The Miami Dolphins snapped their three-game losing streak on Sunday, securing a surprising 15-10 victory over the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, during week five of the 2024 NFL season. While the performance may not have been pretty, as we often remark, a win—no matter how it looks—is always preferable to a loss. This game marked the Dolphins as the only team in the AFC East to emerge victorious that week, with the New York Jets losing to the Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills falling to the Houston Texans. Now, Miami finds itself just one game behind in the division standings as they head into their bye week in week six. How quickly circumstances can shift in just a week!
GOOD
The Dolphins’ dedication to the run game led to a hard-earned win. Head coach Mike McDaniel made a name for himself as the run game coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers before taking over in Miami for the 2022 season. He has typically favored a pass-heavy offense, which worked well for the Dolphins in recent years. However, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out due to another concussion in 2024, fans hoped McDaniel would shift focus toward utilizing his talented running backs against “inferior” teams. Until Sunday, that hadn’t happened, as McDaniel continued to rely on his backup quarterbacks to mimic Tagovailoa’s style with little success. Yet against the Patriots, he returned to his roots, particularly during Miami’s only touchdown drive, finishing with 193 rushing yards—86 from rookie Jaylen Wright and 80 from veteran Raheem Mostert. Fullback Alec Ingold scored the decisive touchdown, sealing the win against New England.
BAD
Miami’s defense continues to struggle against the run Speaking of the running game… The Dolphins have faced challenges with opposing running backs in 2024, a concern many fans anticipated following the offseason departure of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. On Sunday, they allowed the Patriots to rush for 151 yards at an average of 7.9 yards per carry. Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson each had significant runs, with Stevenson’s 33-yard gain setting up New England’s only touchdown. As Miami approaches their week six bye, they will likely encounter Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and possibly the agile quarterback Anthony Richardson. They’ll need to address their front-seven issues to avoid being exploited on the ground again.
UGLY
Miami’s special teams unit does everything possible to jeopardize the game For several seasons, Dolphins fans have been urging head coach Mike McDaniel to replace special teams coordinator Danny Crossman. On Sunday, Crossman’s unit once more made several critical mistakes, bringing Miami’s victory closer than it should have been. Jason Sanders missed a 41-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter, hitting the goalpost instead. Later in the first half, he successfully kicked a 46-yarder, but a penalty erased the score. On his next attempt, a 51-yarder, the long snapper Blake Ferguson mishandled the snap, preventing Sanders from kicking. It wasn’t just the field goal team that faltered; Miami also endured a blocked punt deep in their own territory against the Patriots. Certainly, calls for Crossman’s dismissal will intensify, even though the Dolphins managed to leave Gillette Stadium with a win.
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