The Wide World of Dirt

If you can believe it, the 2024 iteration of the Miami Dolphins have now won two games in a row, earning their fourth win of the season against the Raiders.

Sunday’s home game kicked off with a 14-play drive that got into Raiders’ territory in a hurry when Tua Tagovailoa threw the ball to De’Von Achane in the flat where the back ran down the right side for a first down.

The 17-yard gain pushed Miami to the 50 while a dead-ball unnecessary roughness penalty on Maxx Crosby moved the ball another 15 yards.

After getting to the Raiders’ 12-yard line, Vegas’ defense clamped the fast-moving Miami offense, sacking Tagovailoa for the first time to force a 3rd & 20 that they cast aside when K’Lavon Chaisson was called for a defensive hold.

From there, the Dolphins methodically made it into the end zone for the first time when Tagovailoa and the offense went for it on fourth down from the 1-yard line where the Alabama product slung it to tight end Jonnu Smith.

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s defense forced a three-and-out right off the bat, but a running into the kicker penalty gave the Raiders a second wind where a big play by Jakobi Meyers moved Vegas into scoring position.

Vegas got as close as the Miami 9-yard line before settling for a field goal with just eight seconds left in the first quarter.

A great Jaylen Wright return gave the offense great field position to open up the next drive where the Dolphins sauntered across the 50-yard line in just four plays before facing a pivotal 4th & 2 from the Vegas 45.

Tyreek Hill made his third catch of the game just past the sticks to get the first down and keep the ball moving. Jaylen Waddle followed that up with a solid 24-yard reception that put Miami into the red zone again.

This time, Miami failed to block for Tagovailoa effectively, leading to a 31-yard field goal from the toe of Jason Sanders to take 10-3 lead with 6:46 left in the opening half.

When the Raiders got the ball back, Brock Bowers intended to take over the game, snagging two 10+ yard catches back-to-back that rapidly moved the Sin City ball club into Miami territory.

Bowers tacked on another 10-yarder later in the drive, but the Gardner Minshew-led unit couldn’t get six points on this occasion, instead opting for a 22-yard Daniel Carlson field goal.

With just 45 seconds left in the second quarter, Tagovailoa completed a few passes before time expired, sending the Dolphins into halftime with a 10-6 advantage.

A second-down sack by Calais Campbell on Vegas’ second series of the second half resulted in the first official punt of the day.

What followed was a hefty dose of Achane as the sophomore back pulled the offense out of the shadow of their own end zone. The Texas A&M alum racked up 49 of the drive’s 97 yards, including a 30-yard run to put Miami into the red zone.

Offsetting penalties resulted in a redo of first down where Jack Jones stifled Raheem Mostert’s outside run before Tua missed a shot to Tyreek Hill on second down before hitting the speedy pass catcher on the next play for a touchdown.

Two strong plays from Raiders’ running back Alexander Mattison allowed the Raiders to have another stab at scoring six points where Bowers beat Jordan Poyer in the flat and skittered away for his third touchdown catch of the year.

Daniel Carlson gave the Miami offense some assistance by shorting the kickoff, putting the Dolphins at their own 40-yard line to start the next drive.

Another chunk play from Tagovailoa and Hill got them into Raiders’ territory before the end of the third quarter. Solid pickups by Malik Washington and Jonnu Smith saved the drive from expiration after a holding penalty on first down moved the Dolphins back to the Raiders’ 45.

Rarely do I give Julian Hill kudos, but the embattled tight end made a great play on 2nd & 12 from the Raiders’ 23 to get them inside the 10 where Achane sealed the drive with a 2-yard touchdown scamper, pushing Miami’s lead to 24-12.

Mattison, Bowers, and Meyers’ impact plays pushed Vegas all the way to the Miami 10-yard line where Minshew missed his first two shots before Ameer Abdullah scored on third down despite right tackle DJ Glaze committing an obvious false start that went uncalled.

Undeterred, Mike McDaniel kept his foot on Vegas’ throat, continuing to throw the ball even with time dwindling down with a one-score lead.

What looked like a three-and-out was actually a first down as Darnay Holmes interfered with Waddle on third down, giving Miami a fresh set of downs.

Two plays later, Jonnu Smith found himself wide open in the middle of the field where Tagovailoa hit him, ending with Smith’s second touchdown of the game on a 57-yard play. The drive lasted four plays over just one minute.

On the very next play from scrimmage, Jaylen Ramsey put the game away, intercepting Minshew on a pass intended for Meyers. The pick led to a 46-yard field goal that pushed the lead to 34-19, the eventual final score.

Is There Hope?

For me, yes!

Two games against the lowly Jets, another against the Patriots, and matchups with the slumping Browns and Niners offer the Dolphins the opportunity to sneak into the postseason as a wild card. The division is obviously out of reach.

The two games that threaten this team the most? Playing at Lambeau on Thanksgiving against a surging Packers squad and a trip to NRG Stadium on December 15th to hash it out against the inconsistent Texans.

Tua’s play since returning from IR have inspired confidence in the offense that they haven’t had since before the Titans game last season, not missing more than 10 passes in a game while averaging 33 attempts.

Achane’s rushing impact has been felt more since Tua’s return, going from a paltry 3.6 yards-per-carry to a much more solid 4.8 in the last four games.

Even more stark is Achane’s impact in the passing game where his 50 yards against the Cardinals outpaced his total from the previous four games combined.

In fact, nearly half of his receiving yards this season have come in the four games since his starting QB started handing him the ball.

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are coming along while it seems Tua and McDaniel learn new ways to incorporate journeyman tight end Jonnu Smith.

All of this hinges on Tua’s ability to remain healthy and upright, which hasn’t been as much of an issue. The Alabama gunslinger has only been sacked seven times over his last four games, so let’s hope that trend continues.

Weaver’s defense appears to be getting its act together slowly by surely, though I am still concerned with the play of Kader Kohou. He seems to have all the tools to be a good corner, but the play is just inconsistent.

This unit will be up against some great tight ends over the final stretch of the season, a position that often gets the best of Miami this year.

Noah Fant posted 60 yards against the Dolphins in week 3 while Trey McBride’s heroics spoiled Tua’s comeback game against the Cardinals. Add to that the 126-yard drubbing by Bowers this weekend, and a troubling trend emerges.

Over the final seven games, Miami matches up with these tight ends: Tucker Kraft, Dalton Schultz, David Njoku, and George Kittle.

With the postseason chase heating up, Miami hopes to use this current momentum swing they’re on to compete for a wild-card bid. They have the pieces and the coaching to get there. It’s all about execution now.

(Top Photo Credit: WPLG/CBS Sports)