1) Williams continues to impress
Rookie wide out Preston Williams made the most of his opportunities on Thursday evening in his debut as a Miami Dolphin. He's looked like a seasoned veteran during training camp, and he found a way to translate his stellar play in live game action. His route running has been solid, but his body control and strong hands while catching the football should land him a spot on this roster. Williams made it look very routine on plays that were difficult catches over defenders. On an offense looking for playmakers, I would put his name at the top of the list!
2) O-Line and CBs need improvement
There's no denying that this Dolphins offensive line needs to improve before the Baltimore Ravens come to town in September. Both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen needed to make off-schedule plays to move the football in the passing game due to missed assignments and inconsistent pass protection up front. Guards Michael Deiter and Shaq Calhoun saw their first game action as pros and struggled early. I would expect both players to be better next week on the road in Tampa. That statement also applies to cornerback Nik Needham, who was picked on mightily on Atlanta's first drive of the evening. Finding a corner opposite Pro Bowler Xavien Howard is paramount, because that's where teams will look until the Dolphins find consistency on the edge of the defense.
3) Things to build on at quarterback
Both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen played with confidence and made plays when things around them were breaking down. Fitzpatrick led the offense on the opening drive to points, but only played two series in the first quarter. Rosen showed poise and mobility, sometimes needing to evade pressure to make plays downfield. The more he played, the better he looked, especially when he had time to settle in the pocket. Rosen also bounced back after an interception before halftime, and led the offense to a field goal on a 70 yard drive with only 1:05 left in the second quarter. Jake Rudock was also efficient in the fourth quarter spreading the football to all parts of the field. Jake was a perfect five for five and found rookie Myles Gaskin for a six yard score.
