Biggest Takeaways from Miami Dolphins' Week 7 Win

Has there ever been an interim head coach in NFL history who has actually earned the full-time job after accepting the midseason mantle?

If not, Miami Dolphins head coach Dan Campbell is making a serious case to be the first one.

The Dolphins waxed the Houston Texans, 44-26, marking their second consecutive blowout victory and the first time the team has won back-to-back games by at least 18 points since November 2002. 

That streak will most likely come to an end in a few days when the Dolphins take on the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, but the Dolphins can take pride that they are finally playing a respectable brand of football.

Here are a handful of other takeaways from the game. 

Dolphins Defensive Line Finally Showing Full Potential

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As a team, the Dolphins have 10 sacks in their last two games, but these past two weeks have been a turning point for a lot of players on the Dolphins roster. Two men have been particularly vindicated: defensive end Cameron Wake and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. 

It took six games, but Wake and Suh finally showed the potential to be the dominant, disruptive pass-rushing duo everyone knew they could be. In the first four games of the season, Wake was hampered by a hamstring injury and Suh was a double-team magnet. Wake's awakening came a week before Suh's, as Wake posted four sacks against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6.

Wake had half as many sacks this week against the Houston Texans, but Suh picked up the other two for him. In fact, according to the Dolphins public relations department, Wake became the team's second-leading sack specialist of all time with 68, and posted a personal two-game best with six sacks combined between Weeks 6 and 7.

If the Dolphins' pass rush stays this red-hot, they might earn a new nickname: The Heat Wave.

Ryan Tannehill Is Back on Track

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Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill might like to take a mulligan on the first five games of the season, especially if he could have played in those five games anything like he played in his sixth. 

Against the Texans, Tannehill tossed 19 passes and completed 18 of them for 282 yards and four touchdowns. He deservedly finished the game with a perfect passer rating. 

Of course, the game plan didn't lean as much on Tannehill this week as it has in the past. Tannehill has thrown 48 passes in the past two games (24 per game) after throwing 171 in the first four games (42.8 per game). Tannehill is shining in a role where he does not have to carry the full weight of the offense.

That's a function not just of the improved running game, but also the improved defense. He hasn't had to throw as often because the Dolphins haven't had to score as much to beat their opponents, thanks to stout defensive performances over the past two games. That's the very essence of complementary football., which seems to be at the core of their turnaround under Dan Campbell. 

The Dolphins Are a Completely Different Team Under Dan Campbell

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The Dolphins haven't changed much in terms of their offensive and defensive schemes, but they have completely changed the way they're playing.

The first four games of the season, we got a Dolphins team playing apathetic, indifferent, dispassionate.

The past two games, we've seen a Dolphins team playing ardent, fervent, fiery. 

They're running the ball more—35 rush attempts against the Texans and 32 against the Titans for a combined 67 rush attempts over the past two games, compared to 65 rush attempts in their first four games. They're rushing the passer better—10 sacks over the past two games, compared to one in their first four games.

The Dolphins needed an attitude adjustment, and that's exactly what they got with Campbell. 

Let's Not Call the Dolphins a Contender Yet

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I hate to be a wet blanket, but let's hold off on talk that the Dolphins are unequivocally the heir apparent to the New England Patriots in the AFC East.

It's far too early for that.

The Dolphins have won two games in a row, in convincing fashion, but against the Titans and Texans, who are a combined record of 3-10. 

As mentioned in the previous slide, the Dolphins look like a completely different team under Dan Campbell. They're running the ball more, they're playing aggressive on defense, they're playing like their season is on the line every week (and it is), but two blowout wins against bad teams does not make a contender. 

At least give the Dolphins the opportunity to show what they're made of on Thursday night against the Patriots. A win, or even a close loss, could lend new—and far more relevant—context to the discussion of the Dolphins in the AFC East title picture.

No Rest for the Weary

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The Dolphins don't have much time to bask in the afterglow of this win. They have the shortest of turnarounds as they travel to take on the New England Patriots on Thursday.

No one will blame the Dolphins if they lose, but everyone will sing the praises of Dan Campbell off a mountain if they come out with the upset win. In that sense, the Dolphins and their coach have nothing to lose and everything to gain this week. 

That being said, the New York Jets just got through showing the world that the Patriots are a vulnerable team. Not only are they dealing with a lot of injuries right now, but they are dealing with a depth crisis at cornerback and on the offensive line that could be the team's Achilles' heels. 

It just so happens the Dolphins have a talented group of offensive skill position players and a defense that can create suffocating pressure on the quarterback. The Dolphins have all the tools to come away with an upset victory.