“Really everybody feeds off (Fitzpatrick and cornerback Mike Hilton),” cornerback Storm Duck said. “Minkah…he’ll ask the questions that some of us won’t even think about because he’s been in different schemes, been in different defenses and stuff like that.”
While Fitzpatrck would say he took it to the house, it could also be argued that he was stopped short of the end zone on the return. Hill put his track speed on display, catching up with Fitzpatrick for what may have been a tackle in the low red area in a game setting. Hill was in a position to save the touchdown when it looked like the play was over.
The effort at the end of a hot, competitive practice speaks to the Dolphins collective strain this summer, and the hours of work put forth in preparations for the new season.
“Yesterday was our longest, hardest, most energetic practice,” Head Coach Mike McDaniel said. “That’s what I want to see, is that growth of energy, how we play football, adjusting to pad level and physicality and still bringing our strain to finish blocks not two yards down the field, but four. If the offense breaks a long run, defensively, I want to see the strain from the collective…A 40-yard run could be a highlight on the defense’s worst play – I want to see guys strain with pads and make people earn everything in both phases.”
The Fitzpatrick interception was the first in 10 practices for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Prior to the mistake, Tagovailoa called Hill’s number multiple times. He caught three passes during an end-of-half scenario with less than a minute on the clock. Those plays helped Tua lead the Miami offense into field goal range before Jason Sanders’ kick split the uprights.
Hill put one of the best routes on tape of the entire summer. His move shook the cornerback and created a window for Tagovailoa to find. The result was a 30-yard pass play. Tagovailoa leaned on his star receivers throughout the day including another sensational catch from Waddle.