3 Takeaways from Dolphins' Week 3 Win vs. Broncos
There was history made at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday afternoon. That's because the Miami Dolphins put on one of the best offensive showings the NFL had seen in quite some time during their Week 3 rout of the Denver Broncos.
The Dolphins racked up 726 total yards while rolling to a 70-20 victory over the Broncos. Miami's 70 points were a franchise record and the second-most scored in a regular-season game in league history, behind only the 72 scored by Washington on Nov. 27, 1966.
It was a completely one-sided matchup, as Miami jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and cruised from there. It scored 35 points in the first half and 35 more after halftime in a dominant performance.
Here are three takeaways from the Dolphins' noteworthy Week 3 win.
Tagovailoa Is Reaching His High Potential
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Over the first two weeks of the season, Tua Tagovailoa was one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league. But the 25-year-old quarterback took his game to an even higher level on Sunday.
Tagovailoa passed for 309 yards and four touchdowns while completing 23 of his 26 pass attempts. He went 16-for-16 in the first half as Miami built a 22-point lead by halftime. So it was a near-perfect showing for the Alabama product, who continues to only get better in his fourth NFL season.
"This doesn't compare to anything I've seen or been a part of," Tagovailoa said, per NFL.com's Grant Gordon. "It just talks about the resilience of our team."
It also shows what Tagovailoa is capable of. Through three games, he has passed for 1,024 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions, so he is clearly well on his way to what could be a special season.
Achane Proves How Valuable He Could Be to Offense
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De'Von Achane didn't play in Week 1 due to a shoulder injury. In Week 2, he had only two touches resulting in 9 yards. In Week 3, the 21-year-old rookie running back broke out in a huge way that nobody could have seen coming.
The Texas A&M product had 18 carries for 203 yards and two touchdowns, as well as four catches for 30 yards and two more scores in the blowout victory. Achane powered a backfield that also features Raheem Mostert, who scored four TDs of his own (three rushing and one receiving).
"This team is capable of great things," Achane said after his second NFL game, per The Athletic's Nick Kosmider.
Achane may be capable of some pretty impressive things during his debut season, too. He isn't likely to put up these types of numbers on a routine basis, but he has proven that he should have a sizable role in Miami's offense moving forward.
The Defense Has Big-Play Ability as Well
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The Dolphins' offense generated countless big plays on Sunday, as they had a player getting into the end zone nearly every time they had the ball. But that high-powered unit can't get all of the credit for a win that pushed the team to 3-0.
Miami's defense made some big plays, too. It forced three turnovers (including an interception by Emmanuel Ogbah) and came up with some big stops, as Denver finished 3-for-12 on third downs and failed to convert its lone fourth-down attempt.
"We just played together," linebacker Jerome Baker said, per Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "It's as simple as that."
So while the Dolphins' offense may have stolen the show, their defense made some impressive strides as well. It was an encouraging step after the unit had some struggles early in the 2023 campaign.
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