Miami Dolphins stock up, stock down: Reactions to Week 11 win vs. Raiders

The Miami Dolphins came away with an emphatic win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Who saw their stock rise or fall during the game?

The Miami Dolphins have now won back-to-back games for the first time this season, moving them to 4-6 on the year and keeping their path way to the AFC playoff picture open. Their 34-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders was a solid all-around performance, even if it did not come with the typical explosiveness of the Dolphins offense.

Rather than throwing the ball all over the field, Miami relied on their run game and shorter passes to attack Las Vegas. It was effective throughout the game, with the team finishing with no turnovers and punts – the only drive they did not score was as the offense ended the first half with the ball.

We take a look at who saw their stock rise or fall during the team’s Week 11 win.

Stock Up

Tua Tagovaila, quarterback

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Miami’s signal caller finished the game 28-for-36 for 288 yards with three touchdowns and a passer rating of 127.8. He was sharp and he was decisive. He was sacked twice, including being stripped early in the game, but the Dolphins fell on the loose ball, and it did not come back to haunt them. Miami’s offense looks completely different when Tua is in the game versus when anyone else is at the helm. Some fans still call for the team to move on from Tagovailoa, but those voices are getting softer and less frequent.

De’Von Achane, running back

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Heading into this season, the Dolphins running back room was expected to be a duo of runners attacking the team with their speed. Now, in Week 11, this is clearly Achane’s job with Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Wright in complementary roles. On Sunday, Achane carried the ball 17 times for 73 yards and a touchdown. He also had four receptions for 32 yards. If the Dolphins keep winning, Achane is going to announce himself as a household name at some point this season.

Jonnu Smith, tight end

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Miami signed Smith this offseason to provide them with a receiving option out of the tight end position, serving as the catalyst for an evolution of head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense. He has become much more than that. He came into the game third on the team in receiving yards, trailing just wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. He caught six passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, moving him ahead of Waddle for the season. Smith’s stats are bolstered by a 57-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, but he is still a huge part of the Miami offensive gameplan and, given how tight-end adverse McDaniel seemed in his first two years as the team’s head coach, Smith’s stock has continued to rise each week this year.

Odell Beckham, Jr., wide receiver

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Beckham, signed in the offseason by the Dolphins to be their third receiving option, entered the game with five receptions for 32 yards on the season. During the game, he had two catches for 13 yards. He is not a focal point for the team, but he is clearly someone who can come in and provide a possession-style option for Tagovailoa. Beckham is not the elite wide receiver he was early in his career, but his stock is trending up as he gets more and more used to the Miami offensive system.

Liam Eichenberg, guard

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Fans love to hate on Eichenberg, using him as the example of everything that is wrong in Miami. However, he has become a solid right guard, now that he has been allowed to settle into a position, and he has grown into an even more invaluable role for Miami. He is this Dolphins’ team’s version of Richie Incognito. He is able to get under the skin of opponents and make them do something dumb. Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith said of Eichenberg this week that he’s “a funny guy” and that is exactly what Miami needs. As injuries have forced players to rotate around him, Eichenberg is playing solid football and is annoying opponents. That’s a perfect role for him.

Plus, he got to play against his brother for the first time in the NFL. That is pretty cool and worthy of being mentioned.

Anthony Walker, Jr., linebacker

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Walker finished the game second in tackles with 10, trailing just fellow linebacker Jordyn Brooks with 12. After starting the year as the rotational linebacker, Walker has solidified the middle of the field since being added to the starting role and serving as the team’s defensive signal caller. He has been playing so well the team released former starter David Long.

Jalen Ramsey, cornerback

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The interception was nice, but that is not what landed Ramsey here. Twice on the last drive, he came up to make a tackle, hitting the Raiders player along the sideline so hard the offensive player went out of bounds moving backwards – preventing the clock from stopping. A cornerback who covers and makes interceptions is good. A physical cornerback who is willing to make tackles is great. A physical cornerback who can cover, make tackles, and has the football knowledge and reaction to recognize the situation and make a hit hard enough to keep the clock running is exceptional. Ramsey was exceptional down the stretch on Sunday.

Zach Sieler, defensive tackle

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It is almost cheating at this point to put Sieler in this category. If he and Calais Campbell are not Pro Bowl selections this season, some one was snubbed. Sieler finished the game with four tackles, a sack, and two quarterback hits. He is just nasty and he makes the Miami defense work.

Stock Down

Raheem Mostert, running back

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While Achane’s role has been going up, Mostert is paying the price by seeing fewer opportunities. The 2023 Pro Bowl running back who led the league in touchdowns last year had three carries for -2 yards on Sunday. Rookie Jaylen Wright had five carries for four yards. Mostert will still have a big role for this team at some point this year, but right now, something is just not working for him.

Kader Kohou, cornerback

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This might be unfair, but this is going to Kohou for his poor tackle attempt leading to the Raiders’ second touchdown. He tried to shoot for the legs of running back Ameer Abdullah and just completely missed. What should have been a short gain turned into a 10-yard score. If Kohou had tried to wrap up the running back, he could have made the tackle or at least slowed him down long enough for other defenders to get over to the sideline to support. Instead, he missed the tackle. It was a split-second decision and maybe does not deserve to land him in the stock down category, but it definitely stood out as a rough play for the Dolphins.

Jordan Poyer, safety

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Poyer recorded six tackles during the game and can still be a solidifying presence in the Miami secondary, but he also has lost a step. He was brought in for his attitude and his aggressive nature, but Miami has to make sure they are balancing the intangible benefits he brings with some of the coverage concerns he brings due to his age.

Tight end coverage

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Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is their offense. He caught 13 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. No one else caught more than four passes, and no one else surpassed 50 yards in receiving. Miami should have known Bowers was the focal point and done everything they could to slow him down. Miami used linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties to try to stop Bowers, but still let him get open on seemingly every big play. Miami needs to address their plan for shutting down tight ends.