Raheem Mostert also ran for two touchdowns for the Dolphins (8-3), who cushioned their lead atop the AFC East by sending the Jets (4-7) to their fourth straight loss.

Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted twice, including one returned for a score by Brandin Echols, but Miami was in control for most of the game. Tagovailoa finished 21 of 30 for 243 yards with the TD to Hill and the two INTs.

Tim Boyle started at quarterback for the Jets in place of the benched Zach Wilson, but New York’s stagnant offense failed to get much going other than Boyle’s 1-yard TD pass to Garrett Wilson with 4:37 remaining.

The Dolphins took a 10-0 lead when Tagovailoa connected with Hill, who avoided a tackle attempt by Jordan Whitehead and zipped into the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown with 8:21 left in the second quarter.

Hill took off his helmet and looked into the MetLife Stadium stands, found wife Keeta Vaccaro and blew her a kiss before tossing her the football. The two were married during the Dolphins’ bye two weeks ago.

Hill’s touchdown catch was his 10th of the season, making him the first Dolphins player since Mike Wallace in 2014 to have double-digit TD receptions.

With the Jets’ offense struggling — as usual — the defense stepped up to get the Jets into the game.

On first-and-10 from the Dolphins 27, Tagovailoa threw a pass intended for Braxton Berrios, but Echols jumped the route, intercepted the toss and took it 30 yards to the end zone.

The usually reliable Greg Zuerlein was wide right on the extra-point attempt, and Miami’s lead was 10-6 with 58 seconds left in the opening half.

D.J. Reed intercepted Tagovailoa on the Dolphins’ next possession, giving the Jets the ball at their 49 with 2 seconds left.

Instead of taking a knee and going into halftime down by 4, New York tried a Hail Mary — and it went embarrassingly wrong.

Boyle’s throw to the end zone was picked off by Holland, who took off down the field, weaved his way past some would-be Jets tacklers — including Boyle — and took it in untouched for a 99-yard interception return.

The Dolphins went wild on their sideline. The Jets stood stunned on theirs.

And many fans headed for the concourses to find some relief after another brutal half of football for their team.

Mostert’s 13-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the Dolphins a 27-6 lead — and tempers flared after that.

There was some pushing and shoving between several players and the Jets’ C.J. Mosley and Micheal Clemons were flagged for personal fouls — including Clemons appearing to inadvertently make contact with an official. Clemons wasejected. Dolphins right tackle Austin Jackson was also kicked out of the game.

Mostert added a 34-yard TD run with 3:35 left.

STATS

Hill finished with nine catches for 102 yards and the TD, while Jaylen Waddle caught eight passes for 114 yards. … Hill has 1,324 yards receiving, breaking Julio Jones’ record (1,305) for the most yards receiving in the first 11 games of a season since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. … Boyle, making his fourth NFL start and first since the 2021 season with Detroit, was 27 of 38 for 179 and a TD with two interceptions.

INJURIES

Dolphins: Holland left late in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. … LB Jaelan Phillips was carted from the field in the fourth with an injured Achilles tendon. … LT Terron Armstead left in the third with a quadriceps injury.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: At Washington on Dec. 3.

Jets: Host Atlanta on Dec. 3.

The Dolphins scoring spree resulted in a franchise record for points, as well as an NFL record for total yards in a game at 726, as they became the highest-scoring team in a single game since Washington in 1966.

Miami has become one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the league thanks to its high-flying offense and is often labelled as the ‘neutral’s favorite.’

After years of being known as a defensive squad, the appointment of McDaniel has seen a marked improvement for the ‘Fins on the more glamorous side of the ball.

“The Dolphins offense has underperformed and been in the shadow of the clubs’ defense for decades,” Joe Schad, a Dolphins journalist for the Palm Beach Post, told CNN Sport. “Since McDaniel’s arrival, they’re creative, fast, dynamic, exciting and productive.

“They’re feared for the first time since legendary quarterback Dan Marino was under center.”

The Mike McDaniel effect

Often decked out in aviator sunglasses and white sneakers, Coach McDaniel is part-quote machine, part-football geek, part-stand-up comedian and part-offensive guru.

“Mike McDaniel is unlike any coach I have ever covered or even met,” said Schad. “He has humility, humor, emotional intelligence and outside-the-box perspective and approaches that reach beyond perhaps any person I’ve ever met.”

Born in Aurora, Colorado, McDaniel began life in the NFL as a coaching intern with the Denver Broncos in 2005, working under head coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator (OC) Gary Kubiak. He followed Kubiak to the Houston Texans in 2006 where he also assisted OC and quarterbacks coach Troy Calhoun.

“You could tell he was immensely interested,” Calhoun told CNN. “He had a real, real drive to coach in the National Football League.”

Calhoun, who is now the head coach of the United States Air Force Academy football program, describes McDaniel as an “incredibly bright” individual with an “unbelievable work ethic.”

While the Miami coach spent his first couple of seasons learning from his much more experienced peers, Calhoun admitted that there are now areas he studies in McDaniel’s schemes.

“I love the creativity of some of his own plays,” he said. “Certainly, some of his pulls and how much he utilizes motion, rather than only being in static sets.”

McDaniel spent two seasons in Houston before having two seasons out of the NFL with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the now-defunct United Football League. He then reunited with Shanahan on the then-called Washington Redskins (now Commanders) and operated alongside Sean McVay, Matt LeFleur and Kyle Shanahan.

McDaniel’s current position in Miami is a product of the so-called ‘Sean McVay effect’ — a coaching movement in the NFL that saw teams shift away from more experienced, defensive-minded head coaches and turn towards hiring younger individuals who focused on offensive strategy.

McVay became the youngest NFL head coach when he was hired by the Los Angeles Rams at the age of 30 in 2017.

Washington provided McDaniel with his first role above the assistant level, with the future Dolphins boss spending 2013 in charge of the wide receivers unit. Stops in Cleveland and Atlanta followed before McDaniel arrived in San Francisco to work as the running game coordinator under Shanahan in 2017.

McDaniel rode the rumblings of the impending coaching revolution to the OC position with the 49ers, before the Dolphins hired him for their top job in 2022, despite having no previous head coaching experience at any level.

McDaniel is a sponge when it comes to football knowledge and uses everything he has soaked up along his journey to turn Miami into an offensive juggernaut.

He is so football-obsessed that, according to The Athletic, he wrote his senior thesis on the merger-era NFL of the 1960s and ’70s while at Yale.

“There were those evenings you might go home at 11 o’clock as a coach and you come back in at six in the morning and you think, ‘Oh no, did he spend the night here?!’” Calhoun laughed.

If his bold play-calling and expansive knowledge have turned heads, McDaniel draws just as much attention off the field.

Many quotes from his press conferences go viral, he is must-watch TV when he’s mic’d up and McDaniel has even had people dressing up as him for Halloween, including Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Described as the “ultimate new-age coach” by Schad, McDaniel is a complete breath of fresh air.

“McDaniel is really smart, but not a braggart,” Schad said. “He cares about human connections and is not afraid to be transparent about feeling and emotions, which is entirely unlike almost every coach, especially football.”

Calhoun believes that someone as personable as McDaniel can benefit a franchise.

“Just any time you have somebody that’s that sincere, that genuine as a human being, I think it’s something fans certainly relate to,” he said.

“But more importantly, your ownership, your chain of command, if you will, they appreciate candor and forthright human beings, and he absolutely is.”

The most dangerous offense in the league?

It really is ‘pick your poison’ for opposing defenses when facing the Dolphins. This team is almost unfairly versatile and can hurt opponents from everywhere.

Nate Tice, a football writer and podcaster who was previously a scout and coach in the NFL, spoke to CNN Sport about this Dolphins squad and credits their offense with “weaponizing” their players’ blistering speed and their use of pre-snap motion (where players move before the ball is in play).

Their ability to “put some window dressing” on tried and tested football plays and use them to maximum effect is also something he admires but notes that the team is smart as well as speedy.

“In American football, they say ‘speed kills’ and anyone can say, ‘Oh yeah, we’ll just get a bunch of fast guys,’” said Tice. “But what this coaching staff and Mike McDaniel have done is they’ve taken a lot of staples of the NFL … and really used that system to make the players wide open all the time and get to use that speed.

“Even if it’s just a ‘normal play,’ in American football, they have taken that and then just put a little sugar on it, a little splash in the water, just add a couple of ingredients and it just pops everybody open,” he added.

The ‘Fins are among the top three in the NFL in a myriad of offensive statistics. Rushing touchdowns, total receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, total points – it is a scoring frenzy in the 305.

The remarkably efficient run game has become McDaniel’s trademark.

Miami currently ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards at 1,430, despite being in the bottom half of the league for rushes attempted. Veteran running back Raheem Mostert and rookie De’Von Achane frequently confound coverage and punch holes in opponents’ defenses.

“They’re able physically to play really, really aggressive with their offensive line,” said Calhoun. “But boy, they sure disguise so many of their runs with different ball carriers, with different formations, different motions. It’s really fascinating.”

The Dolphins are creative, but they are not experimenting purely for the sake of it.

“McDaniel has taken these normal staples of the run game and they just add a little bit of flair to it, add a little bit of: ‘Hey, why don’t we have our backup running back that we drafted in the third round … let’s put him at receiver on this play and give them a handoff working the route?’” Tice explains.

“This is actually sound. It’s not just gimmicky.”

If you try and take away their ground offense, the Dolphins are happy to make you pay through the air as well.

Fourth-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played his way into the early-season MVP conversation and ranks in the top three amongst starting quarterbacks in passing yards and touchdowns, as well as completion percentage and passer rating.

His life might be made easier by his plethora of options, but he is still the one steering the ship.

“He’s driving a very super powered car, but I think he’s handling it very well and giving feedback very well,” said Tice, using a Formula One analogy.

Miami’s elite passing game is aided by the fact that it possesses some of the fastest receivers in the NFL to aim for downfield.

The team’s seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, Tyreek Hill – nicknamed ‘Cheetah’ – is currently setting the pace for receiving touchdowns and yards across the league. In an NFL first, he crossed the 1,000-yard mark in just Week 8.

Jaylen Waddle is another electrifying option, while Braxton Berrios and Cedrick Wilson Jr. are more reliable targets out wide.

The Dolphins also recently acquired Chase Claypool from the Chicago Bears, and Mostert and Achane are also both more than capable of chipping in with receptions off designed plays and checkdowns when needed.

Though naturally not as headline-grabbing as the free-scoring offense, the defense is holding its own while still having room to improve.

“Miami’s defense should be much better with the return of star cornerback Jalen Ramsey,” says Schad. “This should allow reputable veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio more flexibility in his calls.”

In his first three games since returning from a torn meniscus, Ramsey has three interceptions and allowed a remarkable 0.0 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus.

“Miami has the potential for a top five to top 10 NFL defense. It has not happened yet, but improvement is expected as players become more comfortable in Fangio’s new scheme,” added Schad.

Contenders or pretenders?

There’s still a lot of football left to be played, but the Dolphins might just have the aura of a championship team about them.

They currently sit atop the AFC East with a 7-3 record. Their immense offensive output seems to have drastically changed the club’s trajectory, going from middling outsiders to potential Super Bowl participants – maybe even winners.

Miami’s last NFL championship was for the 1973 season and their most recent Super Bowl appearance was in 1984, when they were led by league MVP Marino. In the 39 years since that loss to the 49ers in Super Bowl XX, the Dolphins have won just seven postseason games.

While the fanbase is not nearly as starved of playoff success as the supporters of teams like the Detroit Lions or the Cleveland Browns, ‘Fins fans are desperate for their season to last just that little bit longer.

The Dolphins have faced criticism for not being able to win when it matters, which casts a shadow of doubt over their Super Bowl aspirations. Miami is 0-3 against teams with winning records this season, begging the question: just how serious is this squad?

Tice believes that this is more a reflection on the stellar defenses of the teams that they have played against rather than an in-house problem, while Schad argues that Miami “can beat anybody.”

“The Dolphins and Tagovailoa will also need to show, at some point, that they can win an important game on the road in cold, wet and/or windy conditions. Is this speedy team built for that?” Schad added.

Still, you can only beat who is in front of you, and the Dolphins are doing that far more often than not so far.

Is McDaniel, still young and inexperienced as a head coach, equipped to cope with the pressure and demands of a full NFL postseason though?

“A resounding yes,” said Calhoun.

Time will tell if Miami’s thrilling brand of football is sustainable, but you can’t help enjoying ‘The Greatest Show on Surf’ for now.

After a close victory over the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday, the Dolphins’ itinerary included some rest, meetings, watching game video, getting in a little practice time, hopping on a 1,000-mile flight and spending Thanksgiving preparing to face the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Friday.

“It is more challenging, only because when you play a game, there’s a science behind the 48-hour time window of practicing or not practicing,” the Dolphins quarterback said of the quick turnaround between games. “It’s a lot of mental reps for all of us.

“We’ll probably have one day of field practice to run around and make sure everything is on point and on time. But outside of that, what makes these short weeks tough is that a lot of these things are more mental than physical.”

Jets coach Robert Saleh tried to take an optimistic approach to the short week.

“It’s better than a Thursday game,” he said, “from a timing standpoint and with regards to preparation for your team, at least from my opinion with all the research we’ve done.”

Sure, the Jets and Dolphins are getting one more day to get ready than the six teams with Thanksgiving games. But the spotlight will be on the AFC East rivals during the first game in NFL history to be played on Black Friday.

Miami (7-3) sits atop the division after bouncing back from a 21-14 loss to Kansas City two weeks ago and beating Las Vegas 20-13 last Sunday. With Buffalo in second place at 6-5, the Dolphins have a chance to create some more separation between them and the rest of the AFC East.

“They’re still a division opponent and every time we play them it’s always a tough game, regardless of the outcome,” Miami defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said of facing New York. “That’s the tough thing about this league and the tough thing about playing division opponents (is) they know you, you know them. There typically isn’t much surprise.”

One unfamiliar element for the Jets (4-6): They are starting Tim Boyle at quarterback in place of the benched Zach Wilson while looking to snap a three-game skid and spark an offense that has produced nine touchdowns in 10 games.

“I’m excited to go out there and put my flavor on things and just be myself,” said Boyle, making his fourth NFL start. “Not overdo it, run the offense and put the ball in our playmakers’ hands.”

FOOTBALL FRIDAY

While it’s the first NFL game played the day after Thanksgiving, it’s not the first time the Dolphins or Jets have played a regular-season game on a Friday.

Miami is 1-3 and New York is 2-5 in games played on that day. And this will be the third time the Dolphins and Jets square off on a Friday with the teams splitting the previous two matchups.

The first two games in Dolphins franchise history were Friday losses at home in 1966 against the Raiders and Jets. The Dolphins beat the Jets in 1983, the last time New York played on a Friday. In 2005, Kansas City won after the Dolphins and Chiefs moved up a regular-season matchup in Miami from Sunday to Friday because of Hurricane Wilma.

New York’s first five Friday games came when the Jets were known as the Titans from 1960-62.

“It’s kind of cool to think about it because of Friday night football in high school,” Dolphins right tackle Austin Jackson said. “That’s instantly what I think about. It’ll be my first high school football kind of Friday night game in a minute. Under the big lights, I think it’ll be fun, honestly.”

BRING IT TO A BOYLE

The 29-year-old Boyle made three starts in 2021 for Detroit, his only other NFL starting experience.

The Lions lost all three games. Boyle went 61 of 94 for 526 yards and three touchdowns with six interceptions.

Boyle said his confidence is much higher now and he feels more mentally prepared to start.

“I definitely know what to expect on game day,” he said. “I’m not someone who’s going to be shell-shocked by the moment.”

SHORT-YARDAGE STRUGGLES

The Dolphins have gained more yards per play (7.0) and per game (434) than any team in the league, but have struggled in short-yardage situations.

Miami is ranked 17th in third-down offense and is near the bottom of the NFL on third-and-short.

Against the Raiders, the Dolphins were 3 for 11 on third down. Miami converted just one of four third-down conversion attempts in which fewer than 5 yards were needed. The Dolphins also failed to convert a fourth-and-1.

“That is ever-present right now on our minds,” coach Mike McDaniel said, “because it’s hard to get the nine yards. I wish it was as simple as just get the one. But we’ll continue to work the same way and hold ourselves accountable, and that’s the area of football that we’re still the worst at, relatively, to all the stuff we do.”

DOWN AND OUT

The Jets know the feeling of failing on third down better than anyone.

They have a league-worst 23% conversion rate in those situations after going 0 for 11 at Buffalo. The Jets are on pace to have the worst third-down efficiency in NFL history.

And that’s not all: Their 26.1% conversion rate in the red zone is also last in the league and could set a league mark for futility.

“As advertised,” linebacker Jaelan Phillips said. “That was Jalen Ramsey. He can call his shots, so we call him ‘as advertised.’”

The All-Pro cornerback jumped in front of Tre Tucker and intercepted a pass from Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell in the third quarter Sunday against Las Vegas. Then Ramsey sealed Miami’s 20-13 victory with his second pick, a leaping catch in the back of the end zone with 32 seconds remaining.

For once, the Dolphins’ defense outshined their offense. Miami turned the ball over three times for just the second time this season. But the defense has improved to the point that it could weather that adversity.

The Dolphins (7-3) limited Las Vegas to 36 yards rushing and 260 yards passing, intercepted O’Connell three times and stopped the Raiders on two fourth-down attempts. The Raiders rarely threw the ball in Ramsey’s direction, but he still deflected two passes along with his pair of picks.

“I’m really hoping they throw at him, honestly,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “I mean, both interceptions were out of control in difficulty level. … I think the whole team has gotten a little bit better to a degree since he’s been on our team or since he’s been back, and that’s the type of effect that players of that caliber can have on people.”

The Dolphins entered Week 8 — Ramsey’s season debut — with the 21st-ranked defense in the league, allowing just under 350 total yards and 233 passing yards per game. Since then, they’ve improved to No. 12 and are a top-13 unit against the rush and pass.

That bodes well for Miami as it tries to maintain its hold on the AFC East. The Dolphins play at the division rival New York Jets on Friday.

Phillips said Sunday’s defensive battle could be a preview for future games.

“We might have to win the rest of the season like that,” he said. “You never know how it goes, and on any given Sunday in this league teams can bring their best stuff and we might not have our best stuff. I think the key is to just keep our head down and have that confidence in each other — defense, offense, special teams — and no matter what the situation is we’re going to pull it out.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Miami’s defense was able to protect a one-score lead despite the Raiders having multiple shots at a comeback. Down 7, Las Vegas had three opportunities to tie the game in the final 10 minutes. The Dolphins forced a turnover on downs and intercepted O’Connell twice on those drives.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Ball security and third-down efficiency. The Dolphins surpassed 400 yards of offense for the fifth time this season but had their third-lowest scoring output. Turnovers and ineffectiveness on third down were big reasons for that. Tua Tagovailoa lost his third fumble of the season on a scramble on Miami’s opening possession, and he threw an interception on the first play of the second half. Miami had multiple turnovers for the second time in three games and went 3 for 11 on third down.

STOCK UP

The secondary. The Dolphins have only had the cornerback duo of Ramsey and Xavien Howard for two games, and they’ve held their opponents scoreless in the second half of both contests.

STOCK DOWN

Jason Sanders entered the game with the fewest field goal attempts of any kicker in the league, and he missed a 50-yard kick with the Dolphins ahead 14-13 in the third. Sanders converted from 41 and 51 yards later in the quarter, but he’s 5 of 15 on attempts of 50-plus yards since 2021.

