Special on Special Teams, Again
Last week, the Dolphins scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams for the first time since 2009. Although they didn't score a touchdown this week, the Miami special teams are rounding out Miami's complementary style of football that has led to four straight wins.
Jason Sanders made two field goals on Sunday including a career-long from 56 yards. His game-winner from 50 yards out made him the first kicker in Dolphins history to make two 50-plus yard field goals in the same game.
Dating back to last season, Sanders has made 20 consecutive kicks, the most in franchise history. He's a perfect 17-for-17 on field goals this season and the only kicker in the NFL with 12 or more makes without a missed kick.
Punter Matt Haack is ninth in the NFL with a 42.3 net punting average. His 16 punts downed inside the 20-yard line are tied for fourth. Jakeem Grant's 237 punt return yards leads the NFL and his 13.9 average yards per return ranks fourth.
The defense did, however, score another touchdown to get Miami on the board early in the first quarter.
Last week, the Dolphins scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams for the first time since 2009. Although they didn't score a touchdown this week, the Miami special teams are rounding out Miami's complementary style of football that has led to four straight wins.
Jason Sanders made two field goals on Sunday including a career-long from 56 yards. His game-winner from 50 yards out made him the first kicker in Dolphins history to make two 50-plus yard field goals in the same game.
Dating back to last season, Sanders has made 20 consecutive kicks, the most in franchise history. He's a perfect 17-for-17 on field goals this season and the only kicker in the NFL with 12 or more makes without a missed kick.
Punter Matt Haack is ninth in the NFL with a 42.3 net punting average. His 16 punts downed inside the 20-yard line are tied for fourth. Jakeem Grant's 237 punt return yards leads the NFL and his 13.9 average yards per return ranks fourth.
The defense did, however, score another touchdown to get Miami on the board early in the first quarter.
Bookends
Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah dislodged the football from Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray for his third forced fumble of the season. That mark ties Ogbah for third in the NFL in forced fumbles.
"If that's what it takes to win games, then I'm down to do it," Ogbah said with a laugh postgame when asked if he was going to help produce a defensive touchdown each week.
Ogbah is near the top of the leaderboard in several categories. He has a sack in five straight games, giving him seven for the season. That mark is tied for fourth in the NFL. Ogbah is sixth among edge defenders with 34 quarterback pressures, 14th with 16 run stops (tackles within two yards of the line of scrimmage) and second with three batted passes, per Pro Football Focus.
"He's got versatility," Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores said. "He can play inside, outside. He's tough. He plays well against the run. He's fast, he's got length and he's smart."
The play of Ogbah is creating opportunities for those around him, a hallmark of the Miami defense.
"Emmanuel is a beast," Shaq Lawson said. "He's been going crazy these last six or seven games we've played. He's been a dominant force. Having him on the other side, hopefully that starts opening me up now."
Lawson finished Ogbah's strip sack by scooping and scoring the fumble on the Cardinals' first possession of the game.
Last week against the Rams, Lawson registered his first forced fumble as a member of the Dolphins. The play didn't score, as linebacker Kyle Van Noy was tripped up at the 1-yard-line; but Miami found the end zone with Myles Gaskin on the next play.
"I thought they played well. I thought they got a lot of pressure on the quarterback," Flores said of Ogbah and Lawson last week. "They executed the game plan. It was good preparation throughout the week, and we executed."
With half of the season still to play, Ogbah has already surpassed his career high in sacks. In his first season with Miami, Ogbah attributes the production and breakthrough season to a shared trust between himself, his teammates and the coaching staff.
"It takes trust. The coaches trust me, my teammates trust me," Ogbah said. "They put me in the right position to make plays, and I'm blessed and grateful for that."
Miami's four-game winning streak has been the culmination of complementary football. Miami have scored 28 points either on special teams or off turnovers in the wins over Arizona and the Los Angeles Rams.
"I like to say all phases work together," Ogbah said. "When offense is down, the defense has got to pick them up. When the defense is down, the offense has got to pick them up. We work hand-in-hand. Also special teams, too, has been big for us. I'm just grateful to have teammates that trust each other and just go out there and play for each other."
Flores on the Offensive Line Rotation, Team's Performance
The Dolphins played seven offensive linemen in the game Sunday. Julién Davenport played just one snap, but the other six played at least 15 each. Monday, Flores addressed the state of the line and the decision to utilize multiple combinations.
"The only guys who are really locked in (at specific positions) are 'E-Flow' (Ereck Flowers) and Ted (Karras)," Flores said. "We had six guys we felt really comfortable with and you can only play five. So we went with what we felt most comfortable with, and we'll see where we are next week."
The use of the six linemen showcases Miami's ability to dig deep into the roster and get production from all 53 players. One step further, the Dolphins were down several players at the wide receiver, tight end and running back positions. All things told, Miami was without 961 snaps this season from the skill positions collectively by the end of the game.
"I was happy with the team's performance," Flores said. "It was a tough game against a very good team. I though the guys played hard. They battled. We dealt with some adversity throughout the game. We made some mistakes but fought through it. It was a great team victory. We got contributions from all three phases."
