Final NFL Week 1 Observations ... With Dolphins Angles
The first weekend of NFL action invariably produces surprising results and close games, and so it was that seven of the 16 games (almost 50 percent) were decided by three points or less, including the 20-20 tie between the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans.
But since our NFL weekly recap focuses on players and teams with Miami Dolphins connections, it's certainly worth noting that two of the five teams that won by double digits outside of Hard Rock Stadium this past weekend are the next two opponents Miami will face.
Those two teams would be the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, and it was the Bills who clearly were the better team in Week 1. In fact, Buffalo might have been the most impressive team of all in Week 1, with the Kansas City Chiefs also deserving of recognition.
The Ravens, who the Dolphins will face Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, weren't necessarily dynamic in their opener against the New York Jets, but they were in control the whole way in their 24-9 victory.
What stood out in that game, of course, was Lamar Jackson throwing three touchdown passes. One of them was a 55-yard throw to Rashod Bateman, which was his first completion of 50 yards or more since his 2019 MVP season.
Also of note in that game, the Ravens lost starting left tackle Ja'Wuan James (the former Dolphins first-round pick subbing for injured Ronnie Stanley) and starting cornerback Kyle Fuller to season-ending injuries.
NEW PROBLEM WITH BILLS
Protecting the quarterback was a major problem for the Dolphins in their two matchups against Buffalo last season, so nobody needed to see their pass rush dominate the Rams in the first game of the season or Von Miller doing what Von Miller has always done.
Remember that it was the left defensive end who knocked Tua Tagovailoa out of the Week 2 game with a rib injury, and that pass rusher was A.J. Epenesa, not Von Miller.
Yes, the Dolphins offensive line looks better than it did last season, but this still looks like a matchup problem at this time.
KEEPING AN EYE ON THE 49ERS
That San Francisco lost its opener at Soldier Field against the Bears obviously was good news for the Dolphins, who own the 49ers' first-round pick in 2023, and nothing that happened in that game suggested that new starting QB Trey Lance is ready to lead them to the playoffs.
In fact, a lot of the talk after the game was that it's only a matter of time before Jimmy Garappolo takes over again at quarterback, something for which the 49ers set the stage when they restructured his contract.
While the conditions obviously were poor, this was a game most figured the 49ers would win and that loss might have been a good omen for Miami.
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS WITH CHARGERS
The Chargers were one of the media darlings when it came to picking Super Bowl contenders and a big reason was the addition on defense of Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson.
Well, Mack certainly delivered in his first game, coming up with three sacks, including one on the Las Vegas Raiders' final offensive play, and that Chargers defense looked dramatically better than the porous unit from last year.
But the Chargers also have a major flaw for any team that wants to become serious about the Super Bowl, and it was exposed against the Raiders, and that's their running game. Particularly their short-yardage running game.
It actually was funny that running back Sony Michel, who had been in camp with the Dolphins, clinched the win with a 3-yard run on third-and-2 in the final two minutes, because the Chargers got stuffed before that.
Late in the first half, they failed to gain a yard on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1, they had to use a jet sweep to convert another third-and-1, and their first touchdown came on a pass by Justin Herbert on a third consecutive throw from the 1-yard line.
This is worth mentioning because the Dolphins defense could again throw a lot of different looks at Herbert and the Chargers in December if they don't have to fear their running game, which is what happened when the teams met in 2020 and Miami won 29-20.
STEELERS STILL STOUT ON DEFENSE
The Pittsburgh Steelers' visit to Hard Rock Stadium on the night of Oct. 23 will come when the Dolphins will be honoring the 1972 team, and it's looking like they still will have to contend with 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt.
His timetable from a pectoral injury reportedly is in the vicinity of six weeks and the Miami-Pittsburgh is scheduled for Week 7.
Watt picked up right where he left off in the opener against Cincinnati with a sack, an interception and three tackles for loss in the Steelers' shocking road win.
With or without Watt, the Steelers defense will be a challenge for any team this season. Against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh finished with seven sacks, including three by Alex Highsmith, and five takeaways. One of those was a pick by former Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who also had a game-saving extra-point block after the Bengals had tied the score on the final play of regulation.
QUICK HITTERS
-- Former Dolphins QB Jacoby Brissett did not look particularly impressive in his first start with the Cleveland Browns, but he deserves kudos for directing a 35-yard game-winning field goal drive in the victory against Carolina — though a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty on the first play of the drive certainly helped.
-- In a matchup of 2022 Dolphins opponents, the Vikings dominated the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota pass rush was a huge difference in the game. The Packers also had no answer for Justin Jefferson, who the Dolphins really should handle by sticking Xavien Howard on him the entire game when the Vikings come to Hard Rock Stadium on Oct. 16.
-- While Mike McDaniel got a lot of kudos for going for it on fourth-and-7 near the end of the half, new Giants head coach (and former Dolphins coaching candidate Brian Daboll deserves even bigger praise for the ballsy decision to go for two and the win after former Dolphins tight end Chris Myarick's late touchdown at Tennessee. This was a stunning loss for the Titans, and one that ultimately be a major boost for the Dolphins when it comes time to separating the AFC contenders late in the season.
-- We really don't know to talk about how bad a decision it was for new Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett to attempt a 64-yard field goal Monday night instead of having Russell Wilson try to convert a fourth-and-5, do we?
