Dolphins-Falcons Complete Observations

Checking out the key moments from the Miami Dolphins' 19-3 loss in their preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons

Here's what caught our eye during the Miami Dolphins' 19-3 loss in their preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night:

-- We'll start with the list of Dolphins players announced about 90 minutes before kickoff as not expected to play, and it was quite a list. It was headed by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and let's just say that it included pretty much every front-line player on the roster.

FIRST QUARTER

-- Rookie De'Von Achane got things started with a nifty kickoff return good for 38 yards, which was the result of good blocking on the left side.

-- Mike White got the start at quarterback and looked very impressive until a bad interception on a second-and-4 from the Atlanta 9-yard line.

-- Myles Gaskin rushed for 17 yards on four carries, including a nice 6-yard run when a sharp cut in the backfield made him avoid a defender.

-- White had very good pass protection on the drive and used it to complete a 17-yard pass to Cedrick Wilson Jr. and later a 14-yard pass to River Cracraft on a slant.

-- On the pick, White rolled to his left and tried to hit tight end Tyler Kroft in the end zone into traffic. Kroft was hit as the ball got to him and it popped into the hands of Atlanta DB DeMarcco Hellams.

-- The Dolphins defense got a stop on Atlanta's first drive, but not before the Falcons got a couple of first downs.

-- Emmanuel Ogbah was a surprise starter given his NFL credentials and he got moved out of the edge on a first-down run, though he followed that with quick pressure on QB Logan Woodside.

-- Veteran safety DeShon Elliott was on the wrong of a third-down completion on third-and-7 that got Atlanta a first down.

-- The Dolphins made their stop despite Channing Tindall missing an open-field tackle to give running back Carlos Washington Jr. a couple of extra yards.

-- The Dolphins' second possession was very uninspiring, producing one first down on an Atlanta penalty.

-- White was sacked on the first play after he rolled out to his left and held on to the ball, and that was sack was on him more than anybody because he had time to keep going outside the pocket and throw the ball away.

-- A run by Gaskin lost 1 yard when right guard Lester Cotton and tight end Eric Saubert allowed penetration at the line.

-- The drive ended on a third-and-5 incompletion when White couldn't thread the needle with Berrios tightly covered.

-- Noah Igbinoghene had really good coverage on the first play of Atlanta's second drive, but Woodside threw a perfect pass to Josh Ali over the middle to make the completion.

SECOND QUARTER

--After a 5-yard completion on the first play of the second quarter, the Falcons just gashed the Dolphins defense with Godwin Igwebuike, who had runs of 9, 11, 7 and 11 yards for the touchdown, with gaping holes every time.

-- That drive showed the Dolphins' concerns along the defensive line in terms of depth are well justified.

-- The Dolphins running game got cranking on tis next possession, starting with Erik Ezukanma gaining 11 yards on a jet sweep after a spin move got him away from a tackler at the line.

-- Myles Gaskin, though, was the star with runs of 6 (where he broke a tackle) and 35 yards (where he was sprung in part by a great block by left guard Isaiah Wynn).

-- The drive ended with a fourth-and-2 incompletion from the Atlanta 3 when White threw behind Berrios as he ran across the end zone, though it needs to be pointed out his arm appeared to get hit as center Alama Uluave was pushed back into the QB.

-- White did have a couple of shaky throws, though, including a completion to tight end Eric Saubert on a rollout where he took too long to make the throw.

-- The Dolphins defense stiffened on Atlanta's next drive, with rookies Mitchell Agude and Garrett Nelson coming up with big-to-back sacks. Agude's sack came after Woodside scramble, while Nelson simply beat the left tackle to the outside.

-- That came after Cam Smith was beaten for a 20-yard completion, which he unfortunately followed with a holding penalty on Berrios' ensuing punt return.

-- After the Smith penalty put the Dolphins at their 19, Ezukanma bust out for another productive run, this one a 39-yard pick-up on an end-around with a lot of open space ahead of him.

-- The drive continued with completions of 10 yards to Gaskin and 11 yards to Achane, who were left open to the left side of the formation.

