NOTICE; Skylar Thompson Statement After Miami Dolphins’ 24-14 loss 

There were few bright spots in the Miami Dolphins’ 24-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday night. Although Skylar Thompson injected life into a sputtering Dolphins offense, it was receiver Malik Washington and linebacker Channing Tindall who played some of their best football of the preseason. With all of the starters out except for guard Robert Jones, the two youngsters took advantage of the extra playing time, a welcomed sight considering the draft capital invested in both players.

“It looked as though the game was slow to him,” coach Mike McDaniel said of Washington, later adding “What a cool game for Channing. So much growth. This is his third year and third defensive system.” Washington finished the game with one catch for seven yards as well as one rush for 40 yards. But where the 2024 sixth round pick especially shined was in the return game. Early in the first quarter, Washington returned a punt 28 yards to put the Dolphins at midfield. Then, towards the end of the first, Washington took a kickoff from the 1-yard line to the Dolphins 46. “With some of the kick off stuff, especially with it being so new, we’re still ironing out somethings,” Washington said. “When you get the ball in your hands, you got to make things happen. Those guys are doing an amazing job of blocking up front. Those guys are making the play happen and all I got to do is run through.”

A scary moment happened the following play when safety Marcus Banks drilled Washington who tried to catch a slant courtesy of quarterback Mike White. The rookie receiver was sprawled out on the ground momentarily but was able to walk off on his own power. He returned a few plays later and took an end around 40 yards on the following drive. “I’m doing good,” Washington said. “You got to pop back up from those.” As for Tindall, it was his clear mastery of the defensive playbook. The 2022 third-round pick led the Dolphins in combined tackles with 12. He also added one QB hit

“I can feel myself improving and it’s making me more excited because within this system, being under [defensive coordinator Anthony] Weaver, it’s really improved my game,” Tindall said. One play in particular at the start of the second quarter showed his poise. With the hole up the middle closing, Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving tried to cut to the outside. Not only was Tindall in position to make the play in the middle, he quickly rushed to the outside to stop Irving for only a 1-yard gain. “That was just more instincts honestly,” Tindall said. “Because I have a certain responsibility on that play but I noticed every time we would come inside, they would literally bounce the ball outside so it would be no point of me keeping in that A gap. We call it ‘cloudy to clear’ so I just went from ‘cloudy to clear.’”

While the majority of the Dolphins’ starters sat out, the Buccaneers elected to play theirs on the first drive. With Baker Mayfield at the helm, the Bucs easily drove down the field and scored on a four-yard run from tailback Rachaad White. The Bucs would strike twice in the second quarter – a 51-yard field goal courtesy of Chase McLaughlin and Ryan Miller’s 10-yard touchdown catch – to go up 17-0. With White under center, the Dolphins offense looked lifeless, accumulating only 57 yards – most which came on Washington’s aforementioned 40-yard run. White finished the night with 37 yards passing with only five completions

Thompson provided a jolt when he replaced White midway through the second quarter. The Kansas State product led the Dolphins to a touchdown – a 29-yard pass to tight end Hayden Rucci – on his first drive to shorten the Bucs’ lead to 17-7. Thompson then capped off the Dolphins’ second drive of the third quarter with a 1-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kyric McGowan. “Had a lot of fun tonight,” Thompson said. “Obviously you want to come out on the other end of the scoreboard.” The Bucs would quickly respond with a nine play, 70-yard drive that ended with a one-yard pass to receiver Tanner Knue early in the fourth quarter to put he game out of reach 24-14

Thompson finished the game with 19 completions on 27 attempts for 190 yards and two touchdowns and an interception. Jaylen Wright, who played a role in the near comeback alongside Thompson, also showcased his versatility with 77 scrimmage yards, 44 of which came from his four catches. With the 2024 preseason now in the rearview mirror, the Dolphins will have some tough decisions to make over the next few days as the Aug. 27 deadline for roster cuts looms large. And Tindall’s performance, who many considered a candidate to not make the 53-man roster, certainly didn’t make the decisions any easier