MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Former Alabama quarterbacks Bryce Young and Tua Tagovailoa will meet on the field for the first time as professionals when Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins host Young’s Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Young said Tagovailoa’s success at Alabama persuaded him to play for the Crimson Tide. Carolina is off to an 0-5 start to the season and Young’s career. Tagovailoa says he can relate, having experienced five-game losing streaks himself. The Dolphins have beaten opponents by an average of 18 1/2 points, but coach Mike McDaniel says the Panthers are not to be taken lightly.
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Who: Dolphins vs Panthers
When: 1 p.m. ET Oct. 15
Where: Hard Rock Stadium
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Bryce Young, winless Panthers visit Tua Tagovailoa’s Dolphins in former Alabama QBs’ first matchup
By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports Writer
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Bryce Young has been watching Tua Tagovailoa for a long time.
The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner saw Tagovailoa excel at Alabama and help transform the Crimson Tide’s run-first offense into a pro-style scheme that pushed the ball down the field. That, in turn, influenced Young’s decision to go to Tuscaloosa.
“It was a big transition from when he was there,” the Carolina Panthers’ rookie quarterback said, “just what the offense looked like and what Alabama moved to offensively. It’s flourished since then, and I was a recruit when all that was happening, so that was a really big reason for me being there.”
Tagovailoa said he didn’t know he had that impact on Young, who became Alabama’s starter a year after Tagovailoa was drafted by the Dolphins, but he remembers being a part of Alabama’s offensive evolution.
“It’s one of those things that, ‘Yeah, Alabama is not just a ground-and-pound team,’” Tagovailoa said. “‘They do throw the ball, and they throw it a lot.’ I would say with the supporting cast that I had, we definitely had some say in, I think, recruiting.”
Young and Tagovailoa will meet on the field for the first time as professionals when the Panthers visit the Dolphins on Sunday.
Miami (4-1) boasts one of the NFL’s best offenses, but Tagovailoa has been in a similar situation to Young and the winless Panthers (0-5).
The Dolphins lost five straight games last year, a stretch that jeopardized their chances of making the playoffs. The year before, Tagovailoa fielded questions about Miami’s long-term commitment and confidence in him as the team lost seven consecutive games.
“That is something that we have direct recall on, just very recent,” coach Mike McDaniel said, “and you know how powerful that is. The bottom line is that this is the National Football League, so I know one thing: The Carolina Panthers have everything to gain.”
The Panthers have lost to Atlanta, New Orleans, Seattle, Minnesota and Detroit. Miami will be their toughest test. The Dolphins are beating opponents by an average of 18 1/2 points.
McDaniel believes the Panthers’ losing streak makes them a dangerous opponent.
“Maybe teams like to look at win, loss or whatever. We just look at the bottom line,” he said. “The tape shows a team that’s going to come, not only compete, but they’re going to do it in a physical fashion. They are sick of having that feeling. They’re going to want to change it. So that’s the force that we’re facing this week.”
HUBBARD’S WORKLOAD
Chuba Hubbard could be the Panthers’ primary running back if Miles Sanders is unable to play. Sanders was battling a groin injury last week before sustaining a shoulder injury on Sunday in a 42-24 loss to the Detroit Lions. Hubbard has seen his workload increase with 23 carries over the past two weeks compared to 20 for Sanders.
It didn’t help that Sanders fumbled for the second time this season on Sunday, leading to a Lions touchdown.
The Panthers are also working in wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. at running back. He’s viewed as a power back.
PANTHERS SECONDARY
The Panthers are getting a little help in the secondary. Cornerback Donte Jackson said he plans to play this week after missing last week with a shoulder injury.
Jackson was one of three starting defensive backs to miss last week’s game, along with cornerback Jaycee Horn and safety Xavier Woods, who remain out with hamstring injuries. Horn and Woods are expected to miss this week’s game as well.
Carolina’s pass defense allowed Detroit’s Jared Goff to throw for three touchdowns last week.
SIMPLIFYING THINGS
The Panthers have tried simplifying their offense for Young, honing in on the plays he feels most comfortable with while also streamlining the play-calling process.
The No. 1 overall draft pick is off to a rough start. Young, who has started four of the team’s five games, ranks 25th in the league in QB rating (82.1). He has thrown five touchdown passes and has turned the ball over six times.
UP TO SPEED
Miami wide receiver Chase Claypool was a healthy scratch in last Sunday’s win over the Giants, having been acquired from the Chicago Bears just days prior. Since then, the Dolphins have been working to get Claypool up to speed on their offense.
Claypool said he doesn’t believe it will take too long to grasp Miami’s playbook. He practiced with the team for the first time Wednesday.
“There’s a lot of motion, shifts, two motions before the ball is snapped,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot of studying, and I don’t think it’ll be too long. It is a complex playbook, but I feel pretty good.”
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AP Sports Writer Steve Reed contributed to this report.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Carolina Panthers still looking for first win of season as they visit Miami Dolphins
By The Associated Press undefined
CAROLINA (0-5) at MIAMI (4-1)
Sunday 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
OPENING LINE: Dolphins by 13 1/2, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Panthers 0-4-1; Dolphins 4-1.
