Accentuating the positives from the Miami Dolphins’ Opener

The Miami Dolphins defeated the Tennessee Titans 27 – 20 in the season opener.  What are the positives we can take out of the game?

The Dolphins won their season opener against the Titans.  Being the first game of the season, you can expect opening game jitters, a little rust and lack of cohesiveness to cause your share of mistakes.  Adding to that were a couple of two hour weather delays, putting a damper on developing any kind of rhythm in the game.  Instead of dweling on those negative aspects, let’s concentrate on the positives that came out of the Dolphins’ victory.

The Frank Gore and Kenyan Drake backfield tandem.  The dynamic duo of Gore and Drake gave us a little taste of what’s to come.  They will keep the opposing defense on their toes as they stay fresh, rotating in and out of the game.  Frank Gore demonstrated that he has sipped from the Fountain of Youth, playing with the same explosiveness and tenacity that he has shown year over year and Kenyan Drake displayed his vision, speed and catching abilities.  The pair combined for 109 yards on 23 carries for an average of 4.7 yards per touch and Drake added 18 yards on three receptions.

(Did you want the ball more in the second half? Because you were really getting it done in the first half.) – 

"“I’m going to do whatever the coaches want. Whenever my number gets called, I’m going to try to do my best.” Frank Gore via miamidolphins.com"

Minkah Fitzpatrick’s debut.  The rookie out of the University of Alabama, the Dolphins #1 pick, makes his case for being worthy of that selection.  Fitzpatrick had a total of six tackles, consisting of three solo tackles and 3 assists.  One of those tackles could be considered one of the most important tackles of the game.  With Tennessee going for the touchdown on fourth and goal from the three yard line, Marcus Mariota passed short right to Corey Davis, Minkah had a great read on the play and stuffed Davis on the two yard line, turning the ball over to the Dolphins.   Minkah also added a pass defended to his game one statistics.

(It feel like three days ago, but that goal line stop you made ended up being a huge play and won you guys the game. What happened, what did you see on that?) – 

"“They were three in a bunch, and one of the plays they run is that pick play. Where they take number one, try and pick the nickel, which I was playing, and take number three and send him to the flat, and I just had to fight through the block, and just make the tackle.”  Minkah Fitzpatrick via miamidolphins.com"

Ryan Tannehill’s return.  Tannehill looked confident in his first regular season game in over a year, even though the game took over seven hours to complete.  Ryan completed 20 out of 28 attempts for a 71% completion rate, passed for 230 yards and scored two touchdowns in the air.  One of those touchdowns was a perfectly placed, over the shoulder, pass to Kenny Stills for a 75 yard score.  Yes, he had two interceptions.  Let’s just chalk that up to getting back into the game for the first time since the 2016 season and sitting for four hours in the middle of the game, waiting for the weather to clear.

(The 75 yard strike.) – 

"“We just had a post route on and the corner was sitting outside and used our speed. The line protected and Ryan (Tannehill) threw a great ball down the field and I made a play on the field.”  Kenny Stills via miamidolpins.com"

The defensive unit.

The defensive squad as a whole showed a lot of promise, especially considering the number of first and second year players.  The defense allowed just thirteen points, including only one touchdown in the game.  The run defense exhibited hope that they are moving in the right direction, limiting the big plays to a minimum, allowing only one play of twenty yards or more.  They had a great goal line stop with the Titans at first and goal on the five yard line.  The secondary secured three interceptions, two by Reshad Jones, one of which he returned for fifty four yards.

(Your first career two-pick game. You talked before the season that was something you hadn’t accomplished yet that you wanted to do. How exciting was that?) – 

"It was very exciting. It helped the team win a football game. But it wasn’t just me, it was a total team effort. The front seven played well. Those guys got after the quarterback, and I was just back there doing my job to make the play.”  Reshad Jones via miamidolphins.com"

It was only game one of the season, but the Dolphins had a lot of reassuring and positive moments against a playoff team from last year.  It looks like it could be a bright future for this team, this year and beyond.