December 21, 2020
Just like that, the 2020 home schedule is complete. The Dolphins finish off the season with a 5-3 mark at Hard Rock Stadium and a chance to get to double-digit wins with a pair of road games to close the season.
Today on The Blitz, Christian Wilkins reflects on his young two-year career, Salvon Ahmed's big day, Miami's youth on offense is shining and we remember the coldest game in Dolphins history.
Injury Report
The first injury report for Dolphins-Raiders will be available Wednesday.
They Said It
Yesterday's win guarantees the Dolphins a winning season in 2020, the first for the franchise since 2016. It's also the first winning season in the two-year career of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who was the first draft pick under Head Coach Brian Flores.
Sunday, he was asked to reflect on his time as a Miami Dolphin.
"Since day one, there was never a doubt in my mind after I met Coach Flores and got around the organization that we could do some good things," Wilkins said. "I just hope that good things can continue to keep happening for us; but it's all about putting the work in, putting the work in each and every week and just keeping moving. I'm just excited to be a part of it."
Around the Beat
Players like newcomer Salvon Ahmed have given this team a boost. Ahmed entered Sunday with 166 rushing yards in three career games and went for a season-high 122 yards as the Dolphins rolled up a season-best 250 rushing yards in the 22-12 win over the Patriots.
Adam Beasley wrote about the Dolphins ground game, Michael Dieter's first offensive appearance of the year, and the second half explosion that produced 22 points on four possessions.
And yet, the Dolphins had by far their best rushing performance of the season, and arguably their best offensive half of the year. The Dolphins turned a six-point halftime deficit into a 10-point victory by rushing for 175 yards on 27 carries after the break.
Dolphins On Social
On this Day in Dolphins History
December 21, 2008 - The Dolphins rack up 403 yards of total offense en route to a 38-31 victory over Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium. It's a game in which the lead changes hands seven times. The mercury at kickoff read 10 degrees, making it the coldest game in Dolphins history. With a wind chill, the temperature is minus-12 degrees.
Stat of the Day
The Dolphins started six rookies on the offensive side of the ball in Sunday's 22-12 win over the Patriots. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr., running back Salvon Ahmed and offensive linemen Austin Jackson, Solomon Kindley and Robert Hunt made Miami the first offense to start six rookies in a game since the 2018 Arizona Cardinals.
Content on Tap
We'll take a look back at stats, snap counts, rankings and all the numbers from the victory over the Patriots on Inside the Numbers. Plus, we'll cover the day's latest on Top News including Flores' and Dolphins player's press conferences.
In case you missed it, the recap content from Week 15 is available. The Sunday spotlight focuses on Salvon Ahmed and the Miami ground game, John Congemi provides his three takeaways and the postgame story are all up on MiamiDolphins.com. Plus, Drive Time with Travis Wingfield can be found wherever you get your podcasts.
