The Miami Dolphins are finally in the win column as they defeated their AFC East division rivals, the New York Jets on Monday Night Football in Week Four by a score of 27-21.
After a disastrous 0-3 start that saw the club lose to the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins were able to turn their fortunes around against New York — claiming victory in one of a string of winnable games for Miami in the upcoming weeks.
They’ll travel to Carolina to face the Panthers this Sunday. A win there and the Dolphins will be just one victory away from a .500 record.
So, who was a main contributor towards Miami’s win on Monday and who needs to step up their game if the Dolphins are to go on a winning streak? Let’s take a look!
Fins Up
This week’s Fins Up player is a member of Miami’s defense — a unit that has struggled to start the year, but one that began making progress towards playing respectable football against the Jets.
Rasul Douglas arrived in Miami towards the very end of the offseason — signing a one-year, $3 million deal with the Dolphins on August 26th. After arriving so late in the preparation process, Douglas struggled to make a significant impact on Miami’s defense to begin the year.
However, as of late, Douglas has been a main reason why the Dolphins are beginning to flex some muscle while defending opposing offenses.
Douglas is Pro Football Focus’ 6th highest graded cornerback on the season — scoring an 80.5 overall grade while allowing just 7 receptions for 94 yards.
If the Dolphins front-seven could begin pressuring opposing quarterbacks, Miami’s secondary will suddenly seem to look even more impressive, especially considering the warranted concern from the fanbase surroudning that unit all summer long.
Fins Down
This week’s Fins Down player is the first repeat player on the Fins Down list this season — and that is rookie offensive guard Jonah Savaiinaea.
Savaiinaea earned a 50.0 grade from Pro Football Focus for his performance against the Jets on Monday night. On the season, the rookie still hasn’t allowed a sack, but he has allowed opposing defenders to pressure quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a whopping 14 times. He is PFF’s worst graded offensive guard in the entire National Football league through four games, earning a comical 3.2 pass blocking grade. He fairs better as a run blocker — earning a 50.2 grade — but still ranks 85th out of 102 guards in that category.
The Dolphins traded up in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Savaiinaea and were hoping he would make an immediate impact for the club. Well, he has… just not in a positive way.
The youngster still has plenty of time to figure things out this season, so no one should be proclaiming him a bust at this stage, but some improvement would be an encouraging sign for a team that has been desperate to solve their offensive line problem for multiple years in a row.
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