Miami Dolphins rookie QB Ryan Tannehill put on one of the best performances of his young career as Miami cruised to a 24-3 win over Jacksonville on Sunday at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Miami (6-8, 1-3 AFC East) snapped a two-game skid as the eighth-overall pick in April’s draft completed 22 of 28 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. It was just the second time this season Tannehill has thrown for two scores in one game. Meantime, Jacksonville (2-12, 2-3 AFC South) struggled to move the ball behind QB Chad Henne. The former Dolphins signal caller flopped in his return to the southern part of the state, completing a mere 18 of 34 passes for 221 yards.
Offense: C
Rookie OT Jonathan Martin looked much more comfortable on the left side than last week against the 49ers, and RT Nate Garner also played well in his second start. Overall, Miami finished with 389 total yards and turned the ball over just once as TE Charles Clay and WR Marlon Moore each earned a start. OC Mike Sherman also utilized more bootlegs to take advantage of Tannehill’s mobility against an athletic Jaguars front. Previous game's grade: C
Defense: A
This unit continued to play well against one of the poorer attacks in the league as Miami yielded 299 yards.
More impressive were three fourth down stops inside the red zone that kept points off the board. Overall, the Dolphins finished with two sacks and five quarterback hits as Henne was routinely pressured and unable to take advantage of the Dolphins' mediocre pass defense. It was another solid gameplan from defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle to mask the group’s weaknesses. Previous game's grade: B-
Special teams: C
It was another mediocre week in the kicking game. RB Marcus Thigpen averaged 19 yards on two kick returns. K Dan Carpenter connected on a 53-yard field goal, his second of the season over 50 yards, and was 3 for 3 in the game. The biggest gaffe was on a fake field goal inside the Jacksonville 5-yard line when P Brandon Fields sailed a pass 10 yards over the head of the nearest receiver. It was not the time or place for the call, let alone the poor execution of the play. Previous game's grade: D
Coaching: B
Sherman and Coyle have both taken heat at different points, but Miami was prepared to play with unique gameplans. The offense utilized a variety of players in numerous roles and put Tannehill in a position to succeed by routinely rolling the pocket and letting him make plays on the run behind a young line. The defense again employed a zone-heavy scheme and relied on sure tackling and timely pressure to confuse Henne. Coach Joe Philbin again found a way to motivate his players and keep the team in contention for the playoffs for one more week. Previous game's grade: C+
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