ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on December 26 that the Dolphins will waive Barrett from their Reserve/Retired list. Barrett will be eligible to play for another team if he clears waivers.

“We appreciate the Dolphins giving Shaq this opportunity to continue his career in the NFL,” Barrett’s agent Drew Rosenhaus said in a statement, via Schefter’s X (formerly Twitter) account. “Hopefully he will pass through waivers and become a free agent, so he can play again this season.

“He is in great shape and would be ready to play immediately.”

Barrett hasn’t played since the 2023-24 postseason. He signed a free agent contract with the Dolphins in March but then elected to retire from the NFL in July.

He applied for his reinstatement to the league in November.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on November 26 that Barrett ending his retirement surprised him. At that time, Miami’s plans with Barrett were unclear.

His December 26 release, though, means he will never play in a game for the Dolphins.

Shaq Barrett Could Play for Another Team in 2024

Schefter explained on X that if Barrett goes unclaimed on waivers, then he will be eligible to play this season for any team. However, Schefter added Barrett will be ineligible to return if another team claims him on waivers.

It’s unlikely that will happen. But the possibility exists. An NFL team on its way to the postseason could claim Barrett to prevent another playoff team from adding the veteran to its roster.

Barrett made second-team All-Pro with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while leading the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019. He reached double-digit sacks with 10 in 2021 as well.

The 32-year-old earned Pro Bowl nominations in both of those seasons.

Barrett started his career with the Denver Broncos. But he broke out with his second-team All-Pro season during his first year with the Buccaneers.

In 131 NFL games, he has posted 59 sacks, 73 tackles for loss and 125 quarterback hits.

Dolphins Pass Rush Without Shaq Barrett in 2024

Barrett only registered 7.5 sacks in 24 games from 2022-23. So he might not have made a huge impact with the Dolphins had he played this season.

But there’s still a lingering “what if” with Barrett and the Dolphins.

Miami has mostly struggled to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season. The Dolphins are ranked 26th with 31 sacks in 2024. They have performed better in other categories such as pressure rate, hurry percentage and quarterback knockdown rate. But they are still in the bottom half of the league in two of those three statistics.

With Barrett, perhaps the Dolphins would have been a little better at pressuring quarterbacks, forcing the opposition into more mistakes. Miami has recorded only 8 interceptions this season.

But Barrett will move on having never played for the Dolphins.

Defensive tackle Zach Sieler leads Miami with 8.5 sacks this season. Rookie edge rusher Chop Robinson has come on strongly as of late and is second for the Dolphins with 6 sacks.

All 6 of Robinson’s sacks have come since Halloween. He has 4 sacks in the past five games.

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While speaking to reporters after the game, Hill delivered an indirect message to the Miami Dolphins coaching staff — he needs more practice.

“I feel like, at the end of the day, I need those valuable reps with Tua,” Hill told reporters. “Those vet rest days are starting to show.

“I completely blame myself for not getting my head around and not seeing the ball because, if I see a ball, we’re talking cross-court, 70-yard touchdown. But those Wednesday reps are definitely showing.

“As a leader, I’ve just got to be able to bite the bullet sometime and practice and get those valuable reps with QB1 because, if we’re able to stay on the field on third down, who knows what could happen.”

Hill dropped two third-down passes in the first quarter. The first drop led to a punt while the second resulted in a Dolphins field goal.

Miami settled for another field goal after Hill dropped a pass during the third quarter.

Tyreek Hill Hasn’t Practiced Much on Wednesdays

The veteran wide receiver was listed as questionable on the Miami injury report entering Week 16. He’s dealt with a wrist injury for most of the season, and as a result, the Dolphins have managed his repetitions in practice, especially early in the week.

“He missed Wednesday practices in two of the past four weeks, and has been listed as limited or worse in at least one practice every week since Week 7,” ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacquies wrote. “Leading up to Sunday’s game, Hill missed practice Wednesday, practiced in full Thursday and was a limited participant Friday.”

On Hill’s second drop, 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir tipped the pass to alter its rotation slightly. So, Hill shouldn’t receive full blame for that drop.

But with practice or not, a 5-time first-team All-Pro should have caught the other two passes.

Hill disagreed, though, as he argued even veterans need practice.

“One thing I learned from Coach Reid whenever I was in Kansas City, I was blessed to be able to play under such a great head coach, is you can’t just show up on Sunday,” Hill added. “You’ve got to be able to prepare yourself Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, even Saturday. Then when it’s Sunday, it’s easy.”

Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa Respond to Hill’s Request for More Practice

Before Week 16, injuries were probably the biggest scapegoat for Hill’s disappointing season. He’s averaging 55.6 receiving yards per game this season, which is the lowest of his career since his rookie season.

It’s also less than half of what he averaged during 2023. Hill led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

But maybe the lack of practice is the bigger culprit for Hill’s lack of production in 2024.

If that’s the case, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa are more than willing to give Hill the more practice repetitions he needs.

“You’re trying to yield the best performance on game day, and the great news is when a player on Sunday can feel the rest in a negative way, then you adjust,” McDaniel told reporters. “Whenever it hits a player, and they feel that it has accumulated, then you adjust your plans because the idea is, above all else, executing and feeling as convicted and confident on game day.”

“If he told you that, then that’s what we need more of. We need more reps,” Tagovailoa told the media. “Me and him need more reps.

“That’s what we’ve got to do. That’s the secret sauce to me being able to connect with all these guys.”

Getting Hill going in the final two weeks of the season would greatly help the Dolphins push toward the postseason. Miami improved to 7-8 by beating the 49ers in Week 16 and stayed alive in the playoff race.

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When asked by a reporter on December 18 what Hill was trying to say on social media, Tagovailoa said he didn’t know and declined to speculate.

“I have no idea. Don’t want to speculate on wha Tyreek tweets or what he does,” Tagovailoa told reporters. “I mean, you guys should probably know better than me, Tyreek embraces all of that. He loves that.

“If you give him a foot, he’s going to take 10 feet.”

Earlier on December 18, Hill sent Dolphins reporters into a bit of a frenzy with the tweet, “It’s time for me to go coach.”

Tyreek Hill Posts Cryptic Tweet

After Hill’s tweet, a discussion about punctuation began between Dolphins fans and pundits. If Hill meant to say in his tweet that he is ready to move on to a new team, then Hill needed to include a comma after the word “go” in his sentence.

But that might not be what Hill was trying to say. The 5-time All-Pro receiver may have been simply responding in a joking way about former NFL quarterback Michael Vick landing a college head coaching gig.

Vick accepted the head coaching role at Norfolk State.

Hill’s tweet wasn’t clear. That was done on purpose. The receiver wrote his tweet in a way that could be interpreted in multiple ways so he would garner more attention with the post.

If Hill did tweet that he was ready to move on from the Dolphins, that would be a big story. That’s why reporters were wondering if that’s what he meant.

But often times, we take a player’s social media a little too seriously.

Hill posted another cryptic tweet on December 18 that may or may not have been in reaction to the response his “It’s time for me to go coach” post received.

“Got yall exactly how I want,” wrote Hill.

https://twitter.com/cheetah/status/1869483397405639128

Hill also provided his followers an update on the color of his hair.

https://twitter.com/cheetah/status/1869409724250366405

Hill, Tua Tagovailoa Aiming to Get Back on Same Page

Assuming Hill does want to stay in Miami, it may be a good thing he’s keeping things loose for the Dolphins. But his and the team’s Week 15 performance was no laughing matter.

Tagovailoa and Hill failed to get their connection going against the Houston Texans. That’s always a problem, but it was particularly an issue in Week 15 with fellow receiver Jaylen Waddle departing the game with an injury.

Hill caught only 2 of his 7 targets for 36 yards. On 3 of those targets, Tagovailoa threw interceptions.

In 14 games, Hill has surpassed the 100-yard mark just twice this season. Hill eclipsed the 100-yard mark eight times on his way to leading the NFL in receiving yards during 2023.

The Dolphins need Hill producing at a high level the final three weeks of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive.

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It’s the cruelness of the business that actually has McDaniel at ease as he approaches his first losing season as an NFL head coach. He explained as much when a reporter asked about his job security on December 18.

“I’m very comfortable with the realities within the professional that I chose,” McDaniel responded. “I think the alternative would be to feel entitled. I don’t take for granted getting the team prepared for this week’s opponent and this day and those opportunities.

“Ultimately, you know what it is when you sign up for it, and I’m not worried about that in the slightest. I think that would absolutely be selfish and something that, if I’m worried about that, then I’m definitely not worried about the things that I have to offer the players that are playing in a professional football game.”

McDaniel led the Dolphins to two winning seasons to begin his tenure with the team. But Miami had high expectations entering the 2024 season, and the Dolphins sit at 6-8 with three weeks remaining.

With that record, Miami’s playoff hopes are on life support.

The disappointing season has some NFL pundits wondering if Miami could make a head coaching change this offseason. As does the Dolphins’ recent history of dismissing head coaches.

Before hiring McDaniel, the Dolphins fired Brian Flores after a pair of winning seasons, including a 10-6 campaign in 2020.

Is Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel on the NFL Coaching Hot Seat?

December 18 was the first time McDaniel directly addressed his job security. But it’s been a discussion point in the media the past couple weeks.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano suggested on December 11 that a McDaniel departure in Miami could be one of the “potential surprise” head coach firings of the upcoming offseason.

“This is outside speculation from people I’m talking to around the league, rather than anything that definitely will or should happen,” Graziano wrote. “But some have their eye on Miami and wonder whether there’s a change if things end badly this season, though Mike McDaniel did sign an extension in August.”

If the finish to the season matters in McDaniel’s job security, he’s not off to the best start. Since Graziano wrote that, the Dolphins lost to the Houston Texans 20-12. The defeat has nearly eliminated them from playoff contention in the AFC.

