10 Players to Watch in Dolphins Second Preseason Game ... And How They Fared

Revisiting some of the Miami Dolphins players who had the most at stake in the preseason game against the Houston Texans to see how they performed

The Miami Dolphins continued their preseason schedule with a convincing 28-3 victory against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on Saturday, culminating a week of work with new head coach DeMeco Ryans' team.

While Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel decided to play his starters (who were healthy) in the game, it still was more a showcase for others who needed to make an impression to secure either a roster spot or a bigger role.

Before the game, we highlighted 10 players to watch in that second preseason game against the Texans, and now it's time to look back to see how they performed:

QB SKYLAR THOMPSON

Before the game: Thompson equally split time with Mike White at quarterback in the preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons and didn't have as much production as his counterpart, and it's probably not out of line to suggest that he's trailing in the battle to serve as Tua Tagovailoa's top backup for the 2023 season. Simply put, Thompson has to really outperform White from this point forward.

During the game: Yeah, pretty obvious it was mission accomplished and then some for Thompson, who while going 15-for-22 for 157 yards with three touchdowns and no picks certainly gave his coaches reason to re-examine that backup quarterback battle.

RB CHRIS BROOKS

Before the game: Brooks first gained the attention of most media members with his dazzling 95-yard touchdown run to conclude an indoor practice and has had some more good moments since then. The problem for Brooks is he's buried on the depth chart behind a deep group of backs and he needs to shine every chance he gets to at the very least secure a spot on the practice squad.

During the game: While it was Salvon Ahmed who stole the show at running back, something that's not going to help Brooks' chances of stealing a roster spot, the rookie free agent again showed he belongs. He ran hard again, gaining 47 yards on 11 carries while adding an 18-yard touchdown on a screen pass. Yes, there were some minor hiccups, such as bobbling a pitch and an incomplete chip on a pass rusher, but bottom line is that Brooks again showed he belongs.

TE JULIAN HILL

Before the game: The Dolphins' lack of playmakers in the passing game at the tight end position has been discussed more than once in training camp, and it's probably this rookie free agent who's made the most noteworthy catches. While he remains a long shot to earn a roster spot, he could give the Dolphins a lot to think about with strong performances in the preseason.

During the game: Hill got the most snaps of any tight end on the team and he made the most of them. In addition to having three of the four catches for tight ends in this game (Durham Smythe had the other), he performed better as a blocker than rookie sixth-round pick Elijah Higgins and certainly made a case he should be the one to be kept on the 53 if it comes down between the two.

T KENDALL LAMM

Before the game: The Dolphins are hoping they escaped catastrophe with Terron Armstead's injury at practice Thursday, and the Pro Bowl tackle himself said his mind-set was that he would be ready for the Week 1 game against the Chargers. But there's also no guarantee of that and the injury further reinforced the notion the Dolphins need to have a dependable backup at left tackle. Lamm has looked like that guy in camp and now he needs to translate that into game action after sitting out the preseason opener.

During the game: Lamm started at left tackle and left the game along with Connor Williams, Robert Hunt and Austin Jackson and he once again turned in a solid performance in his brief appearance. Lamm gave fans another reason to feel confident he can get the job done if called upon.

G ROBERT JONES

Before the game: While Lamm appears the front-runner to become the top swing tackle, the battle for the starting left guard position appears wide open, and Jones is a player who's quietly done very good work in camp. It would be foolish to dismiss him as a contender for the job, especially if he plays well in the preseason.

During the game: This was a really unfortunate game for Jones, who left in the second quarter with what looked like a knee injury after he was cleanly beaten in a pass-protection set before. Even in a best-case scenario where his injury isn't serious, Jones' stock took a hit in this game.

DL DA'SHAWN HAND

Before the game: The former Detroit Lions fourth-round pick has made himself noticeable since signing with the Dolphins, who desperately are looking for backup help along the defensive line. Good preseason performances from Hand should solidify his spot on the roster.

During the game: Hand got 17 defensive snaps in backup duty, but wasn't particularly noticeable. Considering Houston did very little on the ground against either the Dolphins starters or backups. the guys up front obviously did some things right.

LB CAMERON GOODE

Before the game: The 2022 seventh-round pick failed to make the roster as a rookie despite what overall was a pretty solid training camp and the sad reality for Goode is that he could be staring at a replay this summer. Of course, this is where Goode could leave the Dolphins coaches no choice but to keep him with standout performances in the preseason.

During the game: Goode played 18 snaps on defense, but didn't register any stats other than an assist on special teams. This really wasn't the kind of performance that would make coaches take notice or convince them he needs to be kept on the 53-man roster.

CB NOAH IGBINOGHENE

Before the game: Yes, we had Igbinoghene in this same story for the preseason opener, but he remains maybe the most fascinating player on the roster. Given his overall solid training camp, he would appear to remain a contender for the starting job opposite Xavien Howard if the Dolphins want to keep Kader Kohou in the slot, but Igbinoghene has to bounce back from a sub-par practice Thursday.

During the game: It probably was telling that when the Dolphins opened with four defensive backs after Houston started its first possession at the Miami 7-yard line, it was Kohou who was opposite Howard. Igbinoghene ended up playing the most snaps among cornerbacks other than Bryce Thompson and performed better in run support than in coverage, where he gave up a pretty easy 11-yard completion to veteran Robert Woods on a third-and-7.

CB ELI APPLE

Before the game: Apple finds himself in a similar situation as Igbinoghene in that he's had a pretty solid camp but a sub-par showing at practice Thursday, and he also needs a bounce-back performance in this game against the Texans.

During the game: Apple had a good outing in coverage against Houston, with a quick tackle after a short completion and another play where his coverage led to an incompletion. This indeed was a nice bounce-back performance for him.

S TRILL WILLIAMS

Before the game: While we once were very high on the prospects for Williams because of his intriguing skill set, the reality is he has yet to distinguish himself in this camp, mostly because he's coming back from a torn ACL. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't have quite the body of work where the Dolphins are going to give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to making roster cuts and he really needs to start doing some things to make himself noticeable.

During the game: The good news for Williams was that he made his preseason debut against the Texans. The bad news was that he didn't do anything noticeable. The former Syracuse standout played 19 snaps on defense and six more on special teams, but didn't record any official stats. And, yes, it's fair to suggest he's in danger of not making the 53-man roster.

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