SERIES RECORD: Dolphins lead 5-2.
LAST MEETING: Dolphins beat Panthers 33-10 in Miami Gardens on Nov. 28, 2021.
LAST WEEK: Panthers lost at Lions 42-24; Dolphins beat N.Y. Giants 31-16.
PANTHERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (23), RUSH (21), PASS (22), SCORING (25).
PANTHERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (13), RUSH (26), PASS (5), SCORING (28).
DOLPHINS OFFENSE: OVERALL (1), RUSH (1), PASS (1), SCORING (1).
DOLPHINS DEFENSE: OVERALL (23), RUSH (18), PASS (20), SCORING (26).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Panthers minus-4; Dolphins minus-3.
PANTHERS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Adam Thielen. He had 107 yards receiving and a touchdown at Detroit last week, and his 11 receptions were the second most league wide in Week 5, trailing Cincinnati Ja’Marr Chase (15). Thielen leads the team with 394 receiving yards, and his three receiving touchdowns are tied for the second most in the NFC. Thielen leads in the NFL with 15 receptions for 171 yards on third downs.
DOLPHINS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Jaylen Waddle or QB Tua Tagovailoa. Both players had big games when the Dolphins hosted the Panthers in 2021. Waddle had 137 yards receiving on nine catches in the game, and Tagovailoa completed 21 of 31 passes for 203 yards and a score. Tagovailoa is having one of the best seasons of his career, with a league-best 9.7 yards per attempt.
KEY MATCHUP: WR Tyreek Hill vs. Panthers secondary. Hill was too much for the Giants young cornerbacks last week, with 181 yards receiving on eight catches and a 69-yard touchdown reception. Carolina is already without starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson, as well as safety Xavier Woods. The Panthers allowed four different Lions receivers to get at least three catches last week, and four receivers had at least 45 yards.
KEY INJURIES: Panthers RB Miles Sanders missed practice both Wednesday and Thursday and there is a strong chance that Chuba Hubbard will get the start and the bulk of the carries. … The Panthers are also expected to be without G Chandler Zavala, who suffered a neck injury last week. … DE Brian Burns, the team’s top pass rusher, missed practice Thursday with an ankle injury and his status is unknown. … The Panthers will again be without Woods (hamstring). … Miami placed rookie running back De’Von Achane on injured reserve with a knee injury. He will miss at least four games, but the Dolphins are optimistic that he will return this season. … LB Jaelan Phillips is still working his way back from an oblique injury, and his status is unknown. … The Dolphins designated RB Jeff Wilson Jr. to return from IR this week, and he practiced Wednesday and Thursday.
SERIES NOTES: This is just the eighth meeting between the two teams. … The Panthers have won two of their past two meetings. … The Dolphins are 3-1 at home against the Panthers.
STATS AND STUFF: This will mark the first of three trips to Florida for the Panthers this season. Carolina plays at Tampa Bay in Week 13 and at Jacksonville in Week 17. … Burns had a sack, three quarterback hits and a tackle for loss last week. Burns is currently tied for fifth in the NFC with four sacks and tied for third with six tackles for loss. He needs one more tackle for loss to be sixth in Panthers history. … Hubbard could be the Panthers primary running back if Sanders is unable to play. … Sanders was battling a groin injury last week before sustaining a shoulder injury on Sunday in a 42-24 loss to Detroit. Hubbard has seen his workload increase with 23 carries over the past two weeks compared to 20 for Sanders. … QB Bryce Young’s struggles in Year 1 have continued. He ranks 25th in the league in QB rating (82.1), has thrown five touchdown passes and has turned the ball over six times. … The Dolphins are looking for their first 5-1 start to a season since 2002. … With 524 yards last week against the N.Y. Giants, the Dolphins now have 2,568 and surpassed the 2000 St. Louis Rams for the most total yards in NFL history through the first five weeks of a season. … Miami’s 181 points scored this year are 13th most in NFL history through a team’s first five games. It is the most since Arizona (190) and New England (183) topped that total in 2015. … Miami’s defense bounced back from a poor performance against the Buffalo Bills with seven sacks and 14 quarterback hits against the Giants. … The Dolphins are tied with Buffalo for the NFL lead with 40 quarterback hits this season. … Miami’s offensive line has improved from last season. That unit has allowed the third-fewest sacks so far (six) and just 16 quarterback hits, and the Dolphins have the best rushing offense in the league. … The Dolphins have scored on their opening drive in each of the past three games. Tua Tagovailoa is completing 90.9% of his passes on opening drives for 313 yards and two TDs. His completion percentage and passer rating of 149.1 to open a game lead the NFL.
FANTASY TIP: Tagovailoa could be in for another big game, given the Panthers are missing several defensive starters because of injuries. Tagovailoa has thrown for more than 300 yards passing three times this season and has a touchdown pass in every game.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
The Associated Press contributed to this article
