Miami Dolphins Week 8 Stock Report
The Dan Campbell is off to a red-hot start.
The Miami Dolphins are 2-0 under their interim head coach, and they are playing with an attitude that is emblematic of a complete turnaround. This team has the talent to contend for a playoff spot. We didn't see it in the first four games of the season, but we've seen it in spades in the past two.
That being said, their biggest challenge is yet to come.
With a road game against the New England Patriots on Thursday night, the Dolphins will face their toughest test yet this season. If they come out with as much fire and passion as they had against the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans, the Patriots are in for a rude awakening that the AFC East will not be a cakewalk in 2015.
Let's take a look at a few players whose stock is on the rise headed into Thursday night, and a few others who need to turn things around on the big stage.
Stock Up: Ryan Tannehill
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Nineteen pass attempts. Eighteen consecutive completions.
Coupled with seven straight completions that ended his day in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill set an NFL record with 25 straight completions from the end of Week 6 until his first incomplete pass in Week 7, which subsequently ended his day.
The Dolphins kept things easy for Tannehill; according to Pro Football Focus, he didn't throw a single pass that traveled further than 19 yards downfield, and he only threw three passes that traveled further than nine yards downfield.
That being said, Tannehill's stock isn't up just because he's playing extremely well. It's up because the Dolphins are putting him in a better position to succeed. He is not being asked to carry the offense with 40-plus pass attempts week-in and week-out like he was in the first four games of the season. A solid, consistent, effective and frequently utilized running game has been one of Tannehill's best weapons.
Stock Down: DeVante Parker
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As a team, the Dolphins are on a roll. Some of the individuals, however, still have yet to hit stride this season. One of those individuals is rookie wide receiver DeVante Parker, who has just four catches for 49 yards in 2015. The first-round pick missed most of the offseason following foot surgery, but according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Parker said his foot has been fully recovered "for weeks."
According to Pro Football Focus, Parker was in for 42 of the Dolphins' 78 offensive snaps in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills, and 23 snaps in Week 4 against the New York Jets in Joe Philbin's last game as head coach. In the past two games, though, he has totaled 23 snaps. He has not been targeted on a single pass since Week 3.
Meanwhile, Rishard Matthews has caught 10 of the 12 passes thrown his way and Jarvis Landry has caught 12 of 18 passes thrown his way.
Parker is a talented receiver, so it's fair to wonder what the hangup is with getting him on the field. The best explanation right now might be that Landry and Matthews have been playing so well. At some point, Parker is going to be worked into the game plan more. It just appears to be taking him longer than expected.
Stock Up: Ndamukong Suh
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Finally, Ndamukong Suh is on the board with his first—and second—sacks of the season. The Dolphins were probably hoping for an immediate payoff to their $114 million investment, but at least Suh is making the impact that they knew he was capable of making when they signed him this offseason.
In addition to his two sacks, Suh got pressure on the quarterback four more times, three of them for hits.
But it's not always just about the sacks. In fact, Suh has been on an upward trend for the past few weeks, beginning in Week 4 against the New York Jets when he tallied four quarterback pressures and a hit. He had two hurries and two batted passes last week against the Tennessee Titans, and two more this week against the Texans.
On both sides of the ball, head coach Dan Campbell's tough-nosed mentality is catching on. It starts with the trench play on both offense and defense, which has been markedly better since Campbell became the interim coach. If Suh continues to play the way he's been playing lately, the Dolphins defensive line will reach its star-studded potential.
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Stock Down: Jamar Taylor
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As a group, the Dolphins defense did not leave a lot to be desired this week, but cornerback Jamar Taylor is one individual who might have liked to play better against the Houston Texans.
He was targeted nine times and gave up six receptions (66.6 percent) for 103 yards and a touchdown, marking the fourth straight week that he has allowed at least 60 percent of the passes into his coverage to be completed.
The Dolphins had hoped Taylor could step into a starting role on defense opposite Brent Grimes this season, but so far the third-year cornerback has disappointed. He finally earned his first start of the season last week, but he didn't exactly make the most of the extra opportunities.
Stock Up: Lamar Miller
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Yep, the running game has made its return to Miami.
It only took one half for running back Lamar Miller to put up better numbers than anything he posted in an entire game up to this point. Miller ran through the Texans defense for 175 yards on 14 carries and scored his second rushing touchdown of the season. He added another 61 receiving yards and a touchdown on three catches.
The Dolphins have finally committed to the running game, and Miller is the biggest beneficiary. His services will be required in a major capacity against the Patriots, whose biggest flaw may be its run defense that currently ranks 24th in yards per carry allowed at 4.5.
Miller still has yet to crack the 20-carry plateau, but this may be the week for him to do it. The Patriots came prepared to stuff the run against the New York Jets (29 carries for 89 yards), but the Dolphins have a quarterback and receivers who can really make the Patriots pay for loading the box.
Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics obtained via Pro Football Focus.
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