Miami Dolphins

MIAMI -- With so much attention on Miami Dolphins All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill, some might have forgotten about Jaylen Waddle.

Linebacker [Melvin Ingram](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/14926/melvin-ingram) corralled the loose ball and returned it 2 yards for the Dolphins' first touchdown of the 2022 season. He led all defensive backs last season with 5 sacks and 13 pressures on 89 pass rushes. [Cole Strange](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4051001/cole-strange) at left guard on the drive that resulted in the strip-sack, inserting veteran [James Ferentz](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/17361/james-ferentz) in his place. Waddle did the rest from there, reaching a top speed of 20.8 mph on the play, according to Next Gen Stats. [Jevon Holland](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4373809/jevon-holland) on the Patriots' first drive of the game. [Tua Tagovailoa](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4241479/tua-tagovailoa) to put the Dolphins up 17-0 over the [New England Patriots](/nfl/team/_/name/ne/new-england-patriots).

With a defensive touchdown, an interception, a forced fumble, the Dolphins defense dominated Sunday's season opener, shutting out the Patriots offense on all ...

... TE Cethan Carter left the game with a head injury in the second quarter and did not return. Ingram recovered the ball for a touchdown to give the Dolphins a 10-0 lead. Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers made a contested catch over Dolphins defensive back Nik Needham for a 9-yard gain in the second quarter. New England arrived in Florida on Tuesday and practiced at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Palm Beach County, about an hour from the Dolphins’ facilities. Linebacker Melvin Ingram also played his first game as a Dolphin and scored a touchdown in the second quarter. Rookie defensive back Kader Kohou knocked the ball out of Patriots receiver Nelson Agholor's hands. Several vehicles caught fire outside Hard Rock Stadium during the first half of the game. Parker was working one on one against cornerback Xavien Howard, who tipped the pass away from Parker and into Holland’s hands. Hill, who is 5-foot-10, turned the play into a 26-yard gain. Mac Jones was not available to reporters after the game. “I just wish we could have continued that momentum in the second half, but beggars can't be choosers.” Facing Belichick in a head coaching debut is never easy.

The Dolphins' defense set the tone forcing two turnovers while Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle each made big plays on offense in Miami's season-opening win vs ...

And there was also Waddle, the second-year player who was on the receiving end of one of the biggest plays of the afternoon. But maybe the chief reason for more optimism after a second consecutive season-opening win over the Patriots is McDaniel and his vision. “Our game plan was to score points and as much points as we could,” said Tagovailoa, whose fourth victory tied John Elway for the most quarterback wins against Bill Belichick without a loss. 1 points per game last season finished the first game of the season with that same exact total Sunday. “I told the team last night I thought it was important that you guys were introduced to the offensive players and the offense,” McDaniel said, “but this is still the defense’s team until proven otherwise and they valued that. In his first game as play-caller, McDaniel made sure to showcase the team’s new speed. Moments later, Tagovailoa completed an intermediate pass over the middle of the field to Waddle, who split a trio of defenders and dashed into the end zone for a 42-yard score. But, there was a lot of frustration, including me, on things that in the game we really left out there.” The Dolphins defense wasn’t the team’s problem last season, though, not at least during an 8-1 finish in which the team came one victory short of an improbable turnaround from 1-7 to the postseason. “It was a very cool moment, against my wishes,” McDaniel said about the postgame celebration of his first career victory. A first-quarter interception by safety Jevon Holland halted the Patriots’ opening drive and rookie cornerback Kader Kohou jarred the ball loose from wide receiver Nelson Agholor on New England’s final possession. The first-year Dolphins coach’s glasses were a bit splotchy and his zip-up was drenched.

Tyreek Hill has 6 receptions on 8 targets for 77 yards. · Jaylen Waddle has two receptions, one for a touchdown. · Tua Tagovailoa is 13/18 for 179 yards and one ...

Miami’s offense would punt the next series but to end the half, the Dolphins drove to get into field goal position but a sack put Miami out of FG range. Miami managed three points on their first drive of the season but struggled after against a relentless Patriots pass rush. Instead, Xavien Howard tipped an intended pass to DeVante Parker in the endzone.

