For a moment, all of the hard work and improvement put in by Cordrea Tankersley the last two weeks was forgotten.
Early in Thursday night’s preseason bookend, Tankersley had let Falcons receiver Devin Gray get behind him down the right sideline, and with an in-stride throw, Atlanta would be in the end zone.
Then Tankersley, the Dolphins’ second-year cornerback, caught a break. Kurt Benkert’s pass hung in the air, forcing Gray to halt his momentum and come back for the ball.
That delay was enough for Tankersley to catch up and use his size to get enough of the football to jar it loose.