INJURIES

RB Devon Achane re-injured the same knee that caused him to miss the previous four games. McDaniel said he’s considered day to day.

KEY NUMBER

1,142 — The amount of yards the Dolphins have outgained opponents by, which leads the NFL. They outgained the Raiders by 126 yards Sunday.

NEXT STEPS

After a short week to prepare for the Jets, the Dolphins will play at Washington in Week 13. After that, four of their last five games are at home, where they are undefeated.

Ramsey jumped with both arms stretched over his body and came down in the end zone with an interception of Aidan O’Connell with 22 seconds left, helping the Dolphins stifle the Las Vegas Raiders’ fourth-quarter comeback and overcome three turnovers for a 20-13 win.

“He’s the best corner in the league, man,” Hill said. “The way he laid out for that last pass just goes to show how much he cares about this team. A lot of guys, they’ll knock it down, they’ll say, ‘Ah, I could land weird.’ The way he just laid out for his team just really shows how he cares about his brothers.”

Ramsey also intercepted the Raiders rookie quarterback earlier in the game. He has three takeaways in three games with Miami after missing the first seven with a knee injury.

“I do feel great, I’ve put in a lot of hard work,” Ramsey said. “At the same time, the only way to get ready for football and be really in football shape and feel like the guy that I am is to play more football, and this is only my third game. Techinically, I’m just now in my training camp, preseason, really.”

Tua Tagovailoa was 28 of 39 with 325 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for Miami. He also lost his third fumble of the season on a scramble on the Dolphins’ opening drive. Hill caught his league-leading eighth touchdown of the season and had 146 yards on 10 catches.

Salvon Ahmed caught Tagovailoa’s other touchdown, an 11-yard score in the second quarter.

O’Connell, who finished 24 of 41 with 271 yards and three interceptions, also threw a pick on Las Vegas’ penultimate drive.

With his team down 7, O’Connell dropped back to pass on fourth down at Miami’s 38 when defensive tackle Christian Wilkins wrapped him up. O’Connell tried to force up a pass, and Jaelan Phillips came up with the ball for his first career interception.

“I’m learning how hard the NFL is and how hard it is to win,” O’Connell said. “Kudos to our defense. They played so well in the second half. Kept us in the game. It comes down to our offense. Be better all around, and it starts with me.”

With 10:55 left, the Raiders got the ball at the 50 after a Dolphins punt but ended up turning the ball over on downs after a deep pass from O’Connell to Tucker on second-and-17 that was originally ruled a catch was overturned.

Las Vegas (5-6) had a two-game winning streak snapped, and the victory by Miami (7-3) strengthened its hold atop the AFC East.

“The job’s not done,” Tagovailoa said, “there’s nothing accomplished being 7-3.”

On the Raiders’ opening drive, Miami linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel punched the ball out of the hands of rookie tight end Michael Mayer for what was originally called a fumble returned by safety Jevon Holland for a Dolphins touchdown. Officials overturned it to an incomplete pass after a short review, but the play forced a Las Vegas punt.

On the next drive, Luke Masterson jarred the ball loose from Tagovailoa’s grip on a third down scramble deep in Dolphins’ territory. Miami’s defense then held the Raiders to a field goal, which Daniel Carlson nailed from 34 yards for a 3-0 lead.

The sequence repeated itself late in the first half. Dolphins rookie tight end Julian Hill, on just his second catch of the year, fumbled at Miami’s 32, and it was recovered by Divine Deablo. Miami’s defense, which entered allowing fewer than 17 points in two straight outings, held again and forced a 47-yard field goal by Carlson. The Dolphins took a 14-13 lead into the half.

The Raiders had little offense for much of the game outside of Davante Adams, who finished with 82 yards receiving, including a 46-yard touchdown.

The Dolphins finished with 422 yards of offense despite scoring their fewest points at home all year, but they remain undefeated at home this season thanks to a defensive unit that held its opponent scoreless for the second straight game.

“I like when they score 70 a lot more,” said Phillips, who had two sacks, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. “Today we scored 20 and they scored 13 and we won. Our defense had confidence in each other, no matter what the score was, we had the lead and we were going to keep it.”

INJURIES:

Raiders: S Marcus Epps left in the second quarter with a neck injury and did not return.

Dolphins: RB De’Von Achane, who returned after missing the past four games with a knee injury, exited after Miami’s second drive with a knee injury and did not return. … Hill went to the locker room briefly in the second quarter. He looked to be holding his right hand/wrist but only missed one series.

UP NEXT

Raiders: Host the Chiefs next Sunday.

Dolphins: At New York Jets next Friday, the first time the NFL has scheduled a game for the day after Thanksgiving.

So now that his Miami Dolphins have a 1 1/2-game lead over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East, they want to keep it. The Bills have won the division the past three seasons; the Dolphins haven’t won it since 2008.

“The goal is to win the division,” McDaniel said. “That is the only way you ensure that you’re, for one, in the playoffs, you have a home game in the playoffs and you set yourself up for a journey, not a game.”

The Dolphins (6-3) are in position to reach that goal. Their offense leads the league in several statistical categories.

The second half of Miami’s season starts Sunday when it hosts Las Vegas (5-5), a team two games removed from firing its coach.

Antonio Pierce, the Raiders’ interim coach, has appeared to energize the locker room and has Las Vegas on a two-game winning streak with victories over the Giants and Jets.

“The thing that I always notice when it does occur, when you have a coaching change and then have immediate success followed by another game of success, is that the locker room feels some energy,” McDaniel said. “It galvanizes people. It brings people together. No one likes to say bye to people that they know and work with. I don’t care what you say. Even if you’re going through hard times, it’s tough to say goodbye to people.”

The Raiders have a tough task against the Dolphins, who are one of three teams who haven’t lost at home this season (Dallas and Philadelphia are the others).

“You got a little bit more of the burden to make sure you’re handling your business,” said Davante Adams, who leads the Raiders with 659 yards receiving. “What we did last week is not necessarily going to work on paper against these guys. If our defense goes out and handle their business and we keep coming off the field, that doesn’t make it easy.”

A GROWING CONNECTION

When Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell was first getting to know his teammates, the veteran receiver Adams could sense his timidity.

“It’s always funny coming in and you see the young guys come in and they come and play with me,” Adams said, “whether it’s D-linemen or whatever, they always look a little different at me when they’re walking through the hallways, and he’d been like that for a while.”

The quarterback and receiver are developing a close relationship since O’Connell made his first NFL start over a month ago. Now, O’Connell said he considers Adams someone who is “easy to talk to” and who he enjoys joking around with.

O’Connell and Adams’ connection is also translating on the field. Adams was targeted 13 times against the Jets last week and caught six passes for 86 yards — his highest yardage total since Week 3. Three of O’Connell’s first four passes went to Adams.

“It just allows the number one receiver to feel a little bit more welcomed into it and warm up the hands early,” Adams said. “It’s not easy catching the ball when you haven’t seen one in 30 minutes. So, it’s something that I definitely like and look forward to doing moving forward.”

MAKING PLAYS

Linebacker Robert Spillane leads Las Vegas with three interceptions.

Not bad for someone whose ability to cover receivers was considered a weakness when he played for Pittsburgh.

Pierce, who coached linebackers before being elevated to interim coach, worked with Spillane after the Raiders signed him in the offseason.

“I told him, ‘Hey, that’s the knock, probably why you went a little bit later as far as free agency and getting picked up,’” Pierce said. “But all last offseason and in the spring and OTAs and minicamp, training camp, that’s all we worked on.”

ACHANE’S STATUS UNCERTAIN

Dolphins rookie running back De’Von Achane returned to practice Monday, beginning his 21-day window to return from injured reserve. Achane missed the past four games after injuring his knee in Week 5 against the Giants.

Achane, a third-round draft pick, was leading the NFL with 12.1 yards per carry before the injury. He rushed for 460 yards with seven total touchdowns in four games.

McDaniel said Achane has not “looked like a rookie” in Miami’s locker room and continues to impress his teammates and coaches.

“That’s what the locker room needed from him,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “We don’t have time for rookies anymore. This is pro ball. And he acted like a pro on Monday.”

The team, joined by cheerleaders and staff, dished out turkey and fixins at the Hard Rock Stadium Tuesday evening to area families.

It was all part of the “Football Unites” program, which a youth and community group.

“Just coming out here, and trying to support the community as much as possible,” said Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips. “It really means everything. With our platform, just being able to come out here and spread some love and make peoples day, is really the greatest feeling.”

Food was supplied by ”Troy’s Barbque” in Boynton Beach, which is part of the Dolphin’s Minority Restaurant program.

The families were also surprised with an extra meal box to take home for the holidays.

Achane hasn’t played since hurting his knee late in a Week 5 win over the New York Giants.

Coach Mike McDaniel said Achane didn’t tear anything in his knee; it was more of a sprain that could have been managed with a brace, but the team thought it was best to place him on injured reserve to allow it to heal fully.

“I just didn’t really envision him being one that would really flourish with a brace,” McDaniel said Monday.

“We took the time to make sure that we could get structurally completely strong. We erred on the side of caution with that, but everything seems to be ready to go for today’s practice.”

McDaniel did not say if Achane will play when the Dolphins host the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Miami (6-3) is coming off a bye week and is currently first in the AFC East.

Achane, whom the Dolphins drafted in the third round this year, was leading the NFL with 12.1 yards per carry before the injury. He rushed for 460 yards with seven total touchdowns in four games.

Achane had a breakout game in Week 3 against Denver after being a healthy scratch in the season opener and getting only one carry for 5 yards the next week. The former Texas A&M running back led the team with 203 total yards on 18 carries, 11.3 yards per rush and four touchdowns in Miami’s 70-20 win over Denver, and he immediately earned a larger role in the Dolphins’ then-No.1-ranked rushing offense.

Miami’s rushing production has dropped off slightly in the past four games. The Dolphins entered Week 5 averaging 185.8 yards per game but have rushed for 100.5 yards per game since Achane’s injury. They’ve failed to reach 100 yards twice in the past four games.

Raheem Mostert leads the team with 605 yards rushing and has a league-high 11 rushing touchdowns.

NOTES:

Injured offensive linemen Rob Hunt (hamstring) and Rob Jones (knee) are both week to week but had a good week of rehab, McDaniel said. The team wants to see how both respond in practice this week. … Kendall Lamm, Miami’s versatile lineman who has filled in at tackle, will take some practice reps at guard, though McDaniel doesn’t expect him to switch to the position anytime soon.

McDaniel needed only a couple seconds to reply.

“It was the one day I didn’t put on mascara,” he said.

This was peak McDaniel. Quick with a quip, always entertaining.

Make no mistake: The coach of the AFC East-leading Dolphins is serious about a lot of things — his wife and daughter, winning, the health and welfare of his players, his sobriety. He’s also a viral moment waiting to happen, someone who sprinted away from a cameraman after a halftime interview, told his quarterback Tua Tagovailoa that his high school technique was trash, and offered up profane analysis during a faux interview to be part of the “ManningCast” on Monday night football.

“I think people respond best to authenticity, to know that nothing that you say or do is fabricated,” McDaniel said. “So, I just try to stay true to my personality and I feel like that’s owed to people. You have to give yourself, if you’re in a leadership role where you’re serving other people. You have to give people yourself and so I just try to pride myself on that and hold nothing back because I feel like that’s what people deserve.”

He might hold a little bit back; such is the nature of football coaching, where at least some mystery is required.

But not much.

McDaniel can be called a lot of things; boring is not one of them. It seems the only time he has been quieted in his 21 months with the Dolphins was the opening few seconds of his introductory news conference, when the microphone he was trying to speak into wasn’t turned on. The mics have been open ever since, the cameras always rolling, awaiting the next moment.

“He’s unapologetically himself,” Dolphins long snapper Blake Ferguson said. “And I think that’s why guys buy into what he’s selling. That’s why we’ve been able to have the success that we’ve had, because he’s just himself. He’s quirky. He knows how smart he is. And he makes himself relatable. He’s been through a lot of adversity in his life. He’s able to channel that into a passionate coach who cares about his players. But he sees the world in such a unique way that he just says whatever he’s thinking.”

It would be impossible to list all of McDaniel’s moments of comic genius. But some examples:

— Before a game last season, as Tagovailoa warmed up nearby, McDaniel just happened to say into his headset: “Georgia is definitely the best SEC school, without a shadow of a doubt.” Tagovailoa, of course, attended Alabama.

— “Did you guys enjoy that clinic?” That one, offered with a smile, came after a 19-3 preseason loss to Atlanta.

— “Mission accomplished. … Our goal was output after five games.” That one came after he was told the Dolphins had more yards through five games than any team in NFL history.

“It works because it’s him and every time he’s being funny, he’s just authentically him,” Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb said. “He’s not trying too hard. He’s not going out of his way to do stuff, not like switching up all of a sudden. If you meet him, he’s that 24-7.”

McDaniel — who’s almost always in sweats and sneakers, and was amazed that his sideline uniform became a Halloween costume for many, including Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra a couple weeks ago — just thinks he’s being honest about who he is. He doesn’t hide the funny, nor the not-funny, like how he used to drink to excess or the difficulties that sometimes presented themselves when he was growing up in a single-parent home.

The thing is, comedy might just be second nature to McDaniel. One of his closest friends — going back to when they grew up together in Aurora, Colorado — is comedian Dan Soder, probably best known for his role as Mafee on the recently wrapped Showtime show “Billions.” Soder was likely one of the first to realize that being funny comes naturally to McDaniel; now, anybody who pays attention to the Dolphins is likely aware of that trait.

“I didn’t grow up with money so being paid as a head coach, I really appreciate. I didn’t grow up with a family, so being a part of a team is extremely important and I don’t lose that at all,” McDaniel said. “All those things, I’m kind of in the middle of a dream, living it, and have a lot of work to do. So, to say that I could have forecasted any of this wouldn’t be honest. But I very much appreciate each and every part of it for sure. I’m very, very blessed in that way.”

Whatever McDaniel is doing, it’s working.

The Dolphins will emerge from the bye atop the AFC East, no matter what happens this weekend. They’ve gone 6-3 through nine games in each of McDaniel’s two years at the helm; Miami hasn’t had a better record this deep into a season since 2000, when it was 7-2. He has the team in position to make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in more than 20 years.

That’s no joke, either.

“Hopefully that isn’t what I’m known for ultimately, when my tenure is done, whenever that time is,” McDaniel said. “I’d hope that it would be my concrete dedication to every person that’s involved and every person that I’m responsible for. I’m hopefully in the process of however things unfold, that I leave people better off with having me than not having me.”

Against everyone else, they’re 6-0.

The trend couldn’t be clearer and it was on display again Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany, where the Dolphins got behind 21-0 against Kansas City and wound up losing 21-14 to the defending Super Bowl champions. They looked good in the second half but once again not good enough.

“All we can continue to do is work and not lose sight of where we want to go as a team,” Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “We’ve got to continue to stick together and not deviate from that, regardless of what everyone outside is saying, and we’ve just got to put our head down and keep going.”

Miami has lost games to Philadelphia (8-1), Kansas City (7-2) and Buffalo (5-4). Those three games are the only ones this season in which the Dolphins haven’t held a lead; they trailed the Bills by 28, the Chiefs by 21 and the Eagles by 14.

Here’s the rundown of the teams the Dolphins have beaten: the Los Angeles Chargers (3-4 entering Monday), Denver (3-5), the New England Patriots (an AFC-worst 2-7) twice, the New York Giants (2-7) and Carolina (1-7). Only the Panthers (who were up 14-0 early) held a lead of more than seven points at any time against Miami in those games.

Average point differential in the six Miami wins: 18.2 points.

Average point differential in the three Miami losses: 16.3 points.

“I know that NFL games, each and every one of them is tough,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “I think people undervalue poor records. It is hard to win in this league. To win in any right against any opponent is something not to take for granted. As long as you continue to get better, ultimately that narrative will subside. But that’s on us collectively from coaches and players alike to — if you want the narrative to change, change the narrative.”

WHAT’S WORKING

The defense. Maybe this isn’t the same crazy-number-posting Kansas City offense from recent years, but Miami still held the Chiefs to 267 yards, 174 of them through the air. Those were Kansas City’s lowest numbers in a regular-season game in nearly two years.

WHAT NEEDS WORK

Going on the road. The difference in the numbers is massive. The Dolphins are 4-0 at home, outscoring teams 174-74 and have averaged 516 net yards. On the road, the Dolphins are 2-3, have been outscored 151-111 and have averaged 371 net yards.

STOCK UP

Again, the defense, especially in the second half. Excluding the final possession of the game that had two kneeldowns by the Chiefs, Kansas City had the ball four times after halftime – resulting in zero points, a lost fumble, three punts, four first downs and 67 yards. Miami’s defense gave the Dolphins a chance. But teams must score to beat Kansas City; the Chiefs are winners of 31 straight when holding an opponent under 20 points.

STOCK DOWN

Tagovailoa. Look, he’s still having a big season and absolutely should be in the MVP conversation. But he had season lows in completion percentage (61.8) and yards (193) against the Chiefs, and there were two costly blunders on the final drive when Miami had a chance to tie — a miscommunication with Cedric Wilson Jr. on the next-to-last play for the Dolphins, and then a mishandled snap on the final play that sealed the outcome.

INJURIES

OL Robert Jones left Sunday’s game with a knee injury.

KEY NUMBER

33-1 — That was Miami’s record since the start of the 2010 season when it outscored an opponent by 10 or more points in the second half. It’s 33-2 over that span now, because the Dolphins outscored the Chiefs 14-0 after halftime on Sunday. (The other loss was Sept. 18, 2016, at New England, a game in which the Dolphins trailed Jimmy Garoppolo & Co. — Tom Brady was suspended for “Deflategate” at that time — 24-3 at the half, before outscoring the Patriots 21-7 in the final two quarters but still losing 31-24.)

NEXT STEPS

It’s a bye week for the Dolphins, who will practice Tuesday, then take a few days off before returning next week and getting ready for a Nov. 19 home game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Chiefs safety took a fumble return 59 yards for what turned out to be an important touchdown in Kansas City’s 21-14 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Deutsche Bank Park.

“He got those knees up and was rolling down the field,” Mahomes said. “Huge play that obviously mattered a ton in the game.”

Mahomes threw two touchdown passes and the Chiefs (7-2) did just enough to slow the NFL’s top-ranked offense in the first-ever regular season game in Frankfurt, Germany, but the defending Super Bowl champions nearly blew a big lead.

Miami’s comeback fell short when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa couldn’t handle a snap on fourth-and-10 from the Kansas City 31 with 1:03 to play.

“I’m always going to blame myself — I’ve got to catch the ball,” Tagovailoa said. “Can’t end the game like that when we have an opportunity like that against a really good team.”

Mahomes connected on first-half scoring passes to Rashee Rice and Jerick McKinnon as Miami (6-3) kept getting stuck in third-and-long situations. The Dolphins also fell to 0-3 on the season against teams with winning records.

Mahomes finished 20 of 30 for a season-low 185 yards in his European debut, but the Chiefs’ offense struggled in the second half. Tight end Travis Kelce had just three catches for 14 yards, which was just enough to become the franchise’s career leader in receiving yards.

“Obviously, penalties and then me not connecting on guys deep down the field hurt us, but luckily for us our defense is playing their tail off and we got the win,” Mahomes said.

