Dolphins News
12-3-14: The Dolphins have now alternated wins and losses each of the last five weeks, as they defeated the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Monday. Miami entered the fourth quarter with just six points, but Ryan Tannehill and company completed the successful comeback. The Dolphins outscored the Jets, 10-0, in the final 15 minutes to win the game, 16-13.
11-26-14: Although the Dolphins scored in all four quarters and led for most of the game, they could not close out the Broncos in Denver. They allowed four passing touchdowns to Peyton Manning and 167 rushing yards to C.J. Anderson en route to the 39-36 loss. On the bright side, Ryan Tannehill threw for 228 yards and scored four touchdowns.
11-19-14: The Dolphins won yet another home game by double-digit points, as they beat the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, 22-9. Ryan Tannehill completed 26 of his 34 passing attempts for 240 yards and two touchdowns. Lamar Miller ran for 86 yards on 15 rushes, including one that went for 33 yards.
11-12-14: The Dolphins were very close to taking down the Lions in Detroit, but Matthew Stafford won the game in the final minute. Miami’s best 15 minutes of the contest came in the third quarter when they outscored Detroit, 10-0. Caleb Sturgis made one of his three field goals on the day and then a long interception set up Ryan Tannehill’s three-yard touchdown to Mike Wallace.
11-5-14: The Dolphins made it three consecutive victories on Sunday, as they had arguably their best game of the season. They beat the San Diego Chargers, 37-0, to move to 5-3 on the season. Ryan Tannehill completed 24 of his 34 passing attempts for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Lamar Miller, who scored a touchdown in the contest, is back at practice after having an MRI on his shoulder.
10-29-14: Neither the Dolphins nor the Jaguars scored in the first 15 minutes on Sunday in Jacksonville, but then Miami returned Blake Bortles’ two interceptions for touchdowns en route to the Dolphins’ 27-13 victory. The first was by Louis Delmas, as he went 81 yards to the end zone early in the second quarter. Then, Brent Grimes had a 22-yard interception return for a Miami touchdown soon after the second half began.
10-21-14: The Dolphins moved their record back to .500 on the season, as they went into Chicago, shut out the Bears in the first half and scored in every quarter en route to their 27-14 victory. Ryan Tannehill led the offense, as he completed 25 of his 32 passing attempts for 277 yards and two touchdowns.
10-14-14: Although the Dolphins scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, they could not beat the Green Bay Packers in Week 6. Ryan Tannehill, who threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 49 yards, turned the ball over twice in this game. Lamar Miller also lost a fumble while the Packers did not turn the ball over in the contest.
10-7-14: The Dolphins were able to rest after coming back from London. After their Week 5 bye, they will take on the Green Bay Packers at Sun Life Stadium. The situation with Miami’s running backs has become more interesting over the last week after the Dolphins signed former 49er LaMichael James. Lamar Miller has played well recently, but Knowshon Moreno hopes to return this upcoming Sunday.
10-1-14: The Dolphins outscored the Oakland Raiders, 35-0, in the second and third quarters combined en route to their 38-14 victory. It was an important victory for a Miami team that dropped each of its last two games. Sunday’s contest was played in London, and the 2-2 Dolphins now head into their bye week.
9-25-14: The Dolphins fell down by 14 points before scoring their only points of the first half right before halftime. Spanning the halftime break, Miami scored 10 consecutive points, but dropped the game to the Kansas City Chiefs, 34-15, to fall to 1-2 on the season. Unfortunately, Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan, who was the third overall pick in 2013, was suspended for four games for violating the substance abuse policy.
9-17-14: The Dolphins had a very frustrating week, as they were held scoreless in the first half in Buffalo. After playing very well in Week 1, Knowshon Moreno left Sunday’s game with an elbow injury and did not return. With Moreno expecting to miss one to two months, the Dolphins signed Daniel Thomas, who spent the first three years of his NFL career in Miami.
9-10-14: The Dolphins made an impressive comeback to go 1-0 in front of their home crowd in 2014, as they outscored the Patriots, 23-0, in the second half. Unfortunately, the Dolphins then placed linebacker Dannell Ellerbe on season-ending injured reserve with a hip injury. They then signed veteran linebacker Kelvin Sheppard.
9-4-14: The Dolphins finished their preseason on a strong note. After dropping their preseason opener early in August, they won their last three preseason games, including last Thursday’s game against the visiting St. Louis Rams. Although Daniel Thomas accounted for the only rushing touchdown in the game, Miami waived him this past weekend.
