The Miami Dolphins were back at practice at the Baptist Health Training Complex for their final work before they head out to spend the next 10 days on the road.
The most notable absence from practice Wednesday was that of Tyreek Hill. He was on the field for the entirety of practice Tuesday, but didn’t participate for the final third of the session after he went deep for a pass from Tua Tagovailoa that fell incomplete. There was no visible sign of an injury, but his absence Wednesday was not for personal reasons, as happened one time earlier in training camp.
The remainder of the players not practicing featured the same players who had been out: tackle Austin Jackson, fullback Alec Ingold, tackle Bayron Matos, cornerback Cam Smith, safety Dante Trader Jr., safety Ashtyn Davis and offensive lineman Andrew Meyer.
Rookie cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. took part in practice for the first time in about a week.
Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, who began camp on NFI, took some team reps for the first time.
Wide receiver Malik Washington wore the orange jersey.
Safety Elijah Campbell again wore a red (no-contact) jersey but took part in team periods.
PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS
— The first competitive drill was one-on-ones, and once again we focused on the pass rushers going against the offensive linemen, and it was a pretty decisive win for the offensive linemen.
— Patrick Paul once again dominated this period, whether he was going up against Bradley Chubb or Chop Robinson.
— Jonah Savaiinaea also had a couple of good reps where he stopped fellow rookie Kenneth Grant.
— The one defensive lineman who stood out here was Matthew Butler, and the one offensive lineman who struggled a bit was Daniel Brunskill, who could become an important interiod offensive lineman in light of the injury news regarding Andrew Meyer.
— The one reps of receivers against defensive backs that caught our attention was Storm Duck having great coverage against Tahj Washington and knocking the ball in the air, only to have Washington come down with the catch. Tahj Washington has looked good all camp.
— On the first set of 11-on-11s, Larry Borom had a good block against Zach Sieler to spring De’Von Achane for a nice gain on a run.
— Minkah Fizpatrick blew up a designed pass to Malik Washington off a rollout by Tua when he didn’t bite on the play fake and ran with the receiver to the outside. Fitzpatrick has looked great all camp.
— Tua’s play of his first series was a nifty completion down the field to Achane near the right sideline.
— There was a flag for holding on a run by Alexander Mattison, though we couldn’t see who was the offender.
— Willie Gay Jr., who has made a lot of plays as a pass defender in camp, came up to meet Mattison around the line of scrimmage and Channing Tindall followed by meeting Ollie Gordon II in the backfield.
— Zach Wilson misfired on his first pass attempt when he threw too far ahead of Tahj Washington on a crosser.
— Quinn Ewers’ first snap saw him roll out and throw a strike to Theo Wease Jr. on the move for about a 15-yard completion.
— Gordon took advantage of an overpursuing defense to cut back into a gaping hole on the right side of the offense for a sizable gain.
— Ben Stille got pressure on Ewers after outside pressure forced him to move in the pocket.
— Tua overthrew Jaylen Waddle near the right sideline after Pharaoh Brown picked up a blitzing Fitzpatrick.
— Kenneth Grant literally threw Savaiinaea to the ground on an inside run by Achane that didn’t go anywhere. Wow!
— Tua then hit Waddle over the middle on a slant, which has been far and away the most productive play throughout camp.
— After Tua failed. to connect with Dee Eskridge, Chop Robinson got to him very quickly for what likely would have been a sack in a game setting.
— With traffic around him, Wilson begins his next series with a beautiful floater downfield to Erik Ezukanma over Isaiah Johnson.
— There’s major pressure on Wilson on the next play after his hurried throw falls incomplete, he looks down at his right leg, though he stays in the action. Wilson then hurries a screen to Malik Washington and throws the ball at his feet for a bad incompletion.
— Gay gets past Ryan Hayes to come next to Wilson and celebrates a maybe sack, but he was far enough outside that Wilson simply moved up the pocket. Called that one premature celebration by Gay.
— Eskridge makes an acrobatic catch on a deep pass from Wilson thrown a bit behind, though this was another example of a play that would ended differently in a game because there was pressure everywhere and the pass rushers stopped short of him.
— Pharaoh Brown with another good job on blitz pick-up, but Ewers misfires on a throw for Andrew Armstrong.
— Rookie Ethan Robinson comes over to knock away a Ewers pass in the flat to Monaray Baldwin that came too late and was a bit too far ahead of him.
— The next set of team reps, a hurry-up drill, begins with Minkah Fitzpatrick with a free run at Tua on a blitz, followed by an incompletion when Storm Duck knocks down a pass intended for Eskridge.
— On Wilson’s first snap, Quinton Bell gets to him for another would-be sack as the defense continues to dominate.
— But on the next play, Wilson has a nice completion to Eskridge near the sideline for about 20 yards.
— After Wilson scrambles for a first down, Gay gets to him quickly on the next play for a sack or to force a throw-away.
— Armstrong failed to hang on to a 20-yard pass from Wilson after safety Jordan Colbert hit him in the open field.
— On third-and-10, Gay (him again) bats down a pass around the line of scrimmage.
— Jason Sanders ends the drive by making a 53-yard field goal with Jake Bailey as the holder.
— In a punting session, looks like (I have a bad angle) Ryan Stonehouse just had a punt bounce at the opponent 1-yard line. … Couple of plays later, Jake Bailey gets it out at about the 3-yard line.
— Next set of team reps begins with a screen to Waddle, but the defense is all over it.
— On a short pass to Julian Hill, Jordyn Brooks comes up and knocks him to the ground with a shoulder and then flexes.
— The offense gets replaced after a three-and-out, following a short completion to Achane.
— Chop Robinson gets by Germain Ifedi to meet Jaylen Wright in the backfield.
— Quinton Bell has a free run at Wilson, but the play continues and his pass for Tahj Washington is overthrown and picked off by Kendall Sheffield. Again, the defense is dominating this day — bad.
— Jaelan Phillips meets Mattison in the backfield on a running play.
— Mattison gets a nice hole over the middle on the next play. Looks like guard Braeden Daniels had a nice clearing block.
— The next play is a nightmare for the offense as Daniel Brunskill sails a shotgun snap over the head of Wilson.
— Pressure from Bell, who got around Ryan Hayes, on the next play and Wilson throws the ball away when he can’t find anybody open. Did we mention the defense is blowing up the offense today.
— Wilson comes back with a beauty as he hits Ezukanma downfield while rolling to his left, with the receiver doing his part with a diving catch.
— Phillips with another good play against the run as he comes from the back side to meet Achane after he cuts back inside.
— Two short completions from Tua to Waddle, including a nifty no-look pass over the middle while looking to the sideline.
— The drive ends with a quick hitter to Achane from the 10 and he may or may not have gotten into the end zone (no tackling).
— Ethan Robinson, who’s having himself a nice practice, meets Gordon in the hole.
— Ewers takes off scrambling in the face of pressure, and we clearly can see he’s the slowest of the three Dolphins QBs.
— Good protection on the next play, but Ewers waits too long to throw toward Hayden Rucci near the sideline and that allows Jack Jones to dive in front of the receiver for an incompletion. Not sure whether Jones touched the ball, but he shouldn’t have been that close regardless.
— Practice ends with an incompletion when Wease can’t get both feet in bounds after catching a Ewers pass in the back of the end zone.
— Again, big day for the defense.
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