Where have these Miami Dolphins been all season?!
The Miami Dolphins traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to take on the Falcons on Sunday, and for the first time this season, the boys in aqua and orange fully
dominated their opponent, downing the Dirty Birds by a score of 34-10.
After Miami’s week seven loss to the lowly Cleveland Browns, many national analysts predicted a similar result against the 3-3 Falcons. However, Atlanta ruled out second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and top wide receiver Drake London ahead of their clash with the Dolphins, giving some fans hope that Miami could squeak out a victory for only the second time this season.
Well, they didn’t just squeak out a win, they rubbed the Falcons’ faces in the dirt en route to procuring a 24-point triumph.
Last week, the team didn’t earn themselves a “good” in my weekly Good, Bad & Ugly column, but this week, it was nothing but smooth sailing against Atlanta, so my column will reflect the big win.
GOOD
Tua Tagovailoa throws four touchdown passes in highly efficient outing
For the second straight week, Tua Tagovailoa was pulled in the fourth quarter of Miami’s game, however, this time it was for good reasons.
After throwing three interceptions in two consecutive games, Tagovailoa badly needed a good showing against the Falcons to re-instill hope that he could be the guy for Miami moving forward. While it’s still too early to proclaim the season saved, Miami’s 27-year-old signal-caller showed up and showed out against Atlanta — completing 20 of 26 attempts (76.9%) for an efficient 205 yards passing and four touchdown throws (138.6 passer rating). Oh, and he did all of that with just one working eye as he woke up on Sunday morning with swelling due to an allergic reaction.
While his day was a quality one, it was what he didn’t do that had Dolphins’ fans smiling ear to ear. Tied for the lead league in interceptions heading into week eight, Tagovailoa didn’t put the ball in harm’s way — finishing the game with zero turnovers. Miami will need more performances like the one Tagovailoa put on display against the Falcons if they are to continue to add notches to the win column as the 2025 season rolls on.
GOOD
Dolphins commit to ground game
During Mike McDaniel’s tenure as the Dolphins’ head coach, fans have rightly griped that the team’s playcalling relies far too heavily on the passing game most weeks. On Sunday against Atlanta, Miami passed the ball just 26 times while running the ball on a total of 37 plays.
Even though the Dolphins didn’t have a stellar yards per carry average when toting the rock — amassing just 141 yards on those 37 attempts for a 3.8 average — it was McDaniel’s commitment to the ground game that kept the Dolphins offense on schedule, allowing them to put 34 points on the board.
De’Von Achane led the way with 18 carries for 67 yards, but Miami’s rookie back — Ollie Gordon II — had 10 rushing attempts for 46 yards (4.6 yards per carry) while converting multiple short-yardage situations with his powerful legs. Even Jaylen Wright got in on the action — carrying the ball 9 times for 28 yards.
GREAT
Dolphins defense turns in tremendous effort
All season long, Miami’s defense has been a major liability — allowing teams to gain 363.1 yards per game on average. Well, against the Falcons, Miami’s defense stiffened up like an Egyptian mummy — allowing Atlanta to gain just 213 yards on Sunday.
No, the Falcons didn’t have their starting quarterback or their number one wide receiver, but they still had one of the best running backs in the National Football League in Bijan Robinson at their disposal. Miami was up to the challenge — allowing Robinson to gain just 25 yards rushing on 9 carries (2.8 yards per carry). As a team, the Falcons put up just 45 total yards on the ground — averaging just 2.6 yards per rush for the entire contest.
If Miami’s defense can continue to play like they did against the Falcons in week eight, they may put a few more wins on the board before the season concludes.
Sorry — not really — tanking fans.
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For only the second time in eight games to start the 2025 NFL season, the Miami Dolphins found themselves on the winning side of the scoreboard after downing the Falcons by a score of 34-10. It was a thoroughly dominating performance in all three phases of the game. Do you think they can carry this momentum into Thursday’s showdown with the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football? Will the returning Lamar Jackson dash the Dolphins’ dreams in just a few short days? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @MBrave13. Fins up!
