Some eye-opening feats by Dolphins players. And news, nuggets by position
Several Dolphins achieved neat feats during the uplifting 34-10 thrashing of the Falcons in Atlanta. Among them:
▪ De’Von Achane reached the 30-touchdown mark faster than any player in Dolphins history, having achieved that in 36 games.
He’s also one of nine players in the league to score 30 touchdowns from scrimmage since 2023, when he entered the league.
His 774 scrimmage yards rank sixth in the league this season and are the eighth most by a Dolphins player through the first eight games since at least 1970.
▪ Receiver Jaylen Waddle surpassed Chris Chambers and became the franchise leader in receiving yardage in the first five seasons in the NFL. He now has 4,633; Mark Clayton, Mark Duper and Jarvis Landry are third, fourth and fifth on the list.
What’s more, Waddle is one of just three players to have multiple touchdown receptions of 40-plus yards this season, along with Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins and Buffalo’s Khalil Shakir.
▪ Tua Tagovailoa broke a tie with Bob Griese on Sunday and is now second on the Dolphins’ all-time list with five games of four or more touchdown passes. Sunday was Tagovailoa’s fifth such game. Dan Marino holds the franchise record with 21.
▪ Linebacker Jordyn Brooks became the only player in the NFL this season to produce at least six tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack in a half.
He is the first Dolphins player to do so since Ndamukong Suh at Philadelphia in November 2015.
▪ With his first career touchdown reception, Malik Washington became one of seven players in Dolphins history to record a receiving touchdown, rushing touchdown (Nov. 11, 2024 at the L.A. Rams) and punt return touchdown (Sept. 14, 2025 vs. New England).
The others: Freddie Solomon, Tony Nathan, Tommy Vigorito, Ted Ginn Jr., Jarvis Landry and Jakeem Grant. Washington has the third-most all-purpose yards in the NFL this season.
▪ Zach Sieler, who had a key tackle for loss, had at least one tackle in his 90th consecutive game, the longest active streak by a defensive lineman in the NFL.
Snap counts, grades
▪ Running back: Ollie Gordon’s career-high 10 carries came on 21 offensive snaps, and Jaylen Wright had nine carries on his 11 snaps. Achane played 46 snaps. Fullback Alec Ingold played 26.
PFF rated Gordon as Miami’s best player on offense on Sunday, followed by Tagovailoa, Waddle and center Aaron Brewer.
▪ Tight end: With Darren Waller on injured reserve and Julian Hill sidelined by an ankle injury, the Dolphins gave 31 snaps to Tanner Conner, 19 to Greg Dulcich (in his Dolphins debut) and 11 snaps to Hayden Rucci in his NFL debut.
PFF rated Conner ninth and Dulcich 11th among 22 Dolphins who appeared on offense. PFF rated Dulcich, Rucci and Brewer as Miami’s best run blockers.
▪ Offensive line: Daniel Brunskill played 22 snaps, many of those as a sixth offensive lineman, and PFF rated him seventh best among 22 Dolphins who played on offense.
Kendall Lamm and Kion Smith got seven late snaps. Right guard Cole Strange permitted three quarterback pressures, but the Dolphins didn’t allow a sack.
▪ Wide receiver: Waddle played 54 of the Dolphins’ 69 offensive snaps, while Nick Westbrooke-Ikhine played 45, Washington 43 and Cedrick Wilson 22.
Returner Dee Eskridge left the game early with a shoulder injury after playing one offensive snap.
▪ Defensive line: Zach Sieler played 32 of 50 defensive snaps, with Kenneth Grant playing 25, Jordan Phillips 16, Matthew Butler 15 and Benito Jones 12. PFF rated Sieler fourth and Grant 16th among 22 who played on defense.
▪ Inside linebacker: Given a rare chance to rest late in a blowout, Brooks played 37 and Tyrel Dodson 32. PFF rated Dodson second among all Dolphins defenders; Brooks was eighth, which was that low because he allowed all five targets to be caught for 54 yards.
Willie Gay Jr. and K.J. Britt each played 13 defensive snaps late in the game.
▪ Outside linebacker: Jaelan Phillips played 40 snaps, Bradley Chubb 31, Chop Robinson 24, Matthew Judon 17 and Cameron Goode 2. PFF rated Phillips third among all Dolphins defenders.
Phillips and Robinson each had three quarterback hurries, and PFF graded Robinson as Miami’s best pass rusher on Sunday.
▪ Safety: Three safeties sustained injuries: Ashytn Davis (quadriceps), Ifeatu Melifonwu (hand) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (thumb). Melifonwu returned to the game. Updates on the others are expected later Monday.
Melifonwu started over Davis, who had started the previous five games. Rookie Dante Trader Jr. played 37 snaps off the bench, and PFF rated him Miami’s top defender on Sunday.
▪ Cornerback: Before Storm Duck was carted off with a knee injury, the Dolphins gave him 15 defensive snaps, in a rotation with Jack Jones, who played 35 snaps.
After Duck was injured, Jones played most of the remaining snaps opposite Rasul Douglas, who played 48 of the Dolphins’ 50 snaps.
Kendall Sheffield, who has one remaining elevation, played 16 and wasn’t targeted in coverage. Ethan Bonner, who had rotated with Jones the previous two weeks, played only two defensive snaps.
Douglas allowed four of 10 targets to be caught for just 22 yards but was also called for a pass interference penalty on a 39-yard pass to Darnell Mooney.
Jones allowed two of three targets to be caught for 36 yards.
Here’s my Sunday piece with 10 notes and thoughts from the win. Here’s my Sunday piece with Mike McDaniel’s thoughts on the game.
This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 11:40 AM.
