The Miami Dolphins: Four things to be aware of

The Miami Dolphins will host the Washington Commanders at FedExField once more. Here are five Miami Dolphins facts you should be aware of, along with several names to watch on Sunday.

1. Tua Tagovailoa is putting up career numbers.

Starting an article without mentioning Tua Tagovailoa, a fourth-year quarterback who is expected to have a career-high season would be a mistake.

After Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys and Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers, who both completed 69.8% of throws, Tagovailoa had the third-highest completion percentage in the NFL. This season’s high point occurred in week three’s 70-20 victory over the Denver Broncos, when Tagovailoa’s completion percentage shot to 88.5%. Since 1966, the Dolphins have amassed the most point total of any NFL franchise.

The Commanders’ defense has been ineffective all season, so they will need to equal the Dolphins’ offensive output if they want to shock them. Thankfully, Sam Howell, the quarterback for the Burgundy & Gold, has showed just as much promise.

Howell and Tagovailoa have comparable numbers, despite the stark differences in Washington and Miami’s records. This season, Miami’s Tagovailoa has scored 22 touchdowns in total, while Washington’s Howell has scored 21 (18 passing, 3 rushing). With 3,399 passing yards, Howell even leads the entire league in that category.

The Commanders’ will need to put together an exceptional game plan, but Howell has shown that he can at least put his team in position to compete.

2. A dominant run game.

Not just Tagovailoa is driving the Miami offense to put pressure on the Commanders’ defense. The Dolphins, led by 31-year-old running back Raheem Mostert, have one of the strongest ground attacks in the NFL in addition to their speedsters Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (more on them later).

From 2017 to 21, Mostert served as a reliable rotational player for San Francisco. However, this season is shaping up to be the best of his career, and as the Dolphins’ lead back, he is breaking several team records. With 13 rushing touchdowns so far this season, Mostert is three touchdowns short of matching Ricky Williams’ record of 16 from 2002. With five games remaining in the season, he is on track to surpass 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, with his 785 yards this season ranking second in the league.

Thanks to Mostert’s efforts, the Dolphins are second only to the Baltimore Ravens in terms of average yards per game this season. On the other hand, one could argue that Miami’s run game is superior because 13 players had at least one carry. The Dolphins have 292 attempts as a team, but they average the second-highest number of rushing touchdowns per game and top the league in running average (5.5).

Despite the Dolphins’ 42% run percentage, offensive coordinator Frank Smith and head coach Mike McDaniel have been able to time run plays well and position their players to be productive on every carry. The Dolphins’ pass attack will receive the most focus, and properly so, but the Commanders must devote some effort to stopping the ground game after giving up 64-yard touchdowns to the Patriots and Seahawks.

3. Another challenge on the defensive line.

The offensive line for Washington will once more have its hands full. The three players who have led the defense with the third-most sacks in the NFL—Bradley Chubb, Christian Wilkins, and Andrew Van Ginkel—will try to exert pressure on Howell.

Let’s start with Chubb, who has recorded 47 tackles, 6 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles. Despite the Dolphins’ defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs, Chubb was still able to go past Patrick Mahomes with a strip sack. The Commanders will find it difficult to contain Chubbs’ might, and in light of last week’s events, they will need to stress the importance of increased protection.

It’s not only Chubb, though. Washington’s main concern will be to throw off their attack plan. This season, Wilkins has also seen a good amount of action, recording 43 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Van Ginkel follows with 42 tackles and four sacks, just a hair behind.

Washington’s pass protection, which allowed four sacks against the Cowboys, will need to significantly improve against a defense like this. Throwing the ball quickly won’t be enough for Howell, and the offensive line has to find out a way to give him as much time as possible to exploit the Dolphins secondary.

4. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are a threat to score at any time.

At 30.8 points per game through 11 games, the Dolphins score more points than nearly every other team in the league. Hill and Waddle, who have become one of the top wide receiver tandems this season, have contributed significantly to that success.

If Hill is given the tiniest chance, he may quickly alter the course of a game. He now finishes with 100 yards in a game as standard, and he has surpassed that total seven times this season. Hill has also made scoring touchdowns his habit. In just two games, he has been held scoreless, and his ten scores in the end zone account for roughly one-quarter of Miami’s 42 total touchdowns.

Jaylen Waddle, a first-round selection who has spent two years with Miami, is on the opposing side. Last week, in the Dolphins’ 34-13 victory over the New York Jets, Waddle recorded 114 receiving yards. This places him in the top three for receiving yards from the previous week, and he and Hill together have the ability to make the receptions that Tagovailoa makes.

Although it might be unfeasible to fully stop Hill and Waddle, the Commanders need to have a strategy in place for them, particularly when it comes to third down. The Commanders will need to keep a close eye on these two at all times if they hope to contain what Miami has in store for them this weekend.