McDaniel explains why Dolphins didn’t set NFL scoring record
With less than one minute remaining, the Dolphins offense was at the Denver Broncos’ 27-yard line with the opportunity to put a bow on one of the most dominant performances in NFL history.
With a 45-yard field goal from kicker Jason Sanders, Miami would have increased its total to 73, setting an NFL record for most points in a game. But quarterback Mike White remained on the field for fourth down, taking a knee that turned the ball over on downs and kept the Dolphins at 70, two points behind a 72-point outing from Washington’s franchise in 1966.
The decision brought a spattering of boos from the remaining fans at
Hard Rock Stadium and after the game, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel explained the decision to not go for the record.
“It felt like chasing points and chasing a record, that’s not what we came into the game to do,” McDaniel said. “That doesn’t have a bearing on the overall season outcome ... the message that I thought it would send wasn’t really in line with how I view things.”
He added: “I think that’s awesome for a regular-season record. You can have that and suffer the same fate as we had last year. I don’t care about that regular-season record. It would have been cool, but what we’re trying to do, I think that would be talking out of both sides of my mouth if we tried to send the field goal team on and squeeze in an extra three. It’s not really what I’m about.”
Running back Raheem Mostert, who contributed to four of the Dolphins’ 10 touchdowns, said he didn’t know the Dolphins were close to the record until late in the fourth quarter when he was speaking to injured cornerback Jalen Ramsey on the sideline.
“I was hoping that we kicked it but unfortunately we didn’t,” he said. “Honestly, that’s respect. Because you don’t go for it like that and the way Mike handled it was very professional.”
Even without a late field-goal attempt, the Dolphins’ 70 points was a franchise record and the team’s 726 yards from scrimmage were not only a team record but the most in a regular-season game since the Los Angeles Rams accumulated 735 in 1951.
“In this league and around the league, it’s about respect in the NFL,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “And as we went out there, I feel like that’s what we got. We got respect and we’re not trying to humiliate teams. That’s what it happened to look like. We tried to run the ball, tried to kill some time and big plays opened up and that’s what it looked like.”
PAIR OF STARTERS INJURED IN BIG WIN
In the Dolphins’ dominant win, Miami was dealt with multiple injuries that will be monitored in the coming days.
Starting linebacker Jaelan Phillips and center Connor Williams both sustained injuries that knocked them out of the remainder of a 70-20 win at Hard Rock Stadium.
Phillips injured his oblique in the second quarter, while Williams injured his groin in the third quarter. Neither player returned to the game and Phillips was ruled out toward the end of the game.
After the game, McDaniel said he did not have an immediate update on either player. But he said he got the sense from Miami’s head trainer that he “wasn’t too worried about it.”
With Williams, who has started every game since joining Miami last season, sidelined, third-year player Liam Eichenberg entered the game at center. Eichenberg lost the starting guard competition to Isaiah Wynn but was given the backup center spot after practicing at the position in the offseason. Phillips was making his return to the lineup after missing Miami’s Week 2 game because of a back injury.
Wide receiver River Cracraft also sustained a shoulder injury and was later ruled out of the game. And cornerback Eli Apple was sidelined late in the fourth quarter to be evaluated pursuant to the NFL’s concussion protocol.