The statistical accomplishments the Miami Dolphins achieved and the records they set on Sunday
By Brian Miller
When the Miami Dolphins took the field on Sunday, personal achievements were not on their minds. They may reflect on what they did today before moving on to Baltimore.
Entering Sunday's game, several milestones were close to being reached.
- 4,000 passing yards
- 1,000 yards rushing
- 1,000 yards receiving
- Double digit sacks
Tyreek Hill long ago surpassed the 1,000 yard receiving mark for this year. His quest for 2,000 yards isn't going to happen but it gives him something to chase again next year. He would need 179 yards receiving in each of the next two games to reach 2K.
While Hill, sitting with over 1,600 yards may have already eclipsed that number, Jaylen Waddle needed only 36 yards to move past the mark. He did that in the first quarter.
Waddle hit the 1K mark for the third time in his career, each of his three seasons in the league.
Waddle crossing 1K isn't surprising as he has done it 3 times but Raheem Mostert entered the day needing 34 yards to pass 1K for the first time in his career. Mostert finished with 46 yards on the ground and in doing so, reached the milestone that has eluded him.
It says a lot about his determination as a professional. At 31 years old, Mostert has quieted his detractors and as a result, he will likely end the season as a Pro Bowl runner. Mostert is competing against Christian McCaffrey for the TD record this year.
At QB, Tua Tagovailoa entered the game needing 79 yards to reach 4,000 on the season. He finished the game with 293 yards and passed 4K for the first time in his NFL career. He currently stands at 4214 yards. The chances of getting to 5K this year are not looking good but 5K is a big number that even the best QBs in history have never hit.
Not all the milestones came on the offensive side of the ball. Bradley Chubb needed a half sack to get to double-digits, he got 1.5 and that now gives him 11.5 on the season. Zach Sieler also got credit for a sack and now has 8.5 on the year. Christian Wilkins didn't register a sack on Sunday and remains at 8 for the season.
With two games left, it is possible that Miami could finish the season with three defenders with double-digit sack totals.
Of course we can't leave out Jason Sanders. I have been tough on Sanders the last couple of years but on Sunday, there is no question that he rose beyond the point of consistency. His four FGs lifted the Dolphins into the playoffs and his first FG, a 57-yarder that left plenty of room for more, was his personal career best.