Dolphins could face Brady without Byron Jones: The fallout. And personnel notes
A six-pack of Miami Dolphins notes on a Wednesday:
▪ Slowing future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady and his cast of distinguished offensive weapons is difficult enough. But doing it without your second-best cornerback -- who is injured -- creates a new level of angst.
Though Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones hasn’t officially been ruled out for Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay, the fact he wasn’t at practice Wednesday — while nursing a quadriceps and Achilles injury — wasn’t a good sign.
If Jones cannot play, Nik Needham, Justin Coleman and Noah Igbinoghene likely would be the Dolphins’ second through fourth cornerbacks, behind Xavien Howard.
The Dolphins also have the option of moving longtime cornerback Jason McCourty from safety — where he has played exclusively for the Dolphins this season — back to cornerback. McCourty refused to say if he received any cornerback snaps Wednesday but said it would be an adjustment if asked to move back to corner.
If the Dolphins used McCourty at cornerback — he practiced there in training camp — then Eric Rowe, Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones could share safety duties.
Even if McCourty stays at safety, Holland and Brandon Jones could play more if Byron Jones cannot play Sunday.
Tampa Bay leads the league in passing yards per game (327.5) and is fifth in points per game (30.5). The ageless Brady has 10 touchdown passes and two interceptions and a 100.3 passer rating in four games this season.
Dolphins cornerbacks coach Charles Burks said Needham and Coleman are “interchangeable” in the sense that either can play in the slot or on the boundary. Burks declined to say which of those two would be more likely to line up on the boundary - opposite Howard - if Jones cannot play.
Regardless, Needham and Coleman likely would both play a lot if Jones is out.
Needham said his Wednesday practice workload remained what it would be if Jones were present: working some on the boundary and some in the slot.
“They both can play; to me, they’re interchangeable guys,” Burks said of Needham and Coleman. “They’re different players. But it’s more about how we want to play that particular offense.”
▪ Since Brian Flores has been coach, Needham has been the biggest success story among Dolphins’ postdraft rookie free agents signings.
“What Nik has done from a maturation standpoint, he has become a better pro,” defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander said this week. “There are things he didn’t understand — and most guys as rookies don’t really understand — how significant it is to have a professional lifestyle, and not just how you prepare in the building but how you prepare from a nutritional standpoint to maximize your physical ability to do the necessary things you have to do on the field.”
Needham has spoken of an improved diet as one reason for his improvement in his two-plus seasons.
“His experience within the system and having an understanding of his responsibility, and being a great communicator, you can see the game slow down for him,” Alexander said. “I’ve had a chance to see his maturation process, and it’s great to see and it’s still ongoing.”
Needham — who loves studying his “favorite cornerback” Darrelle Revis, the former Jets star — has played well again this season; quarterbacks have an 86.6 passer rating in his coverage area: 9 completions in 14 throws for 104 yards.
In fact, except for the finale last season at Buffalo — when he allowed three touchdown passes — Needham generally has been very good the past calendar year.
Coleman, conversely, has permitted 11 of 12 targets to be caught for 145 yards, which equates to a 117 passer rating in his coverage area.
Byron Jones has been very solid this season; quarterbacks have a 76.3 rating in his coverage area. Howard has a 102.4 rating in his coverage area.
Even beyond Brady’s greatness, Tampa’s distinguished and talented group of receivers pose problems.
Antonio Brown, from Miami Norland High, is a four-time Pro Bowler, most recently in 2017.
Mike Evans has made Pro Bowls three times (2016, 2018, 2019).
Chris Godwin made the Pro Bowl in 2019, when he had 1,339 receiving yards.
“Mike Evans is a big-bodied receiver,” Needham said. “Godwin has size [6-1], is fast. Antonio Brown has been playing well for 11 years. All bring different stuff. Brown is quick. Mike Evans is a jump ball-type guy. You need a different approach against each of those receivers.”
Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski appears unlikely to play Sunday; Fox’s Jay Glazer reported last week that Gronkowski told him that he has “four cracked ribs, one broken rib and a punctured lung.”
▪ News from Wednesday’s injury report: Jones was the only Dolphins player on the active roster who missed practice. Receiver DeVante Parker (shoulder) and tight end Adam Shaheen (neck) were limited.
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers’ secondary remains heavily impacted by injury, with cornerback Carlton Davis (quadriceps) and safety Antoine Winfield (concussion) unable to practice on Wednesday and cornerback Jamel Dean (knee) limited.
Gronkowski and defensive lineman Patrick O’Connor (calf) also didn’t practice on Wednesday.
▪ There was, predictably, plenty of Brady talk during Wednesday’s Dolphins player press conferences:
McCourty, on his observations from playing with Brady in New England: “That guy is the definition of greatness. His ability to get things right the first time around” stands out…
Asked if sacking Brady is anything extra special, linebacker Sam Eguavoen shrugged that off and cracked: “If you get a sack on Tom Brady, if they give you $3 million” then that would be extra meaningful. Eguavoen said Brady has “seen every defense known to mankind.”...
Needham said: “I don’t understand why people don’t like him as a player. He’s one of the greatest of all time.”...
Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins said “You see why many consider Brady to be the G.O.A.T. [greatest of all time].” He said playing Brady is “something you can tell your grandkids... At this rate, he might play my grandkids.”
▪ In the wake of Sunday’s loss to Indianapolis, tight end Mike Gesicki said: “The leaders on the team got the guys together.”
What was the message from that meeting?
To have a “sense of urgency, trust, belief,” Gesicki said. “We have a lot of talent. We just have to go out and use it.”
There could be opportunities against an injury-riddled Tampa Bay secondary; the Buccaneers are last in the league in pass defense, allowing 327.5 yards per game.
▪ Co-offensive coordinator George Godsey said the team must get the ball to DeVante Parker early in games.
Parker said coaches “told us the same thing, to execute the play they get us.”
Parker and Jakeem Grant — who was traded to Chicago this week — are very close; they combined on a cartoon series on social media.
They spoke after the trade Tuesday and Parker said: “I’m happy for him. He’s getting an opportunity. It’s business, and [this is] best for him.”
And who is best suited to replace Grant in the Parker/Grant cartoon project?
Parker said Kirk Merritt, the practice squad receiver who impressed in preseason.
“He’s laid back,” Parker said.
Here’s my Wednesday piece with news on Will Fuller’s injury and nuggets from Brian Flores’ news conference.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 5:09 PM.
