The Miami Dolphins offense saved cooking. The particular groups stepped up. The protection? Properly …
Their 35-32 win at Chicago means they’re 6-3 now. They’re alive for the AFC East title with Buffalo dropping Sunday.
Listed below are 10 ideas on the win:
1. Play of the Sport: This was a recreation of who blinked and Chicago receiver Equanimeous St. Brown dropped an ideal strike from Justin Fields on fourth down that will’ve given the Bears a primary down with 1:25 left and nonetheless going for the win. It was that sort of offensive day because the rating confirmed. The Dolphins received the ball and the win.
2. Stat of the sport: Six red-zone journeys by the Dolphins. They had been 4 of 6 on these (Chicago was 3 of 4), however the truth they'd six journeys tells how dominant the Dolphins offense was a lot of the day. There was just one quick one, because the drives into the pink zone had been: 75, 75, 64, 75, 20 and 68 yards. Tua accomplished 21-of-30 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns. Up till the ultimate two drives, his offense was unstoppable.
3. There was just one approach for Chicago to win and it was Justin Fields going one on 11 towards the Dolphins protection and profitable. He virtually did, too. He may not be a dynamic passer, finishing 17-of-28 passes for 123 yards. However he ran for 178 yards on 15 carries, together with a 61-yard landing. His offense pissed off the Dolphins protection, too, and since this can be a Dolphins weblog we’ll skip Fields proper now and discuss of this protection. Every week in the past in Detroit, it couldn’t cease the Lions within the first half earlier than shutting them out the second half. There was a repeat of the primary half towards Chicago, however not the second half. The Bears saved scoring. And scoring. And even a giant commerce …
4. Sunday appeared an ideal setting for Bradley Chubb to make his debut after Tuesday’s commerce to the Dolphins. Chicago, in any case, entered Sunday ranked final within the league in sacks surrendered. They gave up 31 sacks within the first eight video games. New England and Dallas received 4 every the earlier two weeks. So … the place was Chubb a lot of the day? Or this Dolphins cross rush? Melvin Ingram had a sack within the fourth quarter and Chubb flushed Fields out of the pocket on third-and-18 earlier within the fourth quarter for an incompletion. However there wasn’t a lot stress. Former Dolphins nice Kim Bokamper mentioned on the WQAM radio broadcast the Dolphins flashed the “53 Protection” early, evidently getting on board to the fiftieth Anniversary of the Good Season (cue my guide on that season, “Nonetheless Good.”). It’s extra probably defensive coordinator Josh Boyer is figuring the right way to use his latest toy in Chubb. Chubb and Jaelan Phillips at reverse ends at occasions (Phillips appeared to line up on the extensive aspect). Emmanuel Ogbah and Ingram lined up on one aspect collectively. Out of the varied appears right here was the fixed issue: Little stress. Chubb completed with one sort out.
5. The commerce final week paid prompt dividends on Sunday? The one for Jeff Wilson Jr. The previous San Francisco working again match proper into this offense run by his former 49ers offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel to the purpose he was the first again by the second half. Wilson outran a Chicago linebacker into the flat to show in a 10-yard landing cross. He was the Dolphins main rusher with seven carries for 47 yards (lengthy of 23 yards) by way of three quarters and two catches for 23 yards. He had extra affect in his opening recreation than the person he changed, Chase Edmonds, had all season. If that is who he's, it’s a well-used fifth-round decide within the commerce.
6. It was a 39-yard reception within the second quarter that put Tyreek Hill over 1,000 yards for the season, however even that quantity doesn’t measure his full affect. On Sunday’s first collection, Hill blew by Chicago’s secondary into the tip zone and solely a defensive cross interference prevented a landing. It resulted in a 32-yard acquire on the penalty. Wouldn’t Rule No. 1 in taking part in the Dolphins be to not let Hill and Jaylen Waddle get behind you? Evidently that’s harder than even the defenses assume. Waddle received deep within the fourth quarter and created a 47-yard cross interference play. Simply these two performs gained 79 yards in penalties. For the sport, Hill had seven catches for 143 yards and Hill had eight catches for 85 yards.
7. How about that, the particular groups made a game-pivoting play. Choose a class and the Dolphins particular groups hasn’t excelled. Kickoff returns? Thirty-first. Punt returns? Thirty-first. Detroit even pulled a pretend punt final week in what appeared the newest of special-teams performs towards them. So it meant one thing Sunday when Jaelan Phillips put in a robust rush and received a textbook blocked punt within the second quarter. Andrew Van Ginkel picked it up on the Chicago 25 and returned it for a landing. Blocked punts are uncommon — it was solely the fourth one of many NFL season. Van Ginkel’s return was additionally the longest in staff historical past, surpassing Mark Higgs (Mark Higgs?) return of 19 yards in 1990. However …
8. With the prospect to go up 24-17 simply earlier than half, Jason Sanders missed a 29-yard subject objective. Sanders entered the sport ranked twenty fifth with a 78.6 share. For context, Sanders was 11-for-11 on kicks contained in the 50 earlier than Sunday and 0-for-3 on 50 yards or extra. So this was his first miss contained in the 50 on the season, and it was an unsightly miss from the 29. Put this within the bin of performs the Dolphins have gotten away with out costing them. Tua’s 4 dropped interceptions towards Pittsburgh are in there. McDaniel’s going for it on fourth down quite than kick the two-score subject objective towards Pittsburgh are, too. Possibly fortune is smiling on this staff?
9. Fast hits:
* Fields’ 61-yard TD run was the longest ever by a Chicago quarterback. Sure, that features Sid Luckman and Bobby Douglas;
* The Patriots had been profitable, 16-3, on the 5-yard line and the New England crowd was booing. Tee-hee;
* Aaron Rodgers threw two interceptions contained in the Detroit 5-yard line towards the protection Tua ripped aside final week. To be truthful, each quarterback has ripped aside the Detroit protection till Inexperienced Bay;
* The New York Jets beating Buffalo is not only a giant upset however retains the AFC East race open.
10. Cleveland at Dolphins. Cleveland is in 3-5 limbo ready for Deshaun Watson to return from his suspension. Let’s all thank Roger Goodell, for lots of causes, that Watson doesn’t return till the week after taking part in the Dolphins (towards Houston). Meaning final 12 months’s Dolphins backup, Jacoby Brissett, begins for the Browns. Brissett is placing up backup numbers: Seven touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 86.8 passer score.
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