Postgame Notes

Postgame Notes – Preseason Game 4 – Minnesota Download PDF version

Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings
U.S. Bank Stadium
August 31, 2017 | 8 PM ET
POSTGAME NOTES

GRANT’S SPECIAL FIRST HALF

  • WR Jakeem Grant had a night to remember as he was a critical factor in all three of Miami’s first-half touchdown drives. Grant caught four passes for 141 yards (35.3 avg.) with a 65-yard touchdown and drew three penalties for 30 yards. It’s the second time this preseason the Dolphins have had a 100-yard receiver as WR Damore’ea Stringfellow had 116 yards in the first preseason game against Atlanta. Prior to this year, the last Dolphins player to post a 100-plus receiving yards in a preseason game was WR Brian Manning, who caught four passes for 127 yards (31.8 avg.) and two touchdowns against the Denver Broncos in Mexico City on Aug. 4, 1997.

DOLPHINS BIG PASS PLAYS

  • QB David Fales’ 65-yard touchdown pass to WR Jakeem Grant in the second quarter highlights a growing trend of hitting on the deep ball under Head Coach Adam Gase. The 65-yard score was Miami’s fourth-longest pass of the preseason as Grant caught a 69-yard touchdown last week at Philadelphia, WR DeVante Parker hauled in a 72-yard pass at Philadelphia and WR Damore’ea Stringfellow caught a 99-yard touchdown in the first preseason game vs. Atlanta. In the 2016 regular season, Miami quarterbacks completed a pass of 50-plus yards in nine of the team’s 16 games.

30-PLUS POINTS AGAIN

  • Tonight’s 30 point total is the second time this preseason the team has scored 30-plus points in a game as Miami scored 31 points last week at Philadelphia. It’s the third time in team history the Dolphins have scored 30-or-more points two preseason games and the first time since 1981. The other instance was in 1974.

FALES THROWS THREE TOUCHDOWNS

  • QB David Fales was impressive in the preseason finale, completing 12-of-20 passes (60.0 pct.) for 193 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He finished with a 131.9 quarterback rating. Fales is the first Dolphins quarterback to throw three TD passes in a preseason game since Don Strock on Aug. 29, 1987 in Miami’s 35-3 win at the Philadelphia Eagles.

DRAKE GIVES MIAMI AN EARLY LEAD

  • RB Kenyan Drake gave the Dolphins an early lead with a 1-yard touchdown run on Miami’s first possession of the game. It capped off a 10-play, 78-yard drive that was highlighted by a 28-yard completion from QB Brandon Doughty to WR Jakeem Grant and a 19-yard pass interference penalty drawn by Grant. Drake finished the evening with eight carries for 27 yards (3.4 avg.) and one touchdown.

UP NEXT: TAMPA BAY

  • The Dolphins open the 2017 regular season on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. against Tampa Bay at Hard Rock Stadium. It is the first time Miami will open the regular season at home since 2014 when it beat New England, 33-20. The Dolphins are 5-5 all-time against Tampa Bay, including a 3-1 mark at home. This is the third straight season Miami has opened the season with an NFC opponent, but just the second season opener vs. an NFC South foe (at Atlanta, 9/13/09) since the league expanded to the current division format in 2002.

INJURIES REPORTED IN THE PRESS BOX

MIAMI DOLPHINS

  • None

CAPTAINS

MIAMI DOLPHINS

  • WR Jakeem Grant, TE MarQueis Gray, CB Lafayette Pitts, DE Julius Warmsley, T Sam Young

QUICK HITS

  • There were 66,409 tickets distributed to tonight’s game.