FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED:

Beat writer Omar Kelly’s and Steve Svekis’ five takeaways from Sunday’s game.

XAVIEN HOWARD PUSHING TO BE ONE OF NFL’S BEST CORNERBACKS

Xavien Howard, the Dolphins’ 2016 second-round pick, has been performing like one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks since last season, and the three interceptions he’s pulled down in Miami’s first three games will get him the attention he deserves. Both of Howard’s interceptions took points off the board from Oakland.

TRADE FOR WR KENNY STILLS LOOKS BETTER AND BETTER

Kenny Stills continues to build his credentials as one of the great Dolphins trade acquisitions. The fleet receiver got the Dolphins going with his 34-yard deep-ball grab and that gives him 18 touchdown catches in his past 34 games and 21 in his three-plus seasons in Miami. He is averaging 20.4 yards a grab this year, loosening up the field for his other skill-position teammates.

RYAN TANNEHILL THROWS BEAUTIFUL DEEP PASSES THESE DAYS

There was once a time during Ryan Tannehill’s NFL career where the main criticism of him was that he couldn’t connect on deep throws. Those days are long gone because Tannehill has been dropping dimes to Kenny Stills for the past few seasons. Stills caught a 34-yarder on Sunday, and DeVante Parker got into the deep-ball mix, catching a 36-yard pass.

DOLPHINS DEFENSE GETS MULTIPLE INTERCEPTIONS AGAIN

It had been more than 20 years since the Dolphins’ defense had opened the season with three consecutive games of multiple interceptions. Jimmy Johnson’s Dolphins of his first season, 1996, had more than one interception in each of their first three games. The current tally is Xavien Howard with three picks, Reshad Jones with two and Kiko Alonso and T.J. McDonald with one each as Miami got three against the Titans and two each against the Jets and Raiders. If the Dolphins manage to pick off Tom Brady or any other Patriots passer twice or more next week, it will mark the first time in franchise history that has occurred, according to pro-football-reference.com.

PUNTER MATT HAACK HAS BEEN DYNAMIC

The Dolphins have been owning the field-position battle each Sunday courtesy of Haack’s crisp punts, and the tight coverage Walt Aikens and the rest of Miami’s special teams unit has provided routinely pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line.