The Miami Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders 45-15 on Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.  

Tua Tagovailoa was 18/24 passing for 280 yards with 2 touchdowns.  De'Von Achane paced the Dolphins on the ground with 73 yards on 17 carries and 2 touchdowns.  Tyreek Hill led all pass catchers with 5 catches for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns.  

Here's what I liked and what I didn't… 

What I liked:

– Brandon Jones hit Sam Howell on a blitz and forced him to throw it away on third down on the Commanders' opening drive.  Great call by Vic Fangio. 

– Hill got a chance in man coverage and toasted his defender, catching a wide-open pass on a go route and outracing the defense for a 78-yard touchdown.  There's just no playmaker on the NFL that's on Hill's level.  He's in a league of his own. 

– Andew Van Ginkel.  A sack and a 33-yard pick six in the first quarter to help the Dolphins build an early lead.  He's been a difference maker when called upon this year, and he was again early on Sunday.  He just missed blocking a punt by inches, too.  #43 did it all on Sunday. 

– Emmanuel Ogbah got a sack early in the second quarter.  Just bulled over the right tackle and brought down Howell.  Miami's first half pass rush has been excellent, forcing pressure even when they don't get Howell down. 

– After the Commanders drew to within 17-7, the Dophins answered emphatically.  On third-and-7 from their own 40, Washington sent an all-out blitz.  Tua lobbed a deep ball to Hill, who got behind the Commanders' secondary for another long touchdown.  Take a chance like that, and that's the result when you fail.  

– Zach Sieler got home around the edge for a sack that helped quell a promising Washington drive, and they Duke Riley read and blew up a screen play on third down to force a punt.  Great efforts on back-to-back plays to get the offense the ball back. 

– Hill had a leaping grab over the middle in front of a defender for a big third down conversion to move into field goal range.  He's not just a catch and run guy.  He can go get it, too. 

-Tua dodged pressure and fired a dart over the middle to Jaylen Waddle for a big first down on third-and-12 in the final two minutes of the half.  That gave Miami four more points, as Raheem Mostert ran it in from three yards out to push the lead to 31-7 with 20 seconds left in the first half.  A backbreaking finish to the half. 

– Miami's first drive out of the locker room, and the play of the drive was when Tua side stepped a would-be sack and threw a dart to Julian Hill for first and goal.  An instinctive and impressive play.  De'Von Achane punched it in two plays later for a 38-7 lead. 

-The Dolphins' defense answered the bell after allowing a Commanders touchdown to pull within 38-15.  Miami forced a third-and-10 after allowing the Commanders to get to the edge of field goal range and got a key stop to force a 53-yard field goal by Joey Slye, which he missed.  Washington wouldn't pick up a first down the rest of the game.

– Miami finished the game with a 13-play, 59-yard drive for the game's final points.  11 of them were runs by Achane and Jeff Wilson, Jr. with Mike White under center.  A bully ball drive that Miami finished with a two-yard Achane touchdown on fourth and goal.  Good, old-fashioned bully ball. 

What I didn't:

– After the Dolphins went up 17-0, Washington had a methodical drive to answer, going 75 yards in 10 plays.  Curtis Samuel beat Jerome Baker on a wheel route for 33 yards to set up Washington at the Miami 1.  Not the shutdown effort needed to maintain the big lead and keep control of the game.

– The 11-yard loss on the reverse to Hill.  I like getting the ball in his hands, but the problem was there was no one blocking on the side of the field he was running towards and he had to scramble around for a loss.  Don't know if that was a scheme or execution error, but it failed spectacularly. 

– David Long, Jr. got beat on a wheel route by Antonio Gibson for a 32-yard gain on the Commanders' first drive of the second half.  Second time this game that the Commanders were able to isolate a skill player on a Miami LB and beat them on a wheel route.  

-Howell was able to weave through the Dolphins' defense for a 13-yard touchdown, dodging tackles and making Miami defenders look a bit silly.  Howell converted a two-point attempt with a dart to Logan Thomas to draw to 38-15.  That, however, would be the last points Miami would surrender on the day.  

– A holding penalty on Julian Hill ultimately led to a punt by the Dolphins after 3 plays on the following possession.