Beyond how quarterback Tua Tagovailoa put collectively one other stellar efficiency, the Miami Dolphins did one thing that profitable soccer groups, at their core, are traditionally in a position to do: They ran the soccer and stopped the run.
The Dolphins went into Sunday’s convincing 39-17 win over the Browns a bit questionable in each areas. They ranked twenty ninth within the league by 9 weeks in speeding offense, and though they’ve been usually stout towards the run, they have been coming off a season-worst 252 yards speeding allowed in Chicago — granted, 178 of that got here from quarterback scrambles of the Bears’ Justin Fields.
Against Cleveland, the Dolphins ran for a season-best 195 yards. In his second week with the workforce, working again Jeff Wilson Jr. went for 119 yards and a landing on 17 carries. Raheem Mostert, receiving half the workload with eight carries, rushed for 65 yards and a landing.
“There’s no shortcut around it,” coach Mike McDaniel mentioned. “It’s something that you’re very proud of as a coach because it’s an entire group really dedicating themselves to the craft.”
McDaniel was identified for coordinating a robust floor recreation at his earlier cease in San Francisco. With two former 49ers tailbacks now collectively in Miami and 10 regular-season weeks of engaged on his wide-zone scheme, it’s beginning to come collectively.
“Just happy with how everyone kept their head down and was grinding to earn that result,” McDaniel continued. “That’s months and months of strain and deliberate practice that you can be fortunate enough to have a game like that.”
Miami wouldn’t have almost been in a position to dominate on the bottom prefer it did if its protection had not contained Browns working again Nick Chubb and Cleveland’s speeding assault that went into Sunday third within the league.
Chubb, exterior of a fourth-quarter 33-yard landing run when the Dolphins already led by a number of scores, was held to 30 yards on his different 10 carries. Kareem Hunt was restricted to 9 yards on six makes an attempt. Jacoby Brissett, not almost the cellular quarterback that Fields is, did have 40 speeding yards on seven carries.
“That’s something that we’re pretty confident in,” mentioned McDaniel of the run recreation, understanding some statistics have been skewed by not containing working quarterbacks. “It was a tremendous challenge. They do an unbelievable job in Cleveland to really dominate the time of possession and utilize one of — if not, the best — runner in the league. It was cool to watch our team rally behind that. They knew the challenge that was in front of them.”
The bodily tone on either side of the ball was set early when linebacker Elandon Roberts, who completed tied for the workforce lead with seven tackles, drove all 227 kilos of Chubb into the bottom violently. Wilson did it on the opposite aspect with arduous working on a fourth-and-1 conversion and going downhill for 18 yards.
“Sometimes, it’s just time to be a Mike linebacker,” Roberts mentioned of his massive hit. “I feel like I’m one of the top run stoppers in the league so when a guy like Chubb and other guys in the NFL are great backs and physical and do what they do I like to embrace that challenge and just wanted to send a message out there to my defense.”
Stopping the run additionally allowed the Dolphins go rush to come back at Brissett in waves. Three instances, Miami had cases the place two rushers mixed for a sack with Christian Wilkins and Melvin Ingram ending with a full sack every and Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips each getting half a sack.
“Everybody’s hungry,” mentioned Wilkins, “Everybody’s trying to go eat, but we’re doing it for each other and we’re doing it together.”
Ogbah, Crossen injured
Dolphins defensive finish Emmanuel Ogbah left the sport Sunday with what the workforce introduced was an elbow harm.
Ogbah, who has struggled in 2022 and handled a again harm beforehand, was dominated out for the sport upon the beginning of the second half. According to a league supply, Ogbah’s harm is a torn tricep that can require surgical procedure and finish his season.
Cornerback and particular teamer Keion Crossen was seen strolling off the sphere and into the locker room with a shoulder harm suffered on a punt return play. He was additionally dominated out shortly thereafter.
Crossen had a particular groups sort out Sunday whereas Ogbah was held with out a stat.
Ogbah didn’t begin both as he stays at three begins on the 12 months. After signing a four-year, $65 million contract, he has simply 10 tackles and one sack in 2022.
Jackson energetic, doesn’t play
Dolphins offensive lineman Austin Jackson was accessible to play for the primary time because the workforce’s Sept. 11 opener towards the New England Patriots, however he didn’t play Sunday towards the Browns.
The Dolphins stored their similar offensive line as final week with Brandon Shell at proper sort out and Robert Jones at left guard, the place he’s taking part in for the injured Liam Eichenberg.
Jackson suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 1. He was positioned on injured reserve and activated final week however he remained inactive for the win on the Chicago Bears, when he entered uncertain.
This previous week, Jackson ramped up his follow workload to take part in Thursday and Friday drills. Since he’s been out, the veteran Shell has impressed on the proper sort out spot that belonged to Jackson to begin the season. Eichenberg is now on IR with a knee harm, and Jones has performed for him there.
Left sort out Terron Armstead was additionally energetic and performed all through after going into Sunday questionable along with his nagging toe harm and a calf ailment.
Dolphins backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was out towards the Browns. Bridgewater had a flare-up with a persistent knee problem this previous week and the Dolphins “wanted to be smart about it,” based on an NFL Network report.
With Bridgewater down, rookie Skylar Thompson had backup quarterback duties behind Tagovailoa and even obtained in on the finish of the blowout victory.
Dolphins broad receiver Trent Sherfield performed and scored a landing after he was a late add to the workforce’s harm report on Sunday morning with a toe ailment.
Healthy Dolphins inactives have been broad receivers River Cracraft and Erik Ezukanma, working again Myles Gaskin and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene. Ezukanma, the rookie fourth-round choose, has been inactive all 10 weeks this season.
Miami had each safeties Verone McKinley and Eric Rowe energetic and rotating on Sunday with Rowe getting the beginning and many of the snaps. In weeks prior, one was stored inactive whereas the opposite performed a majority of defensive snaps within the workforce’s effort to switch injured sturdy security Brandon Jones.
Last week in Chicago, it was Rowe beginning whereas McKinley remained on the follow squad earlier than getting signed to the energetic roster Saturday. On Oct. 30 in Detroit, Rowe was made inactive whereas McKinley obtained an elevation for the sport.
When taking part in with Rowe, Jevon Holland would play his traditional free security spot. When with McKinley, Holland would drop down into the field whereas McKinley performs again in a center-field function.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com