The Miami Dolphins were handed their second loss of the season on Sunday, as they were downed by the Philadelphia Eagles 31-17 at Lincoln Financial Field.
Mike McDaniel’s team seemed to fall behind early, and while they were able to come back to tie the game at 17-17, the Eagles’ two late touchdowns were two much for Miami’s high-powered offense to overcome.
As we do after every game, let’s take a look at some of those who deserve credit and some who deserve crticism for their performances against the Eagles.
STUD: KR/PR Braxton Berrios
Berrios showed exactly why Miami added him on Sunday, as he had five opportunities for returns on special teams. He averaged 26.3 yards per return on kickoffs and 16 yards on his lone punt return.
Although the Dolphins didn’t capitalize on his excellent efforts in the third phase of the game, his performance shouldn’t go unnoticed.
DUDS: TEAM IQ/Preparation
10 penalties is simply inexcusable. Yes, there were some calls that were iffy, and there should’ve been more than the zero that was called on the Eagles, but Miami can’t complain when they were called for dumb mistakes. False starts, offsides and delay of games can be avoided, and they should be, especially against strong opponents.
STUD: WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
It’s tough to say a player who had just two catches in a game was an impact contributor, but Wilson makes the list simply for his incredible 29-yard catch on a key third-down play.
Cedrick Wilson's got that fancy footwork 😮
📺: #MIAvsPHI on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/0rIJPFKW6L pic.twitter.com/LIU5oOmNqG— NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2023
He also had another 19-yard reception that he got his feet down for again before going out of bounds.
DUD: CB Eli Apple
Before the game, Apple told former NFL safety-turned-analyst Rodney Harrison that it was going to be “an Eli night.” While Apple made some solid plays, like when he locked up Brown on a target.
However, Apple was often trailing behind his man and didn’t look to be running full speed to catch up.
Eli Apple lol pic.twitter.com/HdwqgCaH5j
— Video from: @TSV__1 (@TSV__1) October 23, 2023
That type of effort isn’t going to cut it.
STUD: LB David Long
Before leaving the game for a concussion evaluation, Long had his fingerprints all over this game. He had four tackles and one pass defended, as he was stopping the run and making plays against the pass. When Long came out, Hurts nearly immediately noticed the hole in the defense and targeted a zone that the NBC broadcast pointed out should’ve been filled by Long’s replacement, Andrew Van Ginkel, who is new to the inside linebacker role.
Long never returned to the game after colliding with teammate Jevon Holland, and McDaniel said after that he wasn’t updated on his status. Hopefully, he’s healthy and good to go for next week against the New England Patriots who present a strong rushing attack.