8-26-14: The Dolphins’ rushing attack looked strong in their 25-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Miami on Saturday evening. Rookie Orleans Darkwa put up 70 yards and a touchdown on just six rushes, and Knowshon Moreno had 10 carries for 64 yards. This was Moreno’s first game with the Dolphins.
8-19-14: The Dolphins went into Tampa Bay on Saturday and won, 20-14, to move their record to 1-1 on the preseason. Ryan Tannehill completed nine of his 14 pass attempts for 110 yards. Running back Damien Williams ran for a touchdown, but only rushed for 20 yards on a game-high 11 carries on Friday.
8-14-14: In the Dolphins’ preseason opener on Friday, Ryan Tannehill completed all six of his pass attempts and threw a touchdown in the 16-10 loss. Earlier that day, the NFL suspended Miami safety Reshad Jones for four games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy. Teammate Dion Jordan received the same suspension just over one month ago. On Monday, the Dolphins signed Brady Quinn.
8-5-14: Unfortunately for Dolphins fans, they will most likely not see Knowshon Moreno this entire preseason because of a knee injury. Mike Wallace was another player who missed Saturday’s scrimmage at Sun Life Stadium due to a hamstring tweak. Miami begins the preseason at Atlanta on Friday and then will play at Tampa Bay before returning home.
7-30-14: Miami has stashed center Mike Pouncey and running back Knowshon Moreno on their camp PUP list, rendering both players useless until activated from the list. Moreno is still recovering from offseason knee surgery and could be activated within a week, while Pouncey (hip surgery) is expected to sit out all of camp and could start 2014 on the PUP list. If that happens, he’ll be unavailable to the team for the first six weeks. Morenos’ absence has allowed third-year running back Lamar Miller to shine in practice, causing some in camp to look at Miller as the LeSean McCoy of new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor’s offense. Lazor spent last season with Chip Kelly coaching McCoy in Philadelphia.
7-15-14: Miami brought in veteran offensive guard Daryn Colledge at the end of June to give their offensive line a little more depth and competition. While the Fins will cross their fingers Colledge doesn’t lock down a key role, he may have to with center Mike Pouncey missing the first month or so of 2014 with a torn labrum in his hip. Knowshon Moreno’s rocky start in Miami also continues, as he reportedly underwent a scope on his knee. The former Broncos running back is quickly shaping up as a free agency bush and could force Lamar Miller into a huge role again this year. Dion Jordan is the latest casualty on the defensive side, as he will be serving a four-game ban to start the year thanks to violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
6-5-14: Running back Knowshon Moreno has reportedly showed up to camp out of shape and has been unimpressive. Moreno’s lack of conditioning has the Fins taking another hard look at Lamar Miller as the potential lead back in the offense, having Miller kick off OTAs as the starter. Due to Miller’s own flaws, though, it’s an ongoing position battle Miami fans will have to monitor all summer. On a lighter note, the Dolphins appear pleased with linebacker Koa Misi’s transition to middle linebacker. Miami coaches weren’t ready to mark the move as permanent, but suggested it appears to be working out. Wide receiver Brandon Gibson was also seen on the field during OTAs on May 27th, which was encouraging for his return from a serious knee injury.
5-19-14: The Miami Dolphins had a mess at offensive line last year and also could have used some help in their secondary heading into this year’s draft. Let’s see how well they addressed their main needs:
Round 1. Pick 19 Ja'Wuan James, OL, Tennessee
Round 2. Pick 31 Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU
Round 3. Pick 03 Billy Turner, OG, North Dakota St.
Round 4. Pick 25 Walt Aiken, CB, Liberty
Round 5. Pick 15 Arthur Lynch,TE, Georgia
Round 5. Pick 31 Jordie Tripp, OLB, Montana
Round 6. Pick 14 Matt Hazel, WR, Coastal Carolina
Round 7. Pick 19 Terrence Fede, DE, Marist
Miami was set to walk into 2014 without three starters from last year’s offensive line, should they officially cut ties with tackle Tyson Clabo. Needless to say, they need help up front. Ja’Wuan James was a slight reach in round one, but all the other stud tackles were gone and the Fins new they were in bad shape. He’ll likely start on the right side with new free agent Branden Albert on the left, The duo should help to dramatically improve Ryan Tannehill’s pass protection.
Another issue was wide receiver, as Mike Wallace appears to be a free agency bust and all they have after him is Brian Hartline. Jarvis Landry is a bit of a steal in the second round, as he has first round talent and can come in and help right away.