The Dolphins will end the season with three opponents holding sub-.500 records. But one of those opponents is the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. The other two will be road matchups likely to be in cold weather. The Dolphins will visit the Cleveland Browns during Week 17. Then, they will see the New York Jets on the road in the season finale.

Miami has lost 11 straight games that have taken place in temperatures below 40 degrees.

Dolphins Focused on San Francisco 49ers

If how the Dolphins’ end the season will impact McDaniel’s future, his focus is in the right place — on the team’s next opponent.

“We have enough to worry about with the San Francisco 49ers, and I don’t take that lightly and neither does our team, which is what I expected to walk into today,” McDaniel said as he continued to address his job security. “You never know, but I certainly was met with that type of focus and energy from the football team, which means the guys are who I thought they were, and that’s where our sole focus is.”

The Dolphins-49ers matchup is a showdown of two very disappointing 6-8 clubs. Both face long shot odds of making the postseason. The loser of the game, though, clinches a below .500-record for the 2024 season.

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The Dolphins announced on December 17 that they signed Thompson to their practice squad. They also signed wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie to their practice squad.

As part of their December 17 roster moves, the Dolphins placed wide receiver Grant DuBose on injured reserve as well. Long snapper Jake McQuaide, who Miami just signed to their practice squad, will take DuBose’s place on the team’s active roster.

The Dolphins released Thompson as part of a few roster moves on December 14. Ironically, one of the players that went onto the Dolphins active roster when Miami waived Thompson was DuBose.

But DuBose suffered a nasty hit to the head in Week 15. The Dolphins had a positive update on DuBose’s health on December 16, but it would still be very surprising if he plays again this season.

Thompson has appeared in 10 regular season games for the Dolphins since the start of 2022. He has completed 21 of 33 passes (63.6% completion percentage) for 187 passing yards in three games during 2024.

Dolphins Re-Sign QB Skylar Thompson

It’s not shocking that the Dolphins brought back Thompson. Head coach Mike McDaniel suggested that was a possibility when he spoke to reporters on December 16.

“We talked about that,” McDaniel told the media. “It’s based upon the rest of the roster as well, but if he clears waivers, that’s something we’re interested in and considered. That’s something we’re looking into.”

No team placed a waiver claim for Thompson, so the Dolphins had the chance to sign him back to their practice squad.

Miami drafted Thompson at No. 247 overall in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft. He played seven games as a rookie, starting two contests, because of injuries to top two quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater.

Thompson also started Miami’s playoff game following the 2022 season against the Buffalo Bills.

But Thompson wasn’t all that impressive with his rookie opportunity. Then after he struggled during another start in Week 3 this season, the Dolphins signed veteran Tyler Huntley to start in place of the Tagovailoa.

In 10 NFL games, Thompson has posted a 58.7% completion percentage with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. He’s averaged 5.2 yards per attempt.

Thompson is 1-2 as an NFL starter. He also suffered a loss in the postseason.

Dolphins Sign WR Isaiah McKenzie, Add Long Snapper to Active Roster

Along with Thompson, the Dolphins added McKenzie to their practice squad.

McKenzie hasn’t been on an NFL roster since the New York Giants released him on September 3. He spent last season with the Indianapolis Colts, posting 11 catches for 82 yards in 13 games. He also rushed for 14 yards.

The 29-year-old also has experience returning kickoffs and punts. Last year, he averaged 25.3 yards per kickoff return and 8.9 yards per punt return.

McKenzie was a fifth-round pick for the Denver Broncos in 2017. He played a season and a half for the Broncos and then four and a half campaigns with the Bills before signing the Colts.

He joined the Dolphins practice squad as McQuaide became a member of the team’s active roster. McQuaide has made two Pro Bowls as a long snapper in his 14-year NFL career. He played four games with the Minnesota Vikings this season before the team waived him on December 4.

McQuaide signed with the Dolphins practice squad just a day prior to joining the active roster.

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Fortunately, the Dolphins had a positive update on DuBose less than 24 hours after he needed to go to a hospital.

“After sustaining a head injury in yesterday’s game, Grant DuBose remained at a local Houston hospital for evaluation overnight,” wrote the officials Dolphins X (formerly Twitter) account. “He has movement in all extremities and initial tests have revealed positive results.

“He remains under the care of doctors for continued observation.”

DuBose received a helmet-to-helmet hit from Texans safety Calen Bullock during the third quarter of Week 15. DuBose stayed on the field motionless for more than 10 minutes.

During that time, the Dolphins and Texans engaged in multiple prayers.

The medical personnel cut his facemask, helmet, jersey and pads before placing him on a spine board strapped onto a stretcher. The personnel then took DuBose to Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill called the incident “scary” to reporters after the game.

Bullock received an unnecessary roughness penalty because DuBose was considered a defenseless receiver on the play.

Dolphins WR Grant DuBose Suffers Serious Injury in NFL Return

It’s customary for NFL players, if they are able to, to give the crowd a thumbs up after leaving the field on a stretcher. On December 15, DuBose didn’t do that.

Granted, DuBose’s arms were tied down to the spine board, so it’s possible that he tried to give the thumbs up. But the crowd was still left wondering whether DuBose could move his extremities.

The good news is the Dolphins update on December 16 indicated that he can.

Obviously, players never want to leave the field on a stretcher. But DuBose injury was particularly unfortunate because he just returned from injured reserve one day before the Dolphins played the Texans. Before Week 15, DuBose hadn’t played since September 12.

The Green Bay Packers drafted DuBose in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft. He was the No. 256 pick of the class.

After the Packers released the 23-year-old following the 2024 preseason, DuBose joined the Dolphins on August 28. He has 2 catches and 11 receiving yards this season.

Dolphins, Texans Praying for DuBose

The Texans captured a key victory against the Dolphins in Week 15. But a lot of players and coaches from both teams offered their prayers for DuBose before engaging in any analysis of the game with the media.

“First I just wanna send prayers to Grant [DuBose],” Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said at the beginning of his postgame interview with CBS Sports.

“I would like to start off just giving all praise, honor and glory to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ … prayers go out to Grant DeBose,” said Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel also began his postgame press conference expressing his hope for a speedy recovery for DeBose.

Bullock conveyed regret for the hit he delivered on the Dolphins receiver.

“I was praying that he would be OK,” Bullock told reporters, via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. “I wasn’t trying to go out there and hurt nobody.”

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa held himself responsible for the injury.

“I’m my toughest critic when it comes to ball placement, when it comes to knowing where to go with the ball and all of that,” Tagovailoa told the media. “I just feel bad that I even put him in that situation to have gotten hit.”

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Multiple Dolphins fans expressed satisfaction on social media with the team moving on from Thompson.

“Skylar Thompson is out of my life,” wrote one fan as a caption to a Roy Williams/North Carolina basketball locker room celebration GIF.

“Dolphins fans seeing Skylar Thompson is waived,” another Miami fan wrote to a GIF of a giant mob throwing things in the air as a celebration.

Releasing Thompson was one of several moves the Dolphins announced on December 14. The team released Thompson to sign defensive tackle Matt Dickerson from the practice squad to the active roster and activate wide receiver Grant DuBose from injured reserve.

Furthermore, the Dolphins elevated tackle Ryan Hayes and long snapper Zach Triner from the practice squad to the active roster for Week 15.

Thompson went 1-2 over three seasons as a starter for Miami. This season, he lost his only start and completed 21 of 33 passes while averaging 5.7 yards per attempt in three appearances.

Thompson also started the Dolphins’ AFC wild card game following the 2022 season.

Dolphins Part Ways With QB Skylar Thompson

Other fans also reacted positively to Miami releasing Thompson.

“Skylar Thompson off my football team,” wrote a Dolphins fan to a caption of LeBron James smiling with his head pointed to the sky.

“An embarrassing amount of real people truly believes Skylar Thompson was better than Tua,” wrote another account. “Honestly blows my mind how Tua haters can be so obscenely wrong yet still continue to spew their opinion like it’s godsend.

“The level of narcissism that takes is hard to fathom.”

The Dolphins drafted Thompson is the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft. While he made the NFL roster out of training camp during his rookie season, the Dolphins weren’t expecting him to play a factor as a rookie. Tua Tagovailoa was firmly cemented as Miami’s starter, and the Dolphins also had veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater.

But injuries to both quarterbacks vaulted Thompson into the starting lineup twice in 2022. He then started Miami’s first postseason game in six years.

Thompson significantly struggled in that game, though, completing just 40% of his passes for 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He averaged 4.9 yards per pass.

He didn’t play at all last season. This past offseason, the Dolphins signed Tyler Huntley to compete with Thompson for backup repetitions behind Tagovailoa.

Without Thompson, Huntley will be Miami’s only backup quarterback for Week 15.

Bradley Chubb Still Waiting to Make Return

DuBose wasn’t the only candidate to be activated from injured reserve for the Dolphins this week. Edge rusher Bradley Chubb, linebacker Cameron Goode and long snapper Blake Ferguson were pushing to be back from injured reserve starting in Week 15.

But after the team’s series of moves didn’t include activating any of those players, they will wait at least one more week to return.

Chubb’s return will be a significant boost for the Dolphins defense if he gets back on the field this year. He posted a career-best 11 sacks and league-high 6 forced fumbles in 16 games last season.

The Dolphins entered Week 15 tied for the second-fewest sacks in the league during 2024 with 24. Only the Atlanta Falcons have fewer.

Miami also came into Week 15 two games out of the final AFC playoff spot. The Dolphins may have to win each of their last four games to make the postseason.

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NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the Dolphins and Beckham “mutually agreed to part ways.”

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo added that the move will not be expensive for the Dolphins. Miami owes him $200,000 for the rest of this season.

Beckham could have earned more money by hitting the incentives in his contract. But he wasn’t close to reaching those bonuses.

The 11-year veteran, who has made second-team All-Pro twice in his career, has 9 catches for 55 yards in nine contests this season.

