October 13, 2020
Miami's 43-17 win Sunday in San Francisco helped vault the team's statistical standings, some individual rankings, and gave the Dolphins a positive point differential (+23) on the season.
After some schedule reconfiguration, the Dolphins will now play at home next Sunday against AFC East rival, the New York Jets. Miami can get back to .500 with a victory heading into the new bye week (originally scheduled for Week 11, now in Week 7).
It was the home date with the Jets last season that sparked Mike Gesicki's consistent production. The Dolphins' tight end caught six passes for 95 yards in that game. In the 14-game period from that 26-18 Dolphins victory, to the win Sunday in San Francisco, Gesicki has 54 receptions for 698 yards and seven touchdowns – all from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Here's what's happening today in Davie.
Injury Report
The first injury report for next Sunday's game vs. the Jets will be available Wednesday.
They Said It
Gesicki caught a 70-yard pass from Fitzpatrick Sunday, the longest play for Miami this season. It was also the longest play since Week 11 in 2018 when Ryan Tannehill found Leonte Carroo for a 74-yard touchdown in Indianapolis.
Since Fitzpatrick's arrival, Gesicki has been compiling gaudy stats, ranking among the league's top tight ends. His 15.6 yards per reception is second this year among all those at his position with at least 10 catches. He's only been in the league for three years, but the Penn State product didn't mince his words when revealing his favorite player and teammate.
"(Fitzpatrick) is the greatest teammate I've played with," Gesicki said. "If I could play with him for the next 15 years, I would do it. He's the man. I love playing with him and he's helped me out a ton, so I'll always be appreciative of him."
Perhaps Fitzpatrick draws on Gesicki's youth to maintain that vibrant, youthful spirit that has endeared him to Dolphins fans everywhere. His comments after the Week 3 win in Jacksonville made headlines.
"Every time Mike scores a touchdown or makes a catch, the look on his face is like he's never caught a ball before," Fitzpatrick said. "I feel like the luckiest guy in the world sometimes getting to go outside and play football with my friends."
Around the Beat
Fitzpatrick may be young in spirit, but the guys in front of him are young in every sense of the word. With rookie Austin Jackson placed on injured reserve Friday, the Dolphins called upon another rookie in the form of second-round pick Robert Hunt to shape the offensive line. Hunt stepped in at right tackle and performed admirably in place of Jesse Davis, who seamlessly swapped sides and held down the left tackle position.
Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post wrote about Miami's impressive performance up front.
Dolphins On Social
On this Day in Dolphins History
October 13, 2002 – The Dolphins and Broncos collide for an epic prime time showdown pitting two of the AFC's top teams head-to-head under a moonlit Mile High night. Jason Elam and Olindo Mare swapped field goals in the final minute of the game, but it was Mare's 53-yard boot with six seconds to play that gave Miami a 24-22 win and a 5-1 record.
Former Dolphins receiver Oronde Gadsden appeared on an episode of Drive Time with Travis Wingfield this summer to talk about that game.
Stat of the Day
Cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Byron Jones have played two games together so far in Miami (Jones exited the Buffalo game after the first series). In those two games, opposing quarterbacks targeted the Dolphins lockdown perimeter corners 11 times with minimal success. Only five passes have been completed for 57 yards, no touchdowns, an interception and a passer rating of 23.7, per Pro Football Focus.
Content On Tap
Tuesday means the return of Dolphins Today. Joanna gets you caught up on the latest around Davie, including the newest edition of Drive Time with Travis Wingfield. We'll cover the all-22 notes and key stats from the game and hear from the Dolphins coordinators and defensive assistants. As always, we'll recap the days events on MiamiDolphins.com with the Top News story.
Plus, the Fish Tank is back with a can't miss episode. In honor of Jets week, Seth and Juice welcome Bart Scott into the tank. Can't wait!
