The Miami Dolphins have a 24-hour rule, which means it’s time to move past a historical performance and look toward a monumental task, as the Dolphins head to Western New York to face the hated rival Buffalo Bills.
Sean McDermott’s team has taken four of the last five and beat Miami at home each season from 2017 through last year, including a Wild Card playoff game.
Buy Dolphins TicketsThe Dolphins do lead the all-time series 61-52-1 with the Bills leading 4-1 in the postseason. Miami will be seeking their first 4-0 start to a season since 1995 and their seventh in team history including 1972, 1979, 1981, 1984 and 1992.
So far this season, the Dolphins’ offense has totaled 1,651 yards, averaging 8.4 yards per play and have generated more yardage and points through the first three games of a season than any NFL team since the AFL-NFL merger.
Miami leads the NFL in several explosive play categories, including most plays of 10+ yards and most plays of 25+ yards. Their 60 plays of 10+ yards are tied for the most in the first three games of a season since at least 2000 when the New England Patriots had 60 10+ yard plays in the first three games of 2000.
This offense is playing as prolific as any NFL team has to start three games in recent memory and even historically in the game, as they nearly broke an all-time single-game scoring record Sunday in their home opener against the Denver Broncos. They very well could have gotten a field goal and hit for 73 points, tying the record, but Mike McDaniel showed mercy and class, respectfully kneeling on the ball instead.
The Dolphins are building more momentum than seemingly ever, and here are more news and notes heading into Week 4’s pivotal contest, where Miami will enter as the AFC’s only remaining unbeaten team, joining the league’s only others – the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers.
Tua Tagovailoa on historic start
- Tagovailoa is the NFL’s leader in passer rating three weeks into 2023 (121.9), and he has 1,024 passing yards – the most in any three-game span of his career.
- He’s done this despite having only 101 pass attempts, averaging 10.1 yards per attempt. That’s two full yards better than any other quarterback in the NFL.
- Tagovailoa has completed 71.3% of his passes. This would be the 11th-best mark in NFL history. The NFL full season record is held by Drew Brees with 74.3% completed in 2018. The next two slots are held by Brees as well, as are the fifth, seventh and ninth spots.
The Vic Fangio Factor
- The Dolphins have 24 quarterback hits and eight sacks in their first three games this year.
- 24 quarterback hits rank third in the NFL this season.
- They have an 11.5% quarterback knockdown percentage and have 13 actual knockdowns, which is sixth in the NFL.
- Jevon Holland has been magnificent. He’s led the Dolphins in tackles in all three games this year and his 33 total tackles rank fourth in the NFL. He’s the only player in the LEAGUE with 30+ tackles & at least two forced fumbles this season.
- The Dolphins have eight sacks this season by nine separate players – Bradley Chubb, Kader Kohou, David Long, Emmanuel Ogbah, Zach Sieler, Christian Wilkins, Andrew Van Ginkel, Justin Bethel* and Jaelan Phillips*
- -Van Ginkel and Wilkins are the current co-leaders of quarterback hits for the Dolphins with four each.
- Dolphins with a sack and a pass defended so far this season include Wilkins (sack, pass defended), Van Ginkel (sack, pass defended) and Kader Kohou (sack, two passes defended)
Xavien Howard loves playing the Bills
- Howard has 11 passes defended in 10 games against the Bills.
- Four of those passes defended were interceptions
The Greatest Show on Surf
- The Dolphins, when adding their scores and their opponent’s scores per quarter, have been winning each frame so far in 2023.
- 1st – 24-14
- 2nd – 48-19
- 3rd – 21-7
- 4th – 37-31
- They’ve outscored their three opponents 130-71
- Miami has 82 first downs this season so far and their opponents have 69.
Running Back Dynamic Duo
- Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane became the fourth and fifth Dolphins to score four touchdowns in one game last week.
- They join just one other running back duo in NFL history to each have four touchdowns in one game – Priest Holmes and Derrick Blaylock for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004.
- The last time a Dolphins running back had a rushing score and a reception in the same game was in 2018 when Kenyan Drake accomplished the feat. Mostert and Achane can now say this.
- Achane is the only Dolphin ever with two rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns in the same game.
