25 September, 2023
The Miami Dolphins won their first two games of the 2023 season on the road before coming home to Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday afternoon and putting on one of the best offensive displays in NFL history. They defeated the Denver Broncos 70-20.
Since the Los Angeles Rams accomplished so in 1950, Miami became the first NFL team to score 70 points. The Miami Dolphins’ 726 total offensive yards were a franchise record and fell nine yards short of the Los Angeles Rams’ all-time NFL record, which was set in 1951. A single-game franchise record was also set by the club with 350 running yards.
De’Von Achane (4 TDs) and Raheem Mostert (4 TDs), two running backs, combining for four touchdowns and 378 total offensive yards.
In just over three quarters of play, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ended with an effective 309 yards and four touchdowns on 23 of 26 passes. At 155.8, he recorded his career-highest passer rating.
Only 83 seconds passed until the loud home audience of 65,522 witnessed the fireworks.
Tagovailoa found wide receiver Tyreek Hill uncovered in the center of the field on the third play from scrimmage. Hill gained access to the near-corner pylon by eluding a Broncos defender, scoring Miami’s first points of the contest.
When the Dolphins’ defense quickly forced a three-and-out, Tagovailoa returned to the field.
Achane scored his first NFL touchdown nine plays later on his fourth carry of his career, going eight yards into the end zone.
With a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton, Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson tried to weather the storm, but Tagovailoa countered with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive.
With a four-yard, no-look pass thrown with his off hand to Achane, who slipped into the end zone and gave Miami a 21-7 lead, he completed the play.
While everything was happening, Mostert scored on a 20-yard run with 1:55 left in the half. The ball was knocked out of Sutton’s hands during the ensuing drive by safety Jevon Holland, and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel returned the fumble 29 yards to the Denver three-yard line.
With 1:33 left, Mostert scored on the following play to give Miami a 35-10 lead. Just before halftime, Broncos kicker Will Lutz made it 35-13.
In the first half, Tagovailoa completed 16 of 16 passes for 206 yards, two touchdowns, and a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
Forcing the Broncos to punt after only four plays, the Dolphins defense maintained their excellent performance to start the second half.
With that motivation, the offense fueled a field-goal drive for their sixth score of the day. With 7:52 remaining in the third quarter, Mostert once more scored on fourth down from one yard out to give Miami a 42-13 lead.
Raheem Mostert skip-hops his way to the game’s fourth touchdown.
After forcing his second fumble of the day, which cornerback Kader Kohou recovered, Mostert returned to the end zone for his fourth score of the day less than five minutes later.
This time, the Florida native from New Smyrna Beach, Florida, caught the ball behind the line of scrimmage, outran a Broncos defender, dodged another, and then ran into the end zone. It was the second game in his career that he scored a touchdown on both the ground and in the air.
Three more touchdowns were scored by the Dolphins in the fourth quarter as they kept piling on the points.
Tagovailoa’s 10-yard pass to Achane came first.
Tua Tagovailoa’s 10-yard flip pass TD to De’Von Achane gave the Dolphins a 56-point victory.
Then, with 9:28 remaining in the game, Miami went up 63-13 thanks to a 68-yard touchdown reception from Robbie Chosen, a native of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on a deep pass from backup quarterback Mike White.
Following a kickoff, wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. returned it 99 yards for the game’s final points for Denver. Achane (203 yards), the fifth different Dolphins player to rush for 200+ yards in a game, surpassed the team’s rookie rushing record but wasn’t done yet.
He scored on a 67-yard run two plays into the Dolphins’ following drive, giving Miami a total of 70 points for the day. NFL point spreads
De’Vone Achane’s 67-yard touchdown kick puts the Dolphins ahead 69 points. Mark Hill, who has now scored in each of Miami’s three games this season, led all receivers with nine grabs for 157 yards and a touchdown.
The Dolphins defense also put in a strong effort, allowing just one offensive touchdown and forcing three turnovers, two of which gave the Dolphins starting field position inside the Broncos 10-yard line. The offense, however, deservedly garnered most of the attention after its record-breaking performance.
Wilson completed his 13 passes for 306 yards, and the Broncos only managed 3.5 yards per rush in comparison to Miami’s 8.1.
Miami will play the Buffalo Bills (2-1) at Highmark Stadium the following Sunday, October 1. On CBS, the game will begin at 1:00 p.m. ET.