Sunday was a game that made me nervous. I wanted to see how the Miami Dolphins would respond to a loss. Last year, they didn’t respond well and lost multiple games after losing a game. If you are going to be a good team and a contender, you have to respond to a loss and not be up and down like the Dolphins were last year. I was also nervous because they were playing a New York Giants team that made the playoffs but were 1-3 coming into the game and figured to get their best shot. I didn’t think the Giants could be bad, as their 1-3 record indicated. The Giants have their issues, and they aren’t going away. The Dolphins took care of business and beat a team they were supposed to beat worse than the score indicated.  

However, the Dolphins had to make things interesting as the offense turned the ball over three times, including one when the Giants returned 102 yards for a touchdown to get them back in the game. The Dolphins lost the turnover battle 3 to 0, and most of the time, you lose games like that, but it doesn’t seem to matter when you are struggling like the Giants. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was careless with the football. Regarding the interception in the end zone, I felt coach Mike McDaniel should have run the ball and used the clock because they got the ball to start the second half and, at the very least, come away with a field goal, but instead, the worst-case scenario happened.

There were three guys around the receiver, but Tua forced it. You just can’t do that, especially when the team is up 14-3, and you gave the Giants hope. In the second interception, he just floated the ball, and the Giants got another turnover, and fortunately, the defense held them to a field goal. The Dolphins overcame those mistakes and were fortunate to do it against a bad Giants team. 

The offense got back on track and made big play after big play. They basically did whatever they wanted to against the Giants’ defense. Tyreek Hill had another huge game, and he looks like he will get to 2,000 yards easily if he and Tagovailoa stay healthy. They are one of the best combinations in the NFL, and people wondered how they would work together after the team traded for Hill. The Devon Achane continues to be as exciting as advertised.

I watch him and wonder how he fell to the 3rd round. He is a perfect fit for McDaniel’s offense. The Dolphins are breaking records after five games, but a long season is still ahead. The goal isn’t to break the record for most yards after five games. It’s to win the division and make a deep run into the playoffs. This is the most exciting offense that I have ever seen in my lifetime because they can run and pass. During the Dan Marino days, they didn’t have a running game, which was all passing.   

The biggest drive of the game was after Tagovailoa’s second interception, and the Giants cut the lead to 24-13. The Dolphins took the ball and ran the ball down the field. Raheem Mostert’s 2-yard touchdown capped it off. That is something McDaniel didn’t do last year, and his commitment to the run this year has paid off. There are still times he gets away from it, but that drive they needed to do that because Tagovailoa was off and careless at times.

They needed to run it and exert their will against the Giants’ defense. Even without Terron Armstead, the offensive line is better than anyone could have imagined. Offensive line coach Butch Berry deserves a lot of credit for coaching these guys up in a way I don’t think anyone saw.  

The defense got back on track and sacked Daniel Jones 7 times. I know they didn’t have three starters on the line, but who cares? The Dolphins needed a game like this, especially on the defensive line that hasn’t looked good at times this year, and they are supposed to be the deepest and best spot on the defense. I hope they can use this game as a springboard as they start to go into the heart of their schedule, with the Philadelphia Eagles coming up in a couple of weeks and the Kansas City Chiefs not far after that. The Dolphins didn’t force a turnover, but why be nit-picky on that? The defense is adjusting to Vic Fangio’s defense, and the turnovers will come if they continue to have performances like this. 

There are things the Dolphins have to clean up from this game, but it was a good bounce-back performance. They now have the winless Carolina Panthers coming to town and they need to get on them early like they did against the Giants and not get sloppy like they were at times Sunday.Â