Dolphins' offense more balanced in first game after Joe Philbin's departure

Oct 23, 2015

After what transpired last week against the Titans, it’s hard not to think that it was former coach Joe Philbin holding back the Dolphins offense.

Miami had a field day on the ground, rushing 32 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-10 win against Tennessee. Lamar Miller finally got the number of carries he wanted, running 19 times for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Interim coach Dan Campbell — who sure sounds honest when he speaks — said he wasn’t making the calls.

“I let (Bill Lazor) run what he wants to run,” Campbell said. “I let (defensive coordinator) Lou (Anarumo) do what he wants to do. Every once in a while I may have an idea and I’ll give them my idea or my opinion on something, but I let them handle it. The last thing they need is me looking over their shoulder. But certainly if I have something to say, I’ll say it to them.”

Lazor has stressed the need for a balanced offense since he arrived in Miami last season. He was quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia in 2013 when the Eagles had one of the league’s most potent offenses and a balanced attack that featured running back LeSean McCoy.

Before that, Lazor was offensive coordinator at the University of Virginia — a school that was among the ACC’s worst running teams when he arrived and became one of the best at running the ball.

Fantasy Impact:

This all bodes well for Lamar Miller, who was the #9 RB in both formats in 2014 despite only averaging 15.9 touches per game. Miller had 21 touches for 118 yards and a touchdown against the Titans last week. And it wasn't game flow that allowed Miller to see that many touches -- he had 16 "looks" (carries plus targets) before halftime.

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Steelers call WR George Pickens doubtful, outside chance to play

Pro Football Talk

2 hours ago

The Steelers did not have receiver George Pickens for their Week 14 victory over the Browns and they are likely to be without him again against the Eagles on Sunday.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said in his Tuesday press conference that Pickens could be characterized as doubtful for Week 15, but there is still an outside chance he’ll play.

Fantasy Impact:

The Steelers thought Pickens would play last week but was eventually ruled out. After Sunday’s contest, Pickens underwent an MRI, which revealed the injury was more significant than initially believed, the story said. Reports from those who follow the team on Monday mentioned it was unlikely Pickens would play, and that's certainly looking like the case.

Cowboys don't expect to make change at QB

Pro Football Talk

4 hours ago

The Cowboys’ loss to the Bengals on Monday night dropped them to 5-8 on the season and left them with scant hope of making it to the playoffs this season, but that’s not going to lead to a shift in their plan at quarterback.

That was the word from team owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday morning. Cooper Rush has been the team’s starter since Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury, but there have been questions about whether the Cowboys will take a look at Trey Lance before his contract expires at the end of the season.

Fantasy Impact:

The story said Jones has been resistant to playing Lance and that he hasn't changed his mind about who will start against the Panthers in Week 15. Jones added in a quote he thought the team "did some good things out there" against the Bengals, and that he believes Rush "gives us our best chance." Unless things change over the final couple of weeks, it doesn't look like Lance is going to get any kind of chance in Dallas.

Raiders Beat: Team will be looking for a QB in 2025

The Athletic

5 hours ago

Looking ahead to 2025, the Raiders will find themselves searching for an answer at quarterback for the third offseason in a row.

Related players: Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew, Desmond Ridder

Fantasy Impact:

The author said O'Connell is the best bet to be in the mix, but it's only because he hasn't really played much. Minshew is under contract for next season, but hasn't played well in his time this season. The Raiders are on pace to have one of the top picks in the NFL Draft, but also could opt to go another direction and take the best player, much like they did last draft with Brock Bowers at TE. The author said the Raiders could once again explore the available veterans: Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Jameis Winston are scheduled to be free agents. Either way, it appears the Raiders will probably have a new starting QB in 2025.