On Saturday, Aug. 20, The Miami Dolphins faced the Las Vegas Raiders in the Hard Rock Stadium during the second week of preseason. The Dolphins lost the game 15-13. The biggest highlight for the Dolphins by far were the new faces on the field making their 2022 preseason debut. The most noticeable one, Tua Tagovailoa (QB), played the first quarter completing 6/8 passes for 57 yards. Not the most strong performance coming from him, but not a bad one either.

Tua could very well be the most talked about player this offseason. The reason being is that Tua’s performance has proven to be a big point of question for the team. Last year Tagovailoa didn’t have the best statistics and couldn’t prove to be the franchise guy. Well, this is his last year to prove his past self wrong. Having a new head coach, a new offensive line, and a new weapon to throw the ball to, there is no need for an excuse this year. That is why his preseason debut was heavily watched by fans this past Saturday, to see if he changed for the better. Even though there was not much to look at for him, there was plenty to watch from the two new offensive rookies who played outstandingly.

Skylar Thompson (QB) and Erik Ezukanma (WR) put on a show during the fourth quarter. Ezukanma caught six passes and tallied up 114 yards. However, this isn’t the first time he has shown up, he has been balling all training camp proving to the coaches he can have a spot on the team. The same goes for Skylar, the seventh-round pick was zipping the ball, completing 9 out of his 10 passes, and throwing for 129 yards plus a touchdown. His performance definitely one-upped Tua’s. This quarterback room can be very interesting as the season gets closer. Tua now has some competition, so he needs to show up the next time he suits up, which will most likely be during week one against the New England Patriots.

Aside from the loss, this was a very promising game for the Miami Dolphins. As the new offense starts to come along, this team keeps on getting stronger and young players are showing encouraging highlights during this preseason. We’ll see how the Fins look next month when the NFL season draws nearer.