Dolphins receivers get back on track for the first time since season opener

Sept. 8, 2024.

That was the last date that Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle each recorded at least 90 yards receiving.

Well, not any longer.

Hill and Waddle combined for for more than 200 yards on Sunday as the Miami Dolphins beat the New York Jets 32-26 in overtime. Waddle grabbed nine balls for 99 yards. Hill finished with 10 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.

“There’s been a lot of talk about their production and stuff,” coach Mike McDaniel said of Hill and Waddle Sunday. “They’re executing this offense the best they’ve ever executed. Their routes are the best. They’re on the field the longest they’ve been on the field. So there’s a lot of cool things coming together. That’s why you fight, because the point is it has nothing to do with how difficult the journey is, but moments like this are on the other side.”

Jonnu Smith’s big overtime game:

The premiere tight end had just one target at the end of regulation.

That number is quite surprising considering that Smith caught 30 balls for 301 yards and three touchdowns over the last three weeks.

Something, however, happened in overtime.

“I think Jonnu came up to Mike and had to have said something to Mike to get him more included maybe, and that’s what ended up happening,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “It’s super cool because throughout the game, he never said anything. When he got targeted once, it wasn’t a drop, it was like, that was on me. After that, not seeing the ball; that can be discouraging, but he never blinked, and we gave him opportunities.”

And make the most of his opportunities he did. The tight end took a back-to-back screens 34 yards before 10-yard touchdown catch gave the Dolphins the overtime victory.

“Didn’t blink first, second, third quarter,” Smith said. “Individually probably wasn’t the game I’ve been having these past couple of weeks. Didn’t blink at all. Just was excited, continuing to have excitement about our offensive success going forward, and when my time comes, just got to be there to make the play when it counts. Just extremely – I love this team, man, the resolve we got, no blink, no flinching.”

Terron Armstead injury implications:

The Pro Bowl left tackle sustained a knee injury a few snaps into that opening drive.

After initially being listed as questionable, he returned late in the first quarter. He subsequently was taken out and never touched the field again.

“He desperately wanted to will his way to play,” McDaniel said before praising Armstead’s commitment to his teammates. “He didn’t. But I saw value added, and there’s a reason why the highly respected and regarded players are as such, because in this game there’s a lot of things that go on.”

Armstead hasn’t practiced in weeks due to a knee injury. It’s unclear if the knee that pushed the two-time Pro Bowler out of Sunday’s game is the same that has plagued him as of late.

Rookie Patrick Paul received extra reps in Armstead’s absence.

“I can tell you that I was not calling plays around him,” McDaniel said. “In games, one thing that is a big deal when you do have a lineup change on the offensive line is you know a guy is playing well if you don’t have to adjust your play calling. So I was not having to, okay, do this but run right, do this but slide left. It was not too big for him. He has a lot of room to grow in this game, and he knows that. That being said, it felt like it was a big moment for him simply because he was competing play in, play out, and was not necessitating extra help.”

Receivers break franchise records:

All it took was one half.

Both Waddle and Hill broke franchise records on consecutive plays just before halftime.

With 23 seconds left, Hill snagged a ball to give him his 298th catch in a Dolphins uniform. That reception tied him with Brian Hartline for the tenth-most in Dolphins history.

On the following play, Waddle caught a pass that gave him 61 yards receiving on the day. That reception broke the franchise record for most receiving yards through the first four seasons of a player’s career. The previous record holder, Jarvis Landry, had 4,038 yards receiving to start his career while Waddle has 4,085 and counting.

THIS AND THAT

▪ Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa became the fourth player in Dolphins franchise history with at least 15,000 passing yards.

▪ Tagovailoa remains a perfect 6-0 against the Jets.

▪ The Dolphins haven’t lost to the Jets at Hard Rock Stadium since 2015.

▪ Defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand notched the 100th tackle of his career.