Dolphins vs. Patriots Reactions: Stocks Up, Stocks Down Since Miami’s Week 5 Win

The Miami Dolphins’ Week 5 win over the New England Patriots was anything but pretty. The team continues to struggle with self-inflicted problems. Everything went wrong in this game, from the continuation of pre-snap penalties, an interception, a blocked punt, a missed field goal, a botched snap on a field goal, a stupid roughing penalty on the passer, and more. It was ugly, but it was a win and sends Miami into the bye week with some positive news.

The Dolphins have a lot of things to get right this coming bye week. They still have one game left before starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can return, so they have at least one more start from Tyler Huntley. Can they get the offense in order and score 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 excels in that role. After watching him disappear in 2023, Ogbah is again looking like the player who led Miami in sacks in 2020 and 2021. He recorded four tackles and a sack on Sunday and always seemed to have the ball when 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 due to a knee injury last year. Ogbah is of great importance to the Dolphins as he is consistently an effective pass rusher and edge setter.

Tyus Bowser, linebacker – Um… who? The Dolphins released Bowser from the Seattle Seahawks practice squad three days ago. He made an immediate impact on the Dolphins. He was initially credited with half a sack but it was changed to give Ogbah the full sack. He only officially recorded one tackle, but Bowser played a anchoring role in a defense that needed someone to step in immediately. After seven years with the Baltimore Ravens, he is already familiar with the basics of the Dolphins’ defensive system and should only get better as he gets used to the tweaks and updates that 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 quickness to break away, but also isn’t afraid to run up the middle, drop a shoulder and try to run through tacklers. The Dolphins have depth at running back and Wright could quickly force the team to find more ways to get him the ball.

Alec Ingold, full-back – Ingold is one such weapon for the Dolphins. He may not be the player who achieves glory with a run, but he is probably the guy who made the game possible. He seems to live for making the key block that gives his teammate a big lead. He is good at blitz attacks and can judge defenses very well. He scored a rushing touchdown for just the second time in his career, the last time 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 of his career and the second-highest rushing yards he ever had. Even though he’s no longer carrying the ball this year, Ingold’s impact on the offense is undeniable.

Tyler Huntley, quarterback – Huntley was just 18 of 31 for 194 yards with one interception, so that’s not a huge step up from the standard list, but he looked more competent and comfortable on offense, making him at least notable in this category. Sometimes he still feels like the game moves too quickly, but once he settles in, he makes good decisions. He tends to hold the ball too long or try to find the perfect throw instead of running, but Week 5 was better than Week 4, meaning his stock is increasing – even if it’s gradual.

Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Jonnu Smith, wide receiver and tight end – These weren’t dominant performances that would turn the Dolphins’ offense into a record-breaking unit, but they at least showed some semblance of performance for the first time in a long time. Hill had six receptions for 69 yards, Waddle four for 46 and Smith five for 62. If the Dolphins can get all three into rhythm, the offense might not look so stagnant and out of rhythm.

Inventory decreased

Danny Crossman, special teams coordinator – Everything on special teams was tough on Sunday, except perhaps wide receiver Braxton Berrios’ one return from a kick on the sideline. Otherwise, the special teams were ugly – and we’ll blame that on Crossman. A Dolphins punt was blocked, a field goal attempt bounced off the upright, they were called for a false start on a field goal attempt and a snap traveled the floor and resulted in a turnover on downs – on the field scoring attempt after the false start penalty. It was a tough day for special teams.

Injuries – The Dolphins cannot escape the risk of injury. 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 team members in every single game this year, and we’re not even talking about Tagovailoa being on injured reserve. Achane’s injury is at least the fourth concussion suffered by a Dolphins player this year – Tagovailoa, tackle Terron Armstead and cornerback Kendall Fuller are the other three.

Mike McDaniel, Head Coach – The game planning and the game instructions are simply not where they should be. McDaniel needs to go back to basics and start playing to the team’s strengths, not his idea 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’s only been in for three weeks. When the Dolphins turned to the running game despite Achane’s injury, the team had success. Stick with it, become the run game coordinator again and utilize the ground game more. Not every play has to be the perfect decision to get an 80-yard score. That will come, but if we focus on what matters, this team can succeed.

discipline – Maybe this should fall to head coach Mike McDaniel, but he can’t control when a player like Jalen Ramsey decides to hit the opposing quarterback in the face as he runs past. No reason for the hit – the ball was clearly gone and Ramsey was looking at the pass; He just stiff-armed Jacoby Brissett in the face. If that were the only case, Ramsey would probably be listed here, but that wasn’t the case. The Dolphins again had illegal shifts, blocks in the back and holds. The team needs to play more disciplined football in the future. It’s not just the coaching staff – the players know how to avoid penalties like shoving in 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 needs to get better. Huntley sometimes holds the ball too long, but the offensive line doesn’t always give him the time he needs to find an open receiver. Center Aaron Brewer’s botched snap was ugly, and everyone else on offense wasn’t calm when Brewer sailed the ball over Brissett’s head just before the first half’s two-minute warning.