Dolphins’ Decision To Rest Starters Preseason Week 2 Pays Off

Philosophy surrounding the preseason changes every few years. Just a few years back, when the preseason consisted of four games, you would see starters playing full halves in Week 2 and Week 3, with very limited action in Week 1 and Week 4.

When the preseason got shortened, we saw a trend emerge with coaches deciding their starters wouldn’t touch the field till Week 1 of the regular season.

It feels as though the pendulum has swung back in favor of preseason reps, partially. In the Miami Dolphins contest last week, Tua Tagovailoa and the Phins starters saw the field for one drive. One glorious 15 play drive that ended in the Chicago Bears coming up with four straight goal line stops.

However, it appears this week’s contest against the Detroit Lions may be a different story.

“As of right now, I’m not planning on playing the ones in the game,” coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Friday morning. “This practice does participate in the overall final assessment that I’ll make with the coaching staff tomorrow but as of right now, went into this practice planning for the ones not to play.”

Former second overall pick Zach Wilson will get the start in the game that kicks off just two hours from now. Rookie Quinn Ewers is looking for a big bounce back effort in relief.

Dee Eskridge Continues Impressive Week

Fifth-year receiver Dee Eskridge was the talk of the town during this week’s joint practices with the Detroit Lions.

Eskridge went viral during Thursday’s session when he jumped up and over the Lions corner in near the back pylon to pull down a fade ball from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

“That (expletive) had me juiced,” Dolphins center Aaron Brewer said after the practice. “I ain’t going to lie, that (expletive) had me turnt. Top of the head, that was like a real blur, you know what I’m saying? He went on top of – that was nasty.”

This was the latest in the long line of big plays the receiver has put together this season. USA Today’s Adam Stites says that the receiver is shooing for a roster a spot.

“Dee Eskridge entered training camp in 2025 with a bit of uphill climb to make the Miami Dolphins’ 53-man roster,” Stites writes. “After a few weeks of practices, it’s getting hard to imagine a scenario where he’s on the outside looking in.”

Eskridge Scores In Preseason Game

Building off this weeks dominance, Eskridge put together an impressive few quarters Saturday afternoon.

With Tagovailoa on the bench, Zach Wilson got the start. Wilson hooked up with Eskridge on more than one occassion, finding him on the sideline for a big gain of 15 to move the chains early in the second drive.

A few plays later, Wilson connected with Eskridge on a short pass pattern that the five-foot-nine speedster took for 27 yards all the way down to the Lions ten yard line.

Finally, a dig over the middle of the field from the 11 yard line connected Wilson with Eskridge for the third and final time resulting in six points. Eskridge recorded three catches, 53 yards and a touchdown all in the same drive to put an exclamation mark on his roster push.