In this weekly column, I outline 3 reasons why the Dolphins won or lost their previous game, and provide a short preview for next week’s game.

Game Summary:

Back to winning ways.

The Miami Dolphins took care of business in Week 5, with a commanding 31-16 victory over the New York Giants. With the win, the Dolphins improve to 4-1 for the first time since 2003, and currently hold the best record in the AFC.

Here’s three reasons why Miami was able to dismantle New York.

Reason 1: Just The Two Of Us

In De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert, the Dolphins boast the NFL’s best 1-2 punch on the ground. Against the Giants, the pair rushed for a combined 216 yards on just 21 carries, with one touchdown apiece.

Week after week, Mostert and Achane are proving that Miami’s issues running the ball last season weren’t a personnel issue, but a usage issue. Last season, the Dolphins ranked 31st in rushing attempts. This season, they’ve risen to 11th, and it’s paying dividends.

Mostert is averaging 6.5 yards per rush, and is 17th in the league in rushing yards, while Achane is averaging an incredible 13.7 (yes, you read that correctly) yards per rush, and has the 6th-most rushing yards in the league. This backfield is loaded with speed, and against the Giants, it’s a big reason why they emerged victorious.

Reason 2: Speed, We Have It, You Don’t

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From Tyreek Hill, to Jaylen Waddle, to the aforementioned Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, the Miami Dolphins offense could give the likes of Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake a run for their money.

Jokes aside, the Dolphins are frighteningly fast on offense, and most teams simply don’t have the personnel to cope with that. 5-yard plays can easily turn into 50-yard gains, and that’s not something you can plan for during the week.

As the title says, we have speed, and you don’t. It’s that simple.

Reason 3: Offense Wins Games, Defense Wins...

Miami’s offense was uncharacteristically sloppy on Sunday, and were it not for a few key defensive stops, we could be talking about a completely different ball game here.

With three turnovers on offense, the Giants offense had multiple opportunities to take the lead against the Dolphins, but Vic Fangio’s unit didn’t let that happen. With seven sacks and just 268 total yards allowed, Miami dominated the Giants all day long on defense, allowing zero offensive touchdowns in the process.

Oh, and special shoutout to linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who had his best game of the year against the Giants, with three total tackles and one sack.

Game Preview:

The Dolphins will remain Hard Rock Stadium next week, taking on the 0-5 Carolina Panthers at home, who are coming off a 24-42 loss to the Detroit Lions. Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young has struggled to adapt to life in the NFL, throwing for just 750 yards (29th) and five touchdowns (23rd) so far this season.

What do you think about how the Dolphins played in Week 5? Let us know in the comments below, or at @ThePhinsider and @flameosumeet on Twitter!