November 19, 2020
Week 11 kicks off tonight in Seattle as the Seahawks host the Arizona Cardinals. Sunday, the Dolphins put their five-game winning streak on the line in Denver against the Broncos. As Miami prepares for the trip out west, we look into Miami's recent defensive performance and talk tackling with safety Bobby McCain.
Here's what's happening today in Davie.
Wednesday Injury Report
Dolphins: Linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hip) didn't practice on Wednesday and offensive guard Solomon Kindley (foot) was a limited participant at practice.
Broncos: Quarterback Drew Lock (ribs), tight end Noah Fant (ribs), tackle Jake Rodgers (shoulder), and inside linebacker Joe Jones (calf) did not practice Wednesday.
Tackle Calvin Anderson (ankle), cornerback A.J. Bouye (hip), wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (ankle), inside linebacker Josey Jewell (quadircep) and safety Trey Marshall (ankle) were all limited participants at Wednesday's practice.
For the rest of the Dolphins-Broncos Week 11 injury report, click here.
They Said It
Dolphins safety Bobby McCain spoke to the South Florida media on Wednesday about a variety of topics. Among them, Miami's focus on one of Head Coach Brian Flores' staples – tackling.
"You have to practice tackling to do it well," McCain said. "That's one of our pillars on our defense. Set the edge, communicate, tackle and defend the deep part of the field. If you're not making tackles, that just means big plays. That's a thing we emphasize not just in training camp but each and every week to make sure we're getting guys on the ground."
Another staple for Miami's defensive surge over the five-game winning streak are the various pressure packages. McCain discussed the purpose and goal of being multiple and applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
"Putting pressure on the quarterback, the o-line, the coordinator – making them feel us," McCain said. "You don't know where we're coming from or what we're doing. We have good game plans every week."
Around the Beat
McCain was a fifth-round pick out of Memphis in 2015, but he's far from the only day-three pick making major contributions to the 2020 Miami Dolphins. Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post wrote about a few of them, here.
"You only get one, normally, first-rounder a year," Flores said. "So most teams are made up of guys who aren't first-round picks. I think what allows a guy to make a team and contribute are is he tough, smart? Does he love to play? Is he team-first? Is he competitive?
Dolphins On Social
On this Day in Dolphins History
November 19, 1990 - During halftime of Miami's 13-10 loss to the Los Angeles Raiders, the team's four Hall of Fame enshrinees, Larry Csonka, Bob Griese, Jim Langer and Paul Warfield, are inducted into the "Dolphin Honor Roll."
Stat of the Day
Dolphins safeties Bobby McCain and Eric Rowe have a combined 78 tackles this year out of 82 opportunities, per Pro Football Reference. The four missed tackles gives the duo a combined missed tackle rate of just 4.9 percent, the lowest in the NFL for the safety pair with the most playing time on any given team.
Know the Broncos
Broncos outside linebacker Bradley Chubb has 5.5 sacks and 30 quarterback pressures on the season (per Pro Football Focus). Both of those marks are tied for 17th in the NFL.
Content on Tap
Today, we'll play an exclusive interview with Dolphins defensive end Shaq Lawson on Drive Time with Travis Wingfield. The topics range from his dating show idea to bubble gum and meditation. That interview will be accompanied by a feature on MiamiDolphins.com where you can also find the latest on the Dolphins on Top News.
The latest episode of the Audible is now available. Catch John Congemi and Kim Bokamper every Thursday as they take you inside the Miami Dolphins.
