Through Week 12, the Dolphins are tops in yards, passing yards and red-zone efficiency, rank second in scoring and rushing yards, have the third-lowest quarterback sack rate and are fourth in total offensive expected points added (EPA).
They have weapons all over the roster, including speedy receiver Tyreek Hill, who leads the league with 1,324 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns; running back Raheem Mostert, who leads the NFL with 13 rushing touchdowns; and of course quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is fourth in passing yards (3,177) and passer rating (103.7).
Let’s dig into the stats to get to know the Dolphins.
100 explosive plays by the Dolphins
Rivera can’t overhaul the defensive scheme in five weeks, nor does he seem to want to. But he does plan to pare it down a bit, to allow players to think less and play faster. The Commanders run a lot of match-zone principles on the back end and lately have used a lot of man-to-man coverage (40.7 percent over the past four weeks, the second-highest rate in the NFL in that span) — to not-so-great success.
Finding improvement this week won’t be easy. The Dolphins lead the league with 100 explosive plays (defined as passes of at least 16 yards and runs of at least 12 yards), including a league-high 37 plays of 25 yards or more. The Commanders’ defense has allowed a league-high 98 explosive plays, including 38 of 25 yards or more, also the most in the NFL.
Since trading defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young, Washington has had three games with minimal pressure. In Weeks 9, 10 and 12, Washington registered a total of one sack. Its combined pressure rate in those games was a paltry 23.4 percent.
Miami has allowed just 18 sacks, the third fewest in the league, and only 88 quarterback pressures (21.7 percent), the fewest by a wide margin. (The Jacksonville Jaguars have allowed the second-fewest pressures, 119.)
Six Dolphins with at least 4 sacks
It’s not just the defense that has reasons to worry. Sam Howell and the Commanders’ offense face a challenge, too. Led by coordinator Vic Fangio, the Dolphins’ defense is among the top 10 in total defense, yards per play, rushing yards allowed and third-down defense. They notched seven sacks against the New York Jets last week to give them 38, the third most in the league, and are riding an eight-game streak with multiple sacks.
What’s more: The Dolphins are creating pressure with multiple players. Miami is the only team in the league to have six players with at least four sacks apiece.
This website aggregates and curates news articles, blog posts, and other content from a variety of external sources. While we aim to link back to the original source, this site does not own or claim ownership of any articles, posts, or other content indexed on this site. The views, opinions, and factual statements expressed in each piece of aggregated content belong solely to its respective author and publisher. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of aggregated content. Visitors are advised to verify facts and claims through the original source before reuse or redistribution.
