Osweiler makes case for backup QB slot

ATLANTA — If coach Adam Gase could get his starters to play like the Miami Dolphins’ backups and roster hopefuls did Thursday night in the preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons, Miami might be in the running to return to Atlanta for this season’s Super Bowl.

The Dolphins passing game was sharp, and the run game was efficient, enabling Gase’s team to build a 24-point lead, which allowed the Dolphins to coast to their 34-7 victory.

The Dolphins defense applied pressure with four rushers consistently, got off the field routinely on third downs, and the secondary produced two interceptions.

And most importantly, the Dolphins played a disciplined game, committing few penalties.

“They had a good tempo going. They took advantage of some of the calls versus the coverages they ran,” said Gase, who is beginning his third season as the Dolphins head coach. “They got some explosive plays. It was good to see.”

Thursday night was the type of effort Gase and his staff had been seeking all preseason, and it ironically came a week after Miami’s second-half meltdown against the Baltimore Ravens, which prompted Gase to call out his backups for their sloppy play.

Unfortunately for Miami, this was a game where everyone on the field for both teams was fighting for their NFL future. The Dolphins only had two projected starters — rookie linebacker Jerome Baker and rookie kicker Jason Sanders — on the field, and Baker’s night didn’t last longer than a handful of snaps.

NFL journeyman Brock Osweiler, who has been in a heated battle to determine who will become Ryan Tannehill’s backup, started the game and led the offense to three touchdowns in the first quarter.

Tailback Buddy Howell, a former Florida Atlantic standout the Dolphins signed as an undrafted rookie, capped the offense’s first drive by catching a 1-yard touchdown pass from Osweiler.

Rookie tailback Kalen Ballage, who missed the past two preseason games with concussion, joined the end-zone party on Miami’s second possession when he capped a seven-play, 55-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown run.

Ballage, the Dolphins’ 2018 fourth-round pick, finished the game with 25 rushing yards on four attempts and three receptions for 37 yards.

Miami’s second score came two series later when cornerback Torry McTyer, who is pushing to become the top backup cornerback, tipped a pass that linebacker Stephone Anthony intercepted and returned to the 15-yard line.

Howell, who is an option for the Dolphins’ practice squad, scored a 1-yard touchdown two plays later, giving the Dolphins a 21-0 lead. Along with the touchdown, Howell finished the game with three receptions for 26 yards and seven rushing yards on three carries.

Greg Joseph’s 33-yard field goal pushed the lead to 24-0, and Sanders had a chance to extend it even further but the Dolphins’ 2018 seventh-round pick missed a 53-yard field goal. Sanders redeemed himself in the fourth quarter by making a 56-yard field goal.