EAGLES NEWS ‘They've got speed everywhere:' How can Eagles slow down explosive Dolphins?

[time2rock]

‘They've got speed everywhere:' How can Eagles slow down explosive Dolphins?

By Reuben Frank, Eagles Insider • Published October 20, 2023

 

In the summer of 2022, the Eagles held a joint practice in Miami with the Dolphins, which meant Darius Slay to practice against Tyreek Hill.

A seven-time Pro Bowl receiver against a five-time Pro Bowl corner.

"Me and him got a great work in,” Slay said Thursday. "Man, we got a great competition. We did a couple 1-on1’s. Honestly, I felt a little bit faster after we went against each other. I'm like, ‘Damn, I might be real real fast here, you know?’”

Slay is going to need every bit of that speed when the Eagles take on Hill and the record-setting Dolphins offense in a nationally televised battle of 5-1 teams at the Linc Sunday night.

The Dolphins don’t just have the No. 1 offense in the NFL, they’ve got the 7^th-highest highest scoring average in NFL history through six games (37.2), the 2^nd-most yards (499 yards per game) and 2^nd-most yards per play (8.0).

They’re the only team in history to average 13 ½ yards per pass play and 6 ½ yards per running play after six games.

Even without De’Von Achane, who’s averaging an absurd 12.1 yards per rushing attempt, the Dolphins have blazing fast weapons all over the place.

Tyreek Hill’s 814 receiving yards are the 2^nd-most in history after six games, the most since Hall of Famer Don Hutson of the Packers had 819 in 1942.

And Tua Tagovailoa is the eighth QB in history with 14 TDs, 1,800 yards and 71 percent accuracy through six games.

Slay will be back Sunday after missing the Jets game with a knee injury, but the Eagles will still be dangerously short-handed in the secondary against one of the most dynamic offenses ever assembled.

"They’re explosive,” Slay said. "Tyreek is arguably the best receiver in the league right now and doing crazy numbers. He’s been proving it day in and day out every year. So yeah, they have an amazing thing going on over there with amazing talent. Tua, both of them guys, him and Tua are both playing at an MVP-caliber level. 

"Then you got (Jaylen) Waddle coming up as well. Great group, man. Running backs running hard. They got speed everywhere. They’ve got so much talent. That's why they're 5-1. They doing they thang.”

Achane is sidelined with a knee injury, one-time Eagles training camp phenom Raheem Mostert has been unstoppable. Mostert already has 574 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns – 5^th-most in NFL history through six games.

"I see an explosive team,” James Bradberry said. "They're playing really well together. They're playing as one unit. But the speed definitely jumps off the film.

"Every week is a challenge. This is a new one, it's a great team, it's prime-time, and it's definitely going to be a challenge for us, but we definitely embrace that because that's part of being a defense in this league.”

What makes Tagovailoa so dangerous is how quickly he gets rid of the ball. He’s only been sacked six times, just once the last three games. Despite that, he’s averaging a league-best 9.5 yards per attempt.

That’s a really dangerous combination

"Tua is doing a really nice job of delivering the football and going to the right spot with the ball, making accurate throws,” Nick Sirianni said. "And those are all things that he showed coming out of college and he's continued to show and get better as a pro.”

Out of all those weapons, nobody is more dangerous than Hill. He’s already had games with 157, 163, 181 and 215 yards this year. 

A.J. Brown is 2^nd in the NFL in receiving yards, and he’s 142 yards behind Hill.

"His speed … it's world class,” Slay said. "Cheetah’s very athletic, run, jump, juke, start and go. He's one of a kind. That's why they call him the cheetah. A guy that's blessed with that much speed, can't coach that. He's gotta go out there and go.

"We’ve just gotta be alert where he’s at, because he's a threat wherever he’s at. So we got to just have eyes on him every play, let him know that we see him. Because if you don't see him, he tends to disappear. Very fast. So you better see him. Or you're going to disappear.”

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/theyve-got-speed-everywhere-how-can-eagles-slow-down-explosive-dolphins/541695/