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Alonso and Tannehill's stock rising

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http://www.espn.com/blog/miami-dolp...nso-ryan-tannehills-stock-rising-for-dolphins


  • James WalkerESPN Staff Writer


The Miami Dolphins picked up their season-best fourth win in a row Sunday with a 31-24 victory against San Diego. This is Miami’s longest winning streak since 2008, which happens to be the last time the Dolphins (5-4) made the playoffs.
With that in mind, here is look at whose stock is rising in Miami:
1. Kiko Alonso, middle linebacker: Alonso never scored a touchdown at any level of football. But he picked a good time Sunday against San Diego. Alonso took a 60-yard interception the other way for the game-winning touchdown for Miami. Alonso also added four tackles. Miami’s trade with Philadelphia is playing dividends.
2. Run defense: The Dolphins entered Sunday ranked 30th in run defense. They appeared to be an easy matchup for the Chargers and red-hot running back Melvin Gordon. However, Miami’s run fits and tackling were solid, and the defense held Gordon to just 70 rushing yards on 24 carries. Gordon’s 2.9 yards per rush was a season-low.
3. Ryan Tannehill, quarterback: Tannehill outplayed counterpart Philip Rivers and had his best game of the season with 240 passing yards and two touchdowns. Tannehill also had an important 18-yard scramble in the second half when he dodged two defenders. Tannehill completed 15 of his first 18 passes and made some great throws under pressure. This also marks the first four-game winning streak of Tannehill’s NFL career.
4. DeVante Parker, receiver: Miami’s former first-round pick got off to a mostly quiet start in the first half of the season. Parker played through a hamstring injury and had just one 100-yard game in seven contests. But Parker had his second 100-yard game at a good time with five receptions for 103 yards. Parker averaged 20.6 yards per catch and had a 56-yard catch. He adds a dynamic element to Miami’s offense when healthy and productive.
 
Ryan Tannehill: 95.0 Total QBR


ESPN Stats & Information
Tannehill added 7.6 points to the Miami Dolphins' expected scoring margin on Sunday, by far his most in a game this season (previous best was 5.2 in Week 7). He was 17-of-24 passing for the game, and 11 of those completions went for first downs. His rate of 45.8 percent of attempts going for first downs was his highest in a game this season.

Tannehill completed all four of his attempts traveling 15 or more yards downfield Sunday, tied for the most in a game in his career without an incompletion. He also had a completion of 41 air yards wiped out due to a penalty.

Another area where Tannehill found success on Sunday was against a standard pass rush. He was 13-of-16 with two touchdowns against four or fewer pass rushers, including 9-of-9 in the first half. Tannehill had not had a passing touchdown against standard pressure since Week 3 against the Browns.
 
SAN DIEGO – Miami Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert had his personal Willis Reed moment on Sunday. He was knocked out of the game with a dislocated wrist in the first half against the San Diego Chargers, only to return in the second half and help lead Miami to a victory.

Albert was evaluated in the locker room and had his left wrist popped back in place. He wrapped his forearm with a soft cast and jogged out of the tunnel about midway through the third quarter.

“It was pretty tough, but I had to continue,” Albert said. “My pride won’t let me go out like that. I was going back in no matter what.”

It was the sort of courage, toughness and resilience that, in some ways, has embodied Miami’s run of four straight victories. The Dolphins (5-4) overcame plenty of hardship early this season during a 1-4 start before going on their longest winning streak in eight years.

Albert is a big key to Miami’s offensive line. The Dolphins are now 4-0 when all five projected starters are healthy. They were 0-2 in games Albert missed this season with knee and ankle injuries.

It remains to be seen if Albert play next week against the Los Angeles Rams. But early indications are the veteran left tackle will do all he can to get back on the field.

“I’m going to get X-rays and see what I can do so I can play,” Albert said.


Dolphins' Kiko Alonso trade with Eagles paying big dividends

SAN DIEGO -- Kiko Alonso was a mere footnote for the Miami Dolphins in March. The middle linebacker was considered a throw in during a pre-draft trade with the Philadelphia Eagles that also involved cornerback Byron Maxwell and swapping first-round picks.

