Miami Dolphins’ De’Von Achane, Jaylen Waddle shine in The Tape Don’t Lie | Schad

MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins stunned the Buffalo Bills30-13 at Hard Rock Stadium to improve to 3-7.

It was the first game since Miami moved on from general manager Chris Grier. The interim general manager is Champ Kelly.

Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, De’Von Achane, Jordyn Brooks and JuJu Brents all stood out for Miami.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel agrees “The tape don’t lie.”

Here are some things we noticed:

JuJu Brents shines in coverage

Cornerback JuJu Brents was drafted by the Colts in the second round for a good reason. He’s got size and speed and confidence.

Brents showed it all in stunning fashion in his Dolphins’ starting debut.

Brents was in excellent position. Brents was sticky. Brents was physical.

My goodness, the Dolphins must find out exactly what they have in Brents before this season is through.

Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas have been solid, so what’s Miami to do?

Could Jack Jones play some nickel snaps with Brents on the outside? One thing this does is give defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver some intriguing matchup solutions.

The smaller Jones is obviously quick and aggressive. While Brents is taller and fluid.

Brents used his hands well. Brents used the sidelines and his teammates well.

Brents played with energy and was a more-than-willing and sound tackler.

At some point we’ll see how Brents deals with dynamic, smaller receivers. But he was clearly the right choice to handle 6-foot-3 Keon Coleman of the Bills.

Dolphins should extend 2025 MVP De’Von Achane

De’Von Achane is a running back and wide receiver in one.

Achane is lightning quick but able to break tackles with surprising strength.

Achane is everything the Dolphins should want. And he’s only 24 years old.

Achane has one year left on his contract and whoever is going to make this decision should make the decision to extend him, not trade him.

How about these numbers, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats:

De’Von Achane gained 195 yards after contact (165 rushing, 30 receiving) against the Bills, the most by any Dolphins player since at least 2017.

“Devon Achane forced a career-high 11 missed tackles, gaining 100 yards after forcing a missed tackle.”

He’ll make you miss. He’ll break your tackle.

What more could you want? And he’s humble. And he’s a good teammate.

With Tyreek Hill down for the season, Achane is Miami’s Tyreek Hill replacement.

I don’t care what position he plays or what you want to call him.

I call him Miami’s most dangerous threat. By far. Without question.

Jaylen Waddle is clear WR1

Mike McDaniel says Jaylen Waddle is an elite WR1 and he’s right.

Just like Achane, the Dolphins should look at keeping Waddle, a young star, as a part of their overhaul, as opposed to trading him.

Waddle seems to have taken his game to another level since Hill’s absence.

Waddle is third in the NFL in receiving yards since Week 5. With Hill gone, Waddle should continue to see an increase in yards per game and yards per catch.

Waddle is fast and shifty and McDaniel says he’s improved in the areas of timing, route running and separation when not targeted.

Waddle would flourish with any quarterback, but he clearly has a strong, long-standing relationship with Tua Tagovailoa.

The Dolphins need a receiver who can flat-out run by you, and that’s exactly what Waddle provides, either on a go route or a slant.

Like Achane, Waddle is a good teammate who stirs no negativity or controversy.

Jordyn Brooks in Beast Mode all season

Jordyn Brooks continues to lead the NFL in tackles and somehow it’s not been discussed enough.

Brooks is the emotional heartbeat of the Dolphins defense.

He plays with passion, intensity and fury.

He is a reliable tackler with sound technique and he is never hesitant.

He attacks. He wants tackles for loss. And he aims to take your soul.

Brooks is everything a Dolphins defensive player should be.

Miami has made recent improvements in run defense and Brooks was right in the middle of slowing down the Bills’ James Cook on Sunday.

And Miami did a nice job of containing Josh Allen, too.

I won’t be in Spain, folks. But say hello to our Hal Habib if you see him there.

Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe’s free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins’ Jordyn Brooks a machine; The Tape Don’t Lie