Odell Beckham Jr. Era With Miami Dolphins Ends

The Dolphins signed Beckham this past offseason with the hope that he would take to a WR3 role behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. But he began the season on the reserve/PUP list after undergoing surgery.

Beckham made his Dolphins debut in Week 5. But he only had 3 targets over his first three games. Beckham didn’t make his first catch until Week 9.

The most targets the veteran received in a game with the Dolphins was 4. He had 3 catches in a game once. His highest yardage in a contest was 17.

All of Beckham’s statistics in Miami were career lows in a season, including a 6.1 yards per reception average.

Beckham will be on waivers until December 16. If goes unclaimed, he will then be able to sign with another team as a free agent.

Beckham won the 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year with a league-leading 108.8 receiving yards average for the New York Giants. He made second-team All-Pro in 2015 and 2016.

Over his first three NFL seasons, Beckham also made the Pro Bowl each year.

He missed most of the 2017 season because of injuries. He returned to post 1,000 receiving yards in both 2018 and 2019. He posted 1,035 receiving yards with the Cleveland Browns in 2019.

In 2021, Beckham helped the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl although he suffered an ACL injury during the big game. During 2023, he led the Baltimore Ravens with a 16.1 yards per catch average.

Dolphins Must Beat Texans to Stay in Playoff Hunt

Hill described to reporters that when the team faced a second-half deficit against the New York Jets in Week 14, the Dolphins knew they had to rally or their season would be finished.

They did that, beating the Jets in overtime. Miami’s reward is another game they pretty much have to win in Week 15.

The Dolphins are two games behind in the AFC wild card race with four weeks remaining. That leaves them little margin for error to make the postseason.

Their best path to earning a playoff berth is winning their final four contests. The Dolphins currently own a 6-7 record. Teams that finish 10-7 often make the postseason.

They won’t have nearly as great of a chance with a 9-8 finish.

Given their backs are against the wall, it’s surprising the Dolphins elected to move on from Beckham right now. But clearly, they don’t anticipate the veteran receiver’s departure hurting the team in the immediate future.

With the little production from Beckham this season, it’s hard to disagree.

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But McDaniel nixed the idea at the last moment.

“I can’t do it,” McDaniel told Campbell, according to The Athletic’s Zak Keefer. “You’re too valuable to us.”

Since then, the Dolphins have posted a 4-1 record. Campbell has 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback hits and 2 pass defenses during that stretch.

He has also become an even more vocal leader in the Dolphins locker room.

Calais Campbell Helping Dolphins Turn Around ‘Lost’ Season

Keefer described the Dolphins’ 2024 campaign as “lost” when the team sat at 2-6. At that time, Miami was fielding trade offers for Campbell.

The Baltimore Ravens offered a fifth-round pick for the 38-year-old defensive lineman. Another team, who Campbell wouldn’t reveal, wanted to send a fourth-rounder to the Dolphins for Campbell as long as they were also going to receive a late Day 3 selection in return.

“A fourth?” Campbell told Keefer. “I’m 38 years old!”

But even with that offered draft capital, McDaniel could give up Campbell. Not if he still wanted the Dolphins to make a run at the postseason.

They are doing just that thanks in part to Campbell fueling the team. Campbell said that once he knew he would finish the season in Miami, he left no stone unturned on getting the team on track.

“That’s when I decided I was gonna do everything in my power to get this thing going,” he told Keefer.

Miami has won four of its last five games to improve to 6-7. They sit two games back of the final AFC wild card spot with four games remaining.

Can Dolphins Continue to Make Playoff Push?

All four contests on Miami’s schedule are winnable too. The toughest matchup on paper is December 15 when the Dolphins will visit the Houston Texans.

To make the playoffs, though, the Dolphins may need to win all four of the rest of their games. That means beating the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and winning on the road against the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets.

The Browns and Jets each have 3 wins. But they play in cold weather cities. The Dolphins have lost 11 straight contests that occurred in temperature below 40 degrees.

To make the postseason, the Dolphins must replace either the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers or Ravens in the playoff picture. All three teams hold an 8-5 record and occupy the three AFC wild card spots.

The Dolphins will also have to pass the Indianapolis Colts in the standings. The Colts are also 6-7 but hold the tiebreaker on Miami because of head-to-head win percentage.

It’s safe to assume Campbell will do anything he can to get the Dolphins into the postseason. He played in the Super Bowl at the end of his rookie season, but the 17-year veteran is still hunting for his first Super Bowl ring.

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That’s what ESPN’s Dan Graziano implied could be the situation while discussing “potential surprise” head coaching fires after the 2024 season on December 11.

“This is outside speculation from people I’m talking to around the league, rather than anything that definitely will or should happen,” Graziano wrote. “But some have their eye on Miami and wonder whether there’s a change if things end badly this season, though Mike McDaniel did sign an extension in August.”

ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques reported on August 30 that McDaniel and the Dolphins signed a 3-year extension. With his original 4-year deal in 2022 and the extension, McDaniel is signed through the 2028 season.

McDaniel led the Dolphins to a 20-14 record in his first two years. Miami is 6-7 with four games remaining this campaign.

Why Mike McDaniel Will Likely Be Back With the Dolphins

Graziano argued how the Dolphins end the season will impact McDaniel’s future. But unless the wheels just completely fall off, it would be surprising if the 41-year-old head coach doesn’t return.

With McDaniel in 2022 and 2023, the Dolphins were a top 11 offense in both yards and points scored. Last season, they were first in yards per game and second in points.

Miami hasn’t fared as well in those categories this season, but quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed four games because of a concussion.

When Tagovailoa starts, the Dolphins own a 24-15 record in three seasons with McDaniel. Furthermore, under McDaniel’s tutelage, Tagovailoa has developed into one of the premiere quarterbacks in the league.

The 26-year-old signal caller leads the NFL with a 73.8% completion percentage this season. He also has 17 touchdowns versus only 4 interceptions with a 7.6 yards per pass average.

Given that head coach-quarterback chemistry, it’s hard to imagine the Dolphins wanting to move on from McDaniel this offseason. A bad finish can always change things, but the Dolphins will face three teams with losing records in the final four games.

Criticisms of Dolphins’ McDaniel

While McDaniel has performed well in three years, pundits want to see the Dolphins take that next step. The longer it takes for that to happen, the more criticism will pile up for the Miami head coach.

That’s already begun.

While appearing on the Punch Line Podcast with Marlon Humphrey, former Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott called McDaniel’s team “soft as [expletive].”

Current Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks shared a similar sentiment for how the team played in Week 13 versus the Green Bay Packers.

“I felt like we let the elements control the way that we played,” Brooks told the media after losing to the Packers, via FinsXtra. “I thought we were soft. Simple as that.”

The loss in Green Bay was Miami’s 11th straight defeat when the kickoff temperature was below 40 degrees.

Over the past several weeks, the Dolphins have also been a poor rushing team. McDaniel’s offense has averaged 59.4 rushing yards and 2.8 yards per carry in the past five games.

Not being able to establish a ground attack and playing poorly in cold weather suggests a lack of mental and physical toughness.

Those narratives could grow louder at the end of the season if the Dolphins don’t continue to contend for a playoff spot. They will visit the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets during the final two weeks of the season.

Both figure to be games below 40 degrees in temperature.

If the Dolphins lose each of those games (to teams with nothing to play for but draft position), McDaniel’s coaching seat could grow very warm.

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After starting the season 2-6, the Dolphins feared that the whole of 2024 may have already slipped through their fingers, especially with concerns surrounding the recovery of Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered his 3rd major concussion in 2 years against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2.

Tua has very much been the arbiter of success of this Miami team; going 5-4 in starts, vs. 1-3 when absent.

And despite having some well-known misgivings; a difficulty playing in the cold – going 0-8 when the temperature is 45 degrees or lower outside; Tagovailoa remains very highly regarded within his team.

So much so, in fact, that tight end, Jonnu Smith, who is having a career year, had some rather outlandish praise for the former Alabama standout.

🎥 Jonnu Smith on offense’s recent success: “We got the best QB in the world. It makes things a lot easier for everybody else… [Tua] is who he is for a reason.” (@MiamiDolphins) #GoFins pic.twitter.com/6mCSjQGMND

— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) November 17, 2024

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Jonnu Smith Believes Tua Tagovailoa Is The “Best QB In The World”

GettyJonnu Smith vs. Indianapolis Colts

Talking to the media after the overtime 32-26 win over the New York Jets, the former 3rd round pick had this to say about Tagovailoa.

“We got the best QB in the world man, it makes things a lot easier for everybody else.

Those guys who came in during that time when he was down, they did a great job, helped us as much as they could, and showed a lot of grit and selflessness; we are happy to have those guys.

But 1 [Tua] is who he is for a reason, so we just excited to have him back, and excited to get back to where we need to be.

Jonnu Smith was full on his gashing towards the quarterback who has helped him have what is easily the best season of his already impressive career.

But regardless, he is certainly correct: Tua is who he is for a reason, and was paid as such this offseason when he collected a 4 year, $212 million deal ($51 million APY), with a whopping $167 million in guarantees through 2028.

Dolphins Offense Continuing To Make Positive Strides

GettyTyreek Hill vs. New York Jets

Although one can debate Tagovailoa’s asserted position as the best quarterback in the world, there is no doubt that the Dolphins’ offense has continued to shine since Tua’s return to the team.

Miami has put up 27 or more points in 5 of the 7 games since their franchise QB’s came off IR, whilst the past few weeks has seen star receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle go back to their normal, ultra-dangerous selves that was missing for large spells of this season.

And whilst he did not catch a pass until overtime on Sunday, Smith is turning into one of the south Florida side’s most dangerous weapons, as head coach and offensive guru, Mike McDaniel, looks to scheme up open players underneath to counteract the skyrocketing rates of 2 deep shell coverage to keep out the likes of Hill and co.

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While speaking to reporters on December 9, Ingold shared how Miami’s offense could find its stride during the final month of the regular season.

