CLUB DUB | Dolphins Rock Falcons On Every Front Thanks To Surprising Effort In Many Ways

CLUB DUB | Dolphins Rock Falcons On Every Front Thanks To Surprising Effort In Many Ways

Welcome everybody to your first victory Monday of the 2025 season. You are Locked on Dolphins, your daily Miami Dolphins podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. All right, Miami. Welcome to another episode of Locked On Dolphins. It is your team every day here on the Lockdown Network. I’m your host Kyle Krabs, a lifelong Miami Dolphins fan, host of Locked on Dolphins, co-host of Locked on NFL scouting, author of Touchdown Miami on Substack NFL staff, writer for a toz sports. Want to give a special welcome a shout out to our every dares because it is your team every day. We don’t just say it, we live it here on the locked on network. Today’s episode of Locked on Dolphins is brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use the code locked on NFL for $20 off of your first purchase. My biggest question for you, Mike McDaniel, and the Miami Dolphins, is this. Who are you and what have you done with the 2025 Miami Dolphins? because this game to me a 34-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in which case you shellacked the P the the the Falcons in pretty much every statistical measure that you can come up with. The Dolphins were overwhelmingly the better team in this game. It’s impressive. is very impressive, especially on the heels of a game like the one you just played the prior week against the Cleveland Browns in which you were the Falcons and the Browns were you. I could not believe my eyes to see new wrinkles, changing the offensive scheme, improved tackling, and yes, there’s context to this game. I don’t think that the wind changes any of the big picture conversations that we’ve been having about the Dolphins this year, right? You need to have a lot more performances like this and you need to stack them against better opponents before anybody is going to seriously think that there’s sustainability that a corner’s been turned right. But this, even if it’s just a oneweek aberration, is an impressive performance. It was a fun game to sit down and watch. I personally enjoy making corrections and learning about the team and talking about what needs to be different and having those honest conversations through some wins than to go one and 16 or to go two and 15. It’s not where you pick, it’s who you pick. And uh you could still make changes even if you win some football games. And for that I am thankful that I did not have to endure another beatd down and instead did some beating down of your own courtesy of a jumbo package with six offensive linemen. The Dolphins had never done this under Mike McDaniel. If you include the playoff games, it took us 60 games to put a sixth offensive lineman on the field and you only probably did it because Julian Hill couldn’t dress in the game. And we were wondering, is it going to be Tanner Connor and Greg Doulich? They elevate Hayden Russio off the practice squad. You say, “Okay, is that the pathway that they’re going to take? Who’s going to be the guy who plays in line?” Well, the answer is Daniel Brunkill. And um I’ll put on my timeline here. It was uh Barry Jackson alluded to that the the catalyst for the jumbo package was Butch Barry on Tuesday night sent apparently a little more than a dozen plays in a text to Mike McDaniel and then the next morning had like another 15. So credit to the Dolphins for being flexible and being creative. Those are signs of good coaching. We have not seen enough signs of good coaching this season. And on one hand, it’s frustrating that you knew you had your short yardage issues, you knew you had your reset the line of scrimmage issues, and yet we didn’t see consistency with a committed effort to doing something different about it until you reach one and six in year four. But in this game against Atlanta, man, they got displacement. They ran a whole bunch of concepts. They went heavy. They platooned the backs. They used the platoon of the backs to pass at a lower rate. And then they mixed and matched some different schemed throws with some breadandbut throws. And it looked cohesive. It looked well tuned. It looked precise. Your challenge is to sustain it. But this performance for me kind of it blew my doors off. You you called a game not trying to score 30 points with what your play calls look like and magically you skirt scored 30 points, right? Sometimes it’s you you chase certain things and it felt like this was a game from start to finish. the Dolphins offensively did not chase. You will have a big task at hand to do it again on Thursday against the Ravens. But at the very least, you know, if I’m giving game balls out on the offensive side of the football, I think Jaylen Wadd, five for 99 in the score, deserves a game ball. I’d give a game ball to Daniel Brunkill for picking up Mike McDaniel made a great point. uh in the postgame press conference where you know offensive linemen they they they hear the protection call. Left guard lines up at left guard, right tackle lines up at right tackle, center lines up over the ball and snaps the ball. He’s got to know the cadence, but they don’t really they’re not really