Pressure from the second and third levels of the opposing defense continues to be a problem for the New England Patriots offensive line and quarterback Mac ...

Handling pressure from defensive backs is an issue with which Jones had difficulty in his rookie season in 2021, as well. Jones’ most glaring difficulties have been related to timing and comfort within the pocket. However, Jones was sacked by Miami safety Brandon Jones, who was aligned as a hybrid linebacker.

The Miami Dolphins are so close to starting today's game that they have now released their inactives for today and one name is no surprise.

TE Tanner Conner is also inactive but that was expected given his place on the depth chart. This could be something to watch going week to week. That is not a surprise.

We are in the final countdown to a Week 1 kickoff between the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots. Which players are being listed as inactive today?

While the NFL allows up to 53 players on the active regular season roster throughout the year, not all players are allowed to be active on game day. With Byron Jones on the physically unable to perform list, Miami will now rely on Keion Crossen, Kader Kohou, and Justin Bethel to backup Xavien Howard and Nik Needham. The NFL limits teams to 48 players on the active list for game day, including any elevated players from the practice squad.

The Pats list seven inactives, as do the Dolphins for Sunday's 2022 season-opener at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Perhaps the biggest win for Miami is the availability of running backs Chase Edmonds, Myles Gaskin and receiver Jaylen Waddle from the report. Defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, who was listed as questionable with a knee injury on Friday, will be active as well. With both Igbinoghene and ex-Patriot Eric Rowe out for Week 1, Miami will heavily rely on Nik Needham, who has been battling a quad injury. [Right tackle Isaiah Wynn,](https://www.si.com/nfl/patriots/news/new-england-offense-preview-mac-jones-rhamondre-stevenson-isaiah-wynn-devante-parker-miami-dolphins) hybrid running back/receiver Ty Montgomery and wideout Jakobi Meyers are all available for Week 1, giving a big boost to the Pats offense. While the Pats safeties positional grouping is well-stocked to support Bledsoe’s absence, the Pats corners will look to slot corner Myles Bryant, or rookies Jack Jones and Marcus Jones to fill the void. On the field, the Pats will miss his blend of quickness, tenacity, change-of-direction ability, power and instincts.

The Miami Dolphins scored on offense, defense and special teams en route to a season-opening 20-7 victory over the New England Patriots Sunday afternoon at ...

Sanders punctuated the drive once again with a 49-yard field goal to stretch Miami's lead back up to 13, 20-7. Tagovailoa finished the first half 13-of-18 for 179 yards and a touchdown while Hill led all receivers with six receptions for 77 yards. Sanders' extra point gave the Dolphins a 10-0 lead with 7:34 left to play in the first half. The third-year quarterback took a fourth-and-7 snap and found his receiver down the middle of the field. With a 3rd-and-2 from the Miami 36 yard line, Tagovailoa found his three-time All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill for five yards and a first down. An 11-yard pass from quarterback Mac Jones to Hunter Henry set up a first-and-10 from the Miami 22 yard line.

The Mike McDaniel era got off to a winning start in Miami, with the Dolphins earning a comfortable victory over the New England Patriots, 20-7, in Week 1 of ...

The unit stayed relatively sturdy on that front, but their run-blocking grades were lower across the board, with Miami’s defense causing problems in that area. Strange didn’t allow any pressure in pass protection, but his run blocking was notably weaker. He had 12 targets and eight catches, and both marks were at least double the next-best mark from a Miami receiver.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and select players comment on their 20-7 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday, September 11, 2022.

