3 Takeaways from Dolphins' Week 13 Win vs. Commanders
The Miami Dolphins did exactly what everyone around the NFL expected them to do against the Washington Commanders.
Miami posted a 45-15 victory in which Tyreek Hill recorded 157 receiving yards and scored two times.
Hill's offensive dominance was expected against a porous Washington secondary, but he was far from the only offensive standout.
De'Von Achane scored his first two touchdowns since October 8 as part of a 73-yard performance.
Achane's success in his return from injury will be vital for the Dolphins to keep hold of a top spot in the AFC.
Miami left Sunday with the No. 1 seed and it will finish Week 13 in at least one of the top two positions in the conference.
Tyreek Hill Torched Washington's Secondary
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The Dolphins did not waste any time exploiting one of the worst secondaries in the NFL.
Tua Tagovailoa hit Hill for a 78-yard touchdown to kick off the scoring. The pair hooked up for a 60-yard passing score in the second quarter.
Hill finished the day with five receptions for 157 yards and a whopping 31.4 yards per catch.
Washington's secondary has been ravaged by countless opposing wide outs. It allowed a 200-yard performance to D.J. Moore and two 100-yard outings against A.J. Brown.
Hill thrived in the same way that Moore, Brown and other top targets have this season against Washington and it allowed Miami to have the contest wrapped up by halftime.
Hill could have one or two similar performances coming up against the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets at home in Weeks 14 and 15.
Sunday's showing, and the potential explosiveness to come, will not teach us anything new about the Dolphins, but it will be a reminder of how dangerous the current AFC leader can be in the postseason.
De'Von Achane Is Back!
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Achane returned to his early-season form with a 73-yard, two-touchdown showing.
The Dolphins used the rookie running back to close out the contest in the second half. He scored from two and four yards in the final 30 minutes.
Some may look past Achane's performance because it came against a four-win team, but it was important for Miami's playoff push.
Achane earned 17 carries on Sunday, the second-highest total of his young career, and he averaged over four yards per rush for the fourth game in a row in which he had eight or more carries.
Achane's explosiveness brings a nearly unstoppable element to the Dolphins offense, which is exactly what their potential playoff foes do not want to see.
With Achane, Hill, Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Waddle all healthy, the Dolphins have the potential to put up 30-40 points in every remaining regular-season game to make the AFC playoffs run through Hard Rock Stadium.
Dolphins End Sunday With No. 1 Seed
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The Dolphins can send a nice fruit basket to the Green Bay Packers for their contribution to the AFC home-field advantage race on Sunday.
Miami held on to the top seed in the AFC thanks to its win over the Commanders and with the Kansas City Chiefs' loss at Lambeau Field.
The Dolphins will remain on top of the AFC if the Jacksonville Jaguars lose to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. Jacksonville will top the conference with a win due to a better conference record over Miami and the Baltimore Ravens.
Kansas City's loss is more important to Miami's chase of the No. 1 seed since the Chiefs own a head-to-head win over Mike McDaniel's team.
Miami is expected to move to 11-3 in the next two weeks with wins over the Titans and Jets. The Week 15 clash between Baltimore and Jacksonville will knock one contender for home-field advantage below the Dolphins.
The Dolphins may root for the Ravens in that Week 15 matchup because then they can beat the AFC North side in Week 17 to create separation between themselves and everyone else in the AFC.
Even if the Dolphins finish Monday night as the No. 2 seed, they have perfectly positioned themselves to be the top seed.
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