tuned into the second half of these play calls in this offensive system. So for Brunkill midweek, who had started in his NFL career at what, five spots on the offensive line, and now starts at tight end, six spot starter in the NFL, that’s pretty rare. Uh, and to do so and and not just be charged with alignment and and winning the point of attack or or getting attached on blocks, but also to have some motion assignments deserves a nod. It definitely deserves a nod. Uh Devon Achan is turnkey for 100 yards. I I think the most impressive statistic with Devon Achan. Uh the the the numbers came out after the game. He is the fastest player in franchise history to 30 touchdowns. He achieved it in just 36 games. So we’re two and a half years into Devon Chan’s career with the Dolphins, but he missed some time as a rookie, right? So, in two games more than a two season aotman, he’s reached 30 touchdowns in franchise history. That’s an awesome number. He’s the 14th player in franchise history to reach that mark of 30 total touchdowns from scrimmage as a member of the Dolphins. Uh he joins Jim Kick who was 31, OJ McDuffy who has 32. Shout out juice. Paul Warfield has 33 as a member of the Dolphins. Tony Nathan has 33. Murky Morris has 33. Kareem Abdul Jabbar has 34. Ronnie Brown has 38. Chris Chambers has 43. Ricky Williams has 54. Larry Zanka 57. Mark Duper 59. Natore 75. Mark Clayton 82. No surprises there at the top of the list. He broke a tie with Tyreek Hill who had 29 and has probably played his last game as a member of the Dolphins. So, Achan in 36 games, member of the 30 touchdown club, and with the pace that he is on, he could be top eight by December in franchise history and he’s got a whole year left on his rookie contract. I think he deserves a little bit of love for the the role that he had to play. But all of the backs with Ali Gordon and his first career touchdown uh to a tongue of low played an efficient game missed a couple throws but all things considered a great bounce back for him. You enjoy it for what it is, right? It I don’t for me it doesn’t change any of the big picture conversations that are being had and need to be had. But nevertheless, it makes it a fun game day experience. It’s fun anytime they win. And I don’t think winning has to be u a black and white yes or no binary pivot point to making healthy changes for your organization. So I’m happy this morning and I hope you’re happy too. I know not everybody is, but I am. We’re going to uh look at some more layers that I want to see moving forward. Some personnel usage, some improvements on the defensive side of the ball. We’re going to get that next here on Locked on Dolphins. Make sure you guys stick with us. Today’s episode of Locked on Dolphins is brought to you by Prize Picks, you and I make decisions every day. But in Prize Picks, when you’re right, you get paid. So don’t miss any of the excitement of this sports season. Whether you’re following the NFL, NBA, or both. There’s no better time to jump in on the action than right now. If you haven’t tried it yet, prize picks is the simplest way to play. Pick more or less on at least two player stats, and if you get them right, you win. takes less than 60 seconds to make your lineup and you could play prize picks anywhere that Prize Picks operates including California, Texas, Georgia. Uh you could see all of the states that they are licensed and operate with at prizepicks.com or on the prize picks app. So they have a new stacks feature as well which is a game changanger. You can now pick more on Steph Curry points, threes, and assists in the same lineup if you like stacking guys. If you’re really good about battle on any given night, download the prize picks app today. Use code lockown NFL for $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That’s code locked on NFL for $50 in lineups after your first $5 lineup. Prize picks. It is good to be right. It’s also good to be honest and not make excuses. Excuses don’t solve anything. We’ve heard them all before. Stressed out. Had a long day at work. I’m tired. It happens to everybody, right? Hey, but when it comes time to performance in the bedroom, sometime your body just needs a little extra support. And that’s where Rouette comes in. Riet.com offers fast acting doctor prescribed treatments for ED designed to help you stop making excuses and start making moves. It makes it easy to get started. You get connected with a board-certified doctor 100% online with no awkward waiting rooms and no in-person appointments. The process is fast, simple, and private. And it’s all handled by real doctors. So visit reje.com/lockton onthefell to get 15% off your first order. That’s rugg.comlockdown onthel. And don’t forget to use code lockdown on the fell so they know we sent you. Reiet stop making excuses and start making moves. Feel like that could be a tagline for week eight for the Dolphins. Stop making excuses and start making moves. The Dolphins made some moves yesterday. this club dub episode of Locked on Dolphins. Dolphins smothering on defense in this game. One of the biggest surprises for me uh was just how well they tackled and the pursuit to the football and the energy that they brought in that regard was really eye opening for