Miami Dolphins Played Their Best Game of the 2000s So Far

The Miami Dolphins did the unthinkable against the Baltimore Ravens and come back to win down 3 touchdowns just before the 3rd quarter ended. It’s all anyone should be talking about when they bring up if the Dolphins are a threat this year. Miami played some of the ugliest football in the first half that resembled some of their “maybe next year” seasons. Right out of the gate they let the opening kick-off be returned for a touchdown, signaling a long game. The rest of the first half wasn’t much better, but then the second half happened.

Both the Miami Dolphins‘ offense and defense came out with much better game plans going into the second half. All offseason we heard just how special Tyreek Hill was and how much he’d make an impact on this team. Expectations for Tua Tagovailoa had everyone under the sun talking about how much of a bust he could be. Even without the “haters” expectations were still high with weapons like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. After halftime, the light switch went on and all the highlighted talking points showed up on tape.

More Miami Dolphins: Dominating a Sloppy Win

First, Tua Tagovailoa couldn’t perform in the clutch? He’d finish the day 36 of 50, 469 yards 6 TDs, and 2 INTs. The social media doubters were out in full force with talks of benching, trades, and doubt. Tua had a lot of expectations and met every single one in the second half. Despite being down double-digit points Tua would finish the game 24 of 30 with 319 yards, 5 TDs, and 0 INTs. Even the biggest doubters have to acknowledge that as pretty clutch.

Then expectations for Tyreek Hill were out in full force to start the season. Some were even crazy enough to say he was only good because he had Patrick Mahomes throwing to him. It didn’t take him long to establish his worth against the New England Patriots, but it was against the Ravens where he also silenced the masses. Hill would finish with 190 yards and 2 TDs on the day. Both touchdowns came on deep balls of 48 and 60 yards. Hill created opportunities that people said he wouldn’t be able to in Miami.

Then of course, we can’t forget about Jaylen Waddle. Again there was plenty of talk of how much pressure Waddle would have to perform with teams focusing on Tyreek Hill. Waddle faded to the background against New England but the Miami Dolphins got him more involved against the Ravens. The Tua/Waddle connection was the only highlight early in the game. Even with the shaky first half, Waddle would finish with 171 yards and two TDs himself. The Dolphins would take the lead late in the 4th quarter on a play where the defense focused on Tyreek Hill. The mismatch would allow Tua to place the ball right where Waddle could be the only one to make a play, a shining example of stepping up and making plays.

It’s been a while since the Miami Dolphins looked that good. It’s been even longer since they were capable of making that sort of comeback. However,
despite the first half being your “typical Dolphins” in fans’ eyes, Miami had the best performance we’ve seen from them in a while. Two receivers had almost 200 yards. Their two-headed run game struggled but still averaged 5.0+ yards per carry. Tua had 6 touchdowns to tie aDolphins record. This Dolphins team came out with the will to win against a team they hadn’t beaten at home since 1997. Against a team they’ve lost 59-10 and 40-0 in recent years they put together their best offensive performance in a long time. If the Miami Dolphins can continue at this level, it will be a long time before people have their doubts again.