Miami Dolphins Week 14 Stock Report
The wins don't get much uglier than this one, folks. But an ugly win is better than a pretty loss every day of the week.
The Miami Dolphins sneaked away with a 15-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens in a game in which they totaled eight first downs on offense. Thanks to a stingy defensive performance, a few timely mistakes by the Ravens offense and an effective game for Dolphins running back Lamar Miller, the Dolphins made enough plays to win.
But Miller was just one of several players who stepped up in a big way to help bring the Dolphins to victory. That being said, there were a number of players who failed to put their best foot forward Sunday. Here's a look at both.
Stock Up: Olivier Vernon
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There might not be a defensive player in the NFL who is currently playing at as high a level as Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon over the past month.
On Sunday against the Ravens, Vernon notched 12 total pressures (six hurries, three hits, three sacks) of Ravens quarterback Matt Schaub, according to Pro Football Focus. This marks the fourth straight game in which Vernon has created pressure at least six times, and he's created at least eight pressures in back-to-back games.
The Dolphins needed someone to step up with Cameron Wake out for the season, and Vernon has stepped up to the challenge more than anyone else on the Dolphins roster. That being said, this is both a good and bad thing for the Dolphins. Vernon is in a contract year, and the Dolphins have no choice but to watch as Vernon's price tag goes up week after week.
Stock Down: Kenny Stills
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Even with Dolphins wide receiver Rishard Matthews out of action, veteran receiver Kenny Stills could not find his way onto the field in a majority capacity. The Dolphins went with a two-tight end approach on offense for the most part against the Ravens, which led to Stills playing just 21 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
His role in the receiving game has been marginal at best and nonexistent at worst this season. On Sunday against the Ravens, it was the latter of those two. Stills was targeted once in the passing game and registered a goose egg across the board.
Stills joined the Dolphins with a lot of hype about the possibilities after what he showed with the New Orleans Saints and quarterback Drew Brees. Since then, it's been quite the precipitous fall for the veteran receiver. Through 12 games last year, Stills had 44 receptions for 691 yards and three touchdowns. This year, through the same number of games, Stills has just 20 receptions for 343 yards and two touchdowns.
Stock Up: DeVante Parker
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Finally, rookie wide receiver DeVante Parker showed the potential we all knew existed within him.
Against the Ravens on Sunday, Parker came up with three receptions for 63 yards and a leaping touchdown in the end zone. Parker raced downfield 38 yards and reached over defenders to come down with the contested catch. These are exactly the traits that made the Dolphins draft Parker in April.
The 6'3", 218-pound receiver has all the tools to be a missing component to the Dolphins offense. Unfortunately, a nagging foot injury held him out of training camp and has limited his production this year. If Sunday's performance was any indication, though, he still has the ability to reach all the potential he showed in college.
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Stock Down: Ryan Tannehill
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The Dolphins coaching staff has been criticized ad nauseam this season for completely ignoring the running game at times in favor of a pass-heavy approach that has put too much of the pressure on quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Well, Sunday was a huge change from that script, as Tannehill threw just 19 passes. One problem: the quarterback did not make the most of his limited opportunities, completing just nine of those throws (47.4 percent) for 86 yards and one touchdown. It's now been a month since the last time Tannehill completed more than 60 percent of his passes in a game.
In fact, almost all of the offense's success on Sunday can be attributed to the running game; the Dolphins had five first downs by rushing against three by passing, and averaged more yards on the ground (5.3 yards per carry) than through the air (4.1 yards per pass play).
The Dolphins might be looking to go in a new direction with their offense, but that does not excuse Tannehill from being an efficient quarterback.
Stock Up: Lamar Miller
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Lamar Miller has finally done it.
The Dolphins' young running back has been held back since December 1, 2013, which was the last time Miller had more than 19 carries in a game. Well, that two-year streak was ended Sunday against the Ravens when Miller finally received 20 carries in a game. Not only did he get those opportunities, he made the most of them by racking up 113 yards and averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
In fact, with 113 yards, Miller outgained the rest of the Dolphins team by three yards Sunday.
The Dolphins have seen what they are capable of when they commit to the running game; they've rushed for more than 130 yards three times and won every game. They are 3-2 when they rush for more than 100 yards, and 2-5 in games where they do not rush for 100 yards. It's a wonder they haven't discovered this sooner, but at least Sunday's win serves as an example to the Dolphins coaches.
Hopefully they will follow their own lead.
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