Miami Dolphins Sunday Victory Game Balls

The Miami Dolphins won today. In case you didn’t know. O.k. so I gave you plenty of time to watch your recorded game in case you had to work but now it’s time to get to the game. The Dolphins won and they did so in one of their most convincing manners in recent memory.

The Dolphins started out the game with a block punt that led to a Ryan Tannehill touchdown pass. The New England Patriots went down the field and tied the game on their next possession. The Dolphins then imploded turning the ball over on then next three series before settling for a field goal towards the end of the half. The Patriots would add 13 points to their total in what was shaping up as a route entering half time with a 20-10 lead.

Something happened in the Miami locker room and we can only imagine what was said and by whom but the Dolphins did not take the field in the 2nd half. Someone else did. A team possessed. Motivated. On fire.

The Dolphins would hold Tom Brady and the Patriot offense to around 33 yards for most of the second half and kept Tom Brady on his back as well. The Dolphins would score 23 unanswered points to notch their 2nd consecutive season opening victory and their first at home since 2008. In addition the Dolphins ended the longest current opening day winning streak that the Patriots had boasted. They had not lost a season opener since 2003.

It was a team effort but game balls won’t be going all around. Although they probably should.

1: Knowshon Moreno: Moreno took over the game. He ran like captured thunder. Bruising and not letting the first contact take him down. His game today was so complete that fans had to go all the way back to the days of Ricky Williams to compare. Moreno finished the game with 134 yards on 24 carries and one touchdown. The yards were not as impressive as the way he ran.

2: The no-name linebackers: The Dolphins entered the game with Phillip Wheeler out and by the end of the first two drives the team lost LB’s Koa Misi and Dannelle Ellerbe. Neither would return. The platoon of Jason Trusnik, Jelani Jenkins, and Chris McCain would lead the Dolphins defense against the rush and cover the tight ends brilliantly. The Dolphins will have a tough decision to make when the starters get healthy.

3: Mike Wallace: Wallace posted 81 yards on seven receptions but he played well despite one fumble. He gets a game ball for showing fight. Wallace caught his lone touchdown hip to hip with Darrelle Revis and later lowered his shoulder and drove a defender to the ground. Wallace played with more effort than he did all of last season.

4: Coaching staff: Joe Philbin held a post game team locker room pep talk that didn’t include index cards. Kevin Coyle got his defense turned around from the first half and held Brady to 33 yards in the second half until the final drive and Bill Lazor made all the right play calls and halftime adjustments. Anyone miss Mike Sherman?

5: The offensive line: Five new starters and Ryan Tannehill was sacked once and the Dolphins rushed for over 190 yards. No one could have predicted that. Samson Satele was brilliant calling the game from center and Ja’Wuan James looked like he has been in the league for years.

6: Cameron Wake: There would be a lot of people to give this final game ball to but Cameron Wake took control of the game in the 2nd half. Wake was constantly in the face of Tom Brady and had two sacks and two forced fumbles in the second half.

TOP PERFORMER

Hard to pick just one player but today’s “golden game ball” goes to the back-up linebackers who took the field early and dominated.