I know the old saying that statistics are for losers, and the only thing that truly matters is how many wins and loses a team has at the end of the year. At the moment the Miami Dolphins record is a dismal 1-3, but regardless of that I still would like to point out some positive things when looking at the Dolphins statistics compared to other teams after a quarter of the season has already been put in the books. It is crazy how time flies by so fast.
After trading Brandon Marshall this off season the Phins ironically have the leagues leading receiver in Brian Hartline, who has 455 receiving yards. I find this truly amazing when you consider last year Hartline was probably the third best receiver on our team and he is having a breakout year with a rookie QB. (I would just like to say I am having the last laugh in my fantasy league where I was mocked for drafting him in the second to last round.)
The Dolphins also have the number one rushing defense in the league. They are only allowing 56.8 yards per game, and an average of only 2.4 yards per attempt. Everyone else in the league is allowing at least 3.0 yards per attempt. In addition the longest run they have allowed all season is a 14 yard scamper, which is also tops in the league. However, the one glaring deficiency in their run defense is that they are only 1 or 4 teams who have not caused a fumble this year. To take that point a step further, we are in the bottom part of the league in the turnover battle with -5. However our pass rush has been consistent, with 12 sacks this season, which ranks us 7th best as a team, with our team leader as Cameron Wake who is 6th best in the league with 4.5.
On offense we are ranked 9th in total offense with 397 yards per game, however even with an improved 21.5 points per game we are still ranked 19th in scoring. One interesting statistic is that we are tied for 2nd best in 3rd downs made with 27, and are a very respectable 7th in 3rd down efficiency with a 43.5%. In addition, we also have the 5th best rush offense averaging 153.3 yards per game, with the 6th best rusher in the league in Reggie Bush who has 369 yards.
If football betting fans just saw these numbers and did not watch any of the games, they would assume that this team had a winning record. Even though our record does not reflect the way we have played, phins news fans should still be pleased that this team is beginning to show elements of a good team. Now they just need to learn how to close out games and win in tight games, because that is the difference between a decent team and a championship team. Oh and it would not hurt if our field goal kicker actually made some field goals.