“If we can get this run game and the pass game all clicking, you’re going to see this offense at its full potential,” said Ingold, via The Sun Sentinel’s David Furones.

The Dolphins have won four of their past five games to pull within a game of the .500 mark. The passing offense has done most of the heavy lifting to keep Miami alive in the playoff hunt.

Alec Ingold Expresses Confidence in Dolphins Offensive Balance

At times, the Dolphins have looked like an offense the rest of the league should be concerned about going forward. Just two weeks ago, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had a masterful game, completing 29 of 40 passes for 317 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Just about all of that production came before the start of the fourth quarter.

For the Dolphins, it’s now about consistency. Repeating that every week is the new challenge.

It took some time for Miami’s offense to get rolling versus the New York Jets in Week 14. But in overtime, the Dolphins surpassed the 30-point mark for the third time in the last four weeks.

With Tagovailoa behind center this season, the Dolphins have averaged 24.9 points per game.

Tagovailoa had 288 passing yards with 3 touchdowns against the Las Vegas Raiders on November 17. In the three contests since then, the Dolphins quarterback has posted multiple touchdown passes and more than 300 passing yards in every game.

If Tagovailoa can continue to play at that kind of level, the Dolphins will have a chance to beat any team remaining on their schedule.

Can the Dolphins Get Their Running Game Going Again?

Tagovailoa’s return from his concussion has sparked the Dolphins in the second half of the season. But strangely, the Miami running game has gone dormant at the exact same time.

When Tagovailoa hasn’t played this season, the Dolphins have surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark four times in five games. But they went 1-4 in those contests.

Over the past five games, Miami has averaged only 59.4 rushing yards per game. However, they own a 4-1 record in those games.

The Dolphins have obviously passed much better recently. If they can fulfill Ingold’s request of getting both the air attack and ground game alive at the same time, Miami’s offense will be at its very best.

But that’s easier said than done.

The Dolphins ran for 39 yards on Thanksgiving versus the Green Bay Packers. Then on December 8, they rushed for 44 yards. Those are the team’s two lowest rushing totals of the 2024 season.

In those two games combined, the Dolphins averaged 2.5 yards per carry.

Yes, if the Dolphins managed to get their rushing attack moving like it was in September, they can be a much more dangerous offense. But there’s little to suggest that’s going to happen soon.

Ingold, who made his first Pro Bowl last season, has 13 rushing yards and a touchdown on 9 attempts this season. He’s also caught 9 passes for 75 yards.

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But Miami forced overtime and then won with a touchdown on the first possession of the extra session. McDaniel argued that it was possible because his team addressed battling adversity in a few different meetings between Weeks 13 and 14.

“There’s been a lot of very motivated, passionate meetings, whether it’s led by myself or Frank [Smith] and Weave [Anthony Weaver] or by players,” McDaniel told reporters. “It’s not always a bad thing when people think you can’t do stuff.

“I was an only child in Greeley, Colorado, which you guys don’t know what that is. It’s like 70,000 people. And I was 4-foot-10-inches tall in seventh grade. So there was a lot of people that said that I couldn’t. I see that in our team. There’s just so many people that can attest to being able to press forward regardless of who says what.”

McDaniel seemed surprised to be receiving questions about the team meetings. He also implied that the meetings were not supposed to be public knowledge.

“I don’t know how you know about a team meeting. I don’t know who the snitch is. But the team meeting isn’t the headline, the headline is guys coming together. I thought the vision of the team, I couldn’t be prouder of the fourth quarter,” added McDaniel.

In that fourth quarter, the Dolphins erased an 8-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Jets 32-26 in overtime.

Mike McDaniel Praises Dolphins Players for Responding

While McDaniel spilled the beans on Miami’s team meetings, he made it clear that they weren’t the deciding factor in the comeback against the Jets.

McDaniel argued that the difference came in how the Dolphins players reacted to the team meetings and then to the adversity they faced.

“Whatever I said, the players chose to believe. The players to chose to have an absolutely motivated practice week,” McDaniel told reporters. “The players chose to not to give up in this game and when you do that and you survive some adversity, the thing on the other side is the, that’s the best stuff, regardless.

“One thing I know about life, easy to way overrated and not that fulfilling.”

The Dolphins took an early 6-0 lead with a touchdown on the first drive of the game. But the Jets then scored 23 of the next 32 points. During that stretch, the Dolphins only kicked field goals.

But Miami’s offense responded with 2 touchdowns in the final 14 minutes of game action. The Dolphins also tallied a field goal and 2-point conversion during that time.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Dolphins Stay Alive in AFC Playoff Hunt

With the victory, the Dolphins improved to 6-7. They remain two games out of the final playoff spot in the AFC, but a loss would have likely ended any chance Miami had of going on a run over the final four weeks of the season.

McDaniel and the Dolphins now likely hope the Week 14 comeback can become a microcosm for their season. The Dolphins were down early but didn’t give up, coming back for a key win.

McDaniel’s club has now won four of its last five games since starting 2-6. But the road ahead won’t be easy for the Dolphins.

Miami will visit the first-place Houston Texans and then host the San Francisco 49ers over the next two weeks. The Dolphins end the season with two cold weather contests against the Cleveland Browns and Jets.

McDaniel’s team may have to win all four games to make the postseason.

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On December 6, Saban was discussing it himself. The 7-time national champion head coach brought up his Dolphins tenure when he received a question about the Chicago Bears current opening while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show.

Saban suggested he has regrets over jumping into the NFL in December 2004.

“Having interviewed for a few NFL head coaching jobs in the past, OK, and I know you guys think that Chicago’s a beautiful city and all that, but if you take a job when you don’t have a roster … you got to look at the roster,” Saban said. “You gotta look at the salary cap. You gotta look at the quarterback situation, which the Bears have a good one.

“But I’m saying you have to take all those things into consideration, because if you don’t, you can end up in a no-win situation like I took the Miami Dolphins job.”

Saban continued, calling himself a “dumb ass” for accepting the Dolphins job.

In two years, Saban amassed a 15-17 record. He left for the Alabama head coaching job at the end of the 2006 season.

Saban led Alabama to the national championship three seasons later. He won six national championships in 17 years with the Crimson Tide.

Nick Saban Critical of His Coaching Situation With Dolphins

During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Saban seemed to be encouraging any aspiring head coach who will interview with the Bears to do the proper homework on the entire organization. He just took a very round about way to prove that point.

To make his point, Saban outlined the reasons why the situation in Miami he entered was something not conducive to success.

“We were $17 million over the cap, which was a lot back in those days. This is 20 years ago. We had the oldest team in the league. They’re 4-12. Got no quarterback, and I’m thinking, I’m gonna make it right. Well, we had a winning season first year, but we couldn’t get it turned around,” Saban said. “But there were so many obstacles and no draft picks because they gave them all away for Ricky Williams. So if you don’t do your research in taking an NFL job … is my point regardless of how pretty the city.”

Five different quarterbacks — Gus Frerotte, Sage Rosenfels, Joey Harrington, Daunte Culpepper and Cleo Lemon — started games during Saban’s two seasons.

However, one could argue Saban was part of the reason why the Dolphins didn’t have a franchise quarterback.

“If Saban wants to bemoan the fact the Dolphins didn’t have a quality quarterback on the roster, this is where we’ll point out he used the second overall pick in that 2005 draft on running back Ronnie Brown instead of a quarterback who went 24th overall, guy by the name of Aaron Rodgers,” wrote SI.com’s Alain Poupart.

Poupart also noted that Saban’s point about giving up draft picks for Ricky Williams wasn’t exactly accurate. Miami did trade draft picks for the running back, but those selections happened before Saban arrived.

Saban Calls Himself a Name

In Miami, Saban seemed to make the mistake a lot of head coaches do. He assumed he could fix issues with the Dolphins that previous coaches couldn’t.

He explained on The Pat McAfee Show, though, that he saw after two years that he wasn’t going to solve them.

“Yeah, I knew it,” he said on whether he knew if he had the right pieces to win in Miami. “I just had a bad case of the dumb ass,” said Saban.

“Wayne Huizenga was a great owner, and I thought this was a really good organization, and I thought we could get it fixed, and we got it moving in the right direction, but not being able to overcome the quarterback thing was the issue.”

It’s also possible that Saban, like many coaches, was more suited for the college game. He won 297 games and posted an .806 win percentage in 28 college seasons.

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On December 4, he appeared to do so again on X, posting: “love what you do cause it will soon end ❤️.” With the following photo from Week 13 in Green Bay.

The message has already generated over 10,000 likes and 700,000 views in less than 24 hours. Although certain fans were quick to question whether Hill was “trolling” everyone again.

As noted above, it’s not the first time the superstar playmaker has talked retirement. In April of 2023, Hill told Sports Radio 810 WHB that he wanted to cap his career at 10 seasons during an interview (via SportsCenter). At the time, he was entering his eighth campaign in the NFL.

Later, in November of 2023, Hill told the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast that he would retire if the Dolphins don’t extend his contract — explaining that he has no interest picking up and moving again. He said this after walking back his initial 10-year career stance in July of 2023 following a conversation with his father.

Fast forward to May of 2024 and Hill claimed that he wanted to play for the Dolphins “until the wheels fall off” while speaking with the “Around The Bar” podcast.

Now Hill is nearing the end of his ninth season in the league in December of 2024, and he’s having a down year with just 654 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns through his first 12 starts. Hill also claimed that he’s been battling a “torn ligament” in his wrist for the entire 2024 campaign, and Miami’s playoff hopes are bleak with a 5-7 record entering Week 14.

Is Hill rethinking his most recent update on his eventual retirement?

Tyreek Hill Cashed in on New $90 Million Deal With Dolphins in 2024

All this talking — not to mention back-to-back 1,700-plus-yard seasons — has worked out well for Hill in the past. In August of 2024, he agreed to a revised three-year contract with the Dolphins which “included additional new money and shifted money forward to 2024 and 2025,” per Over the Cap.

