Miami Dolphins signal-caller Jake Rudock completed 22-of-29 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown to help his team to a 16-13 win over the New Orleans Saints.
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Final Score
Miami Dolphins 16, New Orleans Saints 14
Miami Dolphins
Jake Rudock went wire to wire in leading the Dolphins to victory Thursday night. He made safe decisions and didn't miss many throws. He also didn't make any outstanding throws, but the mistakes were kept to a minimum and it was enough to pull out the win.
Mark Walton got the start and showed a nice burst and decisiveness toting the rock. He also showed surprising power up the middle, bowling over two defenders for a first down on one play.
Safety Maurice Smith came up with the play of the day in coverage, breaking up Taysom Hill's final attempt into the end zone to end the game. The Dolphins' pass coverage was pretty solid in general all game.
The Saints' offensive line held the Dolphins' pass-rushers in check for the most part. No one on the Dolphins defensive line stood out in run defense, allowing the Saints to gain yards on the ground effectively.
Rookie Takeaways
Undrafted Temple tight end Chris Myarick had quite the ending to his debut preseason in the NFL, catching all six targets thrown his way for 78 yards.
New Orleans Saints
Ziggy Hood was a block-beating machine in this game, proving a difficult matchup for the Dolphins interior. He flashed throughout the game, shedding blocks and bringing pressure on the quarterback no matter who lined up across from him.
Rookie safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson looked a bit lost in coverage against the Dolphins. Gardner-Johnson had a miscommunication with cornerback Ken Crawley on a touchdown pass allowed where they both covered the same player and left a receiver wide open for a touchdown. He also allowed multiple first downs into his coverage throughout the game.
Taysom Hill continued his reign in the preseason. He made defenders miss and bought time to throw in and outside of the pocket with his elusiveness. He also gained yards in chunks on scrambles and showed some power fighting through contact for first downs. One thing he doesn't do is make quick decisions from the pocket when throwing the ball, but his athleticism allows him to buy time to find an open man he may not see right away.
Teddy Bridgewater was a check-down machine, as he rarely attempted a pass over 10 yards down the field. When he did attempt a pass downfield, he was not very accurate most of the time. He did hit a very nice deep ball down the seam for 43 yards to Lil'Jordan Humphrey.
Rookie Takeaways
Offensive tackle Derrick Kelly II, an undrafted rookie out of Florida State, was outstanding in the run game against the Dolphins' defense. Fellow undrafted rookie Drew Lewis didn't have the game he likely wanted, as he picked up low marks in coverage and run defense playing off-ball linebacker for New Orleans on Thursday.
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