The Dolphins rounded out their draft by grabbing another solid blocker in offensive guard Billy Turner, and even added tight end depth in Arthur Lynch. Lynch kills two birds with one stone, as he should make for a fine backup tight end, but excels as an in-line option and gives a boost to their blocking.
Miami probably would have liked to get an impact safety in this draft, but it’s hard to complain with a nice o-line haul and an impact wide receiver.
5-9-14: Miami had probably the worst season ever when it comes to character and performance on their offensive line in 2013. Naturally, Jonathan Martin was traded away and Richie Incognito was sent packing, while the efficiency of the line simply needed to be improve. Miami helped themselves by signing offensive tackle Branden Albert in free agency, but everyone knew they couldn’t stop there. They didn’t. With their first pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Fins made sure quarterback Ryan Tannehill would have strong protection at both tackle spots, as they selected Tennessee offensive tackle, Ja’Wuan James. James might not fix all of Miami’s problems overnight, but he’s part of a positive transition that will surely make things better heading into 2014.
4-28-14: It’s all about the offensive line for the Miami Dolphins this offseason. They made an effort early in free agency by landing former Chiefs tackle Branden Albert, but they can’t stop there. Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito are both out the door, while they left a mess on their way out. Ryan Tannehill needs to be protected better and Miami’s running game needs to take it to a whole new level, which should mean more tackle and guard help. The Fins would be silly to spend their first round pick on any other position, which could make the versatile Zack Martin high on their draft board. The Notre Dame prospect has the size and athleticism to man the right tackle spot if need be, but has the power and drive suited to kick into a guard spot. Whether Martin becomes a Dolphin or not remains to be seen, but one way or another Miami needs to add o-line talent in May’s draft.
4-18-14: The Miami Dolphins have four games on the docket for preseason action, with their schedule taking off in week one on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta is familiar competition after the two sides battled earlier in 2013, while Atlanta’s offense should give the Fins a solid early test on defense. Miami continues on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week two before hosting Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys in week three of their first home game. The St. Louis Rams come to town in week four to help close the preseason.
4-7-14: The Dolphins have made several key upgrades in free agency, patching up one of the league’s worst offensive lines with former Chiefs offensive tackle Branden Albert. Miami will absolutely need to be on the lookout for more o-line talent in this year’s draft, but the steady Albert can play both tackle spots and has the Fins headed in the right direction when it comes to protecting franchise quarterback Ryan Tannehill. They didn’t stop there on offense, however, upgrading over the inconsistent Lamar Miller at running back, grabbing former Broncos back Knowshon Moreno. Miami also made sure to keep their solid defense growing, as they held onto stud corner Brent Grimes, brought in veteran corner Cortland Finnegan at a discount price and also reeled in former Lions safety Louis Delmas to make up for the departing Chris Clemons.
3-21-14: After spending by the boatloads in free agency a year ago, the Dolphins still didn’t make the playoffs in 2013. This time around, it wasn’t so much about landing big names, but more about just doing what needed to be done to get better. Miami had a loud problem across their offensive line this past season thanks to Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito. To help make it a thing of the past, the Fins traded Martin away to the 49ers and brought in the tackle that eluded them last season - Branden Albert. With their secondary in doubt, Miami made sure they held onto cornerback Brent Grimes, nabbed former Lions safety Louis Delmas and even took a flier on fading corner Cortland Finnegan. Losing defensive tackle Paul Soliali to the Falcons hurt a bit, but re-signing Randy Starks helped lessen the blow.
12-31-13: The playoffs simply weren’t Miami’s destiny in 2013. Despite still having a shot at post-season action, Ryan Tannehill and co. turned in their second pitiful performance in two weeks, falling to the division rival New York Jets, 20-7. The loss dropped Miami to 8-8, heading into the off-season with a lot of questions - starting from the top.
12-24-13: Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins could not get anything accomplished in week 16, as they failed to score even once in a tough 19-0 divisional loss to the Buffalo Bills. Tannehill was sacked a whopping seven times while completing just over 37% of his passes in the frustrating defeat.
12-17-13: Miami evened the season series with the New England Patriots and kept their 2013 playoff hopes alive in week 15 with a nail-biting 24-20 win. Ryan Tannehill put up 300+ passing yards and three scores, but the hero of the day was the Miami defense, who intercepted Tom Brady’s last pass to secure the huge home win.
12-10-13: Ryan Tannehill tossed three touchdowns as the Dolphins snuck out a week 14 over the Steelers in Pittsburgh, despite blowing a 10-point third quarter lead. Miami scored the game’s final 10 points to go up 34-28 and held their breath as a near-magical pitch play by Antonio Brown was called back from being a touchdown after he stepped out of bounds.
