Who’s hot, who’s not after Dolphins’ 30-15 win over Texans

The Dolphins improved to 8-3 ahead of a pivotal December stretch with a 30-15 home win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Here’s a look at who’s hot — and who’s not — after the team’s victory.

Who’s hot

▪ Dolphins offense — with Tua Tagovailoa: Expectations for the Dolphins offense have skyrocketed in recent weeks with the efficiency with which the unit has operated. Entering Sunday, the last time the Dolphins called on punter Thomas Morstead was Nov. 6. Though Tagovailoa acknowledged the offense’s timing was disrupted by the bye week, he still led the Dolphins to 30 first-half points — with assistance from two defensive takeaways — scoring on four of their five possessions. The margin for error was extremely wide playing against the one-win Texans but for the most part, the offense picked up where it left off before sitting Tagovailoa for the majority of the second half.

▪ Dolphins defense: Yes, the performance came against the woeful Texans. And the Dolphins did allow a trio of scoring drives in the second half, making the game a bit closer than most anticipated. However, the Dolphins’ defense dominated Houston’s offense for three-and-a-half quarters. By halftime, the Texans had totaled 32 yards. Houston didn’t cross midfield until halfway through the third quarter. Miami’s defense recorded a season-high five sacks, forced two turnovers and scored for the first time since Week 1 with cornerback Xavien Howard’s second-quarter fumble recovery for a touchdown. The road gets much tougher for the Dolphins’ defense in the final six games of the regular season, but the unit played the way it should have against a backup quarterback in Kyle Allen.

Who’s not

▪ Offensive line — without Terron Armstead: Teammates and coaches have praised the value of Armstead to the offensive line and that was also seen when a toe injury sidelined him in Week 6 and for much of Week 5. When Armstead left Sunday’s game shortly before halftime because of a pectoral injury, the offensive line’s performance subsequently dipped. All four of Tagovailoa’s sacks came after Armstead left the game. Although Tagovailoa and Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel accepted responsibility for putting the offensive line in bad spots after Armstead’s injury, veteran Brandon Shell struggled at a left tackle position where he is less comfortable than on the right side. McDaniel provided no update on the severity of the injury to Armstead, but he is on a shortlist of players whom the offense cannot afford to lose as the Dolphins continue their playoff push.

▪ Rushing offense: After their best rushing output of the season two weeks ago against the Cleveland Browns, the Dolphins failed to find similar success against the Texans. Miami totaled 66 yards and averaged 2.5 yards per carry against a Texans defense that was allowing the most rushing yards per game entering Sunday. Running back Raheem Mostert was inactive because of a knee injury and Armstead’s injury made running the ball harder. But the Dolphins will have to run the ball better in the coming weeks.