LANDOVER, Md. -- Starting tight end Jordan Cameron was the forgotten man in the Miami Dolphins' offense during the preseason. He had just one catch for six yards in three preseason games.
There were concerns if Cameron, who signed a two-year contract in free agency, was the right fit for Miami’s offense and quarterback Ryan Tannehill. In addition to the preseason, Tannehill and Cameron were not making a lot of connections during training camp, either.
However, those concerns were erased in the Dolphins’ 17-10 win over the Washington Redskins in the regular-season opener. When the game mattered, Cameron performed with four catches for a team-high 73 yards.
Cameron was one of the few consistent bright spots for Miami’s offense against Washington. His role will be even more important moving forward considering backup tight end Dion Sims suffered a concussion and could miss time.
“It felt good. Everyone was talking about that in the preseason, about not getting the touches or whatever,” Cameron said. “But that’s how it goes sometimes. Some days you get the targets. Some days you don’t. I’ve just got to capitalize when they come my way.”
Cameron showed some of the form Sunday that made him a Pro Bowler as a member of the Cleveland Browns two seasons ago. He averaged 18.3 yards per reception and was able to stretch the field and get behind Washington’s linebackers. Cameron’s longest catch was for 27 yards.
Interestingly, Tannehill and Cameron spent some extra time after practice this week to make sure they were on the same page and the extra work paid off.
“We have a lot of confidence in Jordan and how he’s been playing,” Tannehill said. “It’s just how it shook out in preseason, a limited number of snaps and we weren’t able to get him the ball.”
Despite Cameron’s good performance, Miami’s offense struggled. The Dolphins scored just 10 points on offense and was 1 of 3 in the red zone, which included a failed fourth-and-1 conversion.
Cameron knows it's an area the Dolphins must improve in if they want to be a consistent winner.
“When we get down there, we’ve got to score,” Cameron said. “A big reason why I’m here is to make plays in the red zone. So I’ve got to find a way to make it happen.”