Dolphins Team Grades: Fins Escape SoCal With 19-17 Win Over Chargers In Week 2
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By Abraham Gutierrez
In dramatic fashion, recently signed quarterback Jay Cutler, running back Jay Ajayi and rookie kicker Cody Parkey led the Miami Dolphins to a 1-0 start to their 2017 NFL season with a 19-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
After being forced to evacuate South Florida and reschedule their Week 1 contest due to Hurricane Irma, the Fins feel fortunate to have escaped Southern California with a "W." In the end, it all came down to a 44-yard field goal attempt by Chargers kicker Younghoe Koo that barely missed wide-right.
"There's more than the material-type things," said Dolphins head coach Adam Gase regarding the past two weeks. "It's about your family, about us sticking together and trying to go out and play hard and win for each other and for South Florida fans."
Offense: B+
After getting off to a sluggish start, the Miami offense got going following the break. As a unit, the Dolphins offense registered 21 first downs (13 on passing, 6 on rushing and 2 on penalties), went 5-for-13 on third downs and tallied 336 yards of total offense (111 yards rushing, 225 passing yards).
In his first game back from retirement, Cutler completed 24-of-33 (73 percent) of his passes for 230 yards, a touchdown and no picks for a quarterback rating of 101.8. While Ajayi set the tone with the ground game, rushing for 122 yards on 28 carries, Cutler's go-to receiver was DeVante Parker (4 catches, 85 yards) in his Fins debut.
"DeVante, since I've been here, every time I've thrown it it's a completion, that's what we like," Cutler said in his post-game press conference. "Kenny made a big play, he got matched up with a linebacker. [We] ran the ball well, heck of a kick there at the end and fortunately it missed."
In addition, Jarvis Landry also had a solid game with 13 catches for 78 yards, while Kenny Stills (2 catches, 37 yards, TD) was the recipient of Cutler's first score in a Dolphins uniform.
Defense: C
Defensively it was a rough day at the office for the Dolphins defense, particularly as it pertained to containing Philip Rivers (31-for-39 for 331 yards, TD and no INTs for a quarterback rating of 110.6) and the Bolts aerial attack. As a team, the Fins "D" surrendered 24 first downs, out of which, 19 came through the air, 3 on the ground and two more thanks to penalties.
After giving up 367 yards (323 passing, 44 rushing yards), Miami's biggest concern was the way they allowed Rivers and the Bolts to march down the field and attempt what would have been a 44-yard game winner.
"I always take a win, it's a terrible win but we'll take it," said Fins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. "We didn't finish strong, especially on the defensive side of the football. [We] gave them opportunity with a minute, I think 10 [seconds] left. At the end of the day we need to adjust quicker, understand what they're trying to do against us and make plays."
On a brighter note, some of Miami's defensive standouts include Mike Hull (10 tackles), Xavien Howard (7 tackles), Kiko Alonso (7 tackles) and William Hayes (2 tackles, 1.0 sack).
Special Teams: A+
If it weren't for the ice water that runs through kicker Cody Parkey's veins, Miami would have gotten the season off to a disappointing start. Not only did the undrafted free agent out of Auburn convert the 54-yard game winner for Miami, but he was also flawless all afternoon long with 13 points on 4-for-4 on field goal attempts and split the uprights on his only point-after attempt.
With field position being such an important role, punter Matt Haack was also a key contributor with 3 punts for an average of 43.3 per boot, including a long of 58 yards.
Coaching: A
Despite Miami's struggles defensively, the truth is that it's impossible to win a game without scoring points. The way that Gase and his staff got Cutler ready for the season on such short notice is certainly worth noting.
"I think we tried everything," Gase added when asked to assess Cutler's performance. "We did a lot of things that we've been working on since the spring that kind of fit his skill set."
Next up: Fins look to keep road warrior mentality when they visit NY Jets in Week 3
Looking to keep the good times rolling before traveling across the pond in Week 3, the Dolphins travel to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey for their first divisional game of the season. Awaiting them will be the winless New York Jets in a contest that's scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET and it will be broadcast live on CBS.