Blowout victory halts skid
Drake, defense help power Dolphins
MIAMI GARDENS — This is how the Miami Dolphins thought they’d win games when the season began — get an early lead with the offense, unleash the pass rush on defense, get a play or two from special teams and call it a day.
That’s not exactly how it went in Sunday’s 35-9 victory over the Denver Broncos at Hard Rock Stadium, but it was close enough, and more importantly, it ended the Dolphins’ five-game losing streak.
“I know this was a big game for coach [Adam] Gase and a lot of other guys that played over there,” Dolphins safety Reshad Jones said.
Gase is a former Denver offensive coordinator, and tight end Julius Thomas and quarterback Jay Cutler both played for the Broncos. But that wasn’t the best part of Sunday’s story.
The best part was Miami (5-7),
which struggled all year to put together a complete game, finally played complementary football.
Cornerback Xavien Howard had two interceptions, including a pick-6, one of three interceptions for a defense that entered the game with four on the season.
The pass rush, playing with a lead for one of the few times this season, was relentless, forcing Denver quarterback Trevor Siemian (19 of 41, 200 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions, 30.5 passer rating) into an almost embarrassing performance while recording three sacks. The pass rush was a big key, and that was because they were playing with a lead.
“I think it changes a lot,” Gase said of the defense playing with a lead. “We were able to turn those four pass rushers loose. It makes a big difference, puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback. They get back there quick. If we can find ways to get a lead, it would help us defensively.”
Running back Kenyan Drake rushed for a careerbest 120 yards, sparked by a 42-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, marking the first 100-yard rushing performance by someone other than former running back Jay Ajayi since 2015.
Special teams added a blocked punt by defensive end Terrence Fede and a safety on a punt return.
And the Dolphins, who took a 2-0 lead on a safety, one of their two safeties on the day, built a 16-3 halftime lead and rode that to victory, extending Denver’s losing streak to eight games.
Thomas said it was like a party out there with the
complementary football working. Defensive end Cameron Wake agreed, in a way.
“It was a lot of fun, I’ll tell you that,” Wake said. “I think whenever you make plays and guys are getting excited and celebrating and getting that energy and it’s contagious from one guy to the next, that’s the way you want things to be. The only way to do that, that is to play complementary football, that contagious emotion and bigplay mentality on everybody from special teams, offense, defense.
“If you want to call it a party, it’s a party.”
Miami, which entered averaging 22.8 points per game at home, kept its relatively high scoring output going at Hard Rock Stadium with the season-best 35 points.
Denver (3-9), under the guidance of coach Vance Joseph, Miami’s defensive coordinator last year, is on the ropes. In fact, Joseph might be on the hot seat after a lackluster showing Sunday.
The Broncos entered the game with the NFL’s fourthranked defense allowing 289.1 yards per game, but the Dolphins put 367 yards on them.
Denver also entered with the NFL’s fourth-best rushing defense at 87.2 yards allowed per game. Miami finished the game with 145 rushing yards.
For one day, it all came together for the Dolphins. And they needed it. The stress of five consecutive losses was becoming tangible.
“It’s huge,” wide receiver Jarvis Landry said of the victory. “It’s huge for the organization. It’s huge for the guys, especially in this locker room that have been working hard week in and week out. I wouldn’t say it hasn’t been paying off, but it hasn’t ended the way we wanted it to.
“For us to come out today and do it like we did it, it means a lot.”