Dolphins 2021 Top 10 Offensive Plays

Breaking down and ranking the top 10 Miami Dolphins offensive plays of the 2021 season, featuring Tua Tagovailoa, Mike Gesicki, Jaylen Waddle, DeVante Parker and more

With the 2021 season now behind us, we'll take a regular look back at what the Miami Dolphins accomplished through a series of top 10 lists.

In this installment, we'll rank our top 10 offensive plays..

1. Jacoby Brissett's fourth-down completion to Mike Gesicki at Las Vegas (Week 3)

Given the circumstances, a must-have fourth-and-20 in overtime that became a broken play when Brissett had to scramble to his left, the 25-yard completion to tight end Mike Gesicki gave this the top spot on our list by a wide margin.

2. Tua Tagovailoa's touchdown pass to Mack Hollins at the N.Y. Jets (Week 11)

What made this play stand out was that it provided the kind of long plays some fans had been clamoring to see from the offense, Tagovailoa setting his feet after moving to his left in the pocket and finding a wide open Hollins behind the Jets defense.

3. Tua Tagovailoa's 57-yard pass to Jaylen Waddle vs. Carolina (Week 12)

While Waddle set an NFL rookie record with 103 catches in 2021, most of them were shorter completions. This was the play that really showcased Waddle's speed, as he split the Carolina defense around midfield and then raced downfield.

4. Tua Tagovailoa's 64-yard completion to Albert Wilson vs. Baltimore (Week 10)

This actually was the second time in this Thursday night game that the Dolphins took advantage of a busted coverage to get a long completion, the first going from Brissett to Isaiah Ford. But this one was more significant because it came right after the Ravens had cut Miami's lead to 15-10.

5. Myles Gaskin's 30-yard vs. the N.Y. Jets (Week 15)

We'll start off with the sad fact that this was the longest run of the season for the Dolphins. And then we'll continue by adding that the play never should have counted because several Dolphins offensive linemen moved before the snap. Regardless, it was a nice burst by Gaskin that set up the game-winning touchdown pass to DeVante Parker.

6. Jacoby Brissett's touchdown pass to Myles Gaskin at Tampa Bay (Week 5)

The Dolphins were overmatched against the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium, but they did lead 10-7 after the first quarter thanks to a great play design that put Gaskin against a linebacker down the left sideilne.

7. DeVante Parker's third-down catch in the fourth quarter vs. the N.Y. Giants (Week 13)

One thing the Dolphins did do well offensively often in the 2021 season was convert third-down situations with the lead in the fourth quarter. There might not have been a better example than when Parker executed a pretty toe tap while making a back-shoulder catch to convert a late third-and-6 against the Giants.

8. Malcolm Brown's touchdown run at Las Vegas (Week 3)

We go back to the game at Allegiant Stadium, and Brown's stunning touchdown run shortly after the Dolphins stopped the Raiders on a daring fourth-and-1 run from their own 34-yard line after Miami had taken a 7-0 lead. Brown burst through a gaping hole at the line and sprinted untouched to the end zone for a 14-0 lead that unfortunately for the Dolphins wouldn't hold up.

9. Tua Tagovailoa's 18-yard pass to Durham Smythe vs. Atlanta (Week 7)

Tua had his share of pretty touch passes during the season, but we couldn't come up with a nicer one that this floater down the right sideline to Smythe right over a defender. The play started a touchdown drive that helped the Dolphins rally from a 27-14 fourth-quarter deficit, though they eventually lost anyway on a last-second field goal.

10. Tua Tagovailoa's touchdown pass to Christian Wilkins vs. the N.Y. Jets (Week 15)

We'll end our top 10 list with the always-popular big-man touchdown, with Wilkins catching a 2-yard pass after lining up as a fullback. The play itself wasn't remotely as memorable as Wilkins' celebration, which featured a "Lambeau-style" leap, the worm and a litle break dancing.


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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.