MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- It's been a while since Caleb Douglas was on the sideline.
The Miami Dolphins rookie wide receiver, who played all 27 possible games at Texas Tech over his final two collegiate seasons, would have to go back to his two years at Florida to find an extended period of time when he did not play.
So when he missed three games this season with an ankle injury, it was new territory for him.
"It's not easy," Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said last week. "For some people, it might be easy. For some people, it's a challenge. There are some guys that can learn by watching; there are some people that actually have to learn by doing. So I think it's different with every player.
"Ultimately, the more you can actually do it, the timing, the rhythm, getting comfortable back with the quarterback, but mentally, he has stayed sharp because he's been pretty efficient in practice. But again, you're talking about a rookie who hasn't played much football."
Douglas returned in the Dolphins' win over the New York Jets in Week 7, finishing with 70 yards and two touchdowns on two catches. His highlight play came on a 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the fourth quarter that effectively put the game out of reach.
But the third-round draft pick caught Hafley's attention with his work outside of his two scores, mainly the cleanliness of his procedural work despite the extended absence, and his effort in the run game.
"Those are the things that you worry about, right?" Hafley said. "We didn't have any of those errors from him. And those are, a lot of times the rookies, as you saw early in the year, that's not exactly easy for them ... And then his physicality in the run game. I thought he took a big step from where he was to when I turned on that tape and the way he was fighting with DBs. I thought that was pretty cool to see.
"And then obviously you had the one really good route in the red zone and then the catch and run down the sideline. Hopefully we'll get a chance to get him the ball more."
The Dolphins ran for 156 yards last week, their fifth straight game with more than 100 rushing yards. On a team that's dedicated to running the ball, it's critical that the receivers are willing to block.
"Blocking is 90% effort, 10% technique -- you got to want to do it," Dolphins receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said. "I just believe that it's all about want-to ... it's really about the effort and showing up for your teammates in the run game or letting somebody else catch the ball, turn and block the man covering you.
"That's the easiest thing to do. We'll call it a flip and find. Got to flip and find somebody to block. It's a want-to and it's more effort than anything."
Dolphins receiver Malik Washington executed the "flip and find" on Douglas' second touchdown catch, acting as a lead blocker as Douglas ran down the sideline -- which the rookie thanked the veteran for after the game.
Douglas saw only three targets in last week's game, although he did manage to maximize them. When he wasn't getting the ball, he was focused on applying Tolbert's principles on the field.
"Just making sure that my man doesn't make the play," Douglas said. "Because that does not feel good when your man makes the play and then you know it was an effort thing too. I could have stopped him from getting there."
The Dolphins take on the New England Patriots this week (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS). In the game, Douglas might find himself matched up with Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who has allowed 15 catches for 144 yards in 175 coverage snaps this season, according to NextGen Stats.
Douglas called his matchup a "great opportunity" but was hesitant to make it anything more than what it is -- one of 11 matchups on the field at any given time.
"Honestly, man, just another DB," he said. "Just got to go out there and just win my one-eleventh."