MIAMI GARDENS — The legend of Ollie Gordon’s 3-yard touchdown run against the Kansas City Chiefs lives on.
Gordon scored in the Miami Dolphins’ 24-10 loss via a late assist from guard Kadyn Proctor that, it turns out, was anything but happenstance.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, offensive line coach Zach Yenser credited tight ends coach Ron Middleton along with the veterans playing on either side of Proctor, left tackle Patrick Paul and center Aaron Brewer, for helping place Proctor in the right place at the right time. Yenser explained that it’s not uncommon to see Proctor, a rookie, running with the ballcarrier to the second level in search of another body to hit.
“He also sees Brew do it, he sees Pat do it, he sees the other linemen do it, and
that’s just what he feels,” Yenser said. “He doesn’t know any other way in the NFL because that’s what the other guys in the room do.”
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That placed Proctor near Gordon as he fought for the end zone, then what? That’s where Middleton’s short-yardage and goal-line influence come in.
“He talks about finishing in the end zone, right on the goal line,” Yenser said. “That’s what K.P. did … and he just happened to tackle Ollie into the end zone. So it was nice.”
Without Proctor, Gordon may have been stopped on the 1. Gordon thought it was nice for one more reason.
“I was just thinking, ‘Please don’t land on me, man,’ ” Gordon said.
Gordon is not tiny, checking in at 6-feet-2 and 225 pounds, but Proctor is 6-7, 360.
“Nobody wants K.P. to fall on you, I can promise you that,” Yenser said.
Everybody got a chuckle out of it, but the hustle by Proctor isn’t a laughing matter.
“You see him pancake this guy and he instantly gets up,” Gordon said. “Normally young guys, they’ll probably stay on the ground, lay down, but he instantly got up and helped with that extra effort to get into the end zone, which I appreciate him for.”
Yenser credited Proctor with having the skills to play anywhere on the offensive line, including center. Thus far, coaches have kept him at guard, a trouble spot for the team in recent seasons. Yenser said Proctor held his own even when lined up against Chris Jones, the Chiefs’ perennial Pro Bowl defensive lineman.
How do Dolphins replace RB De'Von Achane?
Reporters met with the Dolphins’ other coordinators and select assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, who shed light on how his unit must evolve followingthe loss of team MVP De’Von Achane for the season because of an ACL tear. It puts the run game largely in the hands of Jaylen Wright and Gordon.
“I’m not going to say it’s like there’s going to be this big evolution of everything that we’ve got going on, particularly in the run game,” Slowik said. “They’ve been working on the same plays, they’ve been running the same actions, they’ve been running the same stuff.”
Slowik conceded that Wright is more of a speed back and Gordon a power back but added, “The guys are here because they’re good at what we do.”
Slowik also hinted that Wright and Gordon won’t be the only ones carrying the ball, which would mean versatile receiver Malik Washington could continue in a hybrid role, barring a roster addition. Washington had two carries for 5 yards against Kansas City.
“You can only do so much to make up for a player of the caliber that De’Von Achane is,” Slowik said. “He's a huge part of our team. I mean, my heart hurts for him.”
LB Jacob Rodriguez defensive rookie of the year candidate
Defensive coordinator Sean Duggan is getting a first-hand look at the rapid maturation of linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who is emerging as a (very) early favorite for defensive rookie of the year. Both Duggan and coach Jeff Hafley have credited Rodriguez with 6:30 a.m. brainstorming meetings at the facility with fellow linebacker Jordyn Brooks.
“Those conversations go a long way in terms of building a plan,” Duggan said. "Those meetings are great. Sometimes they’ll come in with ideas like, ‘Hey, I really like this call in this situation’ or ‘You know, I think this one, I don’t.’ That’s the feedback we want really from every player, not just Brooks and Rodriguez.”
Rodriguez has had three solid outings, but the Chiefs game was his best to date with six tackles, three tackles for loss and a diving interception. That’s what everyone sees on Sundays. Now we know he’s this involved in the game plan, a step that shouldn’t be taken for granted for someone this young.
“His work ethic is going to continually drive him to continue to push that bar,” Duggan said.
Hal Habib can be reached at gunnerhal@gmail.com.
Sunday's game
Dolphins at Vikings
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Ollie Gordon's TD run vs. Chiefs got HUGE assist from Kadyn Proctor
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