“The new contract is worth a base value of $90.0 million with $54.0 million fully guaranteed at signing with an additional $11 million vesting in 2026 for a $65.0 million total guaranteed package,” Over the Cap continues on his contract page. “Hill received a $7.0 million signing bonus, guaranteed salaries in 2024 and 2025, a $15.85 million option bonus in 2025, and guaranteed workout and per-game roster bonuses in 2024 and 2025.”

If Hill plays out this contract in its entirety, he’ll have spent 11 seasons in the NFL taking him through his age-32 campaign. That means he’ll have spent five years with the Dolphins — two remaining — after his initial six seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tyreek Hill Does Not Participate in First Practice Ahead of Dolphins-Jets

Hill has not missed a game all season, so he’s expected to suit up for a crucial Week 14 matchup against the division rival New York Jets.

Having said that, it is worth noting that Hill did not participate in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. The injury report listed the cause of this DNP as “wrist/rest,” per Sun Sentinel beat reporter David Furones.

Hill should be good to go come Sunday, but the status of his wrist is definitely something to monitor as the season progresses. The Dolphins cannot afford to lose many more games — if any — with the final wildcard spot now 2.5 games out of reach.

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Carman began his career as second-round pick for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 NFL draft. He made six starts as a rookie.

The Dolphins placed Smith on injured reserve. Smith exited the Thanksgiving matchup against the Green Bay Packers with a shoulder injury.

Smith has played in six games for Miami this season. He appeared on defense and special teams nearly an equal percentage of the time during those six contests.

With Carman joining the active roster, the Dolphins had an open practice squad spot. Miami also announced on December 4 that it signed cornerback Jason Maitre to fill that vacancy.

Dolphins Lose CB Cam Smith to Shoulder Injury

Like Carman, Smith is a former second-round selection. Miami picked him at No. 51 overall in the 2023 NFL draft.

Smith has not started a game in his first two NFL seasons. But he was a key special teams contributor as a rookie. Smith played 210 special teams snaps last season.

He began the 2024 regular season on injured reserve. Since returning on October 21, though, he’s played a lot more on Miami’s defense while continuing to contribute on special teams.

Smith has played 133 defensive snaps and 55 snaps on special teams this season.

Although Smith’s season isn’t officially finished, he will need to spend at least four games on injured reserve. There are only five contests remaining in the 2024 regular season.

Carman has dressed in three games for the Dolphins this year. But this will be his first opportunity on the Miami active roster. Carman played in Weeks 10-12 as a practice squad elevation.

In three seasons with the Bengals, Carman never posted a Pro Football Focus player grade above 58.3 (out of 100). According to PFF, he struggled in both run and pass blocking.

Carman doesn’t have an official PFF player grade this season. He has played 17 special teams snaps but zero snaps on offense for the Dolphins.

The Bengals drafted Carman at No. 46 overall in 2021. He played guard as a rookie but switched to left tackle prior to his second season.

Cincinnati waived him before roster cutdown day in August 2024. Miami signed the offensive lineman to the team’s practice squad on September 17.

Dolphins Sign CB Jason Maitre to Practice Squad

Maitre spent the 2024 offseason with the Dolphins. Miami signed him as an undrafted free agent on May 14.

Maitre played six seasons of college football. He appeared in just two games as a freshman in 2018, so he was permitted to redshirt. The 2020 season then didn’t count as a year of eligibility because of COVID.

The cornerback played his first five college seasons at Boston College. As a senior, he posted 42 combined tackles with 6 pass defenses, 1 sack and 1 interception.

Before the 2023 campaign, Maitre transferred to Wisconsin. With the Badgers, he had 33 combined tackles with 3 pass defenses and 1 interception.

He finished his college career with 166 combined tackles, 22 pass defenses, 4 sacks and 4 interceptions in 56 games.

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But Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich tried to simplify the situation, issuing a message to Gardner through the media on the Dolphins showdown. That message was playing less than 100% as a cornerback against the Dolphins is not a good idea.

“He plays the position and we’re playing an opponent that you cannot play with a poor hamstring, in my opinion,” Ulbrich told reporters, via SNY.

“So, we’ll see how it goes. If he’s feeling good and he’s ready to rock and roll, then we’ll let him play. If not, this is not a game we want him at half-speed.”

Ulbrich added that the team is still assessing the severity of Gardner’s hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old exited Week 13 against the Seattle Seahawks because of a hamstring issue. Although the assessment of Gardner’s health is ongoing, he already underwent an MRI.

Jets CB Sauce Gardner Could Miss Week 14 Matchup

With the long layoff since Miami’s most recent defeat and a lot of negativity around the team in the media, it was probably a breath of fresh air for a lot of Dolphins fans to hear such complimentary words on Miami’s offense.

Granted, playing cornerback with a hurt hamstring in the NFL is difficult against any team. But Ulbrich’s message to Gardner seemed to suggest the Dolphins are a much more difficult challenge because of their speedy receivers.

Hill and Waddle are arguably the fastest receiver duo in the league. Last season, both wideouts averaged more than 14 yards per reception.

This season, those averages are down in large part because quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed four games. But both Hill and Waddle are on pace for at least 850 receiving yards in 2024.

Tight end Jonnu Smith is also experiencing a career year. He leads the Dolphins with 58 catches and is tied for second with 4 receiving touchdowns.

Gardner has made first-team All-Pro in each of his first two NFL seasons. According to the Pro Football Focus player grades, he’s not playing as well this season. But PFF still has Gardner ranked as a top 8 player among cornerbacks who have played at least 80% of his team’s defensive snaps this season.

Even at less than 100%, Gardner is probably better than a lot of starting NFL cornerbacks. But it’s not the matchup to test that, according to Ulbrich.

Dolphins Aiming to Continue Dominance vs. Jets

Even with Gardner on the field, the Dolphins have experienced a lot of success versus the Jets recently. Miami is 3-1 versus New York since Gardner came into the league.

The Dolphins are 11-2 against the Jets over the last 13 matchups in the rivalry. The Jets haven’t won in Miami since 2015.

On paper, the Jets will have a much better chance to turn the tide in the rivalry if Gardner plays. But it sounds like he won’t unless he can prove he won’t be a liability against the Dolphins speedy receivers.

Last season, Hill and Waddle combined for 25 catches, 358 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in two games versus the Jets. Hill also missed one of those two matchups.

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Brooks was highly critical of his team’s performance in Week 13, calling his team “soft” in front of reporters after the game.

“I felt like we let the elements control the way that we played,” Brooks said to the media, via FinsXtra. “I thought we were soft. Simple as that.

“I thought we were soft today.”

According to CBS News, the Dolphins have lost 11 straight games when the kickoff temperature was below 40 degrees. The temperature sat in the mid-20s throughout Thanksgiving night at Lambeau Field in the Dolphins’ loss to the Packers.

Jordyn Brooks Has 1 Word for Dolphins’ Poor Tackling

Without a doubt, the NFL is a passing league. But any time a team struggles to run the ball, it’s difficult to sustain enough offense to win.

In Week 13, the Dolphins had 39 rushing yards. They averaged 2.8 yards per carry.

The Dolphins have failed to reach 100 rushing yards in four consecutive weeks. The 39 rushing yards are also the fewest Miami has recorded in a game this season.

Miami’s inability to be tougher on offense has contributed to the team’s lack of running game. The Dolphins had an opportunity to begin mounting a second-half comeback versus Green Bay. But they were unable to convert second-and-goal from the Packers 1-yard line.

The Dolphins, though, weren’t physical on defense either. According to NextGen Stats, the Miami defense missed 20 tackles.

After the Packers loss, The South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Chris Perkins asked Brooks whether it felt like his defense missed 20 tackles during the defeat. The veteran linebacker kept his answer very brief.

“Yeah.”

Brooks, who leads the Dolphins in tackles this season, had 9 total tackles in the loss. He also had 1 quarterback hit.

Dolphins Don’t Change Narrative at Lambeau Field

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa shared after the Week 12 victory against the New England Patriots that he was “excited to kill narratives” against the Packers on Thanksgiving. But instead of killing narratives, the Dolphins only added fuel to them.

Miami hasn’t won a game that took place in weather below 40 degrees since 2016. Tagovailoa now holds an 0-8 record in such games.

The Dolphins have never been a good team in cold weather. They entered Week 13 with a 3-7 all-time record when the temperature is 23 degrees or colder.

So, the team’s problems in the cold started long before any of the current players or coaches joined the organization.

But being a team built on speed doesn’t help in the colder months of the year. That came to the forefront late last season and appears to still be true a little past the midway point of the 2024 season.

Brooks and the Dolphins, though, could have another opportunity to show more toughness in the cold later this season. Miami will visit the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets in the final two weeks of the regular season.

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“Source: The Dolphins are waiving veteran safety Marcus Maye,” wrote Pelissero on X (formerly Twitter).

“Maye appeared in 11 games for Miami with three starts. They’d like to re-sign him to the practice squad if he clears.”

Although he only started three games for the Dolphins this season, Maye has started 80 contests in his NFL career. Before joining Miami in 2024, Maye spent five seasons with the New York Jets and two years with the New Orleans Saints.

In 11 games with the Dolphins, Maye posted 30 combined tackles, including 1 tackle for loss and 1 pass defense. He played 293 defensive snaps for Miami.

Dolphins Part Ways With Safety Marcus Maye

Although a shakeup to the roster, it’s not overly surprising the Dolphins released Maye. He started three out of four games from Weeks 5-9. But during his final three games in Miami, Maye didn’t play a single defensive snap.

This season, the Dolphins have gone 1-3 when Maye plays at least 74% of the team’s defensive snaps. They are 4-3 when he plays under that. Interestingly, the Dolphins went 4-0 when Maye lined up for 3 snaps or fewer on defense.

