The Miami Dolphins defeated the New England Patriots on Sunday 31-17 at Hard Rock Stadium and swept their divisional rivals for the 2023 season.
Miami scored a touchdown in each quarter and even made some history along the way.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill had yet another huge game, and on a catch that put him over 100 yards for Sunday, that same reception hit the 1,000-yard mark for the year in just his eighth game of the season. He became the first player in the Super Bowl era to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in his team’s first eight games.
Hill had eight catches for 112 yards and a 42-yard touchdown catch from Tua Tagovailoa, which traveled 50 yards in the air, from essentially the logo to the end-zone lettering.
Speaking of Tagovailoa, he was 30-of-45 for 324 yards and three touchdowns with a 100.6 passer rating. He threw an interception to Patriots safety Kyle Dugger, but on the ensuing Dolphins’ possession, he hit Hill on that long score.
In addition to Hill, Jaylen Waddle has been excellent lately, save a drop here or there. He had seven catches on Sunday for 121 yards and a score with an average per reception of 17.3 yards. His touchdown was his third score in four weeks.
Tight end Durham Smythe caught all three of his targets for 28 yards and turned each of those receptions into a first down. Newly acquired and making his Miami home debut was wide receiver Chase Claypool, who reeled in his first catch as a Dolphin for 15 yards over the middle.
The running game wasn’t the main feature of the Dolphins’ offense and only accumulated 78 rushing yards on 26 attempts. Raheem Mostert got into the end zone but was limited to just 46 yards on 13 rushing attempts. Jeff Wilson Jr. was solid in his second game back from injured reserve and first of the season at Hard Rock Stadium. He had a respectable 4.6 yards per carry on his five rushes for 23 yards and added a pair of receptions for 14 yards.
Of course, the Dolphins are still missing rookie sensation De’Von Achane, and Salvon Ahmed has been replacing him in his absence. Achane is targeted to return soon after Miami’s Week 10 bye, following this upcoming Sunday’s matchup in Germany against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In that matchup, Miami will need a fully functional and able defense, schemed by Vic Fangio, and the addition of Jalen Ramsey gave everyone a glimpse on Sunday of their potential with him. Ramsey, returning remarkably sooner than expected and initially reported from a training camp knee injury, was introduced epically on Sunday to home fans.
Ramsey recorded an interception and essentially eliminated half of the field in coverage. On a play that had a flag thrown against New England, Ramsey also laid the wood for a textbook tackle, leading to a fumble by Ezekiel Elliott, which wasn’t a recorded stat, due to the penalty accepted.
The former Florida State Seminole was a massive difference maker, and when Xavien Howard and Jevon Holland, who were both inactive Sunday, return for Miami, this defense could take a quantum leap forward.
Fangio’s front seven ate against New England’s offensive line, having gotten three second-half sacks from Christian Wilkins, Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips. There were four additional quarterback hits dealt to Mac Jones by Miami’s front, and collectively, the unit held the Patriots to just 1-for-9 on third-down conversions. The Dolphins’ defense also limited Jones and company to just 218 total net yards, 13 first downs and 141 net passing yards.
Wilkins tied his career single-season high sack total at 4.5 on Sunday, matching his output from 2021. Chubb is leading Miami with five sacks and has gotten to the quarterback in three straight weeks. Before Monday night’s game is played, the Dolphins’ 27 sacks are the fourth-most in the NFL, and their 64 quarterback hits lead the league.
With momentum now heading to Germany, the defense seemingly gelling better now, and buying into Fangio’s system, the Dolphins are improving believe it or not.
Even at 6-2, it’s clear they’re still playing without a full deck, missing players like Achane, Terron Armstead and center Connor Williams to name a few. Howard and Holland missed Sunday as mentioned, and players like Nik Needham will be integrated more into the mix.
Offensively, the Dolphins continue to roll and prove that even without pieces on the offensive line, or at skill positions, this unit is as close to unstoppable as South Florida has ever seen. Even as far back as 1984.
There’s something special brewing in Miami Gardens heading into November, and it isn’t the pumpkin spice seasonal coffee at WaWa. It’s a Dolphins team that could sit atop the AFC conference with a win on Sunday against the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
