Monday morning center: Dolphins o-line review at Chicago

First and foremost, I want everyone to slowly take their hand away from the panic button. There is no question that this group struggled at times, but it’s week one of the preseason-they’re supposed to struggle. There were also some positive developments that came out of this game, let me explain.

Note: After each contest this season, we will be rewatching the game and grading how the offensive line performed. For pre season football, we don’t have access to the all-22 so the grades won’t be perfect, but a lot of information can still be gathered from broadcast angles. 

First team offensive line

LT: Austin Jackson

Austin Jackson had a day to forget in Chicago. His technique was sloppy in pass sets, he looked indecisive, and seemed to be physically overmatched at times. Out of Miami’s expected regulars, Jackson struggled the most.

Grade: D-

LG: Solomon Kindley

Kindley didn’t stand out in this contest, but he also didn’t struggle quite as badly as Jackson did. This was Kindley’s opportunity to lock down a spot in the starting rotation and he put forward a very “meh” performance.

Grade: C

C: Michael Deiter

I have been critical of Miami sending Dieter out as the starting center, but I am prepared to admit that I could be wrong. He didn’t have an amazing game, but he was surprisingly steady in pass protection. He found himself on the ground too often on run plays, which will hinder his ability to make those second level blocks, but there weren’t any plays (to my recollection) that failed because of Dieter.

Grade: B-

RG: Robert Hunt

This wasn’t a great day by Hunt’s standards, but he still showed up and had a decent performance. Like everyone else, he looked sloppy in the run game (which is extremely out of character for him), but there is no need for concern here.

Grade: B

RT: Jesse Davis

Jesse Davis showed exactly what we have come to expect from him. There were a few plays that left you scratching your head, but he was average for the most part. Not great, but usually not awful. I’m not sure that Miami should be alright with that kind of performance at this point, but he won’t typically be a game wrecker.

Grade: C-

*Adam Pankey and Matt Skura both came in with the first team towards the middle of the second quarter and played into the second half.

This group had some really strong plays in the passing game (most notably the long pass to Gesicki), but routinely struggled to get much going on the ground. There were also times where a back was indecisive or missed a wide open cut back lane, so it wasn’t all on the offensive line. Though, It was an uneven performance to say the least.

Grade: C

Backups/reserve players

Like most teams this past weekend, it was a mixed bag with the backup offensive line. While Matt Skura, Jermaine Eluemunor, and Larnel Coleman each had good games, Robert Jones and Adam Pankey struggled mightily. Jones is an undrafted free agent, so that shouldn’t a total shock for anyone. Pankey on the other hand has been receiving first team reps in practice and even in this game-he needs to be better.

Stock up

Miami’s centers: Michael Deiter and Matt Skura were two of Miami’s top performers along the offensive line. They weren’t dominant in the run game, but neither of them gave up a single sack, pressure or hurry. Cameron Tom saw very limited action, but in those few snaps he looked solid as well. A lot of people expected the center position to be Miami’s weakest, but that might not be the case.

Larnel Coleman: To me, this is one of the most pleasant surprises of the entire game. Larnel Coleman is a seventh round draft choice out of UMass Amherst-expectations were not high going into this season or contest. No one should overreact here, but Coleman had the best performance out of any Miami tackle- who saw that coming?

Jermaine Eluemunor: I feel like I’ve been screaming this from the roof tops for a while now, but Jermaine Eluemunor is one of Miami’s best offensive lineman. I understand wanting to give players like Jesse Davis and Solomon Kindley those jobs first-they’ve been here in Miami working with coach Flores and his staff. At the end of the day though, they need to put the best five out there and Eluemunor should at least be getting some first team reps.

Film: Eluemunor and Coleman looking solid

Stock down

Austin Jackson and the first team offensive tackles: Out of Jackson, Davis, and Pankey (who are presumably Miami’s top three tackles) not a single one of them put forward an encouraging performance. Jackson, Davis and Pankey all clearly struggled. I know that Jackson is an extremely young player, he is physically gifted, and by all accounts is a high character guy. Those things all matter, but at the end of the day he has to perform better than that. We should all hope for a bounce back next week against Atlanta. Jackson is capable of so much more and he has to start putting it together.

Film: Jackson’s tough day at the office 

Final thoughts

As stated before, there is no reason to panic just yet. The most concerning thing we saw in Chicago was the play from the offensive tackles. This game definitely explains Miami looking for tackle depth a few weeks ago and they should still be looking.  With that said, that group could get a bump from either Eichenberg returning, Eluemunor being switched to tackle, or Coleman getting more looks with the first team. After an uneven performance in Chicago, lets hope for a bounce back in Atlanta.