- DEFENSE (5 consecutive weeks). Vic Fangio’s squad continued its march toward the top echelon of defensive football teams. They limited the Commanders’ offense to a mere 245 yards, most of which came on four big plays and only 11 first downs. Defensive Tackle Zach Sieler played well, as did Bradley Chubb. Back-up linebacker Duke Riley played well after Jerome Baker went out with an injured leg. Corners Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard held Commanders’ top wide receiver Terry McLaurin without a catch. And, of course, Andrew Van Ginkel was there (see below).
- Andrew Van Ginkel (AVG). Last week, it was Jevon Holland with a magical 99-yard pick-6. This week, we welcome AVG to the Good list as he did his best A.J. Duhe imitation (1983 AFC Championship Game vs. Jets) by getting into QB Sam Howell’s passing lane, leaping up, grabbing an interception, and returning it 33 yards for a touchdown. In addition, he put constant pressure on Howell and nearly blocked a punt.
- Tyreek Hill (3 weeks in a row). The Cheetah didn’t waste any time this week hauling in a 78-yard TD on the third offensive play of the game. Add another 60-yard TD catch in the first half and it was pretty much game over. The Fins didn’t really need him in the second half. He ended the game with five catches for 157 yards.
- Tua. Good for him. He was on the money the whole game and, most importantly, had ZERO turnovers. Statistically, he was 18 for 24 for 280 yards and 2 TDs to Hill. If we see this level of Tua vs. the likes of the Cowboys, Ravens, and Bills, Miami just may eke out home-field advantage in the AFC.
- De’Von Achane. Welcome back, rookie. Achane displayed his speed and flexibility carrying the ball 17 times for 73 yards and two scores plus three receptions for another 30 yards. His presence adds yet another dimension to the already potent offense and another headache for the opposing defense to worry about.
- Special Teams. Give ‘em credit. No blunders. No missed kicks. No shanked punts. Not big returns given up.
THE BAD
- Mike McDaniel (repeat from last game). “What,” you say? “Dude, they won by 30 and played a near-perfect game.” Yes, I know. But I have to nitpick something. The Ugly list below is thin as it is. So, I’ve been tracking every offensive play for the past two games. Last week, I pointed out the coach’s propensity to run on first and second down second downs. Against the Jets, he called 12 straight running plays on first down in the second half, called runs 6 of 9 second down plays, and called runs on 10 of 13 1st down plays in the first half. This week, the numbers came down a little. He called runs on 8 of 12 first downs in the first half and 14 of 20 for the game. Most notable was the repetitious reverse sweep play which was run three plays in a row (2 right, 1 left). I’m hoping for a little more variation and a little less predictability in the next game.
THE UGLY - I had to come up with something. The injuries are adding up. Oft-injured Terron Armstead hurt his ankle and left the game, as did guard Robert Hunt. Jerome Baker had a nasty collision with teammate Brandon Jones and hurt his knee. Jevon Holland sat out the entire game. This is certainly something to keep an eye on, as it goes without saying that the Fins need to be at full strength to compete with the NFL’s elite teams.
Source: https://dolphinstalk.com/2023/12/dolphi ... -the-ugly/
