Dolphins Drop Preseason Opener

Missed opportunities early and late collapse the big stories at Hard Rock Stadium

The Miami Dolphins were scheduled for only one game at Hard Rock Stadium between the start of the preseason and Sept. 24, but it certainly didn't turn out to be one to remember.

In a game that looked an awful lot like a preseason opener, the Dolphins dropped a 19-3 decision against the Atlanta Falcons in their only home game of the 2023 preseason.

The Dolphins decided not to use a vast majority of their projected starters, including Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Christian Wilkins and Xavien Howard and on and on. The only exceptions were left guard Liam Eichenberg and right tackle Austin Jackson.

The story of the game was missed opportunities by the Dolphins, who had three drives that got them inside the Atlanta 10-yard line but ended with an interception and two fourth-down incompletions.

Head coach Mike McDaniel twice going for the touchdown on fourth-and-short inside the Atlanta 5-yard line maybe wouldn't have happened in a regular season game, but it made sense in a preseason game because Jason Sanders probably doesn't need to be kicking 23-yard field goals in August.

Sanders did connect on a 49-yard field goal in the fourth quarter on his only attempt of the night.

Atlanta scored the first touchdown of the game on an 11-yard run by Godwin Igwebuike on his fourth consecutive run, with the previous three gaining 9, 11 and 7 yards.

Dee Alford punt the game away with a 79-yard punt return with 2:33 left in the fourth quarter after Skylar Thompson was sacked on third down to end a Dolphins drive that had reached the Miami 48.

For good measure, former Dolphins practice squad member Breon Borders scored on a 26-yard pick-six on the next play from scrimmage for the final margin. Borders got a deflection on a high throw from Thompson to Chris Coleman.

In a fitting ending, the last offensive play for the Dolphins was a fumble by Thompson when he was sacked by Arnold Ebiketie, who got a clean run at him after easily getting by rookie tackle James Tunstall with a quick inside spin move.

The whole game ended strangely, as the Falcons kept throwing the ball down the field leading 19-3 after the two-minute warning, and Mike McDaniel's look on the sideline told a pretty significant story of how he rightfully wasn't very happy with Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith.

WHITE STARTS AT QB

Mike White got the start at quarterback and had his moments while going 9-for-14 for 85 yards, but he threw a pick and came up empty on three drives deep into Atlanta territory — though his two fourth-down incompletions inside the Atlanta 5 were not his fault.

On the first, his arm was hit as he tried to hit Braxton Berrios running across the end zone. On the second, his pass intended for tight end Tyler Kroft bounced off the helmet of a Falcons defender.

The biggest plays on offense for the Dolphins came via the running game, including a 39-yard pick-up by Erik Ezukanma on an end-around, not long after he gained 11 yards on a jet sweep.

Myles Gaskin, who started, at running back, had a productive first half highlighted by a 37-yard run.

In the passing game, the biggest gain was a 28-yard completion from Skylar Thompson to rookie tight end Elijah Higgins after Thompson scrambled to his left.

The defense didn't record a turnover but finished with four sacks, one each by Jaylen Twyman, Mitchell Agude, Channing Tindall and Garrett Nelson.

As always, maybe the biggest goal of any preseason game is avoiding injuries, but the Dolphins didn't leave the game unscathed, with both wide receiver Braxton Berrios and rookie cornerback Cam Smith going into the locker room at different times.

Berrios was injured at the end of a punt return in the first half; Smith left the field after a defensive stand after he looked to be favoring his left arm.