Top Performers From Miami's Loss In Denver
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Once again the Miami Dolphins found themselves with a lead in the fourth quarter against one of the best teams in the league, and once again they couldn't close out the game with a win. It was a tough pill for the fans of South Florida to swallow as the Dolphins (6-5) dropped from 7th in the AFC all the way down to 10th. Every team that Miami is battling with for a coveted playoff spot won their game last weekend, leaving the Dolphins an extremely small margin for error during their final five games of the season.
Miami ended up scoring 36 points against the Broncos on Sunday, the most they've scored in a loss since the Monday Night Miracle game against the New York Jets back in October of 2000, a game the Fins lost 40-37 in overtime. Before we move on to this season's first matchup between Miami and the Jets, which takes place on Monday night, here are the top performers from the Dolphins loss in Denver.
Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill played well enough to win on Sunday, consistently leading the Dolphins up and down the field on several touchdown drives. He spread the ball around yet again, completing passes to eight different receivers, and looked very much in control of the Dolphins offense. Tannehill finished the game with 228 yards through the air and three touchdown passes while also adding a rushing touchdown. His only blemish, a late-fourth quarter interception, bounced off the hands of Jarvis Landry and landed in the lap of the Broncos' T.J. Ward.
Jarvis Landry
Quickly becoming the most reliable receiver on the Dolphins roster, Landry led the team in receptions and receiving yards in Denver. He also recorded the first multi-touchdown game of his young career, catching a pair of TD passes from Tannehill. Landry ended up with seven catches for 50 yards on Sunday and now has accumulated 24 receptions for 195 yards and four touchdowns in his last four games.
Jelani Jenkins
It was a rough day for the entire Dolphins defense but Jenkins was all over the field for the majority of the game. He led Miami with 11 tackles, including one for loss, and added a quarterback hit and the only sack of the game for the Dolphins. He was involved in a couple of mix-ups in coverage, but Peyton Manning-led teams will do that to most linebackers.
Lamar Miller
It isn't Lamar's fault that he only touched the ball 13 times on Sunday, but he did do something with the limited opportunities. Miller turned 12 rushing attempts into 59 yards, an average of 4.9 yards per carry. He was also very good in blitz pickups, an area that he has struggled with during his first two years in the league. Miller's yards per carry average has been among the league leaders all season, showing that he could very well succeed as a featured back getting 20+ carries per game.
Brandon Fields
The Dolphins punter traveled the first half of the season on a bit of a rocky road but appears to have turned a corner during the past few weeks. He only had three punts in Denver but they traveled for an average of 53.3 yards, with a long of 55, regularly driving the Broncos' return man backwards. He also landed one of the punts inside the Denver 20-yard line and his long-snapper, John Denney, recovered a fumble on the play that led to the Dolphins fourth touchdown.
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