Rosen, Williams and Eguavoen look to fine-tune little things
Miami Dolphins quarterback Josh Rosen felt the defensive pressure, stepped into the pocket and rolled out to his left. Then, he squared his shoulders and threw a sinker that was cradled by tight end Durham Smythe Friday night during their second preseason game.
It may have been Rosen’s best completion of the exhibition season. Yet, the second-year quarterback competing for the Dolphins’ starting job was still critical of himself, dissecting the play through a bevy of mental notes, vowing to execute better if given the same opportunity once more.
“I stepped up, but I don’t really think I needed to escape. I think I maybe could have sat in the pocket and if I gave him a little better ball he maybe could have run with it,” Rosen said following Miami’s 16-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Friday of the 22-yard pass to Smythe down the left sideline.
“Those are kind of the little things. Even if there was a positive play and a good chunk, there are always little things you can improve upon.”
As the Dolphins enter their third week of the preseason, where Thursday’s home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars will serve as a dress rehearsal of sorts for the 2019 season, Rosen is like many Dolphins players looking to improve on the little things as the preseason comes to an end.
Rosen will likely be demoted back to the secondteam offense during practice Monday and Tuesday as Dolphins coach Brian Flores said Ryan Fitzpatrick will likely start against the Jaguars, to give the veteran some more action with the first-team offense before the season opener on Sept. 8 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Behind the Dolphins’ intriguing quarterback situation, several players at other positions need to further cement their roles with the team this season, while others are vying for spots on Miami’s 53-man regularseason roster.
Preston Williams, the unicorn-loving undrafted rookie receiver who became the talk of training camp and the preseason, came back down to earth following a disappointing effort against the Buccaneers.
Williams caught only one of his six targeted passes for seven yards, dropping several passes from Rosen, and stepping out of bounds on a pass he bobbled and later secured while falling into the end zone.
Williams also got his first NFL taste of being a punt returner, as the Dolphins aim to find ways to get his dynamic playmaking ability on the field.
“You could have a good day. You could have a bad day. You can bounce back,” Williams said. “My main thing is to staying consistent — stacking days, even games. Just come in, watch the film, correct my mistakes and just come ready to play the next game.”
Sam Eguavoen, the former Canadian Football League standout who joined the team this offseason, made his presence felt in the first quarter, forcing a fumble following a catch by Buccaneers running back Andre Ellington.
The fumble was recovered by cornerback Eric Rowe. Finding Eguavoen, like Williams, has been a revelation for the Dolphins and their front office as both players will likely compete for significant roles with the starting defense and offense this season if they can continue building on their stellar play so far.
Eguavoen said Flores told him to just play fearless, and it has already paid some dividends.
“He knows I’m a good player. It’s just that I need to unleash the beast. I need to play fearless out there,” Eguaoven said last week. “I had my first NFL game ever last week, so coming into this week I just write on my walls — just play fearless. It’s football. There’s 11 people out there, so I have 10 other defenders who have my back, so I’m taking my shots.”
Many Dolphins players have plenty to improve on before the season begins.
Starting linebacker Jerome Baker needs to wrap up opposing quarterbacks better and get sacks when he enters into the backfield untouched thanks to schemes in the Dolphins defense, while defensive end Charles Harris needs to build on his 1.5-sack performance against the Bucs and become a viable pass rusher on the defensive line.
Rookie offensive guards Michael Deiter and Shaq Calhoun need to continue working on their technique with hopes the game will slow down for them, while backup rookie right tackle Isaiah Prince needs to show the Dolphins he could be a capable lineman on the starting line if Miami wanted to move starting right tackle Jesse Davis back to right guard to improve their interior blocking.
Running backs Patrick Laird, Myles Gaskin and Kenneth Farrow need to continue making the most of their opportunities behind Kenyan Drake, Kalen Ballage and Mark Walton.
Rowe, rookie Nik Needham, former New England Patriots practice squad member Jomal Wiltz and second-year practice squad member Chris Lammons also need to solidify their roles in the Dolphins secondary among a loaded group of defensive backs.
Christian Wilkins, the Dolphins’ 2019 first-round pick, got his first sack of the preseason against the Buccaneers, as he continues to mature into his starting role with the first-team on the defensive line.
“I’m becoming more and more comfortable by the day,” Wilkins said. “I have good [veterans] around me that help me, encourage me to be my best and who are there for me whenever I have questions or anything. … It’s also just getting more comfortable playing against this type of talent. These guys aren’t just talented, but also as savvy as they are, as cerebral players as they are. It’s all just good fun, good experiences.”