Obviously, other things, such as Tua Tagovailoa’s health, are factors in those records. But Maye didn’t appear to be part of the solution for Miami’s defense either.

In his last start versus the Buffalo Bills on November 3, Maye had 6 combined tackles, including 1 tackle for loss while playing 66 snaps.

The past three weeks, Maye only played on special teams. He averaged 14 special teams snaps in his final three games.

Maye’s best statistical season came in 2020 when he had 88 combined tackles, including 4 tackles for loss and 2 quarterback hits. He also had 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and 11 pass defenses that year.

Before joining the Dolphins, Maye had never not started a game in which he was active during his NFL career. That happened eight times in Miami this season.

But according to Pelissero, the Dolphins would still prefer to bring Maye back on the practice squad.

Dolphins Make Room for Rookie Safety Patrick McMorris

It will be great for the Dolphins if Maye can return on their practice squad. But exposing him to waivers is risky because of the starting experience he can bring to another team.

However, the Dolphins also needed to create a roster spot for rookie safety Patrick McMorris.

The Sun Sentinel’s David Furones speculated on X that the Dolphins could be releasing Maye to then activate McMorris from injured reserve.

Minutes later, Furones reported that was exactly Miami’s plan.

“Those are indeed the two moves at safety, according to league source:,” Furones wrote on X.

“Patrick McMorris to be activated off IR; Marcus Maye waived.”

The Dolphins drafted McMorris at No. 198 overall during the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft. The team placed him on injured reserve on roster cutdown day, so he has yet to appear in a regular season game.

At Cal last season, he posted 90 combined tackles with 5 tackles for loss, 8 pass defenses, 1 sack and 1 interception.

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McDaniel addressed the possibility in his November 25 press conference.

“Real talented player. His journey doesn’t seem to be foreign to the quarterback position. It’s a tough position to succeed at,” said McDaniel.

“Good luck to him.”

McDaniel avoided talking any further about Jones because “he’s not a player” on the Dolphins roster. His response also gave no indication whether the Dolphins organization is interested in making Jones part of the roster.

But McDaniel discussing Jones still got social media users reacting to the possibility of Miami signing the former top 10 quarterback.

“First … I don’t think he would sign with the Dolphins. I have been a hard ‘no’ on Daniel Jones. Yuck. Gross,” wrote Jarrod on X (formerly Twitter).

“But then I watched Skylar for one drive yesterday. I have 180ed on the idea. Skylar was yuckier and grosser. Someone pour me a double shot of bleach.”

“Dolphins or 49ers would be interesting,” wrote another X user. “Sucks it couldn’t have been when they needed him.”

The Dolphins don’t know when they might need to start their backup quarterback again. But other social media users weren’t sure Jones will really provide an upgrade.

“Is Jones better than Huntley?” Jon on X asked.

What Daniel Jones Could Bring to Miami Dolphins?

The New York Giants selected Jones at No. 6 overall in the 2019 NFL draft. He has mostly struggled throughout his career, but in 2022, he led the Giants to a playoff berth and postseason victory.

During 2022, Jones posted a 67.2% completion percentage with 15 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He averaged a career-best 6.8 yards per pass.

Jones has also been a dual-threat throughout his career. He certainly was that in 2022, as he ran for 708 yards and 7 touchdowns.

In 70 career NFL games, Jones has averaged 5.5 yards per carry.

Jones is likely a superior option to Huntley. But that’s actually not the question to ask because Huntley is on injured reserve with a shoulder ailment.

Would Jones be better than Skylar Thompson, who is the current Dolphins backup quarterback?

In three games this season, Thompson has completed 21 of 33 passes for 187 yards. He’s averaging 5.7 yards per attempt with no touchdowns or interceptions.

McDaniel Still Trusts QB Skylar Thompson

For most, Jones versus Thompson isn’t a debate — the former is clearly the better passer and a superior runner.

The one advantage Thompson has over Jones is his nearly three years of experience in McDaniel’s complicated offensive system. But that won’t be worth much if Thompson continues to make mistakes as he did in Week 12.

On just a handful of snaps, he failed to execute a running back handoff, which led to a fumble and New England Patriots touchdown.

After the play, McDaniel yanked Thompson and re-inserted Tagovailoa to finish the game. But McDaniel made it clear on November 25 that he hasn’t lost faith in Thompson.

“Yeah, I trust Skylar,” McDaniel told reporters. “I think the situation this past game was unacceptable from just the whole unit. I think that from our perspective, I think across the board, that’s not to our standard, from the way we came of the huddle, to the execution of plays, and then to give up points on an offensive play.

“I won’t get into the nitty gritty. I’m not going to point fingers at the microphone, but ultimately that falls on everybody involved, including the coaches. We can’t have that collective effort that wasn’t him just responsible for. My reaction towards it wasn’t strictly based on him. It was more of a tonality to the whole thing.”

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The edge rusher is arguably in the midst of the best 4-game stretch of his rookie campaign. In Week 12 versus the New England Patriots, he posted 1.5 sacks, 3 quarterback hits and 4 combined tackles. All of those were season bests for Robinson.

He also recorded the first 2 pass defenses of his career.

After the performance, Dolphins veteran defensive lineman Zach Sieler addressed how Robinson is thriving.

“A lot of guys talk about a rookie wall,” Sieler told reporters, via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. “I’ve seen him do everything he can to not let that happen.

“He’s only going up right now.”

Robinson appears to be “going up” in a hurry too. All of his 3.5 sacks this season have come in the past four games.

Chop Robinson Surging as Dolphins Push Toward Playoff Spot

Sieler isn’t the only teammate impressed with Robinson. Veteran left tackle Terron Armstead was also complimentary of the rookie’s recent progress the day before the Dolphins hosted New England.

“[Robinson] is scratching the surface of what he’s going to be,” Armstead said to the media. “His worth ethic, his ability to take what you give him, a coaching point, a tip or something that you see and apply it immediately is incredible.”

Armstead raved about Robinson’s professionalism as a rookie. That’s probably why Robinson is improving at the time of the season when so many first-year players begin to hit the “rookie wall.”

The Dolphins drafted Robinson during the first round at No. 21 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. In his first seven games, he had zero sacks and just 1 quarterback hit.

But his playing time increased in October, and that’s paid dividends in November.

According to the Pro Football Focus player grades, Robinson has turned in his best performance of the season in back-to-back weeks. He earned an 86.4 PFF player grade in Week 11 versus the Las Vegas Raiders. Robinson received a 91.5 PFF grade for his stellar day against the Patriots.

Robinson has posted a PFF grade of at least 70 in three consecutive weeks. In his first eight games, he earned that high of a grade just twice.

Thanks in part to Robinson’s surge, the Dolphins have won three in a row and sit just one position out of the final AFC wild card spot.

Dolphins’ Zach Sieler Improving Too

Robinson isn’t the only Dolphins defensive lineman hitting his stride as of late. Sieler also had a sack, which caused a fumble, in the 34-15 victory against the Patriots.

Sieler has registered sacks in back-to-back games. Three of his four sacks this season have come in his past five contests.

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Is Robinson receiving the opportunity to succeed because Sieler is returning to his 2023 form? Or is Robinson helping Sieler’s recent surge?

In all likelihood, it’s a little of both.

Sieler had 10 sacks with 22 quarterback hits in 2023. Both were, by far, career bests.

He only has 4 sacks and 9 quarterback hits this season. But the way Sieler is playing, he has a chance to get in the range of his 2023 totals by the end of the 2024 regular season.

According to PFF, Sieler has been Miami’s second-best defensive lineman this season. Only fellow veteran Calais Campbell has a higher season PFF grade.

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But with Miami set to face the Green Bay Packers next on Thanksgiving night, the Dolphins don’t have much time to rest or celebrate. After beating the Patriots 34-15, Tagovailoa was already answering questions about the matchup with Green Bay.

Tagovailoa couldn’t be more thrilled about the opportunity.

“I’m excited to kill narratives,” Tagovailoa told reporters. “Let’s go. Bring it on.”

The narrative Tagovailoa was indirectly addressing was the Dolphins’ reputation as not a cold weather or primetime team. Tagovailoa owns a 0-7 record when the temperature is 40 degrees or colder during a game.

He is also 6-7 in his career during primetime affairs.

Tua Tagovailoa Set to Battle Packers, Green Bay Elements

CBS Sports’ Spero Dedes said the temperature during the Dolphins-Patriots matchup in Week 12 was 80 degrees. The Dolphins will be in for a big shock once they land their team plane in Wisconsin.

According to Weather.com, the projected low for Green Bay, WI on Thanksgiving night is 19 degrees. There is also a 24 percent chance of snow.

Accuweather.com is predicting wind gusts up to 19 MPH. That could make the temperature feel like it’s below 10.

Tagovailoa, who is a Hawaiian native and played college football at Alabama, has never won an NFL game at that temperature. In the AFC wild card round in January, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins lost at the Kansas City Chiefs in what was the fourth-coldest game in NFL history. The temperature for that matchup was minus-4 degrees with wind gusts making it feel like minus-27 degrees.

If that wasn’t enough, the Packers came into Week 12 with an above average pass defense. Green Bay was ranked 13th in passing yards allowed per game before November 24.

While the Dolphins dominated the Patriots, it was almost entirely through the air. Miami ran for only 65 yards and averaged 2.7 yards per carry.

Dolphins Need Ground Game in Green Bay

A win against the Packers could begin killing the narrative that Tagovailoa can’t win in cold weather. It would also help the Dolphins’ toughness reputation.

Former Miami safety DeShon Elliott said the Dolphins were “soft as [expletive]’ while appearing on The Punch Line podcast hosted by Marlon Humphrey on November 13.

To win in cold weather on the road, a team has to be mentally tough. Running the ball successfully, though, helps too.

The Dolphins entered Week 12 ranked 11th in rushing yards per game. However, they haven’t eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in any of their past three games. During that stretch, the Dolphins are averaging 71.3 rushing yards per contest.

