The Dolphins began their 11-day road trip Thursday in the Windy City. They met the Bears Friday for a joint practice ahead of Sunday's preseason opener. Next, the team will travel to Detroit for a pair of practices with the Lions before the game on Saturday.
"Going on the road is a way where, if utilized correctly, guys can invest more into each other," Head Coach Mike McDaniel said. "The bonding, you can't replicate it. Being able to collectively go for, I think it's nine days, three joints and two games, the challenge that is in front of us is awesome for the guys to work through."
Friday's session was a heavily contested, chippy practice with back-and-forth swings. The defenses put each quarterback under constant duress, though the Miami offense found a handful of explosive plays including a 40-yard catch and run from wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. That throw came from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who also found wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for a 30-yard strike from a crowded pocket.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams threw a 70-yard touchdown to wide receiver Olamide Zaccheus early in practice, but it was tough sledding from there. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks made the play of the day. He fell back into coverage, undercut a throw to tight end Cole Kmet and intercepted the pass. Fellow linebacker Tyrel Dodson did the same thing a few plays later but couldn't finish the catch.
The Miami front seven got after Williams and the Bears' protection plan. Dodson, safety Elijah Campbell and defensive tackle Zeek Biggers each scored quick sacks with immediate pass rush wins. Those efforts made up less than half of the Dolphins pass rush production. Other times, it was a swarm of Dolphins caving in on Williams' pocket. Williams also had several scramble plays but would throw the ball away once he broke contain.
A big part of the equation was the coverage of the Dolphins defensive backfield. Cornerback Jack Jones was all over the field. He was in coverage for multiple targets that fell incomplete and popped a Chicago running back for a tackle for loss.
"He plays with a lot of passion," safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said of Jones. "He's a smart guy. The plays he made today he took a calculated risk and made a play. When you do stuff like that where you be a football player and not just a playbook player, people respect that and people want to play similar ball to that."
Fitzpatrick had a big day of his own. He was in coverage for three incomplete passes including a breakup in the red zone period.
For more coverage from Dolphins camp, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available wherever you get your podcasts.
