Wheeeeee.
That was a enjoyable recreation — should you like offense, not less than within the first half. The key to Sunday was the Dolphins offense saved scoring, and the Dolphins protection founds its footing within the second half of a 31-27 win in opposition to Detroit.
Here are 10 ideas on the sport:
1. Co-players of the day: Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle. Take your choose as they feasted on a Detroit protection that lived all the way down to its worst-in-the-league score. The Dolphins big-play passing recreation was again for the primary time for the reason that second recreation in opposition to Baltimore. Tua performed a stellar recreation, finishing 28-of-35 passes for 374 yards and two touchdowns. Hill caught 11 passes for 180 yards. Waddle caught eight passes for 106 yards. This trio wasn’t stopped Sunday.
2. Stat of the sport I: Detroit had no factors within the second half. This, after Detroit was the primary NFL group this yr to attain on its first 5 possessions. Was it changes? Was it regression to the imply? Either means, the Dolphins saved scoring and Detroit didn’t this recreation. Detroit ended its landing drought in scoring a TD on its first possession Sunday. And its second. And third. Underscoring that begin, it hadn’t scored a landing within the earlier two video games. Goff accomplished 9 of his first 11 passes for 191 yards on these opening drives. That’s a 21.2-yard common. When the Lions got here out within the second half and had a penalty-infested drive that resulted in a punt, followers booed. But that was the story of the second half because the Dolphins protection discovered its footing.
3. Play of the sport: Fourth-and-1 on the 35 with three minutes left. Detroit didn’t simply go for it. Goff went for the house run. He threw in the long run zone to receiver Josh Reynolds. Incomplete. Good protection by Dolphins rookie Kader Kohou. Goff couldn’t discover one other receiver open evidently, and threw a foul ball. In a recreation of offense, this was a play by the Dolphins protection.
4. Stat of the Game II: On third down, Tua was 8-for-9 for 131 yards and two touchdowns. There’s the package deal the Dolphins anticipated after they drafted him. The selections. The accuracy. The manufacturing.
5. Detroit, for all its failures, has a superb offensive line so this was a superb measure of simply the place the Dolphins defensive entrance is. Well, Detroit operating again Jamaal Williams ran 7 yards up the center untouched for the game-opening first down. That set the stage for the primary half. In the second half, they bought some stress on Goff with Zach Sieler recording a sack and held their very own — simply because the Dolphins protection held its personal within the second half.
6. Stat of the Day III: Tyreek Hill had his fifth recreation of over 160 yards receiving to maneuver into second on the Dolphins all-time checklist (through @HardRockSB). What’s telling is he’s executed it in eight video games. Mark Duper is the franchise chief with eight video games over 160 yards. Duper performed 69 video games.
7. Can the Dolphins get via a recreation with out a special-teams dialogue? Facing fourth-and-2 at its 33 with 1:49 left within the half, Dan Campbell determined it didn’t matter if he gave the Dolphins the ball at his 33 or the Dolphins’ 33. His last-ranked protection couldn’t cease them. So he known as a faux and a direct snap to C.J. Moore resulted in a 13-yard run and first down. It was yet one more breakdown for the Dolphins particular groups. This resulted the ball being saved from the Dolphins and the Lions kicking a 26-yard discipline objective with no time within the half to make it 27-17.
8. Safety Eric Rowe was a wholesome scratch Sunday and CBS reported McDaniel stated the choice got here all the way down to others taking part in particular groups. That meant huge minutes for Clayton Fejedelem or Vernon McKinley, who was simply known as up from the follow squad and activated. Rowe had performed the earlier 5 video games at security after being out with damage the primary two video games. As far because the particular groups thought, which may simply be a pleasant strategy to say Rowe wasn’t taking part in effectively and so they needed to see McKinley. If true, nonetheless, neither group punted within the first half and most kickoffs went into the tip zone. Special groups solely got here into play when Detroit ran the faux punt. What the Dolphins did want, nonetheless, was a some assist in the cross protection. Could Rowe have helped there? He was shocked at being scratched. “I’m just as shocked too …” he tweeted earlier than the sport.
9. Quick hits:
* Tua slid to finish a few runs. That was good to see;
* It’s turn out to be an unlucky a part of Dolphins video games this yr to see gamers huddle round an injured participant who goes off on a cart. It was guard Liam Eichenberg on Sunday;
* Tuesday is the commerce deadline and Mike Gesicki confirmed once more Sunday he’s value extra taking part in this yr than some fourth- or fifth-round choose elsewhere. Gesicki did, nonetheless, retire the “Griddy” as a result of he didn’t go to it after his third-quarter TD;
* The Patriots confirmed that the Jets aren’t all that.
10. Next week: Dolphins at Chicago Bears. Chicago performed Dallas on Sunday. It’s modified the way in which it’s utilizing quarterback Justin Fields in a win at New England final week by implementing designed runs. That appeared to unlock a few of Chicago’s offense. It additionally may need simply shocked New England. If Chicago can discover an offense, it modifications the season. The Bears protection ranked tied for sixth coming into Sunday in permitting 18.9 factors a recreation.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com