Jordan Phillips has a clear path to being the player who swings the Miami Dolphins’ opener against the Raiders.
Miami’s defense will have to handle two things at once in Week 1: keep Kirk Cousins uncomfortable and keep Ashton Jeanty from finding room to work. That puts a lot of pressure on the middle of the Dolphins’ front, and Phillips is right at the center of it.
The second-year tackle is expected to start inside next to Zach Sieler, though Sieler has not yet been declared 100% available for the opener. Kenneth Grant is beginning the season on IR, so Phillips, Zeek Biggers and Keith Cooper Jr. could all be asked to take on meaningful snaps. Jeff Hafley has sounded confident about Sieler’s return, but Phillips is the one who needs to carry his strong training camp into the regular season.
That interior matchup matters because the Raiders will lean on Tyler Linderbaum to anchor their line. Miami has to be ready for Las Vegas to try to attack the middle, and if Phillips and the rest of the defensive tackles can take that away, the Raiders will be pushed toward the edges. That would change their blocking picture and create more chances for Phillips and Sieler to get penetration.
That kind of disruption is exactly what Miami needs. Getting after Cousins matters because he has always been inconsistent under pressure, even during the years when he was considered a borderline great quarterback.
The Dolphins’ front has to come off the ball with force, control the trenches and make the Raiders operate on their heels. If that happens, Chop Robinson should have opportunities to work from the outside.
The importance of Phillips only grows because Miami’s secondary remains a question. Rookie Chris Johnson is projected to begin his NFL career in the slot/nickel role, with JuJu Brents and Jason Marshall Jr. on the boundary. That makes the work up front even more critical.
Phillips has a chance to show he is the future at the position. If he gets to the quarterback, that’s a win.
If he forces Jeanty or any other back wide, that’s a win. If he simply blows up runs at the line and sends plays toward the tackles, that still helps Miami.
In a game like this, everything points to Phillips having a major role. If he delivers, the Dolphins’ linebacker group could be in line for a big afternoon against a Raiders offense that already looks vulnerable.
In Other News...
Dolphins Draw A 49ers Team Caught In An NFL Scheduling Fight
The 49ers trip to Australia has already spilled into the scheduling debate, and it leaves Miami with an interesting Week 2 assignment. San Francisco asked the NFL to push its game against the Dolphins to Monday night so it could get a little extra recovery time after the long haul overseas, but the league turned down the request.
Instead, the Rams got the Monday night slot and the added breathing room, while the 49ers head into their matchup with Miami on Sunday. For the Dolphins, it means facing a team coming off an unusual travel week and then watching San Francisco settle into a stretch of three straight home games after returning from Australia. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Rookie Is Putting Early Pressure On A Bold Linebacker Bet
The Dolphins made a noticeable investment in linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, spending a premium second-round pick on him even with other starters already in the room. Since then, Rodriguez has started to justify the decision with the kind of traits teams crave from a modern linebacker, especially his feel for the ball and his work in coverage.
Miamis release of Tyrel Dodson only sharpened the spotlight on the rookie and suggested the club is comfortable moving forward with Rodriguez in a bigger role. Evaluators around the league see a player whose transition to the NFL could come quickly, and the next step is proving he can turn those early flashes into reliable production alongside the rest of the Dolphins front seven. [Read more 🡒]
Tua Tagovailoa Just Put Miami Fans On Edge Again
Tua Tagovailoa gave Miami another uneasy sight on Thursday when he briefly went to the ground during throwing drills because of what appeared to be a back injury. He did not take part in the team portions of practice afterward, and Cooper Rush handled all of the first-team reps in his absence.
It was a jolt for a Dolphins team already trying to get its quarterback through camp in one piece after Tagovailoa missed the first week with back spasms. With Week 1 looming, his status as the starter is suddenly far less certain than anyone around the team would like this time of year. [Read more 🡒]