Three Chiefs players combined to put Kansas City up 21-0 just before halftime on one of the top defensive plays of the season so far.

And it came at the expense of former teammate Tyreek Hill.

With the Dolphins driving late in the first half, cornerback Trent McDuffie stuffed Hill on a short pass in the flat and stripped the ball from the All-Pro receiver. Mike Edwards scooped it up and after Hill tried to tackle him, Edwards lateraled to Cook, who returned it for the score.

Cook said the most recent time he scored a touchdown was while playing collegiately for Howard in 2018.

Hill finished with a team-high eight catches for 62 yards.

Taylor Swift was a no-show, as was Miami’s offense early on. The only thing more surprising than Miami’s first-half struggles on offense was referee Clay Martin making a “false start” call in German in the first quarter.

Miami hadn’t been shut out in the first half of a game since Week 2 of the 2021 season.

But Tagovailoa got the comeback started with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Cedric Wilson Jr. in the third quarter.

Bradley Chubb’s strip-sack of Mahomes then gave Miami the ball on the Kansas City 27, and Raheem Mostert ran it in from 13 yards after an unnecessary roughness call on Chris Jones on a third-and-20 keep the drive alive. Mostert had 12 carries for 85 yards.

Tagovailoa finished 21 of 34 for a season-low 193 yards.

After a game that could have playoff implications — the Chiefs have hosted a record five straight AFC championship games — Chiefs coach Andy Reid said the flight home will feel shorter.

“There’s nothing worse than going into a bye week with a loss first of all, and then an eight-hour plane ride on top of that,” Reid said.

The Chiefs haven’t lost back-to-back games since early in the 2021 season and stayed undefeated in international games. They won in London in 2015 and in Mexico City in 2019.

The Dolphins have lost their past four international games. They are 2-5 in games played outside the United States.

INJURIES

Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle was slow to get up after blocking on rushing attempt on Miami’s first drive. He returned on the second drive and took a reverse for a 12-yard gain. … OL Robert Jones was helped off the field early in the fourth quarter. Reid said there were no Chiefs injuries to report.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Bye week and then host the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 19.

Chiefs: Bye week before a Monday night Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles at Arrowhead Stadium on Nov. 20.

McDaniel suggested on Friday that beating the Chiefs at Deutsche Bank Park would merely amount to a “cool regular season win,” even though there are potential AFC playoff implications in a clash of two 6-2 teams.

“Quite literally, this is one-17th of the season. That’s how important it is,” he said at a press conference before practice. “If it was Major League Baseball, it would be 10 games. That would be five games in the NBA.”

It’s most important to progress through the season, he added.

“Does seven wins get you into the playoffs? Probably not,” McDaniel said.

The Chiefs have marketing rights in Germany and are hoping to win over local fans, but McDaniel is doing a pretty good job with an international charm offensive of his own.

His first comments in Germany earlier in the week were a social media hit, and he seemed surprised that he was the inspiration for some Halloween costumes.

McDaniel was asked if he’d be interested in being coach of the U.S. flag football team at the Olympics: “I’m just trying not to get fired at my current job.”

The second-year Dolphins coach encouraged a French reporter who asked a question in English not to apologize for having an accent “when you’re speaking your second or third language. Hats off to you. I know one, and I’m not very proud of that.”

Coaching in the first regular-season NFL game in Frankfurt is an honor, he said.

“It’s an exciting opportunity. I’ve never been to Europe — I’m a history major. This is awesome. Maybe I’ll get to see a sight here soon,” McDaniel said.

INJURY UPDATES

Left tackle Terron Armstead could return from a knee injury sustained in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills. McDaniel said he’s “optimistic” about activating Armstead off injured reserve.

Armstead’s progress has been “very encouraging” but they planned to assess his status after practice. He was questionable for Sunday.

WR Braxton Berrios (hamstring) was also listed as questionable. McDaniel was confident the veteran will play.

“He felt a little something. It wasn’t a full injury so we’re going to test it out today and see how it goes. Optimistic with him,” McDaniel said.

OL Rob Hunt (hamstring) was ruled out. CB Xavien Howard (groin) and TE Durham Smythe (ankle) were both limited in practice and questionable for Sunday.

Hill described Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce as “the energy of that team” who has a knack of finding space when Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is scrambling.

“What I’ve been telling the guys to do is just find Kelce,” Hill said Thursday after practice. “If you allow Kelce to get open, he’s like the energy of that team, although Pat is like all-world. But if he finds Kelce and Kelce just catches a 2-yard pass, he just somehow finds energy in that and gets that team going.”

In his six seasons in Kansas City, Hill said, the Chiefs’ receivers were well-coached about what to do when Mahomes starts moving.

“They got a whole PowerPoint on it and everything,” said Hill, now in his second season in Miami. “It’s crazy, it’s ridiculous. It’s like, ‘When Pat goes this way, you guys need to be doing this, that, that.’”

Don’t ask him about Kelce and Taylor Swift, though.

A day after fellow wide receiver Jaylen Waddle described himself as a “Swiftie,” Hill wasn’t going there.

“I’m not getting into that, bro. That’s a dangerous crew,” he joked when asked if he’s also a fan.

With 1,014 yards receiving, Hill is the first player in 52 years to reach the 1,000-yard mark in the first eight games of the season.

Hill said he’d prefer to face his former team at Arrowhead Stadium — the Chiefs are the “home” team on Sunday at Deutsche Bank Park. But he also sees the Germany game as an opportunity.

“We get a chance to become global stars. This is a chance to grow our own personal brands, too,” he said.

There will be some good-natured trash talk, of course.

“I’m excited to see Pat, Kelce, things like that,” Hill said. “It’s going to be one of those things like backyard football with your brothers.”

Hill’s achievement marks a historic milestone for the Dolphins, as he becomes the first non-quarterback in franchise history to win the AFC Offensive Player of the Month award, the Miami Dolphins said in a news release.

In September, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa secured the same accolade, becoming the first Dolphins player in 30 years to do so. This marks the first time in the team’s history that they have won back-to-back AFC Offensive Player of the Month awards.

In October, Hill led the AFC with 602 receiving yards, surpassing any other AFC player by 114 yards. His 16.7 yards per reception during the month were the highest among AFC players with at least 20 receptions, while his four receiving touchdowns tied for third in the conference.

Hill converted 66.7% of his 36 receptions into first downs. He recorded three 100-yard games, including two 150-yard games, and consistently caught 3+ passes for 50+ yards in all five games. Additionally, Hill’s streak of scoring a receiving touchdown in each of his past four games ties him for the longest streak in the NFL this season.

Just last week, Hill made history by becoming the first NFL player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to exceed 1,000 receiving yards in the eighth game of a season. His 1,014 receiving yards through eight games rank as the fourth-highest in NFL history.

The Dolphins currently lead the NFL in scoring (33.9 points per game), total offense (453.3 yards per game) and passing offense (301.5 yards per game). The team is off to a 6-2 start, marking their best record since 2001.

Notable Dolphins who have previously earned the AFC Offensive Player of the Month award include Tagovailoa (September 2023), quarterback Scott Mitchell (October 1993) and legendary quarterback Dan Marino (November 1986 and October 1988).

On Wednesday, Hill was voted No. 1 wide receiver at the midpoint of the season by The Associated Press.

To ensure they’re in peak form for the game, the Dolphins made an early departure to Germany on Monday night to acclimate and adjust to the time difference. Their focus is on having a productive week of practice leading up to the big kickoff.

“You’re gonna do right by it by putting forth your best effort of work and diligence throughout the week so that whatever it is, it is our best version of ourselves on Sunday,” said Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

The game will take place at Deutsche Bank Park, marking the first-ever NFL game in Frankfurt. Tagovailoa expressed excitement about the potential fan support from Germany.

“I don’t know how many people from Germany watch American football or doesn’t so, that’s what I would say I’m excited about for the fans,” said Tagovailoa. “I’d like to know what they’d be cheering for.”

The unique experience of playing in a foreign country was appreciated by Dolphins safety, Jevon Holland, who said, “It’s new, it’s different, and I’m definitely enjoying myself.”

Linebacker Jaelan Phillips echoed the sentiment, appreciating the culture and history of the city and the warm welcome from the people.

“The history is just something that’s really cool to me,” he said. “I think the food is great. Yesterday we were wandering around the city. We had some age, had some beer. But I just think the culture and everything is just amazing. People have been super fun and welcoming.”

The game kicks off at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, coinciding with the end of daylight savings time. Vegas has listed the Chiefs as one-point favorites over the Dolphins, adding an extra layer of excitement to this historic match-up.

The four-time All-Pro was voted No. 1 wide receiver at the midpoint of the season by The Associated Press.

A panel of nine AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at wide receiver, making their selections based on current status through Week 8. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.

Hill, who finished third behind Justin Jefferson and Davante Adams in the preseason poll, received six first-place votes. Jefferson got two first-place votes and Cooper Kupp got one.

Twelve receivers got votes, including rookie Puka Nacua, D.J. Moore, Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk, Mike Evans and Adams.

Hill has 1,014 yards receiving yards this season, becoming the first player in 62 years and fourth player in NFL history with more than 1,000 yards in his team’s first eight games.

Hill’s 2,724 yards receiving since joining the Dolphins last season are the most by any player in his first 25 games with a team.

1. TYREEK HILL, Miami Dolphins: After posting career highs in receptions (119) and yards receiving (1,710) in his first season with Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, Hill has 61 catches for 1,014 yards with eight TDs in only eight games. He’s now had six 1,000-yard receiving seasons in eight years, including four in a row.

2. JUSTIN JEFFERSON, Minnesota Vikings: Jefferson, the youngest player in NFL history to lead the league in yards and receptions last season, has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury. Still, he received two first-place votes. He has 36 catches for 571 yards and three TDs in five games.

3. A.J. BROWN, Philadelphia Eagles: Brown breaks into the top five after not making the preseason poll. He has 60 catches and is second to Hill with 939 yards with five TDs. Brown is the first player in NFL history with at least 125 yards receiving in six consecutive games. Brown got four second-place votes and was only selected on five of nine ballots.

4. STEFON DIGGS, Buffalo Bills: Diggs also breaks into the top five after not making the preseason poll. Diggs leads the NFL with 64 receptions and has 748 yards receiving and six TDs. He received two second-place votes.

5. COOPER KUPP, Los Angeles Rams: The 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year missed the first four games with a hamstring injury but earned the fifth spot by receiving one first-place vote. He has 21 catches for 316 yards and one TD in four games since returning.

With both receivers off to historic starts and the addition of the 17th game to the schedule, Calvin Johnson’s record of 1,964 yards receiving set in 2012 is in danger of being broken.

Hill has 1,104 yards receiving for the Miami Dolphins, becoming the first player in 52 years to reach the 1,000-yard mark in the first eight games of the season. The only other players to reach 1,000 yards receiving in the first eight games are Charley Hennigan (1,122 in 1961), Elroy Hirsch (1,058 in 1951) and Don Hutson (1,032 in 1942).

Hill would be be on pace to break Johnson’s record even without the 17th game as he is averaging 126.8 yards per game. He needs to average 106 yards the rest of the way to break Johnson’s mark.

Brown is slightly behind that pace with 939 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles, but he is closing fast. He had eight catches for 130 yards and two TDs last week to set an NFL record with his sixth straight game with at least 125 yards receiving.

Brown has 831 yards in his last six games and is currently on pace for 1,995 — slightly ahead of Johnson’s record.

ROOKIE QBS

Will Levis had a memorable debut as the latest rookie QB to get a start this season.

Levis threw four TD passes in Tennessee’s 28-23 win over Atlanta, tying former Titans QB Marcus Mariota (2015) and Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton (1961) as the only players to throw at least four TD passes in their NFL debuts.

Levis was the seventh rookie quarterback to start a game this season, following Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Aidan O’Connell, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Tyson Bagent. That’s the most rookie starters in the first eight weeks of the season since the merger, excluding the replacement player season in 1987.

There could be even more this week with Jaren Hall set to start in Minnesota after Kirk Cousins got hurt and Clayton Tune a possibility to start for Arizona. If both get the nod this week, that would tie the 2019 record for most rookie starting QBs in a non-replacement player season with nine.

Young and Stroud faced off on Sunday, with Young earning his first win for the Panthers in a 15-13 victory. It was the fifth time in the common draft era that QBs taken with the top two picks met as rookies, with Young joining Peyton Manning (1998 vs. Ryan Leaf) as the only top picks to win.

Zach Wilson beat Trevor Lawrence in 2021, Mariota beat Jameis Winston in 2015 and Rick Mirer beat Drew Bledsoe in 1993.

STREAK BUSTER

Kansas City’s 24-9 loss at Denver ended several long streaks.

The Chiefs had won 16 in a row against the Broncos, which was tied for the third-longest streak ever in the regular season, trailing only a 20-gamer for Miami against Buffalo in the 1970s and a 17-gamer for San Francisco against the Rams in the 1990s.

Patrick Mahomes had been 12-0 as a starter against the Broncos, which was tied with Otto Graham for the best record against one team since 1950.

Mahomes had won 13 straight games in the division, one shy of the longest streak since the merger held by Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.

Mahomes also saw an end to his streak of 35 straight games in the regular season or playoffs with at least one TD pass. That was tied for the seventh-longest streak but well shy of Drew Brees’ record of 60 in a row.

The game was also a rare one for the Chiefs that wasn’t close. Kansas City had gone a record 40 games in a row in the regular season and playoffs without losing by at least four points.

COMEBACK KIDS

The win by Carolina ended a long of streak of comeback futility.

The Panthers had lost 56 straight games when they trailed at any point in the fourth quarter for the longest streak since at least 1991. Their last win before Sunday came on Oct. 21, 2018, against Philadelphia.

The victory for Carolina gave every team in the league at least one win and one loss this season — the first time that has happened in the first eight weeks since 1999.

While the Panthers ended their streak, San Francisco extended one by losing for the 38th straight time when trailing by at least eight points in the fourth quarter in the regular season or playoffs. That includes 37 straight losses under coach Kyle Shanahan.

OFFENSE GROUNDED

The New York Giants’ passing game went backward on Sunday in a loss to the Jets.

The Giants finished with minus-9 net yards passing, with Tyrod Taylor going 4 for 7 for 8 yards and rookie Tommy DeVito going 2 for 7 for minus-1 yard. The Giants also took four sacks for 16 yards against the Jets for the total of minus-9 yards passing.

That was the fewest yards passing in a game since Cleveland had minus-9 against Jacksonville on Dec. 3, 2000. The last team with fewer yards was the Chargers with minus-19 against Kansas City in Ryan Leaf’s third career start in 1998.

The teams combined for 24 punts in the game that the Jets won 13-10 in overtime, the third most in a game since at least 1960, trailing only the 27 for a Raiders-Chargers game in 1998 and 25 in an Eagles-Giants game in 1987.

A downfield pass from Tagovailoa to Hill is certain to happen at some point each week. Still, it puzzled the Patriots in the first quarter of Sunday’s 31-17 win by the Dolphins. Miami will need its top players to keep performing when it faces the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs this week in Frankfurt, Germany.

“Tua did a fantastic job of selling the fake,” Hill said, “the corner and the safety bit up, and the rest was history.”

Just as important as the play itself was that it came on a drive after Tagovailoa had thrown an interception.

Tagovailoa has made it a point of emphasis to respond better to in-game mistakes, and it was the second time in three games that he had a touchdown pass on the drive immediately following a pick.

“Tua was locked in,” coach Mike McDaniel said, “didn’t have ebbs and flows. He was able to make plays after being frustrated, which has been one of the reasons he has had success — or that much more success — this season.

“He’s learned in such a short period of time how to be critical of yourself but not handcuff yourself, as well, because if you’re self-lashing for a series or a quarter, you’re not going to like the results of your play. I’m very, very proud of where he’s at.”

Hill had his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the year, and his 12th since joining the Dolphins ahead of the 2022 season. He has a league-leading 1,014 receiving yards this season, and if he can maintain that pace, he’ll make history by becoming the first receiver to top 2,000 yards.

Hill has 2,724 yards since joining Miami, the most ever by a player in his first 25 games with a team in the Super Bowl era. Odell Beckham Jr. was next best with 2,625 for the Giants in 2014-15.

The All-Pro receiver is having one of the most productive seasons of his career as he prepares to face the Chiefs for the first time since being traded by Kansas City, which drafted him in the fifth round in 2016.

“I’m just excited to play against my old brothers,” Hill said. “It’s just like if you’re in high school and you move to a different city, it’s still ball. At the end of the day, my job is to go out there and do what I’ve been doing all year, and that’s have fun, help lead this team, and create opportunities for whoever. I’m still going to be the same old Cheetah, baby.”

WHAT’S WORKING

The Dolphins’ pass rush has picked up in recent weeks, thanks largely to the linebacker tandem of Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Philips. Both players had a sack apiece Sunday, bringing Miami’s season total to 27. Chubb, acquired from Denver at the trade deadline last year, leads the team with five sacks.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Ball security. Miami’s two turnovers Sunday resulted in 10 points for the Patriots and kept New England in the game. Tagovailoa threw an interception for the third straight game, and Raheem Mostert fumbled at Miami’s 19 on the first play of the third quarter. The Dolphins have turned the ball over in five straight games.

STOCK UP

Jaylen Waddle. The third-year receiver is on pace for his third straight 1,000-yard season. Waddle had a season-high 121 yards receiving and a touchdown Sunday, averaging 17.3 yards per catch. With Hill’s 112 yards, it was the first time this season that Miami has had two 100-yard receivers in a single game.

Jalen Ramsey. The former Los Angeles Rams cornerback made his Dolphins debut after missing the first seven games recovering from meniscus surgery. He had an interception and a forced fumble.

STOCK DOWN

The run game. Miami’s No. 1-ranked rushing attack wasn’t much of a factor for the second straight week. After rushing for a season-low 45 yards against the Eagles, the Dolphins recorded 70 yards — 3 yards per rush — on Sunday. Mostert had 46 yards on 13 attempts.

INJURIES

RG Robert Hunt is day to day after injuring his hamstring Sunday. … CB Xavien Howard missed his second straight game with a groin injury. … C Connor Williams (groin) was available to play in an emergency scenario after missing the past two games. … LT Terron Armstead (knee) is eligible to return from injured reserve this week. He will travel to Germany with the team and could start practicing, McDaniel said. … S Jevon Holland remained in the concussion protocol Monday following a hit in Week 7.

KEY NUMBER

12-1 — Tagovailoa’s record as a starter against coaches who have won a Super Bowl. He has victories against Bill Belichick (six), Sean Payton (two), Sean McVay, Jon Gruden, John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin. His one loss was to Kansas City’s Andy Reid on Dec. 13, 2020.

NEXT STEPS

The Dolphins have a bye after their showdown with the Chiefs in Frankfurt.

As he worked his way back from a knee injury suffered during the first practice of training camp, Ramsey circled Sunday’s game against the Patriots as a potential return date. He was originally estimated to be sidelined until at least December following a July surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

For the All-Pro cornerback, a return that late in the season was never an option.

“Before the surgery I said I was going to be back before December,” Ramsey said. “December was never going to happen. That wasn’t even in nobody’s mind around me. We don’t work like that. We beat anything that people say.”

Ramsey returned after just three months of rehab, made his Dolphins debut in Sunday’s 31-17 win over New England, and intercepted Patriots quarterback Mac Jones in the second quarter.

“He looked good,” Jones said. “I mean, he fell off on the one play and made a play. That’s what he does. He’s a good player. Obviously, his first game back and was very productive. You could tell that they called the defense that way.”

