The Dolphins are on somewhat of a roll. Sunday’s 16-13 overtime victory against
Washington in Madrid, Spain, gives the Dolphins wins back-to-back wins for the first time all season.

The Dolphins (4-7) get to enjoy their bye this week while riding high off of a sometimes alarming victory over Washington (3-8). Don’t overlook the significance of the win over the Commanders. For the first time all season, the Dolphins have hope because they’re showing signs that they can play a complete game.

It’s been a turbulent season among poor performances; wide receiver Tyreek Hill
sustained a season-ending knee injury, ex-general manager Chris Grier was fired, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips was traded to Philadelphia and much more.

But none of that matters now. The Dolphins are on a roll, and they’re seeing a chance of clawing their way back to .500 in a few weeks. And it’s all because it seems as though they’re finally fulfilling their potential.

Here’s the report card from the Washington game.

Run game: B+

The big letdown was Ollie Gordon II (45 yards on nine carries) being thrown for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 1:44 remaining and the game tied at 13. Otherwise, things were pretty good. De’Von Achane rushed for 120 yards on 21 carries to lead a run game that totaled 169 yards on 31 carries. Guard/sixth tight end Daniel Brunskill played a role for the third consecutive game. Jaylen Wright had one carry for 4 yards on his only play from scrimmage.

Pass game: C

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (14 of 20, 171 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, 96.0 passer rating) was fairly good. He was sacked three times. Pass protection was so-so. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (three receptions, 52 yards, two drops) had a couple of nice catches. But the drops were ugly. Tight end Greg Dulcich (two receptions, 18 yards) continues seeing his role increase. Achane (five receptions, 45 yards) was a factor, as was wide receiver Malik Washington (three receptions, 42 yards).

Run defense: C

The Commanders rushed for 172 yards on 33 carries, an average of 5.2 yards per carry. Chris Rodriguez (79 yards on 17 carries) was productive, but not dangerous. The biggest play was quarterback Marcus Mariota’s 44-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Fortunately for the Dolphins they got a fourth-down stop at the 1-yard line, so the run didn’t hurt. The run game was a reliable option for Washington, however. It led to a small time of possession advantage (32:36 to 29:51).

Pass defense: A

Cornerback Jack Jones’ interception in overtime was the play of the game. It led to the game-winning field goal. Mariota (20-of-30, 213 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 84.4 passer rating) didn’t do much. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel (seven receptions, 74 yards) was productive. Another big play was Mariota throwing incomplete to tight end Zach Ertz (four receptions, 42 yards) on fourth- and-1 at the Dolphins’ 1-yard line, the capper to the possession that included Mariota’s 44-yard run.

Special teams: B

Between kicker Riley Patterson’s 29-yard game-winning field goal in overtime and
cornerback Ethan Bonner coming up with a turnover on a muffed punt in the fourth quarter, it was a good day. Punter Jake Bailey (two punts, 53.0 yard average, one inside the 20-yard line) was solid, which is the norm.

Coaching: B

Coach Mike McDaniel had a risky decision late in regulation to go for a game-winning touchdown instead of a game-winning field goal. Aside from that, this was a pretty good job. You knew there would be some letdown after that rousing victory over Buffalo. But McDaniel and his staff handled everything fairly well, including the trip to Madrid. By the way, McDaniel is relying on the run more, which is good. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s defense is improving, although it had a run-game hiccup.

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Stock up: Jordyn Brooks

Brooks had a game-best 20 tackles and continues to lead the NFL in this category (125 tackles). He’s a strong team leader (he’s thought to be behind removing the Pop-A-Shot game from the locker room) and will certainly get some recognition in team MVP voting.

Stock down: Run defense

You can’t allow Washington 172 yards after limiting standout running backs such as Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson and Buffalo’s James Cook in recent weeks. It just shows this area, while experiencing a surge, remains vulnerable.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/17/grading-the-dolphins-16-13-ot-victory-over-washington/