Eagles defense smothers Dolphins’ electrical attack in excellent win

PHILADELPHIA — The Miami Dolphins offense hasactually been extraordinary this season. It’s been electrical, historical and primarily unstoppable.

And on Sunday night, the Philadelphia Eagles defense was muchbetter.

What the Eagles defense did to Mike McDaniels’ maker must sendout a shudder down the backs of offensive planners around the NFL. They shut down the Dolphins’ high-speed attack, holding them to less than half the backyards and points they balanced in the veryfirst 6 videogames of this season. The Dolphins handled simply 244 overall lawns, had just 12 initially downs and their offense scored just 10 points all videogame long.

That smothering efficiency by the Eagles defense offered their plainly hurt quarterback Jalen Hurts and their havingahardtime offense sufficient space to get their own act together and pull off an excellent, 31-17 win.

“One thing about our defense, we simply desire to go out and attack and be dominant,” stated Eagles corner Darius Slay. “We understood they were a fantastic run group, a excellent stretch group. They got all kinds of terrific things going on with that offense. They can do it many methods. 

“We attempted our extremely best to make them one-dimensional.”

Not just did they do that, however they made the Dolphins’ one staying measurement hardly practical. They held the NFL’s finest hurrying attack to simply 45 lawns, and the NFL’s finest passing attack to simply 199 backyards. That’s simply not expected to takeplace to an offense as quick and hazardous as Miami’s. The Dolphins haveactually been producing video game-like statistics all season long. They came in averaging 37.2 points per videogame, 498.7 lawns, 316.8 passing backyards and 181.8 hurrying lawns — all tops in the league. They had a 70-point videogame earlier this season. They had 3 videogames of 500 or more overall lawns.

That’s unreasonable, however not almost as unreasonable as what the Eagles did to them.

“We made them one-dimensional,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni stated. “That group, I can’t inform you how much regard I have for Mike and that personnel and those gamers. I’ve neverever seen anyone as quick as Tyreek Hill in individual. I indicate, damn, he’s quick as hell. So fantastic task by our DBs. But it begins with our protective line and being able to use push, and our DBs did a fantastic task of making (Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) hold the ball a tick.”

Tagovailoa was 23 of 32 for 216 lawns — his mostaffordable overall of the season. Running back Raheem Mostert ran for just 45 backyards. And even however Hill had 11 captures, they went for simply 88 backyards. The Dolphins balanced 5 goals per videogame before Sunday night. Against the Eagles, their offense reached the end zone simply assoonas.

That’s insane for a group whose total speed is unequaled, with such a varied and imaginative offense that so numerous groups haveactually been notable to figure out. But on a night when Hurts (23 of 31 for 279 lawns, 2 goals, one interception) appeared hobbled and even evenworse a brace on his left knee in the 2nd half, the Eagles defense made things mucheasier for him by pressing down on the Miami offense with ruthless penetration and pressure from their front line. They likewise got some outstanding sideline-to-sideline play by edge rush Haason Reddick, who had 2 huge, early dealswith for loss on Mostert that Sirianni idea set the tone for the rest of the videogame.

In the veryfirst half, the Dolphins’ offense was essentially non-existent. They had simply 113 overall lawns, consistingof minus-7 on the ground. They couldn’t sustain anything till the last 2 minutes, and even then they required a amazing, 29-yard catch by Cedric Wilson Jr. who hardly got his feet in bounds on a 3rd-and-18 play to keep that drive alive.

That drive ended with Hill doing what Hill does — striking the turbo button on his speed and burning cornerback James Bradberry for a 27-yard goal catch. But that was actually the end of Hill’s effect on the videogame. Even the Eagles were amazed at how peaceful he was.

“He’s electrifying,” Slay stated. “I truthfully believe he’s the MVP of the league right now. He’s a dominant guy. World-class speed. It’s tough to guard a guy like that.  You’ve simply got to consistof him, simply essentially attempt to keep a roofingsystem over the leading of him since he can run right by you. He is the finest receiver in the league.”

And yet, they included him simply like they did everyone else in a Dolphins uniform. Those 2 huge plays at the end of the veryfirst half were generally it for Miami. That was the just Dolphins drive that went for more than 45 backyards the whole night and the just one that ended in the end zone. Miami’s other goal was a defensive Pick-6.

Now, the Eagles did get some breaks. Hill dropped a pass in the red zone late in the 3rd quarter when he might’ve strolled in the end zone for a 21-yard goal. And on the fourth-down play that followed, Bradberry got away with a outright facemask on Wilson that triggered Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s pass to fall insufficient. If either one of those plays goes the Dolphins method the whole videogame might haveactually altered.

But the Eagles had their share of huge plays too. They sacked Tagovailoa 4 times, consistingof 2 from defensive end Josh Sweat. And Slay had the greatest play of the videogame when he chose off Tagovailoa at the Eagles 1 (“That’s why they call me ‘Big Play Slay,'” he stated). The Dolphins quarterback idea he had running back Mostert heading towards the end zone, however he was under pressure and tossed off his back foot. That triggered his pass to float, which offered Slay time to break off his male and cut in front of Mostert for the interception.

It was remarkable, however no more remarkable than what the rest of the defense did versus an offense that hasactually blazed through everyone they’ve played.

“We understood they had a truly dynamite offense,” defensive dealwith Fletcher Cox. “Our mostsignificant thing was slowing them down.”

They did, proving onceagain that the Eagles have numerous methods to beat anybody they play. They wear’t requirement Hurts to be on fire. They puton’t even requirement their effective hurrying attack to lead the method. It can be simple to forget often, however after what the Eagles did to the Dolphins on Sunday night it oughtto be clear to everybody: The Eagles have a unsafe defense, too.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East pressreporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He invested the previous 6 years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.