JACKSONVILLE — The Miami Dolphins’ starting defense got pushed around by Jacksonville, and the starting offense didn’t fare much better in Saturday’s preseason finale, which saw the Jaguars leading, 31-18, when the game was called with 8:32 remaining.
A possible head injury to Dolphins rookie wide receiver Daewood Davis caused the game’s suspension. Davis was conscious and had movement in all extremities when he was taken to Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville.
Quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa (4 of 6, 67 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, 104.2 passer rating) and Skylar Thompson (15 of 24, 135 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, 42.9 passer rating) had mixed results.
The Dolphins’ ground game was strong again (124 yards on 24 carries) as running backs Salvon Ahmed (four carries, 43 yards) and Chris Brooks (33 yards on six carries, two touchdowns) led the way. Ahmed pushed his case for the 53-man regular-season roster (cuts must be made by 4 p.m. Tuesday) with the highlight being a 42-yard gain.
The Dolphins ended a respectable 2 of 4 in the red zone but they were just 2 of 9 on third down. Jacksonville was 3 of 5 in the red zone and 3 of 6 on third down.
Here are some other takeaways from Saturday:
Tua plays two possessions, Tyreek plays a few plays
Tagovailoa played two possessions (14 snaps) Saturday against Jacksonville, ending his preseason action with 29 snaps. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill only played a few snaps against the Jaguars, ending his night with one reception for 32 yards.
For the preseason Tagovailoa was 9 of 13 for 128 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Hill ends with two receptions for 45 yards.
Both seem ready for the regular season.
Connor Williams uncorks another bad snap
Center Connor Williams had two bad snaps last week against Houston, including one that almost resulted in a safety. He had another bad snap Saturday, whizzing the ball over Tagovailoa’s head and causing an 11-yard loss on the fumble recovery and setting up a second-and-35 from the Dolphins’ 32-yard line. Miami ended up punting.
Apple opens in boundary in nickel
Cornerback Eli Apple appears to have won the starting boundary cornerback job in the nickel package, beating out Noah Igbinoghene. The Dolphins defense opened in the nickel with Apple and Xavien Howard as boundary (outside) cornerbacks and Kader Kohou in the slot.
Rookie cornerback Cam Smith is also a candidate for the starting job but Smith has been slowed by a shoulder injury.
Interestingly, cornerback Ethan Bonner, the undrafted rookie from Stanford, appears to be a top candidate to start in the dime package alongside Howard, Apple, Kohou, Holland and Elliott. Bonner was injured for much of training camp.
Red-zone target (still) wanted
The Dolphins continue to search for a reliable red-zone receiving target.
Miami capped an 11-play, 74-yard drive with a 24-yard field goal by kicker Jason Sanders (he also had a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter), but that was after an incomplete pass over the middle on third down from Tagovailoa to wide receiver Robbie Chosen was broken up by cornerback Tre Herndon.
Tagovailoa’s pass was high and perhaps a bigger-bodied receiver might have been able to use his girth to shield the defender.
Defense makes clutch play, but gives up TDs
Safety Jevon Holland caused and recovered fumble in the first quarter when he took the ball from running back Tank Bigsby near the goal line, but that didn’t stop the Jaguars offense from rolling downfield again on its second possession, this time getting the touchdown, and going an easy 20 yards for a touchdown on their third possession.
The Jaguars had driven down field almost at will on their first possession when Holland caused the fumble.
Jacksonville drove 80 yards in 12 plays on its second possession, capping the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Travis Etienne.
The Jaguars’ third possession started with an interception on Thompson and resulted in a 37-yard field goal by kicker Brandon McManus for a 10-3 Jaguars lead.
Jacksonville’s second touchdown capped a two-play, 20-yard drive and came on an 8-yard run by running back D’Ernest Johnson.
Second-team OL
The Dolphins used their second-team offensive line in the second quarter (well, second-team center and tackles) and it included center Dan Feeney, left guard Isaiah Wynn, right guard Robert Hunt, left tackle Kion Smith and right tackle Cedric Ogbuehi.
The third-team offensive line was center Alama Uluave, Feeney at left guard, Lester Cotton at right guard, Smith at left tackle and Ogbuehi at right tackle.
The starting offensive line was what they used most of training camp, which is Williams at center, Hunt at right guard, Austin Jackson at right tackle, Wynn at left guard and Kendall Lamm at left tackle.
Pre-snap penalties, processes better
The Dolphins ended up with five penalties for 33 yards, but the good news is they reduced their pre-snap penalties greatly as training camp and the exhibition season progressed, and their procedure to get the play from the coach to the huddle has also been streamlined.
The Dolphins’ first pre-snap penalty Saturday was a false start early in the fourth quarter. That was followed by a holding penalty.
Brooks emerges
Brooks, an undrafted rookie, ended with 33 yards on six carries and two touchdowns. Brooks, out of BYU after playing four years at Cal, is the biggest back on the roster at 6 foot 1, 223 pounds and is also the hardest-running back on the roster. But he’ll have a hard time making the 53-man roster with Mostert, Wilson, Achane and Ahmed ahead of him. Practice squad seems a likely destination.
Injury update
Safety Elijah Campbell was taken off the field by trainer with what appeared to be a left leg injury. McDaniel said he’d likely know more Sunday.
Ahmed didn’t return after sustaining an apparent head injury. McDaniel said he cleared the on-field neurological test but will undergo further testing Sunday.
