The Miami Dolphins beat the Carolina Panthers 42-21 on Sunday, as the Dolphins climbed out of an early 14-point deficit.
While Mike McDaniel’s team could’ve rolled over after a horrible first quarter, they fought back, scoring 35 straight points, and showed that they have something to play for.
We took time to grade every position group for the Dolphins’ win, from quarterback to special teams.
Quarterbacks: A-
Tua Tagovailoa excelled today, as he completed 21 passes on 31 total attempts for 262 yards and three touchdowns.
Tagovailoa’s accuracy and decision-making shined throughout the game, as the quarterback led the Dolphins to five touchdown drives.
One of Tagovailoa’s best plays of the day was when he scrambled away from pressure and found Jaylen Waddle in the endzone for a touchdown to tie the game.
Tagovailoa was nearly perfect against Carolina, but the quarterback position grade is an A- because Mike White threw a pick-six when he came in toward the end of the game.
Running Backs: A-
Raheem Mostert led the Dolphins on the ground, rushing 17 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns. He also played a role in the receiving game with three receptions and another touchdown.
Mostert may be having his best season as a pro, as he had several key rushes for first downs on Sunday. He continued to make defenders miss and broke several tackles during the game.
Salvon Ahmed also had a touchdown near the end of the game. Ahmed and undrafted rookie Chris Brooks each had six carries for 23 and 28 yards on the ground, respectively. Ahmed provided a spark in the passing game as well.
Wide Receivers: A-
It’s not a Dolphins game unless Tyreek Hill dominates the day. Hill had six catches for 163 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers.
His highlight play came near the end of the first half when he blew by his defender and caught a 47-yard pass from Tagovailoa for a touchdown. Similar to last week, Hill didn’t play as much in the second half due to an injury.
Jaylen Waddle caught seven passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. This is his second week with a touchdown reception.
Braxton Berrios was the only other receiver to have a catch for the Dolphins.
Tight Ends: Incomplete
This is the second straight week with an incomplete for the tight ends. Although he didn’t show up in the box score, Durham Smythe is blocking well.
Offensive Line: A+
Any time you keep your quarterback from being sacked, you deserve an A+. This offensive line has been one of the best groups in the NFL this year, and in this game, they only gave one quarterback hit, which helped the offense pass for 262 yards in the air.
The line also helped the running backs rush for 162 yards total.
Given all the injuries the group has had to deal with, they’ve consistently outperformed expectations.
The Dolphins hope to get Conner Williams back soon and Terron Armstead back after his stint on injured reserve.
Defensive Line: A-
The defensive line had a solid day.
Christian Wilkins was the star of the group, as he recorded two sacks and three quarterback hits. Zack Sieler had a sack before he unfortunately left the game due to injury.
The defensive line, as a group, played a big role in holding the Panthers to 108 yards rushing on the day.
Linebackers: B+
David Long Jr. led the team in tackles with 11 total, and Bradley Chubb made a positive impact with a sack and six total tackles.
Jerome Baker was solid in pass coverage and had five total tackles. Andrew Van Ginkel had a relatively quiet game for his standards, as he finished with three total tackles and a quarterback hit.
Jaelan Phillips had a quiet day in his first game since his return from injury.
Cornerbacks: B+
Kader Kohou had a strong day with two passes defended and four solo tackles.
Eli Apple led the cornerback group in tackles for the second straight week, and he also had a pass breakup.
Xavien Howard had a good day in pass coverage, and he finished with five tackles.
Safeties: B+
DeShon Elliot and Jevon Holland were effective in keeping everything in front of them. The safeties helped the defense hold the Giants to 217 yards passing.
Elliot finished the day with five tackles, and Holland finished with three tackles.
Special Teams: C+
The special teams weren’t too involved. Jake Bailey had a much better game than he did last week.
Bailey punted four times with his longest going for 60 yards. He also had one of his four punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
Jason Sanders converted on all of his extra points and didn’t attempt a field goal.
