After two road wins to start the 2023 season, the Miami Dolphins returned home to Hard Rock Stadium Sunday afternoon and put forth one of the greatest offensive performances in NFL history, scoring 10 touchdowns in a dominant 70-20 win over the Denver Broncos.
Miami became the first NFL team to score 70 points since Washington scored 72 in 1966. The Dolphins' 726 yards of total offense was the most in franchise history and nine yards shy of the NFL's all-time record set by the Los Angeles Rams in 1951. The team's 350 rushing yards also set a single-game franchise record.
Running backs De’Von Achane (4, 233) and Raheem Mostert (4, 142) combined for eight touchdowns and 375 yards of total offense.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa finished with an efficient 309 yards and four touchdowns on 23-for-26 passing in just over three quarters of work. He posted the highest passer rating of his career at 155.8.
The raucous home crowd of 65,522 only had to wait 83 seconds for the fireworks to start.
On the third play from scrimmage, Tagovailoa found wide receiver Tyreek Hill wide open in the middle of the field. Hill beat a Broncos defender to the near-corner pylon and gave Miami its first score of the game.
The Dolphins defense forced a quick three-and-out and back to the field came Tagovailoa.
Nine plays later, Achane took his fourth career carry, eight yards into the end zone for his first NFL touchdown.
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson attempted to weather the storm with a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton, but Tagovailoa responded with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive.
He finished it off with a four-yard, no-look pitch with his off hand to Achane who snuck into the end zone and gave Miami a 21-7 lead.
Mostert, meanwhile, scored on a 20-yard run with 1:55 to play in the half. On the following possession, safety Jevon Holland punched the ball out of Sutton's hands and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel returned the fumble 29 yards to the Denver three-yard line.
Mostert ran it in on the next play to put Miami up 35-10 with 1:33 remaining. Broncos kicker Will Lutz made it 35-13 just before halftime.
Tagovailoa finished the first half 16-of-16 for 206 yards, two touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
The Dolphins defense continued its stellar play to open the second half, forcing the Broncos to punt after just four plays.
The offense fed off that energy and drove down the field for their sixth touchdown of the day. Again, it was Mostert, who scored on fourth down from one yard out to give Miami a 42-13 lead with 7:52 left to play in the third quarter.
Holland then forced his second fumble of the game, which cornerback Kader Kohou recovered, and just under five minutes later, Mostert was back in the endzone for his fourth touchdown of the afternoon.
This time, the New Smyrna Beach, Fla. native caught the ball behind the line of scrimmage, outran one Broncos defender, sidestepped another and walked into the endzone. It marked the second game in his career with both a rushing and receiving touchdown.
The Dolphins continued to pour on the points and scored three more touchdowns in the final quarter.
First came a 10-yard pass from Tagovailoa to Achane.
Then, second-string quarterback Mike White launched a deep pass to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida native Robbie Chosen, who took it to the house for a 68-yard touchdown to put Miami up 63-13 with 9:28 left in the game.
Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. returned the following kickoff 99-yards for Denver's last points of the game. Achane (203 yards), who broke the club's rookie rushing record and became the fifth different Dolphins player to rush for 200+ yards in a game, was not done yet.
Two plays into the Dolphins' next drive, he scored on a 67-yard run to bring Miami to 70 points on the afternoon.
Hill led all receivers with nine receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown and has now scored in all three of Miami's games this season.
While the Dolphins offense deservedly received much of the focus after its record-shattering performance, the defense also turned in a quality performance, allowing just one offensive touchdown and forcing three turnovers, two of which gave the Dolphins starting field position inside the Broncos 10-yard line.
Wilson finished with 306 passing yards on 13 possessions and the Broncos managed just 3.5 yards per carry to Miami's 8.1.
Miami heads back on the road next Sunday, Oct. 1 to take on the Buffalo Bills (2-1) at Highmark Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
