Dolphins’ run game just hit a rare milestone under Mike McDaniel in their Week 11 win over the Commanders — and you probably missed it

They were literally paving the way.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer

Nov 16, 2025 3:42 PM EST

The Miami Dolphins‘ run game was at it again in Week 11 against the Washington Commanders. In a hard-fought, sloppy 16-13 overtime victory, the Dolphins toted the rock 31 times for 169 total yards.

The team’s lone touchdown came courtesy of rookie running back Ollie Gordon II, who helped Miami secure a breakthrough in the low red zone, via mashing in a score from a yard out.

It marks the third time in four games that Miami has gone over 30 carries and 140 rushing yards in a game. Conveniently, the Dolphins have won all three times. But there’s a correlation versus causation debate there that isn’t easy to sort out.

So instead, let’s focus on the nuts and bolts of Miami’s running effort. Because you probably missed it, but there’s a major mark the Dolphins’ running game surpassed in this game that could change everything if they can sustain it the rest of the way.

Dolphins’ running game posted a major statistical mark in their Week 11 win over the Commanders, and you probably missed it

The Dolphins offense, for just the sixth time in 64 games in the Mike McDaniel era, posted an average yards before contact per rush that exceeded two and a half yards per carry.

Miami’s backs, on 31 rushes, averaged 2.52 yards before contact per rush, to be exact. That’s an impressive amount of pre-contact space for their runners, especially given the Dolphins didn’t have a long run to bolster the number. Miami did not post a single run in excess of 17 yards before contact in this game, meaning their hefty yards before contact per rush figure is a nod to down-to-down execution and not necessarily bloated by a single rep.

Miami has only posted more than 2.50 yards before contact per rush five other times in the McDaniel era, and only three of those performances came with 30 or more carries.

We certainly shouldn’t expect this level of consistency on a week-to-week basis. But this was a game in which you almost wonder if Miami should have run the ball even more, despite finishing this game with only 20 pass attempts for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Miami’s red zone and short-yardage issues in this game watered down their average, which you’d expect. But going one for five in trips to the red zone and missing several short-yardage opportunities were a glaring exception for a team that has actually been proficient in both areas this season.

On rush attempts outside of the red zone, Miami’s yards before contact per rush against Washington actually explodes to 3.95 yards per carry, and the team posted a first down on nearly 40% of its rushes. Those are the second-best marks in any game the Dolphins have played under McDaniel, trailing only the 2022 Week 10 contest versus the Browns.

Miami is clearly getting things going on the ground. And it’s getting things going overall, too. It has won three out of four. Now, the Dolphins will take a week to rest and prep for the stretch run and see how long they can sustain this stretch of productivity.

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Kyle Crabbs