The Miami Dolphins struggled throughout their Week 5 game against the New England Patriots, but came away with the win. Who saw their stock rise or fall during the game?
The Miami Dolphins’ Week 5 win over the New England Patriots was anything but pretty. The team continues to struggle with self-inflicted issues. They had everything go wrong in this game, from a continuation of pre-snap penalties through an interception, a blocked punt, a missed field goal, a botched snap on a field goal, a dumb roughing the passer penalty, and more. It was ugly, but it was a win and sends Miami into their bye week with some positive news.
The Dolphins have a lot of things to fix during their upcoming bye week. They have one more game before starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can return, leaving them at least one more start from Tyler Huntley. Can they fix the offense and put up some points against the Indianapolis Colts in two weeks?
We take a look at who saw their stock rise or fall during the team’s Week 5 win.
Stock Up
Emmanuel Ogbah, linebacker – Ogbah is listed as a linebacker, but he plays as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end and he excels in that role. After seeing him disappear in 2023, Ogbah is back to looking like the player who led Miami in sacks in 2020 and 2021. He recorded four tackles and a sack on Sunday and seemed to always be around the ball any time the Patriots tried to run it. With linebacker Jaelan Phillips out for the year with a knee injury and linebacker Bradley Chubb still on the physically unable to perform list from a knee injury last year. Ogbah serving as a consistently impactful pass rusher and edge setter is huge for the Dolphins.
Tyus Bowser, linebacker – Ummmm…who? The Dolphins signed Bowser off the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad three days ago. He immediately made an impact for the Dolphins. He was initially credited with a half sack, but it was changed to give the full sack to Ogbah. He only officially recorded a tackle, but Bowser provided a solidifying role on a defense in need of someone to fill in immediately. He is already familiar with the basis of the Dolphins’ defensive system after seven years with the Baltimore Ravens and he should only get better as he gets used to the tweaks and updates defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has made with the Dolphins.
Jaylen Wright, running back – Wright stepped up down the stretch, recording 13 carries for a team-high 86 rushing yards. He has the speed to break away, but he also is not afraid to run up the middle, lower a shoulder, and try to run through tacklers. The Dolphins have depth at running back and Wright could quickly force the team into finding more ways to get him the ball.
Alec Ingold, fullback – Ingold is such a weapon for the Dolphins to have. He might not be the player getting the glory on a run, but he is probably the guy who made the play happen. He seems to live for making the key block that springs his teammate for a big gain. He picks up blitzes and he reads defenses so very well. He scored a rushing touchdown for just the second time in his career, the last coming in his first year with Miami in 2022. He has six rushes for 11 yards this season, tied for the second-most rushing attempts he has had in his career and the second-most rushing yards he has had. Even if he does not carry the ball again this year, Ingold’s impact on the offense is undeniable.
Tyler Huntley, quarterback – Huntley was only 18-for-31 for 194 yards with an interception, so this is not a huge step up on the stock watch, but he looked more competent and comfortable with the offense, which does make him at least noteworthy in this category. It still feels like the game is moving too fast for him at times, but when he settles in, he makes good decisions. He tends to hold the ball too long, or tries to find the perfect throw rather than run at times, but Week 5 was better than Week 4, which means his stock is moving up – even if it is incremental.
Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Jonnu Smith, wide receivers and tight end – These were not dominating performances that make the Dolphins’ offense a record-setting unit, but they at least showed sparks of showing up for the first time in awhile. Hill had six receptions for 69 yards, Waddle four for 46, and Smith five for 62. If the Dolphins can get all three of them into rhythm, the offense might stop looking so stagnant and out of rhythm.
Stock Down
Danny Crossman, special teams coordinator – Everything about the special teams was rough on Sunday, except maybe the one return from wide receiver Braxton Berrios on a shanked kick down the sideline. Otherwise, the special teams were ugly – and we are going to pin that on Crossman. The Dolphins had a punt blocked, they had a field goal attempt bounce off the upright, they were called for a false start on a field goal attempt, and they had a snap skim the ground and lead to a turnover on downs – on the field goal attempt following the false start penalty. It was a rough day for the special teams.
Injuries – The Dolphins cannot avoid the injury bug. Running back De’Von Achane left the game with a concussion and safety Jevon Holland left with a hand injury. Miami seems to be dealing with injuries to key members of the team in every single game this year, and we are not even talking about Tagovailoa being on injured reserve. Achane’s injury is at least the fourth concussion sustained by a Dolphins player this year – Tagovailoa, tackle Terron Armstead, and cornerback Kendall Fuller the other three.
Mike McDaniel, head coach – The game planning and play calling just is not where it needs to be. McDaniel needs to get back to basics and start playing to the team’s strengths, not to his vision of how the team should play. Huntley is the third starting quarterback Miami has had in five weeks of play. He needs to take the pressure off a player trying to run an offense he has only been in for three weeks. When the Dolphins turned to the running game down the stretch – despite the injury to Achane – the team found success. Stick with that, return to being a run-game coordinator, and use the ground game more. Every play does not have to be the perfect call to break loose for an 80-yard score. Those will come, but get back to the basics and this team can have success.
Discipline – Maybe this should also fall on head coach Mike McDaniel here, but he cannot control when a player like Jalen Ramsey decides to hit the opposing quarterback in the face as he runs by him. No reason for the hit – the ball was clearly gone, and Ramsey was looking toward the pass; he just stiff-armed Jacoby Brissett in the face. If that were the only case, Ramsey would likely be listed here, but it was not. The Dolphins again had instances of illegal shifts, blocks in the back, and holds. The team has to play more disciplined football moving forward. It is not all on the coaching staff – the players know how to avoid penalties like shoving the quarterback’s face.
Offensive line – The line still needs work. Having Terron Armstead back at left tackle helped, but overall the offensive line still has to get better. Huntley may hold the ball too long at times, but the offensive line does not always give him the time he needs to find an open receiver. Center Aaron Brewer’s botched snap was ugly, with everyone else on the offense still getting settled when Brewer sailed the ball over Huntley’s head just before the first-half’s two-minute warning.
