The Splash Zone 11/9/17: Jay Cutler, Quietly, Had A Solid Game Against The Raiders

The Dolphins loss, yes. But no one is talking about the game Jay Cutler had. Cutler was very efficient and relied on short to intermediate throws to get the offense going. This comes after the trade of Jay Ajayi, and one can say the offense looked pretty effective with two multi-dimensional running backs doing a ton of work. It was one game, against a poor defense, but the offense showed signs of life and the arrow is pointing upward right now.

You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day's round-up below.

Hyde5: Was Jay Cutler 'great' — or just smart against a defense Dolphins could face more? - Sun Sentinel
Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler took what Raiders gave him Sunday

Dolphins Quarterbacks

Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler gets passing grades in Week 9 - Miami Dolphins Blog- ESPN
Jay Cutler had season highs in touchdowns, completions and passer rating, but he also didn't make many throws downfield, and it came in a loss.

Dolphins Running Backs

Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams are re-defining Dolphins' running back position - Sun Sentinel
Miami Dolphins running backs Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams had 12 receptions for 82 yards and one TD in one game. That's roughly half the receiving production former tailback Jay Ajayi provided in 15 games last year.

Dolphins Defense

Cordrea Tankersley, Davon Godchaux Miami Dolphins' rookie standouts - Miami Dolphins Blog- ESPN
The Dolphins' defense has received some rookie help from cornerback Cordrea Tankersley and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux.

Dolphins 2017 Season

Miami Dolphins’ mid-season report card (courtesy of Tape Don’t Lie) | The Daily Dolphin
The Miami Dolphins defense, through the first eight games of this season, has generally exceeded expectations. The Dolphins' offense? Not so much. A huge disappointment, even with Jay Cutler replacing a re-injured Ryan Tannehill. Miami's inability to run the football has been jarring.

Phil Simms blasts Miami Dolphins’ playing surface on ‘Inside the NFL’ | The Daily Dolphin
The grass at Hard Rock Stadium continues to take a beating, and not just from the guys who play on it. On this week’s "Inside the NFL" on Showtime, analyst Phil Simms blasts the conditions of the playing surface at Hard Rock, where there have been season-long problems trying to get the gras...

AC in the AM: How The Dolphins Stand At Midseason
Eight down, eight to go. The Dolphins are sitting here at this midpoint moment with a 4-4 record, but it comes on the heels of two straight losses, which followed three straight victories. Encouraged or discouraged? Looking at the first two months in its entirety, it’s probably a little bit of both.

Phinsider News You May Have Missed

The Splash Zone 11/8/17: How Bad Is Ja’Wuan James’ Hamstring Injury? - The Phinsider
Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours.

Around SB Nation: What Other NFL Blogs Are Discussing - The Phinsider
Weekly, we take a look around the SB Nation family of NFL blogs. Here are the news stories and analysis they are discussing.

What Happened Here? Week 9, Oakland Raiders Edition - The Phinsider
Film doesn’t lie, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a rich discussion to be had.

Dolphins add offensive lineman from Browns practice squad - The Phinsider
The Miami Dolphins have made a roster move, the team announced on Tuesday, adding former Cleveland Browns practice squad member Zach Sterup to the 53-man roster. Sterup, a 6-foot-9, 318-pound...

Brandon Doughty received pay raise when Dolphins signed David Fales - The Phinsider
When quarterback Jay Cutler broke two ribs two weeks ago, the Dolphins were put in a position where Matt Moore was thrust back into the starting lineup, while the team did not have a viable backup....

Ndamukong Suh named to PFF All-Pro midseason team - The Phinsider
The Miami Dolphins defense has been the strength of the team through the first half of the 2017 season. While I selected safety Reshad Jones as the team’s MVP mid-way through the year, Pro Football...

Mike Pouncey next Dolphins skills position diva? Which OL would make best skills player? - The Phinsider
Each week, SB Nation asks each of the NFL sites a question about their team. This week’s question is "Which offensive lineman on your team would make the best skills position player?" Yes, that is...