me. Um Jordan Brooks would be my pick. I don’t I don’t know what all the other individual stat lines and statistics are across the league right now for week eight, but I’d have a hard time believing that Jordan Brooks with 10 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, was everywhere the way he played. That should be, in my opinion, your a AFC defensive player of the week. It should be Jordan Brooks. And maybe somebody out there got two pick sixes. Maybe somebody out there got four sacks. I don’t recall seeing any performances like that. Maybe they exist. And if that’s if that’s the case, then I’ll I’ll take it on the nose and I’ll take the L. But I would put Jordan Brooks’s play yesterday just off the TV copy. I haven’t even got to the game film yet. But I would put it up against anybody. That’s how well I thought Jordan Brooks played. And I thought this entire team tackled well. This team’s been really prone to bad tackling. They’ve been very prone to sloppy challenges. and guys are coming in with pads. Guys are coming in square. The pursuit, the way that guys were um arriving to the ball carrier. And it was not just because Drake London didn’t play. And I I mentioned that at the top. I I fully acknowledge the absence of Drake London and the insertion of Kirk Cousins into the lineup changes the calculus in which you have to space the field and it makes it maybe a little bit less stressful to fit the run. But it it’s it’s not just the game that you played against Kirk Cousins. You can look at the Dolphins defense the last four weeks. That’s the Browns game. That’s the Chargers game. That’s the what’s it? Was it the Panthers game and the Falcons game? Since week five, the Dolphins defense ranks 13th in the NFL and EPA defensively. Since week five, it’s pretty impressive considering the uh shortcomings uh some of the explosive plays in the run game. It really underscores, man, if you if you button up your fits and you stop giving up the explosives and this was a major pass test in that regard, this defense is going to keep you competitive in more games than what it did in the first half of the season. The question is, was was this a an exponential outlier? Is this a part of the new norm? Obviously, you’re going to have certain weeks in which the personnel is going to test you in a lot more ways, but this offense still had Kyle Pittz and still had Bejian Robinson. I don’t want you to mistake me talking about good things that happened in this game is pulling wool over our eyes and pretending like problems don’t exist and big picture conversations don’t still need to be had. But that’s the kind of performance they put on display. and for the the snapshot of the here and now, all we can do is celebrate. All I can do is celebrate and I will celebrate and I hope you do too. Uh Jordan Brooks after the game, speaking of Jordan Brooks, uh talked to Albert Brer from Monday morning quarterback and gave what what equated to a very fullthroated vote of support. And I thought there was something else interesting that he said uh in the aftermath of the Browns game. Uh he asked he was asked by Albert Brer if the Dolphins still have Mike McDaniel’s back. He said, “Yeah, we should.” Yes, we showed that today. Us as leaders, we drive that point to have his back. Whether we agree or disagree, we got to have his back. As leaders, we can’t be pulling away from that and contradict what Mike’s message is because now you’re leading the team in confusion. Whatever Mike is being criticized for, we are there to enforce it as leaders and everyone will follow suit. Absolutely. We have Mike’s back. So that was Brooks to to Albert Brewer after the game, but it was the quote that he said after the Browns game and what that loss meant that has me intrigued for what this week with with Baltimore can look like as an equally desperate football team. Jordan Brooks said uh the Browns loss forced everyone to take personal responsibility and you have kind of got the sense that this team they they’d been good know maybe they were front running good but they were good in 2023. It would be very easy to look at the 2024 season and say hey two it doesn’t go on IR with the concussion. We probably win two more games. We’re a 10- win team again last year. we’re a playoff team. Again, it’s very easy to say, “Hey, we got caught week one, but then week two, we shot ourselves in the foot. Week three, uh, we we had a mistake on special teams and we threw an interception late in the game. And week five, we were up 17 nothing. And week six, we had the Chargers and we made the mistake at the end of the game. There’s a rookie bust. Like, it’s so easy to kind of deflect here, there, and everywhere and say, “Uh, you know, we’re close. It’s I don’t really need to do anything different. And it feels like, according to a quote like that, it feels like there was some of that going on in this locker room. But when you lose the way you lost to the Browns, ain’t nobody looking the other way. So, if this is legitimate, go out and prove it. A few final thoughts here in Locked on Dolphins this week uh for this club dub episode. Make sure you guys stick with us. NFL season is back and honestly, there’s nothing better than going to the stadium surrounded