Broncos at Miami Dolphins recap

The team with the seven game losing streak (Broncos) was favored by Vegas over the Miami Dolphins with their five game losing streak.

Even the losers get lucky sometimes. As the late (taken too soon) great Tom Petty sang. Although this game looked like more than just luck with all three units showing up to form a complete game for a change.

Dolphins got the ball first and drove it to midfield before stalling out. The longest run by Kenyan Drake was negated by a holding call that on the first look didn’t look all that bad by Mike Pouncey.

After the Dolphins scored a safety from a botched snap and a Broncos field goal. The Dolphins had a good 9 play 75 yards TD scoring drive. It featured a few nice passes, one to Kenny Stills (crazy catch) then to Jarvis Landry getting them first and goal. The next play was a TD catch to Julius Thomas in the right side of the end zone. This drive took only just under four minutes.

Soon after Xavien Howard got a pick six as the Broncos were just getting started after being pinned back deep. Something that was common the whole game

The next positive drive from the Dolphins came at the start of the third quarter featured a nice play called from Gase that went diagonally across the field. This pass hit a wide open Anthony Fasano and was the longest pass to that point (guessing thirty or so yards) The drive stalled with a blatant no call PI against Jarvis Landry who was wrapped up before that ball arrived.

Early in the fourth quarter after a Jordan Phillips tipped ball that Xavien Howard intercepted. The Miami Dolphins scored on the first play on the drive which was a long pass to Kenny Stills to the left side near the end zone making the score 33 – 9.

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Missing in action

Playing with discipline: This game started with penalties on the Dolphins for the first drives on both sides of the ball.

Offensive line: The game also started off with a sack on the first two drives, no way to drive down field and get into scoring position.

Pass coverage: This is week 13 and there are no Int’s from the CB’s. After the Dolphins scored a safety the Broncos drove for a FG by getting many receivers open. There was also poor coverage from the safeties as there is no true free safety.

Kenny Stills: not protecting the ball having it punched out after a catch that was near the goal line and a TD there would have put the game near out of reach for the Broncos. But he also made some nice catches this game otherwise.

The above was the only NFL highlight tweet for this game.

As advertised

Jay Cutler: the good and bad. He threw a pick making it 11 on the season two more would place him on his career average of one per game. So long as that doesn’t happen this game he seems to be playing well enough to get a win after making a few nice throws on the only TD scoring drive of the first half.

Update: he did have a second interception that was returned for a TD late in the third quarter making the score 19 – 9 after a failed Broncos two point attempt.

Matt Haack: has done a nice job punting and keeping Miami into good field position the first half. This also continued throughout the game.

Pleasant surprises

Some luck: A tipped ball off a Broncos’ receiver found its way to TJ McDonald.

Special teams: punting and coverage kept the Broncos near the end zone in the red zone the first few series with the second one resulting in a safety. This continued throughout the first half of the game. Midway in the third they got a blocked punt turnover from Terrence Fede. Early fourth quarter Chase Allen forced a fumble into the end zone on a kick return that Senorise Perry fell on for a safety.

Center QB exchange: yet again the Miami Dolphins get points on the board from this just like the last game. This time with a safety from the Broncos QB having to knock the ball from the end zone after a bad snap as to not have a Dolphins’ player land on it.

First CB Int: Xavien Howard got a pick six right after the Dolphins had scored a TD making the score 16 – 3. He then got a second Int early in the fourth quarter.

Andre Branch: got his first sack of the season. I guess there is something to playing with a lead as was the case here and what coach Gase has also stated. Branch did a fake snow angel on the turf as the game was played in Miami.

Jordan Phillips: got his first sack after having one taking away after the fact last game. The one that was in the end zone and not called a safety last week. He also tipped a pass that Xavien Howard intercepted.

Run game: Kenyan Drake appears to be doing enough to keep the run game respectable against the Broncos 4th ranked rushing defense. Some credit has to go to the offensive line to provide him creases and holes to run through.

Kenyan Drake: had just enough room in the middle of the line to snake his way through busting open a big 42-yard run and getting a touchdown. This run late in the third quarter also put him over one hundred yards rushing.

Phi-injury report: Cordrea Tankersley left the game early on the first drive with an ankle injury. Mike Pouncey had to leave the game due to a hand injury early in the third quarter.

Phin-facts: Matt Haack broke Brandon Fields’ team record with seven punts downed inside the 20.

This is the 20th time an NFL team has recorded 2 safeties in a game and the first in Miami Dolphins team history.

CB Xavien Howard’s five passes defended today are tied for the most in an NFL game this season. (LAC CB Casey Hayward, 10/1/17, vs. Phi.).

Game observations

– It may be too soon to call it but Phillips might finally be coming out of his shell, the same goes for Xavien Howard.
– short yardage third downs are still a historically long problem that still needs addressing as they are still not being picked up enough.
– all game long the Broncos were trying to get out from near the end zone. A sign that the defense showed up this game as did the special teams.
– the third turnover of the game came on a tipped ball by Phillips that Howard intercepted.
– QB David Fales got game time about five minutes to play with the game put away 35 – 9.

Final: Dolphins 35, Broncos 9. The Miami Dolphins finally got a win after five loses, next up the Pats come to town.