Miami Dolphins interim coach Dan Campbell wanted to bring an aggressive mentality to the team, and the Tennessee Titans weren’t ready for it on Sunday.
Thanks to a renewed focus on the running game and a strong defensive performance, Miami whipped the Titans 38-10. Tennessee tight end Delanie Walker compared the blowout to being picked on by a bully, per Jim Wyatt of the TitansOnline.
“We were the new kids at the school trying to take on the bully, and the bully beat us up. That is basically what happened.”
Linebacker Brian Orakpo said the Titans failed to match the Dolphins’ intensity, which was evident from the start and a stark contract to recent outings.
“They hit us in the mouth early, and we couldn’t recover from that. There was a different tone about them from what we saw them on film. We just caught them at the wrong time, I guess.”
It was only one game and Tennessee isn’t exactly the New England Patriots, but Miami played with a “different tone.” The defense finally held an opponent under 300 yards, and running back Lamar Miller posted season-highs of 19 carries, 113 yards and one touchdown.
Granted, the Dolphins toed the line between aggressive and dirty on multiple occasions, including a low hit on Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota that will remain in the headlines for a while. However, Miami had recorded a single sack all season entering Week 6. The defense piled up six on Sunday.
Even if the Dolphins don’t rip off a few victories and re-join the playoff picture, it’s safe to assume Campbell will have them playing like the bully for the rest of the 2015 season.