How Dolphins Veterans Were Key to Huge Victory
Few things in football are sweeter than when a Monday rides the euphoria of a big Sunday win. After the Miami Dolphins’ 27-14 win against the Chicago Bears in Week 7, the team should feel satisfied with its performance against one of the more explosive teams in the league.
Vital to Miami’s third victory was presence and performance of the team's veterans. With a roster littered with young talent, it’s critical that the Dolphins’ more accomplished, battle-tested players lead by example.
Throughout the Dolphins’ huge win over Chicago, Miami’s veterans were masterful in winning individual matchups, which culminated in a dominant team performance. To be successful in the NFL, it truly takes execution by all 11 players. Miami certainly did just that, causing the Bears locker room to implode after the game, according to Kenley Young of Fox Sports.
With so many players having a strong game against the Bears, it’s only fair to highlight the Dolphins’ top veterans from Week 7.
Who impressed you the most in Week 7? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Cameron Wake’s Monster Performance
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In case anyone forgot that Cameron Wake is a premier pass-rusher, the Dolphins defensive end reminded the league on Sunday that he’s able to single-handedly destroy an offense’s game plan by pressuring the quarterback.
Wake has been far and away the best NFL's 4-3 defensive end in 2014, notching 29 quarterback pressures in 178 pass-rush snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His ability to get around the edge and collapse the pocket on the quarterback is uncanny.
"Wake doing whatever a Cameron Wake does. pic.twitter.com/QUNL88gm3Y
— Kevin Nogle (@thephinsider) October 19, 2014"
Bears’ right tackle Jordan Mills was brutalized by Wake, giving up one sack and four quarterback hurries, per PFF. This should come as no real surprise, as Wake has been this dominant in all but one game this year.
Don’t expect things to change as the Dolphins’ season moves forward. Wake is that great.
Charles Clay Returns to Form
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After five games of little involvement, Charles Clay had a statement game against the Bears. His four receptions, 58 yards and touchdown were a site for sore eyes, and the tight end was a much-needed weapon for quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
"#Dolphins OC Bill Lazor said the more he's around TE Charles Clay, the more he realizes the skills Clay has.
— James Walker (@JamesWalkerNFL) October 20, 2014"
Whether Clay was playing poorly due to his offseason knee surgery, or was being misused by offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, all that the Dolphins now can hope for is that Clay is back to his 2013 form. He looked quicker and more confident against Chicago than he had in earlier in the season, as he caught a 25-yard completion on a deep cross and a perfectly thrown 13-yard touchdown pass from Tannehill.
With Clay as a viable receiver again, Miami should be able to create mismatches with linebackers on seam routes and more opportunities for yards after the catch. He’s too fast for most linebackers, but strong enough to bully nickelbacks and safeties.
Lazor should continue featuring Clay as long as he's able make critical plays like he did in Week 7.
Reshad Jones Shines
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When Reshad Jones is playing well, there are few other safeties in the league who can impact a game like he can. For a second consecutive week, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle deserves a lot of credit for putting Jones in a position to succeed, and Jones deserves praise for executing at a high level.
"Dolphins S Reshad Jones (had INT): "After watching film all week, we saw...(Cutler) was always looking at his receivers & never looking off"
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) October 19, 2014"
Jones finished Week 7 with seven solo tackles, one clutch interception and two passes defensed. His dedication to the film room upon his return to the active roster has been quite evident in his play, as he seems to always be in perfect position to make a critical play and save the defense.
With Jones playing at the elite level he demonstrated in 2012, Miami’s defense should continue to be a top-10 unit. Currently, Miami ranks fourth best both in passing yards and total yards allowed per game. Having an impact safety who forces opposing quarterbacks to be perfect with their throws is a rare advantage that few teams have.
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Ryan Tannehill Was Masterful
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We looked at Tannehill’s excellent play in depth earlier, noting that he was much more confident and effective against the Bears than he was in the Dolphins’ first three games of the season. His performance against Chicago continues his streak of excellent performances, which includes the entirety of the Dolphins win over the Raiders and the second half against the Packers.
