Pressure Point: Miami Dolphins aim for much-needed signature win vs. Eagles

It was following the 2018 season that Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross announced he was committing to rebuilding the team from the ground up.

Unlike previous failed efforts this was not intended as a quick fix. Ross made it clear he wasn’t just aiming for a winning record or a playoff appearance, the objective was top of the heap, a Super Bowl victory.

Seems forever ago. But when you look past all the rough patches, missteps, embarrassments and controversies since then, six games into this season the Dolphins really are tracking toward the objective.

Look at the accumulation of talent and the remarkable achievements of coach Mike McDaniel’s state-of-the-art offense led by Tua Tagovailoa on the way to 5-1, and this is what was envisioned. A team capable of winning the big kahuna, right?

Except that there is still a great gulf to cross. Because these Dolphins, for all of their fantasy league dazzle, haven’t won anything significant yet.

Dolphins seek first win of ’23 over top-tier opponent

Which is why this week’s Sunday Night Football showdown at Philadelphia is a massive opportunity for this franchise. The McDaniel era is in need of a signature win. It’s eagerly awaited and about time.

It’s been a hoot watching Tua and Co. run rings around bottom-feeding Broncos, Giants and Panthers. But if Ross’ vision really is ready to bear fruit, no better way to prove it than to do it on the road in prime time against an opponent that went to the Super Bowl last season.

They appear ready for this moment. They lead the NFL in every offensive category worth mentioning. They’re lapping the field in most of them.

Tagovailoa, finally rising above all the criticism and doubts about his ability and health, is on pace to pass for 5,315 yards and 39 touchdowns.

Yet the seemingly unstoppable Dolphins remain suspects. Because the other time they went on the road this season against a playoff-caliber opponent at Buffalo, the Bills stopped them cold. Humbled them by 28 points.

🚨NEW ADP🚨@houtz and I dive into Miami’s Sunday Night Football matchup with the Eagles. Start your weekend with injuries updates, key matchups and much more! https://t.co/aP1RbTbEI2

— Jake Mendel (@JMendel94) October 20, 2023

Dolphins, Eagles gear up for offensive fireworks

Although the Dolphins are one of five 5-1 teams, most of the notable power rankings have them outside of the top two — Pro Football Talk and The Athletic are exceptions, both ranking Miami No. 1. Yahoo Sports has the Fins sixth, one spot behind the 4-2 Bills.

It’s fair, considering their head-to-head result, and it’s inconsequential anyway. If you really belong at the top of the heap, prove it. Start beating the best of the best.

The Dolphins have yet to defeat a team that entered this week with a winning record. Their five wins came against teams that are a combined 5-24.

Sunday in Philly is a major test for the high-flying Fins, and the most intriguing matchup of the NFL season so far. It features Tua matching throws with former Alabama teammate Jalen Hurts, who has his own corps of speedy receivers.

The Dolphins and Eagles rank 1-2 in total offense, though Miami holds an edge of more than 100 yards a game (498.7 to 395.0).

Miami’s vulnerability is with a defense that ranks 20th and got steamrolled by the Bills for 414 yards and six touchdowns. The Dolphins have the sixth-worst passer rating (98.9) against and may have to play with their best cover man, Xavier Howard, out or limited by a groin injury.

Mike McDaniel took significant exception when asked if he thought any QB could succeed in this situation:

“I’m about to push this podium over. My answer to that would be who the F cares? I’ve coached a long time and I haven’t seen people do what our guys do.” pic.twitter.com/25R63PYeKN

— King of Phinland🐬👑 (@KingOfPhinland) October 18, 2023

Eagles big test for high-scoring Dolphins

So it will be up to Tagovailoa to keep Miami’s high-octane offense rolling against the best defense (Eagles ranked ninth) they’ve faced since Buffalo.

That’s the compelling draw for a Sunday night national audience. That and to pick apart any flaw in Tagovailoa’s performance. The referendum on Tua is ongoing, despite the growth he is exhibiting and success he is having in his fourth season.

McDaniel had an appropriately salty response this week to a suggestion that “there are some folks who believe that many quarterbacks … would excel and flourish” in the coach’s creative offensive scheme with an arsenal of elite receivers and backs at his disposal: “My answer to that would be, ‘who the f cares’ because it is a team.”

He went on to say, “It is a team working together, people working together and myself, Tyreek Hill, Tua, cool but what if no one’s blocking anyone? You know what I mean? Like we’re all connected in that way.”

If you want to see what he’s talking about, watch this week’s installment of “The QB School” (see below) highlighting the sophisticated design of McDaniel’s offense in action in last week’s rout of the Panthers.

Former pro quarterback JT O’Sullivan analyzes how the use of deception and presnap motion puts the playmakers in spots to make big-yardage plays and how skillfully Tua makes it all work.

Interesting to see how various plays unfold. On a short touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle, Tagovailoa actually had a choice of three open receivers. Rolling to his left to avoid an unblocked rusher, he opted for the toughest of the three possible throws and delivered it precisely to Waddle.

Dolphins eager to prove themselves on ‘big platforms’

Can Miami’s “Greatest Show on Surf” produce similar results in a hostile setting against a much tougher opponent?

It’s a question the Dolphins need to answer and the overriding reason to tune in Sunday night.

“I think the bigger thing is that we’re a football team that’s learning to win different ways, finding some balance. And I think a lot of guys are getting better within the respective systems,” McDaniel said this week. “So we’ll be moving forward the way that we would hope, which is with games that matter, on big platforms.”

For Miami, it’s time to turn eye-opening talent into defining wins. It’s the only route to Ross’ Super Bowl vision.

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.