Dolphins notebook.
MINNEAPOLIS Jon Gruden, the Super Bowlwinning coach turned NFL analyst, said Thursday he thinks Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler has “a lot to prove” this season. Gruden, speaking on a Monday Night Football conference call, said Cutler must show he can avoid “catastrophic plays.”
“I know Cutler has had one year with [coach] Adam Gase, and I know statistically he had a pretty good season,” Gruden said. “It wasn’t like they won a lot of games. I think Cutler has a lot to prove. I think that’s one of the reasons he came back to play. I think he’s got a lot to prove to football fans that he can win and win big, and we all know he’s got talent, understanding the system is a big story, but I think Cutler’s No. 1 agenda now is to win, and the Dolphins need him. They certainly need him.
“They’ve got a good defense. They’ve got a great young running back, they have a receiver in [DeVante] Parker that’s coming on, [Jarvis] Landry is an outstanding player. They have pieces. I just can’t wait to see if Cutler can do all the little things that I think he did not do in Chicago. That goes with taking care of the football, avoiding the catastrophic plays, and finding ways to win.
“That’s the one thing I’d love to see Jay Cutler do is find ways to put all the talent to use and be more consistent and take Miami back to the playoffs, and hopefully deep into the playoffs. I’d like to see that.”
Season tickets sold out
The Dolphins have sold out the entire allotment of season tickets for 2017 home games.
While the franchise won’t release how many season tickets have been sold, Miami’s first playoff berth in eight years last season has created the biggest jump in season-ticket sales the organization has had in a decade.
Miami recently started taking deposits at Dolphins.com for those interested in joining the wait list for 2018 season tickets.
Individual tickets for each home game played inside Hard Rock Stadium, which seats 64,767 fans, are still being sold.
The Dolphins are concluding the final stage of a $500 million-plus renovation that has been ongoing for three years. The stadium field was recently re-sodded for Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes home games.
The Dolphins open up the regular season Sept. 10 at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Miami won’t play another game inside Hard Rock Stadium until an Oct. 8 rematch with the Tennessee Titans, who beat the Dolphins 30-17 last season, triggering the season’s turning point considering Miami won six consecutive games after that loss.
The Dolphins host the New York Jets on Oct. 22, the Oakland Raiders on Nov. 5, and finish out the home games against the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills in December.
Fans interested in purchasing individual game tickets should call 1-888-FINS-TIX.
Tunsil getting adjusted
Left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who didn’t play Thursday against Minnesota, had a rough game against Philadelphia last week, getting beaten on a strip/sack (Gase took the blame) and a tackle for loss on a running play. Tunsil, the 2016 first-round pick who played left guard last year, has had an up and down preseason. Gase isn’t concerned. “I know he was really frustrated last week,” Gase said. “It’s rare for him to get beat in a game. He’s finally back at a position that he loves playing. … His awareness is really good. I felt like he had a good camp.
“I just want him to keep getting better and keep getting comfortable with Jay back there. It’s different. Guys move differently.”