It was a great ball and the o-line held up, I tried to catch it and do something with it." (How fun was it to get Head Coach Mike McDaniel a win in the first one? TUA TAGOVAILOA: I'm not too sure what the logistics are going for it on fourth down where we were on the field, but what I do know is (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) had confidence in us that when we did call that play, we were going to make it work. We'd like to do a little better in the run game, but I think that's what the first week is for. It was just awesome to see what he did with the ball after he caught it. Anyway, you guys can check that, but that was the real story of the game, was being able to protect the ball and end the game plus-three. It's because from the scope, you are – yes, you are making play-calling decisions and a lot of your planning, you have to pay the piper. So with it being on the first drive, it was a little surprise, but really nothing should surprise me with Mike. MIKE McDANIEL: I told the team last night I thought it was important that you guys were introduced to the offensive players and the offense, but this is still the defense's team until proven otherwise and they valued that. Those are a ton of examples that we'll be able to learn from, but I thought it was good that the defense deserved to get some – they've put in the work. I think a lot of guys feel like the Miami Dolphins' fan base and the organization deserve to win, but there was a lot of frustration, including me, on things in the game that we really left out there. So then it became, all right, it does kind of make sense to go ahead and go for it, have a couple of thoughts in mind.

Miami Dolphins players were psyched about getting Mike McDaniel his first NFL coaching victory, but he already is thinking about Week 2 and the Baltimore ...

“It was a cool moment for our whole team, but the mechanics of working with the game management guys and talking through the different scenarios, we were just at the fringe of Jason’s (Sanders) range,” McDaniel said about the decision. “Man, I wish all you had to do is win one game because that would be cool,” McDaniel said. McDaniel had to make his first critical call with 24 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Then in communication with the offensive staff, I think it was (tight ends coach) Jon Embree kind of tipped the scales because they had a couple up. McDaniel is the first Dolphins head coach (excluding interim coaches) to win in his debut since Nick Saban in 2005. The Dolphins defeated the New England Patriots 20-7 on Sunday, netting McDaniel his first career victory as a head coach.

Read the full postgame transcript from Head Coach Mike McDaniel's press conference on September 11, 2022.

It's because from the scope, you are – yes, you are making play-calling decisions and a lot of your planning, you have to pay the piper. There was a lot of plays that were made by a lot of guys, and then guys in space, and I think there were a couple of third downs that the running backs really, really kept us on the field. Anyway, you guys can check that, but that was the real story of the game, was being able to protect the ball and end the game plus-three. You're almost removed because you are in charge of so many people, you're delegating, but you are also — you're not hands-on with a lot of stuff, so you are so dependent. There was a couple during the game that he was frustrated, which is what you love about him, and that's what you need from your captains. There were a couple of times that he was No. There were a couple of times he was No. MIKE McDANIEL: I told the team last night I thought it was important that you guys were introduced to the offensive players and the offense, but this is still the defense's team until proven otherwise and they valued that. Those are a ton of examples that we'll be able to learn from, but I thought it was good that the defense deserved to get some – they've put in the work. I think a lot of guys feel like the Miami Dolphins' fan base and the organization deserve to win, but there was a lot of frustration, including me, on things in the game that we really left out there. So then it became, all right, it does kind of make sense to go ahead and go for it, have a couple of thoughts in mind. Waddle, that's something that we've emphasized a ton, and you want to talk about deliberate practice coming to life in the biggest moment is catching that in-break and then having a mindset.

A year ago at then-Division II Texas A&M University-Commerce, Kader Kohou was a virtual unknown, on his way to going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The forced fumble was the signature moment in an all-around spectacular performance because it highlighted everything he does well. In 17 snaps, the 23-year-old cornerback recorded three tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass defended and a forced fumble. All Josh Boyer told him was he’d get into the game on Miami’s third defensive series, meaning he was low down in the pecking order in the secondary.

Checking out the key moments from the Miami Dolphins' 20-7 victory against the New England Patriots in the 2022 season opener.

-- It was Kohou again with the next big play by the defense, the one that pretty much ended things. -- The Dolphins' next possession after the fourth-down stop reached the Patriots 29, but Tagovailoa took a 12-yard sack on third-and-3 to knock the team out of field goal position. -- Nik Needham was beaten deep by Nelson Agholor on first down but got bailed out when Jones overthrew the pass. And kudos to Emmanuel Ogbah for not giving up on the play because he eventually induced a holding penalty, which obviously was declined. Beyond Kohou, it was a great play for the entire defense because Jones had plenty of time but couldn't find anybody open. Fortunately for him, that came on the same play when the Patriots were flagged for an illegal chop block against Jerome Baker, resulting in offsetting penalties. -- Speaking of Williams, we also should mention he had a high snap that caused Tua to bobble the ball before he threw an incompletion. -- There also was a fourth-and-1 conversion when Howard was called for illegal contact against DeVante Parker. And props to Ingram for grabbing the bouncing ball with his left hand before strolling into the end zone. Of course, it would have been nice if somebody had blocked Dugger instead of letting him shoot free on the right side of the line. Igbinoghene not being active, unless there was a non-playing explanation, is quite the indictment for the third-year player and 2020 first-round pick. As great a young player as he is, Holland's got to know better than that.

