Five Storylines To Watch For Dolphins in Second Preseason Game

There are five things to know before the Dolphins shake off the joint practices and face the New York Giants at Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Cam Miller (15) works with running back Jaylen Wright (5) during a joint practice with the New York Giants at the Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Miami Dolphins will play their second of three preseason games Saturday afternoon when they face the New York Giants at Hard Rock Stadium at 4 p.m. ET.

This follows a joint practice between the Dolphins and Giants that can only be described in two ways: chippy and not reassuring for Miami. It raised more questions than answers and set up a few storylines for when both teams meet again in the afternoon.

Here are five things to watch out for on both sides of the ball. From the trenches to the playmakers, the stakes are different than what we witnessed against Washington. There's only so much time left for players to prove themselves before we get back to the regular season.

1. Redemption For The Offensive Line?

Considering how the first-team offensive line handled whatever Washington threw at them last week, the struggles against the Giants during the joint practice were humbling. All five of the projected starters made physical mistakes, with Austin Jackson doubling down with emotional mistakes, getting taken out of one offensive set for throwing an open-handed punch.

Pass protection saw a deep decline in quality, but the run game suffered as well, even with De'Von Achane in the backfield. When the Giants brought the blitz, the unit had no answers and struggled to adjust. Hopefully, the offensive line as a whole will take what they learned and come out motivated in the preseason game.

Granted, New York's pass rush is expected to be sensational, with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter leading the way. Eight sacks given up doesn't happen by accident.

The starters aren't the only group to watch out for. The reserves struggled against Washington, with Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller getting significantly less time in the pocket, with both of Miller's interceptions being assisted by the pass rush. Will this game against the Giants be any different?

2. Can Miami Hang With New York's Running Backs?

Miami's physicality against the run game early on against Washington was a highlight of the game, according to Jeff Hafley. Now they'll go against the Giants and their list of running backs, including Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Devin Singletary, and their newest addition.

On August 18, the Giants signed Najee Harris, the veteran running back entering his sixth year in the NFL. It's believed that he wasn't brought in as a depth piece, but instead will be a significant contributor to the offense. If that's true, this game against the Dolphins could be the first look at Harris and what the Giants can get out of him in the long run.

While the running game for Washington was denied success early on, they eventually broke through once the backups came in on defense for Miami. It doesn't matter who the Giants roll out as their running back, but if the Dolphins can keep them at bay for 60 minutes and avoid giving up the big play, it would be a big win moving forward.

3. What Will The Linebacker Depth Look Like?

Health-wise, it's been a difficult few days for Miami's linebackers. The undisclosed injury that Jordyn Brooks is dealing with doesn't seem to be going anywhere, and there are concerns about Tyrel Dodson after he finished the joint practice without pads or a helmet. The ongoing work that Kyle Louis is getting at safety isn't helping when determining the Dolphins' linebacker depth.

In a response, the Dolphins have signed Stephen Dix Jr., an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas who, depending on what he proves to the coaching staff, could land a spot on Miami's practice squad.

One high note of the joint practice was Jacob Rodriguez's contribution, with his interception of Jaxon Dart the icing on the cake as his workload rose amid injuries and uncertainty in the linebacker group.

4. Is There Hope With the Backup Quarterbacks?

Willis looked great against the Commanders, but the way the backups struggled from the second drive onward stripped away most of the confidence he had built in the position. There needs to be something done against the Giants to assure everyone that the Dolphins aren't completely hopeless if Willis goes down, which is easier said than done.

With Quinn Ewers sidelined with a groin injury, this game could present a great opportunity for Cam Miller to show the Dolphins coaches they need to keep him on the 53-man roster as opposed to hoping he sneaks through waivers to bring him back on the practice squad.

5. Will Everyone Please Just Calm Down?

The Dolphins and Giants had difficulties controlling themselves during joint practice. It already was a bad look then, but to repeat that at Hard Rock Stadium would be even more scrutinized. This will be a test to see if, culture-wise, Miami is beyond another skirmish against New York.

Fisticuffs were thrown by veterans, rookies, and players on the sidelines who had nothing to do with the fights but wanted to get in on the action. On top of that, you risk the possibility of injuries, fines, and suspensions. These things already drive coaching staffs crazy during the regular season, but for them to happen in a preseason game would be unacceptable.