Thanks to Tagovailoa, all three of those games have been victories. In those three wins, he has thrown for 812 yards with 8 touchdowns and only 1 interception.

Tagovailoa will certainly have to play better than he has in past cold weather games for the Dolphins to win on Thanksgiving. But Miami will very likely have to run the ball better too to knock off Green Bay.

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From what Armstead can see, it’s coming for Robinson.

“[Robinson] is scratching the surface of what he’s going to be,” Armstead said to the media. “His worth ethic, his ability to take what you give him, a coaching point, a tip or something that you see and apply it immediately is incredible.

“But the way he goes about his business. His level of professionalism as a rookie, he’s got a lot more production that we will continue to see.”

Robinson has come on a little bit as of late. He has 2 sacks and 4 quarterback hits in the past three games.

The Dolphins drafted Robinson at No. 21 overall during the first round in the 2024 NFL draft.

Dolphins’ Chop Robinson Improving Ahead of Stretch Run

Through the first quarter of the season, Robinson was earning very much playing time. In the first four regular season contests, Robinson played roughly 40% of Miami’s defensive snaps. During two of those games, he played one-third of the team’s snaps on defense or less.

But in the past six contests, Robinson has lined up for more than half of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps five times. In three of those games, he played at least 60% of the team’s snaps on defense.

With more playing time, Robinson has been more productive. Since the team’s bye week, he has 7 combined tackles, including 3 tackles for loss in five games. That’s been in addition to his 2 sacks and 4 quarterback hits.

The analytics also say Robinson is playing his best football of the season right now. He earned his highest Pro Football Focus player grade this past Sunday in Week 11 versus the Las Vegas Raiders.

He also posted an above average grade in Week 9 and good grade during Week 10. According to PFF, Robinson is currently on his best three-game stretch of the season.

Overall, he’s earned a 64.4 PFF player grade (out of 100) in the 2024 campaign. He’s excelled the most as a pass rushing, posting a 72.1 grade in that category.

Terron Armstead Declines to Share Injury Update

In addition to being a mentor for Robinson, Armstead has continued to play at a Pro Bowl level the past couple seasons for Miami. He has excelled again this year, but as was the case during his first two campaigns with the Dolphins, Armstead is not 100% healthy.

This week, he didn’t practice at all because of a knee ailment. Miami’s official injury report has Armstead listed as questionable for Week 12.

Armstead declined to elaborate on his injury status with reporters on November 23.

“I’m not even going to get into it, for real,” Armstead said. “Just trying to do everything I can to be ready for Sunday. That’s it.”

When asked a follow up question about if he was feeling good, the veteran left tackle answered, “It don’t matter.”

It sounds as though Armstead’s knee is significantly bothering him, but that he will play against the New England Patriots in Week 12.

The Dolphins need him in the lineup. According to PFF, Armstead has been the second-best offensive tackle in the NFL this season.

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Hours after his release, The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer named the Miami Dolphins one of the six best potential landing spots for Jones.

“With Tua Tagovailoa’s injury history and how the offense could not function well with his most recent backups playing (Skylar Thompson, Tyler Huntley), the Dolphins should see a quick needed upgrade while they try to stay in the AFC wild-card picture too,” wrote Iyer. “Jones’ play can be elevated by their receivers and Mike McDaniel’s offense.”

The Giants released Jones just a year and a half after they signed him to a 4-year, $160 million contract. He will count as a $22.2 million dead cap hit for the 2025 season.

In 10 games this season, he posted a 63.3% completion percentage with 6.1 yards per pass. He also threw 8 touchdowns versus 7 interceptions.

Jones, who has made $108 million through six NFL seasons, led the Giants to a 2-8 record in those games.

Why the Dolphins Could Be Interested in Daniel Jones

Jones will likely first consider teams where he has a clearer path to becoming a starter. But for the reasons Iyer explained, it would make sense for the Dolphins to pursue Jones.

Tua Tagovailoa owns just a 3-3 record in six starts this season. But any team with a .500 mark approaching Thanksgiving is still in the thick of the playoff race. The problem for the Dolphins is they have gone 1-3 in games where Tagovailoa didn’t start this season.

Miami could sign Jones as insurance in case Tagovailoa suffers another injury. He’s been prone to do that. Tagovailoa has missed 12 games over the past four seasons.

While Jones has struggled this season, he would be an upgrade over Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley. In 2024, those two quarterbacks have combined for only 1 touchdown while averaging 5.7 yards per pass on 99 pass attempts.

Jones has averaged 6.5 yards per attempt in his career. He led the Giants to a 24-44-1 record over six seasons.

In 2019, Jones took New York to the playoffs with a 9-6-1 record.

NFL Pundits Connecting Dolphins to Jones

Iyer wasn’t the only pundit to immediately see Miami as a landing spot for Jones after he received his release from the Giants.

Newsweek’s Noah Camras argued “it would make sense for Miami” to land a “strong backup for the stretch run.” Camras also suggested Jones’ dual-threat capabilities would work well in Mike McDaniel’s offense.

Jones has averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored 15 rushing touchdowns in his NFL career.

DraftKings’ Sean Barnard and Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson also identified Miami as a possible landing spot for Jones. Barnard had the Dolphins ranked as the No. 2 landing spot for Jones on his list.

Camras ranked the Dolphins at No. 3 on his list but called them his “favorite” landing spot for Jones.

In addition to the Dolphins, Iyer named the Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings as potential places where Jones could sign. Iyer didn’t rank them but seemed to suggest the Raiders and Colts were his favorites to sign Jones.

The other three pundits also named the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets as possible suitors for Jones.

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Following the final snap of the third quarter, McDaniel made sure to rub salt in the wound after the Dolphins offense induced the 5-yard penalty from Crosby.

“Hey, we didn’t have a play called, Maxx,” McDaniel screamed in the All-Pro defender’s direction. “We didn’t have a play called, Maxx.

“We didn’t even have a play called! L-O-L.”

Twitter user and podcaster Bobby Shouse posted video of McDaniel yelling at Crosby on November 21. In the first five hours after the video went live on Shouse’s account, the post received roughly 250,000 views.

The Sun Sentinel’s David Furones tweeted the video as well on his account. Users have watched his video more than 60,000 times.

“Everyone was getting in Maxx Crosby’s head in the Dolphins-Raiders game,” Furones wrote as a caption to his post of the video.

“Mike McDaniel chirping to let him know they didn’t have a play called when they drew his neutral zone infraction at the end of the third quarter.”

https://twitter.com/DavidFurones_/status/1859638059362398616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1859638059362398616%7Ctwgr%5E041700d089744eef50afeeadff4c8518da812ff1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbssports.com%2Fnfl%2Fnews%2Fdolphins-coach-mike-mcdaniel-trolls-raiders-maxx-crosby-after-getting-star-edge-rusher-to-jump-offsides%2F

The 5-yard Crosby penalty awarded the Dolphins a first-and-5 at the Raiders 35-yard line to begin the fourth quarter.

NFL Media React to Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel ‘Trolling’ Maxx Crosby

Furones was obviously a fan of the trash talk from McDaniel toward Crosby, who finished fourth in the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. Crosby has also made the Pro Bowl each of the past three years.

But he wasn’t the only pundit who seemingly found McDaniel’s late third quarter interaction with Crosby a little funny. CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin described McDaniel as trolling the Raiders defensive end.

“While that specific neutral-zone infraction call obviously wasn’t decisive, it did at least play a role in building Miami’s margin, and is an example of why teams should always try whatever they can, to gain a few extra yards. It just might work — even against one of the NFL’s best players,” wrote Dubin.

Media personality Nicky Smokess summarized the McDaniel trash talking video with, “this clip rocks” on X.

On the snap after Crosby’s infraction, the Dolphins committed a holding penalty. So, Miami faced first-and-15 once they ran another play. But the Dolphins overcame that foul and ended that drive with a touchdown.

Although the Raiders answered with a touchdown of their own, Las Vegas never pulled closer than 5 points again.

Social Media Users React to McDaniel’s Trash Talk

Interestingly, social media users who watched the viral video and commented about it on X weren’t as supportive of the coach’s trash talking as the media. Even though the Dolphins have won two consecutive games, tweeters were more focused on McDaniel’s 4-6 record this season.

“Coach more, troll less,” Felonious Nole wrote. “Until he can take that talented roster, and win with it, he needs to STFU with his 14yo lookin self.”

Although the Dolphins have made two playoff appearances with McDaniel as their head coach, they lost in the first round during both postseason trips.

“How about McDaniel defeats a strong team, then he can talk some smack ..” tweeted Mubarak Wani.

The four opponents Miami has beaten this season own a combined record of 12-30 through Week 11.

“Mike McDaniel has to be the most insufferable guy on the planet,” Ryan Sullivan wrote. “Just continues to lose yet acts like he’s got Belichick’s resume.”

The Dolphins will have a chance to extend their winning streak versus the New England Patriots in Week 12. The Dolphins already defeated the Patriots, who are 3-8 this season, during Week 5.

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For offensive NFL fans, it would be an absolute treat if the first meeting between Tua Tagovailoa and Drake Maye is something similar in Week 12. But at the very least, both the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots hope it’s the first of many Tagovailoa-Maye showdowns.

Tagovailoa addressed facing the Patriots rookie quarterback for the first time when he spoke to reporters on November 20.

“I respect his game. I respect his game a lot. He’s a rookie, so there’s going to be bumps within his journey,” Tagovailoa told the media. “But you see a lot of flashes of things he can do. Not just inside the pocket, outside the pocket as well.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for him, and looking forward to competing against him.”

Tagovailoa and Maye will each be making their seventh start of the 2024 season. Tagovailoa missed the first Dolphins-Patriots matchup on October 6 because of a concussion.

Maye didn’t play in that game either. He made his first NFL start the following week.

