Dolphins Decimate Commanders In DC For Ninth Win Of Season

Landover, MD – Through all of the talk about the Miami Dolphins and their opponents’ records, people seem to forget that it’s hard to win in this league, and a lot of teams will occasionally blow a tire against opponents they’re statistically supposed to beat. The Dolphins are not one of those teams. Every game that they’ve been favored, they’ve won. Other teams like Buffalo, Kansas City, and Philadelphia can’t say the same. Miami wins when they need to win, and the Dolphins did just that against the hapless Washington Commanders by a score of 45-15 for their ninth win of the season.

It’s also tough to win on the road, but the Fins managed at FedEx Field against an unfamiliar opponent in the Commanders who they haven’t played since 2019. Fun fact – that means Miami did not play Washington when they were still known as the Football Team from 2020-21.

Unreal support in the DMV! 👏 pic.twitter.com/kXzT7RN7sA

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 3, 2023

Whatever they’re called, Washington was no match on both sides of the ball. Their offense, guided by a reliable Sam Howell, still found no answers against the Dolphins’ defensive line when it came to protecting Howell. They also couldn’t muster up much success against their secondary, as their top receiver literally found no success on the day.

Miami’s offense was as fast as ever, scoring early and only adding onto it. Perhaps it’s convenient that Washington’s defense gives up the most chunk plays and deep-ball passes in the NFL on average because the Dolphins banked on that and cashed out tremendously.

Stress-free football is hard to come by when you’re watching your favorite team, but this game truly felt over at halftime.

They’re Commanding, But No One’s Listening

The Commanders had their hands full against the Dolphins, and a roster as stacked as Miami’s is hard to contain for 60 minutes of football on both offense and defense. Ultimately, the best Washington managed was about five minutes.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Fins offense managed how this game would go down very early on, as on the third play of their first drive, Tua sent a deep ball down the field which was caught by wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a 78-yard score, giving Miami a lead that they would not give up for the rest of the game.

Washington ran a strange defensive scheme that relied on single-man coverage on Hill instead of double-teaming, and that was definitely the wrong move on their part. After a Dolphins field goal not long after, and a pair of punts by both squads, Miami sat somewhat comfortably with a 10-0 lead, and Washington had the ball looking to get their first points of the game.

.@AndrewVanGinkel said SEE YA 👋 pic.twitter.com/eFkrvM7of3

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 3, 2023

But defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had this team ready to play, and on the first play of their drive, Howell threw a screen pass to his right that was intercepted by linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and taken all the way to the house for the second straight unexpected pick six for the Fins as they raised their lead to 17-0.

Now’s probably a good time to mention that Howell, despite leading the NFL in passing yards up to this point, has also been sacked the most and has been intercepted the most this season. His woes in both those categories continued, as Washington’s offensive line gave up three well-earned sacks by the Dolphins D.

After a pair of touchdowns by both teams (Another casual 60-yard bomb from Tua to Tyreek, no worries) Miami knocked in one more score before halftime thanks to an 11-play drive that ate up five minutes and was wrapped up with a Raheem Mostert rushing touchdown, giving the Fins a 31-7 lead.

A Fine Addition To The W Collection

The running game has had its ups and downs, but today was the return of De’Von Achane to the lineup after not completing a full game since Week 5 due to injuries. He, along with Mostert, has been a near-unstoppable dynamic duo for this rushing attack that can be one of the best in the league.

As a matter of fact, Achane took over in the second half, scoring both Dolphins touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, even when Mike McDaniel ultimately sat down Tua for backup QB Mike White.

Let’s check in on the Washington offense.

Terry McLaurin was targeted 3 times and had 0 catches in Sunday’s loss to Miami pic.twitter.com/Dgoa3hr5Cs

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 4, 2023

Okay then.

Despite what a 45-15 final score may tell you, the second half cruised by, and this game was over before you knew it. With the exception of a few plays and drives here and there, the Dolphins played a near-flawless game.

Tua had one of his better games of the season and didn’t even play the full game. He finished with 280 yards, 18 completions out of 24 passes, and two passing touchdowns. He didn’t throw a single interception and wasn’t even sacked at all.

Tyreek’s road to 2,000 yards in the season got a major advancement thanks to 157 yards spearheaded by a pair of BOMBS. Jaylen Waddle played cleanup with an extra 52 yards, but Hill is making his case for the NFL MVP award very clear.

Achane led all Miami running backs 73 yards and two second-half scores, quickly getting back to his usual self. Mostert’s 43 rushing yards and another touchdown were a nice addition.

Miami’s team stats are beautiful. With 406 total yards, 20 first downs, and only two penalties committed, this was a masterful game for head coach Mike McDaniel – another case of him and his team going all out against a former team he worked at.

The win improves Miami’s record to 9-3, and currently have the most wins in the AFC along with the Baltimore Ravens. With a slightly better divisional record, however, the Dolphins have the #1 seed in the conference, at least for now.

They’ll get to head back to Miami Gardens for an extended break as they’ll host the Tennessee Titans on Monday night Football – December 15th at 8:15 pm.

📸Credit: Miami Dolphins