Friday's game a chance for young players to shine

Written by Matthew Cannata | Twitter: @PhinManiacs
On Wednesday morning, the Miami Dolphins held their final practice in preparation for Friday's preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons and from this point forward, head coach Joe Philbin says that it's pretty much mental reps until kickoff on Friday.

“Today, we had somewhat of a combination practice,” Head Coach Joe Philbin said. “We worked, obviously, Atlanta preparation in portions of the practice and then we did some what we call Miami versus Miami segments as well. ... Now, we told our guys when we broke as a team, the physical preparation for the Atlanta game is mostly done and now a lot of it is going to mental (preparation) as we get ready to play Friday night.” 

For the starters who are locked in though, they won't have to worry about playing too much. For the younger guys who still need to prove themselves, this is one of the most important games of their life.

“It’s just a chance to get more plays on tape,” said tight end Kyle Miller, who spent all of last season on the practice squad and spent the final six weeks of the 2012 season on the Dolphins inactive list. “That’s really what we’re trying to do in the preseason is just get plays on tape, prove that we can play and give ourselves a chance to make the team. Anytime you get more playing time, it’s a chance to prove more.” 

Said second-year cornerback Will Davis: “Everybody is fighting for a spot on the team or even for a position. Making plays in a game is big. Making plays in practice is big, too, but everybody knows when the lights are on in that stadium on Friday is when you want to make plays as well as the next preseason games after that. It’s definitely a big oppportunity that you want to take advantage of.” 

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