Takeaways From Miami’s Win over Atlanta

The Dolphins have a lot to talk about after their first preseason game.

Many of the Dolphins performed well with their opportunities, and I will discuss the positives and negatives from week one.

The Rookies

The Dolphins rookies showed up in the first game against the Falcons, starting with Patrick McMorris. McMorris had eight tackles, two TFLs, and a pass deflection.

McMorris was all over the field and earned the game ball with his performance tonight. Next was Jaylen Wright, whose night will be remembered for the broken screen pass, turned 15-yard gain and the touchdown. Wright showed his speed, strength, and explosiveness, which fits in our offense.

Camp standout Malik Washington had a solid night without the stats to show. Washington displayed his willingness to block, had a good burst on the ground, and had a solid punt return. Lastly, Patrick Paul had a solid night, although he was against backups. Paul was a force and looked smooth in his first NFL game.

UDFAs

Isaiah Johnson, Storm Duck, and Jason Maitre all had a good night.

For these rookies, what matters is repetition; many more opportunities will come, and they need to run with them. The first preseason game is a good indication for many of these guys, succeeding under the lights and ultimately contributing to a gritty win.

Offensive Line

After another offensive line injury and Kion Smith’s injury, we are very close to seeing the same offensive line as last season thrown out there, which will not help Miami improve. The Dolphins look to get healthier and possibly add to the line, but the health of our offensive line is a concern. They played well tonight, and there are bright spots, but this is still our weakest link.