The Miami Dolphins’ victory on Thursday Night Football over the Jacksonville Jaguars provided Miami with a lot of relief, just as much as anything else. Had the Dolphins managed to fall to 0-3 on the season with a 10 day layover between their third game and their next one (a date with MVP-candidate Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks), things could have gotten very ugly in South Florida over the next week and a half. But the Dolphins didn’t lose.
Not by a long shot.
And that’s what was the best part about the Dolphins’ victory — it was a total team effort that saw strong performances in all phases of the game. Punter Matt Haack boomed another beautiful punt inside the 5-yard line to flip the field on Jacksonville. The defense found their teeth and found their ability to pressure the opposing quarterback. The offense found push in the run game early on (before Miami was content to milk clock and Jacksonville stuffed the box). This wasn’t just a win. This was an all-encompassing, total team win for the Dolphins. With the chips down, Brian Flores’ Miami Dolphins responded in a big way and everyone came into the Jacksonville on a short week ready to play.
After several weeks of frustrating miscalculations, Miami’s coaching staff had the right mix, too. The Dolphins switched up their defensive approach at times, just enough to keep Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew guessing about who was open and who wasn’t. The end result? A whole lot of check downs underneath.
Thursday night’s Dolphins win wasn’t just a win — it was one of the more complete team efforts this franchise has put forth over 60 minutes for several years. Boxes were checked on all fronts: offense, defense and special teams.
Now, that doesn’t make Miami’s win a perfect game. There’s plenty of added improvement needed. The Dolphins missed a few tackles on Jacksonville’s big running backs. Offensively, the running game grew stale as the game grew on and Miami looked to continue churning out tough yards. And the return game continues to be hit or miss. But these points of correction come on the heels of an 18-point win, which sends Miami into the weekend in the right frame of mind to get those adjustments made and have a plan to build upon the foundation set in Jacksonville last night.