Down 14-7, the Patriots moved the ball to the Miami 23 when Ramsey intercepted Jones on a pass intended for receiver Kendrick Bourne and returned it 49 yards to the New England 40. Jones had not thrown in Ramsey’s direction before the play.

The Dolphins turned the interception into a 30-yard field goal by Jason Sanders that put them ahead 17-7 at halftime.

“Well, he totally disappointed me,” McDaniel said jokingly. “He called that he was going to come back and have a pick-6, not a pick field goal. He did phenomenal. You want to talk about something that goes above and beyond, like you can’t manufacture what he brought to our team in any other way.”

Ramsey was activated from injured reserve Saturday and said he’d worked hard last week to feel like himself.

Describing the injury, Ramsey said he was playing one-on-one against receiver Tyreek Hill in training camp when his knee “popped” and felt like it gave out. He added that he’s felt a range of emotions in the past three months but was grateful to be back on the field and contribute to a win.

Ramsey played a significant number of defensive snaps Sunday — something he said wasn’t supposed to happen.

“I just felt like how the flow of the game was going, I needed to stay in there and try to finish it off for my teammates,” Ramsey said. “You know, I’ve got to get better, got to play a little bit better in the second half, correct a couple little things, and get my endurance and my strength a little bit better so I can feel really good in that second half, as well, kind of like my normal self. But yeah, it wasn’t the plan to play that long.”

Ramsey also made a hard open-field tackle on running back Ezekiel Elliott that jarred the ball loose before it rolled out of bounds.

Miami acquired Ramsey in an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Rams. He had 88 tackles, four interceptions and two sacks for the Rams last season.

Miami won for the 16th time in its past 18 home games, and Tagovailoa moved to 6-0 in his career against Patriots coach Bill Belichick. The Dolphins, 6-2 for the first time since 2001, have a one-game lead over Buffalo for the AFC East lead.

Tagovailoa completed 30 of 45 passes and moved his league-leading yardage total to 2,416. Jaylen Waddle had seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, and Tyreek Hill had eight receptions for 112 yards and a score, becoming the first player in the Super Bowl era to top 1,000 receiving yards through eight games.

Mac Jones had another uneven day for the Patriots (2-6), throwing for 161 yards on 19-of-29 passing with two touchdowns and one interception.

The Patriots trailed 24-10 midway through the fourth quarter when they drove inside the Miami 3 and scored on fourth down. Jones connected with JuJu Smith-Schuster for the receiver’s first touchdown this season to get the Patriots within seven.

The Dolphins responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, and Waddle waltzed into the end zone for an easy 31-yard score.

Ramsey intercepted Jones on a pass intended for Bourne and returned it 49 yards in the second quarter. Ramsey missed the first seven games of the season after having surgery in July to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Smith-Schuster made a hard hit on Dolphins safety Brandon Jones on the Patriots’ final drive as Jones was attempting to come down with an interception. The play resulted in a brief skirmish between the teams near the Patriots’ sideline before Miami ran out the clock.

The Dolphins turned the ball over twice, and the Patriots scored both times.

Tagovailoa was sacked on Miami’s second drive and threw an interception on the next play, which the Patriots turned into a 7-0 lead when Jones found Kendrick Bourne for a 24-yard touchdown.

Raheem Mostert fumbled at Miami’s 19 on the first play of the third quarter with the Dolphins up 17-7. That resulted in a 38-yard field goal by Chad Ryland. Mostert later contributed his NFL-best 10th rushing touchdown of the season — a 1-yard score on Miami’s next offensive possession that put the Dolphins ahead 24-10.

Hill, who was limited by a hip injury this week, has made clear his goal to surpass 2,000 receiving yards, and he’s more than halfway there at 1,014.

After his 42-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, Hill simply sat on the Dolphins’ bench. He had been flagged in Miami’s previous two home games for unsportsmanlike conduct for his celebrations.

BACK IN THE END ZONE

Cedrick Wilson caught Tagovailoa’s second touchdown pass in the second quarter. It was Wilson’s first touchdown since before Miami picked him up in free agency last year. He hadn’t scored since Week 18 of 2021 with Dallas.

SCARY HIT

Former Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker took a hard hit to his head from Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott in the third quarter and left to be evaluated for a concussion. Parker appeared disoriented when he tried to get to his feet. He stumbled for a few seconds before teammates grabbed him. He was helped off the field and immediately ruled out with a head injury.

Elliott’s helmet appeared to make contact with Parker’s on the hit. No flag was thrown.

INJURIES

Patriots: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley (hamstring) was downgraded to out. … CB Myles Bryant was helped off the field with a hamstring injury. … Bourne left with a knee injury in the fourth.

Dolphins: RG Rob Hunt injured a hamstring in the second quarter and did not return. … Jones remained on the ground for a while after the hit from Smith-Schuster.

UP NEXT

Patriots: Host Washington next Sunday.

Dolphins: Travel to Frankfurt, Germany, where they are the designated home team against Kansas City next Sunday.

Miami made Tagovailoa the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft after he led Alabama to a national title. But his NFL career started slowly, and he was heavily criticized during his first two seasons.

Jones, another national championship winner for the Crimson Tide, is facing similar adversity in his third year as New England’s starter. He has shouldered blame for the Patriots’ 2-5 start, and New England faces another challenge when it visits Tagovailoa and the Dolphins (5-2) on Sunday.

Tagovailoa’s solution was to tune out outside commentary as much as possible and focus on himself. Jones is following a similar script.

“A lot of times, people will look at you maybe when you’re not all the way up, you’re kind of not doing too good, and they want to see how you respond,” Jones said. “That’s what I focus on — is the response. I stick to my process, adjust my process, and then I try and, you know, carry that onto the field. So regardless of everything around you, when you stick to the process, it usually turns out good eventually.”

In his fourth year, Tagovailoa is leading one of the NFL’s best offenses: The Dolphins lead the league in total offense, red zone efficiency and yards per play. And Jones carried the Patriots to a 29-25 upset of the Buffalo Bills in Week 7.

Jones and the Patriots hope to build off last week’s win. They are last in the AFC East and another loss would further jeopardize their playoff hopes.

The biggest question for the Dolphins is the status of All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill, who was limited Thursday and did not practice Wednesday because of a hip injury. Hill indicated Thursday he plans to play.

“I just wanted some attention, man,” Hill said, “because my mom wouldn’t talk to me yesterday, so I needed some attention from somebody. I’m good though.”

Hill has not missed a game since Miami acquired him from Kansas City before the 2022 season. He leads the NFL with 902 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

If Hill can’t play, that would likely mean a bigger role for Jaylen Waddle, Miami’s second-leading receiver with 30 catches and 359 yards.

“I think people forget about the things that Jaylen Waddle can do,” Tagovailoa said, “the things that he already has done for our team since his rookie year. And there’s a lot of other guys I think that you can’t sleep on.”

The Dolphins struggled last week in a loss to the Eagles and another former Alabama QB, Jalen Hurts. They hope to regain their form ahead of a Week 9 game against the Chiefs, who will be just the third team they’ve faced with a winning record.

The Patriots have shown improvement since Miami beat them 24-17 in Week 2.

“They get better as the season progresses,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “I think that is the formula. I think that’s the end-all for NFL football. … They focus on fundamentals. They do a good job tuning out the noise. I see a team that just last week was an example.”

FLIP THE FIELD

Whether facing long or short fields, the Dolphins have consistently found ways to get to the end zone. But the Patriots had success in Week 2 when forcing Miami to begin drives deep in its own territory.

The Dolphins started inside their own 20-yard line four times in that game. Their best drive in those instances ended with a field goal. They punted twice and had a field goal blocked.

Three of those Dolphins possessions followed punts by Patriots rookie Bryce Baringer, who has been pinning teams deep consistently. He enters Sunday tied with Jacksonville’s Logan Cooke for the NFL lead with 18 punts inside the 20.

RESILIENT ROOKIE

Patriots receiver Demario Douglas debuted in Week 1 against Philadelphia with four catches for 40 yards. He had a fumble that led to a touchdown in the loss to Miami. He then saw his progress stunted in Week 5 when he left early in the loss to New Orleans with a concussion that also kept him out the following week.

Douglas bounced back last week with a season-high four catches for 54 yards.

“I’ve known of him since I was little. I know that he’s always fought an uphill battle,” Jones said. “He always talks about his size, right? He’s always going to keep fighting, and I know that about him. I can be hard on him and try to raise that standard because I know where he comes from. I know how hard he works, and he’s going to bring it every week.”

PROTECTING HOME TURF

The Dolphins are 15-2 at home since Nov. 7, 2021, which is Miami’s best 17-game stretch at Hard Rock Stadium since the venue opened in 1987. In their three home games this season, the Dolphins have outscored opponents 143-57.

“Well, I think for one, it’s the fans that we have,” Tagovailoa said. “The fans definitely make the atmosphere one to remember as far as third downs, they’re really loud. And it’s when the guys go out there and we’re all warming up. The guys see the crowd, the guys are playing catch with the fans, we get to see our families. It’s just an atmosphere that we feel comfortable in.”

The opportunity to give a playmaker a running start was just the type of addition Shanahan wanted for Deebo Samuel and other playmakers on the 49ers offense so he added it his own playbook with the name “cheat motion.”

Why that name?

“I don’t know. It looks hard to stop people like Tyreek and Deebo and stuff with a running start,” Shanahan said. “That’s usually only in the CFL. So it’s cool to get them running sideways and still find a way to hit it vertically.”

The use of pre-snap motion has been on the rise throughout the NFL over the past decade, going from a usage rate of just 37.5% of plays in 2014 to 54.6% so far this season, according to Sportradar.

Some of the most proficient and innovative offenses are using it an even higher rate, with McDaniel’s Dolphins running motion on a league-high 86.3% of plays, followed by the 78.4% for Shanahan’s 49ers, 71.6% for Andy Reid’s defending-champion Chiefs and 70.1% for Sean McVay’s Rams.

“It’s like a copycat league man,” Denver cornerback Patrick Surtain II said. “Offenses, they run the same type of concepts in different ways, though. So I just say communication is key, being on the same page. Because you know, once you are not on the same page, things get out of sorts and that’s when things start to break away and explosives come.”

That’s exactly what the Dolphins have done, best evidenced by the 70 points they scored against Surtain’s Broncos in Week 3 when they gained 726 yards on 71 plays.

Miami has been unbelievably effective. The Dolphins average 8.1 yards per play when using pre-snap motion as it has helped Tua Tagovailoa get the ball to his playmakers with more space to operate.

“I love the diversification of the motions, how it can set up so many different things,” fullback Alec Ingold said. “All of us are in motion pretty much all the time, so I love being a part of that. … I think it’s a big part of our offense and I love the fact that we can do that and execute while you’re moving full speed, side to side and then stretch a team vertically as well.”

McDaniel said it took time to get his players used to the system as last year the team was plagued by 38 pre-snap penalties on offense in part because of all the moving parts.

This season, the rate has been cut down with only 10 pre-snap penalties in their first seven games, with four coming in a loss on Sunday at Philadelphia.

“When it becomes your norm, guys kind of get uncomfortable now when there isn’t a motion on a play,” McDaniel said. “They’re like, ‘where’s the rest of the play?’ But that takes a total commitment of everyone, including the offensive line, because you have to get used to the different types of snap counts that Tua uses to not only execute some of those motions, but then make sure that the defensive line can’t tee off on snap points, and then have variations of cadence on that, too. So everybody plays a part in it and it’s something that takes a village to execute.”

Teams have long used motion to help the quarterback determine whether the defense is in man or zone coverage based on whether a defender follows the player across the formation.

The motion players often re-set in those plays but the Dolphins prefer to snap with the motion player on the move, often with the “cheat” motion. Instead of sending a fast player like Tyreek Hill sprinting across the field before the snap, the Dolphins have him moving a much shorter distance on one side of the field.

While NFL rules don’t allow a player to be moving forward at the snap like in the Canadian Football League, even that short motion allows a player like Hill to hit his top speed even sooner and race past defenders who are more flat-footed.

Miami has run a league-high 77% of its plays with a player in motion at the snap, according to data from TruMedia and PFF. The Dolphins have scored 27 of their 31 offensive touchdowns with a player moving at the snap.

Shanahan said that as soon as the Dolphins had success with it early in the season, he saw more teams add it each week — especially on offenses similar to the ones in Miami and San Francisco.

“As a football nerd, it’s fun to see,” 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey said. “It’s exciting to see motion like that — motions and shifts and different things that are just trying to put guys in space easier.”

But not every team has adapted motion at such a high rate.

Some of those offenses are more traditional — and often have been less successful — but there are also teams like the Eagles, who have the lowest rate of motion but remain one of the best offenses in the league.

One reason the Eagles don’t use it at as high a rate as other teams is they like to push the tempo and sending players in motion slows down that process. Philadelphia has run the most plays this season with a no-huddle before the fourth quarter, when some teams are forced to hurry because they are in catch-up mode.

“It’s our philosophy not to motion to motion,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “We can come out this week and motion all over the place, and we’ll do that. I guess I think of it this way: If the best thing to do is to pass it 50 times to win, we’ll do that. If the best thing is to run it 50 times to win, we’ll do that. If the best thing is to motion on every single play — that is a little extreme — but we’ll do that as well.”

McDaniel repeated those words after Sunday’s road loss to the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.

“I kind of knew that going into the game that it was going to be that type of atmosphere,” McDaniel said, “and I think that’s very important for our team, being on the younger side, to experience. Those are critical. You have to feel what it’s like to play such a good team on the road.”

Miami will need to find a way to win such games at some point this season if it wants to be a title contender.

The AFC East-leading Dolphins have played two teams with winning records this season — the Eagles and the Bills — and have lost both games by double digits.

They scored 20 and 17 points against Buffalo and Philadelphia, respectively, which is well below their average of 34.3 points per game. On Sunday, Miami recorded a season-low 244 total yards after entering the game averaging nearly 500.

Penalties negated first-down conversions. Tyreek Hill also had a pair of uncharacteristic drops, one of which could have been a touchdown if he’d held on.

“It’s tough when you come on the road against a really good team and you’re not able to execute the way you expected to execute,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “But you have to give props to those guys and their coaching staff. They did a real good job in preparing for us. Some things went well for us, some things we’re just trying to figure out there. But overall we just have to get better.”

Tagovailoa was 23 of 32 for 216 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted by Eagles cornerback Darius Slay on an underthrown pass to Raheem Mostert in the end zone.

McDaniel said it was the type of loss that should hurt.

“The collection of coaches and players in the locker room right now are hurting because they feel like they left some plays on the field for sure,” he said. “You know, losses, if approached the right way, if you’re not pointing fingers and you’re looking internally, can be a good thing too. So that’s what we’ll be determined to make this moving forward, starting with tomorrow.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Hill’s ability to get open downfield remains Miami’s most potent offensive threat. Hill sprinted through a double team for a 27-yard touchdown catch before halftime that cut the deficit to seven points.

Hill caught 11 passes for 88 yards — a quiet day by his standards. He still led Miami’s receivers Sunday and leads the NFL in receiving yards (902), touchdown catches (seven) and catches of 40-plus yards (six).

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Penalties and miscommunication have stalled momentum too often, especially in both of Miami’s road games. Tagovailoa said there were communication issues Sunday — something he also mentioned after the loss to Buffalo.

“I have to communicate to the line,” Tagovailoa said. “The cadence in a loud environment, you know, all of those things play a role in us going out there executing, especially with a loud environment.”

STOCK UP

The Linebackers. Jerome Baker returned an interception for a score and led the Dolphins with 11 tackles. David Long Jr. was having his best game of the season with four tackles before he left to be evaluated for a concussion. Jaelan Phillips recorded a sack and two quarterback hits. Bradley Chubb forced a fumble and had two sacks.

STOCK DOWN

The offensive line. Yes, there were injuries, but the Dolphins struggled in the trenches against Philadelphia’s defensive front, much like they did against Buffalo’s. Miami rushed for a season-low 45 yards, and Tagovailoa was sacked three times.

INJURIES

LT Terron Armstead (knee) remains on injured reserve, C Connor Williams (groin) missed his third game, and LG Isaiah Wynn injured his quad in the first quarter Sunday. … CB Xavien Howard (groin) was inactive. … WR Jaylen Waddle played just 45% of snaps because of a back injury.

S Jevon Holland and Long collided helmets chasing Jalen Hurts in the third quarter. Both players remained on the ground after the play but walked off under their own power to be evaluated for concussions. Holland was cleared to re-enter to the game a few plays later. Long did not return but was cleared after the game. Holland was placed in the concussion protocol Monday after reporting symptoms in his follow-up exam.

KEY NUMBER

10 — The number of times Miami was penalized. Philadelphia had no accepted penalties.

NEXT STEPS

The Dolphins host division rival New England in Week 8 before traveling to Frankfurt, Germany, to face Super Bowl champion Kansas City.

The team announced its featured role on the long-running HBO and NFL Films show on Monday.

The Dolphins are one of the NFL’s more interesting teams with the league’s top-ranked offense led by Tagovailoa, All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill and creative play-caller Mike McDaniel.

They are atop the AFC East with a 5-2 record as they seek their second straight playoff berth.

Miami was featured on “Hard Knocks” in 2012 under then-first-year head coach Joe Philbin. Storylines that year included then-GM Jeff Ireland calling Dolphins 2009 first-rounder Vontae Davis into his office to inform him that he was being traded to the Indianapolis Colts.

This is the third year that “Hard Knocks” has featured an in-season team — the show has typically offered a behind-the-scenes look during the preseason. The Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals were the previously spotlighted teams.

The Super Bowl teams from last season, the champion Kansas City Chiefs and Eagles are the only 6-1 teams in the NFL.

Hurts overcame two more interceptions but found Brown 10 times for 137 yards to get by his former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins (5-2).

But the big play that sealed the win came in the fourth quarter from the cornerback nicknamed “Big Play” Slay. Trailing 24-17 in the fourth, Tagovailoa went deep on a pass intended for Raheem Mostert that was picked by Darius Slay near the goal line and returned 16 yards.

With the Eagles wearing throwback Kelly green jerseys, Slay added one more defensive highlight in a team color once worn by Reggie White.

The Eagles tush-pushed their way toward first downs on a clock-eating drive late in the fourth before Hurts hit Brown for a 42-yard reception and Kenneth Gainwell sealed the win with a 3-yard touchdown run.

As he has been much of the season, Hurts was more erratic than dynamic. Still, Hurts threw a 14-yard TD pass to Brown for a 24-17 lead with 15 seconds left in the third that ended up the winner.

Hurts ran into trouble earlier in the third when he faked a handoff and his short pass was tipped into the hands of linebacker Jerome Baker. Baker returned the pick 22 yards for the score and a 17-all game. Hurts — who threw three interceptions in last week’s loss against the Jets — had only six interceptions a year ago when he was the NFL MVP runner-up.

Tagovailoa was 23 of 32 for 216 yards in his first head-to-head matchup against Hurts in the NFL, the two 25-year-old QBs forever linked by their tenures under coach Nick Saban at Alabama. More specifically, the 2017 season national championship game when Saban benched Hurts, who had led the Crimson Tide to two national title games, at the half and replaced him with Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa came off the bench and threw three touchdown passes to give the Crimson Tide their fifth national championship.

Tagovailoa was all out of dramatic rallies in this one.

