3 Takeaways from Dolphins' Week 10 Win vs. Browns
A new team has risen to the top of the tight AFC East. It's the Miami Dolphins, which put together another impressive performance on Sunday and have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL of late.
They had little trouble in their home matchup against the Cleveland Browns at Hard Rock Stadium, taking control in the second quarter and then cruising to a 39-17 win. Miami improved to 7-3 and is now a half-game ahead of both the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills in the division.
The Browns couldn't keep up with a Dolphins offense that racked up 491 total yards and 29 first downs without committing a turnover. Tua Tagovailoa passed for 285 yards and three touchdowns, while Jeff Wilson Jr. sealed the victory with a 20-yard touchdown run that pushed Miami's lead to 22 points midway through the fourth quarter.
Here are three takeaways from the Dolphins' Week 10 win.
Tagovailoa Living Up to Potential with Improved Consistency
Over his first two NFL seasons, Tagovailoa battled numerous injuries and inconsistent performances. Now in his third year in the league, he is living up to the potential that made him the Dolphins' first-round draft pick in 2020.
Entering Week 8, the quarterback had only one game with multiple touchdown passes this year (a six-TD showing vs. the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2). But in each of Miami's past three games, he's had three touchdown passes. He's also thrown for 285 or more yards in each of those victories.
On Sunday, the fans at Hard Rock Stadium were chanting "MVP" toward the 24-year-old in the second half. He may not be at that level yet, but it's possible he could be by season's end, because he's finally starting to string together some exceptional performances.
"Tua is playing very, very high-level football," Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters. "It’s phenomenal to watch."
It helps that Tagovailoa has such a talented receiving corps around him. In the win over Cleveland, his trio of TD passes went to three different players: wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Trent Sherfield and fullback Alec Ingold.
Meanwhile, Jaylen Waddle's 66 receiving yards led the team.
New-Look Backfield Does It Again with Strong Showing
Wilson and Raheem Mostert were a dynamic running back duo during their time with the San Francisco 49ers, and they're now providing an impressive one-two punch in Miami. That started with the Dolphins' Week 9 win over the Chicago Bears, and it continued on Sunday.
Wilson operated as the lead back, with 17 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown. Mostert made the most of his touches, rushing for 65 yards on eight attempts. He also had a 24-yard TD run that pushed Miami's lead to 24-7 early in the third quarter.
It hasn't taken long for Wilson to add another dynamic to the Dolphins' offense. And the 26-year-old wants himself and the rest of the backs to be anchors for the unit.
"We want it to run through us," he told reporters. "Obviously, the pass game is always there, but that's kind of been the saying 'Well, they’re gonna pass to open up the run.' No, we're gonna run to open up the pass."
Considering how well both Wilson and Mostert are running, that seems like a great strategy for Miami's offense moving forward.
The Dolphins Proving They Could Win AFC East
The AFC East is one of the most competitive divisions in football this season.
The Dolphins are now in first place at 7-3, but the Jets and Bills are both close behind at 6-3. Even the New England Patriots (5-4) aren't too far back and would be in the playoffs as the No. 7 seed if the season ended today.
Buffalo is likely still the favorite to win the division, even after losing to the Minnesota Vikings in overtime on Sunday. But Miami is proving it has what it takes to finish at the top.
The Dolphins' 7-3 start is their best since it won seven of its first 10 games to open the 2001 campaign. They're also 7-0 in games that were started and finished by Tagovailoa, as their three losses came when he either left early or sat out due to a concussion.
Now that Miami is at full strength, it's rolling ahead of its Week 11 bye. It should keep up the momentum when it returns to action in Week 12 to face the NFL-worst Houston Texans (1-7-1).
However, the Dolphins' schedule gets more difficult after that, and their Week 15 road matchup against the Bills could be crucial. Miami has already defeated Buffalo once this season, though, and it may just do so again if it maintains its current form.