Thursday night’s event was held to raise funds for the Tua Foundation and the Dan Marino Foundation, bringing in nearly 300 supporters, including Dolphins legends and enthusiastic fans for a night of philanthropy and Polynesian culture.

Attendees experienced a traditional Hawaiian performance and a chance to bid on exclusive sports memorabilia during a silent auction, which contributed to the charitable efforts of the night.

“It really is a blessing. I am very fortunate to be in the position that I’m in now to use my platform to be able to do things like this,” said Tagovailoa.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and NFL greats like Dan Marino and Jim Kelly were among the high-profile figures in attendance.

“To see these guys and to see Dan Marino supporting — to see Jim Kelly here supporting this — it really is amazing,” said 2020 Fan of the Year, Ian Berger.

Fans expressed their excitement about the opportunity to interact with their heroes.

“There’s no better place to be right now than right here,” said Dolphins fan Lisa Siegel. “Tua is doing so much good in the community.”

The night concluded on a high note, as Tagovailoa dedicated nearly an hour to take photographs and sign autographs for fans. He even took to the stage with his guitar and serenaded the audience with Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.”

At one point, Tagovailoa uttered a phrase in Samoan, then translated it.

“That means ‘the pathway to leadership is through service,'” he said. “And for everyone that’s here, this is their service. This is service by giving back, not expecting anything in return.”

The Tua Foundation raised more than $800,00 to help children.

Police in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Davie said they responded to a medical emergency at Davis’ home Monday morning, but the 35-year-old was dead when officers arrived. No cause of death has been released pending autopsy results. Police said in a statement that the investigation is still active.

Davis played for 10 seasons in the NFL after being drafted 25th overall by the Dolphins in 2009 out of Illinois.

“We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of former Dolphins CB Vontae Davis and extend our deepest condolences to his family & loved ones during this difficult time,” the Dolphins wrote in a statement on social media.

Davis played three seasons for Miami before being traded to Indianapolis just before the 2012 season. He played six seasons with the Colts. Team owner Jim Irsay offered his prayers to Davis’ family in a statement and shared a photo of Davis in a Colts jersey on social media.

“Extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Vontae Davis. A great guy, teammate, player,” Irsay wrote.

The Colts also issued a statement saying they were devastated to hear of Davis’ death.

“He was a standout player in his six seasons with the Horseshoe, but he was an even better teammate who carried a smile and positive energy every day,” the team said.

The Washington, D.C., native signed with the Buffalo Bills for 2018 but left the team at halftime of the season’s second game. He released a statement announcing his retirement after the game, saying that after multiple injuries and surgeries, “Reality hit me fast and hard: I shouldn’t be out there anymore.”

The Bills said they were saddened to learn of Davis’ death and that they were “thinking of his friends, family, and loved ones during this difficult time.”

Davis played in 121 games, intercepting 22 passes and returning one for a touchdown. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2015 while a member of Indianapolis.

Mostert, 31, is coming off the best season of his nine-year NFL career, making his first Pro Bowl after rushing for a career-high 1,012 yards with a Dolphins franchise record 21 total touchdowns, three more than receiver Mark Clayton in 1984.

His new contract is worth up to $9.075 million, NFL Network reported.

Mostert played for four teams over his first two seasons before landing with San Francisco in 2016. After six seasons with the 49ers, including a trip to the Super Bowl after the 2019 season, Mostert followed coach Mike McDaniel to Miami on a one-year deal, where he had the two most productive years of his career.

Mostert led Miami in rushing in 2022 with 891 yards. In 2023, Mostert became the Dolphins’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Jay Ajayi had 1,272 in 2016. He’s also the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in his 30s since Adrian Peterson ran for 1,042 with Washington in 2018 at age 33.

According to court records, Joseph Brown has been charged with a felony of stealing.

A probable cause statement says the Miami Dolphins’ box truck was broken into on Jan. 14, 2024, the day after the two teams’ playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium.

According to court records, the Dolphins reported a break-in of their box truck, resulting in the theft of various team equipment valued at $46,376.

A probable cause said the theft happened in downtown Kansas City.

Police reviewed surveillance footage and identified a suspect’s vehicle, a gray Ford F-150. Later that day, the truck was found with equipment boxes matching the description of the Dolphins’ equipment.

Authorities later found a home in the 2000 block of Askew Avenue that was linked to multiple thefts.

Detectives surveilled the home and saw a truck matching the suspect’s description depart the area to a second location, where a stolen Miami Dolphins coat was found.

Days later, a search warrant was executed at the home in the 2000 block of Askew Ave, revealing stolen Dolphins coats and other items, including burnt items with a Dolphins logo.

A $50,000 bond has been requested.

Court documents state that Brown has been found guilty of multiple felonies in the past.

The Dolphins also re-signed offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn.

Driscoll started 17 games over four seasons with the Eagles — eight have come at right tackle, eight at right guard and one at left tackle. A fourth-round pick by Philadelphia in 2020, Driscoll has appeared in four postseason games and helped the Eagles win the NFC Championship in 2022.

Jones is returning to a Dolphins team that signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He played six games with the Dolphins in 2020 and spent the 2021 season on Miami’s practice squad. Jones spent the past two seasons in Detroit. He has 44 career tackles and 2 1/2 sacks.

Harris entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, signing with Chicago in 2019. He played two games with the Bears that season but has spent most of his career with the Denver Broncos (2019-2023). Harris has 81 career tackles and a sack in 33 NFL appearances, which includes nine starts.

Wynn started seven games for the Dolphins last season before going on injured reserve with a quad injury. He was drafted in the first round by the Patriots in 2018 and spent five seasons in New England before signing a one-year deal with Miami in 2023.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract hasn’t been finalized.

Fuller spent the past four seasons with the Washington Commanders, his second stint with the team that drafted him in the third round in 2016. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2018-2019 after being dealt in the trade that sent former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith to Washington.

Fuller was a first-round talent who dropped to the third round coming out of Virginia Tech because of injury concerns, but he has been among the best slot cornerbacks in the league during his eight-year career — with 16 interceptions and 486 tackles.

Fuller started 19 of 26 games with the Chiefs over two seasons and won a Super Bowl with them during the 2019 season.

He figures to be Miami’s option to start at cornerback opposite Jalen Ramsey after the Dolphins released veteran cornerback Xavien Howard, who was the longest-tenured player on their roster.

The team announced the signing of Neal, and the contract with Gallimore was confirmed by a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been finalized.

Gallimore has 90 career tackles, four sacks and three passes deflected since being drafted by the Cowboys in the third round in 2020. He could fit into a starting role in Miami after standout defensive tackle Christian Wilkins agreed to a deal with the Las Raiders on Monday.

Neal had 13 tackles in 17 appearances at cornerback for Buffalo last season. He has 62 career tackles, one sack, five passes deflected and three forced fumbles after entering the NFL as a fifth-round pick by Buffalo in 2018.

He also has 53 career special teams tackles.

The Dolphins need help in the secondary — they released veteran cornerback Xavien Howard on Wednesday and lost free-agent safety Brandon Jones to the Broncos earlier this week.

Neal is the second player the Dolphins have signed from the division rival Bills since the start of free agency. Miami also agreed to a one-year deal with former Buffalo safety Jordan Poyer, who spent seven seasons with the Bills.

Howard had 331 tackles and 95 passes deflected in eight seasons with the Dolphins, who selected him at No. 38 in the 2016 NFL draft.

The 30-year-old Howard is a four-time Pro Bowler and was a first-team All-Pro in 2020, when he had a league-high 10 interceptions and 20 passes defensed. Only Denver’s Justin Simmons has more interceptions (30) than Howard’s 29 since 2016. That number is tied for fourth most in Dolphins history.

The Dolphins informed Howard late last month that he would be released at the start of the new league year, which began at 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday. General manager Chris Grier said it wasn’t an easy decision.

“That was a tough one,” Grier said at the NFL combine last month. “Xavien and I had a long conversation because he was the second player I drafted here in 2016. He and I have been through a lot of stuff here and we were just talking about how proud I was from early when he first got here. … We had a long discussion and he understood it was a business decision. At the end of the day, we just felt it was right for him to have this opportunity for his agent to go see what’s out there for him.”

Grier said the team was open to bringing the veteran back, but Howard said on “The Joe Rose Show” on WQAM-AM that door is closed.

“In this business, you know how it goes,” Howard said. “It’s been eight years, and I’ve seen the business side of it so many times. Me and my agent talked about it before we signed our last deal that that’s how it was gonna happen, and it ended up happening. So I wasn’t surprised at all.”

Howard signed a five-year extension in 2022 after he had previously requested a trade. He had a $25.9 million cap hit in 2024 and is designated a post-June 1 cut, which will save Miami $18.5 million in cap space with about $23 million in dead cap money.

Howard’s production declined the past two seasons as he dealt with injuries. He played through groin injuries in 2022 and was limited to 13 games in 2023 because of hip and foot injuries.

The Dolphins have also lost standout defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (Las Vegas), safety Brandon Jones (Denver) and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (Minnesota) since the start of free agency.

Miami has also released linebacker Jerome Baker and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah.

Barrett, 31, spent the past five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he had 45 sacks, 15 forced fumbles and three interceptions. The inside linebacker fills an immediate need at the position, as pass rushers Bradley Chubb (ACL) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles tendon) could miss time early in the season as they work their way back from serious injuries — though the team hopes to have them back in time.

Barrett — undrafted out of Colorado State in 2014 — has won Super Bowls with the Buccaneers (2020 season) and Denver Broncos (2015 season) and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2019 and 2021. He led the league with 19 1/2 sacks during his first season in Tampa in 2019.

In 2023, Barrett had 52 tackles, 4 1/2 sacks and three forced fumbles. He played only eight games in 2022 because of a torn Achilles tendon.

Tampa Bay released Barrett earlier this month in a move that saved the team nearly $5 million against the salary cap. He was three years into a four-year, $72 million deal that he signed in 2021.

The Dolphins have lost several key pieces on their defense since the start of free agency. Standout defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who was drafted by the Dolphins in the first round in 2019, agreed to a four-year, $110 contract the Las Vegas Raiders. Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who had a breakout 2023 season, left for the Vikings. And Miami released linebacker Jerome Baker and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah earlier this month.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been finalized.

Brewer will likely replace Connor Williams, Miami’s starting center for the past two seasons who is now a free agent. Williams was Pro Football Focus’ top-rated center in 2023 before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in December.

Brewer, 26, started every game the past two seasons and has experience at center and guard. He entered the NFL in 2020 as an undrafted free agent out of Texas State.

Brewer will join a unit that will return veteran left tackle Terron Armstead, who considered retirement at the end of last season.

The Dolphins lost standout right guard Rob Hunt on Monday. He agreed to a $100 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.

The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.

Smith, 28, visited the Dolphins on Tuesday, a week after the Atlanta Falcons released him in a cost-cutting move. He set career highs with 50 receptions for 582 yards for Atlanta in 2023. He also had three touchdown catches.

The Dolphins were the only team in the NFL that did not have a touchdown catch from a tight end in 2023, as they haven’t prominently featured tight ends in the passing game since coach Mike McDaniel took over at the start of the 2022 season.

Smith, who has 2,423 receiving yards on 219 receptions as well as 20 touchdowns, figures to be a solid option behind receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who combined for a league-best 2,813 yards last season.

Durham Smythe led Miami’s tight ends in receiving in 2023 with 35 receptions for 366 yards. Julian Hill and Tanner Conner are Miami’s other tight ends.

In a lawsuit that Sophie Hall’s attorneys filed in Broward County circuit court on Feb. 23, the influencer claims that Hill “forcefully and purposefully” shoved her while the two were participating in a football drill at his Southwest Ranches mansion.

Hill was “humiliated” after Hall knocked him backward during a “friendly football lesson,” according to the lawsuit, which led to him charging at her “violently and with great force.”

“The crushing force was so great that she sustained a right leg fracture, necessitating surgery with metal hardware implantation,” the lawsuit says.

Hall is seeking up to $75,000 in damages. It is unclear whether she reported the incident to authorities. Her attorneys are suing Hill for battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.

“We were made aware of it,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said at the NFL combine on Wednesday. “We were in communication with NFL security, so I really can’t comment on anything of that until we get all our information and find out what happened. For us, Tyreek has been a good addition for us, but in terms of all the off-field stuff, we’ll have to get all the information before we can really comment on it.”

The Dolphins acquired Hill in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in March 2022.

Hall, whom the suit describes as a model, actress and influencer with over 2 million followers across multiple social media platforms, met Hill in May 2023 after she bought a ticket for her 10-year-old son to attend Hill’s summer football camp in Boca Raton, Florida.

The Dolphins receiver messaged Hall on Instagram a day after she registered, wanting to “meet up and get to know her,” the court documents say.

The two continued to exchange messages, the documents show, including one in which Hill says he has been “known to be a good stepdad.”

Hill then shared his cellphone number with Hall and invited her to his home. The All-Pro receiver purchased flight and travel arrangements for Hall to stay with him for a few days, the lawsuit says.

Hall arrived at Hill’s home on June 28, according to the complaint. That afternoon, she stood and watched Hill practice with his trainer in his backyard before Hill invited her to participate in offensive line drills with him.

Hall, who in her Instagram bio says she is 6-foot-1, caused Hill to be pushed backward during the first drill, which the suit claims garnered laughter from those watching, including his mother, sister, friend and trainer.

“Apparently embarrassed by his loss of stability as a result of contact by a woman during the ‘football play,’ Mr. Hill’s attitude changed and he became angry,” the complaint says.

