James Walker, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Dolphins' Xavien Howard must have short-term memory

Second-year cornerback Xavien Howard had to grow up fast with the Miami Dolphins.

Whether it was being a rookie starter in 2016 as a second-round pick or being thrust into the No. 1 corner role following the release of veteran Byron Maxwell, Howard has been in many key spots defensively during his brief tenure.

However, Howard had arguably the worst game of his career in front of a national audience on “Monday Night Football.”

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton targeted Howard, who gave up at least two touchdown passes and an important pass-interference call that set up another touchdown in a 45-21 loss. According to Pro Football Focus, Howard was targeted seven times and allowed five receptions for 87 of Newton’s 254 passing yards.

“He was out there making plays, that’s all I can say,” Howard said. “It was tough to stop the run, especially Cam. Then he would make passes. So we’ve just got to go back to the playbook.”

The results have been mixed for Howard in Year 2. He is fourth on the team with 32 tackles but has yet to get an interception in nine games. Howard, 24, also must take a leadership role at corner now that he’s starting opposite rookie Cordrea Tankersley.

The Dolphins were counting on Howard to rapidly develop as a true No. 1 cornerback, which is a lot to ask any player in their second season. Maxwell’s struggles and subsequent release only added more pressure on Howard to step up his game.

According to Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, Howard will be able to put this bad game behind him.

“(He’s) a short-term-memory guy,” Gase said. “He’s not going to worry about what happened on his last throw. I know the touchdown that they had, the last one, there’s not many guys that are going to defend that. ... To me, that’s the job of a corner. You’d better have short-term memory. If you’re not getting beat, you’re not playing. I mean, it’s going to happen.”

The Dolphins (4-5) have lost three straight and have a slim margin for error to make a playoff push in the final seven games. The last thing Miami can afford is to have its top and most talented cornerback fall into a slump down the stretch.

“He’s a good player,” Gase said of Howard. “He’s going to keep playing hard and he’s going to play tight coverage and when you’re a young player, as long as you don’t lose confidence, you’re eventually going to make those plays because you’re going to get more experience.”

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