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Last year, Gardner Minshi was seen by some as a poor man’s Baker Mayfield. This year, Baker Mayfield has been seen by some as the poor man’s gardener mince.
Last night, nothing turned up.
The rush of dolphins’ passes prevents Minzu from really settling down, forcing him to move and hurry and otherwise test the limits of his own abilities – a test that he often failed.
“This is something we’re working on,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said after a game about his team’s pass rush. “Every team wants to get pressure on the quarterback. We were able to do that tonight. There were instances where we could have done better, but have definitely improved over the past week. They have a good O-line. They have a good quarterback. They have good skilled guys, so it was a tough test for us. Our people got ready to play tonight. They played fast. They played physically, had a lot of power on the field and I’m sure you guys will see that. They were fired. It was a short week but put a lot of time as a team and they did a lot more work this week. It was important to them and they saw the fruits of their labor. ”
The Dolphins knocked out Minshu four times and accelerated him 10 more times in a 31-13 win.
Lineman Kamu Grugier-Hill, who holds the fourth down bag from Minshe’s key, explained that the team has made a special effort to improve when it comes to reaching the quarterback.
“I think it’s been a big load for us over the last two weeks, especially after the loss, so it’s wonderful to be under our belt,” Hill said. “We had a short week of practice, but I mean it’s paid off and it’s exciting to see.”
The end result, however, underscores the importance of a strong pass rush, especially when facing a quarterback (which is actually unlike some special players) who won’t be able to get past seven long to make a big game with his hands or feet. Minzu, like most quarterbacks, falls into the category of boys who have a hard time making chicken salads when it comes to chicken pot pie, to make a chicken salad.
