Thursday Night Football starts in just a couple weeks and the preseason is where teams execute strategies to determine what slice of talent should play on their roster, much like starters versus backups situtation. That included the Miami Dolphins game vs. the Houston Texans. It was an opportunity to see how close they are ready to play the games that really count, and some of their strengths and weaknesses ahead of what will be defining seasons for each.
In this series, we’ll take a look at the major storylines through three games and break down who is stepping up for LSU basketball along with what fans can expect next.
1. 8/22Quarterback Play: How The Signal Callers Fared
While quarterbacks take the spotlight in an average NFL game, this preseason match up gave plenty of time to evaluate two from each team. The Dolphins are still in search of their quarterback and will probably take another look at Tua Tagovailoa after a testing season that was hampered by injuries.
In that game, Tagovailoa showed signs of the talent that got him selected in top five but still a few moments where even analysts and fans questioned whether he was ready to step up from there. While we saw accuracy, decision-making and poise on several sloppy drives earlier on the need to improve in pressure situations was also at display.
Conversely, the Texans’ QB situation is equally as fluid and open-ended. His play was mixed as he worked to earn the starting spot ahead of rookie C.J. Stroud. This is a guy with an arm and velo like few others, plus he has mobility, but man was this poor in terms of reads and timing (which isn’t unusual for rookie QBs) It is not clear if the Texans will believe Stroud is ready to command an offense or needs further development.
2. Ground And Pound
Neither offense relied on the ground too heavily, but both had their moments in establishing a rushing presence. The Dolphins ran for nearly 100 yards and the Chargers had their lowest total since Nov. 2019 against Denver as Miami got contributions from its stable of running backs, both starters and reserves. Speed and power in the running back room could be a major asset for them as they look to establish more consistent offensive play heading into the season.
In the Texans’ case, they ran with frequent results as Houston grounded down to make this methodical. One of the bright spots on offense was veteran running back Dameon Pierce who ran like his hair was on fire, creating yards after contact as he broke tackles. The Texans will need to control the ground game, particularly as their quarterback situation continues fluid.
3. Offensive and Defensive Line: Battle of the Trenches
Perhaps the biggest story from this preseason game was how well both defensive lines played. Miami defensive line, as a unit did an impressive job of disrupting the Texans passing attack and could free up linebackers to make tackles in the run game. Christian Wilkins, Jaelan Phillips and others were consistently in the backfield during 11-on-11 drills — an encouraging sign that Miami’s defense has potential to be among the best this season.
The Texans also did some good things on defense, especially with their pressure. The line, especially Jonathan Greenard in its group while obviously slower, still managed to get pressure on Tagovailoa several times. Yet does TEX have enough up front to give that line consistency, keeping QBs harassed all game long.
4. Special Teams: The X-Factor
The difference in one-point games like this can often be special teams, and both squads had up-and-down nights. Miami’s special teams did a good job in both punt and kick returns.. Place kicker Jason Sanders was also clutch, something that will be key in close games.
The Texans, on the other hand, got less than they were looking for out of their special teams. There were also some concerning missed field-goals and coverage on returns that will need to be cleaned up before the regular season starts. A better special teams could be all the difference in the world for Houston between winning or losing a close game against their opponent.
5. Breakout Rookie Standouts — Future Stars emerging
Preseason games always create opportunities for rookies to make a statement, and this one was no exception. The Dolphins had some strong outings from rookies, and rookie wide receiver Erik Ezukanma was a major reason why. His ability to get separation and catch tough balls might lead to more plays in the near future.
Texans — Henry To’oTo’o, 101ST OVERALL The former Tennessee linebacker looked the part in both athleticism and intelligence during rookie minicamp. If he can continue to read the play quickly, and expedite his decision-making in order to make more plays like that pick-six Sunday — which was set up by a Clowney tip at the line of scrimmage, Keenum said — they may have just found something on defense for years down the road.
6. Scenarios regarding Coaching Decisions: Strategy and Tactics
Preseason games, however you feel about them as a concept or structure experienced fan feedback generally agrees that they can be great for coaching — and of course the R&D (research & development) experiments other teams out in terms of play-style, deployment groupings etc. Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel had some intriguing choices, especially as it relates to how he played his quarterbacks and addressed the running game. The choices should at least give a hint to his plans during the regular season.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, who was a defensive captain in his playing days since the 7th round pick Michael Polusny took command of Texans GMed by Milkyweat; Smith and Howell invested heavily into securing their team ‘s defense. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles continue their aggressive play calling and approach when rotating defensive linemen further down in the season.
7. Tendon is injury risk for upcoming season
The football gods giveth and they taketh, so the inevitable preseason injury game left both teams with a few problematic situations after things loosened up. The Dolphins lost a couple of top players while the flow and game continued to favor Miami, cornerback Xavien Howard. None of the injuries appear significant, but it’s a good reminder that none are guaranteed an injury-free season in this league and how important depth is.
The offensive line was also battered by injuries with the Texans using 10 different starting combinations. Protecting their quarterbakcs should be the priority No. 1, and it would likely require roster adjustment as season draws near with Jamie Collins already hurt.
8. Depth-Chart Wars: Who Starts?
Preseason is largely about identifying who has earned a spot on the roster: This game helped clear up several of its most important questions. Miami’s wide receiver competition is one to watch for the Dolphins, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle locked in as starters for that team.
The biggest competition is at cornerback for the Texans. The veterans and youth are all making their cases to be starters in this game, so the performances could very well determine who is a starter come week 1.
9. Fan Reactions: The Zeitgeist of the Fandom
Fans always have opinions on their team, and this one was no different. There was some optimism among Dolphins fans, mainly revolving around the defense and young receivers. However, questions on quarterback and injuries were common.
Meanwhile, Texans fans are glad to see the impact of their rookies but they still have been insulated by this team’s overall readiness for regular-season play. The latter was a hot topic, while inconsistent quarterbacking play also came in for plenty of attention.
10. What It Means for the Regular Season
Heading into the final week(s) of preseason, both the Dolphins and Texans have a better understanding as to where they are. If they can manage the quarterback position and keep their defense up, it looks like Miami is about to take a shot for the moon in conference that feels more wide-open than ever.
Certainly, the Texans are in a rebuilding situation but there’s some good things underway for their young talent. If they can straighten that out and then a reliable quarterback emerges or plays like one from week-to-week, this could be an interesting little team.
Preseason
Typically, when the preseason rolls around it is considered somewhat of a precursor to regular season play but for both the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans this game was much more relevant than just that. At the same time, they allowed scouts to assess their talent as it applied to playing football and test that against other strategies in a trial run for future days of NFL glory.
Absolutely both teams will have a plenty of work yet to be done when it comes in the way they play from now on, especially defensively but insights gained into /s highly competitive season can only aid each team. As football fans, we should pay close attention to the things that are happening inside these teams while they prepare for what promises again be an exciting season of American Football.