Tyreek Hill: The six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver left his mark in his Dolphins debut, leading the team with eight receptions for 94 yards. The speed he brings ...

With a bevy of skill-position players in the fold, Gesicki likely won’t see the volume of targets that came his way in his previous four seasons. ▪ Mike Gesicki: The fifth-year tight end’s role in McDaniel’s offense was questioned throughout the summer and in Week 1, his playing time was limited. He recorded three tackles, made a key pass breakup on fourth down and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Dolphins on the Patriots’ final possession. But it doesn’t tell the story of a unit that struggled to contain the edges early on, which was its Achilles heel last season. Last season, the Dolphins ranked 30th in rushing yards. On another, he caught a short screen pass, bobbed inside and then cut back out, beating the defense to the edge for an 18-yard yard run.

Tua Tagovailoa passed for 270 yards and a touchdown and the Miami Dolphins provided an early look at their ability to contend in the AFC East as they beat ...

... TE Cethan Carter left the game with a head injury in the second quarter and did not return. Ingram recovered the ball for a touchdown to give the Dolphins a 10-0 lead. Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers made a contested catch over Dolphins defensive back Nik Needham for a 9-yard gain in the second quarter. New England arrived in Florida on Tuesday and practiced at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Palm Beach County, about an hour from the Dolphins’ facilities. Linebacker Melvin Ingram also played his first game as a Dolphin and scored a touchdown in the second quarter. Rookie defensive back Kader Kohou knocked the ball out of Patriots receiver Nelson Agholor's hands. Several vehicles caught fire outside Hard Rock Stadium during the first half of the game. Parker was working one on one against cornerback Xavien Howard, who tipped the pass away from Parker and into Holland’s hands. Hill, who is 5-foot-10, turned the play into a 26-yard gain. Mac Jones was not available to reporters after the game. “I just wish we could have continued that momentum in the second half, but beggars can't be choosers.” Facing Belichick in a head coaching debut is never easy.

Mike McDaniel is 1-0 as an NFL head coach because he's 1-0 against Bill Belichick. McDaniel's Miami Dolphins stomped Belichick's New England Patriots ...

Much more of that will be needed over the next 17 weeks for the Dolphins to get back to the playoffs in a loaded AFC. The Dolphins went to the half up 17-0. The game was, for all intents and purposes, over. After beating Jalen Mills for the slant, he raced for the end zone, toasting Ja’Whaun Bentley and Kyle Dugger so badly that they collided into one another while trying to bring him down. He went for it — with spectacular results. The Dolphins, leading 10-0, faced 4th-and-8 from the Patriots’ 42.

The Miami Dolphins played host to the New England Patriots on Sunday to kick off their 2022 season, and they came away with a victory in Mike McDaniel's first ...

The two 40-plus yard field goals by Jason Sanders were certainly instrumental in leading the Dolphins to a victory, but the rest of the special teams unit was solid as well. The Dolphins won a game by 13 points, against a long-time division rival, behind a first-time head coach, against arguably the greatest coach in the history of the game. There were times when the defense looked leaky, and others when the offense resembled something that we have seen plenty of over the last couple of seasons.

The Dolphins defense made plenty of plays to keep the team in the game as there were plenty of players who stepped up. Brandon Jones continues to be one of the ...

