Miami — The Miami Dolphins, who thrashed the Denver Broncos for seventy points in Week 3, managed just one touchdown on offense against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16.
And they prevailed 22–20.
These are the new Dolphins, commanded by Mike McDaniel.
Miami had a strong offensive line in 2022. Although it placed 24th in scoring defense, 18th in yards allowed per game, and 21st in defensive expected points added, it ended sixth in yards per game. The Dolphins were a one-dimensional club when their offense faltered, as it notably did in the last month of the season due to their inexperienced defense and run game.
The Miami Dolphins can permanently dispel the notion that they are a quick, skillful squad that will be intimidated by strong opponents if they defeat the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens this weekend (1 p.m., E.T., CBS).
“To spend your time worrying about narratives, I would be a stressed out individual,” McDaniel stated. “But that seems a little strange to me. Although I haven’t checked recently, I think we do a decent job at running the football and stopping the run. That’s not typically connected to cuteness.
“Anyhow. There will always be something, I suppose.
Miami’s defense has shown to be its most dependable unit in the latter part of the 2023 season, following an offensive outburst early in the season that had some reaching for the NFL record book. However, the Dolphins lead the league in both scoring (30.9 points per game) and yards per game (411.5), indicating that Miami’s offensive has not faded. However, after Week 8, they have somewhat cooled off, averaging 367 yards per game over the last two months—the sixth-highest total in the NFL. Miami’s yards per rush, which has averaged a league-best 6.3 yards per rush through the first seven weeks of the season, has most dramatically decreased to 3.9 yards per carry.
But the defense has made up for any lost time. The Dolphins are #1 in scoring (15.9 points per game), yards per game (253.8), defensive efficiency percentage (61.98), and sacks per dropback (9.4%) since Week 8. With two games left in the regular season, Vic Fangio’s defense team has already surpassed the previous record set by the team for the most sacks in a single season, with 52.
Miami stopped the Cowboys, who had been the NFL’s highest scoring offense for the previous month, to 20 points in Week 16.
For a club without Jaelan Phillips, perhaps its best pass rusher, Jerome Baker, its starting middle linebacker, and Jevon Holland, its starting safety, it’s a dramatic turnaround.
“Well, it’s a new deal every season,” Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remarked. It may seem corny, but every season you sort of hope and pray that this is the team.
“I believe that the leaders on both our offense and defense, as well as the men who are willing to hold others accountable for their actions, are what really distinguish this team from the rest. With the teams we’ve had this year, I would say that’s what feels a bit different from maybe a couple of the previous years.”
It will be difficult to maintain that against the Ravens, especially after Baltimore easily defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 33-19, in Santa Clara. Winning over the Ravens would give Miami its first AFC East championship since 2008 and maintain its hopes of finishing as the conference’s top seed, even if Sunday’s victory against Dallas guaranteed a postseason spot.
“The squad would be quite pleased with that because that was their ultimate goal. In the heat of the moment, it would take back seat to winning this game, according to McDaniel. These are the kinds of games you want. You want to defy the experts, and that alone is worth all of our attention.
“However, you should discuss a team that will hold you accountable if you stray from your intended course of action. They will quickly and violently teach you to respect them. In that sense, we are really busy, but we also have a very special opportunity to be here and appreciate the moment as we are completing a season’s worth of work.”
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is watching the Dolphins and claimed he sees parallels between the Dolphins defense and the defense he plays against in practice. A league-low 16.3 points are being given up by the Ravens’ defense each game.
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