So maybe there was a reason the Miami Dolphins didn't bring in more reinforcements at tight end during the offseason. And maybe that reason was Durham Smythe.
As with everything else after the impressive 36-34 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, there's a danger of overreacting to what Smythe did at SoFi Stadium. But there's also no denying how impressive it was.
The stat that stands out, clearly, is Smythe played all 67 offensive snaps the Dolphins took on offense while putting up 536 total yards — as in, he never got off the field when the Dolphins had the ball.
While Smythe did his usual solid work as a blocker, Smythe also was the biggest factor in the passing game not named Tua, Tyreek or Jaylen.
Smythe actually had the second-most targets on the team Sunday behind Hill with seven, and his 44 receiving yards came in third behind the two explosive wide receivers.
Smythe was on the receiving end of a 10-yard completion from Tua when the Dolphins converted a fourth-and-7 in the second quarter in a drive that ended with a touchdown that gave them a 17-14 lead.
The seven targets, incidentally, equaled the highest total of the previous two seasons for Mike Gesicki, who always was the team's pass-catching specialist at the position.
So it could be that Smythe might just provide exactly what Gesicki provided in the passing game — minus the occasional acrobatic catch — while continuing to develop much more desirable blocking.
And this is where the offseason comes into play again, not only in the team not adding a prominent tight end after Gesicki left as a free agent but also in the decision to sign Smythe to a three-year contract extension. That extension had salary-cap benefits for the Dolphins, but it also was a reward for a player whose role always has been a bit underrated before it was impossible to ignore in Week 1.
SMYTHE-GESICKI REUNION
It's fitting that we're mentioning Gesicki here because of the Dolphins Week 2 game at Gillette Stadium against the New England Patriots, Gesicki's new team.
Anyone who has followed the Dolphins in recent years knows that Smythe and Gesicki are very tight, so you can look for them to come together before and/or after the game.
So, naturally, Gesicki was a big topic of conversation when Smythe met with the media Wednesday.
This was the exchange:
Q. Are you trying to outdo Patriots TE Mike Gesicki on Sunday?
“That’s the enemy. They’re all the same. Enemies are faceless as they say. He’s definitely faceless for me. (laughter)”
Q. Do you think you have a chance to have more catches and touchdowns than TE Mike Gesicki this year?
“Well, that’s always up in the air. I mean different offenses call for different things, different personnel and things of that nature. So it’ll be a fun little thing for us, probably towards the end of the year.”
Q. Have you heard how TE Mike Gesicki is enjoying the New England area?
"I think he likes it. I obviously stay in pretty close contact with him and he’s enjoying it. He enjoys what they’re doing up there. He enjoys the area. It’s closer to home for him. So all those things together make it an enjoyable experience for him.”
Q. Any weirdness with TE Mike Gesicki this week, considering how close you are but for the first time on opposite sides in a regular season game? What dynamic does that create in your texts to each other this week?
“Yeah, it’s funny. I mean, we obviously stay in very close contact. But this week, ever since really the day after the game last week, it’s been kind of radio silence. And I was just telling these guys, it’s another faceless opponent. That’s all it is. So we’ll talk after the game for sure.”
In his Patriots debut last Sunday, Gesicki had three catches for 36 yards on three targets in a 25-20 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles.
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