Quinn's play bright spot for Dolphins
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Dolphins were seeking an impressive performance from a first-team offense scheduled to play most or all of the first half at Carolina on Friday night. It was a mixed bag, but all in all, not a disaster.
Defensive coordinator Matt Burke wanted his first team to rebound from a poor showing in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay. Again, a mixed bag.
There was an interception by Xavien Howard, but a long touchdown run allowed and yet another example of an opposing tight end causing agita.
Agita is indigestion, anxiety, stress or aggravation, such as, “All these Dolphins penalties are giving me agita!” or “The way these Dolphins cover
tight ends gives me agita!”
Here are five takeaways from Friday night:
1. Robert Quinn reminds us of ... Cameron Wake. Quinn was a terror for Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in the first half. He turned in two sacks and nearly had a third.
Quinn really showed in this game what he’s shown throughout training camp. Other than wide receiver, defensive end is the Dolphins’ deepest position. There will be at least one or two games decided this season by Quinn and/or Wake combining on a strip-sack. “One of our problems last year, when we came here (to Carolina), was we couldn’t get (Newton) down,” coach Adam Gase said at halftime.
2. Ryan Tannehill emerged healthy and appeared accurate. Tannehill played nearly the entire first half and was on target. He was 14 for 17 but for only 100 yards, an average of 5.9 yards per pass. Without deep playmakers Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker, the focus was on a shorter passing game. Due largely to penalties (what’s new?), the Dolphins were 0 for 5 on third downs. It was just this week Gase was saying he’s been working with Tannehill to improve on third downs.
3. We actually saw a no-huddle, up-tempo offense. Not sure if this was really “ludicrous” speed, as Miami’s fastest tempo is apparently nicknamed. But Tannehill showed once again how comfortable he is when getting to the line of scrimmage quickly. Miami opened up the game snapping the ball quickly, and it worked. There were short passes to Kenyan Drake, Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant. All three of those players are comfortable in the offense. We think the Dolphins will actually try to use this more this season.
4. Raekwon McMillan’s progress is worth monitoring. McMillan made an outstanding play in the second quarter, diagnosing a screen and firing through the backfield for a loss. McMillan looked explosive and he, with good reason, celebrated. But later in the quarter, McMillan seemed more than a step slow as Newton hit tight end Ian Thomas for a touchdown. It was unclear if McMillan was confused or just beaten by a quicker player.
McMillan must play faster than, for example, Rey Maualuga did last season. And McMillan’s not only returning from a season-ending knee injury, but if he’s not clear on what he needs to do, he can’t play full speed. McMillan also appeared blocked on a 71-yard touchdown by Christian McCaffrey on Carolina’s second play. Not that at least two other Dolphins weren’t also involved in the play.
5. Drake is Miami’s most important offensive player not named Ryan. Drake is explosive. Drake is fast. Drake is elusive. Drake is dangerous. It’s easy to forecast that Miami will throw more this season. But the Dolphins’ offense will likely be at its best when Drake rushes for 100 yards or more. In this game, Drake had 54 in the first half, which would have put him on pace.
The Dolphins may wonder if Drake can hold up to the rigors of being a bell cow for 16 NFL games, but it would be a mistake not to find out. Drake is the Dolphin with the talent most likely to move him into star status. And let’s be honest, Miami has a roster devoid of stars. In this game, Drake showed once again how he is capable of making something from nothing. Actually, he’s capable of turning nothing into something extraordinary.