Five Things I Think I Think About the Miami Dolphins – Week 8

“What is going on?” — Announcer Kevin Harlan at 4:18 left in the 3rd quarter of Miami’s win over the Atlanta Falcons

Fair question.

Let’s see if we can figure it out.

Mild improvements beget mild excitement

I’m sure some will balk at the term ‘mild’

for a 34-10 drubbing by a previously 1 win team while playing on the road. We have, however, seen this before. We know this team is capable of pretty soaring heights (e.g. a 70 point performance once upon a time not so long ago), but we also know that they’re equally capable of pretty sinking lows (e.g. this season up until Week 8).

On the positive side:

• The offense moved the ball consistently and efficiently
• Playcalling balanced run and pass (even favoring the run overall)
• Passes went downfield sometimes
• OGII was used in short yardage situations to great effect
• Penalties were kept to a minimum
• There were no operational issues
• All field goal and extra point attempts were successful
• The pass rush actually applied pressure to the opposing QB
• The run defense had a preposterously good showing (surrendering only 45 total rushing yards)
• The defense generated a turnover
• They made some 4th down stops
• The Dolphins won and they won by a lot

That all seems to indicate a monumental shift in Miami, one win to rule them all, the necessary turning point to right the ship and send the team careening into the playoffs, where they will hit their stride at the perfect time and cruise into their first Superbowl win since the rule of the Pharoahs.

Or.

It was a one time thing.

I don’t want to be overly pessimistic: a win is always good (tanking is fool’s gold without a generational prospect and a competent front office).

That said, I don’t want to put too much weight on a win that took a 1-6 team to 2-6. They’ve still lost 3 times as many games as they’ve won.

Having Michael Penix be Kirk Cousins for the day definitely helped, along with Drake London being out.

Still: the Falcons are an NFL team and the Dolphins beat them soundly.

And that counts for something.

Robinson and Pitts should have gone bananas

Probably the most unlikely turn of events from my perspective was all-world running back Bijan ‘Chopped Pork’ Robinson and Kyle ‘Everyone wanted him in Miami that year he got drafted’ Pitts not going absolutely gangbusters on the Fins’ defense.

I don’t care about fantasy football, but that felt like a pretty good pair to put on a weekly roster with that matchup.

Heading into the game, the Dolphins’ run defense was ranked somewhere in the low 20s (Google’s the whole way over there on another tab) and giving up over 800 yards per down [citation needed]. They, historically, are also just the wooooorst at covering opposing tight ends. No matter who lines up over there, they dominate the Dolphins and that’s just the way it goes.

And yet.

Pitts did manage to nab 9 catches for 59 yards, but if the past is any indicator, he should have had 17 catches for 208 yards and 3 TDs. So. Pretty okay.

Meanwhile, Jordyn Brooks led the charge as Robinson was absolutely stifled. He grabbed 3 receptions for 23 yards, which is fine, but on the ground, he was smothered for a staggering 25 yards on 9 carries (2.8 YPC).

Anthony Weaver’s defense has been, shall we say, super duper terrible at football this season. But give them credit here: they came to play and proved that they can play when they want to.

Let’s hope they want to a few more times before the year is out.

Depth players proved proficient

Everyone knows Tyreek Hill is gone. Darren Waller is also out for a bit. As is Julian Hill. This means that, apart from newly re-anointed WR1 Jaylen Waddle, the remainder of Miami’s pass catchers are: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Malik Washington, Dee Eskridge, Cedrick Wilson, Tanner Conner, Greg Dulcich, and Hayden Rucci.

Not exactly the most valuable set of trading cards one could own.

While the group listed combined for only 60 yards on 8 receptions, they held their own by executing their assignments, blocking well, and providing options for Tua (who hit 9 different pass catchers on the day).

Sure, they aren’t changing the face of the NFL, but actually good teams have actually good depth that doesn’t result in their plans being blown to smithereens as soon as someone goes down with an injury (which happens in Miami a lot. See: my man Storm Duck for evidence).

Not every set of depth players is ideal, though:

The O line is an enigma

Most seasons, the Fins lose at least one (if not five) starting offensive lineman to injury. It’s just something they really enjoy doing each year, like hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner or playing Russian Roulette at Christmas.

This year is no different with newly signed RG James Daniels and RT Austin Jackson both out for extended time.

In their absence, Miami has put Colton Strange at RG and Larry Borom at RT.

Until now, they have been not very good. Not as unplayable, mind you, as other past iterations of patchwork Dolphins’ lines, but not as good as the players they’re replacing. I mean, that’s why they’re backups. It makes sense.

Except one of the oft-overlooked factors in the success of a team’s offensive line is their ability to play together as a unit.

Is it possible that after so many weeks with the same guys, the Fins’ offensive line could be coming together to where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts?

They gave up 1 sack against the Falcons, sure. They also led the way to 141 rushing yards, 4 passing TDs, and 34 points.

I’m not sure if Daniels or Jackson is eyeing a return this season. And, normally, I’d count that as a total disaster for the line, resigning myself to watching endless sacks and failing drives due to depth floundering around like, I don’t know, a flounder probably.

Instead, they played a really solid game. As I hope I’ve made clear, I don’t put a ton of stock in a one-off performance, but it would make sense that more time together is causing (forcing?) them to get better.

So maybe, just maybe, they’ll be average.

That would be nice for a change.

Weekly Overreaction: Baltimore will fire John Harbaugh if they lose on Thursday

It’s called an overreaction for a reason.

Maybe I just want them to do it so Penn State can hire him.

Lamar Jackson is expected to come back for this Thursday’s game at Miami. If that holds and the Ravens (who, very surprisingly, sit at 2-5 on the year) come into Miami with their MVP QB and lose to the 2-6 Fins (who, yes, did just win a blowout), I think that whole organization will melt down.

A 2-6 Ravens team coming off a loss to a 2-6 Dolphins team could be just enough to send Harbaugh the way of the dodo.

Or they could be like Stephen Ross and do absolutely nothing.

Which, in their case, is the right move.

Let’s cross our fingers that they get it wrong for once.

Does one win bring you all the hope that had vanished with the previous six losses? Are you digging your jersey out of the trash? Why are there so many jerseys in the trash? Is that a hand? Why are you locking the door? Try to survive in the comments below.