commit a penalty in practice. That has continued during the regular season, players say. Smythe said that TNT wall “has something to do with” Miami leading the league in fewest penalties against.
“It felt like it was August here this week and no one wants to run to the wall,” Smythe said.
Guard Michael Deiter said he has run to the wall five times since the start of training camp, through Thursday.
“When you’re dead tired, you know I don’t want to do that,” Deiter said. “When you run to the wall, you understand the importance of each rep and the negativity of getting a flag.”
Last season’s Dolphins committed the 18th most penalties.
“Everyone has a different way of [emphasizing penalties] — running laps or run to a wall,” Flores said. “Every coach has different ways to get that point across.”
But Flores said there’s one area where the TNT wall hasn’t produced the desired result: turnovers.
Miami’s three takeaways are the fewest in the league and their 17 turnovers are tied for second-most.
“There are lot of other things on that wall that we can do a lot better job of --- turnovers being number one,” Flores said.
NO GORDON EXPECTED
The Dolphins, who get the first waiver claim for players released because of their current winless record, were expected to bypass claiming former Patriots receiver Josh Gordon. [UPDATE: The Dolphins bypassed Gordon and Seattle claimed him.]
Gordon would not be an asset that the Dolphins could flip for a draft pick because the trade deadline has passed. And even if Miami claimed him and then watched another team sign him in free agency, it likely would not result in a compensatory pick for the Dolphins.
▪ Safety Reshad Jones (chest) and center Daniel Kilgore (knee) are doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Jets. Both are expected to miss a third consecutive game.
Cornerback Ken Webster (ankle) is out. Left tackle J’Marcus Webb, safety Walt Aikens, defensive end Avery Moss and cornerback Ryan Lewis are questionable.
▪ Guard Shaq Calhoun said he will not be starting at guard again. Chris Reed and Keaton Sutherland are options to start at guard — opposite starter Michael Deiter — if Kilgore is out.
▪ Offensive tackle Julien Davenport, back practicing and eligible to return Nov. 17 against Buffalo, said his cracked tibia has healed. His injury happened under unusual circumstances — coaches put him back in practice following a poor practice drill by Isaiah Prince — but Davenport said he “couldn’t be mad about that.”
NEW CHANCE FOR VETS
Two former veteran starters, tight end Clive Walford and cornerback Ken Crawley, were particularly pleased when the Dolphins signed them this week — Crawley as a waiver claim from New Orleans and Walford as a free-agent signing after a Wednesday workout.
When New Orleans released him this week after four years — and 23 starts — Crawley said he told his agent he hoped Miami would claim him. The Dolphins then did.
“I’m excited to be here; they play a lot of man and it’s an easy transition for me,” he said.
He said he limited Atlanta’s Julio Jones to one catch for 16 yards in first NFL start in 2016 and Jones “was mad.” His only career interception came Oct. 1, 2017 against Jay Cutler and the Dolphins. He was beaten out by Eli Apple for a Saints starting cornerback job this past August.
Walford, meantime, is back after reaching an injury settlement with the Dolphins on Aug. 27. He said it took him until early-October to fully recover from that training camp injury that he declined to disclose but didn’t work out for another team before the Dolphins called this week.
Playing for the Dolphins, after graduating from UM, “is a dream come true,” he said, adding that the Dolphins have added some “different things” to the offense since he was released.
Walford gives the Dolphins six UM players on their roster; one of those six (Gerald Willis) is on the practice squad and another (Danny Isidora) is on injured reserve.
This story was originally published November 1, 2019 at 2:07 PM.