Hall was in excruciating pain and unable to get up and walk around as a result of Hill charging at her. The suit claims that Hill downplayed Hall’s injuries but allowed her to stay at his home until he secured travel arrangements for her to return home.

The lawsuit says she was diagnosed with a right leg fracture in July, attends weekly therapy sessions and has persistent pain and weakness in her leg.

In 2019, the Chiefs suspended Hill amid allegations that he had physically abused his son. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation after choking his then-pregnant fianceé. He received three years’ probation as a result. Last August, Hill was under investigation by Miami-Dade police after a man claimed the receiver hit him after a verbal altercation. No charges were filed.

Bicyclists on Saturday morning chose to ride up to 99 miles or simply walk a 5K for charity.

The 14th annual charity bike ride and 5K raised close to $10 million for cancer research.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino started this year’s festivities bright and early.

“Let’s have some fun. Let’s roll!” he said.

Some of the better-known athletes who took the journey said this is a special day of the year.

“It’s incredible, man, especially this year. I feel like there’s so many people here of all different races, backgrounds, groups,” said Miami Dolphins defensive end Jaelan Phillips. “It’s just incredible to see how this event brings everybody together.”

7News is a proud sponsor of DCC. Paul Magnes, WSVN’s general manager, joined 7Sports’ Josh Moser and more than 5,000 others as they pedaled for a purpose.

It was a very meaningful event for cancer survivors and for those who are still receiving treatment.

“Even though I was discouraged, I’m here to do the 5K today in honor of myself, in honor of my mom, who is currently in a battle but winning,” said cancer survivor Precious Sargent. “I mean, it just feels good to know that with Christ, all things are possible. I just feel grateful to be here.”

The DCC mantra is “one team, one fight.” Plans are already underway for the 15th annual event next year.

“So the community comes together with this ‘one team, one fight’ mission to fund cancer research today,” said Javier Sanchez, DCC’s executive director.

The event has raised over $64 million for local cancer research since it began in 2010.

Ogbah, who signed with the Dolphins in 2020, was two seasons into a four-year extension worth $65 million. He spent four seasons with the Dolphins, recording 24 sacks, one interception, 19 passes defensed, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 27 starts.

He led the team in sacks in 2021, but his 2022 campaign was cut short because of a season-ending triceps injury.

Ogbah appeared in 15 games last season with just one start. He had five sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.

The event, scheduled for Saturday, is bringing the community together and fueling advancements in cancer care through breakthrough science, leading-edge technology, and personalized patient care.

Originating in 2010, the DCC has evolved into the NFL’s most successful fundraising event.

Tyler Epp, Miami Grand Prix President, shares a unique connection with the event.

“So I went to the team here and I said, ‘I’d like to participate. Can I do it from the Middle East?'” he recalled.

Last year, during test sessions in Bahrain with Formula 1, Epp participated remotely to honor his late father, who battled pancreatic cancer.

“One of the things that I so respected about his fight was that he was constantly giving up himself and his body to try to make sure that the next person who was stricken with that type of cancer gets more information to try to make it less painful and easier to find a cure.”

Now a part of the DCC board, Epp established “Team Flash” to continue honoring his father. The team will participate in the 5K walk with family and friends.

“This is in our way, my family’s way, to say we’re gonna give back a little bit, not only financially, but really try to be a part of this movement that’s really centered here in South Florida to create good and create opportunity through Sylvester [Cancer Research Center],” said Epp.

The 2024 DCC introduces a fresh approach by naming routes after Dolphins Hall of Famers:

• There’s the 13-mile ride honoring fins legend Dan Marino.
• The 39-mile ride pays tribute to Super Bowl-winning fullback Larry Csonka.
• The 54-mile ride celebrates linebacker Zack Thomas.
• The 99-mile ride recognizes defensive end Jason Taylor.

WSVN is a proud sponsor of the DCC, which has raised more than $64 million since the event started in 2010, with a record-setting $10.5 million from the previous year alone. This year’s fundraising has already surpassed $8 million.

Road closures are expected during the event.

The streets impacted include the Julia Tuttle Causeway on West 41st Eastbound where one lane will be closed between 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Collins Ave Northbound will have no closures between 7:30 a.m to 11:30 a.m.

City of Miami and City of Miami Beach Police will manage traffic as there will be a rolling reopening of the roads.

The Dolphins and Nike paid the new Dr. Joaquín García High School flag football team a visit in Lake Worth Beach.

“Having a chance to receive that ourselves, especially as a new school, is a great opportunity,” said Camila Carmona, the flag football team’s running back. “The stuff is super amazing, so I think it’s super cool.”

Since West Palm Beach is where girls flag football all started, it was only right to help out the Bulldogs.

“We chose Joaquín García High School because this is the first year that they’re having a girls flag football program,” said Rashauna Hamilton, senior community relations director for the Dolphins. “Here in South Florida, Palm Beach County is where girls flag football started, and so it’s really important, when we get a new program in a new school, that we do all that we can do to encourage girls to play the game.”

Being a new team will come with some challenge, but the new Dolphins and Nike gear will help boost morale.

“Most have never played this sport before, so they are a little nervous going into the sport, but I think this actually motivated them,” said Carmona. “[They] saw what good can come out of this sport, the fun, cool things you get to experience.”

As the first game of the season closes in, the Bulldogs now feel like they’re ready for any challenge.

“This is a boost. This is truly a boost for them, because they still don’t know and understand what this is all about,” said Carlton Smith, the team’s coach.

The team will have their first game Thursday night.

The Dolphins introduced Anthony Weaver as their defensive play-caller Thursday. The 43-year-old Weaver joins the Dolphins after serving as the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive line coach the past three seasons.

“I think of coaching as like service work,” Weaver said. “I subscribe to the thought that if you work in service, you never get nervous. When I got into this coaching profession in 2010 in my mind I was, ‘I’m going to get in this because this game has been so good to me.’ And this is my opportunity to pay it forward.”

Weaver becomes the third defensive coordinator since McDaniel took over in 2022.

McDaniel retained Josh Boyer from fired coach Brian Flores’ staff to run the defense his first season. Boyer was dismissed after the season and replaced by veteran coordinator Vic Fangio.

The Dolphins allowed the seventh fewest rushing yards and 10th fewest total yards league wide but the results didn’t earn Fangio a second season.

“The whole process of it was cool for me because it started as the person and who could have the biggest impact as a person,” McDaniel said of hiring Weaver. “And in the process got to get down on some nitty gritty on some schematic football side of it that allows to build on what we’ve been good at and continue forward in 2024.”

Now it’s Weaver’s turn to lift the Dolphins’ defense to the elite level that he helped guide while with the Ravens. Baltimore allowed an NFL low 280 points last season, compared to Miami’s 391 — 22nd in the league. The Ravens also had a league-high 60 sacks.

“The scheme that we used in Baltimore is extremely multiple and flexible,” Weaver said. “The foundation that we’re going to do here will be from that. But the beauty in that is a lot of things that they’ve already done here, that they’ve had success in, were very similar there. So there will be a lot of crossover teaching.”

With a 12-year NFL coaching resume, mainly overseeing the defensive line, Weaver spent four seasons on the Houston Texans’ staff before joining Baltimore. His last season with the Texans in 2020 featured a promotion to coordinator. Weaver also had stops at the New York Jets, Cleveland and Buffalo since he transitioned into coaching following a seven-year NFL playing career.

Under Fangio, who quickly was hired as the Philadelphia Eagles’ coordinator, the Dolphins finished fourth in the league in sacks with 54. By year’s end, however, the defense was a depleted unit because of season-ending injuries to pass rushing specialists Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.

“There are multiple guys on every level of defense that you get excited about,” Weaver said. “The opportunity to come here, obviously, with a team and the success they’ve had. How do you pass on that? Mike and that offense — they’re going to put up points. That’s definitely going to happen. It’s our job to make sure that we give up less points than the other team. We plan on doing that every time we get out there.”

Free agency and salary cap restructuring also could noticeably change the Dolphins’ defense next season. Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins and Van Ginkel have expiring contracts and might end up elsewhere.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the hiring.

Crow has spent his entire six-year coaching career in Tennessee, starting as a defensive assistant in 2018 and working his way up to coaching outside linebackers, a position he’s held for the past three seasons. Crow parted ways with the Titans after the firing of head coach Mike Vrabel.

The Dolphins recently hired former Baltimore Ravens assistant head coach and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver as their defensive coordinator, and he is starting to build his staff.

Crow will help lead a defense that was the 10th-best overall unit in 2023 despite several injuries to key contributors.

Two of Miami’s top linebackers have a long road to recovery from their injuries. Jaelan Phillips tore his Achilles tendon last November, and Bradley Chubb suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

It was training day on Sunday morning for those who will be taking part in the 14th annual Dolphins Challenge Cancer initiative.

The 14th annual fundraiser, scheduled to kick off Feb. 24, will see participants running, walking or biking to raise money for cancer research and much more.

Elizabeth Jenkins, chair of Dolphins Challenge Cancer, conveyed the importance of the upcoming event.

“Bringing the community together and seeing how cancer affects all of us — and it will affect all of us — and seeing the community pull together for the survivors, the people they lost, and the people that we want to save in the future,” she said.

The fundraiser has brought in $64 million since 2010.

Weaver had previously interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders for their head coaching vacancies before joining the Dolphins, where he will reunite with his former coaching colleague Mike McDaniel.

McDaniel, entering his third season as Miami’s head coach, and Weaver were both on Mike Pettine’s Cleveland Browns staff in 2014. McDaniel coached the wide receivers that season and Weaver coached the defensive line from 2014-2015.

“I am excited to add Anthony to our staff, not only for what he will bring to the Dolphins as a teacher and coach, but even more so who he is as a leader of men,” McDaniel said in a statement. “He has a proven resume of success, built on his personal investment in his players. Most importantly, he shares our belief that player development is the cornerstone to both team building and sustained excellence.”

Weaver, 43, spent seven years as an NFL defensive linemen with the Ravens (2002-2005) and Texans (2006-2008) and has 12 years of defensive coaching experience. He entered the league as an assistant defensive line coach under then-Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who was Weaver’s defensive line coach in Baltimore.

Weaver was the Texans’ defensive coordinator for a season in 2020 before joining John Harbaugh’s staff, where he was run game coordinator and defensive line coach in 2021, and assistant head coach/defensive line coach the past two seasons.

In 2023, the Ravens led the NFL in scoring defense (16.5 points allowed per game), went 13-4 and earned the top seed in the AFC playoffs. In Weaver’s three seasons in Baltimore, the team allowed 95.3 rushing yards per game, which is third in the NFL during that span. Baltimore’s 4.06 yards per carry allowed was fourth.

Weaver is taking over a Dolphins unit that finished 10th-best in total defense in 2023, third in total sacks and first in quarterback hits under Vic Fangio, who the Dolphins mutually agreed to part ways with last month. Fangio is now the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Fangio, 65, replaced Josh Boyer as Miami’s defensive coordinator last offseason and led the Dolphins’ defense to a No. 10 finish in 2023, allowing 318.3 yards per game. It was the first time Miami finished a season with a top-10 defense since 2010.

Fangio served as a consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles for the last half of the 2022 season and is expected to be a top candidate for their vacant defensive coordinator position.

Fangio coached the Denver Broncos from 2019-2021, which was his first head coaching job after spending the first 19 of his 23 NFL seasons as a defensive coordinator.

“I want to thank Vic for his contributions in 2023. When we assessed the season, it became apparent that this was the best path forward for all parties involved,” coach Mike McDaniel said in a statement. “Now, we turn our focus to 2024 and beyond with urgency as we identify the best candidate to lead our defense moving forward. We remain steadfastly committed to the development of our players and to building a winning team with sustained success.”

After Saturday’s wild-card playoff loss to Kansas City — yet another early postseason exit for the Dolphins — Grier was hesitant to declare his efforts a success.

The Dolphins have put together four straight winning seasons, but have no playoff victories to show for it. Miami has gone 23 years since its last postseason win, which is now the longest drought in the NFL after Detroit beat the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night.

“It’s a little mixed,” Grier said Monday. “I only mean that because this is now Year 2 of (coach) Mike (McDaniel). We won nine games a year ago, 11 this year. We’ve taken steps. I think we have a good roster. Whether a success, failure, I leave that to you guys to judge.”

Grier was more clear on whether the Dolphins intend to seek a contract extension for fourth-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

“The goal is to have him here long-term playing at a high level,” Grier said, adding that the team didn’t talk money with Tagovailoa during the season but communicated with his agent throughout the year.

Other starters from Tagovailoa’s 2020 draft class have reset the quarterback market with their contracts, including Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert last offseason.

The 25-year-old Tagovailoa is set to make $23.2 million in 2024 on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal. He led the NFL in passing with a career-high 4,624 yards and set career highs in completion rate (69.3) and passing touchdowns (29). He was named to his first Pro Bowl.

Tagovailoa also answered questions about his durability, which Grier said last offseason was a concern. He started every game for the first time in his career — one year after being diagnosed with two head injuries that made him briefly consider retirement and prompted the NFL to alter its concussion policy.

Tagovailoa has improved in two seasons under the creative play-calling and support of McDaniel, but he has struggled in Miami’s biggest games. He was 10-1 against opponents with losing records while going 1-6 against winning teams.

Tagovailoa’s three lowest passer ratings of 2023 were in Miami’s three losses to end the season. He was intercepted twice in a blowout loss at Baltimore. He passed for a season-low 173 yards with two interceptions in the regular-season finale against Buffalo. And he was 20 of 39 with one touchdown and an interception against Kansas City.

Tagovailoa said after the playoff game that he wasn’t worried about an extension.

“I don’t feel any pressure at all,” Tagovailoa said. “I have full trust in myself. I have full trust in what I’m capable of doing for our organization.”

BALANCING ACT

Tagovailoa’s offseason jujitsu classes helped him better protect himself on the field to avoid head injuries, but his late-season struggles led to questions about his ability to make plays when the planned one breaks down.

“He’s as good of a learner as I’ve ever seen,” McDaniel said. “I think that’s what I want to see, is that continued thirst to find different ways, while maintaining and growing your confidence, to always create new edges in your game. Is Tua going to be a zone-read-option quarterback? No. But I think he has developed in some — like buying extra time when necessary. I think that will continue to improve where you can just maybe move off the spot a little bit and not necessarily run for a first down, but you can extend the play.”

O-LINE UNCERTAINTY

Veteran left tackle Terron Armstead said he has not yet decided if he will return for a 12th season. Injuries limited Armstead to 10 games this season and kept him out several more last year.

Three other starters on Miami’s offensive line will enter free agency: guards Robert Hunt and Isaiah Wynn and center Connor Williams.

Williams, who signed a two-year deal ahead of the 2022 season, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament against Tennessee in Week 14. He was rated the No. 2 center in 2023 by Pro Football Focus. Wynn, who signed a one-year deal last summer, had his season was cut short by a quad injury in Week 7.

Hunt, who missed time with a hamstring injury, has spent his entire four-year career with Miami and was rated a top-10 guard by PFF this season.

NEXT STEPS

Miami will enter the offseason $40 million over the salary cap with several key contributors set to hit free agency, including defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.

Grier indicated he is confident in the roster and is hoping to retain as many players as possible.

According to Nielsen, the Chiefs’ 26-7 victory in frigid temperatures averaged 23 million viewers on Peacock, NFL+ and on NBC affiliates in Kansas City and Miami. Nielsen also reported Sunday night that the game had a total reach of 27.6 million.

Fans had to pay for a Peacock subscription, which starts at $5.99, to watch the game, making it the NFL’s first playoff game behind a paywall — a move by the league that generated no shortage of complaints from fans.

Nonetheless, the average viewership easily surpassed the previous record of 15.3 million for the Nov. 30 matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys on Amazon Prime Video. It also surpassed the audiences for the Saturday night wild-card playoff games that were shown on NBC in two of the last three years.

Last year’s first-round playoff game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars averaged 20.61 million viewers.

According to various reports, NBCUniversal paid $110 million for the rights to the game. Although the final score wasn’t close, the Dolphins-Chiefs game had the novelty of being one of the coldest in NFL history — and Taylor Swift was in attendance to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

Judging by the audience, Saturday’s game is unlikely to be the last playoff matchup shown on a streaming service.

Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution, said viewership would be one factor in deciding if a wild card game would continue to be exclusively streamed in the future.

Under the NFL’s contract, each of its four broadcast partners — NBC, CBS, Fox and ESPN/ABC — gets at least one wild-card game. Of the two remaining games, one rotates each year between NBC, CBS and Fox, while the other will likely be up for bid each year. That means Peacock, Paramount+, Amazon or ESPN+ could eventually be in the running.

The Houston Texans’ 45-14 rout of the Cleveland Browns averaged 29 million on NBC, Peacock, digital platforms and Telemundo. That is the most watched wild-card game in the late Saturday afternoon slot since a 2018 game between the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys averaged 30.06 million on Fox and streaming platforms.

The reigning league MVP found Rashee Rice eight times for 130 yards and a touchdown in the wild-card playoff game, and Isiah Pacheco added 89 yards rushing and another score, sending the Chiefs (12-6) past the Dolphins for the first time in four postseason meetings.

Harrison Butker added four field goals for the defending Super Bowl champs.

The injury-depleted Dolphins (11-7) looked nothing like the dynamic offense that led the league in yards during the regular season. Tua Tagovailoa was pressured relentlessly by the NFL’s second-ranked defense, wide receiver Tyreek Hill had a 53-yard TD catch but was otherwise shut down in his return to Kansas City, and the Dolphins finished with just 264 yards in all.

They have not won at Arrowhead Stadium since Nov. 6, 2011, nor won a playoff game since Dec. 30, 2000.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs won their 15th consecutive home playoff game — not counting a trio of Super Bowls. But they will head to Buffalo next week if the Bills beat the Steelers on Monday in a game pushed back a day by a blizzard. Otherwise, the Chiefs will host Houston, which beat the Browns earlier Saturday.

It was minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-20 Celsius) at kickoff, easily setting a record for the coldest game at Arrowhead Stadium. But it was wind gusts, whipping through at more than 25 mph and driving the wind chill to a bone-rattling minus-27 degrees, that made the weather truly miserable for just about everyone.

That included pop star Taylor Swift, who once again turned up to see her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

She at least got to watch from an enclosed suite. Most fans huddled outside in parkas, ski goggles and snow pants, and players huddled around heaters on the sidelines as if they were an oasis in the cold. The National Weather Service issued a warning for what it called “dangerously cold” weather that had blanketed the Midwest.

In fact, the cold may have made Mahomes’ helmet brittle enough that a hit in the third quarter knocked a chunk of the plastic shell from it. Once officials saw the fist-sized hole, they made Mahomes get a backup helmet from the bench.

The weather didn’t seem to bother Hill, who was playing in Kansas City for the first time since his old team traded him to Miami two years ago. The league’s leading receiver warmed up in a short-sleeved shirt, then proceeded to scorch the stout Chiefs defense and All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie for a his long touchdown reception midway through the first half.

But the Dolphins’ offense otherwise struggled, just as it did in a 21-14 loss to the Chiefs in their November game in Germany.

Kansas City was far more efficient, scoring on four of its six first-half drives. Mahomes capped the first with a TD toss to Rice, and while ensuing drives kept fizzling in the red zone, Butker added a trio of field goals as Kansas City took a 16-3 lead into the break.

The Chiefs added another field goal in the third quarter, but it was still a two-possession game early in the fourth when the Dolphins appeared to force another field goal. But a late flag on Christian Wilkins for roughing the passer on third down gave Kansas City a fresh set of downs, and Pacheco plowed into the end zone moments later to give the Chiefs a 26-7 lead.

The Dolphins finally put together a sustained drive afterward, but by that point it was much too late. And when they failed to convert on fourth down, they were headed to their 11th straight loss when the game-time temp is 40 degrees or less.

Far less, in this case.

INJURIES

Miami: S Jevon Holland (knee) and CB Xavien Howard (foot) were inactive. CB DeShon Elliott (calf) left in the fourth quarter.

Kansas City: WR Kadarius Toney (hip) was inactive. DT Derrick Nnadi (elbow) left in the second quarter.

The temperature for the wild-card playoff game was minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-20 Celsius), and wind gusts up to 27 mph made for a wind chill of minus-27 degrees. That shattered the record for the coldest game in Arrowhead Stadium history, which had been 1 degree, set in a 1983 game against Denver and matched in 2016 against Tennessee.

The coldest game in league history remains minus-13 for the 1967 NFL championship, when the Packers beat the Cowboys at Lambeau Field in a game that came to be known as the Ice Bowl. The wind chill that day was minus-48 degrees.

The bitter cold Saturday didn’t seem to bother fans, though. Among them was pop superstar-turned-Chiefs fan Taylor Swift, who arrived wearing a puffy winter coat designed to look like the jersey of her boyfriend, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce.

Many fans began showing up at the parking gates more than 12 hours before kickoff Saturday, beginning their tailgating right in the street. And while there was less tailgating than usual, the smell of pregame barbecue still wafted through the parking lots.

“We definitely had that initial shock when we looked at the forecast,” said Chiefs season ticket holder Keaton Schlatter, who drove from West Des Moines, Iowa, for Saturday night’s game. “We thought about maybe posting our tickets for sale and if they don’t sell, then we would go. But we decided that it’s all part of the experience.”

At least Chiefs and Dolphins fans could make it to the stadium.

The NFL was concerned that nobody could make it to the Bills’ game against the Steelers on Sunday in Buffalo, where a blizzard was expected to drop a couple of feet of snow. So, the league and New York state officials decided to postpone the wild-card game until Monday, when the brunt of the snow was expected to have ended.

“We want our Bills to win,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said at a news conference in suburban Buffalo, “but we don’t want 60,000 to 70,000 people traveling to the football game in what’s going to be horrible conditions.”

The snow wasn’t the problem in Kansas City, where more fell Saturday morning but tapered off before kickoff. Rather, the big concern was what the National Weather Service called “dangerously cold” wind chills, which were expected to make a forecasted temperature of minus-10 degrees by the finish feel more like minus-30.

“The spectators need to be prepared. Think cold ski trip or ice fishing,” said Dr. Sarah Spelsberg, who teaches in Northeastern University’s Graduate Program in Extreme Medicine. “If it’s me, I’m wearing ski goggles, too. There would not be a millimeter of my skin showing in these temperatures. I had frostbite one time and I never wanted to have it again.”

About six hours before kickoff, stadium workers began to plow snow from the tarp covering the field, scoop it into trucks and drive it away. The field itself is heated, though, and it appeared to thaw out as gametime approached.

Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who was back at Arrowhead Stadium for his first game since Kansas City traded him away, walked out for pregame warmups wearing a short-sleeve shirt. Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal, who grew up in Wisconsin, arrived wearing shorts. Several other players, including Kelce, also had skin showing when the Chiefs took the field for their opening drive.

As for the fans, the Chiefs had numerous warming stations throughout the stadium, and they bent some of their rules to help them deal with the weather. Fans were allowed to carry in blankets, provided they had no zippers or compartments, and could use portable chargers to power the kind of heated apparel that Schlatter was bringing to the game.

Fans also could bring cardboard to put under their feet, a useful tip Chiefs safety Justin Reid passed along this week.

“Trying to figure out what to wear that will be the warmest has been the concerning part,” said Lauren Bays, a Chiefs fan from Smithville, Missouri. “I’ve been thinking of ways to add warmth all week and did find a pair of ski goggles that I plan to wear.”

Not every fan is a diehard. Ticket prices on the secondary market plummeted throughout the week as fans tried to unload their seats. The price to get in was less than $30 by Saturday morning, or about 10% of what it would normally cost, and empty seats were visible at kickoff.

The weather probably put a chill into the Dolphins, whose loss to Buffalo last week cost them an opportunity to host a home playoff game this weekend. They practiced all week in Miami, and it was 86 degrees on Friday when they stepped on the plane to Kansas City. It was 10 degrees with a wind chill of minus-6 when they arrived, an almost 100-degree difference.

“You can’t prepare for a game like that with that kind of weather, so it’ll be new,” said Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who grew up in Hawaii and played his college football in the relative warmth of Alabama.

“Cold’s cold. For you, me — it’s cold,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “But you go do your thing. That’s how you go play.”

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Hill said he’s thankful his loved ones were not hurt in the Jan. 3 house blaze.

“My wife’s good, my mom’s good, and my nephews are good, so that’s all that matters, man,” said Hill.

Hill is keeping things in perspective as he prepares to play in the playoffs this upcoming weekend.

Despite what he’s gone through, Hill said, he is ready to take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

“That’s what players do, like, we find a way to bounce back,” he said. “That’s what life is: ups and downs. You have things that happen, and you got to find a way to adjust to adversity.”

The comments from the football star come a week after a fire broke out in his home when, investigators said, a child was playing with a lighter.

Aerial video of the fire showed smoke pouring from the roof of the 13,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom mansion.

Keeta Vaccaro Hill, the player’s wife, called 911 moments after the fire broke out.

“I don’t know what to do. I need help,” said Vaccaro Hill.

“OK, I need for you to exit the building, exit the building,” a dispatcher said.

Everyone inside the house was able to get out safely, as Hill left practice to be with his family.

The star player said he sees clearly that while a home can be rebuilt, lives cannot.

“My main thing was health, making sure that my kids were all right,” said Hill. “Yeah, man, this gives me and my wife a chance to be closer.”

Hill and his family are staying elsewhere until repairs can be made.

Hill and Co. will finally get their chance on Saturday night.

With a whole lot more at stake, too.

The wide receiver will be playing in Kansas City for the first time since the Chiefs sent him to the Dolphins when the teams meet in a wild-card playoff game. And along with what figures to be plenty of boos — Hill has actively needled the Chiefs on social media since the trade — he will be greeted by wind chills expected to be well below zero at kickoff.

“We’re competitors. You’ve seen me — I have that fire — and he’s the same way,” said Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who helped turn Hill into a star during his first six seasons in the league. “That’s what makes him so great. And we’re still friends in the offseason and all that, but when you’re on the field, you’re competing to win. That’s just how it is.”

Make no mistake: The Chiefs know how to win this time of year.

While the Dolphins are in the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since 2001, the Chiefs will be playing their 15th straight home playoff game, not counting three Super Bowl appearances. It’s a streak that dates to Jan. 15, 2017, back when Hill was wrapping up his rookie season and Mahomes had yet to take the reigns of one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses.

“We play a lot of big games — games on short rest, night games — and having that experience will help,” Mahomes said. “A lot of guys on this team have done that, so the step up you see going into the playoffs, we make it a little smaller, because we’ve been in games like this. We can rely on our experience and be the best team we can be.”

The Chiefs wrapped up their eighth straight AFC West title with one game left in the regular season, so Mahomes and several of their biggest stars were able to sit out a win over the Chargers, and instead prepare for another playoff appearance.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, are limping in both literally and figuratively.

A wave of late-season injuries has left coach Mike McDaniel with a patchwork defense and cobbled-together pass rush, while consecutive losses to Baltimore and Buffalo denied the Dolphins the chance to host a game this weekend.

And avoid the frigid weather gripping the Midwest. The game in Kansas City is expected to be among the coldest in NFL history, and Miami has lost its past 10 games when the temperature is 40 degrees or lower at kickoff.

“The team will be fired up to go and embrace the challenge,” McDaniel said, “and there’s many layers to why it’s a challenge. For us in-house, we all believe in each other and want to get a losing taste out of our mouths. That’s the only objective.”

The Dolphins experienced the same losing taste in November, when the Chiefs beat them 21-14 in Germany.

“Previous games, wins, losses — they mean nothing. That has absolutely no bearing on what’s going to happen,” Chiefs safety Justin Reid said. “The best team is going to come out on top.”

PLAYOFF PROSPECTS

Miami has won all three of its playoff games against the Chiefs, two wild-card matchups and a divisional-round game in 1971 that remains the longest game in NFL history. But the Dolphins’ more recent playoff history has been bleak. They’ve not won a game since Dec. 30, 2000, when they beat the Colts in overtime, and they have only one playoff road win since 1972.

WHAT A RUSH

The Dolphins signed Melvin Ingram to the active roster and veterans Justin Houston and Bruce Irvin early in the week, hoping to fortify a pass rush decimated by injuries. Jaelan Phillips tore his Achilles tendon and Bradley Chubb is out with a torn ACL, while linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel, Jerome Baker and Cameron Goode have been placed on injured reserve.

“It’s really a special room to have this many good rushers on the same team at one time, so a lot of knowledge,” said Irvin, who was recently released from Detroit’s practice squad. “Hopefully we can be together longer than one week.”

OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK

The Dolphins are optimistic that wide receiver Jaylen Waddle will be back from a high ankle sprain and running back Raheem Mostert from an ankle injury after each missed the past two games. They will also have De’Von Achane available against Kansas City after the speedy running back missed their game in Germany with a knee injury.

THE FLIP SIDE

The Chiefs are as healthy as they have been all season. Left tackle Wanya Morris is their only injury of note after he went into the concussion protocol against the Chargers last week. But he was only playing because of a neck injury to Donovan Smith, who has practiced all week and is expected to play for the first time since Dec. 3 against Green Bay.

FLIPPED SCRIPTS

The Chiefs are usually the team putting up big points, but it was the Dolphins who led the NFL in offense for the first time in 30 years at more than 400 yards per game. Meanwhile, the Chiefs overcame inconsistency on offense — they led the NFL in dropped passes — by leaning on the league’s No. 2 ranked defense, which held 13 of 17 opponents to 20 points or fewer.

“They give us different looks. They present one-high deals, then go to two-high. They present two-high deals, then have fire zones,” Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said, “so we’ll just have to be ready and then with their (Cover) 0s that they have, too. So we’ve just got to be ready with that and yeah, here we go.”

Tua Tagovailoa gets a chance to stop that drought on Saturday night.

The fourth-year quarterback makes his first postseason appearance when Miami visits the Kansas City Chiefs for a wild-card game this weekend. The Dolphins are seeking their first playoff victory since Dec. 30, 2000, when they beat Indianapolis 23-17 in overtime. The franchise has just three road playoff wins and only one (at Seattle on Jan 9, 2000) since 1972.

Tagovailoa has played in high-stakes games before. He was a freshman at Alabama when he replaced then-starter Jalen Hurts during the 2018 national championship game and led the Crimson Tide past Georgia for the school’s fifth national title under Nick Saban.

The 25-year-old Tagovailoa has spoken about how those experiences helped shape his path to the NFL, but he couldn’t quite find the words to describe the emotions of competing in his first playoff game.

“I don’t think I could compare this to anything,” Tagovailoa said Wednesday. “It’s all new. Everything is all new. This is a different feeling than it was in the national championship game. Different feeling than it was in the SEC championship game. I think they all come with new feelings. The way I cope with it is go about my business the way I’ve been going about my business. Take care of my job and trust that my teammates will do the same.”

Tagovailoa added that he hasn’t had a chance to sit down and reflect on his areas of growth this season — one that he finished as the NFL’s leading passer with a career-high 4,624 yards — but probably one of the biggest differences is his health.

He started every regular-season game this year for the first time after dealing with various injuries since entering the NFL. He missed Miami’s playoff game last year, a loss to Buffalo in a wild-card game, after being diagnosed with his second concussion of the season.

“It’s a blessing that I get to play the entire season,” Tagovailoa said. “I think anyone would say the same around the league that it’s a blessing to make it this far. … I don’t take this for granted.”

Now he has a chance to add a playoff win to his list of accomplishments ahead of a potentially lucrative offseason. The Dolphins exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie deal last March, but the sides are expected to discuss the possibility of a contract extension after this season.

Tagovailoa was Miami’s first quarterback to lead the league in passing since Dan Marino in 1992. His 69.3% completion rate was the best in a single season in franchise history. And he was selected to his first Pro Bowl after guiding Miami’s No. 1 passing offense.

He also has made some critical mistakes in some of Miami’s biggest games, including a total of four interceptions in consecutive losses to playoff teams Baltimore and Buffalo to close the season.

The Dolphins were 1-5 against playoff opponents this season, and Tagovailoa had a 65.1% completion rate, seven touchdowns and six interceptions against those teams. He completed 72.9% of his passes against Miami’s 11 non-playoff foes.

Tagovailoa was intercepted on the Dolphins’ final drive against Buffalo, which effectively sealed the loss.

“Every game is different. It’s a constant development,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “One thing I do know is as much, if not more, than any player I’ve been around, this guy has, in front of our very eyes, learned and continued to grow, and no situation regardless of how much weight is on his shoulders or how much noise is out there, he continues to find a way to improve.”

NOTES: The Dolphins signed linebacker Melvin Ingram from the practice squad to the active roster, and signed linebacker Malik Reed to the practice squad. … Miami held a walkthrough on Wednesday, but S DeShon Elliot (calf), S Jevon Holland (knees) and CB Xavien Howard (foot) were estimated as nonparticipants.

Houston and Irvin are expected to add depth to a linebacker group that has been decimated by injuries, as Jerome Baker, Cameron Goode and Andrew Van Ginkel have all gone down in the past week.

Miami is preparing for its wild-card game at Kansas City on Saturday night.

Houston is quite familiar with the Chiefs, who selected him in the third round of the 2011 draft. He spent the first eight seasons of his career there before stints with Indianapolis (2019-20), Baltimore (2021-22) and Carolina (2023).

Houston, who turns 35 on Jan. 21, has been selected to four Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro with the Chiefs in 2014. His 112 sacks are third most among active players. He was released by the Panthers last month after signing a one-year deal with the team in August.

Irvin, 36, was a first-round pick by Seattle in 2012 and most recently played for the Detroit Lions. He has 56 1/2 sacks, three interceptions, 13 passes defensed, 16 forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

Irvin was released from Detroit’s practice squad last week after one sack in two appearances this season.

Miami ended the regular season without its top two edge rushers in Jaelan Phillips (Achilles tendon) and Bradley Chubb (ACL). Baker (wrist), Goode (knee) and Van Ginkel (foot) all suffered injuries in the Dolphins’ regular-season finale against Buffalo that will sideline them for the playoffs.

On Sunday, after the Buffalo Bills beat Miami 21-14 and knocked the Dolphins down to the sixth seed in the AFC, McDaniel didn’t minimize his team’s frustrations.

“Hindsight is 20/20,” he said, “and there are a lot of different things we will evaluate because that is extremely disappointing. But I think that’s part of the National Football League, is if you give up an inch, you’ll be punished for it. We didn’t take care of the games we really needed to and that’s what happens.”

A month ago, the Dolphins were in position for the AFC’s top seed and had a 2 1/2-game cushion over Buffalo in the AFC East. But miscues and deficiencies on offense have been glaring and alarming, and instead of starting the postseason at home, the Dolphins will head to Kansas City to face the third-seeded Chiefs in what’s expected to be a frigid wild-card game Saturday night.

The Dolphins’ loss to the Bills was a microcosm of their season: They’ve dominated bad teams by scoring at a historic pace, but have looked like a shell of themselves against winning foes. They finished the season 1-5 against playoff teams, getting their lone victory in Week 16 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Against playoff opponents, the Dolphins averaged 17.7 points, while putting up 35.5 points in their other 11 games. They were outgained 964 yards to 650 in losses to Baltimore and Buffalo to close the season.

“When we watch the film the following day after playing these teams, there’s still success being had within the scheme,” tight end Durham Smythe said. “There’s just a small thing here, a small thing there that stalls the drives, which prevents us from getting points. It’s really about cleaning everything up, small things, because it’s not like when we play these teams that we’re not scoring as much. They’re just completely overpowering us.”

The Dolphins were without 1,000-yard receiver Jaylen Waddle and 1,000-yard rusher Raheem Mostert in those two games, but Miami’s other playmakers shoulder part of the blame.

Tua Tagovailoa threw two interceptions in Miami’s final two games with a 60.5% completion rate. Tyreek Hill, who finished as the NFL’s leading receiver with 1,799 yards, had some crucial drops. He dropped a wide-open potential touchdown against Baltimore and couldn’t haul in several catches on Sunday.

“When you’re a player of his caliber that our team depends on so much, that can be a little misleading in terms of he gets a ton of targets,” McDaniel said. “When we go to him in high-stakes situations, it’s not like he’s just gliding in the open field. They’re pretty contested. He’s proven time and time again why we continue to go to him. There’s zero people, including myself, that are concerned about a pattern.”

Hill has been dealing with an ankle injury and took a hard hit late in Sunday’s game. He wasn’t in on the final play when Tagovailoa threw an interception to Bills safety Taylor Rapp that was intended for Chase Claypool.

WHAT’S WORKING

The Dolphins were in position to win entering the fourth quarter thanks to three takeaways by their defense. The unit that was criticized early in the season had progressed to a top-nine defense entering the game and limited Buffalo’s offense to 14 points. Miami enters the postseason with a takeaway in 11 straight games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

After putting up 14 points and 218 yards in the first half — buoyed by 101 yards rushing — the Dolphins recorded 57 yards the rest of the way. Miami did not score after halftime, and only ran the ball three times for 7 yards during that span.

STOCK UP

De’Von Achane has remained productive. The rookie running back had 163 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns in the Dolphins’ final two games. His average of 7.8 yards per carry was the best in NFL history by a running back with at least 100 carries.

STOCK DOWN

Tagovailoa completed 65.1% of his passes in six games against playoff teams with seven touchdowns and six interceptions. He had just one multiple-touchdown outing in those games.

INJURIES

McDaniel said he’s optimistic about the possible return of Waddle (high ankle sprain) and Mostert (knee/ankle) on Saturday. … LB Jerome Baker had wrist surgery following Sunday’s loss, and LB Andrew Van Ginkel suffered a foot injury. Both will miss the wild-card game and are not expected to return if Miami advances in the postseason. … McDaniel said the team is not expecting to have CB Xavien Howard (foot) back Saturday.

KEY NUMBER

0 — The expected temperature in degrees Fahrenheit when Saturday’s game kicks off at Arrowhead Stadium.

NEXT STEPS

The last team to win three road games and reach the Super Bowl was the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2000. As the AFC’s No. 6 seed, the Dolphins will play on the road with the exception of an improbable AFC championship meeting with seventh-seeded Pittsburgh.

Allen made things difficult for the Bills with three turnovers in Miami territory, but he came through at the end to help Buffalo earn the No. 2 seed in the conference. The Bills, who didn’t clinch a playoff berth until Tennessee beat Jacksonville earlier Sunday, will host seventh-seeded Pittsburgh in the wild-card round on Sunday.

Buffalo was 5-5 in mid-November and faced long odds just to make the playoffs, but went 6-1 down the stretch, including five straight wins to finish the season, to get in with plenty of momentum.

Miami, which made the postseason with its Week 16 win over Dallas, fell to the sixth seed and will play at AFC West champion Kansas City on Saturday night.

The Bills dominated time of possession and outgained Miami by nearly 200 yards, but Buffalo trailed 14-7 before Deonte Harty returned a punt 96 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Buffalo forced a three-and-out, and Allen directed an eight-play, 74-yard drive, capped by his 5-yard toss to Knox with 7:16 left.

Miami had one last chance, but Taylor Rapp intercepted Tua Tagovailoa on a pass intended for Chase Claypool with 1:13 left.

Allen finished 30 of 38 for 359 yards and two TDs. He was intercepted on back-to-back drives to open the game, and he squandered another scoring chance when he completed a pass to Ty Johnson short of the goal line at the end of the first half, allowing time to expire.

A promising Buffalo drive in the third quarter ended when Allen was strip-sacked by Christian Wilkins.

Tagovailoa finished 17 of 27 for 173 yards with two interceptions. He had a 3-yard touchdown throw to Tyreek Hill in the second quarter. Rookie running back De’Von Achane’s shifty 25-yard score in the second quarter put Miami ahead 7-0.

Hill was at practice Wednesday when he was notified of the blaze at his house, which is located in Southwest Ranches about 30 miles northwest of Miami. He was given a personal day Thursday.

An investigation by the Davie Fire Rescue Department found the fire was started by a child playing with a cigarette lighter in a bedroom. Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told reporters Wednesday that some family members were home at the time of the fire, but everyone got out safely.

Davie Fire Marshal Robert Taylor told The Associated Press the investigation is closed.

Hill has not commented on the matter.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Friday that he and the team are supporting Hill.

“Your home is burning and then you go back and see it and there’s a loss there,” McDaniel said. “Yes, thankfully there’s insurance and things like that. But it’s not as easy as that. It’s a life adjustment immediately. That’s your safe place, your home, that he is now dealing with insurance and living in a different spot for the immediate future and all of that. It’s a major stressor for sure. Fortunately, ’Reek has support of his family and his teammates. It’s not something that you wish upon anyone.”

He added that Hill was happy to be back with his teammates.

Hill (ankle) practiced fully Friday as the Dolphins prepare to host Buffalo Sunday in a game that will decide the AFC East.

According to the police report, the fire occurred on the second story on the northwest side of the Southwest Ranches home where the children were playing.

The report goes on to say that one of the children told the officer that he found an orange lighter in his small toy box and “started squeezing it.” The flame from the fire made contact with a toy and a fire began.

Seeing the fire, the report states, the children got nervous, threw the toy and ran out of the room to alert the adults.

Firefighters said that Tyreek Hill’s wife, Keeta Vaccaro Hill, called 911, as she walked into the house.

“I have a fire. Can you help us? A fire’s in the house,” she said in the 911 call. “I don’t know what to do. I need help, OK?”

“I need for you to exit the building, exit the building,” said the dispatcher

Smoke could already be seen coming down the stairs and into the first floor by the time Vaccaro Hill got home.

“Where exactly is the fire?” the dispatcher said.

“It’s upstairs, it’s upstairs,” said Vaccaro Hill.

Firefighters responded to the home on Wednesday shortly after 2 p.m., and extinguished the fire that caused black smoke to billow from the 13,000-square-foot mansion’s roof.

7Skyforce captured aerial footage of the scene, showing firefighters on the roof as they worked to identify the source of the fire. A portion of the roof had to be knocked down to manage the blaze.

On Thursday, cameras showed the large hole in the roof and damage to an upstairs bedroom. Firefighters returned to the scene to ensure there were no hot spots.

The Miami Dolphins released a statement, stating that Hill, in communication with his family, confirmed everyone was out of the house and safe. Hill left practice to address the situation.

Hill’s teammates were just as shocked as he was.

“It’s a sad reality that we have those things to worry about, and seeing him run off the field was kind of a real moment,” said Dolphins wide receiver Braxton Berrios.

“It’s something that as a team, we’ve got to be able to come together and make sure that we can reach out to Tyreek and be human beings with him, right? And make sure that everything is squared away, and we can do everything we possibly can to help our teammates,” aid Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold.

Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spoke with the media after practice and gave his support for his teammate, saying that the most important thing is his teammate’s safety along with his family.

“I think that would be difficult for, not just my teammates, but for anyone in general to be going through what Tyreek is going through right now,” he said. “I think the main thing is his family is safe, his loved ones are good, and he’s good as well. I know it’s a little clichéd to say, but those things like that, part of the house, some of those things can be replaceable, but I’m just glad that a lot of his family members are safe.”

When Hill arrived at the scene, he hugged his wife as fire crews put out the blaze.

Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, shared that the fire was limited to one room, and Hill remains in good spirits.

“It is very difficult for anybody, obviously, to have your home catch on fire, but Hill was handling it with as much poise as you can hope,” said Rosenhaus.

Family members were reportedly inside the home when the fire broke out, but Rosenhaus did not disclose specific details.

No injuries were reported, and it remains unclear if Hill and his family were able to stay in the home following the fire’s extinguishment.

The home is a seven-bedroom, eight-and-a-half-bathroom mansion, acquired by Hill in 2022 for $6.9 million. Unfortunately, now the west wing of the mansion is damaged.

The fire was so large that it took crews almost an hour after the initial call to have it under control.

“Thankfully, the fire was contained to a limited area in the home, Obviously, there’ll be some smoke and water damage,” said Rosenhaus. “It’s a shocking development, but [Hill] was very poised, and he was thankful that his family was good and that no one was injured.”

It is unclear if the child involved in causing the fire was one of Hill’s own, but investigators confirmed the involvement of a child in the ignition of the fire.

The Dolphins are scheduled to host the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday night, hoping to clinch the NFL’s American Football Conference – Eastern Division. 7News has learned that Hill was not at Dolphins practice on Thursday.

Davie Fire Rescue units arrived at the home shortly after 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

7Skyforce hovered over the scene, where black smoke billowed from the mansion’s roof.

Firefighters were seen on the roof as they searched for the source of the fire. Crews had to knock a portion of the roof down to handle the fire.

The Miami Dolphins issued a statement that reads,

“Tyreek has been in communication with his family. Everyone is out of the house and safe at this time. He has also left practice to deal with the situation.”

Miami Dolphins

Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spoke with the media after practice and gave his support for his teammate, saying that the most important thing is his teammate’s safety along with his family.

“I think that would be difficult for, not just my teammates, but for anyone in general to be going through what Tyreek is going through right now,” he said. “I think the main thing is his family is safe, his loved ones are good, and he’s good as well. I know it’s a little clichéd to say, but those things like that, part of the house, some of those things can be replaceable, but I’m just glad that a lot of his family members are safe.”

At one point, the fire was upgraded to a two-alarm fire. More firefighters arrived at the scene to locate the source of the fire.

Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said the fire was contained to one room and that Hill is in the best spirits anyone in this situation can be in.

“It is very difficult for anybody, obviously, to have your home catch on fire, but Tyreek was handling it with as much poise as you can hope,” said Rosenhaus.

Rosenhaus said there were family members inside the home when the fire began, but he didn’t disclose who or how many people were inside. No injuries were reported.

A year ago, Hill welcomed his fans to get a taste of his superstar lifestyle through a YouTube video.

“Today I’m gonna give you guys a house tour. I got my black galaxy over there,” said Hill in the video.

From his cars to his courtyard, he gave the viewers a grand tour of the seven-bedroom and eight-and-a-half-bathroom mansion that he bought in 2022 for $6.9 million.

“Next time you see this, a lot of this will be changed up,” said Hill in the video.

The change is the west wing of his home. So much had to be done to put out the fire, double the amount of crews were called.

It took firefighters almost an hour after the initial call to tame the flames.

“There will obviously be some kind of investigation, and then we’ll go from there,” said Rosenhaus.

Hill was at Dolphins practice as Miami prepares for its regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. Upon hearing the news of the fire, he left practice and was seen on video outside his home speaking with his family.

“You are on the field practicing, and everything is focused there. Then all of a sudden, you hear somebody’s house is on fire,” said Dolphins wide receiver Braxton Berrios. “It’s a sad reality that we have those things to worry about, and seeing him run off the field was kind of a real moment.”

Other teammates were just as shocked as Hill when they heard the news.

“It’s something that catches you off guard a little bit. You don’t think that it’s ever going to happen to you until it does,” said Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold. “So, it’s something that as a team, we’ve got to be able to come together and make sure that we can reach out to Tyreek and be human beings with him, right? And make sure that everything is squared away, and we can do everything we possibly can to help our teammates.”

Dolphins safety Jevon Holland tried to lift Hill’s spirits by making light of the unfortunate situation.

“We just work here, just like anybody would get up in the morning and go to work, come back home, and there’s dog [expletive] everywhere,” he said. “Bro,I mean, sometimes you come home, your crib’s on fire. It just is what it is, right? He’s got to handle it and keep it moving.”

Wednesday night, Tagovailoa was named to his first Pro Bowl, and Hill was named to his eighth. Hill becomes the first wide receiver in NFL history to achieve that mark in his first eight years in the league.

It is unclear whether or not Hill and his family will be able to stay in the home for the night.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

The Dolphins’ chances at earning the AFC’s top seed ended when they were blown out at Baltimore last weekend. But a victory over the Bills would give them their first AFC East title since 2008 and the No. 2 seed in the conference.

If Miami loses, it would fall to the No. 6 seed and likely would need to win three road playoff games to reach the Super Bowl.

Playing at home could bode well for the Dolphins, who are 7-1 at Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami had three turnovers at Baltimore on Sunday and gave up a season-high 491 yards as breakdowns in communication on both sides of the ball stalled momentum. Tua Tagovailoa was 22 of 38 for 237 yards and two touchdowns. Tyreek Hill caught six passes for 76 yards but dropped a potential touchdown when he was wide open in the end zone on Miami’s second drive.

Hill attributed the drop to poor concentration.

“I will say, I never get that wide open,” Hill said. “The ball just floated so long. It was just like, ‘Get here’ to me. I just have to make the play, man.”

When the Dolphins lost at Buffalo in Week 4, they turned the ball over twice and were 3 of 10 on third down. Hill had 58 yards receiving, his second-lowest output of the season.

“The great thing about this team is we have such tremendous leaders,” Hill said. “You know what, I’m looking forward to seeing how we bounce back. I know coach (Mike McDaniel) is going to get us prepared, and it’s going to be what we need heading into the playoffs. It’s going to be fine.”

Miami will need to overcome a plethora of injuries.

Jaylen Waddle did not play against Baltimore because of a high ankle sprain, and it’s not clear whether he’ll be available Sunday night. And the Dolphins will face a Bills offense that has dominated them in recent years without several key starters on defense, including pass rusher Bradley Chubb (knee), linebacker Jaelan Phillips (Achilles tendon). Cornerback Xavien Howard (foot) is also likely to miss the game.

“Regardless of what we’re dealing with personally at home, or an injury to our body, this game is going to kick off when it kicks off and it’s going to go down,” veteran left tackle Terron Armstead said. “You want to go out there with your best foot forward regardless. So when you prepare through the week, that kickoff time is going to be that kickoff time, no matter who is on the field, no matter what they’re dealing with. That’s how you’ve got to approach it.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Miami has rushed for at least 120 yards in four of its past six games. The Dolphins had 154 yards rushing Sunday and averaged 6.2 yards per rush.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Some of Miami’s midseason issues with ball security returned. Tagovailoa hadn’t thrown an interception in four games but had two against the Ravens. Backup Mike White lost a fumble late in the fourth quarter.

STOCK UP

De’Von Achane. He was Miami’s lead ball carrier in the absence of Raheem Mostert, who did not play because of ankle and knee injuries. Achane had a 23-yard run on the first play of the game and finished with 107 yards on 14 carries with a receiving touchdown.

STOCK DOWN

The secondary, which was plagued by blown coverages and poor tackling. Howard only played four snaps because of a foot injury, and the Ravens targeted backup Eli Apple throughout the game. Apple lost track of Zay Flowers on a 75-yard touchdown.

INJURIES

Chubb will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee late in the game. … Howard’s foot injury is not expected to require surgery, but he is likely to miss the Buffalo game. … Tagovailoa is dealing with a sore shoulder.

KEY NUMBER

100 — It was the fourth 100-yard rushing game for Achane, which tied Karim Abdul-Jabbar for the most such games by a rookie in Dolphins history.

NEXT STEPS

The Dolphins have beaten the Bills just once in the past 11 meetings. If they win, they would not have to go on the road during the playoffs until the AFC championship game.

Chubb suffered the injury in the final minutes of a Sunday’s 56-19 loss at Baltimore. He went down after trying to make a tackle and grabbed at his right knee. He was carted off the field.

McDaniel expressed regret afterward when asked why Chubb and other Dolphins starters were in the game at that point, when the deficit was 30 points with 3:05 remaining.

“In hindsight, I would absolutely not have one of them out there if I had known that he was going to get hurt, for sure,” the second-year coach said Sunday. “That’s a known part of the job that I understand fully. It doesn’t look smart at all.”

Added McDaniel on Monday: “It was a tough moment that I wish wouldn’t have happened. Hindsight is 20/20. Every decision I make, I understand how important it is to everyone that I’m doing the right thing for the team and the organization. When things like that happen, yeah, the burden is great. I always learn from things, and you can be rest assured that the proper intent will be applied to every decision I make because I don’t take the weight of that lightly at all.”

Chubb, acquired in a trade with Denver last November, leads the Dolphins with 11 sacks and a league-high six forced fumbles. He has 74 tackles.

The Dolphins will now be without their two star linebackers entering Sunday’s game against Buffalo, which will decide the AFC East. Jaelan Phillips suffered a torn Achilles tendon against the Jets in Week 12.

This is the third ACL tear for Chubb and the first in his right knee. Chubb, the fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft, suffered a torn left ACL with the Broncos in 2019. He ruptured the same ACL in high school.

NOTES: McDaniel said veteran cornerback Xavien Howard’s foot injury doesn’t appear likely to require surgery, but he doesn’t expect Howard to be able to play Sunday. Howard was carted off in the first quarter against Baltimore. … Linebacker Jerome Baker could practice this week, which would open his 21-day window to return from injured reserve. He has missed the past four games because of a knee injury. … McDaniel said he is not worried about the health of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who left late Sunday with a shoulder issue. Tagovailoa said afterward that his shoulder was sore, but fine.

The first-string defense had already been humbled and beaten by the Baltimore Ravens when star linebacker Bradley Chubb dropped to the ground, flat on his back and unable to move because of a knee injury. A while later, the team’s sack leader was lifted onto a cart and driven into the tunnel.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel lamented his decision to keep Chubb on the field in the waning minutes of what became a 56-19 loss.

“In hindsight, I would have absolutely not wanted him out there if I knew he was going to get hurt, for sure,” McDaniel said. “That’s a known part of the job that I understand fully. It doesn’t look very smart at all.”

While it appears unlikely that the sixth-year pro will return to play this season, McDaniel grimaced and held out hope for a favorable diagnosis.

“We don’t have the information to find out what it is yet. We’ll be able to find out (Monday),” McDaniel said.

All in all, it was a horrible day for a team intent on upsetting the Ravens and earning the top seed in the AFC.

“We came into this game with high hopes of playing to the standard we wanted to play,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “When those standards aren’t met, it’s very disappointing.”

The Dolphins fell behind by 22 points early in the third quarter, and a harried Tagovailoa couldn’t make up the deficit in a lopsided setback that prevented Miami (11-5) from clinching the AFC East.

