Dolphins Hosting Joint Practices with Atlanta
For the second time in three years the Miami Dolphins will host the Atlanta Falcons for a pair of joint practices.
The Dolphins will hold joint practices with the Falcons on Aug. 8-9, leading into the Dolphins' Aug. 11 preseason opener at Hard Rock Stadium, as first reported by NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe and later confirmed by a league source.
Practices will be open to the fans at the team's Baptist Health Training Complex, which is located in Miami Gardens.
The Dolphins previously hosted the Falcons in 2021 and had a couple of spirited practices with a Matt Ryan-led Falcons team. During those practices, tight end Kyle Pitts, who was then a rookie, showcased game-changing potential against safety Eric Rowe, and Miami's offensive line struggled for most of those practices.
But that's the purpose of joint practices. Along with providing a look against a different offense and defense, joint practices help expose a team's weaknesses, and areas of concern.
Pitts ended up catching two phenomenal fourth-quarter passes on Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard that led to a 30-28 come-from-behind fourth-quarter victory over the Dolphins in the regular season. He was selected to the Pro Bowl at the conclusion of that rookie season.
And Miami's offensive line struggled for most of that season, which featured the Dolphins starting out the year 1-7 before they won eight of the final nine games.
FALCONS BREAKING IN NEW QB
This time around the Falcons will be breaking in a new starting quarterback, whether it's second-year player Desmond Ridder or veteran journeyman Taylor Heinicke.
Ridder, a former University of Cincinnati standout who was drafted in the third round (74th overall) of the 2022 draft, went 2-2 as a rookie starter last season after he replaced Marcus Mariota.
He completed 73 of 115 passes for 708 yards and threw two touchdown passes in those four games.
Heinicke led the Washington Commanders to a 5-3-1 record last season as the team's starter, but produced just a 89.6 passer rating for the 2022 season.
He signed a two-year deal that could be worth $14 million to join the Falcons this offseason. Heinicke has won 25 of 33 games he's started, and has completed 63.9 percent of his passes, throwing for 5,745 yards with 33 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
The Falcons also featured one of the NFL's best rushing attacks last season, averaging (159.9) rushing yards a game, which ranked third in the NFL last season. And then they added running back Bijan Robinson with the eighth overall selection in the 2023 draft.
They should provide Miami's defensive front, which ranked fourth when it came to stopping the run last season (103.0 rushing yards allowed), a good week of practice. The Dolphins will be breaking in a new defense, led by newly hired coordinator Vic Fangio, and expect the unit to be tinkering and experimenting during the preseason.
IS ANOTHER JOINT PRACTICE COMING?
It is possible that the Falcons could be the first of two joint practice weeks for the Dolphins.
Joint practices have become the norm of the NFL training camp and preseason the past few years, especially since teams trimmed down from four to three exhibition games in 2021.
Last year the Dolphins held joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles days before those preseason games.
Head coach Mike McDaniel is an advocate for joint practices because it helps the team get a better assessment of its roster, identifies areas of concern, and contributes to the players locking in with better focus.
“Training camp does get monotonous to guys, so it’s a great way to really break stuff up and keep that competitive nature,” McDaniel said last offseason.
McDaniel’s relationship with DeMeco Ryans, with whom he worked as a member of Kyle Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers coaching staff, could be the selling factor on Miami and Houston holding joint practices the week before their Aug. 18 game at NRG Stadium.
The second preseason game is usually when teams fit in joint practices. But it's also possible the Dolphins could schedule a week of work in Jacksonville, ahead of the third preseason game, which would be Miami's second straight on the road.