Hurts threw a 19-yard TD pass to Dallas Goedert for a 10-3 lead in the second quarter. The Eagles had a minor scare when Brown spent time in the medical tent. The wideout sure seemed fine when he dashed out of the tent and onto the field on fourth-and-3 and hauled in a 32-yard pass that took the Eagles to the 1-yard line.

NFL fans watching were stumped on what the Eagles would do next. Maybe a play-action pass? A trick play?

Uh, no. It was the tush push, of course. Hurts lined up under center, the offensive line surged forward and Hurts got a big push from behind into the end zone for a 17-3 lead.

Miami wasn’t out of it yet.

The Dolphins’ five wins this season have come against teams with a combined record of 8-25. The only team they’ve faced with a winning record is Buffalo (4-3). Miami lost that game 48-20.

Tagovailoa said ahead of Sunday’s game that playing the NFC champions was a “good opportunity to see where our team stands.”

The Dolphins didn’t fold. Tyreek Hill sped past two defenders and Tagovailoa found him alone in stride for a touchdown with 39 seconds left that pulled them to 17-10.

Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips flapped his arms like an Eagle as he ran off the field into the locker room. Phillips had reason to crow — he got past Lane Johnson and sacked Hurts, the first sack allowed by the tackle since 2020.

The teams swapped field goals in the first quarter.

INJURIES

Dolphins: WR Jaylen Waddle suffered a back injury but later returned. OL Isaiah Wynn left with a quad injury.

Dolphins defenders Jevon Holland and David Long Jr. suffered a helmet-to-helmet collision chasing Hurts in the third quarter but both players went to the sidelines on their own power.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Return home Sunday to play New England in an AFC East clash.

Eagles: Hit the road for a rematch with the Commanders. Jake Elliott kicked a 54-yard field goal in overtime to lift Philadelphia to a 34-31 win over Washington in October at the Linc.

Wilson missed the first six games because of various ailments, including finger and midsection injuries. His return could be a boost for Miami’s backfield, which will be without standout rookie running back De’Von Achane for at least three more games because of a knee injury.

Coach Mike McDaniel said last week that Wilson could have been activated against the Carolina Panthers but wasn’t because of game-day roster limitations.

“He’s doing great and he was ready to go,” McDaniel said. “And really, I’ve never had issues with players chomping at the bit and then being like, ‘All right, you have to wait.’ It just means he’s going to be hungrier, and I think we’ll all benefit from when that time comes.”

The Dolphins have the NFL’s top rushing offense, averaging 181.8 yards on the ground per game.

Raheem Mostert leads the league with a career-high 11 total touchdowns, and Achane was averaging 12.1 yards per carry before his injury.

The Dolphins acquired Wilson from San Francisco last November. He had three touchdowns and 392 yards rushing in eight games with Miami in 2022.

Also Saturday, the Dolphins downgraded cornerback Nik Needham (Achilles tendon) to out and elevated tight end Tanner Conner to the active roster.

Ramsey, whom the Dolphins acquired in an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Rams, practiced Wednesday for the first time since suffering a knee injury early in training camp.

Coach Mike McDaniel said Ramsey will not take the field when Miami faces Philadelphia on Sunday night as the team eases him back into action.

“He is as confident as one can be before his first practice,” McDaniel said ahead of Wednesday’s session, “and all of the stuff that he’s done in terms of all the work with the strength staff and the training staff, it’s the exact way that you would expect Jalen Ramsey to be.”

Ramsey has missed the first six games of the season after undergoing surgery in July to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Early reports estimated that he would be sidelined until at least December, but Ramsey vowed that he would beat any suggested timeline for return.

“It’s crazy. I guess he’s super human. I don’t know,” said second-year cornerback Kader Kohou. “He looks different. He looks like he’s been practicing the whole year.”

The Dolphins will have until Nov. 7 to activate Ramsey to the 53-man roster, or he will remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

After Sunday night’s showdown with the Eagles, Miami will host division rival New England on Oct 29. Then, the Dolphins will travel to Germany to take on Kansas City on Nov. 5.

Miami has a bye in Week 10. McDaniel indicated that there’s a chance Ramsey could play before then, but that is not certain.

“We don’t give, necessarily, timelines,” McDaniel said. “We gave from the onset, Jalen, we gave kind of a rough target, but everybody’s body is different. He called his shot early, I think the day that he got injured, that he was going to beat whatever the target would be. He certainly did that. With that being said, this is the first time that he’s going to be playing football, so we’ll acquire information, but very optimistic it will be sooner than later.”

Ramsey was one of Miami’s biggest offseason acquisitions along with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. He was brought in to boost Miami’s secondary, which struggled in 2022 and was derailed by injuries.

The Dolphins currently have just two interceptions on the season and are allowing 229.2 passing yards per game, which is ranked 20th in the NFL.

Ramsey, who had 88 tackles, four interceptions and two sacks for the Rams last season, has remained involved in team meetings and on the Dolphins sideline during games.

“I’ve never been around a guy that had this long of a rehab that hasn’t missed team meetings or hasn’t missed practices,” McDaniel said. “He is finding a way to affect that team in one way, shape or form. So his confidence will be as high as one can be in this stage, I can tell you that much.”

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said Ramsey’s presence alone makes a difference on the field because of the respect he garners from his teammates.

Ramsey, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, had 77 tackles and four interceptions during the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning 2021 season.

“You’ve got to respect the way he works day in and day out,” Tagovailoa said. “As we’ve started the season, as we’ve went through training camp. Just seeing him working by himself doing things that allow him to get back on the field as soon as possible. He’s earned a lot of respect from the guys in the locker room.”

NOTES: C Connor Williams (groin) and CB Xavien Howard (groin) did not practice Wednesday, and both are day to day, according to McDaniel. … RB Jeff Wilson, whom the team recently designated to return from IR, could have played last Sunday but wasn’t activated because of gameday roster limits. … T Terron Armstead (knee) is “feeling really confident and ready to contribute when that time comes,” McDaniel said.

At 5-1, the Dolphins have bulldozed teams behind Tua Tagovailoa’s accuracy, wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s dynamics and a running game that has been just as productive as their passing attack.

Miami overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat the Panthers 42-21 Sunday in a game that showed coach Mike McDaniel the growth in his team from last season to now.

“It was a big day for our football team and I think the guys knew it,” McDaniel said. “They didn’t bat an eye. They didn’t go at each other. They didn’t question calls. They didn’t do all the things that when it’s the first time that you’ve put forth maximum effort and you have enough talent on your team, the first time that happens, it’s not that easy.”

Miami will next face the athletic dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles (5-1), and Tagovailoa understands the magnitude of that matchup. It will provide the Dolphins with an opportunity to show they can beat tougher opponents.

The Eagles, a season removed from playing in the Super Bowl, have the best record of any team Miami has faced so far but are coming off a 20-14 loss to the New York Jets.

“I think this is a game that a lot of people are going to want to see, given the talent that’s on that side of the ball, the talent that’s on this side of the ball,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s one of those where, ‘OK, we’ve got a lot of good matchups across the board. How are these guys going to play us? How are we going to come out against these guys?’

“So we’re really excited for this next opponent.”

Tagovailoa leads the league in passer rating (114.1), yards passing (1,876) and yards per attempt (9.7). He’s the only quarterback in the NFL this season to post a 90-plus passer rating in all six games after he completed 21 of 31 passes for 262 yards, three touchdowns and a 126.0 quarterback rating Sunday.

The Dolphins are also averaging nearly 500 yards per game, with 181.8 yards coming on the ground each week. After posting 162 yards rushing Sunday, Miami has rushed for at least 140 yards as a team in the last five games.

WHAT’S WORKING

Tagovailoa found Hill six times for 163 yards and a 41-yard touchdown. Hill now has 814 yards through six games, which is the most in that span in the Super Bowl era.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The Panthers had early success against Miami’s run defense, which has been gashed on the ground several times this season. Carolina had 63 yards rushing in the opening quarter, highlighted by eight carries, 49 yards and a 6-yard rushing score by Chuba Hubbard.

STOCK UP

Raheem Mostert. The ninth-year veteran rushed for multiple touchdowns for the fourth time this year and is powering Miami’s run game by averaging nearly six yards per carry. Mostert said earlier this season that he feels great physically. That has shown in the 31-year-old’s production. He had 17 carries for 115 yards Sunday and scored three times. He has a league-best nine rushing touchdowns — 11 total — which is a career high.

Mostert gave credit to Miami’s offensive line, which has only given up six sacks in six games,

“They make it a little bit easier,” Mostert said, “and also receivers and pretty much everybody in the offense to help out with that cause. But I’m just trying to do something remarkable for myself, and I’m just trying to set the standard not only for myself but a lot of people who come in as an undrafted guy.”

STOCK DOWN

Backup quarterback Mike White. He replaced Tagovailoa with about four minutes left and threw an interception that was returned by cornerback Troy Hill for a touchdown.

INJURIES

C Connor Williams missed his second game with a groin injury. … McDaniel said CB Xavien Howard is day to day after injuring his groin. Howard dealt with a groin issue for most of last season, which hindered him on the field. … RB Chris Brooks was down on the field for a while after hurting his ankle in the fourth. He was helped off without putting much weight on the ankle.

KEY NUMBER

2002 — The last time the Dolphins started a season 5-1.

NEXT STEPS

The Dolphins visit the Eagles on Sunday night and after hosting division-rival New England the following week, Miami will take on Kansas City in Germany.

After Miami (5-1) fell into an early 14-point hole, Hill flipped the lead back in the Dolphins’ favor with a 41-yard touchdown catch late in the second quarter. He celebrated by grabbing someone’s phone near the end zone and recorded himself doing a backflip. He was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for the second straight game.

“Being able to create memories that I can look back on when I’m done playing is always something I think of each and every time I play this game,” Hill said. “Every time I step on the field, I’m going to try to make it memorable.”

The All-Pro receiver caught six passes for 163 yards to bring his NFL-leading season total to 814 yards receiving.

“You just know where he’s going to be,” Tagovailoa said. “Speed kills.”

Miami came from behind and scored 35 straight points before Mike White replaced Tagovailoa with about four minutes left and threw an interception that was returned by cornerback Troy Hill for a touchdown.

The play brought Carolina within 14, but Salvon Ahmed scored on a 9-yard run to give Miami, the NFL’s leading rushing team, 162 yards rushing for the day.

Tagovailoa finished 21 of 31 for 262 yards and has an NFL-leading 1,876 yards passing this season.

The Panthers (0-6) took advantage of an uncharacteristicly slow Dolphins start with a 6-yard rushing touchdown by Chuba Hubbard in the opening quarter. Then, Adam Thielen caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Young.

Young finished 23 of 38 with 217 yards and was sacked four times. The No. 1 overall pick remains winless, although his 85.1 QB rating was his highest in a game.

Thielen topped 100 yards receiving for the second straight game with 115 yards on 11 catches. Hubbard, starting for the injured Miles Sanders (shoulder) had 19 rushes for 88 yards. Eddy Pineiro missed a 43-yard field goal in the second quarter.

After going three-and-out on their first two drives, the Dolphins scored touchdowns on their next three.

“When they get hot, they’re tough to stop,” Panthers coach Frank Reich said. “They’ve got some big-time playmakers. I mean, Tyreek, when he hits that thing running, it looks different, and it feels different. You can watch that on film, but when you feel it on the field, he’s a difference maker.”

Raheem Mostert had a 3-yard touchdown catch that cut the early deficit in half — set up by catches of 27 and 14 yards by Hill and Jaylen Waddle, respectively. Waddle had 51 yards on seven catches.

Mostert had 17 carries for 115 yards, including a 48-yard run in the second quarter that set up the tying TD catch by Waddle.

Mostert took over as Miami’s lead ball carrier after rookie De’Von Achane was placed on injured reserve last week with a knee injury. He also had rushing scores of 1 and 4 yards for his fourth multiple-touchdown game of the season.

“The guy’s hungry for every opportunity,” coach Mike McDaniel said, “and I think you see his will in the way he runs the ball. Around the goalline, a lot of times, the perfect play doesn’t exist and it’s a battle of wills. He’s not a guy that a lot of people want to tackle.”

HALL OF FAME CELEBRATION

The Dolphins honored linebacker Zach Thomas at halftime. Thomas, a fifth-round pick by Miami 1996, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in August. Thomas had seven Pro Bowl selections during his career — the most all-time by a Dolphins defender — and five first-team All-Pro nominations. He was an honorary captain Sunday.

“I love you Miami,” Thomas said to the crowd of 65,529 at Hard Rock Stadium. “This is my home. I am a Miami Dolphin for life.”

RARE OCCURENCE

The Dolphins punted on their opening drive for the first time this season. Before Sunday, Miami had three touchdowns, a field goal and a fumble on their opening drives and had moved the ball inside the opponent’s 10 on every opening possesion.

FAKE PUNT

Up by 7 in the second quarter, Carolina ran a fake punt on fourth-and-8 at its 49. Duke Riley and Elijah Campbell forced Panthers receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. out of bounds just shy of the first-down marker, giving the Dolphins the ball with good field position. Miami scored three plays later.

INJURIES

Panthers: Shenault left in the second quarter with an ankle injury. … LB Yetur Gross-Matos left with a hamstring injury. … LB Frankie Luvu injured his hip.

Dolphins: Hill left briefly in the third because of cramping. … CB Xavien Howard left with a groin injury. … RB Chris Brooks was helped off the field in the fourth with a leg injury and immediately ruled out.

UP NEXT

After a bye week, the Panthers host the Houston Texans on Oct. 29.

The Dolphins visit Philadelphia next Sunday night.

The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner saw Tagovailoa excel at Alabama and help transform the Crimson Tide’s run-first offense into a pro-style scheme that pushed the ball down the field. That, in turn, influenced Young’s decision to go to Tuscaloosa.

“It was a big transition from when he was there,” the Carolina Panthers’ rookie quarterback said, “just what the offense looked like and what Alabama moved to offensively. It’s flourished since then, and I was a recruit when all that was happening, so that was a really big reason for me being there.”

Tagovailoa said he didn’t know he had that impact on Young, who became Alabama’s starter a year after Tagovailoa was drafted by the Dolphins, but he remembers being a part of Alabama’s offensive evolution.

“It’s one of those things that, ‘Yeah, Alabama is not just a ground-and-pound team,’” Tagovailoa said. “’They do throw the ball, and they throw it a lot.’ I would say with the supporting cast that I had, we definitely had some say in, I think, recruiting.”

Young and Tagovailoa will meet on the field for the first time as professionals when the Panthers visit the Dolphins on Sunday.

Miami (4-1) boasts one of the NFL’s best offenses, but Tagovailoa has been in a similar situation to Young and the winless Panthers (0-5).

The Dolphins lost five straight games last year, a stretch that jeopardized their chances of making the playoffs. The year before, Tagovailoa fielded questions about Miami’s long-term commitment and confidence in him as the team lost seven consecutive games.

“That is something that we have direct recall on, just very recent,” coach Mike McDaniel said, “and you know how powerful that is. The bottom line is that this is the National Football League, so I know one thing: The Carolina Panthers have everything to gain.”

The Panthers have lost to Atlanta, New Orleans, Seattle, Minnesota and Detroit. Miami will be their toughest test. The Dolphins are beating opponents by an average of 18 1/2 points.

McDaniel believes the Panthers’ losing streak makes them a dangerous opponent.

“Maybe teams like to look at win, loss or whatever. We just look at the bottom line,” he said. “The tape shows a team that’s going to come, not only compete, but they’re going to do it in a physical fashion. They are sick of having that feeling. They’re going to want to change it. So that’s the force that we’re facing this week.”

HUBBARD’S WORKLOAD

Chuba Hubbard could be the Panthers’ primary running back if Miles Sanders is unable to play. Sanders was battling a groin injury last week before sustaining a shoulder injury on Sunday in a 42-24 loss to the Detroit Lions. Hubbard has seen his workload increase with 23 carries over the past two weeks compared to 20 for Sanders.

It didn’t help that Sanders fumbled for the second time this season on Sunday, leading to a Lions touchdown.

The Panthers are also working in wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. at running back. He’s viewed as a power back.

PANTHERS SECONDARY

The Panthers are getting a little help in the secondary. Cornerback Donte Jackson said he plans to play this week after missing last week with a shoulder injury.

Jackson was one of three starting defensive backs to miss last week’s game, along with cornerback Jaycee Horn and safety Xavier Woods, who remain out with hamstring injuries. Horn and Woods are expected to miss this week’s game as well.

Carolina’s pass defense allowed Detroit’s Jared Goff to throw for three touchdowns last week.

SIMPLIFYING THINGS

The Panthers have tried simplifying their offense for Young, honing in on the plays he feels most comfortable with while also streamlining the play-calling process.

The No. 1 overall draft pick is off to a rough start. Young, who has started four of the team’s five games, ranks 25th in the league in QB rating (82.1). He has thrown five touchdown passes and has turned the ball over six times.

UP TO SPEED

Miami wide receiver Chase Claypool was a healthy scratch in last Sunday’s win over the Giants, having been acquired from the Chicago Bears just days prior. Since then, the Dolphins have been working to get Claypool up to speed on their offense.

Claypool said he doesn’t believe it will take too long to grasp Miami’s playbook. He practiced with the team for the first time Wednesday.

“There’s a lot of motion, shifts, two motions before the ball is snapped,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot of studying, and I don’t think it’ll be too long. It is a complex playbook, but I feel pretty good.”

Claypool’s tenure in Chicago ended just 11 months after the Bears acquired him from Pittsburgh last November. The Dolphins traded for the 25-year-old last week.

“Excited for the new opportunity and excited to work with coach (Mike) McDaniel and Tua (Tagovailoa),” Claypool said. “And excited to play alongside (Jaylen) Waddle and Tyreek (Hill), and a bunch of new receivers.”

Claypool grew frustrated with Chicago’s lack of winning — the team lost 14 straight games before winning at Washington last Thursday. The Bears were reportedly frustrated with Claypool’s effort. And the relationship fizzled quickly.

“When you lose a lot of games, there’s frustration, naturally,” Claypool said. “I think that’s new for everybody from the top down. I think just being excited to get some wins. And once you start winning, things start being less pressured.”

Claypool was a breakout player in 2020 after Pittsburgh drafted him in the second round. He scored 10 touchdowns (eight receiving, two rushing) in his first 10 games but became expendable when he didn’t quite replicate that production. The rise of receiver George Pickens was another factor.

Chicago acquired Claypool in exchange for a second-round pick in hopes of giving Justin Fields a downfield threat to boost Chicago’s often stagnant offense.

Claypool played 10 games for the Bears and totaled 18 receptions for 191 yards and a touchdown. After he told reporters that he didn’t like the way he was being used, he was a healthy scratch in Weeks 4 and 5 and was traded soon after.

“You don’t have too many of these scenarios where you get a talented player that’s done a lot in this league, jumping on your team when you’re in a phase of football that’s been able to be productive, for sure,” coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday.

Miami has the league’s top passing, rushing and scoring offense. The Dolphins have scored on 76.2% of their trips inside the red zone, which also leads the NFL.

McDaniel said last week that he wants to give Claypool a fresh start and only judge the fourth-year player on what he shows in this new chapter. He added Wednesday that he’ll wait for Claypool to tell him when he has a full grasp of the offense. Claypool was inactive against the New York Giants last Sunday.

“Definitely open-minded and going to allow him to shape our vision and his teammates,” McDaniel said, “because it’s one thing that you have to do on this team — is you have to earn the privilege to play with a group of guys on the only place that matters, and that’s grass.”

