The Miami Dolphins finally opened training camp to fans on Sunday, and the offense made sure the crowd at the Baptist Health Training Complex had something to watch.
It was a much more downfield day than the first three practices of camp. Malik Willis, Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller all connected on long passes, and while the defense had its moments, the offense clearly owned the better overall stretch of work.
A.J. Henning was right in the middle of it, showing up again and again as the passing game opened up.
That was a noticeable change from what had come before. The passing attack had been built mostly on short throws early in camp, so the first practice in front of fans turned into the first real deep-ball showcase.
It also happened to be the best all-around day for the quarterbacks so far, especially Ewers and Miller. Willis looked sharp as well, using his usual lively arm and different arm angles to create problems.
The crowd did not get the usual pre-practice hype routine, either. Under new head coach Jeff Hafley, no players went near the stands before practice to fire up the fans. Hafley had said before the session that big plays on either side of the ball would handle the entertainment.
The Dolphins were missing two players after having perfect attendance in the first three practices: tight end Greg Dulcich and offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer.
There was plenty for the fans to react to once the work began.
On the second play of team work, Jordan Phillips beat Jonah Savaiinaea quickly to pressure Willis. Willis answered later with touch on a rolling throw to Cole Turner over a defender, then followed that with a downfield completion to Malik Washington after Chop Robinson and Josh Uche got heat on him.
Savaiinaea did come back with a solid block on Phillips during a run, but the offense had some rough patches mixed in with the highlights. Cameron Goode recovered a fumble after a muffed exchange between Anthony Hankerson and Cam Miller, a sloppy moment for the offense.
Kenneth Grant and Zach Sieler also met De'Von Achane in the backfield right away on a run, and Josh Uche beat Austin Jackson for pressure on Willis, who kept the play alive and then overthrew Caleb Douglas in double coverage. Jackson had another tough snap right after that when Chop Robinson got past him.
The defense kept making plays in spots. Chris Johnson, the rookie first-round pick, jumped in front of A.J.
Henning down the sideline to pick off Ewers after a great battle for the ball. JuJu Brents later made a strong play after an apparent completion to Douglas over the middle, and Willie Gay Jr. did an excellent job setting the edge against an outside run by Hankerson.
Still, the offense delivered the biggest moments of the day.
Ewers opened with a completion over the middle to Theo Wease Jr., a connection those two have built since last summer. Then came the first true explosion of camp: a 70-yard touchdown from Ewers to Kevin Coleman Jr. after Coleman got behind Marco Wilson, who fell on the play.
Willis had his own deep strike, firing a pass down the middle to Tutu Atwell on a deep slant that looked like a gain of about 60 yards. Later, Willis was pressured on a blitz from Jacob Rodriguez and Jordyn Brooks and missed on the throw.
Ewers kept stacking completions. He found Cole Turner on a high catch over the middle, then connected again with Henning on another long gain, though that play came with Robert Beal Jr. being held. Coleman had a drop over the middle on another Ewers throw when pressure from Kyle Louis forced the quarterback to get rid of the ball quickly.
The final snap of practice brought one more highlight for the offense: Cam Miller dropped a bomb to Henning, who made a diving catch against Miles Battle to close the session on a deep note.
For the fans who showed up, it was the kind of practice that felt worth the trip. The offense had the upper hand, the quarterbacks flashed, and the deep ball finally arrived.
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