The second week of joint practices for the Dolphins this August began Wednesday in Houston. It was a day of big plays on both sides of the ball as Miami looks to finish up a strong week with another day of work tomorrow with the Texans.
Practice 14, August 16, 2023
Top Moment
Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel has done a little bit of everything since hearing his name called in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Initially a spot-starter with sack production off the edge, Van Ginkel's role has evolved into effective rusher, tough run defender, special teams ace and overall playmaker.
That continued Wednesday in Houston as the fifth-year linebacker picked off Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
"I feel like the defense did good," cornerback Xavien Howard said. "We made some plays. 'Gink' (Andrew Van Ginkel) especially made a lot of plays today. That dude will ball no matter where he's at on the field."
Van Ginkel broke up another pass and was part of the pass rush onslaught brought on by the Fins. Fellow linebacker Jaelan Phillips was in the backfield frequently. Spectators would be hard-pressed to find a loss in the one-on-one pass rush drills. Then Phillips registered at least two sacks in the team period.
Top Quote:
I hate to lose any rep. So one-on-one, it doesn’t matter. Walk-through, it doesn’t matter. You want to create that type of mentality when you go into those one-on-ones. Even though it’s a defensive drill, you still want to go out and compete.” Dolphins LT Terron Armstead on joint practices
Just as the sacks and splash plays were aplenty on defense, touchdowns came frequently for the offense. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa carved up the red zone with touchdown throws to running back Raheem Mostert and wide receivers Braxton Berrios, River Cracraft and Tyreek Hill.
Hill also caught what very well could've been a 40-yard touchdown in the two-minute drill. He was ruled down at the 20-yard-line, but the tag-off looked more like a pinky nail grazing the hip than an actual corralling of a cheetah. This came one play after Tagovailoa found tight end Durham Smythe for 40 yards working the backside of a full-field progression.
More Top Performers
The aforementioned Armstead continues to build towards opening day with more reps during 11-on-11. In limited work, Armstead clamped the pass rush of the Texans.
Safety Elijah Campbell nearly had a pick-six of his own during the Texans two-minute operation. He stepped in front of a pass from Stroud and got a hand on the ball, nearly making a one-handed interception.
Social Roundup
For more analysis on Dolphins training camp, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield – available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
