The Miami Dolphins made their Week 12 opponent look like a junior varsity team. It’s not too surprising given just how bad the Houston Texans are.
With that said, leading 30-0 at the half against an NFL team is an accomplishment. It doesn’t matter how bad said team is.
Miami had well north of 300 yards in the first 30 minutes as Houston tallied less than 50 yards. It was a butt-whooping of epic proportions.
Under first-year head coach Mike McDaniel, the Fins find themselves at 8-3 on the season. They rank in the top-10 of the NFL in scoring and total offense. Meanwhile, the defense added a stud pass rusher in that of Bradley Chubb at the trade deadline. This team is for real. Here’s a look at three reasons why Miami is Super Bowl bound.
Related: Miami Dolphins standing in Sportsnaut’s NFL offense rankings
Mike McDaniel is a difference-maker for the Miami Dolphins
It’s not a secret that McDaniel is considered an offensive genius. Dating back to his days as the San Francisco 49ers’ run-game coordinator and offensive coordinator, it’s been known that he has what it takes to lead on that side of the ball.
Whether it’s Raheem Mostert or the newly-acquired Jeff Wilson in Miami’s backfield, that part of the offense has created a nice amount of balance.
With that said, it’s all about the performance of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa that has people singing McDaniel’s praise. The third-year quarterback was seen as nothing more than a mid-tier starter throughout his first two seasons. Heck, some didn’t believe that he could be a starter-caliber guy under center.
About that? Tua is leading one of the NFL’s most-explosive offenses. Big play after big play to the likes of Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. The ability to change the game on a dime can be a difference-maker between a narrow loss and a close win. That’s one of the reasons these Dolphins have to be considered a threat to the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.
Related: Find out where Tua Tagovailoa ranks among NFL QBs
Tua Tagovailoa has the “it” factor
A lot was made about Tua’s inability to get the ball down the field during his first two NFL seasons. Some skeptics believed that he had tapped out at Alabama and was never going to grow into that elite-level guy.
Despite this, Miami opted to make him the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. For some, it was a reach. Current Los Angeles Chargers starter Justin Herbert went one pick after Tua. He was seen as more toolsy than his counterpart from Tuscaloosa. Why not go best player available with defensive tackle Derrick Brown or linebacker Isaiah Simmons? Did Miami reach? Now in his third season, Tua is proving Miami’s brass right.
- Tua Tagovailoa stats (2022): 70% completion, 2,564 yards, 19 TD, 3 INT, 115.7 QB rating
Tua leads the NFL in yards per completion and yards per attempt. He also tops other NFL signal callers in QB rating. What a dramatic turnaround it has been for the highly-embattled and still-young quarterback.
Related: Miami Dolphins standing in Sportsnaut’s Week 12 NFL power rankings
Miami Dolphins defense has that edge with Bradley Chubb
It’s not hyperbolic to indicate that Chubb, acquired from the Denver Broncos at the NFL trade deadline, is going to be a major difference-maker.
Flush with star cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, Miami has the secondary to compete with the best offenses in the league. Adding someone who can get to the quarterback changes the dynamics, too.
Chubb, 26, earned Pro Bowl honors back in 2020 while registering 19 QB hits and 7.5 sacks. As a rookie back in 2018, Chubb had 12 sacks. Against the Texans on Sunday, the former top-10 pick recorded two quarterback hits and a sack. That type of pressure led to Miami yielding less than 50 yards and no points at the half.
With the Fins’ offense able to change the game on a dime, having a defense that can hold court leads one to believe this team can be Super Bowl bound.