Miami Dolphins Stock Report (Day 3)
Sometimes teams have statement games, efforts that send a message to the entire league.
The Miami Dolphins defense delivered a statement practice Friday, a day after losing All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey for an extended stretch because of a left knee meniscus injury.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio unleashed the team’s blitz packages, and Miami’s defense used the pressures to choke out the offense, recording at least a dozen sacks during 11-on-11 sessions.
It was a Oprah-level "You get a sack. You get a sack" type of day.
I hadn’t seen that level of defensive dominance in years, going back to those infamous Ryan Tannehill practices, where his dismal pocket presence led to sack-filled sessions.
For the record, you’re going to get a different sack account from numerous media outlets because we all see plays differently, especially when players aren't being taken to the ground.
Some people split sacks (I don't). Some allow would-be sacks to be counted as throws (I do if it's close). However, we all came to a consensus that there were a dozen would-be sacks, and that Duke Riley, Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and Bradley Chubb each recorded at least two.
Top performers
1. ILB Duke Riley - I’m giving Riley the nod as the day’s top performer because his blitzes, which by my count produced three sacks, set the tone for the day. The offense didn’t make a single adjustment to pick him up during those early 11-on-11 periods, and it was clear the offensive linemen were getting chewed out because of it. We’re told that Riley also performed his new song inside the locker room before practice.
2. OLB Bradley Chubb - Chubb was the orange jersey player from the Thursday practice, so the fact that he doubled up on a strong performance with two sacks indicates that he’s becoming more comfortable in his new surroundings, playing for Fangio, his former head coach. It’s important to see Chubb step up in the two practices that Jaelan Phillips missed because of a lower leg injury.
3. DT Christian Wilkins - Because we were inside the bubble and the offense was working close to where we were perched, the media got a sampling of the smack talk Wilkins gives his opponents regularly. It was animated and vicious! Right when the offense was gaining a little confidence after a respectful Jeff Wilson run — which Chubb swears would have been good for 2 yards (I disagree) — Wilkins became a force, and got louder with every play he made. He was manhandling Miami’s O-linemen all practice. There was one play he made late in the session where he threw right tackle Austin Jackson into Tua Tagovailoa and there was a collision.
Stock down: Dolphins centers
Dan Feeney and Alama Uluave both had errant snaps that could have produced turnovers. But that wasn’t the biggest issue the position had. Centers and quarterbacks are responsible for line calls, and all three Dolphins O-lines were unprepared for the blitzes they faced. There’s no excuse for interior players like Riley having free runs at the quarterbacks all practice. The protections should have been adjusted. I’m assigning blame to the centers as a group, and that includes Connor Williams. This issue must get fixed yesterday.
