Will keep this short, like the week. Miami coming off their worst performance since the “Nightmare in Nashville” two years ago surprised many with their destruction of the Atlanta Falcons. Even though the season is lost, it was a bittersweet Sunday afternoon. Sweet because they won. Bitter because they showed what they haven’t done all season. The year has been a disaster, made worse by the fact they should’ve been a decent team. They have talent. What they’ve lacked all season is tenacity. They showed they have it, even if only sparingly, on Sunday.
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Coaching: (A); The defense forced their first punt on a opening drive all season. Tua got his first touchdown in the opening quarter of a game all year. McDaniel saw what was working and doubled down. A change form his inexplicable tendency to abandon what is working to show off his “genius.” Weaver too, leaned on the teams’ defensive strengths. It was a quality effort. They held the Falcons to only 213 total yards. The Dolphins entered the game with a bottom five defense rating against the run and held Atlanta to 45 yards on the ground and B. Robinson to only 25 rushing yards. Robinson came into the game averaging nearly 90 yards per game. Even after the Miami game he still ranks number 7 in the league in total rushing yards.
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Running Backs: (A); Achane, Gordon, and Wright played excellent. Miami gained over 140 yards on the ground. All three rushers averaged at least 3 yards per carry with Gordon leading the way with a 4.6 yard per carry average. Achane and Gordon also caught touchdown passes out of the backfield. This was a great all around effort from the backs.
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Receivers: (A); Waddle and Washington caught TD passes from Tua. Washington making a nice play along the pilon to get his first touchdown. Waddle corrected some of the drop issues that plagued him earlier for a clean game. Catching 5 of 6 targets for 99 yards and a score. Jaylen and Tua also connected for a McDaniel signature big play over the middle that went for a 43 yard score. Nine different receivers caught passes, including all three Miami running backs. Solid effort from this group.
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Defense: (A+); They only got to Cousins once, but interrupted many of his throws. Atlanta came into the game ranked in the top 5 for yards per game on the ground averaging 137. The Dolphins held them to 45. 43 if you subtract Kirk Cousins’ yards. Stuffing the run led to more pressure on the Falcons’ passing game than they could handle, especially without London. Zach Sieler showed up with a TFL (tackle for loss). He has been very quiet this season.
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Special Teams: (A); No big plays. Zero mistakes. Patterson was perfect going 2/2 on field goals and 4/4 on point afters. Bailey averaged 50 yards a punt on 3 opportunities. Gordon and Eskridge each had a return of at least 25 yards. Great effort.
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Quarterback(s): (A); Tua responded from his worst game with a quality start. 20/26, 205 yards, 4 touchdowns, AND 0 interceptions. The latter being the most important. Tua’s carelessness with the football has been Miami’s Achilles Kryptonite. He had a clean game and the team was rewarded with a win! When Tua doesn’t subtract from his team, Miami is a playoff contender. This roster is not contending for Divisions and certainly not Super Bowls, but they are capable of winning a playoff game. However, due in large part to Tua’s play, they came into the game with a 1-6 record. If Tua plays half this well the rest of the way? Miami could end up with 9 or 10 wins.
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Officials: (C); I will give them their max grade. Though there were a couple questionable calls.
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Overall: (A); For only the second time in 2025, the Miami Dolphins won a game. They had opportunities to salvage their season, but laid eggs against the Panthers, Chargers, and Browns. It was a pleasant surprise when they came out firing on all cylinders. Thursday is a very winnable game. If Tua throws a clean sheet and the defense doesn’t crumble, it should be extremely competitive. Miami struggles against mobile quarterbacks. This is painfully obvious watching Josh Allen prance all over them on every broken play. Lamar is coming back from a hamstring injury, fingers crossed, he may be hesitant to break the pocket. If he plays as normal, the Miami defense needs to figure out a containment. Shadow him if need be, but you can not give up long 4, 5, or 6 yard runs for first downs. This crushes morale and turns momentum. If Lamar can be Allen, the Fins lose. If Lamar is forced to be Rodgers? Miami has a great opportunity to inch closer to .500. Let’s Go Fins.
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POLITASPORTS 