12-3-13: Miami had been struggling to regain their identity in the midst of ongoing locker room issues. They pushed that all aside to nab their second win in the past three weeks, however, as they topped the hapless New York Jets on the road, 23-3. Ryan Tannehill stepped up with 331 passing yards and two touchdowns, while wide receiver Brian Hartline reeled in nine catches for 127 yards and a score.
11-26-13: Miami played about as good as they could have against a tough Carolina Panthers team in week 12, but came up short in the end in a 20-16 loss. Mike Wallace broke out for his second huge game as a Dolphins, as he torched the Panthers’ secondary on a long touchdown and piled on 127 receiving yards on 10 targets. It wasn’t enough, though, as Miami fell to 5-6 on the year with the home loss.
11-19-13: Despite seemingly being in the midst of a cancerous locker room, the Miami Dolphins held together in week 11 and came up big with a 20-16 win over the San Diego Chargers at home. Daniel Thomas succeeded where Lamar Miller failed, piling on nearly 60 rushing yards and a score to help get Miami back to .500 at 5-5 on the season.
11-12-13:
The Dolphins entered week 10 in turmoil thanks to the bullying fiasco involving Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito. The dark storm cloud seemed to have stuck around. Whether or not the team had already been torn apart in the locker room is up for debate, but it was beyond clear the Dolphins missed two of their best offensive linemen. Running back Lamar Miller managed just two yards on seven carries without the proper blocking and the Dolphins fell to the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay on Monday Night Football, 22-19.
11-5-13: Ryan Tannehill played smart, mistake-free football and the Miami Dolphins finally committed to the run game as Lamar Miller topped 100+ rushing yards in the 22-20 week nine win. Cameron Wake was the real hero in this one, however, as he bull-rushed Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and sacked him for a safety to earn the win, ending Miami’s four game losing streak.
10-30-13: Miami used a bad Tom Brady interception to build an impressive 17-3 lead in New England, but couldn’t generate any offense in the second half in a 27-17 loss. Lamar Miller was surprisingly effective on the day with 89 rushing yards, but any progress he had was taken away by three Ryan Tannehill turnovers as the Fins lost their fourth straight game following a 3-0 start.
10-22-13: The Miami Dolphins did just about everything they sought out to do in week seven but get the win. Miami ran the ball consistently as a team against the Buffalo Bills (120 total rushing yards) and Ryan Tannehill found his way to three passing scores. It wasn’t enough in the end, however, as Tannehill took two sacks and turned the ball over three times in a 23-12 loss that saw ex-Dolphins kicker have the final word with a 31-yard kick with just 33 seconds left to hand the Fins their third straight loss following a 3-0 start.
10-8-13: Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins offense had a brutal day at home in week five, as the second-year quarterback absorbed six sacks and completed under 53% of his passes in a narrow 26-23 loss at home. The toughest part was arguably the ineffectiveness of the Dolphins’ running game, as Lamar Miller rushed for just 15 yards on seven carries, and Miami as a whole could only muster up 22 total yards on the ground. Miami’s inability to sustain a rushing attack led to a predictable offense and shoddy pass protection. Despite the struggles, the Dolphins still had a chance to force overtime late in this one, but a 57-yarder was tipped and sailed left for rookie kicker Caleb Sturgis as Miami dropped it’s second straight game after starting the year at 3-0.
10-1-13: Lamar Miller helped keep Miami’s week four matchup with the New Orleans Saints interesting early, as he chipped in a rushing score to make it a 14-10 game. That was as close as the Dolphins would get in a battle of 3-0 teams, however, as quarterback Ryan Tannehill was sacked four times and turned the ball over another four times, as well. Miami was forced to abandon an effective rushing attack early, as they faced a 21-10 halftime deficit and never found enough ammunition on offense to keep up with the Saints on the road, falling in a 38-17 blowout. While the offense clearly didn’t help itself in this week four battle, Miami’s usually solid defense didn’t really show up here, either, as Drew Brees had his way through the air en route to 400+ passing yards and four touchdowns against zero interceptions.
9-20-13: The Dolphins improved to 2-0 on Sunday with a 24-20 victory over Andrew Luck and the Colts in Indianapolis. Tannehill completed nearly 68% of his passes and racking up 319 yards. He connected with tight end Charles Clay with under five minutes left for the go-ahead score. The Dolphins defense then stopped Luck to seal the win for the surprising Dolphins. Next week, the Dolphins return home looking to improve to 3-0 when they take on Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.
