MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins performed their recreation of the season for the second consecutive week.
And this one was higher than the earlier one.
The Dolphins simply dispatched New England, 34-15, on Sunday at Laborious Rock Stadium, extending their successful streak to a season-best three video games.
The win units up a monster matchup at Inexperienced Bay on Thursday for the Dolphins (5-6), who’re clawing their manner again into the AFC playoff image.
A win on Thursday and it’s a model new season.
Listed here are some extra takeaways from Sunday’s recreation:
Festive Laborious Rock Stadium
Followers at Laborious Rock Stadium partied like they hadn’t all season Sunday through the Patriots recreation.
This was the Dolphins’ finest all-around residence efficiency since their 30-0 victory over the New York Jets on Dec. 17, and their finest residence win since defeating Dallas, 22-20, on Christmas Eve to safe a playoff berth.
The Dolphins defeated Jacksonville to open the season, 20-17, however the recreation had followers on edge. The Dolphins gained on a Jason Sanders subject purpose as time expired.
The Dolphins’ different residence win previous to Sunday was a 34-19 win over Las Vegas final week.
The Dolphins have gained back-to-back residence video games for the primary time for the reason that Jets-Cowboys wins late final season. — Chris Perkins
Dolphins discover their offense
The Dolphins scored 34 factors, that means they’ve scored greater than 30 factors in back-to-back video games for the primary time since successful on the New York Jets (34-13) and Washington (45-15) on Nov. 24 and Dec. 3, respectively, final season.
The Dolphins defeated Las Vegas, 34-19, final week.
The Dolphins at the moment are averaging 29 factors per recreation within the 5 video games since quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (29 of 40, 317 yards, 4 touchdowns, no interceptions, 128.9 passer ranking) has returned from his concussion. The Dolphins are 3-2 in these video games.
Waddle will get concerned … lastly … and early
Huge receiver Jaylen Waddle (eight receptions, 144 yards, one landing) had his most efficient recreation of the season within the first half Sunday. Waddle totaled six receptions for 118 yards within the first half.
Waddle entered the sport with 33 receptions for 404 yards and one landing for the season.
Waddle has eclipsed 1,000 yard receiving in every of his first three seasons. He’s unlikely to achieve that whole this yr.
However his involvement within the offense Sunday after being restricted earlier this season by the two-high security scheme opposing defenses are utilizing and being pressed on the line of scrimmage is a promising signal.
Huge receiver Tyreek Hill ended with 5 receptions for 48 yards.
Smith continues being go-to man
Tight finish Jonnu Smith (9 receptions, 87 yards, one landing) had a 7-yard landing reception early within the second quarter and usually sparked the offense, which is what he’s been doing for the previous seven video games.
Smith, who had a profession bests of fifty receptions for 582 yards final season with Atlanta, has 46 receptions for 519 yards this season.
It’s been a outstanding escalation for Smith, who totaled a mere 9 receptions for 78 yards via 4 video games this season.
It’s as if as soon as the Dolphins found what Smith may do, they determined to make the most of his expertise.
Tua and Terron take day off … OK, briefly
Tagovailoa and left deal with Terron Armstead exited the sport within the fourth quarter after the Dolphins had a 31-7 lead as a result of coach Mike McDaniel properly took each out of the sport.
Each have a historical past of accidents so eradicating them from the sport was the good factor, particularly with the Inexperienced Bay recreation in 4 days.
After all, Tagovailoa’s respite solely lasted two performs.
Rookie operating again Jaylen Wright’s fumble with Skylar Thompson at quarterback was returned 62 yards for a landing. The following two-point conversion reduce the Dolphins’ result in 31-15 and Tagovailoa re-entered the sport after sitting out these two performs.
McDaniel wasn’t taking any probabilities with this victory.
Chop starting to flourish
Rookie edge rusher Chop Robinson, who completed with 1.5 sacks, had a sack within the second quarter. And even higher, there was a coordinated celebration effort as quite a few defenders acquired in on the celebratory “chop.”
Robinson, the first-round choose from Penn State, has been lined up wider in current video games, giving him a greater choice to go inside or outdoors.
On his sack, Robinson blew previous proper deal with Demontry Jacobs to take down quarterback Drake Maye.
It was Robinson’s third sack previously 4 video games. He has 3.0 sacks for the season.
Since Week 9, one rookie, Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Braden Fiske, has extra sacks (4.0).
On the celebratory chop, Robinson gathered his teammates and in unison, they every took an imaginary ax and struck a downward blow.
Achane no Guardian cap once more
Working again De’Von Achane, who sustained a concussion within the first recreation towards New England earlier this season, didn’t put on a Guardian cap for the second consecutive recreation.
Achane (10 carries, 32 yards; three receptions, 24 yards, two touchdowns) mentioned he wore the gadget, which is principally a cushion that matches over the helmet, on the recommendation of his mom. Gamers routinely put on Guardian caps throughout coaching camp and through the week in observe.
Analysis says they solely minimally scale back concussion dangers.
Tagovailoa opted to not put on the Guardian cap upon his return from a four-game absence resulting from a concussion.
