Miami Dolphins: 3 things to watch for in preseason Week 2 game

What to watch in Miami Dolphins preseason Week 2:

How much will starters play? If at all?

When the NFL had four games during the preseason, it was common practice around the league to have your third game be your dress rehearsal. It was the game when the starters usually played the entirety of the first half, and it was the first real glimpse of what a team might look like come the start of the regular season.

But now that the slate has been cut down to three games, it is unclear as to when there will be a dress rehearsal, if at all. While it is true that Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce played snaps for the Chiefs in their first preseason game, it is becoming more of the norm to let the important players rest as much as possible before the 17-game grind.

So what does a team like the Miami Dolphins do? They have a slew of talent up and down their roster, but not a lot of depth to go behind them, making their health of the utmost importance. At the same time, they are a young and rather inexperienced bunch, especially the offense and especially under a new head coach and new system. It is important that Tua Tagovailoa and company get all the necessary reps that they can to ensure that they are ready for Week 1, but is the coaching staff willing to risk preseason injury?

We’ll find out close to game time on Saturday when the list of inactive players in released. Last week’s list featured nearly every veteran starter on both sides of the ball, but this week’s version may be a bit shorter.