It’s no secret that the Miami Dolphins have an explosive offense. Their offensive weapons are ones that teams would dream of, and head coach Mike McDaniel’s schemes have revolutionized the team. However, as the season has continued, the defensive side of the ball has found their groove and overall kept the now struggling offense in games. This week, against the Las Vegas Raiders, was no exception. The Fins improved to 7-3 with a 20-13 score. The Miami Dolphins defense played perhaps their most complete game all season, but it’ll, unfortunately, be undermined by a tough day offensively.
Miami Dolphins Win Despite Scoring Troubles
Offense Woes
It was a mixed bag for the Miami Dolphins offense against the improving Raiders defense. The team logged an impressive 422 total yards on the game, but the 20 points is the most noticeable stat from this game. While the numbers were solid, digging a little deeper paints a sloppy picture. With 3 costly turnovers on the game and missed 4th down in the red zone, the Miami Dolphins could have scored much more today. Adding on the 3-11 on 3rd down and a missed field goal by Jason Sanders, you have an offense that really never got off the ground.
It also doesn’t help that star rookie Devon Achane was injured on his first carry of the game after being out since Week 5. Tyreek Hill also got banged up in the second quarter but eventually returned. He, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and running back Raheem Mostert all posted stereotypically great games, but Tua in particular struggled to hold on to the ball, losing a fumble and throwing an interception. All things considered, however, the offense did produce at a solid level. The 3 turnovers and low conversion rate are an exception, not a rule. These kinds of games won’t happen very often.
Defense Woahs
While there were some positive takeaways from the offense this week, the defense was definitely the star of the show. The unit held the Raiders to under 300 yards, as well as stuffing their normally prominent running game. Raiders running back Josh Jacobs averaged just 2.8 yards per carry for 39 total rushing yards. An aggressive pass defense complimented the stout rush defense, giving rookie Aidan O’Connell fits in the pocket. The two Jalens, Jaelan Phillips and Jalen Ramsey had particularly incredible days. Phillips was everywhere this week, logging 5 solo tackles, 2 for loss, 2 sacks, a whopping 3 QB hurries, and finally an interception to quell a promising Raiders drive. This game is one of the best of his young career, and his future is most certainly bright.
The real hero was new addition, Jalen Ramsey. The former Jacksonville Jaguar turned Los Angeles Ram turned Dolphin has been nothing short of spectacular since his return from injury. A once-struggling Miami Dolphins defense has now molded into a formidable crew. Ramsey this week intercepted O’Connell twice, including a dagger to seal the game in the endzone with less than a minute remaining. If the defense continues to play at this level and the offense finds its footing, the Miami Dolphins will be sure to make some noise come playoff time.
More must-reads: