Inside Hill's Record-Setting Start

Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill accomplished in the first six weeks of the 2022 season something no other NFL player has ever done

Rich Storry - USA Today Sports

To say Tyreek Hill has lived up to expectations so far in his brief time with the Miami Dolphins would be a gross understatement.

Hill has been everything the Dolphins could have hoped for in the first six games of the 2022 season, his first in Miami — and probably more.

And that's without even bothering to talk about the intangibles he's brought, such as his leadership, the example he's set with his incredible work ethic, how he's affected opposing defenses by his mere presence.

The stats are just amazing.

While the quarterbacks always get the attention, if there's any discussion to be had for NFL MVP in the first six games of the season, Hill absolutely, positively has to be involved.

Period.

Through the first six weeks, Hill leads the entire NFL with 701 yards, putting him on pace for 1,986 yards, which would break Calvin Johnson's single-season record of 1,964 in 2012 (understanding that the new 17-game schedule makes those records easier to break).

With his 701 yards, Hill already is more than halfway to the Dolphins record of 1,389 yards set by Mark Clayton during the 16-game 1984 season.

After gaining 177 yards on 12 catches in the 24-16 loss against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Hill became the first player in NFL history with at least 10 catches and 150 receiving yards in three of his team's first six games of a season.

For those who might have forgotten, Hill had 11 catches for 190 yards at Baltimore in Week 2 and 10 catches for 160 yards in the Week 4 game at Cincinnati.

Hill has two touchdowns on the season, the two bombs (of 48 and 60 yards) that helped the Dolphins produce their remarkable comeback in their 42-38 victory at Baltimore.

Hill set a career high with 111 catches last season and had a career-high 1,479 yards in 2018, and he's on pace to obliterate both marks with 141 receptions and those 1,986 projected yards.

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HILL HAS KEPT PRODUCING THIS SEASON

The Dolphins have gone through a lot of changes so far this season, particularly at quarterback where they haven't had a player start and finish a game since the Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills.

But nothing has stopped Hill.

He's produced with either Tua Tagovailoa, Teddy Bridgewater or Skylar Thompson at quarterback.

Hill has 25 catches for 368 yards and a 14.7 average with Tua; 16 catches for 275 yards and a 17.2 with Bridgewater; and 9 catches for 58 yards and a 6.4 average with Thompson.

More Hill numbers:

-- Hill is the 12th player since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970 to total at least 700 receiving yards in his team’s first six games. The last players to do this were Minnesota WR Adam Thielen (712) and Atlanta WR Julio Jones (708) both during the 2018 season.

-- Hill’s 701 receiving yards are the most in Dolphins history through the first six games of the season, topping Mark Duper's 669 yards in 1984.

-- Hill’s 701 receiving yards are already more than any Dolphins player recorded during the 2018 season when WR Danny Amendola led the team with 575 receiving yards.

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