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Upon Further Review: More Takeaways From Dolphins Win vs. Buccaneers

The Miami Dolphins' young depth showed up in a big way against Tampa Bay.
Dante Collinelli|
Miami Dolphins tight end Greg Dulcich (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami Dolphins tight end Greg Dulcich (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins won their seventh game of the season Sunday, but their record this season doesn’t matter. What matters is which pieces the team has in place for next season. 

That is the focus of this week’s film review because it’s really what the final games of the season should be about — player evaluation. Of course, the team has holes, but we will highlight some underrated offensive depth players who shined against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

These players might not be starters next season, but having good, young depth and role players is a critical step to building a competent roster. We’ll also look at how the defense forced three turnovers. 

Miami’s Depth on Offense Looks Promising 

The Dolphins’ rookies made a ton of plays against Tampa Bay, but we do a full rookie review every Tuesday, which puts every rookie in the spotlight. So, we will exclude talking about them for now. 

Instead, we want to focus on young players who are doing enough to earn a valuable roster spot next season. Let’s start with center Andrew Meyer, who made his first start of the season in place of Aaron Brewer. 

This clip is an excellent example of why athleticism is at such a premium in Miami’s running game. The center has to make reach blocks like this so often in outside zone, and it’s not easy. 

Watch Meyer land his hand and use his quickness to work across the defender’s face and seal him to the inside. Achane trips going through the hole, but this is an excellent rep for Meyer. 

He also allowed zero pressures in pass protection, according to Pro Football Focus. Meyer needs to add some strength, and he’s certainly not the same caliber of player as Brewer, but he profiles like an incredibly valuable backup on the interior. 

The Dolphins have struggled mightily with IOL depth through the years, so Meyer (a former UDFA) being an answer is a gigantic win. 

Another area the team has struggled in recent years is finding a long-term answer at tight end. Well, they might have found one when they signed Greg Dulcich to the practice squad after the Giants cut him in August. 

Watch Dulcich adjust to Quinn Ewers’ throw when he comes out of his break. That’s not an easy play to make, but Dulcich does it and finishes the catch through contact. He’s also a pain for the defense to drag down. 

Miami could use a more complete player at tight end, but Dulcich’s ability to run the seam (like on his TD catch) and create YAC in the quick game has allowed Miami’s offense to become a lot more diverse. 

It’s also worth shouting out Julian Hill, who has developed into a nice blocker this season. Between Hill and Dulcich, the Dolphins might’ve found a solid tight end room without using a single draft pick or spending big money. 

It’s been a weird road for Jaylen Wright. The Dolphins traded an extra pick to acquire him in the 2024 NFL draft before burying him on the depth chart as a rookie. Then, he got hurt and lost his RB2 spot to Ollie Gordon III. 

However, Wright might’ve earned it back this season. He’s made the most of his opportunities this year, recording 265 yards on 57 carries. 

Watch the cut he makes in the hole on his 32-yard run against Tampa Bay. This play could’ve gone for a loss, as Jonah Savaiinaea blew his block at the second level, but Wright created his own yards. 

RB2 is hardly the most important spot, but Wright was trending toward a total draft bust earlier this season. That’s no longer the case, and he should go into training camp as the team’s primary backup to Achane.

Lastly, it’s worth highlighting Malik Washington’s special team’s contributions. He’s struggled as a traditional receiver, but there’s no denying that he’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. 

Watch him fight through contact and then get down the sideline on this return. He’s got a bunch of explosive kick returns and has a punt return for a touchdown this season. 

Returner isn’t the most glamorous roster hole to have filled, but Washington was a sixth-round pick. A long-term role on special teams, especially a high-impact one, is a huge win for him and the Dolphins.  

How Miami Forced Its Turnovers 

The Dolphins’ defense did a lot of good things on Sunday, including shutting down Tampa’s running game. 

However, the Buccaneers got into Dolphins territory a couple of times with a chance to tie the game, and Miami’s defense stepped up by forcing a turnover. 

The first turnover came much earlier in the game, though, when Jason Marshall Jr. made an incredible catch for his first-career interception. Off the broadcast view, this looked like Marshall benefited from luck. 

Jalen McMillan had a step on him, and Mayfield underthrew the ball. That’s still true, but watch Marshall after the snap. He’s bailing out of the slot to occupy a deep half responsibility, with Ashtyn Davis stepping into a robber role. 

Marshall is beat for sure, but expecting him to flip his hips twice in a matter of seconds and carry a deep crossing route step for step is just not realistic. This is the downside of post-snap coverage rotations; sometimes, you lose leverage. 

All things considered, Marshall did an excellent job on this play. 

Ironically, the Dolphins’ next turnover shows the value of rotating coverages after the snap. Miami shows a likely Cover-3 look pre-snap, but rotates which safety has the deep middle after the snap. 

Dante Trader Jr. buzzes down into the box, and Davis bails out. Mayfield thinks he’s got an inside breaking route against a cornerback with outside leverage and no middle of the field help that can get there in time. 

Well, he missed Davis’ rotation after the snap, and he makes a great play to flip his hips and undercut the route before the ball can even arrive. It’s a great individual play combined with a good play call. 

Parsing out coverage rotations can be difficult, but sometimes defense is just about winning against the player across from you. Miami’s final turnover was exactly that. 

Bradley Chubb just beats Tampa Bay’s third-string left tackle off the snap with a simple outside rush. Chubb beat him to the corner and dipped under his shoulder, cornered to the quarterback, and attacked the ball. 

Plays like this are why pass rushers are so valuable. They’re capable of closing out games with sacks, and that’s what Chubb did on this one.

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Dante Collinelli
DANTE COLLINELLI

Dante currently serves as the deputy editor of Dolphins on SI, where he’s been contributing since 2022. He began his career covering the NFL Draft for Blue Chip Scouting and spent four years covering the Temple University Football team. For the past three years, Dante served as the Deputy Editor for The 33rd Team, working with former players, coaches, and general managers, while building a team of NFL writers.

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