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The Miami Dolphins might have fallen to the Philadelphia Eagles in their third preseason outing, but it did give coach Adam Gase an extended look at his starting lineup. The enhanced playing time for the starters also allowed Pro Football Focus to get a more accurate look at the performances of the players who matter the most.
While it isn't an exact science—as outlined by The Phinsider's Hollywood Dolfan—these grades provide a brief snapshot of how the players performed against a similar level of competition.
Linebacker Lawrence Timmons played primarily against the Eagles' starting offense, and was able to impact the game in a variety of ways. The 31-year-old linebacker turned back the clock in the first half, which prompted Pro Football Focus to reward him with a grade of 85.7.
PFF had this to say about his performance:
If Lawrence Timmons played like he did today, he will be reminding Dolphins fans of the linebacker he was in his heyday at Pittsburgh. In only 35 snaps Timmons recorded a pressure and a hit (on 5 pass rushing snaps) and 5 stops on 6 tackles as he was all over the field in the first half.
With the aforementioned disclaimer about these grades in mind, here are Miami's top five players from Thursday's contest:
Linebacker - Lawrence Timmons (85.7)
Defensive Tackle - Ndamukong Suh (82.6)
Defensive End - Praise Martin-Oguike (81.7)
Defensive End - William Hayes (79.9)
Linebacker - Chase Allen (79.9)
You can get all the grades from Thursday's game by visiting Pro Football Focus.