Claypool, who practiced with the Dolphins for the first time Wednesday, said he doesn’t think it will take long to understand Miami’s offense, though it’s a complex playbook with a lot of motions and shifts.

At 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, Claypool is also much bigger than most of Miami’s receivers, drawing speculation that Miami could line him up at tight end.

McDaniel said Claypool “is a wide receiver,” but added that his size does allow for different ways to use him.

“He’s a player with above-average size at his position, and if he’s able to execute certain things, I’m not going to limit a player to what he can or can’t do,” McDaniel said. “Every game we have guys doing multiple roles and fitting within the offense tailored to their skillsets. So it’ll be cool to watch, and I can tell he is definitely attentive. He’s paying attention to everything, I can tell you that much.”

For now, Claypool is getting to know his new teammates, especially his fellow receivers.

“He looks like a freaking machine moving out there,” Waddle said. “He’s got a big frame, man. I’m excited to see him play. Excited to see him work, work with him, all that type of stuff.”

Coach Mike McDaniel did not confirm whether Achane’s injury will require surgery, nor did he provide many details on the extent of the injury. He said it is not a “grave” injury, and he expects Achane to return this season. The injury happened late in a 31-16 win over the Giants on Sunday.

“It wasn’t a black-and-white decision where it was obvious, but it was something that Chris (GM Chris Grier) and I knew was the best thing for the team, which always coincides with what’s best for that particular athlete,” McDaniel said.

Achane will miss Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, as well as matchups against Philadelphia, New England and Kansas City. The Dolphins have a bye in Week 10, so he will be eligible to return in Week 11 against the Raiders.

Miami’s running back room will get a boost soon with the return of Jeff Wilson Jr, whom the Dolphins designated to return from injured reserve after he missed the first five weeks with various injuries. His 21-day window to return opened Wednesday, and he will practice.

Miami has the NFL’s top rushing offense, averaging 185.8 yards per game, thanks in part to the production of Achane, whom the Dolphins selected in the third round of the 2023 draft.

“I never look at the run game in general as one player,” McDaniel said. “(Achane has) been making a ton of plays and has been obviously doing an outstanding job with every single one of his opportunities.”

Achane leads the league with 12.1 yards per carry, and he’s second in total yards rushing with 460 despite having only 38 carries — 61 fewer than San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey, who leads the NFL with 510 yards.

Achane had a breakout game in Week 3 against Denver after being a healthy scratch in the season opener and getting only one carry for 5 yards the next week.

The former Texas A&M running back led the team with 203 total yards on 18 carries, 11.3 yards per rush and four touchdowns in Miami’s 70-20 win over Denver, and he immediately earned a larger role in the Dolphins’ prolific offense.

He had a team-high 11 carries against the Giants, as well as a 76-yard touchdown run in which he reached 21.76 mph, which is the third-fastest ball carrier speed in the NFL this season.

His grasp of his role in a short period of time has impressed teammates.

“I mean, you guys see it. I think the entire NFL can see it. Dude’s a special player,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said last week. ”He understands ball like the back of his hand and I think that is one of the coolest characteristics that I can say about someone like him. He’s very smart, very intellectual when it comes to the X’s and O’s of understanding where to line up. … I think that’s something that needs to be said because it’s hard, especially being in this offense.”

Now split apart with McDaniel in his second season coaching Miami and Shanahan in Year 7 in San Francisco, the two offensive coaches have their teams threatening records with their early season domination.

The 49ers and Dolphins rank 1-2 in several key offensive categories, from scoring to yards per play to success rate to passer rating to first downs.

Miami is the second team in NFL history to average at least 500 yards of offense a game through five games, with its 513.6 beating out the previous record of 505.4 set by the Rams in 2000.

The Dolphins are scoring 36.2 points per game for the best total at this point of the season in eight years, as defenses have had no answer for the speed of players like Tyreek Hill, De’Von Achane, Jaylen Waddle or Raheem Mostert.

Miami has seven of the nine fastest speeds for ball carriers tracked by NFL NextGen stats, led by Hill’s 22.01 mph on a 64-yard catch last week. Hill also reached a speed of 20.95 mph on a 69-yard TD against the Giants last week that gave him five TDs on the season and tied him with Lance Alworth for fifth place with his 19th career TD of at least 60 yards.

Achane is on a record-setting pace of his own, with his seven TDs in his first four games ranking second in NFL history to Bill Paschal’s eight in 1943.

Achane has rushed for 100 yards and a TD in three straight games, tied for the second-longest streak ever for a rookie since the merger behind Franco Harris’ six-game streak in 1972. He is averaging 12.1 yards per carry on the season.

Mostert leads the NFL with eight TDs, making the Dolphins the second team ever with three players with at least five TDs from scrimmage in the first five games of a season. New England did it in 2011 with Rob Gronkowski, Wes Welker and BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

The Niners have been more dominant overall, becoming the ninth team in the Super Bowl era to start 5-0 with a point differential of plus-99 or better. Six of the previous eight teams to do it made the Super Bowl, with Washington (1991), the Rams (1999) and Saints (2009) winning it all.

San Francisco is the sixth team to score at least 30 points in each of the first five games of a season and its eight-game regular-season streak of scoring at least 30 points ranks fifth- longest ever.

Quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey have fueled this run, with Purdy throwing a career-high four TD passes and McCaffrey running for a score in a 42-10 win over Dallas.

Purdy has won all 10 of his regular-season starts, with his 121.1 rating in those starts the best ever through 10 starts. He has completed 70.4% of his passes — second best to Chad Pennington’s 70.8% — through 10 starts. Only Ben Roethlisberger has won more consecutive starts (15) to begin his career.

McCaffrey has TDs in 14 consecutive games in the regular season and playoffs, tied with Emmitt Smith for the fourth-longest streak ever. Only Lenny Moore (17 games), O.J. Simpson (15) and John Riggins (15) have longer streaks.PITIFUL PATRIOTS

Bill Belichick appears to be set to eclipse the NFL coaching record for losses well before he becomes the winningest coach ever the way things are going for New England early this season.

One week after suffering his most lopsided loss in 498 career regular-season and playoff games as a head coach in a 38-3 defeat to Dallas, Belichick took his most lopsided shutout loss ever in a 34-0 defeat to New Orleans.

This marked just the 13th time in the Super Bowl era that a team lost back-to-back games by that many points, with Miami the last to do it in 2019.

The Patriots have allowed 69 consecutive points since making a field goal to tie Dallas at 3 early in that Week 4 game. That’s two points shy of the most consecutive points allowed in franchise history, set in the team’s inaugural season in 1960 when the Patriots gave up 71 straight points over three games.

The back-to-back losses leave Belichick with a career record of 330-169-0 in the regular season and playoffs. He is 17 shy of tying Don Shula’s record for wins and nine shy of tying Tom Landry’s record for losses.MAGNIFICENT MAHOMES

With last week’s win over Minnesota, Patrick Mahomes has beaten every team in the NFL in the regular season or playoffs other than his own Kansas City Chiefs, becoming the 10th player to beat 31 teams. Only Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady have wins over all 32 teams.

Mahomes gets to play his favorite opponent this week when he tries to improve to 12-0 all-time against Denver. The only quarterback since at least 1950 who is undefeated against an opponent with more starts than Mahomes has against the Broncos is Otto Graham, who went 12-0 in his career against the Cardinals.

In all, Kansas City has won 15 straight games against Denver, which is tied for the fourth-longest regular-season winning streak against an opponent ever. Miami won 20 straight vs. Buffalo in the 1970s, San Francisco won 17 in a row against the Rams in the 1990s and Washington won 16 straight vs. Detroit from 1968-97.UNDER PRESSURE

Sam Howell and Daniel Jones are spending far too much time on their backs this season.

Howell has been sacked an NFL-worst 29 times for Washington after taking five more last week, while Jones is only one behind at 28 for the Giants after being sacked six times against Miami.

Both are just behind the record-setting pace of David Carr. As a rookie on the expansion Texans in 2002, Carr was sacked 31 times in the first five games on the way to an NFL-record 76 for the season.

The only other time since the merger that a QB was sacked more in the first five games than Howell and Jones came in 2005 when Carr was sacked 30 times for Houston.

Coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that the team is still gathering information on the severity of Achane’s injury and didn’t have details on exactly when it occurred, or a timeline for return. According to NFL Network, Achane’s injury is not expected to sideline him for the rest of the season.

“Something that we’re treating that we’ll get more information on,” McDaniel said. “But he was in and out of the game, standard rotation at the end of it like normal. He thought that he might have something, but he’s such a tough kid that it was kind of tough to read. So we need to evaluate more, and that’s what we’re doing today.”

Achane, whom Miami selected in the third round of the 2023 draft, leads the league with 12.1 yards per carry and is second in total yards rushing with 460 despite having only 38 carries — 61 fewer than San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey, who leads the NFL with 510 yards.

Achane had a breakout game in Week 3 against Denver after being a healthy scratch in the season opener and recording only one carry for five yards the next week.

The former Texas A&M running back led the team with 203 total yards on 18 carries, 11.3 yards per rush and four touchdowns in Miami’s historic 70-20 win over Denver, and he immeditaly earned a larger role in the Dolphins’ prolific offense.

He had a team-high 11 carries in Sunday’s 31-16 win over the Giants as well as a 76-yard touchdown run, making him the only player in the Super Bowl era with seven touchdowns in his first four NFL games.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for that guy, and I think a lot of guys around the league have a lot of respect for him, as well,” Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said, “but the cool thing about it is like he doesn’t take heed to listening to any of that. Just a humble guy, just coming into work, doing what he needs to help the team win.”

Achane’s injury likely will put a heavier workload on the veteran Raheem Mostert, who has seven touchdowns and 314 yards rushing. It could also expedite the return of Jeff Wilson Jr., who has spent the first part of the season on injured reserve with multiple injuries.

“Mission accomplished,” McDaniel said sarcastically. “We had the whole time, the whole offseason, that was our goal — was output after five games.”

Miami has totaled 2,568 yards of offense — the most by any NFL team through five games. But McDaniel knows the Dolphins (4-1) haven’t reached their ceiling, and continued improvement is necessary if the team wants to make a deep playoff run.

“All that means is that people are going to give you their best shot,” McDaniel said, “and you’d better continue to work and progress in your game if you’re going to be satisfied because you’re going to have a bullseye on your back.”

During their 31-16 win over the undermanned New York Giants on Sunday, the Dolphins had some offensive miscues that could be a problem against a tougher opponent — like the Eagles, Chiefs or Bills, all of whom are on the schedule.

Tua Tagovailoa had two interceptions, one of which was returned 102 yards for a touchdown. He also threw for 308 yards and two scores. The Dolphins had 524 yards of total offense and averaged nearly 10 yards per play.

“If we just stuck with our plan and we stuck with our rules for each play, I think things were going really smooth,” Tagovailoa said. “There were just times where we were misaligned, things didn’t play within the structure of our offense and things just got out of hand with some plays.”

McDaniel has repeated the importance of progress from one game to the next, and the Dolphins showed improvements on defense after a poor performance against Buffalo last Sunday.

Miami didn’t allow an offensive touchdown and limited the Giants to 85 yards rushing.

“We came together as a defense and we told each other that we had to play as one,” linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel said. “Play as a team and everybody do your job so when you can come out and put pressure on the quarterback and get DBs playing aggressive. We were really shutting down receivers, that’s what it is all about.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Balance on offense. Miami’s run game was inconsistent last year, but this season the Dolphins are wearing teams down with their No. 1-ranked rushing offense.

Rookie De’Von Achane had 11 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown against the Giants.

“You don’t just expect that for the rookie to come up and perform the way I have been performing,” Achane said. “So I just hope that I can keep it up.”

His success opens up even more opportunities for the Dolphins’ potent passing game. Tyreek Hill had eight catches for 181 yards and a touchdown.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Turnovers have been an issue the past two weeks. After fumbling twice in a Week 4 loss at Buffalo, the Dolphins had three giveaways Sunday. Also, pre-snap penalties were an issue for the second straight game.

STOCK UP

The defensive front. Miami took advantage of a banged-up Giants offensive line and finished with seven sacks and 14 quarterback hits. Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins had probably his best game of the season, and tackle Zach Sieler had two sacks, three quarterback hits and three tackles for loss.

STOCK DOWN

Rookie cornerback Cam Smith. After a strong training camp, it seemed that Miami’s second-round pick could be a big contributor, especially with Jalen Ramsey injured and Nik Needham working his way back from an Achilles tendon tear. Smith has barely seen the field and only got action on special teams Sunday.

INJURIES

McDaniel said Monday that Achane is being evaluated for a knee injury. … LG Isaiah Wynn left in the fourth quarter with a neck injury.

KEY NUMBER

500 — The Dolphins have topped 500 yards of total offense three times this season.

NEXT STEPS

The Dolphins will host the winless Carolina Panthers next Sunday, which could provide an opportunity to clean up their mistakes before their Sunday night showdown at Philadelphia on Oct. 22.

The football team has raised millions of dollars to challenge cancer in hopes of bringing more resources and research for the disease.

The motto for the Dolphins Challenge Cancer initiative is simple.

“That’s our goal: one team, one fight to make sure that our community fights cancer together but also has more positive outcomes,” said Javier Sanchez, executive director of Dolphins Challenge Cancer.

During the Dolphins’ game against the New York Giants on Sunday, Dolphins Challenge Cancer made a record-breaking presentation to the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Raising $10 million was not an easy feat. It took all 365 days of the year,” said Sanchez. “It took over 5,600 participants, over 42,000 donations, but we’re proud to say that 100%% of every dollar that was raised through those donations supports our local cancer center at Sylvester.”

The DCC is the Dolphins’ year-round initiative to support those impacted by cancer by raising funds for cancer research.

Its 14th annual event is right around the corner

“Fourteen years is exciting. DCC XIV is set for February 24th, 2024,” said Sanchez.

Thousands of people are expected to cycle, run or walk to save lives.

This upcoming year, there will be new races honoring Miami Dolphins players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“We’ve got the 13-mile ride for Dan Marino, the 39-mile ride for Larry Csonka, the 54-mile ride for Zach Thomas, who just made into the Hall of Fame, and of course, the 99-mile ride for Jason Taylor,” said Sanchez.

The DCC is the biggest fundraiser in the NFL. It has raised $64 million over 13 years, fueling advancements in cancer care through breakthrough science, leading-edge technology and personalized patient care.

To make a donation or register for DCC XIV, click here.

Achane delivered Sunday with a 76-yard rushing touchdown that helped the Miami Dolphins to a 31-16 win over the New York Giants.

He averaged 13.7 yards on 11 carries for a total of 151 yards, becoming the first Dolphins player with three straight 100-yard rushing games since Jay Ajayi in 2016.

“It’s very promising to know that he knows where he’s going to line up,” said quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, “and then basically if he’s getting the ball, you know it’s going to be a big play more often than not.”

The Dolphins’ 524 yards gave them 2,568 for the season, which is the most yards through the first five games of a season in NFL history.

With the win, Miami (4-1) regained first place in the AFC East after the Buffalo Bills (3-2) lost to Jacksonville in London earlier Sunday.

Tagovailoa was 22 for 30 for 308 yards with two touchdown passes and two interceptions.

The Giants’ Jason Pinnock returned one of the interceptions 102 yards for New York’s only touchdown. It was the Giants’ first touchdown in the first half of a game this season. The 102-yard interception return tied for the longest in Giants history.

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones left in the fourth with a neck injury after a sack by linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. Tyrod Taylor replaced Jones with 12:11 left and led the Giants on a scoring drive capped by a 51-yard field goal by Graham Gano.

Jones had X-rays after the game and will undergo imaging tests on Monday to determine the severity of the neck issue.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to protect him better,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said.

Achane’s 76-yard touchdown in the second quarter helped Miami to a 17-10 halftime lead and made him the only player in the Super Bowl era with seven touchdowns through his first four NFL games. He had four touchdowns against Denver in Week 3 and two against Buffalo last Sunday.

Achane reached 21.76 mph on his touchdown run, according to NFL NextGen Stats.

Tyreek Hill caught a pass from Tagovailoa on Miami’s next drive that went for 64 yards. Hill’s top speed on that play was 22.01 mph, which is the fastest ball-carrier speed in the NFL this season. The Dolphins are responsible for the seven fastest speeds in the NFL. Three belong to Hill and three to Achane. Raheem Mostert, who had a 2-yard rushing score Sunday, has the other.

“It’s real-deal speed, and that was the deciding factor,” Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke said. “Explosive plays won them the game. I thought we played good defense in spurts, but we’ve got to play a full game.”

Hill hauled in eight passes for 181 yards, topping 150 yards receiving for the 13th time in his career. He tied Calvin Johnson for the third-most such games in a player’s first eight NFL seasons, joining Lance Alworth (17) and Jerry Rice (16).

Hill also had a 69-yard touchdown catch on Miami’s opening drive of the third quarter that put the Dolphins ahead 24-10. He was flagged for taunting after the play when he jumped into the stands to give the ball to his mother.

“The ref came and told me, he was like, ‘You got a taunting penalty for jumping in the stands,'” Hill said. “I’m like, ‘Bro, you would’ve (done) the same thing for your mom, too, so why would you give me a flag for that?’”

The Dolphins averaged 9.7 yards per play, and their pass rush looked better after struggling to impact Josh Allen last week. Miami had 14 quarterback hits and seven sacks. Those plays kept the Dolphins ahead despite self-inflicted wounds that prevented them from further pulling away from the Giants.

“Sometimes the messy games are my favorite with regard to that stuff,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “You turn the ball over, that’s hard. But the best way to separate yourself is to be able to come back from that and progress forward.”

The Giants (1-4) forced a turnover for the first time this season when safety Xavier McKinney forced a fumble of Achane in the second quarter, which edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux recovered.

The Giants moved the ball at times — they had 268 yards — and forced three turnovers but only had nine offensive points to show for it.

Gano missed a 55-yard field-goal attempt in the first, then converted a 48-yarder for New York’s only offensive score of the first half.

Jaylen Waddle caught Tagovailoa’s first touchdown on Miami’s opening drive for his first TD catch of the season.

OFFENSIVE LINE WOES

The Giants started their fourth different offensive line combination of the season with Ben Bredeson moving to center for John Michael Schmitz Jr., who was out with a groin injury. Jones was sacked six times after Seattle took him down 10 times Monday night.

INJURIES

Giants: RB Sanquon Barkley was inactive for the third straight game with an ankle injury.

Dolphins: LG Isaiah Wynn left in the second half with a neck injury.

UP NEXT

Giants: At Buffalo on Oct. 15.

Dolphins: Host Panthers on Oct. 15.

McDaniel said he expects Armstead to return at some point this season, but he’ll be sidelined for at least the next four games. His earliest return could be for a Week 9 matchup with Kansas City in Germany.

Armstead appeared to have his leg rolled up in the second quarter of a 48-20 loss at Buffalo. He remained on the ground for a few minutes before slowly walking off the field at Highmark Stadium.

Armstead missed Miami’s first two games of the season with lingering back, ankle and knee issues. Various injuries also sidelined him for four games in 2022.

Armstead has never played a full season, and he missed OTAs and minicamp after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on one of his knees this offseason.

“He’s embracing something that he’s not excited about,” McDaniel said Friday, “but he’s excited to do right by the team, and he’s excited to get himself back healthy. He’s such a big part of what we’re trying to develop within the locker room.”

