The Dolphins have three convincing wins and three narrow defeats this year. A young team still building towards the ultimate vision of Head Coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier is experiencing success along the way, and some highly entertaining football.
The options are aplenty. Here, we do our best to pick out 10 of the most memorable moments and players of the first six games of 2020.
Emmanuel Ogbah tied for fourth in the NFL in sacks, drops Joe Flacco for a 28-yard loss
With a sack in each of his last three games, and at least a half of a sack over the last five, Miami's new defensive end is fourth in the league in that category, including a huge play against the Jets.
Miami dials up Cover 0 (no safeties) with eight men on the line of scrimmage. Five of them rush and three bail out into coverage. Safety Eric Rowe runs through the blitz pickup attempt of the running back in pursuit of Flacco.
Flacco retreats and tries to spin out the other side, but he's met immediately by Ogbah, who beat the block of Jets right tackle Connor McDermott and gets Flacco to the ground for a massive loss. The play knocked the Jets out of field goal range and forced a punt, preserving the NFL's only shutout this season.
Xavien Howard intercepts a pass in four straight games, picks off Russell Wilson in the end zone
Miami's ball hawking cornerback is at again. The premier interception man in the NFL since December of 2017 (16 interceptions over that span) is once again tied for the league lead in 2020 with four.
With the Seahawks threatening to extend a 17-9 lead in the early stages of the third quarter, Howard put an end to the Seattle drive. Wide receiver D.K. Metcalf runs a slant as Wilson tries to find him under heavy pressure from the Miami front.
Howard undercuts the throw and makes a play on the football for interception and touchback.
Myles Gaskin 1-yard touchdown run in San Francisco
One-yard touchdowns aren't the sexiest, unless they come with a handful of perfectly executed blocks. On Gaskin's 1-yard touchdown plunge in San Francisco, that's exactly what happened.
Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey dials up Miami's big boy package with seven offensive linemen, a tight end and two running backs. Fullback Chandler Cox leads Gaskin from the I-formation off left tackle with a perfectly squared up block on 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
Jesse Davis and Julién Davenport wipe out the edge with down blocks and Ereck Flowers pulls play side and puts the edge defender on the ground. Solomon Kindley and Robert Hunt execute cut blocks and Ted Karras seals off a linebacker at the second level.
Jerome Baker creates a huge turnover in Foxboro
Trailing 14-3 late in the third quarter, backed up against the shadow of the goal line, the Dolphins defense needed a big play. Third-year linebacker – and the leading snap taker on defense with 355 downs played this season – Jerome Baker rose to the occasion.
Patriots wide receiver N'Keal Harry caught a pass running parallel to the line of scrimmage with no Dolphins defenders between he and the pylon in the front corner of the end zone. Miami's leading tackler both in 2019 and so far in 2020 accessed his 4.53 40-yard dash time to flag Harry down and jar the football loose. The ball went through the side of the end zone resulting in a Dolphins touchback, and the third forced fumble of Baker's career.
Williams, split outside of the numbers to the left, sells the fade route drawing contact from the cornerback. The Williams gets across his face and uses his body to block out the defender as he elevates for the Dolphins touchdown.
Kyle Van Noy's strip sack of Gardner Minshew
Van Noy aligns head-up over the Jacksonville left guard with Zach Sieler over the center at nose tackle. Sieler absorbs a double team from the center and right guard as Van Noy crashes in to the center to free up Sieler.
Minshew, getting pressure from both Ogbah and Andrew Van Ginkel off either edge, steps up where he's greeted by Van Noy. The Miami linebacker doesn't just get to Minshew, he forces the ball out and recovers it for a big Dolphins takeaway.
Danny Crossman dials up Clayton Fejedelem on the fake punt
With a 30-14 lead mid-way through the third quarter, Flores and Crossman made an aggressive call. On fourth-and 1 from the Miami 34-yard line, the Dolphins punt team got a favorable look and sent the direct snap to special teams captain Clayton Fejedelem. Miami's safety and special teams ace plowed through a tackle and helped the offense move the chains.
Three plays later, the Dolphins offense validated the decision with a touchdown to give the team a commanding 37-14 lead.
This play was right tackle Robert Hunt's first play as an NFL starter. The rookie managed to put defensive end Arik Armstead – who registered 10 sacks and 18 QB hits last season – on the ground.
DeVante Parker scores on third-and-goal from the 22-yard line at San Francisco
After a tripping penalty and a sack backs the Dolphins up to a seemingly insurmountable third-and-goal from the San Francisco 22-yard line, Fitzpatrick went right back to a vertical one-on-one matchup. This time, Parker gets on top of Brian Allen as Fitzpatrick threads one into a small window between the trailing cornerback and the end line in the back of the end zone.
This time, it's the other rookie on Miami's offensive line – Solomon Kindley – who puts a pass rusher on the ground.
Jason Sanders kicks his way to Special Teams Player of the Week
One week after connecting on five field goals against the Seahawks, Sanders repeated the performance in Miami's 43-17 win in San Francisco en route to his third AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award. He won the award twice last December in addition to Special Teams Player of the Month.
Sanders hit his season-long from 52 in this game and maintained his perfect record on the season, which now stands at 15-for-15. In total, Sanders has made 18 consecutive made field goals dating back to last season. With one more successful kick, Sanders will tie Olindo Mare for the most consecutive made field goals in franchise history with 19.
Mike Gesicki gets loose for 70-yard gain
Entering the Week 5 game in San Francisco, the Dolphins' longest play of the season was 27 yards. Miami broke through in the explosive play department with five plays that eclipsed the previous season-high, none bigger than the fireworks from Fitzpatrick to Gesicki.
Fitzpatrick puts the ball on the bullseye despite pressure up the middle. Williams secures the contested catch just before the backside safety can close to make a play on the football. The play gives Miami a three-score lead late in the third quarter.
The Dolphins come out in a three-by-one set with Gesicki playing the three (receiver closest to the formation to the wide side of the field). Miami's athletic tight end takes a stab inside to sell the post before coming back to the corner, creating enough space for Fitzpatrick to layer the pass over the top. From there, Gesicki is off to the races before being brought down at the 10-yard line.
Preston Williams finds pay dirt on 32-yard touchdown strike
The Dolphins again go with a three-by-one look, this time Williams playing the No. 3 receiver position. With two deep safeties, Williams splits them with a post route towards the goal line.
Fitzpatrick puts the ball on the bullseye despite pressure up the middle. Williams secures the contested catch just before the backside safety can close to make a play on the football. The play gives Miami a three-score lead late in the third quarter.