Maxwell was the player the Dolphins coveted and needed most in their secondary. Alonso was more of a bonus project. He looked shaky for the Eagles last season and suffered multiple knee injuries in his career. Miami hoped Alonso could get close to the form he had his rookie season in 2013 but knew there were no guarantees.

Eight months later, acquiring Alonso is paying big dividends for the Dolphins. The middle linebacker had a game-winning, 60-yard interception return in Sunday’s 31-24 victory over the San Diego Chargers, which was Miami’s first road win in over a year.

Alonso channeled his inner fighter during his touchdown celebration after delivering the knockout blow to the Chargers (4-6).


Kiko Alonso wasn't the centerpiece of an offseason trade with Philadelphia, but the middle linebacker played a leading role on Sunday.

“I was glad I could do my Conor McGregor walk after that,” Alonso said of mimicking the popular mixed martial arts champion.

Added Dolphins coach Adam Gase: “He’s a very instinctive player. I know there have been a couple times he gambles and he loses, but there have been a lot of times he gambles and he’s right. And that was a situation where he was right.”

Alonso has been far from a one-hit wonder. He leads the Dolphins in tackles (71), tackles for losses (five) and fumble recoveries (two). Alonso, as the middle linebacker, also is responsible for calling out plays and making adjustments on defense. He took on a lot of responsibility in his first year with a new team.

Alonso wasn’t most proud of his interception Sunday night. Instead, he was happy that he outran Chargers receiver Tyrell Williams 60 yards for a touchdown.

When healthy, Alonso is one of the most athletic linebackers in the NFL, and the run after the catch was a telling sign that Alonso is getting close to getting his full explosiveness back.

“I felt [No.] 15 coming outside of me,” Alonso said. “I just kind of broke in and used my [speed]. That’s my first touchdown on defense ever, high school and college. So it felt good.”

The Dolphins’ front office should also feel good about Alonso. He’s one of the best under-the-radar trades of the 2016 season. Maxwell had his ups and downs but is Miami’s best cornerback, and the Eagles moved up the board enough to eventually trade again and get rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. Both teams got what they were looking for.

Ryan Tannehill outduels Philip Rivers in win over Chargers
play

ESPN Dolphins reporter James Walker points out the growing confidence in a team that has now won four straight game for the first time since 2008, which is the last time Miami went to the playoffs. (0:43)

SAN DIEGO -- Let's be honest: The Miami Dolphins, for the most part, turned around their season over the past month without much help from quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Miami transformed into a run-first team while Tannehill was asked to manage and simply not lose the game. He averaged only 201.7 passing yards in the Dolphins' three previous wins, including just 149 passing yards last week against the New York Jets.

But on a day when Miami's running game wasn't dominant and the defense made a variety of mistakes, the Dolphins needed Tannehill to carry the team -- and he delivered. Tannehill busted through his "game-manager" label for at least one week by completing 15 of his first 18 passes for 240 total passing yards and two touchdowns in a 31-24 victory over the San Diego Chargers.


Tannehill outdueled Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who had more yards (326) but also more costly mistakes (four interceptions). At times it was difficult to tell who was the future Hall of Famer and who was the inconsistent, middle-of-the-pack quarterback. Rivers' third interception to Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso resulted in a 60-yard pick-six to end the game.

Meanwhile, Tannehill was dealing on Sunday. He showed his athleticism on two key plays. First, a scrambling 39-yard touchdown throw to receiver Kenny Stills and another in the second half on an 18-yard scramble where he eluded two tackles to set up a third-quarter touchdown. His 56-yard throw to receiver DeVante Parker with four minutes left set up the tying field goal in the fourth quarter.

Tannehill shined bright with his best game of the season, and the Dolphins needed every yard to pull out their first road win of the season. Running back Jay Ajayi (79 yards) ended his streak of three straight 100-yard games.

Miami went a full calendar year since their last road victory, which was on Nov. 12, 2015, against the Philadelphia Eagles. But a lot has changed since then. The Dolphins (5-4) have a new head coach in Adam Gase, much more mental and physical toughness than last season and find themselves in position to make a playoff push.

If the Dolphins can continue to win on the road, anything is possible. They play four of their next six games away from Hard Rock Stadium.

http://www.espn.com/blog/miami-dolp...l-outduels-philip-rivers-in-win-over-chargers
 
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