MIAMI GARDENS — The Dolphins are coming together at the right time of year, combining one of the league’s most effective run games with one of the league’s most advantageous defenses. The most recent result was Sunday’s 34-10 victory over the New York Jets, but the weeks-long result has been a four-game winning streak and five wins in their last six games.
Running back De’Von Achane and linebacker Jordyn Brooks, under the guidance of coach Mike McDaniel, have led the charge individually. But certain groups — the offensive line and secondary, to name two — have also been especially active recently.
One thing that was reinforced in Sunday’s win is that the 2025 Dolphins have found their identity and their winning formula, and surprisingly neither relies on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa doing magical things. The Dolphins have only required Tagovailoa to do game-managing things. Perhaps that requirement gets tweaked in the next few weeks but for now the Dolphins, who visit Pittsburgh on Monday night, have a formula that works. And yes, it also works in cold weather.
Here’s the report card:
Run game: A
The Dolphins rushed for 239 yards and three touchdowns on 41 carries as running backs Jaylen Wright (24 carries, 107 yards, one touchdown) and Achane (seven carries, 92 yards) led the way. Achane went out in the second quarter with a rib injury. Fellow running back Ollie Gordon II (five carries, 17 yards, one touchdown) made a modest contribution after fumbling. The offensive line was a shining star and so was McDaniel as a play caller. This was a season-best performance that showed what this run game can be even when it doesn’t have its No. 1 runner healthy. The run game earned Miami a 36:07 (36 minutes, seven seconds) to 23:53 time of possession advantage.
Pass game: C
Tagovailoa (13 of 21, 127 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, 94.7 passer rating) was OK. He didn’t make any crucial errors, although there were a couple of close calls on a throw that could have been ruled a lateral and a potential pick six (interception returned for a touchdown) near the Jets’ goalline. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (five receptions, 50 yards, one touchdown) and tight end Darren Waller (one reception, 13 yards) were low key. Pass protection was good (one sack). Curiously, there’s been some offensive role reversal as the pass game has recently assumed the role that the run game had the previous few years.
Run defense: A
The Jets (17 carries, 65 yards) couldn’t get anything going. Running back Breece Hall (14 carries, 43 yards) was stopped cold. Safety Ashtyn Davis (team-best six tackles) had a good showing against his previous team. Brooks (five tackles), the NFL’s leading tackler, was active once again. The front seven had one of their best games as they controlled the line of scrimmage. Among the Jets’ 65 yards rushing, 30 came on two carries meaning the Dolphins only allowed 35 yards on the other 15 carries.
Pass defense: A
Defensive tackle Zach Sieler had 2.5 sacks and cornerbacks Rasul Douglas and Ethan Bonner had interceptions as well as linebacker Tyrel Dodson. This was a fairly dominant performance. Granted, the Dolphins faced backup quarterback Brady Cook (14 of 30, 163 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions) after starter Tyrod Taylor (1 of 4, 6 yards, no touchdowns, one interception) went down with a groin injury. But the Dolphins did what they’re supposed to do to a backup — smother him.
Special teams: D
This was a mixed bag but what really stands out are the Jets’ 78-yard punt return touchdown, the Jets’ fake punt for a first down and a 19-yard punt by Miami’s Jake Bailey, who could be on his way to the Pro Bowl. Among his six punts, only one was inside the Jets’ 20-yard line. Kicker Riley Patterson had field goals of 43 and 53 yards. The Dolphins allowed kickoff returns of 38 and 33 yards.
Coaching: B+
McDaniel, offensive coordinator Frank Smith and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver had their guys ready. Yes, special teams sustained a hiccup. But overall things were good. The gameplan of running the ball and stopping the run turned out to be winning formulas. And not forcing the ball downfield with Tagovailoa was also wise. This victory was the result of a good plan coming together.
Stock up: Jaylen Wright
Wright, the second-year running back, had a career-best rushing total and helped the Dolphins stay committed to the run even after Achane sustained an injury. This bodes well both for Wright and the Dolphins’ emerging identity as a running team.
Stock down: Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa’s role in winning keeps getting reduced during this streak. It doesn’t speak well for him or his contract extension that the team is excelling without a major contribution from the passing game.