By Kevin Perez
The Miami Dolphins are 7-3 and sit alone at the top of the AFC East, heading into their week 11 bye.
For most Dolphins fans, this is uncharted territory. After years of mediocrity in the post-Marino era, the Dolphins are rolling and playing as great as any other team in the league.
On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins capped off a convincing win over the Cleveland Browns 39-17. In the previous weeks, the Dolphins have beaten the Lions and Bears with explosive offense performances but their defense had fared poorly.
This week was different. The Dolphins’ defense contained running back Nick Chubb and sacked former Dolphins quarterback Jacoby Brissett three times. Late in the first quarter, they came up with a crucial fumble and ended up with three fourth-down stops. With a high-level play on the defensive side of the ball, the offense continued to fire as well.
Tua Tagovailoa threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. What was most impressive about the team’s performance this weekend was how evenly spread the ball was.
Jaylen Waddle and Trent Sherfield led the team in receiving yards, 66 and 63 respectively, while Alec Ingold and Mike Gesicki also got their own touches on offense. Miami proved their offense can score even if Tyreek Hill and Waddle don’t receive the ball every play.
The Dolphins also had their best run game of the season as Jeff Wilson Jr and Raheem Mostert combined for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
As for Tagovailoa, he continues to put himself in the MVP conversation by playing at an elite level. Tagovailoa leads the league in the following categories: QBR (118.4), third-down passer rating (149.8), fourth-quarter passer rating (123.2), red zone passer rating (118.8), and yards per attempt (9.1). He also has the second-highest completion rate in the league (71%) and third in yards per game (283).
Coming back from his injury, Tagovailoa has thrown 10 touchdowns with zero interceptions. He is the first player in NFL history to have a 135+ passer rating in three consecutive games, according to CBS. To sum it up, Tagovailoa is playing like a top-three quarterback in the league. After Josh Allen’s miscues in last week’s Bills loss to the Vikings, it’s him and Patrick Mahomes and him at the top of the MVP conversation.
While the Dolphins’ performance in their first 10 weeks might surprise some, it doesn’t for Mike McDaniel and the team. In his first year, McDaniel has his team sitting at the top of their division with a bye week on the horizon. He has put his full confidence and support in Tagovailoa and it has paid off. He has the offense playing at a level Miami has not seen in decades.
As the weeks go by the Dolphins continue to mold themselves into a legitimate contender. Their performance thus far is great but consistency will be key.
Apart from Tagovailoa, a lot of eyes have been turned to the Dolphins’ offensive line which has been historically bad in previous seasons but seems to be on the right track led by Terron Armstead.
On Sunday, the offensive line did not allow any sacks, keeping Tagovailoa clean and protected. On the other side of the ball, if the defense can keep improving their play, the Dolphins could be a force to be reckoned with heading into the final stretch of the season.
Miami faces the bleak Houston Texas when they return from their bye week at home on November 27th. After that, Miami enters another difficult stretch that will almost assuredly decide where they end up in the AFC Playoff race.
The Dolphins will take a trip to California to face the Los Angeles Chargers, and San Francisco 49ers in back-to-back weeks before traveling to New York for a divisional showdown against the Buffalo Bills on December 18th.