In a matchup between the teams with the two best records in the conference, Baltimore (13-3) dominated the Dolphins to earn a first-round bye and the opportunity to play every game at home in the postseason leading up to the Super Bowl.

If Miami can’t beat visiting Buffalo next week, the Bills would win the AFC East title and the Dolphins would start the playoffs on the road.

Miami led 10-7 before the Ravens went on a 28-3 run bridging the second and third quarters. Last year, Tagovailoa rallied Miami from a 35-14 hole to a 42-38 victory.

But this Baltimore team would have none of that. Not only did the Ravens pick off two passes and finish with three sacks, but Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson ripped apart the Miami defense for 321 yards passing and five touchdowns.

Miami could still end up with the No. 2 seed in the AFC if it beats Buffalo. The Dolphins haven’t finished atop the division since 2008 and have gone more than three decades without securing a top-two seed.

But they’ll likely have to do it without Chubb, who has 11 sacks to go with 74 tackles, including six on Sunday before the injury.

“I want to say a big shout-out to Bradley Chubb,” Tagovailoa said. “We’re thinking of you, brother, and we’re praying for you as well. It’s tough seeing one of our guys go down like that. It’s unfortunate.”

Miami’s top-ranked offense was without standout wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and workhorse running back Raheem Mostert, both of whom were inactive with injuries. Waddle ranks second on the team with 72 catches and 1,014 yards receiving, and last year he had 11 receptions for 171 yards and two TDs in Miami’s win at Baltimore.

Tyreek Hill had six catches for 76 yards, but he also dropped a certain touchdown in the back of the end zone.

“I played probably one of the worst games of my career,” Hill said. “As a leader of this team, just got to erase it and move forward.”

In last year’s game between these teams, the Ravens took a 35-14 lead into the fourth quarter. In this one, it was 35-13 before a touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to rookie running back De’Von Achane with 13:57 left gave Miami hope of mounting another rally.

But Baltimore subsequently rumbled 75 yards in seven plays to make it 42-19 with 9:38 remaining.

Tagovailoa was removed with just over four minutes remaining with a sore shoulder that he insisted was not an issue. At that point, it was pretty much time for the Dolphins to turn their attention toward the finale against Buffalo, a rematch of a game the Bills won 48-20 at home in October.

Except the defense remained on the field, and Chubb paid the price for playing during garbage time.

Isaiah Likely caught two TDs for the Ravens, who won their sixth straight game and also wrapped up their first AFC North title since 2019, Jackson’s first MVP season. Now Baltimore (13-3) can rest Jackson — and anyone else it chooses — in the regular-season finale against Pittsburgh.

Miami (11-5) is also postseason bound, but now the winner of next weekend’s Dolphins-Bills game will take the AFC East. Miami was without two offensive stars in receiver Jaylen Waddle (ankle) and running back Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle).

And now the Dolphins face another potentially significant injury. Linebacker Bradley Chubb — with his team down 30 points — had to be carted off with 3:05 remaining after hurting his knee.

Serenaded with periodic “MVP!” chants from the home crowd, Jackson went 18 of 21 passing, meaning he finished the game with more touchdown passes than incompletions. That’s a feat Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa also accomplished in a 70-20 win over Denver in Week 3.

Jackson also had a perfect passer rating of 158.3 against Miami in 2019. He joins Tom Brady (against Detroit) as the only quarterbacks with two perfect ratings against the same team, with a minimum of 20 attempts.

This matchup featured Miami’s top-ranked scoring offense and Baltimore’s top-ranked scoring defense. In the early going, the Dolphins had the upper hand. They scored on the game’s first drive when Tagovailoa threw an 8-yard pass to Cedrick Wilson Jr. Jackson answered with a 20-yard scoring strike to Justice Hill.

Miami would have had another touchdown on its second drive, but Tyreek Hill bobbled the ball in the end zone and the Dolphins kicked a field goal.

The Ravens took the lead for good in the second quarter when Gus Edwards capped an 89-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring run. After another Miami field goal, Jackson immediately found Zay Flowers open deep for a 75-yard touchdown that made it 21-13.

The Ravens struck again 94 seconds later thanks to a pair of one-handed catches. The first was an interception by Roquan Smith, the second a 35-yard catch-and-run TD by Likely on fourth-and-7.

Justice Hill returned the second-half kickoff 78 yards, setting up Jackson’s 7-yard TD toss to Likely that made it 35-13.

Miami trailed 35-14 with under 13 minutes remaining last season before rallying to a 42-38 win over the Ravens. The Dolphins started the fourth quarter with a touchdown this time, a 1-yard pass from Tagovailoa to De’Von Achane, but it was Baltimore that closed strong.

The Ravens marched right back down the field and scored on Jackson’s 4-yard pass to Patrick Ricard to go up 42-19. Melvin Gordon III added a 7-yard touchdown run, and a Miami fumble led to a another TD. Tyler Huntley threw a scoring pass to Charlie Kolar on third-and-goal from the 19.

INJURIES

The teams weren’t at full strength at the start, and the injuries continued throughout the game. Miami lost CB Xavien Howard (foot). Baltimore CB Marlon Humphrey (calf) went down as well. Ravens NT Michael Pierce and S Daryl Worley were each evaluated for a head injury.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Host Buffalo next weekend.

Ravens: Host Pittsburgh next weekend.

Those teams both had to wait a year, but now they’re sitting at the top of the AFC. They just needed their star passers to stay healthy.

“I got a lot of respect for Lamar, the things that he’s done throughout his career,” Tagovailoa said. “I can vividly remember when I was in college, I think he was in the NFL, and he reached out to me. He told me I was balling, and I thought that was the one of the coolest things. I think that was the year he won the MVP.”

Jackson is now the favorite to win his second MVP after leading the Ravens to a big victory Monday night at San Francisco. Baltimore (12-3) has the top record in the NFL and can clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a victory over Miami on Sunday. If the Dolphins (11-4) win at Baltimore, they would control their own path to the top seed in the conference.

On the other hand, the loser of this game might not win its own division.

So there’s quite a bit at stake — much more than there was in Week 2 last season. That was when Tagovailoa threw for 469 yards and six touchdowns as the Dolphins rallied from a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Ravens 42-38. It was something of a coming-out party for the Miami offense in its second game under coach Mike McDaniel.

“They did some great things against us in the passing game,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. “Made some huge plays. It was a massive comeback. Obviously, it was a tough pill to swallow for us.”

That same day, Jackson became the first quarterback in NFL history with both a touchdown pass and a touchdown run of at least 75 yards in one game.

Both teams went on to make the playoffs, but each lost its postseason opener. By then, Jackson was out with a knee injury and Tagovailoa’s concussion problems left him unavailable, too. They’ve both played every game this season.

Tagovailoa was limited in practice this week because of his left thumb and quad, and the teams have other health concerns. Star receiver Jaylen Waddle (ankle) and running back Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle) missed practice time for Miami. So did receiver Tyreek Hill (ankle).

Safety Kyle Hamilton (knee) and rookie receiver Zay Flowers (calf) missed some practice for the Ravens.

PHYSICALITY OR FINESSE?

Tagovailoa feels there’s a misconception about the speedy Dolphins. They’ve been lauded all season as the fastest offense in the NFL, while also being described as a finesse team that could get pushed around by a more physical opponent — like the hard-nosed Ravens.

Tagovailoa pointed to Miami’s running game, which hasn’t been ranked lower than fifth all season, as an example of the Dolphins’ physicality. Miami is averaging 136.4 yards rushing per game and a league-best 5 yards per rush.

“You can have speed and you can be physical as well,” Tagovailoa said. “I think that’s what people misunderstand when it comes to our team. They see, yeah, OK, guys are fast. Guys are flying around the field. But look at our runs. Look at everyone that has man blocks, that has crack blocks.”

BURYING THE HATCHET?

Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had a war of words with Harbaugh a couple seasons ago when Fangio was the head coach in Denver. At issue was Baltimore’s decision to run a play instead of taking a knee at the end of a victory over the Broncos. The Ravens were trying to extend a streak of 100-yard rushing games, which tied an NFL record that day.

Fangio said this week he was trying to back up his players more than anything.

“Our players were all upset about it,” he said. “So I took the hit. I said something publicly and I told the players that so they would let it go to bed and they never said anything. It was one that just finished the story without our players getting involved. I could care less if they run another play.”

DOMINANT DEFENSE

The Dolphins rank No. 1 in total defense since Week 5 and are first in quarterback hits, second in sacks and fifth against the run. They had four sacks against the Cowboys last week to give them a franchise-best 52 on the season. Three Dolphins have at least eight sacks, led by linebacker Bradley Chubb with 11.

“It’s dope just knowing the guys in the room, and seeing how we’ve started to get cohesive together,” Chubb said. “Early in the year, we could tell we were good, but we didn’t know how good we were going to be. Guys just started buying in, playing with each other, rushing off of each other, letting it just happen organically.”

SCENARIOS

Miami can clinch the AFC East with a victory this weekend, but if the Dolphins lose and Buffalo beats New England, then Bills-Dolphins in Week 18 would decide the division.

The Ravens would win the AFC North with a victory in either of their last two games. But lose both, and the door would be open for Cleveland to snatch the division with two victories.

The brazen bike burglary took place Tuesday afternoon in the parking garage of the Grove Forest Plaza, located along the 2900 block of Southwest 27th Avenue in Coconut Grove.

The owner of the bicycle, Alejandra Santana, spoke with 7News on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, [the thief] came in right when security went to have lunch,” she said.

The security personnel’s lunch was this crook’s all-you-can-eat buffet.

“He grabbed my bike and hopped on it and left,” said Santana.

Santana’s brand-new bike was on the back of her parked car. She said it’s more than just two wheels, because it was a Christmas gift from her boyfriend that was going to help her support a good cause.

“There was so much effort to providing this gift for me, so that I can do this cancer run, which is important for my family,” she said.

She is talking the Dolphins Challenge Cancer.

Santana said she was going to train on that bike to enter the challenge for the first time and ride it 13 miles — raising money to fight cancer with every push of the pedal.

“Now I am borrowing bicycles to train,” she said.

Because Santana now has a team that relies on her. Her entire office entered into the challenge together.

She said walking out to her car with the bike missing on the day after she got it is a terrible feeling.

“I was so heartbroken. I mean, I couldn’t even believe it,” she said. “I know it’s just a bike, right? It’s not the end, you know, but it meant so much to me.”

That’s why Santana is not letting this bike bandit get away with it.

“I noticed in the videos that he has a [tattoo] sleeve on his right arm,” she said.

In addition, her bike is hard to miss. The frame is black and white, and the tire has a brown strip around it.

Now Santana is hoping someone recognizes the man or the bike, so she can be one of the many to cycle toward kicking cancer to the curb.

She’s offering a reward of up to $1,000 for anyone with information about the bike or who the thief is.

“I would be very happy to provide this reward for anyone who would find the bike,” she said.

If you have any information on this theft or the subject’s whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

The Miami Dolphins were supposedly interested in adding Jonathan Taylor to their running back room before Taylor signed a contract extension with the Colts in October. Before that, the Dolphins reportedly made an exploratory call to the Las Vegas Raiders about Josh Jacobs. And Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook named Miami as a place he could see himself playing before he ultimately signed with the Jets in August.

That offseason chatter didn’t faze Mostert. As an undrafted player who bounced around early in his career, he knows the feeling of being overlooked.

Mostert played for four teams over his first two seasons before landing with San Francisco in 2016. After six seasons with the 49ers, including a trip to the Super Bowl after the 2019 season, Mostert followed coach Mike McDaniel to Miami, where he has had the two most productive years of his career.

The 31-year-old currently leads the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns, and his 1,012 rushing yards are the fourth-most in the league — all at an age when most running backs see their production start to slip.

Teammates and coaches have praised his toughness and dedication, but Mostert still considers himself overlooked.

“I’ve always been an underdog and that’s OK,” Mostert said, “but I’m going to show everybody, I’m going to prove everybody wrong, because that’s what fuels me the most is proving somebody wrong.”

Mostert’s 18 rushing TDs are two more than the previous franchise record set by Ricky Williams in 2002.

Mostert, who was born and raised about 230 miles up the Atlantic coast in New Smyrna Beach, returned to his hometown after breaking the record and thought about the times he and his brother wore Williams’ jersey.

“To be able to break that record, it’s so surreal for both him and I,” Mostert said. “We looked up to Ricky when we were younger.”

Mostert also holds the Dolphins record for total touchdowns in a season with 21, three more than receiver Mark Clayton in 1984. He rushed for 46 yards in last week’s 22-20 win over Dallas, which put him over 1,000 yards in a season for the first time in his career. He’s Miami’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Jay Ajayi had 1,272 in 2016. Mostert is also the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in his 30s since Adrian Peterson ran for 1,042 with Washington in 2018 at age 33.

“Obviously, my age isn’t stopping anything,” Mostert said. “I’m just trying to set the standard for a group of guys who want to come in and feel like if you want to be a 31-, 32-year-old running back, it’s OK. You can go out here and still produce at a high level because obviously I’m doing that at an exceptional rate. It’s just a lot of fun and I’m having fun doing it.”

Mostert said he worked this offseason on his body after he spent last season recovering from a 2021 knee surgery. He also developed his understanding of Miami’s offense, which went from the No. 25 rushing offense at the end of last season to a top-five unit entering Week 17.

The Dolphins have the No. 1 scoring offense thanks largely to Mostert’s production in the red zone, where he said he does anything he can to get downhill and not leave any yards on the field.

