The Miami Dolphins have no shortage of playmakers, and it’s a big reason why the team has such high optimism. Fortunately for the Dolphins, many of them came up huge in their week 1 victory vs. the Los Angeles Chargers. The game was incredibly hard-fought, but the Fins pulled through with late-game heroics from both sides of the ball. With this win, many Fins fans are incredibly confident in the team’s chances against other elite teams across the NFL. So, who were the ones that came up biggest in Sunday’s pivotal victory?
Unlikely Stars and Returning Faces Key in Dolphins Victory vs. Chargers
Raheem Mostert
While this was far from Raheem Mostert’s greatest game, he played a key role this week. Miami’s offense plans to function primarily as a running back by committee, with Jeff Wilson Jr. and rookie Devon Achane along with Mostert. But with the other two Dolphins injured vs. the Chargers, Mostert was the main back this week, and he delivered when needed. The 9-year vet from Purdue (Boiler Up) got Miami on the board in the first with a touchdown, which helped jumpstart the Miami offense after an early fumble. From there, Mostert provided a steady hand in the backfield, rushing for 37 yards on 10 carries. Not incredibly glamorous, but the thought of Mostert rushing for a solid 4-5 yard gain, or even breaking a big gain with his top-end speed, led to the Chargers being unable to fully commit completely on the pass.
Miami’s Front Four Late in the Game
Given the 36-34 score, this game is one that the Miami defense would mostly like to forget. However, the Dolphins front four came up incredibly clutch against the Chargers during LA’s final two drives. Down 30-31 with the Chargers inside the 10-yard line, star Jaelon Phillips beat his man to force a hurried pass by Justin Herbert, leading to an incompletion and eventual field goal. Defensive tackle Zach Sieler also pushed the pocket enough for there to be no step-up opportunity for Herbert. Most of the group’s heroics happened during the final drive when the Fins were trying to hold onto a 36-34 lead.
With the team needing a stop, the front four of Phillips, Sieler, Pro Bowler Bradley Chubb, and the incredible Christian Wilkins (please pay this man) rose to the challenge. On the Chargers’ final set of downs, the four ate up blocks and pressured Herbert into intentional grounding, leading to a 2nd and 20 down and distance. From there, the entire front four destroyed their blocks and sacked Herbert. Sieler was credited for it but frankly, each should’ve been given a quarter of the sack. And finally, the pocket collapsed again on 4th and 13, with Phillips getting credit for half the sack. The other half went to an unlikely face.
Justin Bethel
Who? Yeah exactly. Justin Bethel, a cornerback out of Presbyterian, is currently in his 12th season in the NFL and 2nd as a Dolphin, primarily as a special teamer. He actually has three pro bowlers to his name as a special teamer, but on defense, he’s mainly a rotational corner, totaling just 5 interceptions and 24 pass deflections in his career. Suffice it to say that Bethel isn’t exactly one of the Miami Dolphins playmakers. He also has never totaled a sack in his career, which makes his unlikely bravado all the more inconceivable.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio dialed up blitzes for Bethel twice on the final drive, the first of which actively led to the aforementioned intentional grounding. The front four kept the Chargers’ offensive line occupied, leading to an unblocked Bethel pressuring Herbert. And of course, on the final play on defense, Bethel recorded his first (technically only half a first) sack of his solid career. It’s highly unlikely that Justin Bethel will play defensive hero for the rest of the season. Still, his playmaking should be credited as a nail in the coffin for the Chargers loss.
Miami’s Big Three
This one is quite obvious, especially considering their numbers and impact. Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle are all the Miami Dolphins’ most well-known playmakers and all had phenomenal days. Tua and Tyreek, in particular, got some elite comparisons for their opening-day frenzies. Tagovailoa’s 466 passing yards is 4th all-time in terms of opening-day passing behind Norm Van Brocklin, Tom Brady, and fellow Dolphin Dan Marino. Hill, on the other hand, had 215 receiving yards, 3rd all-time in a season opener. Jaylen Waddle’s stat line of 4 receptions for 78 yards is much less eye-popping, but each of his plays was a momentum booster for the offense. Like Bethel’s play, these stats are surely not going to be kept up throughout the season, but this performance showed the true prowess of the team’s dangerous offense. If healthy, this team can make some major noise in the AFC.
Main Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
