Audio By Carbonatix
Do call it a comeback. After not being able to win for the longest time, it now seems that the Miami Dolphins can’t lose – as evidenced most recently yesterday, when they defeated the New York Giants 20-9.
The Dolphins are only the second NFL team to ever win five games in a row following a seven-game losing streak. Not only that, but two franchise records were shattered in Sunday’s win over the Giants: the record for receptions by a rookie and the record for sacks by a rookie.
8⃣.5⃣✅
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 5, 2021
We 👀 you, @JJPhillips15! pic.twitter.com/t30atBOjvs
Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle hasn’t made a splash in the deep game this season, but he’s certainly turned heads by accumulating stats in nearly every other facet of his game. On Sunday, Waddle broke the all-time record for receptions by a Miami Dolphins rookie wide receiver: 85.
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What’s most impressive about that? The Dolphins still have five more games to play, and Waddle is poised to crack the coveted 100-catch mark.
8⃣5⃣✅
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 5, 2021
🧠@D1__JW pic.twitter.com/a3MSXAnucl
Moreover, defensive lineman Jaelen Phillips’ two sacks on Sunday put him at 8.5 for the season, more than any other first-year Dolphins defender and a new rookie record of his own.
The Dolphins’ five-game winning streak comes as Phillips and Waddle have stepped up in recent games. Both rookies have seen their playing time significantly increase since Miami was sitting 1-7. Heading into their bye week, the Dolphins’ record-breaking rookies now have a chance to take a deep breath to fend off the proverbial rookie wall many first-year players feel toward the middle and end of their first season when the longer and more intense training camps and schedule begin to take their toll.
Then Miami meets the New York Jets on Sunday, December 19, with a chance to get within a game of .500 on the year. One of the most improbable comeback seasons continues as the Dolphins will begin to appear in playoff graphics this week (?!?!).