Kendall Lamm, who has played well in Armstead’s place, will move into the starting left tackle spot when the Dolphins host the New York Giants Sunday.

The Dolphins will also receive a 2025 seventh-round pick in the trade in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick, the teams announced.

The move comes after Claypool expressed frustration about his role in Chicago’s offense. Claypool was told to stay away from the team for a Week 4 matchup with the Denver Broncos as well as Thursday’s game against the Washington Commanders. He was a healthy scratch from both games.

Chicago acquired Claypool, who Pittsburgh drafted in the second round in 2020, from the Steelers last November for a second-round pick in the 2023 draft. The 25-year-old played 10 games for the Bears with 18 receptions on 43 targets, 191 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Coach Matt Eberflus was asked about the situation surrounding Claypool earlier this week.

“Day 1, I talked about being on time, being respectful and working hard,” Eberflus said. “That, to me, is important for every individual — if it’s a staff member, a player or a coach. That’s where we are. We feel right now this is the best decision for us.”

Chicago has been plagued by off-field issues all year. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned in September for what he said were health and family reasons. Quarterback Justin Fields made headlines when he suggested he was being overcoached, comments he later said were taken out of context.

The Bears won their first game since the 2022 season in a 40-20 defeat of the Commanders on Thursday night.

Claypool is joining a loaded receiver room in Miami that features All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill and speedy third-year player Jaylen Waddle. The Dolphins receiver room did take a hit when River Cracraft went on injured reserve after hurting his shoulder in Week 3.

The Miami Dolphins’ coach understands how easily things could turn around for his team’s next opponent.

“From my perspective, I see an offense that’s close,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “Eleven sacks with the completion percentage that (Daniel Jones) had, it felt like to me when I was watching that it was either completion or sack. Which means the way I see it … the difference between sack and completion is that finite. If you take the sacks out, he’d probably have a pretty high quarterback rating because the completion percentage was high.”

That’s why McDaniel doesn’t expect to easily replicate the Seahawks’ success when Miami (3-1) hosts New York (1-3) on Sunday.

The Dolphins could use a dominant performance from their defense, which has been inconsistent at getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and allowed the Bills’ Josh Allen to record a perfect 158.3 passer rating last week.

Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker said the Giants, like any team, can be expected to attack Miami’s weaknesses.

“It’s the National Football League,” Baker said. “They’re going to go back, watch the film and they’re going to be working on it all week. They’re going to make sure they understand what we’re going to do. I’m sure they’re going to fix it. We’re going to have to come up with new things. At the end of the day, it’s about a man beating another man, so we’ll have to do that.”

Both teams dealt with protection issues last week and have injuries along their offensive lines.

Against Buffalo, the Dolphins were without starting center Connor Williams (groin) and lost veteran left tackle Terron Armstead to a knee injury in the second quarter. The result was a season-high four sacks allowed.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was hit nine times. McDaniel said part of that was because he abandoned the run game too quickly. He hopes not to repeat that mistake against a Giants defense that ranks 25th against the run.

The Giants are last in scoring with 46 points, and much of that is because of the offensive line, which has been missing star left tackle Andrew Thomas the last three games. The line has started four different combinations and this week may bring a fifth if rookie center John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) can’t go. New York has allowed 23 sacks.

Coach Brian Daboll said the Giants’ goal is to play more complementary football.

“Which we haven’t yet,” he added. “That’ll be the focus. It’s always the focus but results haven’t been there.”

NUMBERS DON’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY

The Giants rank 30th in the NFL with 122 points allowed, but not all of that total is the fault of coordinator Wink Martindale’s defense.

Dallas, San Francisco and Seattle combined for 94 points in games the where the Giants’ offense barely did anything, scoring 15 points. The Seahawks got 17 points off three turnovers Monday night, including an interception return for a touchdown by Devon Witherspoon and a 7-yard drive after a strip-sack.

The defense is rounding into form and has a chance to slow down Miami with defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux, linebacker Bobby Okereke and safety Xavier McKinney all playing well. The unit has yet to force a turnover.

ON THE RUN

The Dolphins lead the NFL with 707 yards rushing, 6.3 yards per carry and 10 rushing touchdowns — a stark turnaround from a year ago when Miami’s rushing attack was inconsistent. The Dolphins rushed for 142 yards against Buffalo — 101 of those from rookie De’Von Achane, who is ranked seventh in the league in rushing.

The run game has made Miami’s passing attack even tougher to stop.

“It’s been helpful to offset some of the actions that we do in the pass game,” Tagovailoa said, “and then off of those run actions we can marry some of the ways we motion and do our action fakes to some of the pass plays that we have in, so I think it’s been really, really good.”

ALMOST THERE

Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb feels like the defense is almost where it needs to be under new coordinator Vic Fangio.

“A play or two might resort back to old things and not do stuff how we know we can do it,” Chubb said, “and those one or two plays end up hurting us in the long run. That’s when they get their explosive plays. I feel like if we minimize trying to go outside the defense and try to do the next person’s job … I feel like we can take this to a whole other level.”

The Dolphins are allowing 251 yards passing and 29.8 points per game.

They’ve shown this season that they can blow out teams and win close games, but they haven’t gotten past the division-rival Buffalo Bills, who have won the AFC East the past three seasons.

Buffalo handed the Dolphins (3-1) their first loss of the season Sunday in a 48-20 defeat that kept Miami from taking the lead in the division and exposed weaknesses that either weren’t there in Miami’s first three games or were hidden by its offensive firepower.

The Dolphins had outscored their opponents 130-71 and averaged 550 yards in the first three games of the season, but that high-powered offense was uneven Sunday both because of a tough Bills defensive front and because of self-inflicted wounds.

A number of pre-snap penalties stalled momentum. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said he needs to be better at communicating in the huddle, but coach Mike McDaniel said the penalties weren’t all Tagovailoa’s fault.

“Tua’s teammates need to know the ins and outs of their responsibilities,” McDaniel said, “and Tua can’t be in charge of getting everyone aligned.”

Without center Connor Williams, who was out with a groin injury, Miami’s offensive line gave up four sacks after only allowing one in the first three games. That unit could take another hit if starting left tackle Terron Armstead misses significant time. Armstead injured his knee in the second quarter.

Tyreek Hill was limited to 58 yards and three catches. He entered Sunday averaging more than 100 yards receiving per game.

It remains to be seen if Miami’s defense can carry it through a deep playoff run. That unit has struggled under new coordinator Vic Fangio and was shredded for 310 yards passing Sunday.

Tagovailoa said the loss is a wake-up call coming off a historic 50-point win over the Broncos in Week 3.

“These guys weren’t going to care what we did last week,” Tagovailoa said. “This is the league, and this is how it works. It’s very good, because I would say it’s also very humbling for a lot of people to be able to have the highest high and then you lose in a manner like this, it’s very humbling. For some, it’s much needed.”

The Dolphins have now lost 10 of their past 11 regular and postseason matchups against the Bills (3-1), who McDaniel said are “the team that our whole division is trying to beat.”

Miami will have to wait until the regular-season finale for a rematch. They host the Bills on Jan 7, 2024.

For now, McDaniel wants his team to turn its first adversity of the season into an opportunity.

“We are 3-1 and we play the New York Football Giants next week. Right?” McDaniel said. “So, that’s where we’re at. I think it would be a failure on anybody’s part on our football team to look at it more than that or less than that.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Rookie running back De’Von Achane continues to make plays. He scored Miami’s first two touchdowns on runs of 3 and 10 yards and finished with 101 yards on eight carries. Achane, who had four touchdowns in Week 3, is only the fourth rookie since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to have at least six touchdowns in a two-game span.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Miami’s pass rush has been uneven all season and did little to impact Josh Allen. They’ll need to find a way to get to the quarterback more consistently, especially with more dual-threat players such as Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson on their schedule.

STOCK UP

LB Andrew Van Ginkel had five tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss filling in for the injured Jaelan Phillips (oblique). Van Ginkel has been Miami’s top pass rusher with three sacks this season.

STOCK DOWN

The secondary. Second-year cornerback Kader Kohou struggled against All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs, who had 120 yards receiving and three touchdowns with Kohou as the nearest defender. Kohou was flagged for defensive pass interference and illegal contact while covering Diggs.

With Kohou struggling, Fangio surprisingly did not move veteran cornerback Xavien Howard onto Diggs. In previous seasons, Howard spent time shadowing the opposing team’s best receiver, including Diggs. Under Fangio, Howard has stayed on the left side of the field.

Fangio said last week that the team could shadow an opponent’s best receiver at some point this season, but it’s not something they would do right now.

INJURIES

Armstead did not return after suffering a knee injury in the second quarter. He missed the first two games of the season with lingering back, knee and ankle injuries.

KEY NUMBER

3 — The Dolphins converted 3 of 10 third down attempts and were 0-for-3 on fourth down.

NEXT STEPS

The Dolphins host the New York Giants next Sunday.

“Yeah, I owe somebody $18,” Diggs joked following a 48-20 win in which the Bills brought the Miami Dolphins unbeaten start to an emphatic end.

As bar tabs go, Diggs’ celebration — in which he sprayed a group of people in the corner of the end zone — was the price both fans and the Dolphins had to pay for running into a Bills juggernaut that scored on eight of its first nine possessions (not including a kneeldown before halftime).

Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes and added another rushing as the Bills served a reminder they know a thing or wo about offense — and defense for that matter — after spending much of the week hearing about the Dolphins producing one of the most impressive offensive performances in NFL history in a 70-20 win over Denver.

“We’re just trying to wake everybody up and make people talk,” defensive tackle Ed Oliver said. “We want everybody to know that this defense is for real. And we got special guys.”

Although the Dolphins finished with 393 yards of offense, Buffalo held Miami to 3 of 10 on third down and 0 for 3 on fourth down. The Bills also forced two turnovers and sacked Tua Tagovailoa four times. The Dolphins had allowed just one sack in their first three games.

The Bills suffered one major setback when cornerback Tre’Davious White was carted off in the third quarter with what the team said was an Achilles tendon injury. White pulled up while covering Tyreek Hill and was unable to put any weight on his right leg.

Coach Sean McDermott grew emotional discussing White’s injury.

“I love him. I mean, to see him on that field, the way he was hurting, is hard. It’s hard to watch,” McDermott said of White, who at one point flung his helmet in frustration. “I know that he will rebound. He’s just too tough.”

Buffalo (3-1) never trailed and finished with 414 yards of offense. The three-time AFC East champion Bills have won three straight since a season-opening loss at the New York Jets.

The Dolphins (3-1) squandered chances to open a season with four wins for the first time since 1995 and to take a two-game lead over Buffalo in the division.

Buffalo won its eighth straight at home over Miami improved to 12-2 in the past 14 meetings, including a 34-31 win in the wild-card round of the playoffs last January.

“First off, I think the Buffalo Bills proved why they are the team our whole division is trying to beat. They’ve won it for how many years in a row now?” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said.

“I would be lying if I was pumped about anything from our team today,” he added. “I think the National Football League is a very humbling game. And if you’re not on your stuff and you are playing a team that is, this will happen.”

The game began as a track meet with the teams scoring touchdowns on each of their first two possessions.

Buffalo made it three straight TD drives on Allen’s 6-yard pass to Diggs five minutes into the second quarter.

After that, the Dolphins finally blinked. Miami closed the half with three punts and running back Raheem Mostert losing a fumble, allowing Buffalo to build a 31-14 lead.

Diggs provided the most electric play of the first half with a 55-yard touchdown. He caught Allen’s pass at Miami’s 40, broke two tackles along the sideline and scampered into the end zone.

Diggs finished with six catches for 120 yards to enjoy his fourth career three-TD game and third with Buffalo. Allen finished 21 of 25 for 320 yards while posting his 10th career outing with four TD passes.

Dolphins rookie running back De’Von Achane had two TDs a week after scoring four times. He became just the fourth NFL rookie to combine for six TDs in consecutive games, and first since Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin in 2012.

Tagovailoa went 25 of 35 for 282 yards with a touchdown pass to Braxton Berrios and an interception.

“It’s tough when you lose, and you lose like this. But we’re not going to blink,” Tagovailoa said. “I can promise you one thing, we will definitely be better from this.”

HAMLIN DEBUT

Bills safety Damar Hamlin appeared in his first game since going into cardiac arrest and needing to be resuscitated on the field during a game at Cincinnati on Jan. 2. Hamlin was a healthy inactive through the first three weeks of the season, and was mostly limited to special teams against Miami.

INJURIES

Dolphins: LT Terron Armstead did not return after hurting his knee in the second quarter. … LB Jaelan Phillips (oblique) did not play.

Bills: CB Christian Benford returned, but was limited to special teams coverage, after hurting his right shoulder in in the second quarter. … S Jordan Poyer (knee) did not play.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Host the New York Giants next Sunday.

Bills: Play a “home” game against Jacksonville at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London next Sunday.

Waddle missed the Dolphins Week 3 win over Denver after a helmet-to-helmet hit against New England in Week 2. He said he didn’t experience any concussion symptoms while in the protocol.

Waddle is averaging over 20 yards on eight catches this season.

Miami will be without starting linebacker Jaelan Phillips, as well as receivers River Cracraft and Erik Ezukanma.

Phillips was sidelined against New England after hurting his back in practice. He returned last week but left with an oblique injury in the second quarter and did not return. Andrew Van Ginkel will likely replace him at outside linebacker after recording a sack, three quarterback hits and a tackle for loss when he filled in there for Phillips in Week 2.

Cracraft injured his shoulder against the Broncos, and the team is still assessing whether his injury will require him to go on injured reserve.

Ezukanma may have re-aggravated a neck injury sustained in college, McDaniel said, but the team is gathering more information on the extent of his injury.

The Dolphins are seeking their first 4-0 start since 1995 when they face the Bills, who they haven’t beaten in Orchard Park since a 34-31 overtime victory on Dec. 24, 2016, under coach Adam Gase.

Tagovailoa’s achievement makes him the first Dolphins player to earn the AFC Offensive Player of the Month title in three decades, with quarterback Scott Mitchell last achieving the honor in October 1993, the Miami Dolphins said in a news release.

He joins an elite group, alongside quarterbacks Dan Marino and Scott Mitchell, who won the award in previous years.

Throughout the month of September, Tagovailoa completed 72-of-104 passes with a 71.3% completion rate, collecting 1,024 yards, eight touchdowns, and just two interceptions, resulting in a 121.9 passer rating.

He leads the league in both passer rating and yards per attempt, with his 10.1 yards per attempt surpassing other quarterbacks in the league by a significant margin.

Tagovailoa ranks second in the NFL and first in the AFC for passing yards (1,024) and passing touchdowns (eight). He has only been sacked once in three games, a league-leading performance in this regard.

His 1,024 passing yards in the first three games of the season set a franchise record, and his 10.1 yards per attempt rank among the top five in the NFL over the past decade for a team’s first three games.

Tagovailoa’s leadership as Miami’s quarterback has led the team to a 3-0 start for the second consecutive season, a feat not achieved since 1994-96.

The Dolphins’ offense has set impressive records, scoring 130 points and accumulating 1,651 total yards in the opening three games, marking the most by any NFL team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Additionally, Miami’s 70 points in their Week 3 victory over Denver were the highest scored by any NFL team since 1966.

This accolade continues the Dolphins’ streak of Player of the Month Awards, with linebacker Melvin Ingram earning AFC Defensive Player of the Month in September 2022, and linebacker Jerome Baker securing the same honor in December 2021. Kicker Jason Sanders has also clinched three AFC Special Teams Player of the Month awards, in October and November 2020, and December 2019.

All of it plays a role in the fourth-year quarterback’s output on game days, McDaniel said Wednesday, adding that much of Tagovailoa’s growth on the field has started with internal work each week.

“He’s starting to see the power that he holds at that position,” McDaniel said, “when you are in charge of giving the play and executing each and every play with ball-handling and assignments. But what it can do for teammates … You have a group of people that, ‘Wow, how I work and then what my talents are, those combined have residual effects on a lot of people’s journeys.’ So I think he’s very much leaning into and enjoying that more.”

Tagovailoa is leading an offense that ranks first in the league in nearly every important category, including points (43.3), total yards (550.3), yards rushing (188.3) and yards passing per game (362.0).

As the Dolphins (3-0) head to Buffalo to face the division rival Bills on Sunday, Tagovailoa isn’t treating it like just another game.

“We’ve gotta beat these guys,” he said. “That’s how I see it. I don’t think there’s any other way to look at it. They’re the next team up, and that’s how all our guys see it. We’re not worried about anyone else this week except for the Bills.”

The Dolphins split the regular-season series with the Bills in 2022. Tagovailoa missed Miami’s loss to Buffalo in the wild-card round of the playoffs after he sustained his second known concussion of the season in a Christmas Day game against Green Bay.

He said it was tough to watch the game from home.

“I couldn’t help but watch it and be a fan,” Tagovailoa said. “I knew the game plan that we went into the game with. I had the ranges of things that they’d worked on. I was able to be a fan but also get a gist of plays they were going to run as well. It’s always tough for any competitor to have to sit and watch their team go out there and play.”

In Week 3 last year, Tagovailoa briefly left a 21-19 win over Buffalo when he appeared to be disoriented by what the team originally said was a back injury after taking a hard hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano late in the first half. He missed three snaps and returned after halftime, a decision that prompted a joint review by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

After he was stretchered off the field the next week against Cincinnati, the NFL changed its concussion protocol to mandate that any player who shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — sit out the remainder of a game.

Tagovailoa is second in the NFL with 1,024 yards passing — the most yards in any three-game span of his career — and leads the league in yards per pass (10.1) and passer rating (121.9). He has also only been hit five times and sacked once on 105 dropbacks.

Tagovailoa has started 3-0 in consecutive seasons for the first time in his career, but that’s not what drives him.

“I don’t think anyone around the league cares who’s 3-0 or who’s 4-0, who’s 0-3,” Tagovailoa said. “There’s a lot of football left to be played, and that’s how we’re looking at this as a team.”

NOTES: WR Jaylen Waddle is close to clearing the concussion protocol. He practiced in full on Wednesday. Waddle missed last Sunday’s game against Denver after a helmet-to-helmet hit in Week 2. … C Connor Williams (groin) and LB Jaelan Phillips (oblique) did not practice Wednesday. … RB Salvon Ahmed (groin) is progressing, McDaniel said. … It isn’t known if WR River Cracraft’s shoulder injury will require him to go on injured reserve. McDaniel said the team is still assessing the extent of his injury.

The first team ever with 10 touchdowns from scrimmage, the first to gain at least 350 yards through the air and on the ground, a record-tying two players with four touchdowns.

The Dolphins fell short of a few other notable marks in the 70-20 victory thanks in part to mercy by the coaching staff and a statistical quirk.

With a chance to become the first team since 1966 to top the 70-point mark in a game, coach Mike McDaniel had Mike White take a knee on fourth down from the Denver 27 with 33 seconds left.

That’s in stark contrast to the decision Washington coach Otto Graham made the last time a team scored 70 points in a game.

Graham sent out kicker Charlie Gogolak for a 29-yard field goal in the closing seconds of a 72-41 win over the Giants on Nov. 27, 1966. Had McDaniel done the same, the Dolphins could have set the mark for points in a regular-season game.

The overall record is 73 by Chicago in the NFL title game win over Washington in 1940. The only other team to score 70 was the Rams in 1950 against Baltimore.

