MIAMI GARDENS — Every Thursday night the Dolphins offensive line, one of the driving forces behind the team’s three-game winning streak, goes out to eat at a South Florida restaurant. It’s usually a steakhouse. It could be in Fort Lauderdale. It could be in Miami. It could be anywhere in between. They’ve been to C.L.A.S.S. Soiree Steak House in Hollywood. They’ve been to Sardelli’s Italian Steakhouse in Hollywood. They’ve been to Cave 305 on South Beach. They’ve been to Takato in Fort Lauderdale.

It’s been a great bonding experience for a unit that was regarded as a team weakness but has recently been a team strength. Players think the weekly dinners have on-field benefits.

“I think it translates because it gets guys talking,” said guard-center Daniel Brunskill, who previously played for Atlanta, San Francisco and Tennessee. “You can go to some places where you may not talk to certain guys at all…so those Thursday dinners are a great time to bring everybody closer together and just kind of talk.”

But let’s not discount the good food.

“And we’re all fat asses,” right guard Cole Strange said.

One lineman pays each week. The one who pays chooses the restaurant. There’s usually between 12 or 15 linemen, and it usually costs between two or three thousand dollars, maybe a bit more. They started with the oldest, 33-year-old, 11th-year veteran reserve tackle Kendall Lamm. Eventually, they’ll work their way to the youngest. Tonight, reserve tackle Kion Smith is paying and they’re going to Mother Wolf in Miami.

“I still haven’t gone,” second-year left tackle Patrick Paul said.

Where’s he thinking about taking his teammates?

“We’re eating at Chili’s,” he said with a laugh.

The offensive line, perhaps the most surprising unit on the resurgent Dolphins (5-7) team, has earned the privilege of joking and having fun.

They fielded the same starting five — center Aaron Brewer, Strange, right tackle Larry Borom, left guard Jonah Savaiinaea and Paul — for eight consecutive games, from Week 4 through Week 11. That’s the first time that happened in the coach Mike McDaniel era, which started in 2022.

Running back De’Von Achane is No. 3 in the league in rushing with 1,034 yards, and the Dolphins lead the league in rushing yards per game (176.7) during their three-game winning streak. Give the offensive line lots of credit for both of those results. 

The Dolphins’ 27 sacks allowed are tied for 16th-fewest in the league, another positive reflection on the offensive line.

And to top it off, the offensive line has shown impressive progress when it comes to the aspects of depth and draft-and-develop. Think about it. Right tackle Austin Jackson (toe) and right guard James Daniels (pectoral) both went down after the season opener. Larry Borom stepped in as a capable starter for Jackson, and Strange became a capable starter at right guard after brief stints by Smith and Brunskill.

On the left side of the line, the youngsters, Paul, the 2024 second-round pick, and Savaiinaea, the rookie second-round pick, have started every game this season. Paul has been a standout, especially in run blocking. And while Savaiinaea had a rough beginning, he’s showing improvement.

Brunskill, who has found a role as a sixth offensive lineman/tight end, has been a pleasant surprise. His emergence has helped spark the run game.

Speaking of the run game, Jackson, perhaps the best run blocker of the crew, returned last week from his stay on the injured reserve list. The way Brewer tells it, Jackson was crucial in last week’s 21-17 victory over New Orleans.

“If you can see him in the run game, he’s a real influence out there,” Brewer said. “He brings some more strength to the offensive line. It’s good to have my boy back.”

The offensive line has long been a sore spot for the Dolphins. The words of ex-general manager Chris Grier, who basically said media and fans are more concerned about the offensive line than the front office and coaches, are often recalled.

Things have changed in the year or so since those words were spoken.

Nowadays the offensive line is helping lead the way for the Dolphins’ recent resurgence, especially when it comes to run blocking.

“I feel like these past four to five weeks we’ve really picked it up and taken a step and shown a lot of great stuff in the run game on film throughout all five guys, really just getting after people,” Paul said. “And in true honesty, we’ve been getting after folks and showing stuff that you don’t really see. I feel like we’ve been improving.”