De’Von Achane, the Dolphins’ running back, had a few texts to respond to following Sunday’s 70-20 win over the Denver Broncos. Actually, the rookie said, it was closer to 100.
The third-round pick scored 233 total yards and four touchdowns in his first significant role, including 203 rushing yards on 18 carries. Whether he had more total yards or notifications on his phone was a question posed to him following the game.
He added, “Oh, notifications for sure,” before bursting out of the news conference room.
The Dolphins scored 726 yards in one of the most lopsided games in NFL history as the top offence in the league went crazy at home. Since Washington scored 72 points against the New York Giants in 1966, no NFL team has scored more points than they did with their final tally, which set a new franchise record.
The Dolphins gained a total of 350 rushing yards compared to 376 passing yards, averaging 10.2 yards per play.
The Dolphins became the second team in NFL history to record more than 700 yards of offence since the Rams did so in 1951 and the first team to accomplish so in the same game with five passing touchdowns and five running scores. According to ESPN Stats & Information analysis, they are also only the second team in history to record 300 rushing yards and 300 passing yards. They are also the first team to ever score 70 points with 700 yards of offence.
Before being replaced one play into the fourth quarter, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed his first 17 throws and finished 23 of 26 for 309 yards and four touchdowns. He had only three incomplete throws and the Dolphins had only two failed drives when he departed the field.
On a day filled with standout performances, the NFL’s leading passer had one of his own in the second quarter when he threw a no-look shovel pass with his right hand to Achane for a 4-yard score. Tagovailoa is left-handed.
On the third play from scrimmage, Tagovailoa connected with Tyreek Hill for a 54-yard score, setting off their historic day. With the exception of the play they ran to finish the first half, they went on to score on 10 of their first 12 offensive drives. Miami had a chance to break the single-game scoring record when it faced a fourth-and-14 with 33 seconds left, as the surviving home crowd yelled for “three more points!”
Instead, McDaniel asked Mike White, the Broncos’ backup quarterback, to kneel the ball from the team’s 28-yard line. Despite the strong protests of the crowd, McDaniel persisted in his choice.
Tagovailoa said the NFL is about “respect” and the Dolphins weren’t trying to “go out and humiliate teams,” while McDaniel said he has the full backing of the team’s executives.
Raheem Mostert, the league’s leading season rusher, finished the game with 142 total yards and four combined touchdowns, surpassing his season total from 2022 (three) and moving up to six. Mostert is on pace to pass his 891 and eight career-high marks from 2022 and 2019, respectively, with 1,360 yards and 34 touchdowns.
He and Achane became the first teammates to ever register four rushing touchdowns in the same game.
It’s impressive that Miami’s offence managed to succeed without wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who was unable to pass the concussion protocol, even though Hill hauled in nine passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.
The Dolphins’ defence gave up 363 yards and 6.2 yards per play, but they also pressed quarterback Russell Wilson 20 times, leading to three fumbles and one sack. Denver (3-0) was also limited to only three third-down conversions in 12 tries.
Wilson only had three games of 300-yard throwing in a Broncos uniform, completing 23 of 38 passes for 306 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The nine-time Pro Bowler stated the squad wanted to learn from this game but not necessarily dwell on it much longer.
Miami, which has a perfect record under McDaniel and has begun 3-0 in back-to-back seasons, will face the Bills in an AFC East game in Buffalo in Week 4.