Patriots’ horrible first quarter
New England had 4 penalties for 25 yards and a missed 45-yard subject purpose try within the first quarter. The Patriots had the ball for 10:04 of the 15-minute quarter and ran 14 performs for a complete of 94 yards.
The Dolphins had 9 performs for 72 yards.
The Patriots by no means recovered. They fell behind 14-0 within the second quarter and the sport was over.
By the best way, New England (10 penalties, 75 yards) is perhaps the worst workforce the Dolphins confronted this season. It’s shut, however they most likely edge Las Vegas for worst opponent.
Duck and Smith rotate on nickel package deal
Rookie cornerback Storm Duck performed the primary quarter because the boundary cornerback within the nickel package deal whereas cornerback Cam Smith performed a few sequence within the second quarter.
Veteran cornerback Kendall Fuller missed his second consecutive recreation resulting from a concussion, opening a spot within the nickel package deal. Kader Kohou, the same old slot/nickel cornerback, is beginning on the boundary in Fuller place. Kohou stays at his regular slot place within the nickel package deal and Duck or Smith performs the boundary reverse cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Each Duck and Smith proceed to indicate promise.
Mostert and Smythe
Working again Raheem Mostert (two carries, 5 yards; one reception, minus-3 yards) and tight finish Durham Smythe (one reception, eight yards) continued seeing their taking part in time get diminished. Mostert, a Professional Bowl choice final season after amassing a franchise-record 21 touchdowns, didn’t play from scrimmage till the second quarter. He’s had his taking part in time reduce since he misplaced fumbles at Indianapolis and Buffalo.
Smythe, who has had his taking part in time diminished because of the emergence of tight ends Smith, the receiver, and Julian Hill, the blocker, additionally acquired his first snap from scrimmage within the second quarter.
Robinson had probably the most influence in a recreation by a Dolphins defensive rookie in years
Sure, his second-quarter 9-yard sack of Drake Maye is what everybody can see on his report, however simply as impactful within the first half of the sport (because the Dolphins ripped management from the Patriots) with no statistical compartment had been his drawn holding name on Demontrey Jacobs that created a first-quarter, drive hobbling second-and-16, then his blowing previous Patriots tight finish Austin Hooper, blowing up a Rhamondre Stevenson sweep, with Jordyn Brooks cleansing it up by logging the deal with, and at last the obvious sack and compelled fumble that was reviewed into an incomplete move.
Moreover, Emmanual Ogbah acquired a sack late within the first half that Robinson was additionally on the scene of. Within the second half, Chop crushed Maye on an incompletion, a contact from which a worn-out Maye was gradual to rise and later batted a move. I can’t recall a higher-impact efficiency by a rookie Dolphins draftee on protection in a very long time. Perhaps Olivier Vernon’s tour de drive in 2012 towards the Rams. — Steve Svekis
It is smart that Waddle emerged statistically towards the Patriots
In every of his 4 video games he has performed towards the New England Patriots at Laborious Rock Stadium, Jaylen Waddle has scored a landing. His numbers in that quartet of contests in Miami Gardens? He has 24 receptions for 361 yards and people 4 TDs.
No 400 golf equipment towards this Dolphins protection
The sport towards New England made the Dolphins 11 for 11 in not permitting at the least 400 yards to an opposing offense. The final time a Miami workforce went the complete season with out permitting at the least 400 yards was in 2006, within the 16-game period.
The protection’s second quarter was an ideal (minus-) 10
The Patriots, regardless of getting crushed by 4 penalties for 25 yards, nonetheless had fantastic work accomplished, gaining 94 yards within the first quarter. Nevertheless, Miami’s protection principally ended the suspense within the second quarter, propelled by three tackle-for-loss performs that went for at the least minus-5-yards every on non-kneeldowns (Ogbah 5-yard sack, Brooks minus-6-yard deal with of Rhamondre Stevenson and Robinson’s 9-yard sack). In these second quarter-hour, the Pats misplaced 10 yards.
We haven’t seen such a fantastic high-point catch by a Dolphins No. 11 in a couple of years
Tyrel Dodson’s spectacular drama-ending interception (hiya … what an in-season waiver pickup) was paying homage to the very best vertical work of DeVante Parker from 2015-21.
The offensive line was completely a wall in move safety
Whereas Tua Tagovailoa has had some glowing current highlights of him climbing up previous a deep edge rush, leaking outdoors of the deal with field and discovering a goal for an enormous move play, he barely needed to transfer off the final step of his dropback towards the Patriots as Aaron Brewer, Terron Armstead and firm eradicated any semblance of a New England move rush.
On deck: Inexperienced Bay Packers, Lambeau Area, Thursday, 8:15 p.m.
The Dolphins will face temperatures presumably as little as the kids at Lambeau Area on Thanksgiving evening. The final time the Dolphins performed in a temperature that chilly was the minus-4-degree debacle in Kansas Metropolis in January when Miami misplaced 26-7 within the wild-card playoff recreation. The latest Dolphins’ regular-season recreation with a kickoff temperature beneath 22 levels was in 2008 when Miami beat 2-14 Kansas Metropolis at Arrowhead 38-31 with a kickoff temperature of 10 levels. The Dolphins have by no means crushed a workforce with a successful report in a recreation that had a kickoff temperature beneath 23 levels.
Initially Printed: