MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins‘ offense is so good that it can spot another NFL team a two-touchdown lead and barely break a sweat.
This isn’t theoretical — we saw it Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. The Dolphins woke up after sleepwalking through the first quarter to beat the winless Panthers 42-21. Here’s what we learned.
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Carolina Panthers vs. Miami Dolphins Instant Observations
Tyreek Hill, Content King
You’d think after getting fined somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000 thus far this season, Tyreek Hill might take things down a notch.
Nope. Not when there’s great social content to produce.
MORE: Miami Dolphins Depth Chart
Just watch and marvel as Hill first pulls in a 41-yard touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa, then runs to a personal photographer in the end zone, grabs his cell phone (that was rolling the whole time), and does a celebratory backflip.
The footage is worth every penny Hill’s about to be fined.
Amazing video! POV of Tyreek Hill taking the phone after scoring the TD!https://t.co/6sDOQMcpX8https://t.co/co6c81d4nb
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 15, 2023
Hill, it should be noted, was a monster Sunday. He finished with a game-high 163 yards on six catches. He now has 814 yards on the season — the most of any NFL player through six weeks.
Oh My, Stephen Ross
Speaking of touchdown celebrations, please enjoy this very brief clip of Stephen Ross doing the Waddle in the moments that immediately followed Jaylen Waddle’s four-yard touchdown catch in the first half.
🐬🐧🕺🏼😐 pic.twitter.com/Zc0h25Zal6
— Scott Maier (@samaier) October 15, 2023
The best part? The enthusiastic thumbs up Ross shot someone in his box after executing the shimmy.
Ross got tepid but respectful applause when he introduced Zach Thomas during the halftime festivities honoring Thomas’ induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But that’s a vast improvement to the boos he would have gotten in some previous years.
A 5-1 start will do that.
Raheem Mostert on Record-Setting Pace
No De’Von Achane, no problem for the Dolphins’ ground attack.
Raheem Mostert made sure of that.
MORE: NFL Offense Rankings 2023
The Dolphins’ ageless wonder had three more touchdowns — including two on the ground — and topped 100 rushing yards against an overmatched Panthers defense.
Mostert now has nine rushing touchdowns on the season — seven shy of the franchise record set by Ricky Williams in 2002.
Friendly reminder: There are 11 games left in the season.
Christian Wilkins SZN Has Arrived
All that rust that Vic Fangio mentioned Christian Wilkins had accumulated during his opt-in?
Yeah, it’s cleared up.
Wilkins was an absolute menace on the field Sunday, recording two sacks, three quarterback hits, and two tackles for loss.
The Dolphins’ defense completely locked the Panthers down after the game’s first three possessions and their defensive line led the way.
A Special Performance by Danny Crossman’s Group
It’s become fashionable for fans and some members of the media to bang on special teams coordinator Danny Crossman. And most of the criticism has been totally fair.
But on this day, Crossman got the best of his counterpart, Chris Tabor.
In the first half alone, the Dolphins stopped a fake punt short of the sticks and forced Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro into a missed 43-yard field goal.
The Dolphins were able to close it out late by recovering an onsides kick after the Panthers returned a Mike White interception for a touchdown.