Was it a statement to put the rest of the NFL on notice? The Miami Dolphins players and fans certainly believe so.
The Dolphins etched their way into the NFL record book Sunday with a 70-20 throttling of the Denver Broncos in Miami. It was the second-most points scored in modern NFL history, behind the Washington Redskins’ 72-41 win over the New York Giants on November 27, 1966. The Dolphins had a chance to break the record with a chip shot field goal at the end of the game but decided to take a knee instead.
Miami’s stats are cartoonish. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was 23 of 26 for 309 yards and four touchdowns. Tyreek Hill led the Dolphins’ receivers with nine catches for 157 yards and a touchdown. He tallied 122 of those yards in the first half alone. Running back De’Von Acane rushed for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Miami’s offense racked up 727 yards of total offense, eight shy of the NFL record — which was set back in 1951.
The onslaught has several Dolphins among the NFL’s leaders in multiple categories. Tagovailoa is #2 in the league with 1,024 passing yards. Hill also sits at #2 in receiving yards with 412 (he’s leading receivers with four touchdowns; last year, he had seven for the season). Running back Raheem Mostert is sixth with 240 rushing yards but first with six touchdowns.
The win moves the Dolphins to 3-0 on the season and has Miami looking like a real threat in the opening weeks of the 2023 campaign. Several Dolphins’ players, including Hill, made some big statements about Miami’s goals for the season.
At least for the moment, the Dolphins are making good on those promises.