Monday Night Football is not a topic that many of us want to remember this week, never mind talk about. Everything seemed to go wrong. Injuries tallied up, players playing hurt all over the roster, and every play call and drive attempt seemed to falter through miscommunication or from poor execution.

Then all of a sudden, the Titans imploded. Key mistakes gave Miami two opportunities and one man stepped up to put us in a commanding position with the game well in our favor. What happened after that is the stuff we don’t want to remember or talk about. But before that, those two mistakes gave Raheem Mostert an opportunity and he took both of them. Not only scoring two touchdowns, but scoring his 15th and 16th rushing touchdowns of the season to equal Ricky Williams’ single season record. A monumental achievement for a man who many people had written off before the season. And with 4 games left this season, everything is pointing to him breaking and extending that record into something historical and special of his own. Catching a pair of scores as well, Mostert also tied Mark Clayton’s overall touchdown record of 18 from 1984

To put this into context, that 16th rush touchdown isn’t just matching the Dolphins single season record with four games to go, but its placing him as the league leader, and four ahead of his nearest challengers, MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey and “Tush Push” King, Jalen Hurts, both on 12.

It also places Mostert ahead of a whopping 26 teams with the nearest challengers, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills, both on 15. The range goes as low as this Sunday’s opponents, the New York Jets on just four. Among those teams are Superbowl candidates the Cowboys (12), current Superbowl Champs in the Chiefs (eight) and the last AFC East team, the Patriots with just six.

To provide further context, at 31 years old, he is the same age as Le’Veon Bell, an ex-rushing leader but who hasn’t been in the league for two years since his three games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. A year older than Melvin Gordon, another former premium running back, now stuck in depth charts in Baltimore and two years older than Todd Gurley who hasn’t played since 2020. And as a final comparison, three  years older than Dalvin Cook, the man who chose the Jets over Miami, and who is yet to score a rushing touchdown this year. Mostert has blown him out of the water.

In a position where an increasing age is so intrinsically linked to negative value, Mostert is defying the narratives and producing a historic season at an age where past league leaders have yet to reach despite being out of the league.With De’Von Achane dealing with injury, Mostert is a safe bet in becoming the sole holder of the franchise record this Sunday, so lets take a look at some of the other players and their biggest rushing touchdown seasons for the Dolphins.

16 Rush Touchdowns in a Miami Dolphins season

Raheem Mostert (2023, and not finished yet) / Ricky Williams (2002)

Up to this point, we have almost exclusively hyped up  Mostert in this piece, so here’s a few more numbers on his record breaking season. Currently, he is has 924 yards for the season, but with the Jets upcoming, it is not only believable that he could get his record setting 17th Rush TD, but there’s also a case for him breaking the 1,000 yard marker too. To get to these numbers, he’s also averaging 5 yards per carry, with a season long rush of 49 yards. Who can argue his unbelievable season and importance to this winning season for the franchise.

In comparison, Ricky Williams really did put the whole team on his back hen he was acquired from the Saints in 2002 when he set that 16 rushing touchdown record. Not only did he get those 16 scores, but he also set a new franchise rush record that season too, churning his way to 1,853 yards, with 10 games over 100 yards and monumental games against the Bills (228 yards, two touchdowns) and the Bears (216 yards, two touchdowns). It was against the Bears where we saw him break his longest rush, going 68 yards for one of his two scores on the game. This worked out close to Mostert’s 4.8 yards per carry, and with highlights of epic proportions, including the goal-line spin TD against the Ravens, a personal favorite from watching highlights with my Dad over here in the United Kingdom.

A legendary season from Ricky, securing that massive trade, delivering on the promise, setting rushing yards and touchdown records. For Mostert to be breaking up just part of this historic season, is a testament to the levels he himself has reached this season.

 

15 Rush Touchdowns in a Miami Dolphins season

Abdul-Karim Al-Jabbar (1997)

A season which is maybe not talked about regularly enough by Dolphins fans where Al-Jabbar is concerned. Whilst he wasn’t a back who would break out field-flipping-length plays with a season long of just 22 yards, he managed to rack up 15  touchdowns in 13 regular season games. A true touchdown machine, with only two games of him breaking 100 yards that season, on his way to gaining 892 total yards, it was his touchdown scoring prowess which made him a true game changer that season. Taking on the Patriots in their own house, seemingly all on his own, scoring three touchdowns in the narrow 27-24 loss, with a second, three- touchdown game for him happening in Baltimore as Miami beat the Ravens 24-23.

