Omicron spread much earlier and faster across Florida than most people realized, new state report shows
Hurricanes reportedly offer Arkansas' Kendal Briles offensive coordinator job
Sunrise police union demands chief step away from investigation of officer who grabbed another cop by the throat
Legendary Dolphins QB Dan Marino: Tua Tagovailoa 'has all the talent in the world'
Dolphins get strong performances from Tannehill, Suh and O-line in preseason loss
By Chris Perkins
Sun Sentinel |
The Miami Dolphins had to be encouraged by QB Ryan Tannehill, DT Ndamukong Suh and even their OL in Thursday's preaseason opener at Chicago.
CHICAGO — Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who is having the best training camp of his career, put his improvement on display in Thursday's preseason opener at Chicago. He completed 6-for-7 passing for 56 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions while leading the Dolphins on an 85-yard scoring drive on his only possession.
Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins' big-money offseason acquisition, didn't record a tackle, but he had an impact in his seven plays. He drew a false start penalty and blew up a running play that resulted in no gain. Although Suh was whistled for an offsides penalty, he frequently drew double-team blocks. He appeared to clear the way for linebacker Jelani Jenkins to make a tackle for a loss on the opening drive.
However, the most promising storyline of the night, despite the Dolphins losing 27-10, was the performance of their highly scrutinized starting offensive line. They didn't give up a sack, they didn't get Tannehill battered or bruised, and for the most part, guards Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner — the two who are eyed with the most skepticism — turned in credible performances.
Left tackle Jason Fox and Turner were flagged for holding penalties on the opening drive, and it appeared they might have blown one assignment, but aside from that they did a decent job. Pass protection, a major question, was respectable. Run blocking, which wasn't questioned much, was reliable.
"It felt good," said Tannehill, whose 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jarvis Landry capped a 14-play drive and gave the Dolphins a 7-0 lead.
[Most Read Dolphins Coverage] Tua Tagovailoa's ex-QB coach emerges as odds-on favorite to land Dolphins coaching job »
"We overcame some adversity, we had two holding penalties which you never want to have, but we were able to overcome those and punch it in for the score."
Much of that was because the previously porous offensive line steadied itself. Pass protection, a major question, was respectable. Tannehill was hardly touched.
Run blocking was reliable. The Dolphins rushed for 77 yards on 17 carries in the first half, an average of 4.5 yards per carry.
As a whole, an offense that's been missing two key elements throughout training camp — Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert and wide receiver DeVante Parker, the first-round pick — had a good showing. Ten players caught passes in the first half, totaling 159 receiving yards.
"I felt like we were balanced and did what we needed to do," Tannehill said. "We completed a few balls down the field [and] some short passes where the guys were able to turn and run, and then the run game was going as well."
Miami Dolphins - The Fins Flash Newsletter
Twice-weekly
Get updates on the Miami Dolphins, with insider info and analysis from our staff writers.
The starting offensive line, save for center Mike Pouncey and left tackle Ja'Wuan James, stayed in the game for the second offensive possession. Later, rookie Jamil Douglas took over at left guard, Jeff Linkenbach at left tackle, and Donald Hawkins took over at right tackle. And they also turned in an acceptable performance.
[Most Read Dolphins Coverage] Dolphins Q&A: An early look at possible selections with late first-round draft pick »
For now, it seems Thomas and Turner have done enough to keep their starting jobs.
Latest Miami Dolphins
Dolphins' first-round pick pushed further back by 49ers' win over Cowboys
The game was pretty much turned over to the reserves after the first quarter, and the Bears' outscored the Dolphins 24-0 in the second half.
The only mild surprise to the starting lineup was free safety Louis Delmas, who is recovering from a knee injury sustained last season, being replaced by Walt Aikens.
As for injuries, the Dolphins had linebacker Chris McCain (ankle), linebacker Jordan Tripp (ankle) and wide receiver Tommy Streeter go down.
The Dolphins are off Friday and return to practice Saturday.
Louis Delmas
Mike Pouncey
Branden Albert