All-22 Takeaways From Dolphins Week 2 Loss vs Bills

All-22 Takeaways From Dolphins Week 2 Loss vs Bills Its hard to get worse than what happened to the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night.

The Dolphins lost 31-10 to the division-rival Buffalo Bills in a game that was never really close.

To make matters worse, the team suffered a smattering of injuries (Armstead, Jones, Wilson), including one to Tua Tagovailoa .

The Dolphins signal-caller was diagnosed with another concussion after taking a hard hit from Damar Hamlin .

We wont speculate about Tuas future or timeline for returning.

Coach Mike McDaniel said the team is rolling with Skylar Thompson for now, so well take him at his word.

While concern about Tuas health is paramount, the season will continue.

The Dolphins will suit up again in 10 days and be expected to play football.

Still, I feel a need to inject some good vibes into the conversation.

There were a few positives from the game , but there were some.

Youll get the doom and gloom elsewhere, so lets look at some positive takeaways from last nights All-22.

Dolphins All-22 Review vs.

Bills For the time being, Thompson is Miamis starting quarterback.

The third-year pro won the QB2 job in the summer, and hell get a chance to prove he belongs in the NFL this season.

Its unfair to judge Thompson too harshly for his play in Thursdays game.

Getting a whole week (10 days in this case) of preparation with the first-team offense will make a massive difference for Thompson.

However, there are a few good throws from Thursdays game worth looking at.

Everyone is super down on Thompson, and I think thats fair.

He wasnt particularly good in the preseason or when he played at the end of the 2022 season.

Still, throws like this prove he can run a functional offense.

The hook route run by Julian Hill sucked in the second-level defenders, allowing Grant Dubose to come open on his dig route.

This pass has to be thrown with perfect timing to prevent the safety from making a play on the ball.

Thompson hitches and drives the ball into the tight window without hesitation.

This was the next play, and I was shocked at how good of a throw this was on re-watch.

The Bills are sitting back with two deep safeties, something they did for most of Thursdays game.

The best place to attack that type of defense is down the middle, so Miami gets Hill running down the seam.

Hill is NFL open, and Thompson shows no fear trying to drive that ball into the small window.

This pass is placed perfectly.

Its high so Hill can box out any safety coming from his backside, and its on his front shoulder to lead him into the end zone.

This is an A-level NFL throw from Thompson and probably one of his better throws, period.

The Dolphins ran this concept early in the game, and Tua hit Hill in the hands, but he couldnt come with it.

Thompson has the confidence to hit these tight window throws, and he will need it if he plays for an extended period of time.

My biggest takeaway from watching Thompsons dropbacks is that the Dolphins should try to institute a more traditional Shanahan offense with him at the helm.

They should continue to attack the center of the field but use more condensed formations and under-center play action.

They should run the ball a ton and utilize Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle s speed on more crossing routes.

The current offense is built on the timing between Tua and his elite receivers.

Trying to recreate that magic with Thompson is a fools errand.

No matter what the Dolphins do, Thompson is likely to struggle.

However, asking Thompson to do what Tua did in the offense will only worsen things.

One of the few bright spots from Thursdays game was DeVon Achanes play.

He came into the week questionable but was by far Miamis best player.

He finished with 22 carries for 96 yards while adding seven catches for 69 yards and a touchdown.

Speaking of his pass-catching, Achane made an incredible catch down the left sideline last night that warrants some praise.

The play call is very similar to the one the Eagles used on Saquon Barkley s first touchdown vs.

the Packers in Brazil.

The Dolphins come out with 12 personnel (1 back, 2 tight ends) and clear out the left side of the field, running Jonnu Smith on a drag route.

Then, they slip Achance out of the B-gap into his wheel route after a play-action fake.

Ironically, Bills LB Dorian Williams wasnt fooled by this and stuck with Achance.

Thompson trusted his guy and threw a well-placed back-shoulder ball, allowing Achane to make a play.

Maybe three running backs in the NFL have the athleticism and ball skills to make this play Barkley, Christian McCaffrey , and Achane.

Achane shouldnt lead the team in receptions every week, but he could have a similar impact on this offense.

Where Achane should lead the Dolphins every week is carries.

Raheem Mostert missed Thursdays contest, so Achane probably wont dominate the rush share as he did against the Bills, but he should be the teams primary option.

One reason is contact balance.

Achane is listed at 5-foot-9, 188 pounds, but hes pretty good at breaking tackles and dealing with contact, like in the play above.

In a short-yardage situation, Achane is willing to put his head down, absorb contact, and pick up the first down.

He even runs through an arm tackle after absorbing the initial contact.

This play also shows how solid his vision between the tackles is.

Hes able to find a small crease off of Liam Eichenberg , who is pulling to the second level in a lot of traffic.

Some running backs wouldnt make that slight cut to explode into space like that, especially ones with Achanes archetype.

With the team relying on Thompson, Achanes consistency and high-floor running style should be a huge asset for Miami.

Miamis first-round pick made a few flash plays in Thursdays game, which is an excellent sign, given he was mostly a non-factor in Week 1.

Robinson was credited with three quarterback pressures and challenged a great offensive tackle, Dion Dawkins , all night.

Robinson mostly challenged Dawkins by using speed to power, as in the rep above.

Robinson is outreached on this play, but hes so explosive off the line it causes Dawkins to fall back into the pocket.

Robinson attempts to cross Dawkins face but loses his footing, allowing Josh Allen to get the ball out.

If Robinson doesnt slip on this play, it probably results in his first career sack.

There was another rep where Robinson used pure speed to create an advantageous angle against Dawkins.

Still, Dawkins kept Robinson from countering inside just long enough for Allen to hit Khalil Shakir in the middle of the field.

Thats the next stage of Robinsons development.

Hes got the speed and natural strength to beat NFL tackles and create pressure.

However, hell need to get quicker with his counters to finish those sacks.

Learning an inside swim move or a euro-step could go a long way to his development this season.

Id like to highlight this play in the name of fun because watch Robinson track down the running back on this rep.

He sprints across the field and looks like a middle linebacker flagging down the ball carrier.

These flashes of athleticism should keep you optimistic about Robinsons development.

Thursdays game wasnt great for him against the run.

Hes still getting walled off by tight ends and bullied by tackles, but hes battling.

This was Robinsons best play came against the run, as he used his quickness to sneak through the gap and blow up this play before it got started.

Robinson will have to get stronger, but in the meantime, this is how he can make an impact as a run defender.

Things arent looking great in Miami.

Without Tua, being optimistic about this teams chances is hard.

However, this is a good roster with veteran and young talent alike.

Theyre still capable of winning games this season..

This article has been shared from the original article on phins, here is the link to the original article.