The kneel down also cost Miami a chance to have the most yards per play in a game in the last 50 years. The Dolphins finished at 10.23 after taking a 1-yard loss, slightly behind the 10.3 for Kansas City in a 38-31 loss to the Jets on Dec. 3, 2017.

The Dolphins finished with 350 yards rushing and 376 yards passing for 726 in the game. Officially, the only team to gain more was the Rams with 735 against the New York Yanks in 1951.

But as the Pro Football Journal discovered, that total doesn’t include a 13-yard sack taken by Norm Van Brocklin that under current scoring rules would have left the Rams with 722 total yards.

But because sack yards weren’t deducted from total yards until 1952, the NFL and its official stats keeper, The Elias Sports Bureau, consider the 735 to be the record.

That doesn’t diminish what the Dolphins accomplished on a day when Tua Tagovailoa had more TD passes (four) than incompletions (three), Tyreek Hill had his 33rd TD of at least 40 yards and Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane became the second set of teammates each to score four TDs in the same game. Priest Holmes and Derrick Blaylock did it for Kansas City on Oct. 24, 2004, against Atlanta.

THE NEED FOR SPEED

Any talk about what fuels the Dolphins’ offensive success has to include speed as a prominent factor.

Miami features several of the fastest players in the NFL, and that shows up in the NFL’s NextGen player tracking stats.

The Dolphins feature the five fastest speeds for ball carriers this season, led by Achane’s 21.93 mph on his 67-yard touchdown run against the Dolphins. That’s followed by Hill’s 21.66 mph on a 47-yard TD catch in Week 1, Mostert’s 21.62 mph on a 43-yard TD run in Week 2, Hill’s 21.52 mph on a 35-yard TD catch in Week 1 and Achane’s 21.5 mph on a 3-yard TD run on Sunday.

The fastest non-Dolphins player this season was Green Bay’s Aaron Jones, who was recorded at 21.48 mph on a 35-yard TD catch in Week 1 against Chicago.

BOLD BLITZING

The Vikings and Giants tried to bring pressure at a record-setting pace without much success.

New York blitzed on 84.6% of dropbacks by San Francisco last week and Minnesota did it 82% of the time against the Chargers, according to NFL NextGen stats from TruMedia. Those were the two highest rated in data that goes back to 2016.

Justin Herbert and Brock Purdy were able to pick apart the blitz, while taking only one and two sacks, respectively. Herbert posted a 133.9 passer rating when blitzed, with Purdy recording a 111.3.

JUST FOR KICKS

Indianapolis’ Matt Gay highlighted a record-setting week for kickers across the NFL.

Gay became the first kicker to make four field goals from at least 50 yards in the same game, including the winning 53-yarder in overtime to beat the Ravens.

There were 11 more field goals made last week from at least 50 yards, breaking the record for the most in a week set in Week 15 last season, when there were 14.

Matt Prater was good from even longer, with a 62-yarder in Arizona’s win over Dallas for his third career field goal of at least 60 yards. He is tied with Greg Zuerlein for the second-most ever, one shy of Brett Maher’s record.

Houston got its first win of the season in a large part because of the kicking game. The Texans scored on a blocked field-goal return and kickoff return in the win over the Jaguars, becoming the first team in 13 years to do that in the same game. New England did it against Miami on Oct. 3, 2010.

BAD LUCK

Kirk Cousins is off to a productive start for Minnesota with very little to show for it.

Cousins is the fifth player in NFL history to throw for at least 325 yards and two TDs in each of the first three games of the season.

Tom Brady (2011), Ryan Fitzpatrick (2018), Patrick Mahomes (2019) and Derek Carr (2021) were victorious in 10 of their 12 games when they did it. Cousins and the Vikings are 0-3.

Cousins joined Warren Moon (1985), Matt Schaub (2010) and Philip Rivers (2015) as the only QBs since the merger to throw for at least 325 yards and two TDs in three straight games, while losing all of them.

A year after going an NFL-record 11-0 in games decided by eight points or fewer, Minnesota has lost in that fashion in all three weeks so far this year.

“We talked at length all offseason just about adversity,” McDaniel said, “and sometimes adversity is having a score or two lead because you can let the atmosphere dictate your product. So what I saw from a lot of guys, and specifically when you’re talking about that type of production, that’s guys really taking it to heart — that we have one opportunity with this team in 2023, and we’re going to make the most of it and be unrelenting with our standards.”

The Dolphins maintained those standards throughout their 70-20 drubbing of the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Miami recorded 726 yards of total offense, including 350 yards rushing, in the most impressive display of offensive firepower since McDaniel took over last year.

Miami’s 70 points were the most in the NFL since 1966 and tied for the third-most in any game in league history. McDaniel acknowledged the significance of those totals while emphasizing that his team has much bigger goals this season.

The Dolphins (3-0) are the only unbeaten team in the AFC and have the league’s top-ranked offense thanks to McDaniel’s creative play design, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s arm and a collection of skill players with unmatched speed.

Miami has the NFL’s top six fastest ball carriers this season, according to the league’s NextGen stats. Receiver Tyreek Hill is responsible for three of those six plays, including the fastest of the year. He reached 22.07 mph on one of his nine catches for 157 yards Sunday. Rookie running back De’Von Achane ranks second; he was clocked at 21.93 mph and 21.62 mph on two of his 18 carries.

Running back Raheem Mostert, who has had consecutive games with multiple touchdowns, is also on the list. He reached 21.62 mph in Week 2.

Another speedster, receiver Jaylen Waddle, remained in the concussion protocol Monday after a helmet-to-helmet hit against New England in Week 2. McDaniel the team expects Waddle to clear the protocol soon.

Left tackle Terron Armstead said Sunday’s performance showed how “dangerous” the Dolphins can be, while emphasizing that they can’t slow down.

“I think we’re going to get every team’s best shot,” Armstead said. “They’re going to put their best game plan together. We’ve got guys on the edge that they have to scheme for. We’ve got guys in the backfield they have to scheme for. So nobody’s going to take us lightly anyway.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Miami’s offensive line has shown drastic improvement from a unit that was maligned that past few seasons. The Dolphins did not allow a sack Sunday for the second time this season and have allowed just one through three games. The last time the Dolphins allowed one or no sacks in the first three games of a season was 1989. Tagovailoa has only been hit five times.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The Dolphins scored touchdowns on 10 of 13 offensive drives and forced three turnovers against the Broncos. There isn’t much to criticize.

STOCK UP

Achane’s 203 rushing yards in his second game were the most by any NFL player in the first or second game of his career in the Super Bowl era. He and Mostert are the second pair of teammates in NFL history to score four touchdowns each in the same game.

STOCK DOWN

The special teams allowed Marvin Mims Jr. to score on a 99-yard kick return late in the fourth quarter, though the game was well out of hand by then.

INJURIES

WR River Cracraft suffered a shoulder injury. McDaniel said the team is still doing tests to determine how long he will be out. … LB Jaelan Phillips left with an oblique injury and is day to day. He missed Miami’s previous game with a back injury. … C Connor Williams hurt his groin and is day to day.

KEY NUMBERS

The Dolphins have 130 points and 1,651 total yards through the end of Week 3, which is the most in the NFL since 1970. … Miami is 11-1 in games that Tagovailoa starts against teams with a coach who has won a Super Bowl, including 10 wins in a row. He has won against Bill Belichick (five times), Sean Payton (twice), Sean McVay, Jon Gruden, John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin. His only loss was on Dec. 13, 2020, to Andy Reid.

NEXT STEPS

The Dolphins visit Buffalo next Sunday. They split the regular-season series with the Bills in 2022 before losing at Buffalo in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

Instead of sending out his kicker for a potential record-setting field goal, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel elected to take a knee and run out the clock.

“It felt like chasing points and chasing a record — that’s not what we came to the game to do,” McDaniel said.

They almost got there anyway. The Dolphins scored the most points in a game by an NFL team since 1966, overwhelming the Broncos 70-20 on Sunday behind the rookie speedster Achane’s 203 yards rushing and Tua Tagovailoa’s no-look shovel-pass TD.

The Dolphins set a franchise record for scoring and finished two points shy of the NFL’s regular-season record — set in 1966 when Washington scored 72 points against the Giants. They are the fourth team in NFL history to score at least 70 points in a regular-season or playoff game.

Many of Miami’s starters, including Tagovailoa and star receiver Tyreek Hill, were pulled from the game early in the fourth quarter.

Achane caught a 10-yard TD pass from Tagovailoa — the quarterback’s fourth TD — in the fourth, and Jason Sanders converted the extra point that made it 56-13 and broke Miami’s franchise scoring record of 55 set against St. Louis on Nov. 24, 1977.

“Seventy points is crazy,” said Achane, who combined with veteran running back Raheem Mostert for eight touchdowns. “That’s like video game-type stuff.”

Hill caught a 54-yard touchdown pass on Miami’s opening drive en route to 157 yards receiving on nine catches.

Miami scored touchdowns on eight of nine drives before Mike White replaced Tagovailoa in the fourth. Mostert had his second straight multiple-touchdown game with three rushing TDs and a TD catch.

“To be able to put up 70 points, I think that is going to put a lot of teams on notice that we’re nothing to play with,” Mostert said. “We’re that team, just to put it bluntly.”

Tagovailoa found a wide-open Hill on the Dolphins’ third play of the game for the duo’s fourth touchdown connection of the season. Hill had 9.7 yards of separation from the nearest Broncos defender when the pass arrived, according to NFL NextGen stats.

Tagovailoa, the NFL’s leading passer, looked to his left then flipped a 4-yard pass to Achane, which gave Miami a 21-7 lead in the second. Tagovailoa completed each of his first 17 pass attempts.

“Never done that before in a game,” Tagovailoa said of his no-look shovel pass. “When I did it in practice, everyone was like, ‘Oh, that was super cool. You’ve got to do that in the game,’ so that’s what I did.’”

Tagovailoa’s first incompletion came with 9:44 left in the third when he slightly underthrew Hill. He finished one completion shy of Miami’s franchise record, which was set by Ryan Tannehill in 2015 when he completed 18 consecutive passes over a two-game span.

Achane averaged 11.3 yards on 18 carries and had an electric 67-yard touchdown run in the fourth that capped Miami’s scoring at 70. He also had a physical 8-yard rushing TD in the first that made it 14-0.

Denver’s defense, down starting safety Justin Simmons (hip) and linebacker Frank Clark (hip), got a rare stop with 4:52 left in the first half when the Dolphins could not convert on fourth-and-1 at their 34, but the Broncos punted on the ensuing drive.

Russell Wilson started a season 0-3 for the first time in his career as Denver simply could not keep pace with Miami’s scoring.

Wilson was 23 of 38 with 306 yards and an interception. He had a 12-yard TD pass to Courtland Sutton on Denver’s second possession. It was the second TD catch of the season for Sutton, who led Denver with 91 yards on eight catches Sunday.

Sutton had two fumbles, both of which were knocked out by Dolphins safety Jevon Holland. The first led to a 3-yard run by Mostert that made it 35-10 just before halftime. The second resulted in Mostert’s 19-yard TD catch in the third. He finished with 82 yards rushing and 60 yards receiving.

Only one coach in Broncos history started out worse than first-year coach Sean Payton has at 0-3, and that’s Miami’s defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who lost his first four games as Denver’s head coach in 2019.

Will Lutz had kicks of 31 and 25 yards for Denver, and rookie Marvin Mims Jr. returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score in the fourth.

“Obviously, that was embarrassing and tough to watch,” Payton said. “Aside from the kick return, there weren’t a lot of positives to take from that game.”

Robbie Chosen, who was activated from the practice squad, caught a 68-yard TD pass from White.

NO WADDLE, NO PROBLEM

Receiver Jaylen Waddle missed the first game of his career while in the concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit last week. Waddle has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, but without him, Miami’s offense recorded 726 total yards of offense.

REACTION

What the Dolphins did was noticed around the league.

“I can’t wait to watch it,” Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff said after a win over Atlanta. “Unbelievable. I don’t know how they did that.”

INJURIES

Broncos: LB Jesey Jewell, Denver’s leading tackler, left in the first half with a groin injury and did not return.

Dolphins: WR River Cracraft injured his shoulder in the second quarter and was ruled out. … Jaelan Philips left just before halftime with an oblique injury. … Williams left in the third quarter with a groin injury.

UP NEXT

Broncos: At Chicago on Oct. 1.

Dolphins: At Buffalo on Oct. 1.

The Dolphins turned it around in Week 2 at New England, limiting the Patriots to 88 yards rushing and stopping them on a late drive that could have tied or won the game.

“When you give up 34 points it’s a terrible feeling,” linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel said after Sunday night’s 24-17 win. “Obviously the Chargers have a good offense, but it left a sour taste in our mouths. And we definitely came out with something to prove tonight.”

Miami (2-0) won its opener thanks to its high-powered offense led by Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill. Against a Patriots team that limited that connection — Hill had five catches for 40 yards — the Dolphins won with defense and a balanced offense that featured an effective run game.

Miami ran the ball 30 times for 145 yards and had 30 pass attempts for 249 yards, an approach that coach Mike McDaniel said was dictated by the Patriots’ defensive adjustments.

“I knew line-of-scrimmage play was going to be important,” McDaniel said, “but you have to kind of let the game play out and see what the defense is doing. If they’re taking something away, something else is vulnerable, so you just kind of have to have equity in your game plan.”

On defense, Van Ginkel moved from inside to outside linebacker to replace Jaelan Phillips, who injured his back in practice.

Van Ginkel had one of Miami’s four sacks and a tackle for loss. The Dolphins produced eight tackles for loss, twice as many as they had against the Chargers.

Still, the Dolphins had to hold on at the end. McDaniel said his team made some mistakes that should be easy to correct early in the season.

“I told the guys in the locker room that they’re going to feel like it didn’t need to be a nail-biter,” McDaniel said. “And that happens a ton. You’re fortunate to get the win in that learning process of how to make sure that that’s not the case. But overall, on the road, prime time, division opponent, those are very, very valuable games to be able to come up with a win.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Tagovailoa’s poise has been essential. The Patriots had three deep safeties on the field early to try and take away the deep passing game, but he adjusted. Tagovailoa spread the ball to eight different receivers. Jaylen Waddle had four catches for 86 yards.

According to NextGen Stats, Tagovailoa, who is known for his quick release, averaged the fourth-fastest time to throw (2.08 seconds) of any quarterback in a game since 2020.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The quarterback-center exchange between Tagovailoa and Connor Williams has been an issue dating to the preseason, and it cost Miami a potential third-down conversion in the fourth quarter with the team trying to protect a seven-point lead.

Tagovailoa said he was “changing up” pre-snap, which caused the miscommunication.

STOCK UP

Raheem Mostert had 121 yards rushing on 18 carries. The 31-year-old also had a pair of rushing TDs, his first game with multiple rushing scores since the NFC championship game with San Francisco in the 2020 season.

STOCK DOWN

Jason Sanders had a field goal blocked and missed a 55-yard attempt that gave New England one last chance to win. Sanders was 2 of 6 on attempts of 50-plus yards last year.

INJURIES

Waddle is in the concussion protocol following a helmet-to-helmet hit from New England’s Marte Mapu. … LT Terron Armstead missed his second straight game as he continues dealing with ankle, back and knee issues.

KEY NUMBER

21 — The number of years since the Dolphins last started consecutive seasons 2-0.

NEXT STEPS

Miami hosts Denver (0-2) in its home opener on Sunday.

Raheem Mostert had a pair of TD runs, including a 43-yard romp in the fourth quarter, and Tagovailoa added a 2-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill to help the Miami Dolphins hold off the Patriots 24-17 on Sunday night.

With the the victory, Tagovailoa improved to 5-0 against New England coach Bill Belichick.

“It’s never a me thing,” Tagovailoa said. “Every time we face coach Belichick’s team it’s always a challenge, and we know we’re going to get their best. … We’re going to take them however they come.”

Mostert carried 18 times for 121 yards and Tagovailoa completed 21 of 30 passes for 249 yards and an interception. Jaylen Waddle added four catches for 86 yards before leaving in the fourth quarter following a hit by Marte Mapu.

“One hundred yards is hard to come by especially in a passing league. That means everything was going on all cylinders,” Mostert said.

After opening with two road wins, the Dolphins will try for their second straight 3-0 start under coach Mike McDaniel when they host Denver next weekend.

New England dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 2001, which was Belichick’s second season as coach.

Trailing 24-17, the Patriots appeared to keep their hopes alive by converting a miraculous fourth-and-4 on the Dolphins 33. Mac Jones completed a pass to Mike Gesicki short of the first down marker, but the tight end spun and flipped the ball to left guard Cole Strange, who lunged forward.

It was originally called a first down, but a review showed Strange was short of the needed yardage, turning the ball over on downs. Miami then ran the clock out.

Jones finished 31 of 42 for 231 yards, a touchdown and interception.

“Just wasn’t our day. Hasn’t been our day for the last two weeks,” he said.

After back-to-back losses in which the Patriots have faced big deficits, tight end Hunter Henry said it’s clear mistakes are hurting them. On Sunday, a first-quarter fumble by rookie Demario Douglas set up Miami’s first TD, an 8-yard run by Mostert in the second quarter.

“It’s very frustrating,” Henry said. “Obviously, you look at the plays at the end of the game, and we need to be better at that for sure. But we need to be better in the game, to not put ourselves in that position.”

The Patriots played short-handed in the secondary after starting cornerback Jonathan Jones was ruled out prior to kickoff with an ankle injury. They took another hit in the second quarter when Marcus Jones left with a shoulder issue.

The Dolphins took advantage as Tagovailoa spread the ball around to eight different receivers, including nine completions to Hill and Waddle.

Defensively, Miami recovered Douglas’ fumble. Then, leading 17-3 in the third quarter, Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard grabbed an underthrown pass from Jones that was intended for DeVante Parker inside the 5.

Miami punted the ball back and New England found some traction, using an 18-yard run by Jones and a holding penalty on Howard to help set up a 6-yard TD pass from Jones to Hunter Henry.

New England got the ball right back when Tagovailoa had a deep pass intended for Hill intercepted by Christian Gonzalez. But backed up, the Patriots went three-and-out.

Then, on the first play after the changeover, Mostert took a handoff, found a seam in the middle of the Patriots defense and sprinted for his 43-yard TD.

New England marched right down the field and closed to 24-17 on Rhamondre Stevenson’s 2-yard touchdown run, capping a nine-play, 75-yard drive.

Miami had the ball on its own 30 when Tagovailoa missed on a pass to Waddle. But Mapu was called for unnecessary roughness, giving the Dolphins a first down near midfield.

The Dolphins had a chance to extend their lead with a 55-yard field goal attempt by Jason Sanders, but it missed wide left.

WADDLE STATUS

McDaniel didn’t have an update on Waddle’s status, but Tagovailoa said the receiver was in “good spirits.”

McDaniel only confirmed he went in for evaluation.

INJURIES

Dolphins: RB Salvon Ahmed also left with a groin injury.

Patriots: CB Marcus Jones injured his shoulder after tackling Waddle early in the second quarter and did not return.

BYE-BYE

Near the end of the game, Hill could be seen waving at Patriots fans as he exited the field.

“Those fans are some of the worst fans in the NFL, and I’m going to stand on that,” Hill said. “They’re real nasty and some of the things that they’re saying, I wouldn’t say in church. It felt great to wave goodbye to the fans, and I’ll do it again. Bye.”

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Host the Broncos next Sunday.

Patriots: At the Jets next Sunday.