All it took was River Cracraft 1 drive to help the Dolphins offense reach its potential

The Miami Dolphins wasted no time in taking advantage of the Los Angeles Rams’ weak secondary with a big opening touchdown, only their second first TD of the season.

Miami took the opening kickoff and wasted no time in connecting with Jaylen Waddle early. Tua Tagovailoa hit his receiver twice, one on 3rd-and-13, but it was rookie Malik Washington who took a 20-yard end-around pitch for paydirt. It was the rookie’s first NFL score.

The scoring play was highlighted by River Cracraft’s block at the 10, which gave Washington the angle to get into the game. Cracraft missed the entire season and was activated from IR earlier on Monday. He played in the preseason and the Dolphins need him.

It’s a great play by Washington, but without Cracraft’s block, he probably won’t score.

Cracraft was a key missing piece in the Dolphins’ offense and he’s picking up right where he left off. Cracraft had been out since training camp and announced his return.

Tua went 4-for-4 on the drive. Defensively, the Dolphins made a big statement with a tackle by Zach Sieler five yards behind the line. Sieler has missed the last two games due to a fractured eye socket. He wasted no time making an early impact upon his return.

Tyreek Hill was another key player on the drive. He caught the attention of the Rams defense and allowed Waddle to get deep into the play for a 36-yard gain. Hill was questionable until the start of the game with a wrist injury.

If the opener is any indication, the Dolphins may have found the much-needed groove they’ve been missing. They showed it last week against the Buffalo Bills and seem to be channeling the same energy this week.

A win tonight would move the Dolphins within two games of the seventh spot in the wild card chase, while a loss would move them to third in the 2025 NFL Draft and their playoff hopes would disappear from practice.

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