Miami Dolphins (8-3) – Houston Texans (1-9-1): 30-15
There are stats that hurt a lot and that say it all. By halftime of that game, Houston had gained 32 yards. Miami had already scored 30 points. Ended.
This review could end there. The Dolphins were heavily favored against what is probably the weakest team at the moment. They largely held their rank, in just one half.
In attack first, with 10 points on their first two possessions. Then in defense, with an interception which put the attack on the opposing 3 yards for an easy touchdown (17-0), then a covered fumble for a touchdown (27-0).
This is perhaps the most terrible. Miami’s offense didn’t even have to be perfect. Houston was just too weak in all areas.
Don’t even need ground game
Tua Tagovailoa (22/36, 299 yards, 1 TD) distributed the ball to 9 different players, in a match where the ground game was finally used very little by Mike McDaniel when there was a stake. Tyreek Hill (6 rec, 85 yards) and Jaylen Waddle (5 rec, 85 yards) were obviously there. The Texans defense has raised its level at times to get 4 sacks. But never enough to suffocate all of Miami’s playmakers.
Houston scored a touchdown late in the third quarter but missed the conversion by two runs. Nothing to scare Miami, which brought in Skylar Thompson (1/5, 6 yards) just behind to finish the game. That’s how harmless Houston seemed. Kyle Allen (26/39, 215 yards, 1 TD, 2 int) took advantage of the end of the game to inflate his awful statistics of the first half, in particular by finding Jordan Akins for another touchdown. But really nothing to panic Miami, which even intercepted Allen a second time just under three minutes from the end.
The only downside for the Floridians, the exit from Terron Armstead due to a pectoral muscle injury. A situation to watch in the days to come as the veteran has reinforced the protection of Tagovailoa this season.
