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Dolphins ride wave of momentum back across Atlantic
DAVIE, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins defeated the Oakland Raiders, 38-14, in London on Sunday, and now they head into their bye week with a 2-2 record and a bit of momentum.
But the big story is whether quarterback Ryan Tannehill can continue to show the poise, accuracy and athleticism he displayed against the Raiders.
Tannehill was 23-for-31 passing for 278 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He showed good footwork and a nice pocket presence, two areas that badly needed improvement.
Coach Joe Philbin seemed sufficiently impressed.
“He had good velocity,” he said. “The location was good. I think he was just kind of clicking. He was kind of getting the ball out of his hand. We didn’t have a lot of third downs or third-and-longs.
“I thought he made a heck of a throw, maybe the best throw he made was that opening drive of the second half. I thought that was an outstanding throw when he threw to (wide receiver) Brian (Hartline) on the sideline. They blitzed and he took a shot as he threw the ball. It had excellent location.”
Beyond Tannehill’s performance, the Dolphins were sharp as a team. Running back Lamar Miller (12 carries, 64 yards, two touchdowns) ran downhill. Backup running back Daniel Thomas (five carries, 35 yards; one reception, 25 yards) provided strong relief, and the offensive line was good in run blocking and pass protection.
The wide receivers made their presence known with receptions, good blocking and some yards after catch.
The defense produced two sacks, three interceptions, a recovered fumble and constant pressure.
Special teams still need work. Jarvis Landry lost his second fumble of the season on a punt return. And so do the offense and defense overall.
In fact, the Dolphins have been up and down in all areas this season.
They had a bad first half against New England, bad games against Buffalo and Kansas City, and an outstanding game against Oakland.
What they want to do before returning from their bye week is find consistency.
“Now we have to start playing at a consistently high level,” Philbin said. “It’s time. I told the team before the game that we’ve been at this thing since July 24. You know what to do. You know what your job is. We haven’t changed a whole lot. Let’s go out and play football.”
–Safety Reshad Jones (suspension) and middle linebacker Koa Misi (ankle) should both be ready to return for Miami’s next game, which is Oct. 12 against Green Bay. Their presence could help the regular defense, nickel and special teams.
“We want to get (Jones) up to speed as fast as possible,” defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle said. “He’s a playmaker, he can be a difference-maker for us.”
The trickle-down effect with Jones is he could return to strong safety, putting Louis Delmas back at free safety. That, in turn, could mean safety Jimmy Wilson returns to playing the slot defensive back position in the nickel defense. That would allow cornerback Will Davis to play more special teams.
As for Misi, his return could mean linebacker Jason Trusnik returns to fulltime special teams, which that unit could use. Trusnik is the special teams captain.
INJURY NOTES: LT Branden Albert (shoulder), S Jimmy Wilson (hip) and C Samson Satele (leg) left the Oakland game in the fourth quarter and didn’t return. There was no update on their status Monday. … DT Randy Starks (back) didn’t play against Oakland, ending a streak of 111 consecutive games played, the most among active DTs. There’s no word whether he’ll play in Miami’s next game, Oct. 12 against Green Bay.
REPORT CARD VS. RAIDERS
PASSING OFFENSE: A-minus — QB Ryan Tannehill completed 14 consecutive passes at one point. The wideouts were factors and so were the tight ends. The line didn’t allow a sack. There was a drop and errant pass that led to an interception. They weren’t perfect, but they were good.
RUSHING OFFENSE: B — RB Lamar Miller was effective, but he also lost a fumble at the end zone that Oakland recovered. Still, the running game (157 yards) was strong, the line blocked well, and Tannehill and RB Daniel Thomas (each had 5 carries, 35 yards) provided a nice boost.
PASS DEFENSE: B-plus — There was some early leakage. Oakland quarterbacks completed 64 percent of their passes. But the Dolphins had three interceptions, two sacks and good pressure overall. CBs Will Davis and Jamar Taylor both played in the nickel, so that’s unsettled. There was also late leakage when the backups played.
RUSH DEFENSE: A — Oakland had 18 carries for 53 yards. Missed tackles were at a minimum, unlike other games this season. The linebackers did a good job and the defensive line was solid at the point of attack. No worries this week.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C-plus — WR Jarvis Landry lost a muffed punt. That’s his second this season. The coverage teams were OK, but not where they need to be. Return teams were fairly solid, but losing a punt hurts. The Dolphins are still playing lots of rookies and it shows.
COACHING: B — Joe Philbin’s mid-week non-committal stance on Tannehill was a huge miscalculation, but it didn’t affect the game. Play-calling was solid for both offense and defense. The Dolphins had their first halftime lead and they made wise defensive adjustments after being plowed on the game-opening drive.
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