-- The Dolphins faced another fourth-and-short inside the Atlanta 5-yard line in the final minute, and again the Dolphins came up short. and his pass for Kroft in the end zone bounced off a defender's helmet and the line of scrimmage.

THIRD QUARTER

-- Good to see Mitchell Agude, who' has flashed as a pass rusher, get involved on the tackle on the second-half kickoff return.

-- Cam Smith got his obligatory pass breakup on Atlanta's third-and-1 on its first drive of the second half when he had good coverage after Garrett Nelson flushed Woodside out of the pocket.

-- On Miami's first offensive snap, rookie center Alama Uluave got pushed back and that led to De'Von Achane being dropped for a 1-yard loss on a run.

-- Skylar Thompson was sacked on second down, but that was a coverage sack where Thompson hung on to the ball in the pocket.

-- Newly signed cornerback Mark Gilbert was beat deep down the left sideline, but caught a break when the Atlanta receiver dropped Woodside's perfectly thrown ball.

-- Rookie linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr. missed a tackle in the open field on a short pass to Carlos Washington Jr.

-- That play occurred on a very eventful drive for rookie cornerback Cam Smith, one that unfortunately ended in a very disappointing way.

-- Smith was on the wrong end of a 27-yard completion from Woodside to Xavier Malone, the longest pass play for the Falcons on the night.

-- On a third-and-2 from the Miami 4-yard line, Smith got into the backfield and dove to drop Washington for a 3-yard loss, but he got up with his right arm hanging a bit (he was wearing a compression sleeve over most of that arm).

-- Smith stayed on the field for the fourth-down play and was involved in the coverage on an incompletion, though it was safety Keidron Smith who got the pass breakup. Smith then walked into the medical tent after the series and ultimately went into the locker room.

--  The Dolphins got their longest completion of the night on their next possession, and it came after Skylar Thompson made a nice play and throw after rolling out to his left and connected with rookie tight end Elijah Higgins.

-- The third quarter ended on a bad note for rookie free agent tackle James Tunstall, who was flagged for holding on the last two snaps.

FOURTH QUARTER

-- The fourth quarter began disastrously for the Dolphins, with Atlanta DB Natrone Brooks coming in untouched on a blitz to sack Thompson, followed by Thompson getting picked off by safety Lucas Denis when he tried to force a deep pass to Higgins.

-- Pili and Nelson combined to drop Igwdebuike for a 2-yard loss on the next play, and Nelson followed that with a QB pressure on third-and-12 to help force a punt.

-- The Dolphins' next drive produced their only points of the night when Sanders drilled a 49-yard field goal after a drive that reached the Atlanta 25 faltered.

-- The biggest gains on the drive were a 19-yard pass from Thompson to Achane and a 10-yard run by rookie free agent Chris Brooks, who was sprung in part by a nice block from guard Lester Cotton.

-- The drive ended with an incompletion after a false-start penalty by rookie WR Chris Coleman turned a third-and-11 into a third-and-16.

-- The next Atlanta drive was highlighted by a sack from defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman, though the credit there really belongs to linebacker Malik Reed, who got to Woodside first and flushed him out of the pocket.

-- The Dolphins' next possession was marked by two penalties against Higgins, once for holding (shaky call) and the other for a false start.

-- The drive ended on a third-and-9 from the Miami 47 when the Dolphins again failed to pick up a blitzer, who got a free run and dropped Thompson.

-- Then came the 79-yard punt return for a touchdown by Dee Alford after the Dolphins missed a couple of tackles. This was not a good sight for a special teams unit that was so shaky last season.

-- Things quickly got worse when Thompson was flagged for intentional grounding on first down and his high throw on second-and-22 went through the hands of Coleman and right to cornerback Breon Borders, who had an easy pick-six handed to him.

-- And, yes, things got yet even worse on the next series when LB Arnold Ebiketie easily got past Tunstall with an inside spin move, sacked Thompson, and basically stole the ball as both fell to the ground.

-- Up 16 at the two-minute warning after taking over possession, Atlanta for some reason attempted two passes down the sideline before the game finally, mercifully ended, not before Twyman was flagged for roughness after bumping into Woodside after he had slid to give himself up.

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