Tua Tagovailoa, Drake Maye Set to Square Off in Week 12

One could say things are coming a little full circle for Tagovailoa this week, at least from an AFC East quarterback perspective.

It was a little less than three years ago that Tagovailoa made his first start against Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Tagovailoa struggled in that matchup, which was the final start of his rookie season.

The Dolphins haven’t fared all that well versus the Bills since then either. Tagovailoa is 1-8 in his career against Allen.

But in the Dolphins-Patriots rivalry, Tagovailoa has the chance to be the elder quarterback who has the upper hand.

Tagovailoa suggested getting used to the idea of the quarterback matchups within one’s division is a key to NFL success.

“That’s just how this league is. That’s how it goes. I wish him the best in his career that he’s just starting,” Tagovailoa said. “Tough league, but with the right mindset, with the right people around him, surrounding him, I think he’ll be doing good.”

Dolphins, Patriots Set for Different Kind of Rematch

The Dolphins defeated the Patriots on the road 15-10 in their Week 5 meeting. But the rematch in Miami should be very different.

New England head coach Jerod Mayo sent a warning to his players through the media about the challenges his team will see facing Tagovailoa.

“This isn’t the same Dolphins team that we played before,” said Mayo, via WEEI’s Tom Carroll. “That was also a reminder to the guys where you feel like you know a team, and at the same time, they’re gonna do things different. And Tua’s here. You can see just the difference in that offense with Tua out there. He’s a very good player for them.”

Of course, the same could be said for the Dolphins defense now having to stop Maye.

“It’s always impressive when rookie quarterbacks make plays at the NFL level because there a lot coming at them,” said Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

“I think it’s a credit to him and his preparation, and their coaching staff.”

In seven NFL appearances, Maye has thrown 9 touchdowns versus 9 interceptions. He’s led the Patriots to a 2-4 record.

The Dolphins lost Tagovailoa’s first starts after his return from a concussion. But they’ve won their last two games with Tagovailoa throwing 4 touchdowns and 1 interception.

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“Giants are signing QB Tim Boyle to the practice squad, per source,” Stapleton tweeted. “Worked out today.”

Boyle made two relief appearances for the Dolphins this season. First, in Week 3, he attempted 13 passes against the Seattle Seahawks after Skylar Thompson left with a rib injury.

Then in Week 7, Boyle replaced Tyler Huntley, who sustained a shoulder injury.

In those two games, Boyle completed 15 of 26 passes (57.7%) for 153 yards. He had zero touchdowns and no interceptions along with 10 rushing yards.

Ex-Dolphins QB Tim Boyle Finds New Home With New York Giants

The Giants added Boyle to their practice squad a day after the organization announced its plan to bench quarterback Daniel Jones.

Tommy DeVito will start behind center for the Giants in Week 12. But the team is apparently not going to allow Jones to be active on another game day. If Jones suffers an injury, he will receive a 2025 injury guarantee in his contract.

“Drew Lock will serve as DeVito’s backup, an indication that not triggering Jones’ 2025 injury guarantee was a central factor in the decision to bench the former No. 6 pick,” wrote Pro Football Rumors’ Adam La Rose.

Adding Boyle will give the Giants extra insurance to guarantee Jones won’t see the field again in 2024.

The Giants will be Boyle’s seventh team in his seven-year NFL career. He began his journey in the league as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers in 2018.

Boyle made his NFL regular season debut the following season during Week 7. He made his first start for the Detroit Lions during the 2021 season.

With the Lions, Boyle started three contests in 2021. He also started twice last year for the New York Jets. Boyle has posted an 0-5 record as a starter.

In addition to the Dolphins, Boyle made a relief appearance with the Chicago Bears in 2022.

In 22 NFL games, Boyle has completed 61.7% of his passes for 4 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He played college football at UConn and Eastern Kentucky.

Dolphins QB Situation Heading Into Week 12

Boyle became available to sign with another team when Miami released him on October 26. The Dolphins made that move when Tua Tagovailoa completed his recovery from his latest concussion.

Last year, Boyle started two games in place of an injured Aaron Rodgers. The Dolphins elected to go with Thompson and Huntley instead of Boyle when Tagovailoa was sidelined in the first half of 2024.

Entering Week 12, Thompson is the backup quarterback to Tagovailoa. Huntley is on Miami’s practice squad.

The Dolphins will face two of the teams Boyle once played for in an NFL regular season game — the Packers and Jets — late this season. Miami will play New York in both Weeks 14 and 18.

But the Dolphins will not see Boyle and the Giants during the stretch run this year.

Similar to other situations he’s been in, a couple quarterbacks in front of Boyle will have to suffer an injury for him to see the field in New York.

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On November 18, Bleacher Report named Simmons the player the Dolphins should add in 2025 free agency.

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Veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell has no problem with celebrating a win — at least for a moment. But Campbell offered a cautionary tale to his teammates after the November 17 victory that the Dolphins still have a long way to go.

“It feels good. But like I told the guys in the locker room after the game, we’ve still got a big hole to climb out of,” Campbell told reporters. “We get to celebrate for 24 hours. But then we’re right back to work.”

The Dolphins took a 7-0 lead over the Raiders a little more than halfway through the first quarter. They never trailed throughout the contest.

Then in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins pulled away, scoring 17 of the game’s final 24 points.

Campbell led the way for the Miami defense. Although he only had 2 combined tackles, 1 of them was for a loss. Campbell also recorded a sack and quarterback hit.

Calais Campbell Aiming to Inspire Teammates

It’s hard to find players in the league who have more experience than Campbell. He’s played in 253 regular season games and in a Super Bowl. Incredibly, that Super Bowl appearance came almost 16 years ago during his 2008 rookie season.

Campbell can still provide big sacks and tackles for loss when needed. But as a 38-year-old veteran, he explained to reporters after Week 11 that his job is to also make his teammates better.

“The best feeling in the world is when the guys look to you. They say, ‘Talk to me.’ They want to be inspired,” Campbell said. “So I always try to think of something good. But for the most part, it’s just bringing good energy. Bringing good energy. Look them in the eyes and let them know, ‘I’m going to bring everything I got, and if we play together, we can beat anybody.'”

Campbell appears to be using his platform in the Miami organization to ensure his teammates don’t grow complacent after their first 2024 winning streak.

By beating the Raiders, the Dolphins improved to 4-6. While that’s not a stellar record, the Dolphins are hardly out of the playoff race with seven more weeks of football to go.

Things can shift quickly in the league. No one knows that better than a 17-year veteran.

But things will only continue moving in Miami’s favor if the team keeps working to improve.

The Dolphins will host the New England Patriots on November 24. While that’s a winnable game, it’s a rivalry matchup. Then, the Dolphins will face the Green Bay Packers on the road after Thanksgiving.

Calais Campbell Just Missed Blocked Punt vs. Raiders

Campbell made some impactful plays on defense versus the Raiders. He nearly had a game-changing play on special teams too.

The 38-year-old was closing in on Raiders punter AJ Cole on fourth down after the Dolphins forced a 3-and-out on their first defensive possession. But Campbell failed to secure the block.

“I don’t know how I didn’t block that,” Campbell told the media. “It had to go through my hands.”

Instead of recording the block, Campbell ran into Cole and committed a penalty, which resulted in a Raiders first down.

Las Vegas took advantage of the second chance, but the Dolphins defense didn’t allow the Raiders to tie the game. Las Vegas settled for a field goal, which Miami matched on its next possession.

“I’m glad my guys had my back and held them it 3,” said Campbell.

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During the second quarter of Miami’s road victory over the Los Angeles on November 11, Tagovailoa tossed an interception to Rams linebacker Christian Rozeboom inside of Dolphins territory. With little concern for his personal safety, but the utmost concern for his team’s 10-0 lead at the time, Tagovailoa pursued Rozeboom in what proved a successful attempt to make a tackle and save a potentially game-changing return.

While there is plenty to respect about Tagovailoa’s effort from a football perspective, Miami fans reacted with shock and incredulity at the QB’s decision considering his concussion history, which includes a head injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills that kept him sidelined for five weeks and a total of four games.

“Tua throws a pick, lowers the helmet, and catches a knee to the side of the head,” one X account wrote Monday. “Hope he’s okay.”

Another fan questioned not only Tagovailoa’s decision making, but his tackling form.

“Why is Tua sticking his head in to make a tackle after an interception?” the person wrote on X. 

That was a common theme among those who questioned the QB on social media.

“Tua with the ill-advised interception to [Rozeboom], but even more ill-advised decision to tackle the ball carrier, head-first,” a third fan commented. “Unbelievable.”

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Admitted His Tackling Form Was Problematic After INT Against Rams

GettyQuarterback Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins took an unnecessary risk during a Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Rams in November 2024.

Reporters questioned Tagovailoa about his condition and decision making following the game.

“I feel good, everything is good,” the quarterback said. “I wasn’t planning on using my head to go hit him. … Pretty bad tackling form, pretty terrible.”

Luckily for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, he was fine following the play and was able to continue on in the game.

Miami ended up pulling out a crucial win on the road against the Rams by a score of 23-15, which moved the Dolphins to 3-6 on the year and kept their playoff hopes at least viable heading into Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders next week.

Dolphins Still Alive in AFC Playoff Hunt After Win Over Rams

GettyMiami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has suffered three confirmed concussions since entering the NFL five years ago. 

Oddly enough, the victory also secured sole possession of second place in the AFC East Division for the Dolphins, who remain four and a half games behind the Bills.

The chances of Miami coming back and winning the division are slim, though the team’s wildcard hopes remain afloat with a healthy Tagovailoa.

The Dolphins fell to the Arizona Cardinals by one point and the Bills by three points in their last two games, respectively, and have been competitive since Tagovailoa returned from the concussion he suffered against Buffalo in Week 2 — the third such confirmed injury of his five-year NFL career.

He finished Monday night 20-of-28 passing for 207 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT.

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