Instant takeaways from the Dolphins' domination of the Houston Texans
A Dolphins team whose coach preaches "adversity is opportunity" took it to the extreme Saturday.
The Dolphins brushed off an interception on the first throw of the preseason by Tua Tagovailoa before dominating the Houston Texans 28-3 at NRG Stadium.
It was the kind of outing by both the offense and defense that suggests the Dolphins took several steps forward during the week in Houston, which included two days of joint practices.
Standout performances were turned in by Tagovailoa (who led a long scoring drive on his second and final series), running back Salvon Ahmed (including a 65-yard run) and Skylar Thompson (three TD passes).
The outing also could be considered a win for the running back corps in general. No, Dalvin Cook isn't coming, but on this day at least, he wasn't missed.
Touchdowns were scored by Raheem Mostert on a 2-yard run, Ahmed on an 8-yard reception, Braxton Berrios on an 18-yard reception and Chris Brooks on an 18-yard catch. Each scoring drive was 80 yards or longer. The Dolphins led in yards 398-186 and allowed only 10 first downs.
Concerns? Stop us if you've heard this before, but the Dolphins allowed a 43-yard kickoff return by Steve Sims.
Bad start, but Tua Tagovailoa bounces back in style
Tagovailoa’s start couldn’t have been more unsettling.
On the first play from his 17, Tagovailoa rolled left and tried to hit tight end Tyler Kroft. But he threw the ball right at linebacker Denzel Perryman. It was one of those interceptions that looks so bad you wonder if the target might shoulder some of the blame by not hitting the spot the quarterback expects. But even if that were the case, Tagovailoa should have thrown it away.
More: Tua Tagovailoa's return to field a huge success, despite Dolphins interception | Schad
It’s football. Things go wrong. It’s how you respond that often makes the difference. Miami’s defense certainly responded.
Even though the Texans took over on the Miami 7, they didn’t score. Credit Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips for putting heat on quarterback C.J. Stroud — a scene you should get used to seeing in 2023 if this is going to be the kind of year the Dolphins hope.
Having held, the Dolphins and Tagovailoa came back firing. With Tagovailoa going 5-of-6 for 61 yards, Miami drove 93 yards in 14 plays, eating up 7:31. Tagovailoa completed third-down passes of 10 yards to Durham Smythe, 13 to Tyreek Hill and 16 to Ahmed on the drive.
With that, Tagovailoa headed for the bench.
Skylar Thompson, Salvon Ahmed make statements
Two of the more interesting battles for playing time this summer involve Thompson and Ahmed.
Both players had their moments against the Texans, which was no surprise to anyone who has seen them excel daily in training camp.
Thompson, a pleasant surprise as a seventh-round pick last year, came out firing against the Texans. He unleashed what would have been a huge gain to Cedrick Wilson. He later looked for Robbie Chosen. Both veteran receivers had challenging catches to make but neither came up with the ball, or else Thompson’s statistics would have been massive.
Without them, he threw three touchdowns, including the 8-yarder to Ahmed.
Ahmed, it turned out, was just getting revved up. Late in the second quarter, he burst down the left sideline on a 65-yard run, nearly taking it all the way. Ahmed had 16 touches for 131 yards in the game, including 99 on the ground. Even Brooks, a rookie, found the end zone on a pass from Thompson.
The running backs enjoyed the kind of day that must encourage McDaniel to follow through with his promise to lean more on the running game this season.
"I think there's been a substantial commitment by all, coaches and players," McDaniel said.
Pop quiz: Name two Dolphins tight ends
The most anonymous room in the NFL?
The Dolphins’ tight end room has a claim to that title now that Mike Gesicki is gone. Luckily for Miami, his buddy, Smythe, is still around. He’s the best of the bunch.
After Tagovailoa threw an interception on Miami’s first snap, Smythe helped stabilize things, catching a 10-yard pass to get Miami moving in the right direction. Later, Smythe sealed the edge to enable Raheem Mostert to easily score from 2 yards out for a 7-0 lead.
FYI, the rest of the tight-end corps consists of Eric Saubert, Elijah Higgins and Julian Hill. Saubert made his presence known with a couple of important blocks and Hill caught a 10-yarder on third down. Saubert threw his helmet down after suffering an apparent leg injury in the third quarter.
Terron Armstead in a boot tough on the eye
The offensive line continues to endure highs and lows.
One of the major headlines from the week in Houston was the leg injury suffered by Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead.
Given Armstead’s long history of injuries, it was alarming not only when it happened but in the hour that followed. When a trainer couldn’t get Armstead’s shoe back on, allowing Armstead to walk off the practice field, he was carted off.
Then came the highs. Riding a cart to the team bus after practice, Armstead smiled and waved to a Post reporter. Later that day, he posted two upbeat messages on social media to show it’s not serious.
But then Saturday, TV cameras showed Armstead hobbling in a walking cast. Good chance it’s just a precaution … everybody has to hope. Doubly so as Robert Jones was injured in the first half and hobbled into the locker room.
The road ahead for the Dolphins
Training camp ends Thursday.
The Dolphins (1-1) finish the preseason schedule in Jacksonville next Saturday against the Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence.
The regular-season opener is almost around the corner: Sept. 10 in Los Angeles against the Chargers and Justin Herbert.
Because the Dolphins visit Buffalo in Week 2, they won't return to Hard Rock Stadium until Week 3 when they face Sean Payton, Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos on Sept. 24.
Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins takeaways: Tua Tagovailoa rebounds to help dominate Texans