The third-year QB's recent play has caught the eye of Fox Sports' Peter Schrager:
"Just watched Dolphins-Bears. Guess what? Ryan Tannehill's a big time quarterback. Last 3 weeks, has been as good as anyone.
— P. Schrager (@PSchrags) October 20, 2014"
Tannehill is clearly grasping the new offense better, and his weapons aren’t dropping the ball as frequently as they were earlier in the season. That makes a more effective unit and a more successful team. Tannehill’s growth in recent weeks will need to continue for the Dolphins to reach the playoffs, and his Week 7 play is the performance that should be the goal every week.
Cortland Finnegan Responds
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Just one week ago, Cortland Finnegan had his worst game as a Dolphin, allowing Packers’ rookie Davante Adams to have a career day. Most damaging, was Finnegan’s lack of focus on the final drive, where he allowed Adams to drag him to the 5-yard line with seconds to go, setting up the game-winning touchdown pass.
Finnegan had to improve this week, and he responded with an inspired performance. Despite being overmatched by several inches when lined up against Chicago wideouts Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey, Finnegan tallied two passes defensed and didn’t allow the dynamic duo to break off chunk plays downfield.
His feistiness also paid off at the end of the game, when Marshall was clearly rattled by Finnegan's tight, physical coverage. Finnegan allowed Chicago to complete some underneath gains, but he shut down the big plays that Chicago depends on to be successful.
Mike Wallace Provides Consistency
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Even last season, imagining Mike Wallace in his current role seemed impossible. After all, Wallace is one of the more decorated deep-ball receivers in the NFL, known for his early-career success in Pittsburgh. But after his inability to connect with Tannehill on deep passes due to poor accuracy and dropped passes, Wallace has become a reliable, possession-type receiver.
Averaging just 12 yards a catch in 2014, Wallace has been the go-to receiver for the offense. Whether on a screen or a deep out, Wallace is the primary read nearly every play. And he’s been open quite often. The de-emphasis of the deep ball in Miami’s offense has re-invigorated Wallace, who is no longer stressing on making the big play happen.
He and Tannehill nearly completed a deep ball in Week 1, but Wallace could not establish both feet in bounds. Since then, Miami has tried to get Wallace in space and allow him to play more freely. By playing loose, Wallace has had a touchdown catch in all but one game this year, and his game against the Bears continued to show his evolvement.
On Wallace’s 10-yard touchdown reception, Tannehill threw Wallace open, delivering the ball right as Wallace broke away from single coverage. That chemistry is something that’s been worked on for two seasons, and Tannehill’s trust in Wallace to go make a tough catch paid off.
Branden Albert Shuts Down Jared Allen
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Trench play is often overlooked, but not by the wise. Of Miami’s major free-agent signings in the past few off-seasons, none has been better than Branden Albert. Albert has been an elite left tackle for the Dolphins, and his terrific play continued in Week 7 against one of the best pass-rushers of the last decade, Jared Allen.
Albert turned in an incredible game, earning a PFF grade of 5.9. His ability to be a drive-blocking force in the running game was critical against, as the interior line struggled dearly. His run-blocking grade of 3.9 was his highest mark since 2010, per PFF. Miami will continue to lean on the veteran for the foreseeable future, because he’s been so effective for the offense.
Albert did allow one sack to Allen, but that sack was more of Allen was cleaning up the work of his teammate Jay Ratliff, rather than poor protection on the part of the Dolphin left tackle. Week in and out, Albert has been a shining star on Tannehill's blind side. Against Chicago and Allen, though, he gave his most complete performance to date.
And it came when Miami needed him most.
All stats used are from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats (subscription required) or sports-reference.com. All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.com.
Ian Wharton is a Miami Dolphins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, contributor for Optimum Scouting and analyst for FinDepth.
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