9-10-13: The Miami Dolphins prevailed over the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon, scoring two second half touchdowns to win 23-10 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. Despite being pressured throughout the game, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw for 272 yards, including a 34 yard touchdown pass to Brian Hartline that gave them the lead for good in the third quarter. Miami’s rushing was non-existent all day, tallying just 20 yards on 23 attempts. Forced to throw to finish off the Browns in the fourth quarter, Tannehill completed six of seven passes before Daniel Thomas scored from the 1-yard line to make it a two-score game with just under 7 minutes remaining.
Miami’s defense sacked Brandon Weeden six times and forced three interceptions, two of which went to Dimitri Patterson who was released by the Browns during last season after signing a three year, $16 million contract. Cameron Wake led the team with 2.5 sacks, while rookie Dion Jordan added another in the first regular season game of his career. Next up for the Dolphins is Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday.
9-4-13: Here are the Miami Dolphins final roster cuts of the 2013 preseason: OT Jeff Adams, LB Antwan Applewhite, G Chris Barker, C Sam Brenner, WR Chad Bumphis, QB Aaron Corp, WR Keenan Davis, DT A.J. Francis, RB Jonas Gray, S Keelan Johnson, S Jordan Kovacs, OT Andrew McDonald, WR Marvin McNutt, TE Kyle Miller, DE Tristin Okpalaugo, CB Julian Posey, CB De'Andre Presley, DT Kheeston Randall, DT Tracey Robertson, LB Lee Robinson, LB Austin Spitler, WR Brian Tyms.
8-20-13: Week 2 in the preseason against the Texans was a bad one for the Dolphins who load WR Dustin Keller for the year with a leg injury. They also lost the game 24-17.
Ryan Tannehill had a good game, completing 10 of 15 passes for 141 yards and a 9-yard TD to Mike Wallace. Wallace caught 3 balls for 58 yards. The loss drops the Dolphins to 1-2 on the preseason. Next week they will host Tampa on Saturday night.
8-11-13: The Dolphins beat the Jaguars on Friday 27-3. Ryan Tannehill was 5 of 9 for 75 yards and a 22-yard TD to Dustin Keller. Matt More was also 5 of 9. He threw for 58 yards including an interception. The Dolphins also forced four turnovers.
8-5-13: The Dolphins and Cowboys matched up in this year's Hall of Fame game, which the Cowboys won 24-20. Ryan Tannehill threw just five times, completing two passes fir 11 yards. Matt Moore took the bulk of the snaps, completing 19 of 29 passes for 238 yards a touch down and an interception.
7-10-13: Miami competed at a decent level with a new regime and average talent in 2012, but has used a deep pocket in free agency to get better quickly. While huge additions like Mike Wallace, Dannell Ellerbe and rookie Dion Jordan could make the Dolphins better, most of their success is almost certain to hinge on second-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s continued development.
6-12-13: Miami took a chance on raw Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill in 2012, and by all accounts, it appears it was a risk that paid off. Tannehill wasn’t a superstar as a rookie, but his big arm and athleticism helped offer major promise for the Dolphins, while the addition of burner Mike Wallace and a full crop of playoff-ready free agents adds warranted optimism. The Dolphins said good-bye to running back Reggie Bush in free agency, too, but otherwise mostly upgraded across the board. With an elite prospect in Dion Jordan, as well as several other interesting players in this year’s draft, Miami appears poised to knock on the door of the AFC East crown.
2013 Dolphins Draft Overview:
Round 1, Pick 3 (from Oakland): Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon
Round 2, Pick 22 (from Indianapolis): Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
Round 3, Pick 15: Dallas Thomas, OT, Tennessee
Round 3, Pick 31 (from San Francisco through Green Bay): Will Davis, CB, Utah State
Round 4, Pick 7 (from Cleveland: Jelani Jenkins, LB, Florida
Round 4, Pick 9 (from New York Jets through New Orleans): Dion Sims, TE, Michigan State
Round 5, Pick 31 (from San Francisco through Cleveland): Mike Gillislee, RB, Florida
Round 5, Pick 33 (Compensatory Selection): Caleb Sturgis, PK, Florida
Round 7, Pick 44 (Compensatory Selection): Don Jones, SS, Arkansas State
12-4-12: The Dolphins share a three-way tie for second place in their division at 5-7. Coming off a disappointing loss to the rival Patriots, the Dolphins now have to travel across the country to play the 8-3 49ers. Miami has lost four of five and has to play New England once again to round out their season. They are considered long-shots for the playoffs.
