What I liked
Ryan Tannehill – The kid had opportunities earlier this season to lead the Dolphins to victories in the 4th quarter, but interceptions or missed field goals eventually led the Dolphins to losses. This time, Tannehill did everything you can ask of a quarterback, completing 7 of 9 passes for a touchdown and no interceptions in the 4th quarter. Tannehill posted a 97.1 QB rating and showed that he has what it takes. Even more impressive is that this comeback win came against one of the best pass defenses in the NFL.
Charles Clay - Clay has been the butt of many jokes this season because he hasn’t produced much on the field. However, on Sunday he made his presence known, catching 6 balls for 84 yards and a touchdown. Let’s see more of that Charles!
Davone Bess – Bess is under-appreciated in this Dolphins offense because he doesn’t possess great speed or size. However, he did a great job getting open and catching the football on Sunday. Bess caught 7 balls for 129 yards on Sunday and showed the consistency we’ve been waiting for.
Dolphins running game – The Dolphins rushed 28 times for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns. Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas each had a touchdown and ran off 87 and 60 yards respectively. Bush and Thomas averaged over 6 yards per carry, which is outstanding. The Dolphins offensive line did a good job against a stout rush defense and opened holes for the running backs all game long. THIS is the type of downhill running we need to see every game from the Dolphins.
Dolphins rush defense – The Dolphins rush defense has been suspect of late, but they put their foot down on Sunday. The Dolphins held the Seahawks to 96 yards on 27 carries (3.6 avg) and shut down Marshawn Lynch, who entered the game with the 2nd most rushing yards in the NFL. Extra big props to go big Paul Soliai who looked like a man on a mission on Sunday. Soliai blew up running play after running play, consistently pushing his man into the backfield and disrupting the play.
Coaching - I give Joe Philbin credit for going for it late in the 4th quarter. The Dolphins got the ball deep in their own territory with only 1 timeout and less than 2 minutes remaining…..and Joe Philbin showed his faith in the Dolphins offense by allowing them to try to get into position for the game winning field goal. I also liked what Mike Sherman did as the game went on. Specifically, I like the fake end around decoy on running plays. The Dolphins ran the same play out of the same formation, but with different option. One time, they handed it off to Daniel Thomas for a dive play….another they handed the ball to Marlon Moore for an end around….and on another, Tannehill faked to both and threw. Running the same play action out of the same formation confuses the defense and it worked to perfection on Sunday. (cont’d on page 3, click below)
