On September 24th, 2023 the Miami Dolphins made history. They became one of three teams to ever score 70 points in a single game and had the most yards in history. The powerful Miami Dolphins were able to score this outrageous number on a defense that was ranked number 14 in the league last year. The Miami defense was also great, forcing 3 takeaways.
Being able to score 70 points on a former top-15 defense is a testament to how potent the Miami offense really is. But make no mistake; this was an entire team effort. Collectively, the team amassed a whopping 726 all-purpose yards, the most in NFL history. The Broncos’ defense looked like they could do nothing to contain the Dolphins, and the score certainly reflects that.
Some of the key players in the game were Tua Tagovailoa, Raheem Mostert, and Devon Achane. Achane is a rookie from Texas A&M, who was taken in round 3 of the 2023 draft. In just his 3rd game in the NFL, he had the 18th most rush yards in a game by a rookie (all-time). He had a whopping 203 yards on the ground, and an additional 20 through the air. He had 4 total touchdowns, two rushing and two receiving. His stellar performance included a 67-yard rushing touchdown that came on a 2nd and 2 situation late in the game. At this point in the game, the Dolphins were essentially trying to run time off of the clock so the game would end. They were already winning by 43.
This last touchdown pretty much summed up the day for the Broncos. The Dolphins weren’t even trying to score, but they “accidentally” got a 67-yard touchdown. This either speaks to how down or worn out the defense was, or how incredible the offense is.
Everything the Dolphins did offensively worked, and they became the first team in NFL history to have 5 passing touchdowns and 5 rushing touchdowns in a single game. Achane had two on the ground and the starter, Mostert, had 3. The pair of running backs each had 4 touchdowns. This also has never been done before.
This game was full of statistical records being set. One of these records is that the Dolphins have scored the second most points in three weeks in NFL history (only the 1968 Dallas Cowboys had more). But the Dolphins weren’t intentionally going for any record. Coach Mike McDaniel made that apparent when he sat his starters.
It was almost like the Dolphins couldn’t help but score though. It’s never a good thing for the opposing defense if your team’s third-string running back has more than 200 yards and 2 touchdowns. While the Dolphins were already winning 63-14, Devon Achane broke off the 67-yarder on a running play that was almost definitely utilized to run the clock down.
The Dolphins also became the first team in history to have over 350 passing and rushing yards in a single game.
The Dolphins could have easily set the scoring record. They had 70 points with 8 minutes left in the game. But every play they had after the touchdown was a time-spending run up the middle to bring them closer to the end of the game. Many Dolphins fans were upset with the decision not to go for the scoring record, and they say that Mike McDaniel “robbed the team” of it. But Mike McDaniel stated that they did not come to the game to set any scoring records and that they aren’t chasing points.
They had an opportunity for a field goal late in the game, but McDaniel showed sportsmanship by running it instead. He is most of the reason the Dolphins were in the position to set the record in the first place.
Another interesting coaching decision in this game was Sean Payton’s decision to keep all of his starters in, even when his team was losing by 50. This is an abnormal decision because when a team is in garbage time (the part of the game where the outcome is already determined), coaches usually pull their players to prevent injuries and not take unnecessary risks. Was he punishing his team for having such a bad game? Or just being a good sport and playing it out until the end? Either way, the Broncos’ whole team was certainly dejected after the defeat.
And so was Sean Payton. In his post-game interview, he said, “That was embarrassing… and hard to watch.” He said that “there weren’t a lot of positives to take from that game”. This game also looks horrible for Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. When something this bad happens to a defense, the DC is always the first to take the blame. Forbes.com even said that the Broncos need to make a coaching change regarding Vance Joseph.
The Broncos just had a comeback win vs. the Chicago Bears on October 1st, and Forbes says that this win saves Joseph’s job for now. This game does not help his case to stay on the team though. The defense allowed 28 points to one of the slowest offenses in the league. They allowed Justin Fields to have the best passing game of his career, with a 132.7 QBR and 4 passing touchdowns.
The Broncos’ secondary needs the most help out of any part of their team. The linebacking corps has stepped it up lately, with Nik Bonitto having a 2.5-sack game against the Bears, but the secondary seems to be one of the worst in the league. Through only 4 games, they have allowed over 1,200 yards through the air, the second most in the NFL.
For a team to allow 70 points in a game, a lot has to go wrong, and a lot right for the other team. This was the case in the week 3 Dolphins-Broncos matchup. With plenty of turnovers in favor of the Dolphins and an extremely explosive offense, this game will go down in history with all of the records it set.