14 Rush Touchdowns in a Miami Dolphins season

Lamar Smith (2000)

In 2000, Lamar Smith delivered a remarkable performance that left his mark in the franchise’s history. With a combination of 1,139 rushing yards, his 14 rush touchdowns, and a memorable playoff run, Smith’s contributions played a pivotal role in the Dolphins’ success that year.

His nose for the goal line and knack for converting opportunities into points solidified his status as a reliable scoring threat. He played 17 games that year, 15 in season and two playoff games. Out of those 17 games, he only came off the field without scoring five times. Yet he also came off the field with multiple touchdowns in five other games, and single touchdowns in the rest. With multiple touchdowns coming away to the Jets including his season long carry of a 68 yard touchdown, as well as against the Lions, the Chargers and the Patriots in the regular season, and finally his incredible performance against the Colts in the first playoff game, where he rushed for 209 yards and a pair of scores.

Despite the Dolphins’ eventual elimination in the Divisional Round by the Oakland Raiders, Lamar Smith’s 2000 season remains etched in the memories of fans. His ability to consistently churn out yards with an average of 3.7 per carry, to find the end zone, and elevate his performance in critical games solidified his legacy as one of the standout running backs in Dolphins history.

 

12 Rush Touchdowns in a Miami Dolphins season

Larry Csonka (1979), Mercury Morris (1972), Don Nottingham (1975)

From there you have to go back to the seventies to find anyone even get close to these kind of seasons. And that decade brought a consistency to the running back room. With a player having a 12 rush touchdown season in the early, mid and late periods of the decade. Starting in 1972 with Mercury Morris in the epic unbeaten season in 1972.

Through the regular season,  Morris played a crucial role in the team’s success, contributing significantly to the offensive firepower. Morris rushed for exactly 1,000 yards, at 5.3 yards per carry and a season long rush of 22 yards, with that 1,000 yards marking a significant milestone for his career.

Morris’s role in the 1972 Miami Dolphins was not only about individual accomplishments but also about being a vital part of a cohesive team that executed a flawless season. His ability to deliver under pressure in the postseason further solidified his legacy as a key contributor to one of the greatest teams in NFL history.

Then we move forward to the mid-70’s, where we find Don Nottingham and his 12 rush touchdown season. Whilst yardage was lower than the rest on this list at just 718 total yards, he still converted those into 4.3 yards per carry on his way to those 12 scores.

One of Nottingham’s standout qualities was his nose for the end zone. Whether punching the ball across the goal line in short-yardage situations or breaking away for longer runs, with a season long of 56 yards, he emerged as a primary scoring threat for the Dolphins. His ability to convert red-zone opportunities into touchdowns proved crucial in tight contests, making him a fan favorite and a key asset for the coaching staff.

And finally, we end the round up with a true legend in Larry Csonka, who also reaches the 12 rush touchdown milestone in the 1979 season. The Miami football icon, embarked on his final season with the Dolphins, returning from his three year stint in New York. As a key figure in the Dolphins’ storied history, Csonka aimed to make the most of his swan song in the NFL.

Despite the wear and tear of a decade in professional football, Csonka showcased his enduring prowess on the field. He demonstrated his trademark power running, bulldozing through opposing defenses and contributing 837 total rushing yards at 3.8 yards per carry on his way to his 12 score season.

As the 1979 season drew to a close, so did Larry Csonka’s remarkable career. His final campaign with the Dolphins served as a fitting conclusion to an era marked by resilience, determination, and unmatched skill. Csonka’s impact on the Dolphins and the NFL in undeniable and lives long in the memories of NFL fans everywhere.

When this season began, Miami had been caught flirting with many running back options during the draft process, trade negotiations and free agency period, leaving fans somewhat underwhelmed that in the end, we seemed to simply be running it back with the same underwhelming group from the previous year. In fact many media outlets had the Dolphins down as one of the worst backfields in the league and definitely fourth of four in the AFC East.

It’s understandable to think that this maybe left Mostert with a chip on his shoulder. He bulked up and is essentially  doing everything right. He is proving to everyone, fans and critics alike, exactly how valuable he can be as an NFL running back.