by fans cheering on your team. And that includes if you want to get down to the Rock for Thursday night football against the Ravens. But let’s be honest, getting tickets can be a hassle. There’s cues, login screens, prices, jumping at checkout be really frustrating. It’s why you choose Game Time, the app that gives you an advantage that goes back to fans. Game time is fast, easy, and backed by the game time guarantee. You’ll always get 100% authentic tickets delivered on time at the breast price, and all fees are included. There’s allin pricing. I love that the price you see is the price you pay when you put the tickets into your cart. I also love that they have panoramic views so that you can see the sight lines for your tickets before you commit and hit buy. So download the Game Time app, create account, use code locked on NFL for $20 off of your first purchase terms to apply. again. That’s code L O C K D O N for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go. Download Game Time today. The NBA is also back. There’s no better place to get in on all of the action than over at FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you missed the start of the game or you want to ride the hot hand, FanDuel has live bets on everything from who will score next to fourth quarter comebacks. Plus, you can combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout. makes every game more exciting, especially when your team is making that late push. Right now, FanDuel’s giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. So, head to fanduel.com, sign up, and play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Bringing home a club dub episode to a close. And I I alluded to it earlier, but the style of play in which Miami played in this game against Atlanta is the same style of play that you should feel you can replicate against a lot of teams, a lot of the league right now. They’ve got smaller athletes up front. They’ve got smaller linebackers to play in space. You’re obviously down Darren Waller and Tyreek Hill. and it it’s removed some of the speed from your offense. In some ways, this is some of the stuff we’ve been calling for since the offseason when you look at some of the personnel changes and the the stylistic changes of those players and you say, “Hey, um there’s some common sense pivots here and some diversification that’s available to you that can make you a tougher team to defend by having a broader menu.” And in some ways you’ve seen it, but too often it’s kind of gone back to we’re a wide zone team and we want to run boot action off of that. We want to run our three core play action concepts off of it. And then we’ll take our our typical Watson RPO with the glance, the wheel, and the flat. And we’ll RPO that to his left side and let him read space on his lefthand side because he’s got really good vision in that regard and good quick ball handling skills and good initial quickness and accuracy. Right. And then where’s the where’s the advantageous angles? Where’s the effort to reset and win on the plus sideline of scrimmage? How about Oi Gordon? Ali Gordon has become a short yardage dynamo for the Dolphins thus far. Pounding the ball between the tackles with a bigger running back. Things like that. Not over complicating things. I don’t know what magic button Frank Smith had to be down on the sideline instead of up in the box, but keep that man on the sideline. No, because if you if you want to seriously change the narrative that exists around the team, you need performances like this weekly against better teams than what you played against Atlanta. And I think the blessing for Miami is the fact that you have Baltimore and Buffalo are the next two. And I know Baltimore’s two and five and Lamar’s probably coming back, but we don’t really know if Lamar’s coming back because he was supposed to come back at Chicago off the buy and it didn’t happen and now he’s expected back against my who knows, right? But I think the blessing for Miami is I I would hate to have the Saints next and then the Jets again next because I want to see what kind of momentum you can stack to do this thing against teams that you historically have not done these kinds of things against. And we should wake up on Friday morning and we should say, “Hey, they got some serious logs on the fire now.” Or you could say, “Hey, week eight was fun, but the Dolphins reminded us of who they are in week nine on the short week at home against the Baltimore Ravens. It’s all about clarity letting the process play out.” No. And and I think you’d have been justified to make moves a while ago and make some changes. They didn’t. Is this what you were waiting for? If it is, we’re going to see it again on Thursday and then we’ll see it again 10 days later against Buffalo. And if it’s not, it’ll look like maybe not Cleveland, but like a lot of those other frustrating missteps along the way. But for now, it’s Club Dub. It’s hard to complain with Club Dub. Hope you guys enjoy this stop in Club Dub. Keep it locked in here on Locked on Dolphins. It is your team every day. Appreciate you guys as always for checking out the show. Make it a great rest of your Victory Monday and I’ll be back to talk to you all again soon. Pins up.

