Miami Dolphins week 11 players of the week

The Miami Dolphins pulled off a miracle win against the Rams on Sunday as they rallied from 10 points down in the final four minutes. After sleeping through the first 56 minutes of the game.

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As the steady rain fell in Southern California the Dolphins struggled on offense to produce anything that resembled an offense. At one point Ryan Tannehill managed to average 2.1 yards per pass play. His net through three quarters was something like 27 yards on 25 passes.

Miami couldn’t run the ball as they faced the leagues number one rushing defense. With two starters on the offensive line out and Laremy Tunsil injured in the 2nd quarter Miami couldn’t protect Tannehill against the big pass rush of the Rams front four.

Jay Ajayi ran for 77 yards while the Dolphins held Todd Gurley to 77 and the Rams to just over 100 combined yards while Miami combined for just under 100 yards. Yet when the team needed it, they got it.

Five players stood out in a game that almost left nothing for the Dolphins to talk about. It was that ugly but in the end, Miami made the plays when it mattered the most.

Defensive line:

Typically it’s a copout to add an entire unit to a “best of” list but in this case the Dolphins defensive line deserves to be heralded. They did after all keep the game in reach for the Dolphins and when the team needed a quick three and out at the very end, the Dolphins defensive line stepped up and made it happen. Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake continued to break down the Rams protection while keeping their running game in check.

Kiko Alonso:

There was no pick-6 game clinching interception this week but Alonso continued to make plays against the pass and against the run forcing the Rams to halt drives. Alonso has turned around a career that was faltering only a season ago and is making a big case for a new contract at season’s end.

Offensive line:

Another unit that normally wouldn’t be included but for 56 minutes the Dolphins offensive line was a wreck but for whatever reason they found a groove late. While Jarvis Landry gets the nod for the first team touchdown, he never would have made it if not for the offensive line rushing to help as they pushed the pile into the endzone. When was the last time you saw a Miami offensive line do that? Following that drive, the offensive line opened a critical running lane for Jay Ajayi on the final drive and gave Tannehill all the protection he needed to win the game. And with three back-ups.

DeVante Parker:

It’s not easy to single out Parker over Landry but there is no denying that Parker was impressive on the final two drives of the game. Especially the final drive where he made three catches including the game winning touchdown. The Dolphins need a lot more of this Parker than the one who has been taking up space most of the season. The last two weeks have been very good for Parker. Maybe his mental game is starting to come together.

Ryan Tannehill:

Tannehill or Jay Ajayi? They both could easily take the last spot. Ajayi ran hard against a very good defensive line but in the end, after all the harassment Tannehill received in the back-field the Dolphins won because Tannehill led not one but two touchdown drives in the waning minutes. Tannehill showed leadership and emotion. He showed that he can indeed lead a team to a late victory. He played like garbage most of the game but when it counted, when they absolutely needed a franchise quarterback and not just a game manager, Tannehill stepped up.