Photo courtesy of Miami Dolphins
For the first time since Week 1, the Miami Dolphins got in the win column.
In a game that wasn’t all that easy on the eyes, Miami snapped a 7-game losing streak on Sunday with a 17-9 victory over the Houston Texans. The Dolphins never trailed in the contest and earned their first home win.
With the victory, Miami moved to 2-7 on the season. The Dolphins have a short turnaround this week as they host the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.
Before they do, here are five “Fin”teresting facts from Sunday’s 8-point victory:
1. Turnovers Don’t Tame Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins got the win on Sunday, but mistake-free football was not something they played. In the victory, Miami turned the ball over five times. That marked the most for Miami in a victory since Oct. 18, 1990 when it topped the New England Patriots 17-10 after committing five turnovers.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was intercepted twice in the loss while he, Myles Gaskin and Jevon Holland all lost fumbles. Fortunately for Miami, the defense did force four turnovers. The nine total turnovers was the most in any NFL game since 2016.
2. Holland Gets a Career-First
The Dolphins never trailed in Sunday’s contest and a defensive play by rookie safety Jevon Holland was a big reason for that. On Houston’s opening drive, Holland came over the top and intercepted quarterback Tyrod Taylor in the end zone. It marked the first interception of Holland’s young NFL career. Justin Coleman and Jerome Baker also had picks in the win.
3. Touchdown-Free Texans
Holland’s interception wasn’t the only first on Sunday. Sunday also marked the first time that the Dolphins did not allow a touchdown this season. Houston reached the red zone four times against Miami, but managed only three field goals. There were two occasions last season where the Dolphins did not yield a touchdown. Both were wins over the New York Jets.
4. 17 is the Magic Number
The Miami Dolphins have played nine games this season. They’ve scored exactly 17 points in four of them, including both victories this season. Miami’s only other win was a 17-16 victory over the New England Patriots in the season opener. Miami also scored 17 points in losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
5. Season-High for Sacks
After failing to record a sack in last week’s 26-11 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins tallied a season-high five on Sunday. Emmanuel Ogbah led the way with 2.5 of those. Andrew Van Ginkel and Nik Needham also recorded a sack while rookie Jaelen Phillips added a half-sack.
The previous high for the Dolphins this season was three sacks in a 31-28 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 26. The last time that Miami had at least five sacks in a game was in last season’s Dec. 6 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Dolphins recorded six in that 19-7 win.
Mike Ferguson is the managing editor for Fifth Quarter. Be sure to follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeWFerguson. Follow all of Mike’s work by liking his Facebook page.