Tale of the tape: Looking at the numbers as Fins enter Saints week 3-0

I like to do this at certain points throughout the year, as most of you know who've been here for a while.

I'm not a big numbers guy; never have been, never will be.  However, sometimes, as ESPN will tell you, numbers never lie.

So, with that being said, lets delve into the numbers for your unbeaten Miami Dolphins.

Enjoy.

• Ryan Tannehill's QB rating sits at 94.3 after three weeks, good for 9th in the NFL and 3rd in the AFC.  Tannehill sits ahead of Jay Cutler, Tom Brady, Andy Dalton, Andrew Luck, and even Drew Brees.
• Completion percentage was a huge focal point for Ryan Tannehill last offseason after finishing the season below 60%.  Well, so far so good, as Tannehill sits, again, at 9th in the NFL in completion % at 66.4.
• How about yards per attempt?  This is something else Tannehill had to improve upon, and, like everything else, he has.  Tannehill sits at 10th in the NFL, and 4th in the AFC, in YDS/A with 7.73. 
• Sticking with the QB (why? because I can), Tannehill ranks 13th in the NFL in passing yards per game with 276, but that number jumps up to 5th in the AFC.
• Last one about Tannehill, I promise.  The kid does rank 1st in one category. Yep, all by himself at the top.  Unfortunately, that category is sacks. Tannehill has been taken down a league leading 14 times.  FOURTEEN. That's a troubling pace, and one that must be taken care of soon.
• The Miami offense ranks 11th in the NFL in points per game at 24.7.
• Which is surprising since the offense ranks 26th in total yards.
• A big part of that is the running game, which ranks 28th (or 4th worst in the NFL) in total yards at 211.  To put that in perspective, the team who leads this category, the Eagles, have nearly four times as many yards.
• This may be the most telling stat of them all:  The offense is currently converting 50% of its third down opportunities, good for 3rd in the NFL.  Last season, the offense converted 33% of its opportunities.  
• This may be the second most telling stat:  Defensively, Miami is ranked 7th in third down conversions, only giving up a first down 32.5% of the time.  The defense is getting off the field, and the offense is staying on it.  That's a pretty simple formula for winning football games in this league.
• This team has been disciplined as well, something Joe Philbin preaches. They currently stand at 15th in penalties, having 19 on the year, and only 5th in penalty yards at 129.  In the last two weeks the Fins have committed TWO penalties.  Two.
• Defensively, Miami is ranked 8th in points per game, allowing a measly 17.7.
• With that being said, the defense is giving up 372 yards per game, good for 22nd in the NFL.
• Splitting that up, they're 20th against the pass, and 19th against the run.  
• The Fins are +2 in takeaways, good for 5th in the AFC.
• They're also tied for 3rd in INT's with 5.  Last season they had 10 INT's, good for 27th.
• And lastly, the biggest stat to date, and I mentioned it yesterday.  The Dolphins are outscoring opponents 41-16 in the second half.  Good teams finish football games, and the Dolphins are finishing with a bang right now.

Enough numbers for you?

Until next time..