Xavien Howard

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard saved the game. The Dolphins have been searching for a guy to step up in the secondary opposite Bobby McCain, and Howard was that guy Sunday. He came through in a big way, giving the Dolphins not one, but two interceptions on the day. The second all but sealing the team’s third victory in a row.

With those two interceptions, Howard not only sealed the victory, he also overtook stand-out safety Reshard Jones for the team lead with three interceptions. Moreover, he pushed the Dolphins team interceptions total to a whopping seven. Add in a fumble recovery, and the Dolphins have forced eight turnovers on the season, in only three games. Those turnovers are a huge reason for the Dolphins success, and they’re going to need to continue if the Dolphins are going to stay on the winning path.

The Miami Dolphins offense, for all the bells and whistles, has been struggling when it matters most. They’ve had a hard time staying on the field in third down situations, and are near the middle of the pack in points per game. Ryan Tannehill has been an efficient passer this season, completing over 70 percent of his passes.

That’s great, but a percentage like that means a lot of short, quick throws, leading to the Dolphins being 28th in the league in passing yards. They’ve capitalized on a few big plays that has kept them in games, but right now this Dolphins offense is heavily reliant on the defense turning in big plays, like the ones we saw Sunday from Xavien Howard.