Tyreek Hill tries to get the ball to his mother after a touchdown against the Giants, but fans intervene.

Pressure Point: Dolphins speeding at record pace, but tougher challenges ahead

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The Miami Dolphins’ 31-16 rout of the New York Giants reaffirmed that they are the best track team in the NFL.

First it was De’Von Achane hitting 21.76 mph on a 76-yard TD run, then Tyreek Hill reaching a season-best 22.01 mph on a 64-yard gain.

Speed in abundance led to the Dolphins racing to 524 net yards in a bounce-back win from last week’s trouncing at Buffalo.

In doing so, the Dolphins showed they are capable of outrunning their mistakes — two interceptions by Tua Tagovailoa and a lost fumble — at least against poor to middling opponents.

Aside from a dazzling display of offense and solid performance by the Miami defense, which recorded seven sacks, dominating a bottom-feeding Giants team didn’t provide the big-picture answer about where the Dolphins stand among the NFL’s elite.

Dolphins first in AFC East after Bills’ loss

At an AFC best 4-1 (along with Kansas City), their record places them in that group.

This is the Dolphins’ best start in 20 years, when Dave Wannstedt was coach and Jay Fiedler the quarterback. With Buffalo’s surprising home loss to Jacksonville, Miami is back alone in first place in the AFC East.

It should be noted, though, the Dolphins’ four vanquished opponents have a combined five wins.

Their ugly loss to the Bills stands as a glaring blemish at least until they show the ability to defeat quality opponents. That opportunity will come in two weeks at Philadelphia and in the Nov. 5 match-up with defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City at Frankfurt, Germany.

In anticipation of those challenges, the Dolphins finally have a team built for success in the NFL of the moment, with offense, offense and more offense.

Dolphins have most yards ever in first five games

More, in fact, than any team has ever generated through the first five games in NFL history. Their 2,568 yards topped the mark of the “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams’ 2,527 yards in 2000.

“Mission accomplished,” was coach Mike McDaniel’s glib response to that news. “Our whole goal this entire offseason was statistical output through five games.”

The objective would be better defined as “catch us if you can.” It’s all built around a bevy of speedy options.

According to Next Gen Stats, Dolphins have posted the seven fastest speeds on offense this season — three by Hill, three by Achane and the other by Raheem Mostert.

Later Achane disputed Hill’s claim to the top spot because he got run out of bounds on the play, contending, “22 but don’t matter cuz he got hawked.”

While Hill continues to be a runaway threat at wide receiver, Archane is putting up historic numbers at running back. In the past three games the rookie from Texas A&M has 455 yards rushing on 37 carries, eight catches for 63 yards, and seven total touchdowns.

The much-improved offensive line is doing its part to provide openings for the running game and to give Tagovailoa time to throw. Kendall Lamm appeared solid filling in for injured Terron Armstead at left tackle.

Lamm, Isaiah Wynn and Durham Smythe opened the running lane that Achane bolted through virtually untouched (one defender got a tap on his shoulder pad) on the long TD gallop.

Dolphins’ offense brilliant but shows blemishes

The Dolphins’ opening touchdown drive, spanning 89 yards in eight plays, was worthy of hanging in a gallery. It involved an array of McDaniel’s pre-snap motion, misdirection and trickery. Five different players advanced the ball, culminating with Tua’s 2-yard pass to Jaylen Waddle.

The day was not all picture-perfect. The three turnovers that came later were troubling, especially the 102-yard pick-6 by Tagavailoa that enabled the Giants to score their first first-half touchdown of the season.

Such mistakes could have been game changers against a better opponent. Considering the Giants never posed a serious threat, it was easy for McDaniel and Tagovailoa to shrug them off.

“Sometimes the messy games are my favorite,” McDaniel said, noting the teaching moments that come out of mess-ups.

Look at it like every great relay team drops a few batons on the way to setting records.

Achane finished the day with 151 yards rushing, Hill with 181 yards receiving and Tua with 308 yards passing.

This Dolphins team is still getting revved up. Sunday it continued to deliver record numbers and high entertainment value.

Don’t mess with Tyreek Hill’s mom

Perhaps most entertaining was Hill climbing into the stands after a 69-yard touchdown to deliver the ball to his mother. Another fan intercepted but then completed the pass to Hill’s mom after being informed what he was trying to do.


Apparently that was wise, as Hill later explained: “Some guy took it. But my mom, she’s a bulldog, she’s like give me my ball, boy.”

It turned out that Tagovailoa called that pass to Hill on the opening drive of the second half rather than the play McDaniel sent in. Supposedly Tua “misheard” the play that McDaniel wanted.

McDaniel said: “The story is whatever we say it was, huh? If Tua has a better thought than I do, I prefer that. He executes, I’m not mad. I’m not upset.”

The story of this day was a convincing Dolphins win against a struggling opponent, with a few stumbles along the way.

It is always fun to watch your favorite team win in lopsided fashion. But this Dolphins team has more serious work ahead in the next month that can bring much more rewarding results.

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

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