Winner – LB Jackson Woodard<\/p>\n
At this point, it feels like Woodard has done everything in his power to earn a 53-man roster spot, and that didn’t change against Atlanta. There might not be another linebacker in Miami who has made the most of his time this preseason like Woodard. <\/p>\n
He had another solid night, consisting of six total tackles and one of Miami’s two fumble recoveries. He seems to have a nose for the football, playing a part in one of the Dolphins’ best positives in this game, which was forcing turnovers. <\/p>\n
This is now the second-straight week he’s been on the positive end of this list<\/a>, and that’s a great thing. <\/p>\n Loser – WR Theo Wease Jr. <\/p>\n In his second season in the NFL, Wease wanted to prove to Miami that he could be a receiver they could count on, but he proceeded to have a quiet, unmotivating training camp,<\/a> and this game against Atlanta didn’t do him any favors. He had a quiet game with three receptions for 22 yards, but one play stands out.<\/p>\n In the third quarter, Wease dropped a wide-open touchdown pass from Mark Gronowski that he would probably catch 99 times out of 100. Instead, it cost Miami its best opportunity in the game to score a touchdown, and that might not be something the Dolphins will gloss over as they figure out their 53-man roster.<\/p>\n Winner – CB Miles Battle<\/p>\n Battle is turning into a quality pickup for the Dolphins since they picked him up back in February.<\/a> After having a solid training camp, he got a signature highlight against Atlanta with an interception, being at the right place at the right time with the ball tipped in the air, setting up Miami in the red zone. <\/p>\n In addition to the pick, he also tacked on three tackles and a pass deflection. As you’ll find out later, this wasn’t a great game for a few guys on the secondary, so it was refreshing to see a good performance from Battle.<\/p>\n Loser – CB JuJu Brents<\/p>\n This is a similar situation to Wease. Brents had a relatively quiet night with three solo tackles. However, a lot of people are leaving this game with a negative impression because of one play. It’s a tough look considering how Hafley was optimistic about seeing how he could be a major asset to the secondary.<\/a><\/p>\n Early in the first quarter, Tua Tagovailoa completed a short pass out to Kyle Pitts approaching the sideline. Brents looked to meet him not far beyond the line of scrimmage, but instead ran right into a blocker, allowing Pitts to fly by the defense for a 37-yard gain. Atlanta would go on to score a touchdown on the same drive. Overall, it was a rookie mistake made by a four-year veteran. <\/p>\n Winner – K Riley Patterson<\/p>\n Now, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Patterson. In addition to the one blocked field goal (which wasn’t really his fault), he was also hit with a kickoff out of bounds penalty, helping Atlanta begin a drive at the 40-yard line.<\/p>\n But when the Dolphins needed him to score points, he did just that, nailing four field goals of different lengths \u2014 46, 45, 26, and 37. If Miami’s red zone offense continues to struggle to get the ball across the goal line, it might be a busy season for Patterson, who at least looks ready for the challenge. <\/p>\n Loser – CB Ethan Bonner<\/p>\n The cornerback room for the Dolphins is wide open, and Bonner did not do a great job reinforcing that he can be a trusted backup in the secondary. Currently listed as the second-string player behind Brents, this was a disappointing showing for the duo overall. <\/p>\n Bonner struggled for the majority of this game, leaving a lot of open room between him and Atlanta’s receivers for easy receptions. He was also in coverage on the Falcons’ second touchdown of the day. His performance on special teams wasn’t much better, whiffing on a couple of returners. <\/p>\n
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