Why Miami is encouraged by Igbinoghene. And 18 Dolphins injured, two on COVID list
No Miami Dolphins rookie in recent years received a more unsettling “Welcome to the NFL” indoctrination that cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, who was summoned from the bench when Byron Jones sustained a groin injury early in the Week 2 Buffalo game and promptly allowed seven catches for 145 yards, mostly against standout receiver Stefon Diggs.
Much has changed since.
When Xavien Howard was ejected just before halftime of Sunday’s game against Cincinnati, Igbinoghene replaced him — playing opposite Jones — and did good work on Bengals receivers, including All-Pro A.J. Green.
The Bengals threw one pass — to Green — with Igbinoghene in coverage, and it was incomplete.
“Noah has done a really good job,” defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander said of the 30th overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. “Noah is in a very unique situation; he’s a high-round draft guy playing behind two of the more elite corners that are in the National Football League, that are playing at a high level. So he’s able to really kind of lock in and get valuable practice reps. I think the thing that he’s improved on over the course of the season is his footwork.”
Alexander made the point that “this is still a guy who was a very athletic prospect coming in [from Auburn], but doesn’t really have a lot of the banked reps as a corner as a guy that’s asked to play at this level right now.”
Alexander said working on his “patience and footwork at the line of scrimmage” in practice against DeVante Parker and Jakeem Grant has helped.
“It’s been a long time since that Buffalo Bills game, but now he’s kind of worked himself into continuing to develop as we had planned for him all along,” Alexander said. “This guy was always going to be a developing prospect with great skill.”
Because of the tough start to his career, Igbinoghene’s overall metrics aren’t very good: 17 completions in 27 targets for 306 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 138.8 passer rating in his coverage area.
But the Dolphins believe the player on the field to cover Green was much better the wide-eyed rookie who was chasing Diggs.
“He’s a guy that has been practicing very well,” coach Brian Flores said. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement with him in practice. He’s made a lot of plays in the kicking game the last few weeks. Those things don’t go unnoticed. He’s gotten better.”
Igbinoghene has played the fewest offensive or defensive snaps of the Dolphins’ first seven draft picks; he’s at 277, behind Brandon Jones’ 290 and Tua Tagovailoa’s 287.
INJURY UPDATE
Six Dolphins did not practice on Wednesday, when on-field preparations began for Sunday’s home game against Kansas City. Those six: cornerback Jamal Perry (placed on the COVID-19 list), running backs Salvon Ahmed (shoulder) and Matt Breida (COVID-19 list), linebackers Kyle Van Noy (hip) and Elandon Roberts (chest), and guard Ereck Flowers (ankle).
If Flowers misses Sunday’s game, which wouldn’t be surprising, Miami likely will start three rookie offensive linemen again for the second straight week and second time in franchise history, with Jesse Davis starting at right guard.
Ten Dolphins were limited in practice on Wednesday: quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (who is expected to continue playing through his thumb injury), cornerback Xavien Howard, receivers Jakeem Grant and Malcolm Perry, guard Solomon Kindley, tight end Adam Shaheen, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, safety Kavon Frazier and running backs Myles Gaskin and DeAndre Washington.
Three others remain on injured reserve: receiver Preston Williams, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and linebacker Vince Biegel.
▪ Flores didn’t totally shut the door on a potential 2020 return by Williams but added “we’re getting toward the end of the season.” Williams has been out since the Nov. 8 Arizona game with a foot injury.
▪ Former Dolphins receiver Isaiah Ford, who was released by New England last weekend, must pass five COVID-19 tests in five days before joining the Dolphins practice squad this week. That process began Tuesday.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick said New England owes Miami a 2022 seventh-round pick in exchange for Ford, who never ended up appearing in a game for New England.
▪ Though Chiefs Pro Bowl receiver Tyreek Hill missed practice with an illness Wednesday, Kansas City coach Andy Reid said he doesn’t have COVID and should be “OK” for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins.
▪ Parker, who was ejected from the Bengals game after throwing a punch in a melee following a Bengals cheap shot against his teammate and close friend Grant, explained Wednesday that the “same guy [Mike Thomas] hit Jakeem twice [as he was fielding punts, thus drawing penalties]. I saw coach Flo go out there. I go out there and a guy starts swinging and I’m just trying to have my guy’s back. We’re a family, a brotherhood.”
THIS AND THAT
Per NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, Tua Tagovailoa got the ball out in 2.38 seconds on Sunday against Cincinnati; among NFL quarterbacks, only the Colts’ Philip Rivers was faster at 2.33.
“I really enjoyed watching him,” Jeremiah tweeted. “Trust his eyes and the ball is gone.”
▪ NBC and the NFL opted to replace the Dec. 20 Dallas-San Francisco Sunday night game with Cleveland-Giants instead of Dolphins-Patriots, which will remain a 1 p.m. CBS game that day.
▪ Former Dolphins top football executive Mike Tannenbaum — now an ESPN analyst — has launched The 33rd Team, a data driven Football Think-Tank comprised of former NFL/NCAA general managers, front office personnel, and coaches offering personal experience with advanced data analytics. Click on the link at the33rdteam.com for more information and for access.
This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 4:02 PM.
