The Miami Dolphins turned up the tempo a bit in practice Tuesday, but what really stood out was how much the defense dominated - or how poorly the offense performed, depending on how you want to look at things.
Quarterback Malik Willis had perhaps his most inaccurate practice of camp, with a couple of misfires, an interception by linebacker Jackson Woodard and some ball security issues early on.
Backup quarterback Quinn Ewers back in full-speed team drills for the first time since the preseason opener against the Washington Commanders did not look throwing the ball and also threw a pick. He said afterward he was back to 100 percent after confirming he injured his right groin against Washington, but was adamant that health issues have played no part in what continues to be a difficult summer for him.
As head coach Jeff Hafley had suggested before practice, rookie wide receiver Chris Bell had an increased work load after getting isolated team reps before and caught two passes in 11-on-11 work.
But what will be remembered on this day was how much the defense had the better of the offense.
Midway through practice, Willis gathered the offensive players in a big huddle for what seemed like a pretty animated pep talk.
Unfortunately for Willis and the rest of the offense, things didn't get much better after that.
Two players were injured during practice and, of course, one of them had to be a tight end.
The Dolphins already were practicing without Ben Sims and rookies Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore before Cole Turner went inside the Baptist Health Training Complex accompanied by a trainer.
Wide receiver Theo Wease Jr., meanwhile, was shaken up when he collided with safety Major Burns while going up for a pass. Wease remained outside, but didn't take another rep after that.
Defensive tackle Zach Sieler , linebacker Jordyn Brooks , edge Clelin Ferrell and defensive tackle Kenneth Grant again missed practice but were in attendance.
Rookie linebacker Trey Moore , edge Cameron Goode and linebacker Ronnie Harrjson Jr. were three players who didn't practice and were not spotted. Head coach Jeff Hafley provided an update on Moore's status before practice.
-- We already have mentioned Woodard's interception, but that was just one of many plays he made as he continues to impress and move toward locking up on the 53-man roster.
-- Likewise, it continues to be impossible to ignore young defensive tackle Keith Cooper Jr., who I brought up to Hafley in the Zoom media session Sunday, with him expressing gratitude that somebody was acknowledging the first-year player's progress.
-- Yet another player who continues to impress is rookie first-round pick Chris Johnson , who is providing really sticky coverage. He began his practice with two winning reps in one-on-one work against wide receivers Kevin Coleman Jr. and Malik Washington before breaking up a couple of passes in team periods. Washington got a catch against him later on a slant.
-- The issues on offense weren't limited to the quarterbacks - Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski took no reps in team periods -because the receivers again dropped passes or failed to make catchable receptions. Running back Ollie Gordon II and fullback D.J. Herman had the two most egregious drops of the day, not good for a rookie free agent trying to work his way onto the roster.
-- In the one-on-one matchups between pass rushers and O-linemen, Chop Robinson again got the better of Austin Jackson , Jonah Savaiinaea stonewalled Zeek Biggers , and Josh Uche beat Patrick Paul .
-- As an example of the sloppiness of the first-team offense, Willis dropped the snap on the first 11-on-11 play and two plays later dropped a shotgun snap. And, no, it didn't rain during practice.
-- Rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas had a pretty quiet day, though he did have a nice 25-yard reception from Willis over the middle.
-- While Chop Robinson didn't get any "would-be sacks" in this practice, he had a couple of noticeable run plays where he did the job.
-- Linebacker Cam Riley, who has made a very good early impression since signing late last week, got his interception against Ewers when he stepped in front of tight end Greg Dulcich near the sideline. This was a pass that lacked zip, something we noticed from Ewers all day that made it seem he simply wasn't right physically.
-- Edge David Ojabo had himself a solid practice, including getting past rookie D.J. Campbell to get pressure on Ewers. He later beat Caedan Wallace around the edge and knocked the ball out of Ewers' hands for the strip/sack.
-- Safety Zayne Anderson had a good pass breakup against new tight end Ethan Conner on a pass across the middle that was thrown a bit behind.
-- The biggest highlight for the offense probably was a run by De'Von Achane to the left side where he might have scored from 25 yards out, with Paul providing the key block.
-- Willis did show off his ability to throw from all angles, completing a pass to Achane with a sidearm delivery.
-- Rookie seventh-round pick Max Llewellyn made a couple of plays, one against the run and another when he got close to Willis. That play maybe would have produced a sack in a real game; as it was, Willis continued and his pass was intercepted by Willie Gay Jr.
-- So take your pick on that one, sack or interception.
-- Yep, it was that kind of day for the offense.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/onsi as Miami Dolphins Training Camp Practice 15 Observations: Rough Day on Offense, Woodard Shines Again .
