The Five Biggest Dolphins Stories of Week 14
It was a good week for Miami Dolphins players when it came to individual awards, but that unfortunately was shadowed by more developments involving COVID-19.
Here comes the ranking of the top five stories of the week:
The Dolphins ended up placing two more players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list this week, with starting running back Myles Gaskin landing on the list one day before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He joined cornerback Jamal Perry, who was placed on the list Wednesday, and running back Matt Breida, who has been on the list for the past two weeks. The loss of Gaskin was particularly significant, especially considering the timing of it.
The Dolphins had a great overall defensive performance in the 19-7 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, and linebacker Kyle Van Noy reaped the rewards when he was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his three sacks and five tackles for loss. He became the first true Dolphins linebacker to win the award since 2005.
Cornerback Byron Jones has made a clear impact in his first season with the Dolphins, and it extends off the field. The proof came when Jones was selected as the Dolphins nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
After throwing for a career-high 296 yards against Cincinnati, first-round pick Tua Tuagovailoa broke through with his first award as the Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Week. Tagovailoa previously had been nominated twice for the award voted on by fans, one time losing to former college teammate Jedrick Wills now of the Cleveland Browns.
5. Practice Squad Promotions
With the COVID-19 and injury issues the Dolphins have had to endure, it was time to elevate a few players from the practice squad. Perhaps the most intriguing elevation was that of running back Elijah McGuire, who started five games for the New York Jets in 2017-18 and finished last season as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad. Also getting elevations this week were safety Nate Holley, tight end Chris Myarick and defensive end Tyshun Render.
