Tua Tagovailoa, with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, had an uncharacteristically poor performance in the loss against San Francisco.

Pressure Point: 3-0 Dolphins ready to take the Achane Train to Buffalo

/0 Comments/in , /by

The most impactful decision Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel had to make Sunday had nothing to do with the outcome the game.

It was whether or not to attempt a field goal in the final minute that would have given the Dolphins the record for most points in an NFL game.

With a 70-20 lead over the Denver Broncos and a 3-0 start to the season assured, it was no surprise McDaniel opted for the kneel-down.

It was the classy choice, the correct choice. It was actually an easy call for McDaniel, who said later, “It’s not really what I’m about.”

So the record stays with Sonny Jurgensen and the Washington Redskins in a 72-41 rout of the New York Giants in 1966.

“I think in this league, it’s all about respect in the NFL,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said in his postgame presser. “We’re not trying to go out there and humiliate teams.”

Certainly not against the team that McDaniel got a start in his unlikely rise to an NFL head coach as a ball boy.

Dolphins shatter franchise records for points, yards

The Dolphins’ offensive made its points and then some. Their 726 total yards were also second-most in NFL history (Rams, 735 in a 1951 game).

Sunday was a feel-good romp that showed how good these Dolphins can be. Next week at Buffalo will give the best indication yet about how good they really are.

They couldn’t have conjured a better confidence builder for that challenge.

Already playing at a gallop in their first two wins with the Thrill-Hill-a-Minute offense, Sunday they unleashed a new weapon in the Achane Train.

In his first complete game, rookie De’Von Achane had 18 carries for 203 yards and two touchdowns and four catches for 30 yards and two touchdowns. In doing so, the third-round draft pick from Texas A&M showed the speed, balance and cutback ability that can elevate this offense to scary good.

The twitchy-quick Achane is as much fun to watch in the open field as star receiver Tyreek Hill, who had 157 yards receiving including a 54-yard touchdown that got the Dolphins’ day off to the races.

All the jitterbug moves and abrupt change of direction shows Achane has some Barry Sanders qualities and instincts.

“He’s a confident young man and he knew for sure he could do this, that he could do it at a high level,” said veteran left tackle Terron Armstead, who made his season debut and threw some blocks that helped spring Achane. “He’s special.”

Dolphins impress with diverse offense

The dominant overall performance by the Dolphins was a big step toward what has the makings of a special season.

The record-setting home opener provided an excess of superlatives.

Veteran running back Raheem Mostert also had four touchdowns — three of them rushing — and totaled 142 yards combined rushing and receiving.

Anyone still disappointed the Dolphins didn’t mortgage their future to sign Dalvin Cook?

Oh by the way, Tagovailoa completed his first 17 passes, one short of Ryan Tannehill’s Dolphins record to start a game. He went on to throw for 309 yards with a near-perfect passer rating of 155.8 before taking the fourth quarter off.

This was all without star receiver Jaylen Waddle, who remained in concussion protocol.

Most impressive was the balance of the offense. The Dolphins ran the ball 43 times while throwing 28 passes. They rushed for 350 yards while averaging 8.1 a carry.

They also unveiled a new conga-line touchdown celebration.

Do Dolphins have room to improve?

Kudos to the offensive line that not only opened running lanes but also kept Tagovailoa sack free and virtually untouched.

The defense did its part with three takeaways. Most important was forcing a three-and-out after McDaniel’s gamble on fourth-and-short in Miami territory failed early in the third quarter. That quelled the Broncos’ last chance to get back into the game.

Afterward, McDaniel said, “I was most proud of the unrelenting nature we had.”


Even with the 50-point margin of victory, Armstead indicated there were aspects of the overall performance that are open to improvement, such as cleaning up penalties and execution of assignments.

McDaniel echoed that when he said: “Shame on us if you put a ceiling on what you’re capable of … It’s amazing what a group of people can do going in one direction. The points don’t carry over but I think this is a meaningful game for a lot of guys.”

Focus on wins, not records

As for declining to go for the scoring record, McDaniel said, “I will be fine getting second-guessed for turning down NFL records. … I would hope that, if the shoe was on the other foot, the opponent would do the same.”

It is the professional perspective, and it should enhance McDaniel’s growing stature in the league.

He is well aware, the grandiose numbers from Sunday’s rout will ring hollow if the Dolphins don’t follow it with a similarly unrelenting effort next week at Buffalo.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on former Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *