October 30, 2020
One more day until Halloween, but the real treat comes in two days when the Dolphins get back on the field after a long, 14-day rest over the bye week. Yesterday, we previewed the game on Drive Time with Travis Wingfield and on MiamiDolphins.com with the Dolphins-Rams preview as well as John Congemi's three keys.
Today, we'll get the final injury report for the game and flash back to 1995 when Don Shula secured win No. 347, the final victory of his storied coaching career.
Here's what's happening today in Davie.
Injury Report
Two Dolphins did not practice on Thursday: Wide receivers Jakeem Grant (illness) and Lynn Bowden Jr. (not injury related).
Rams tight end Tyler Higbee was limited with a hand injury on Thursday.
For the rest of the Dolphins-Rams injury report, click here.
They Said It
Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin averages 87.0 yards from scrimmage per game, 16th among NFL backs. His work ethic is well-documented by Dolphins coaches and players.
"He's really done everything we've asked him to do," Dolphins Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville said. "So I think we have great trust in him and what he's doing for us right now."
"If you've been around here, you're not surprised at all about Myles," Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker said. "He goes hard. He's smart and he truly works hard not just during practice, but outside of practice."
Thursday, Gaskin talked about the importance of vision for a running back. He detailed how he pairs the mix of God-given talent and preparation to set up his cuts and the blocks in front of him.
"I would say a lot of it is God-given," Gaskin said. "And definitely throughout the week you see tendencies. Coach (Studesville) has always been great about teaching us about fronts, about what this front may lead to, what a cut-back may be or where a hole may be. So obviously pre-snap, you've got to diagnose what you want and what you want to do with it; but as soon as the ball is snapped, you're playing football and things close fast."
Around the Beat
Dolphins tight ends have scored five touchdowns, cleared lanes in the running game and played significant snaps on special teams. Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe and Adam Shaheen all play big roles for Miami, and as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, they fill those roles rather nicely.
The Mike Gesicki/Durham Smythe/Adam Shaheen troika has been better than simply competent, good enough that Miami likely won't feel any urgency to address the position in the early rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft. It's a group that new starter Tua Tagovailoa figures to rely on in his first NFL start on Sunday.
Dolphins On Social
On this Day in Dolphins History
October 30, 2005 – The Dolphins beat the Saints 21-6 at Tiger Stadium on the campus of Louisiana State University. The game was relocated as the Saints' 2005 season was played outside of New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina. Chris Chambers scored on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Gus Frerotte and Olindo Mare made four field goals to supplement Miami's six sacks and two takeaways on defense.
Stat of the Day
Jason Sanders was awarded the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October. Sanders hit on all 11 of his field goals in the month and is now a perfect 15-for-15 on the season. Sanders also won the award in December of 2019 making it two Player of the Month awards out of the last three for the Miami kicker.
Know the Rams
The Rams are averaging 6.5 yards per rush when running off left tackle and 9.1 yards off the right side, per Pro Football Focus, their two best rushing averages by gap. Running back Darrell Henderson – who ran a 4.49 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine – has the 14th-most rushing yards (412) in the NFL.
Content On Tap
Friday means Flashback and it's a special crossover edition of Drive Time with Travis Wingfield on the Miami Dolphins podcast network. O.J McDuffie and Seth Levit from The Fish Tank dive in to talk the 1995 win in St. Louis – No. 347 in the brilliant career of Hall of Fame Head Coach Don Shula – and O.J.'s fumble recovery, touchdown, and emphatic spike.
Plus, we'll check in with Johanna on Dolphins Today to get the latest from Dolphins headquarters and bring the latest on Top News on MiamiDolphins.com.
