Williams breaks out and the ‘D’ stops Kittle
Williams has a breakout game
Preston Williams had a sensational training camp for the Dolphins, but got off to a slow start in the first month of the season for various reasons. But the Dolphins’ second-year receiver heated up on Sunday, producing his first every 100-yard game as anNFLreceiver. Williams caught four passes for 106 yards and scored a 32-yard touchdown in the third quarter. The hope is that Miami will continue to lean onWilliams as one of the team’sprimaryweapons as the season progresses.
Dolphins lock down George Kittle
Kittle, who is arguably one of the best tight ends in the NFL, came into Sunday’s game against the Dolphins having caught 15 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown. So the expectationwas that he’d likely continue to be a primary target for the 49ers, but Eric Rowe and the Dolphins defense madesure they tookhimout of the game, and 49ers offense struggled without their passing game’s top target. Kittle finished Sunday’s game with four receptions for 44 yards.
Gailey had no interest in twodecadehistory repeating itself
The most infamous 30-7 lead in Dolphins history happened on Oct. 23, 2000 when Miami, on the road at The Meadowlands led by that score in the fourth quarter of a Monday Night Football against the Jets. The Dolphins, then 5-1, utterly collapsed, allowed the Jets to score 30 points in the fourth quarter en route to a 40-37 overtime loss. Back then, the Dolphins offensive coordinator was Chan Gailey. On Sunday, the Dolphins clearly weren’t facing a quarterback as able as the 2000 Jets’ Vinny Testaverde, but still had to feel great relief when the Dolphins kicked the field goal that took it from 37 points to 40.
JakeemGrant has had big troubles catching punts in California
With the returner’s mishandle of a first-quarter punt, that ran his total to three punt muffs in three Dolphins games played in California (also in 2016 games in San Diego and Los Angeles). Regardless of game location, he has to up the ball security and also not catch balls around his own 5.
Sanders remains perfect
Jason Sanders, the Dolphins’ kicker the past twoseasons, set the franchise record for most consecutive made field goals to begin a season with 14. Pete Stoyanovich (1990) and Olindo Mare (2001) previously shared the record with 13 in a rowto open a season. Sanders, a New Mexico product the Dolphins selected in the seventh round of the 2018 draft, made all four of his field goal attempts on Sunday, and that includes a 50-yarder. Sanders is 13 for 13 on field goals this season in the first five games, and is on pace to break Jay Feely’s single season field goal percentage record of 91.3 percent (21of 23), whichwas set in 2007.