MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Well, Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was right when he made the following prediction about sweat-drenched Day 1 of his team’s joint practices against the Atlanta Falcons:
“One side’s going to feel the first day that they won the day.”
Both the Dolphins’ and Falcons’ defenses certainly feel like they won the day Tuesday. We’re a one-man band here at PFN, so we kept a closer eye on Miami’s O vs. Atlanta’s D during Tuesday’s practice. And that performance wasn’t great for the host club, as we explain in our Dolphins practice report.
This week … it’s real pic.twitter.com/9KfhS84fYq
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 8, 2023
Miami Dolphins Practice Report: Latest News From Training Camp
Welp, Tua Tagovailoa
Tua Tagovailoa just didn’t have his good stuff Tuesday, a fact that was clear even in 1-on-1s, when he had a couple of misfires. (Tua did connect with Braylon Sanders on a perfect deep ball over A.J. Terrell before Sanders left practice with an apparent knee injury.)
Tagovailoa also threw well behind Jaylen Waddle in 7-on-7s, although was solid in that drill beyond that.
But once the practice shifted to 11-on-11s, Tagovailoa just didn’t look comfortable.
Unofficially, we had Tua 13 of 21 for 131 yards and a bad pick in team drills. The interception went to Atlanta linebacker Troy Andersen, but any one of four Falcons in the vicinity of Tagovailoa’s intended target, Freddie Swain, could have come away with it.
Andersen probably would have returned the interception for a touchdown if the play happened in a game.
Tagovailoa was also sacked twice, and the offensive line committed two false start penalties in a span of seven plays. It wasn’t good — at all.
McDaniel said prior to practice that he had not yet decided whether Tagovailoa and the rest of the starters will play in Friday’s game, but they certainly didn’t do anything Tuesday to earn the day off.
Dolphins Reserves Struggle Too
And it got no better when Tua’s backups came in.
It was a Mike White showcase day at Dolphins camp, with the South Florida native misfiring on five of his 11 attempts. White averaged 5.5 yards per attempt and threw one interception, and could very easily have had another on a deflected ball.
White was given a chance to separate himself from Skylar Thompson, getting the vast majority of backup snaps Tuesday.
He didn’t.
But Thompson was just as rickety, albeit in a much smaller sample size. He had just three passing attempts in 11-on-11s and completed as many passes to the opposition as he did to his own team. Thompson’s one completed pass went for one yard.
Put it all together, and the Dolphins’ quarterbacks had a passer rating under 40. Sheesh.
“Generally the second day, things even out because you watch the tape, and you’re like, ‘oh, no, not again,’” McDaniel said.
We’ll find out Wednesday.
Practice News and Notes
- Sanders appeared to injure his left knee while attempting to make a catch in team drills. Even before the injury, he was unlikely to make the team. He was fourth string on the Dolphins’ first depth chart of the summer.
- The Falcons had their own player carted off the field: DB Clark Phillips III, who, according to Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith was kicked and needed X-rays.
- More depth chart observations: Liam Eichenberg has the early lead over Isaiah Wynn for LG1, but they’ve been in rotation with other offensive linemen at that position all summer. … The Dolphins listed River Cracraft as a second-string wide receiver, ahead of Braxton Berrios and Robbie Chosen. … The Dolphins listed Christian Wilkins as a defensive end. The franchise tag number in 2024 for a DE is an estimated $22.2M. It’s $20.9M for a DT.