Miami Dolphins: What the 'Fins Must Focus on During Their Bye Week

There is no other way to put it. The Miami Dolphins have surpassed all expectations this year.

Currently sitting tied atop the AFC East with a 3-3 record, they have surprised NFL analysts everywhere with their consistency and ability to close out games.

With a bye week in Week 7, there are a lot of things head coach Joe Philbin must keep in mind when attempting to maintain Miami's current form.

The most pivotal of these, like with any NFL team, is rest.

However, for the Dolphins, this is especially important, considering the state of star running back Reggie Bush.

In the past few weeks, Bush has seen a drastic decline in productivity. From averaging over six yards a carry against the Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets, Bush dipped below two yards a carry against the St. Louis Rams. He has been under four yards a carry for the past three games.

The rehabilitation of his knee this week will be imperative for the Dolphins. While Ryan Tannehill continues to elevate his game as he gets more comfortable with the NFL style of play, Bush needs to be in his best form possible to provide a dynamic attack for the Dolphins, not only keeping defenses on their toes, but increasing the effectiveness of play action, too.

With a rematch against the New York Jets on the agenda for Week 8, Philbin must also focus on winning this pivotal division matchup. When Miami fell to the Jets in overtime in Week 3 23-20, the Dolphins running game continued to wear down the usually dominant Jets defense.

Mark Sanchez did have a field day against the Dolphins secondary, and that must be addressed. Tannehill did not have a very solid day against the Jets in Week 3 but has matured greatly since then and should be better positioned to lead the Dolphins to victory.

Oh, and Dan Carpenter's kicking.

But after the bye week, the Dolphins will be poised to continue on this winning streak and garner the momentum needed to lead them into the playoffs.

Watch out, AFC East, the Dolphins are here to contend.