3 Takeaways from Dolphins' Week 6 Win vs. Panthers

The Miami Dolphins picked up their fifth win of the season on Sunday, a decisive victory over the winless Carolina Panthers.

It wasn't a domination from start to finish, and Miami had to play catch-up for much of the first half. However, the Dolphins defense finally stiffened, and Tua Tagovailoa and the offense got rolling.

The result was a 42-21 blowout and a grasp of first place in the AFC East.

Here are our three biggest takeaways from Miami's Week 6 win over the Panthers.

Tyreek Hill Making Good on 2,000-Yard Goal

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Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill

Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill raised a few eyebrows in the offseason by declaring some lofty goals on his It Needed to Be Said podcast.

"2,000 yards and another Super Bowl. We're getting that. Believe that," Hill said (h/t ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith).

Hill hasn't broken loose in every game—the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots held him to 98 combined yards—but he's well on his way to reaching the 2,000-yard mark. With 163 yards against Carolina, he's up to 814 on the season.

Prorated over 17 games, he's now on pace for 2,306 receiving yards. He'll have to stay healthy to get there, of course, but Hill could break Calvin Johnson's single-season record (1,964 yards) with a game or two to spare.

Carolina came in ranked sixth in passing yards allowed, but they had few answers for Hill. The 29-year-old continues to be one of the most impressive players on the field each week, and he continues to race toward a place in NFL history.

Ground Game Should Be Fine Without Achane

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Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert

The big question coming into this game involved Miami's running game and how it would look without rookie star De'Von Achane.

Achane, who racked up 460 rushing yards in four games, played through Week 5 but was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury during the week. Before Achane's arrival, the ground game wasn't exactly a team strength.

Miami finished the 2022 season ranked 19th in yards per rush and 25th in rushing yards.

Fortunately, the Dolphins got plenty going on the ground on Sunday. Raheem Mostert led with 115 yards and an impressive 6.8 yards-per-carry average. As a team, Miami ran for 162 yards and three scores.

Mostert had two rushing touchdowns, Salvon Ahmed added a score, and Chris Brooks chipped in 28 yards on six carries.

To be fair, Carolina has struggled against the run this season, ranking 28th in yards per carry allowed through Week 5. Still, it was great to see Mike McDaniel's spacing and blocking concepts work without Achane.

The Dolphins need to maintain offensive balance moving forward, and especially next week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Defense Needs to Start Faster Next Week

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Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins

While Miami's offense keeps putting on a show, it may be time to start worrying about the Dolphins defense.

The unit was expected to make positive strides under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio this season, but we've rarely seen it. The defense collapsed in the 4 loss to Buffalo, and it hasn't mirrored the offense's efficiency.

Miami came in ranked 23rd in total defense and 26th in points allowed.

The defense did eventually settle in against the Panthers, limiting Carolina to 296 total yards and three touchdowns. However, it looked lost in the early goings, giving up two quick touchdowns to rookie quarterback Bryce Young and a very inconsistent Panthers offense.

For the third straight game and the fourth time this season, the defense failed to generate a takeaway.

The good news is that Miami's offense was able to catch up, and Carolina stalled too often to stay out in front. Things will be a lot tougher against the Eagles next Sunday night, though, and the Dolphins have to avoid getting into an early hole.