Dolphins-Broncos Week 3: The Five Biggest Plays

The Miami Dolphins improved their 2023 record to 3-0 with their franchise-record 70-20 blowout victory against the Denver Broncos at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

We rank the five biggest, most important, plays of the game:

1. Tua's TD pass to Tyreek

There are so many plays that made a difference in this game that we don't know where to begin. So maybe we should start with the first big play, which came on the third snap of the game. It was a first-and-10 from the Miami 44 when Tua went back to pass and, as would be the case most of the game, was given great pass protection. Robbie Chosen curled up deep over the middle, drawing the deep safety to him, unaware that Hill was running across the middle behind him. From there, it was an easy pitch-and-catch and sprint to the end for a 56-yard touchdown and a qjuick 7-0 lead.

2. Van Ginkel's fumble recovery

Not that the outcome really ever was in doubt, but the Dolphins pretty much slammed the door late in the first half with two touchdowns in a span of four plays. The second came right after Andrew Van Ginkel recovered a Courtland Sutton fumble after Jevon Holland simply slapped at the ball and returned it 29 yards to the 3-yard line. When Raheem Mostert's 3-yard touchdown run on the next play made it 35-10, it was pretty much lights out.

3. De'Von Achane's 26-yard run

No, we're not going with Achane's long touchdown run because the outcome was settled by then. Rather, we'll go with his 26-yard pick-up on the Dolphins' second drive when he followed Terron Armstead at the second level and used his speed to move the ball to the Denver 35-yard line. That was the big play in the drive that made it 14-0 and kind of established that the Dolphins would be able to run at will.

4. Achane's 40-yard run

Again, we're skipping Achane's long touchdown run in favor of another of his runs, the one that set up the Dolphins' first touchdown of the second half. Not that it would have made a difference on this day, but the Broncos made the strange decision to punt on fourth-and-5 from their 42 on their first drive of the half down 35-13. Though they did pin the Dolphins at the 40, all it meant is the Dolphins would have to gain more yards to get their next touchdown. Achane's end-around with a lot of open grass in front of him moved the ball to the 5-yard line and Raheem Mostert went on to score on fourth-and-goal.

5. The Bethel/Van Ginkel stop

Maybe the most key sequence of the game happened late in the second quarter after the Broncos stuffed Alec Ingold on fourth-and-1 from the Miami 34, giving Denver the ball with a great opportunity to cut into the Dolphins' 21-10 lead after they had kicked a field goal. But the defense pitched a three-and-out after Denver started with a false-start penalty, and the biggest play in the drive came on second-and-14 when Van Ginkel dropped Jevonte Williams for a 3-yard loss after Justin Bethel forced him inside with great contain. The Broncos punted after a third-down incompletion and the Dolphins then marched 86 yards to extend their lead to 28-10. Denver would never be that close again.

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