Dolphins’ explosive offense breaks record of ‘Greatest Show on Turf’

Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPNOct 9, 2023, 11:26 AM ET
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MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins’ final scoring drive in their 31-16 win over the New York Giants on Sunday consumed eight plays, 75 yards and just under 4½ minutes.

Not only did they average nearly a first down every time they ran a play, but they attempted just one pass — a 14-yard completion from Tua Tagovailoa to De’Von Achane.

Miami recorded its fourth straight game with 100 rushing yards, a feat it did not accomplish during coach Mike McDaniel’s first season in 2022. In fact, the Dolphins hadn’t rushed for 200 yards since December 2020; they’ve done so twice already this season, including their 222-yard performance Sunday.

McDaniel wanted to commit to running the ball more frequently this season, so occurrences like that scoring drive are no accident.

“It was definitely intentional,” he said. “It was the time of the game that I felt like, shame on me if I didn’t put it in the ball carrier and the O-line’s hands because I felt like they had a nice competitive advantage at that moment.

“That’s huge for what we’re trying to build, to try to be able to win games handing the ball off for the type of respect that our pass game really gets. It’s monumental, and that’s something I can tell that the team, really got them going. You’re hoping that you can continue that whole process.”

Achane’s emergence as a game-breaker has given Miami the balance it lacked during the 2022 season. The NFL’s most explosive offense on paper has put up the numbers to back up its title.

The Dolphins lead the league in completions of at least 50 yards, rushes of at least 50 yards and explosive plays (defined as rushes of at least 10 yards or completions of at least 20 yards). They also own seven of the eight fastest ball carrier speeds recorded this season by NFL NextGen Stats.

And they can strike from anywhere on the field.

Early in the second quarter, Achane took a handoff up the left sideline for a 76-yard touchdown, nearly untouched. The rookie hit a max speed of 21.76 mph on the play — the second-fastest registered ball carrier speed of the season at the time. He also owned the fastest, a 21.93 mph sprint against the Denver Broncos in Week 3.

It was the fastest speed, until wide receiver Tyreek Hill reached 22.01 mph on a 64-yard reception during Miami’s next offensive series.

“We’re just having fun, and that just goes to show this team isn’t just a one-man show,” Hill said. “You got guys all around the field that can make special plays. I’m excited. I’m very thankful to be on this team, and I just enjoy being the fastest each and every day.”

Their 2,568 total yards of offense is the most in NFL history through five games, surpassing the “Greatest Show on Turf” 1999 St. Louis Rams (2,527).

McDaniel laughed at the significance of such a milestone, but he knows it reflects something important.

“Mission accomplished,” he joked. “We had the whole offseason, that was our goal, output after five games.

“I mean, I think it speaks to what the group is capable of, and you’re honored to be in the same breath for any statistical reason. But I think all that means is that people are going to give you their best shot, and you’d better continue to work and progress in your game if you’re going to be satisfied, because you’re going to have a bull’s-eye on your back, and that’s kind of what you want in general, because you want people’s best shot … It’s cool, but it’s like literally, whatever, like five weeks. It’s not that exciting.”

How much more can this offense accomplish? Over the next four weeks before their Week 10 bye, the Dolphins play the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs — the NFL’s 13th, 10th, 8th and 9th-ranked defenses, respectively, in terms of yards allowed per game.

Despite a Week 4 48-20 loss in Buffalo, Miami still leads the league in passing (334 yards per game), rushing (176.8 yards per game) and scoring (37.5 points per game), and Sunday’s performance was the latest installment in what could be a record-breaking season for the Dolphins.

They’re on pace for 8,687 yards of offense, which would shatter the NFL record of 7,474 set by the New Orleans Saints in 2011, although the Dolphins will have one extra regular-season game.

“We wanted to make last week a learning lesson for us coming into the game. So, I think we learned from it,” wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said. “We still got a lot to grow from throughout the year, so we’re going to come back and just try to keep building.”