Hogs Haven
It’s week 11 of the NFL season, and the 3-7 Washington Commanders will be facing the 3-7 Miami Dolphins in Spain (!) this Sunday at 9:30 am ET. The Dolphins season has been the opposite of the Commanders: starting the season weakly with an 0-3 record, but bouncing back with 2 wins in their last 3 games (including a win against the Buffalo Bills). The Dolphins seem to be getting better as the season goes on, despite having fired their GM Chris Grier on Halloween and begun a purging of Front Office staff.
On offense, the Dolphins are led by HC Mike McDaniel. McDaniel is a Shanahan disciple who runs a similar outside zone run scheme and play-action based West Coast Offense passing attack. However, the Dolphins offense is built on speed and getting the ball out quickly, with most passes going to the first read or a checkdown. QB Tua Tagovailoa consistently has one of the NFL’s quickest times to throw, allowing him to get the ball out quickly and compensate for a rather weak offensive line. Such an offense relies on fast offensive playmakers, and the Dolphins are headlined by 4.3 speed with both WR Jaylen Waddle and RB De’Von Achane, even after WR Tyreek Hill was ruled out for the season after a serious multi-ligament knee injury. Although Tua has managed the 12th highest completion percentage and 17th most passing yards in the NFL, he has also had the most interceptions in the NFL this season.
On defense, the Dolphins are coached by DC Anthony Weaver, former DL coach for the Ravens. Weaver led the Dolphins defense to the 4th-lowest yards allowed in 2024 despite significant personnel issues. This has been a tougher year for the Dolphins defensively, as they are ranked 19th in passing yards allowed and 30th in rushing yards allowed in the NFL this season (so their Achilles heel has definitely been in run defense).
I asked Kevin Nogle of The Phinsider five questions to better understand the state of the Dolphins and what to look for in this game.
1) The Dolphins managed to shock the football world by beating the Bills last week. How’d they manage the upset?
Honestly, I think they finally remembered that they are supposed to be playing football. This year, they have been completely out of sync for much of the first half of the season, and in Week 10, they looked like a team that wanted to compete. It is too late to think this team will turn around and become a threat the rest of the year, but they at least looked like a team that could play spoiler down the stretch.
The biggest change that we have seen in recent weeks is the team’s use of Daniel Brunskill as a sixth offensive lineman. He has been lined up at tight end and at fullback, giving the team a better threat in the running game and better protection of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. They have figured...