The Patriots and Dolphins are becoming a tradition in the opening weekend, with today’s game marking the third... The Sunday slate of NFL games for Week 1 of the 2022 season is finally here. There are 14 games on the schedule for today, starting with nine in the early slot, with kickoff at 1 p.m. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours. Which players are being listed as inactive today? Dolphins connections in Week 1 - The Phinsider](https://www.thephinsider.com/2022/9/11/23346747/miami-dolphins-new-england-patriots-connections-former-teammates-teams-2022-week-1) Two weeks ago, he wasn’t even sure he’d make the Miami Dolphins’ final opening-day roster. The Dolphins defense made plenty of plays to keep the team in the game as there were plenty of players who stepped up. But the Dolphins run game was not great and while Tua Tagovailoa’s stat line was pretty good, there are some throws he’s definitely going to want back. [Miami Dolphins News 9/11/22: Patriots at Dolphins, Week 1 Matchup - The Phinsider](https://www.thephinsider.com/the-splash-zone-miami-dolphins-news/2022/9/11/23345793/the-splash-zone-9-11-22-new-england-patriots-at-miami-dolphins-week-1-matchup-tua-tagovailoa) Brandon Jones continues to be one of the best blitzing safeties in the league and what a debut for the undrafted rookie, Kader Kohou. Offensively, there are some things to clean up.

The Miami Dolphins came away with the 20-7 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, opening the season with a victory over a division rival.

[Sportsbook](https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/featured)’s oddsmakers has the total points set at 45.5 for the game. Given Miami has only won twice in the last ten meetings between the clubs, there is a lot to prove in this game. Maybe Miami is ready to turn the corner and start picking up some wins over Baltimore. The line is slightly above the three-point advantage normally given to home teams, so the odds makers are seeing the Ravens as a 1.5-point favorite over Miami If this were to be played on a neutral field. Heading into Week 2, the Dolphins are facing another rival, albeit one outside the AFC East. This Sunday, Miami will travel to Maryland to face the Baltimore Ravens and are currently the underdog in the game.

Hey, football... WELCOME BACK! After a long, long wait, the Miami Dolphins returned to meaningful action on Sunday when they hosted the New England Patriots ...

Are you encouraged with the victory or are you more worried about some of the mistakes that need to be cleaned up? Next, the Brandon Jones sack and forced fumble that led to a Melvin Ingram recovery and subsequent touchdown. But, McCorkle Jones made the cardinal sin of testing Howard, and he paid dearly for that mistake. Start with the Xavien Howard tip, and the Jevon Holland pick on the Patriots’ first drive of the game. But, it was a great start to the season which led to a 20-7 opening day win against a division rival and a 1-0 record right out of the gate. A lot of talk this offseason was focused on Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and how Mike McDaniel would maximize his young quarterback’s talents by getting the ball to his shiny new toy.

The Miami Dolphins began their 2022 season by picking up a key divisional win over the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium.

However, their last defensive touchdown in a season opener was in 2005. However, the play that kickstarted Miami's defensive effort was a fumble recovery in the second quarter. Safety Brandon Jones disguised a blitz off the edge and stripped Patriots quarterback Mac Jones from behind. Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah picked up where he left off in his previous two seasons - he was one of three AFC players with nine sacks in both 2020 and 2021 - by bringing down Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. "I used to be a big man in middle school," Hill said. That led to another historic moment after the game – McDaniel's first Gatorade shower as a head coach.

Myles Gaskin, Mike Gesicki, Kader Kohou and Zach Sieler were among the Miami Dolphins with noteworthy playing time against New England.

That percentage was the second-lowest for Gesicki since his rookie season of 2018 and ironically the lowest also came in an opener and also against New England — he played 39 percent of the offensive snaps in the 2021 game at Gillette Stadium. What's interesting here is that River Cracraft played 10 snaps at wide receiver and only four on special teams after being elevated from the practice squad, which suggests that maybe there was more of a trust factor there on offense for the season opener than there was with Ezukanma, the rookie fourth-round pick from Texas Tech. -- Along the offensive line, what's notable is that Liam Eichenberg's 60 snaps included two at left tackle when Terron Armstead briefly left the game. -- While we're on the number 25, that was the snap count for tight end Mike Gesicki and it represented only 42 percent of the offensive plays. -- Let's deal with the running back situation, including Gaskin not getting any snaps on offense. Of those, the biggest surprise was Gaskin and we'll explain why a bit later.