“The chip on his shoulder that he uses for a competitive advantage never goes away,” McDaniel said. “In one way shape or form to find his formula, which is no one thinks he’s good enough, ever. That’s the way he looks at it. You’ve got to understand, the stuff that he’s gone through in his career is real. That would break most people.”

NOTES: Mostert did not practice Wednesday because of a knee/ankle injury suffered against the Cowboys. … WR Jaylen Waddle has a high ankle sprain, but McDaniel did not rule him out for Sunday’s game at Baltimore. McDaniel described Waddle’s injury as “not overly severe,” but it’s also the type of injury that could make cutting on the field difficult. Waddle did not practice Wednesday, along with RG Rob Hunt (hamstring), WR Tyreek Hill (ankle), LT Terron Armstead (knee/ankle/back), RB De’Von Achane (toe) and WR Robbie Chosen (concussion protocol).

But he felt his team didn’t let “narratives” become a distraction, and Miami (11-4) finally got over that hump.

“Regardless of what people say, you have to get to a mode where you’re solely worried about doing your job and being responsible for that with your teammates,” McDaniel said after Sunday’s 22-20 defeat of the Cowboys. “And anything else, you get distracted and lose focus on what actually matters.”

What matters to the playoff-bound Dolphins now is beating two more winning teams: Baltimore on Sunday and then division rival Buffalo in their season finale.

Sunday’s victory put the AFC East-leading Dolphins in position to win the division for the first time since 2008 with either a win at Baltimore or a Bills loss to New England in Week 17, or a win over Buffalo in Week 18.

Miami would also overtake the Ravens for the top spot in the conference — with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first-round bye — if it wins its remaining two games. A division title would give the Dolphins at least one home playoff game.

“It’s exactly what you want,” McDaniel said. “You want to be playing the best football teams in December and January. You want to go toe to toe with them, and you want to earn victories. To do that, we’re very fortunate to have the opportunity to play the Baltimore Ravens this week.”

Miami’s offense has come up short with a chance for a game-winning drive twice this season. It happened against Kansas City in Week 9 and again vs. Tennessee two weeks ago.

Against Dallas, the Dolphins came through. With Miami trailing 20-19, Tua Tagovailoa completed 4 of 5 passes on a 12-play, 64-yard drive that took the remaining 3:27 off the clock and set up Jason Sanders’ game-winning field goal.

Tyreek Hill caught two passes on the decisive drive, one of which converted a third down.

“We have to be able to have good drives,” Hill said, “and the way Tua orchestrated the last drive, it was a thing of beauty.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Miami has gotten strong play from its linebackers, even with starting LB Jaelan Phillips out for the season with an Achilles tendon tear. Bradley Chubb and Andrew Van Ginkel recorded 1 1/2 sacks apiece on Sunday. The Dolphins had four sacks total, giving them a franchise-best 52 on the season.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Situational defense. Two weeks after allowing the Titans to score twice in the final five minutes, Miami allowed a 17-play, 69-yard drive that used over seven minutes of the clock and ended in Dallas scoring a go-ahead touchdown.

STOCK UP

Sanders. He had struggled on long field goals all season before nailing three kicks of 50-plus yards — including a career-long 57-yarder in the first quarter — as well as the 29-yarder as time expired on Sunday.

STOCK DOWN

The Dolphins again left points on the field because of struggles in the red zone, where they were 1 of 4. In the first quarter, McDaniel went for it on fourth down at the Dallas 5 and opted for a goal-line fade pass that was unsuccessful.

INJURIES

WR Robbie Chosen is in the concussion protocol after leaving in the first quarter. … WR Jaylen Waddle left in the third quarter with an ankle injury. … RT Austin Jackson (oblique) did not play. … RB Raheem Mostert was limited in the second half because of a shin injury. McDaniel said Mostert wanted to come back into the game, but the team could tell the injury was very painful.

KEY NUMBER

1,000 — Mostert surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career with his 46 yards Sunday. The 31-year-old is the first player in his 30s to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since then-33-year-old Adrian Peterson had 1,042 yards for Washington in 2018. … Waddle had a 50-yard catch in the first quarter to put him over 1,000 yards receiving. He’s the first Dolphins receiver to post three straight 1,000-yard seasons.

NEXT STEPS

The Dolphins won at Baltimore last season. Miami lost at Buffalo in Week 4.

Tailgating festivities added to the spectacle, with fans expressing their die-hard allegiance to their respective teams.

The Christmas Eve game drew fans not just from across Florida but from across the country.

Mike Spina, a Cowboys Fan, mentioned bringing his whole family to celebrate the occasion.

“We skip Jersey for the Christmas Eve Seventh fishes. We’re here tonight to celebrate,” said Spina.

While Jeff Dunn, a dedicated Dolphins supporter, expressed his commitment.

“We fly down here for every Miami Dolphin game,” said Dunn.

When asked why they were spending Christmas Eve at the game, one man said, “This is it. This is the ultimate gift. I mean you’re at Hard Rock Stadium — Dolphins, Cowboys. How bigger does it get?”

With more than 65,000 attendees filling the stadium, both Dolphins and Cowboys supporters agreed on one thing – the match delivered an unforgettable spectacle, making this Christmas Eve a sports-filled celebration for fans nationwide.

Sanders entered Sunday’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys with just 21 field goal attempts on the year, but Miami needed his booming right leg in its biggest game of the season, and he delivered.

Sanders kicked his fifth field goal of the day, a 29-yarder as time expired, and the Dolphins secured a playoff berth with a 22-20 victory over the Cowboys.

“Not every year can be an All-Pro year,” said Sanders, who is 22 of 26 on field goals and 5 of 7 from 50-plus yards. “I think I’m still hitting the kicks. I’m still right where I need to be.”

Tua Tagovailoa threw for 293 yards and a touchdown for the AFC East-leading Dolphins (11-4), who beat a team with a winning record for the first time this season. He connected with Tyreek Hill twice on the decisive drive, which covered 64 yards and took the final 3:27 off the clock.

Hill, who leads the NFL in receiving yards, had nine catches for 99 yards after missing last week’s victory over the New York Jets with an ankle injury.

Miami has the NFL’s top passing and scoring offense, as well as a top-five rushing attack and an ascending defense. However, all the Dolphins’ wins entering Week 16 came against teams that were .500 or worse.

“It’s always big when you do something that, internally, you know that you’re capable of,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “When it comes to fruition, it’s pretty satisfying. … Nobody on this team thought we were going to lose that game, and that’s pretty cool when everyone tells you that you can’t do X, Y or Z.”

Dak Prescott went 20 of 32 for 253 yards and two touchdowns for the Cowboys (10-5), who have already clinched a playoff spot but fell a half-game behind Philadelphia in the NFC East.

Prescott put Dallas in front 20-19 with an 8-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Brandin Cooks in the corner of the end zone. But the Cowboys were haunted by their red-zone struggles earlier in the game, including a fumble by Prescott on first-and-goal from inside the 1 on Dallas’ first possession.

“We’re not taking any moral victories from this,” Prescott said. “We will take some confidence. We’re committed to one another and holding each other accountable in our goal.”

Sanders’ first field goal was a career-long 57-yarder in the first quarter. He added kicks of 52, 54 and 35 yards to help the Dolphins take a 19-10 lead late in the third.

Dallas got back into the red zone early in the fourth quarter, but Miami’s defense held and the Cowboys settled for a field goal to get within 19-13.

Prescott’s dynamic playmaking kept Dallas in it. On the go-ahead drive, he completed a pass to Michael Gallup as Miami linebacker Duke Riley was pulling him to the ground at the 21.

After Miami safety DeShon Elliott was flagged for defensive holding in the end zone on fourth-and-goal, Prescott got the ball to Cooks, who hauled in the ball over over All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

CeeDee Lamb caught six passes for 118 yards for the Cowboys, including a 49-yard score in the first quarter.

Raheem Mostert scored his NFL-leading 21st touchdown of the season on a grab from Tagovailoa just before halftime. The 31-year-old, who was undrafted out of Purdue in 2015 and bounced around the league earlier in his career, had 46 yards rushing Sunday to put him over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He’s the Dolphins’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Jay Ajayi in 2016.

Miami defensive coordinator Vic Fangio opted to not have Ramsey shadow Lamb, and it initially looked like the dynamic fourth-year receiver would make him pay for it. Lamb torched the rest of Miami’s secondary early for 93 yards on four catches in the first quarter.

Prescott hit Lamb on a crossing route that went 22 yards on the Cowboys’ second possession. A few plays later, Lamb beat second-year cornerback Kader Kohou in the slot for a catch-and-run touchdown that put Dallas ahead 7-3.

After giving up more than 150 yards on Dallas’ first two drives, Miami’s defense settled in. Fangio dialed up more pressures, and it worked. The Dolphins sacked Prescott four times, which gave them a franchise-best 50 on the season and forced four straight Cowboys punts.

“It’s just finally good to get over that hump of the narrative and changing the narrative to be what we want it to be,” linebacker Bradley Chubb said, “and it’s just been dope to see this team come together, not worry about the outsiders, the naysayers and just do what we do and prepare like we’re a championship team each and every week.”

INJURIES

Dolphins: WR Robbie Chosen left in the first quarter to be evaluated for a concussion and did not return. … WR Jaylen Waddle left briefly after being poked in the eye in the second quarter. He returned, but then limped off the field after a tackle in the third quarter. He was ruled out with a shin injury.

UP NEXT

Cowboys: Host Detroit on Saturday night.

Dolphins: At Baltimore next Sunday.

Both teams are 10-4, have offenses and defense ranked near the top of the league, and have taken care of lesser competition — sometimes winning by eye-popping margins.

But both have struggled against the best teams in the league.

Three of Miami’s four losses have come against teams with winning records, while all 10 of its wins have come against teams that entered at .500 or worse. The Cowboys’ only win against a team that currently has a winning record came two weeks ago in a 33-13 blowout of the ebbing Philadelphia Eagles.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said he told his players to not think about playoff seeding — Miami currently holds the No. 2 spot in the AFC and can clinch a playoff berth with a win Sunday — or the “narrative” that they can’t beat good teams.

“Anything other than to concern yourself with the next opponent, which for us is the Dallas Cowboys, any other narrative that has to do with good teams or playoff seeds or the next three games, all that stuff,” McDaniel said Monday, “I gave them the clearance to tell all members of the media to — with all due respect — ‘F’ off, with all due respect.”

Whether they pay attention to it or not, the Dolphins can change that trend Sunday at home, where they have won 18 of their last 21 games. Tua Tagovailoa has a .792 winning percentage at home, which is the second best among active quarterbacks with at least 20 home starts.

The Cowboys are 3-4 on the road. Last week, they lost 31-10 at Buffalo, giving up 266 yards rushing while recording only 195 yards total.

“You can’t get to where you want to go being a .500 team on the road,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. “You’re not going to be playing playoff games at home with that record either. It’s definitely a focus for us.”

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is averaging 304 yards passing with two interceptions and a 74% completion rate at AT&T Stadium. On the road, he’s averaged 216 yards per game with five picks and a 63% completion rate.

The Cowboys clinched a playoff berth before kicking off against Buffalo but still have a chance to win the NFC East and secure the top seed in the conference.

McCarthy said his team will lean on a mix of veterans and youngsters the rest of the way.

“This is why we spend so much time with our younger players,” he said. “Because this is the time of year that young players are playing. And it’s the most important time of the year because we’re all fighting for playoff seeds and so forth. I think the biggest thing is just to stay after it, stay consistent and lean on your leadership.”

COWBOYS INJURIES

Dallas right guard Zack Martin is expected to play despite sustaining a left quadriceps bruise in the first half against Buffalo. Left tackle Tyron Smith, an eight-time Pro Bowler, was listed as doubtful after injuring his back against the Bills.

McCarthy said defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins would be “hard-pressed to go” because of a sprained ankle. His absence was felt against the Bills, who gained more yards on the ground than any Cowboys opponent in Dan Quinn’s three seasons as defensive coordinator.

ABOUT THAT DALLAS RUN DEFENSE

The Cowboys had shown improvement in the weakest area for an opportunistic unit that excels with sacks and turnovers. But they regressed against Buffalo.

James Cook rushed for 179 yards, the most for a Dallas opponent since Alfred Morris had 200 for Washington in the final game of 2012.

“We weren’t physical,” cornerback Stephon Gilmore said. “They were more physical than we were. As long as you’re physical, you give yourself a chance to win. We weren’t that on Sunday.”

CHILDHOOD TEAM

Tagovailoa will face the team he grew up loving for the first time on Sunday. Although his whole family rooted for the Cowboys, Tagovailoa said everyone is a Dolphins fan now. Still, he’s excited to face the team he watched as a child in Hawaii.

“It’s going to be cool for the moment, just being able to see the star,” Tagovailoa said. “Being able to see those guys in their jerseys. Some of the guys that are playing, I used to watch them while I was in high school playing high school football. And now I get to play against some of the guys on their team.”

COACHING CONNECTION

McDaniel knows Quinn well enough to know the Cowboys’ defense will be ready to improve upon last week’s poor showing against the run. McDaniel said that performance was “more Buffalo executing that I saw than this, that or the other with Dallas.”

McDaniel was an offensive assistant for Atlanta in 2015-16 when Quinn was the head coach, and he has spoken in the past about Quinn helping to initiate his sobriety journey.

“He inspires guys to truly be their best selves,” McDaniel said. “I’ve witnessed it firsthand for a couple of years.”

Born and raised in Miami, DeAndre Anderson is a huge Dolphins fan. This year, he has combined both his team spirit with the holiday spirit by putting up his very own Dolphins-themed Christmas tree.  

