Dolphins win shootouts with TuaTagovailoa, Tyreek Hill – Miami Dolphins blog

CHICAGO — You can ask! Miami Dolphins Wide receiver Tyreek HillIt’s a blast to play games like Sunday’s 35-32 win against the Bears.

Hill used a shootout to reel in seven catches for 143 yards, and a touchdown, his second consecutive game. This performance came after a game with the Lions that saw him catch 12 catches and gain 188 yards. If Miami has to throw the ball, it’s likely that it will go to the most-targeted receiver of the league.

“I’m like a kid in the candy store, man,” Hill said Sunday. “I’m just having fun doing what God blessed me to do.”

Hill’s usage is on pace for a NFL-record 2,085 receiving yard. But, the Dolphins past two defensive performances raise an important question: How sustainable is the shootout system?

Miami has won three of its six victories this season in similar fashion against the Ravens Lions and Bears. The Dolphins’ offense managed 547, 476, and 379 yards respectively, but only gave up 473 and 393 yards.

It is quite a contrast to the Dolphins’ defensive-minded Dolphins teams, who were not well-equipped for a shootout. Those teams relied heavily on their defensive play to win the ball back and establish pedestrian offenses with excellent field position.

However, their defense has looked weak this season. They are ranked 30th in defensive expected goals added, 24th on yards per play and 27th for third-down conversion percentage. Miami is ranked third in yards per play, third in passing yardage per game, and fifth overall in offensive EPA.

Mike McDaniel, head coach of the Dolphins, stated that he does not see them as an offense-dominant group but rather “strong examples” of complementary football. The final result is what matters most, and the defense stopped when it was important over the past two games to seal the wins.

McDaniel thanked the Bears for controlling possession and limiting turnovers, but he also praised the Dolphins for their resolve, especially when their offense failed to score on three consecutive drives.

He said, “It will not be sustainable for either side of the ball dominating in the National Football League.” “It’s hard to win one game. What I’m just happy about is when the offense wasn’t able to score points, the defense found their best play, and that’s what we’re going to build on moving forward.”

Miami saw what could happen if its offense doesn’t score during consecutive losses to Jets, Bengals and Vikings. All three losses had one common factor: quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa You either didn’t play or didn’t finish.

Tagovailoa is what has made the shootout model work, besides Hill’s extravagant numbers. McDaniel’s third year has seen a significant improvement in the passer’s ability to pass. He is now leading the league both in quarterback rating and yards per attempted, as well as ranking third in completion percentage and fourth in touchdown passes.

From 7.5% in 2021, to 11.6% 2022, his percentage of passes that have at least 20 air yard has increased. He has been asked by the Dolphins to lead their high-powered offense. He’s done a great job pushing the ball downfield with greater efficiency and effectiveness than any player at the NFL.

The Dolphins have won all of their games, erased multiple-core deficits, and engaged in shootouts with Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa says he has learned that this team is not to be taken lightly, no matter what the game may be.

“I’ve learned a lot – the resiliency of our team, the resiliency of our guys to continue to fight, to continue to not give up on the game,” he said. “We fight no matter how close or out of control the game may get, regardless of how close it is. So that’s what I’m proud of with our team up to this point.”