…is this a turning point?

Kyle Crabbs breaks down the Dolphins’ impressive win, highlighting offensive strategy changes and standout performances from Jaylen Waddle & De’Von Achane. The discussion covers the introduction of the “jumbo package,” defensive improvements led by Jordyn Brooks, and the team’s unwavering support for coach Mike McDaniel. Key topics include the Dolphins’ evolving game plan, recent defensive surge, and upcoming challenges against tougher opponents.

Tune in for an in-depth analysis of the Miami Dolphins’ path to success and whether this performance signals a sustainable turnaround for the team.

0:00 Intro: Dolphins’ impressive victory over Falcons

5:07 Offensive game plan and execution analysis

15:20 Team’s support for coach Mike McDaniel

19:25 Adapting offensive strategy to personnel changes

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
DoorDash
With DoorDash Streaks, you save every Saturday you order — stack it up all season and you could save up to $250. Order this Saturday. Keep the streak alive. Fuel your gameday — only with DoorDash. Terms apply. Promo period through 11/18.

Monarch Money
Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnfl for 50% off your first year.

Upside
Don’t let this offer drive on by, download the free Upside app now using my limited time promo code TOUCHDOWN for a limited time 25 cent per gallon bonus! Offers vary by user and location, Go to upside.com for terms and conditions.
Click Here to download the app: [https://getupside.onelink.me/zlLr?af_xp=custom&pid=barrington&c=barrington_lockedon25&deep_link_value=promo&deep_link_sub1=lockedon25&af_dp=upsideapp%3A%2F%2F](https://getupside.onelink.me/zlLr?af_…)

Yahoo Fantasy
Presented by YahooFantasy #YahooPartner. Draft now at [https://yahoofantasy.com/lockedonnfl](https://yahoofantasy.com/lockedonnfl).

PrizePicks
Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
Right now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

CLUB DUB | Dolphins Rock Falcons On Every Front Thanks To Surprising Effort In Many Ways
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVqSIFp40ZjJtX2iB6NoYsg

WANT MORE DAILY MIAMI DOLPHINS CONTENT?

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LODolphins?sid=YouTube

Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFL

Follow on Twitter: @KyleCrabbs
Follow the show on Twitter: @LockedOnPhins