“I’m a Dolphins fan to the core. Everything about me. I haven’t missed a Dolphins game in about 12 years,” said Anderson.

This superfan said there is no such thing as too much pride.

“Dol-fans, raise your glass. If they’re not a Dol-fan, I suggest you raise your standards,” he said.

Anderson is so passionate about his Miami Dolphins that he turned his Christmas tree into the Hard Rock Stadium of Pembroke Pines.

“You’ve got to support your team,” he said.

The 12-foot tree is decked out with hundreds of ornaments and even Dolphins stuffed animals going all the way to the top.

“I got a bunch of Dolphins ornaments,” said Anderson. “Shout out to Walmart for having all the Dolphin balls.”

Anderson said the total bill was around $2,000.

“It took a lot of time, a lot of patience and a lot of creativity,” he said. “It took me about four or five days to get it together how I wanted it.”

Anderson called the shots on his Christmas tree. He painted and decorated the tree all by himself and would even reject suggestions for ornaments if they did not match the Miami Dolphins’ colors.

“My momma came, and it was a whole ‘nother color,” said Anderson.

His best friend was there to give support to Anderson on his themed tree, as both of them are Tua Tagovailoa fans.

This year, the only thing that Anderson wants for Christmas is for the Dolphins to beat the Dallas Cowboys and make it to the Super Bowl.

“Man, listen. If the Dolphins make it to the Super Bowl, we’re going to keep this tree up till next season,” he said.

When asked if his family would be OK with a Dolphins-themed Christmas tree in his house until mid-April of next year, Anderson responded, “Thank God I live alone.”

In a festive Tuesday evening, the Miami Dolphins’s Football Unites Program hosted a Christmas event at Hard Rock Stadium. The program organized its annual toy event, where 27 chosen families experienced the joy of the season.

“It’s such a special moment for kids to be able to come here to the stadium and have dinner give gifts, meet some of the players,” said Dolphins wide receiver River Cracraft. “I mean it’s hopefully an experience they’ll remember for a while.”

Players traded helmets for Santa hats, serving meals and delivering gifts to spread holiday cheer.

“Just seeing the magic in the kid’s face, you know the belief in this holiday, it’s what it’s all about, you know. It’s important and being there for each other and just providing joy for people in their lives so, it’s super cool to be a part of it,” said Dolphins quarterback, Skylar Thompson.

Earlier in the day, Dolphins players visited Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, bringing smiles to those spending the holidays away from home.

“A lot of these kids are going through things we can’t even imagine so, just to see as smile on their face and be able to get them to not think about their situation for a second,” said Dolphins linebacker, Bradley Chubb. “You know, it’s dope to be that light for somebody.”

Dolphins linebacker, Andrew Van Ginkel, was among the many players handing out toys and signing plenty of autographs.

“I just signed someone’s phone, they’ve been doing this for 3 years now. It’s something I enjoy doing, and I love coming here, seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces, and all the workers who put in the extra time,” shared Ginkel.

For all the players, the event wasn’t something they felt obligated to do, rather, it was something they wanted to do.

“We want everyone to feel special this time of year and if we can provide that for anyone, specifically people dealing with other things, I think that means a lot,” expressed Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe.

In the spirit of giving, the players expressed their joy at being part of this special occasion, making the holiday season brighter for those in need. On Sunday, at Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Dolphins will be playing against the Dallas Cowboys.

Miami’s 30-0 win over the New York Jets was the bounce-back the Dolphins needed after an embarrassing collapse against Tennessee six days prior. And Miami was just fine playing a full game without star receiver Tyreek Hill.

Tagovailoa said he felt the offense was a bit disoriented with Hill limited to 34 snaps against the Titans because of an ankle injury, but getting reps without Hill in the week leading up to Sunday’s game helped with Miami’s production.

“It’s tough not having one of your star guys out there,” Tagovailoa said. “But as a collective group, it’s like, well, what are we going to do? Are we going to run the ball the entire game or are we going to do action game the entire game? No, we shouldn’t change who we are as an offense because one guy is out. We’ve got a lot of other guys that we trust, that we believed in, to keep on the team, and that’s what happened out there.”

Miami (10-4) can clinch a playoff berth for the second straight season with a win over Dallas next week. The Cowboys are the first of three tough opponents left on the schedule — followed by Baltimore and Buffalo.

All three foes have winning records, and Miami hasn’t beaten a team all season that entered the game over .500.

Ending that trend without its No. 1 deep threat in Hill would be tough, but the good news is that the Dolphins got production from almost everywhere on Sunday.

Raheem Mostert had two rushing touchdowns, giving him franchise bests of 20 total TDs and 18 on the ground. Jaylen Waddle had his best game of the year with eight receptions for 142 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown catch. Tagovailoa completed 87.5% of his passes, and six players recorded a sack.

“Tyreek, it sucks that we didn’t have him (Sunday) because he’s a hell of a player, definitely a gold jacket guy, and I say that with full conviction,” Mostert said. “It’s hard to shut out a team, especially a divisional opponent like the Jets and we swept them this year. It just shows you the type of characters that we have in this locker room.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Miami’s defense held an opponent under 100 yards rushing for the seventh time in the last eight games and recorded at least six sacks for the third time. The Dolphins were also a yard away from extending their streak of three straight games with a defensive touchdown when Bradley Chubb knocked the ball free from Zach Wilson’s hands and Zach Sieler recovered it at the Jets 1.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The Dolphins were 2 of 5 in the red zone for the second straight week. Miami drove inside the Jets 14 in the first quarter but was penalized three times, including an offsides call against receiver Robbie Chosen, and settled for a field goal. Penalties and negative plays also stalled momentum on a drive into the red zone in the fourth quarter, which ended in a sack of Tagovailoa and another field goal.

STOCK UP

Chubb admitted he let his emotions get the best of him against the Titans when he took off his helmet in frustration after missing a sack on quarterback Will Levis, resulting in a 15-yard penalty. The Dolphins’ high-priced edge rusher recorded three sacks against the Jets, increasing his season total to 9 1/2 Chubb had a strip-sack of Tevor Siemian in the fourth quarter and recovered the fumble, and he leads the NFL with six forced fumbles.

STOCK DOWN

Offensive line health. Right tackle Austin Jackson entered the game as the only starter on Miami’s offensive line who hasn’t missed time with an injury, but he was limited to 29 snaps after hurting his oblique in the second quarter.

INJURIES

Waddle said he got the wind knocked out of him when he landed hard after a catch on the first offensive series. Waddle remained on the ground for a while after the play and appeared to be pointing at his chest as he slowly walked to the medical tent, but he returned and played 41 snaps. … LB Andrew Van Ginkel broke his nose in the first quarter but still played 88% of defensive snaps.

KEY NUMBER

3,921 — Tagovailoa’s passing yardage this season, which leads the NFL. He’s poised to join Dan Marino and Ryan Tannehill as the only players in Dolphins history to throw for 4,000 or more in a season.

Hill hadn’t practiced during the week leading up to Sunday’s game against the Jets as he nursed an ankle injury suffered last Monday. Tagovailoa wanted to assure him that the Dolphins would be OK, even if their leading receiver couldn’t suit up.

“I told him, ‘Dude, if you can’t go, we got you, brother. It’s a team sport. It’s going to take all of us,’” Tagovailoa said. “And he said, ‘I appreciate it, but don’t count me out yet.’”

Hill ended up not taking the field in Miami’s 30-0 shutout of the Jets on Sunday, marking the first time he has missed a regular-season game since being traded to Miami from Kansas City last offseason.

Still, the Dolphins recorded 290 yards of total offense. Tagovailoa was 21 of 24 with an 87.5% completion percentage and a 60-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle.

“With not having him and to be able to put 30 points and have a shutout by our defense should tell you a lot about the team,” Tagovailoa said, “really, the guys on all three aspects and three phases of the game.”

Hill had been listed as questionable after he landed awkwardly on his left ankle while being tackled against the Tennessee Titans.

He went down briefly and grabbed at his left leg. He began limping off the field, then ran off. Hill stood on the sideline with his helmet in his hand as the second quarter started and did not return until there were about six minutes left in the third quarter.

Hill said after that game that he was in a lot of pain and couldn’t move and change directions like he normally would. He leads the NFL with 1,542 yards and 12 touchdowns and entered Week 15 on pace for the first 2,000-yard receiving season in league history.

Coach Mike McDaniel said Sunday that Hill was close to playing, and it was a tough decision to have him sit out.

“It was a collective decision that when you’re faced with, ‘All right, do we press forward and just hope, or do we do the thing that the individual player and the team needs for the season,’ it became easier in the moment,” McDaniel said. “Just because we have the right well-intentioned people that are looking at this as their responsibility to protect players first and foremost.

“I think some decisions are hard, but easy at the same time”

Miami’s offense started the game with a series of short passes, mostly because McDaniel wanted to get a feel for how the Jets defense would play without Hill, Tagovailoa said. He completed nine passes of 13 yards or fewer before connecting with Waddle on a 60-yard touchdown pass that put Miami ahead 17-0.

“This is the first time Tyreek hasn’t played since I’ve been here,” McDaniel said, “so there could be extra unknowns disbursed because you usually have an idea of how people are going to be threatened and how they’re going to really approach the game. There was more unknowns than usual because of that, so there was kind of a feeling-out process that was intentional in the opener to kind of get a grasp as to what was going to go on.”

Waddle also had his most productive game of the season, with 142 yards on eight receptions.

Last Monday’s collapse against the Tennessee Titans was a “punch to the gut,” McDaniel said Sunday. He expected the Dolphins to respond in a huge way — and they did, blowing out the New York Jets for the second time in just over three weeks.

Raheem Mostert scored two more touchdowns to set Miami’s single-season record with 20, Tua Tagovailoa threw for 224 yards and a score and the Dolphins shut out the Jets 30-0 on Sunday without star receiver Tyreek Hill.

“You can’t do anything about the past, and the future doesn’t exist,” McDaniel said. “They really leaned into the day each and every day this week, and I was very proud, as proud as I’ve been of any performance from this team since I’ve been here.”

Mostert walked into the end zone untouched on a 2-yard run that put AFC East-leading Miami (10-4) ahead 7-0 and gave the ninth-year running back his 17th rushing touchdown of the season — one more than Ricky Williams, who set the record in 2002. The score was also Mostert’s 19th overall, which broke the team record of 18 set by Mark Clayton in 1984.

Mostert said it felt great to break both records, but he wasn’t satisfied with his overall performance.

“I felt like I didn’t help my team enough in the run game,” said Mostert, who had 42 yards on 15 carries. “It’s just a standard that I set for myself.”

Tagovailoa was 21 of 24 with an 87.5% completion percentage and a 60-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle. He was replaced by Mike White with 8:32 remaining and the Dolphins up by 30.

A week after Zach Wilson threw for over 300 yards against Houston, the Jets’ third-year quarterback’s day was cut short when he left late in the second quarter with a concussion. New York (5-9) had just 103 total yards of offense and was shut out for the first time since losing 26-0 at Denver in Week 3 of the 2021 season.

The loss, combined with wins by Houston and Cleveland, eliminated the Jets from playoff contention for the 13th straight season — and severely lessened the chances of Aaron Rodgers returning this season from a torn Achilles tendon. Rodgers has said one of the conditions of his comeback would be New York remaining in contention.

“It’s disappointing,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “Starting from the first series of the year all the way to now, it’s just been a constant battle. I do appreciate the heck out of our guys. We still got three games left to finish strong.”

Hill, who entered Week 15 as the NFL’s leading receiver, missed the first game of his Dolphins tenure after injuring his left ankle against the Titans.

His absence made room for a standout game from Waddle, who had a season-high 142 yards on eight catches.

Waddle got behind Jets cornerback D.J. Reed for a 60-yard touchdown catch from Tagovailoa in the second quarter that put the Dolphins ahead 17-0. Mostert then gave the Dolphins a 24-point halftime lead with his second touchdown of the day, a 1-yard score in which he was again untouched.

“When a guy like Tyreek’s out, it’s not just one player that has to step up,” Waddle said. “It’s the whole unit when you have a Hall of Fame guy like Cheetah missing.”

Wilson spent much of his afternoon running from a domineering Miami defensive front that sacked him four times, one of which resulted in a fumble that gave the Dolphins the ball at the Jets 1 and led to Mostert’s first score.

Wilson was 4 of 11 with 26 yards before being replaced by Trevor Siemian, who was 14 of 26 with 110 yards and two interceptions to safety Brandon Jones.

Despite missing several defensive starters, the Dolphins limited the Jets to just 4 yards in the first half, the fewest yards allowed in the first half of a game since Dec. 13, 2015, when Denver limited the Raiders to minus-12 yards in the first half.

GAME-CHANGING CHUBB

Miami’s high-priced edge rusher Bradley Chubb had his best game since being traded to the Dolphins last November with seven combined tackles and two strip-sacks (three sacks total).

Chubb also had three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery for Miami’s No. 9-ranked defense. He leads the NFL with six forced fumbles.

“I was thinking of how we were on the field last (game) and didn’t get the job done,” Chubb said. “My main thing is just trying to better this defense in whatever way I can.”

INJURIES

Jets: DL Quinton Jefferson left with a hip injury and didn’t return. … S Tony Adams left to be evaluated for a head injury, but was later cleared to return. … DL John Franklin Meyers injured his hip in the first half and did not return.

Dolphins: Waddle left briefly after hurting his chest on a catch on the first series, but returned shortly later. … RT Austin Jackson injured his oblique in the second quarter (oblique) in the second quarter and didn’t return. … LB Emmanuel Ogbah left with a hamstring injury.

UP NEXT

Jets: Host Washington next Sunday.

Dolphins: Host Dallas next Sunday.