The Miami Dolphins smoked the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, powered by another magical afternoon from Mike McDaniel's perfectly orchestrated offense.
Raheem Mostert won the day with three touchdowns, but Tyreek Hill was characteristically explosive. He posted six catches for 163 yards and a memorable end zone visit. He caught a strike up the sideline from Tua Tagovailoa and sped past his defender for the 41-yard TD, giving the Dolphins a lead they would not relinquish.
Hill celebrated in classic Hill fashion, displaying his unrivaled talent for acrobatics... with a twist.
Hill took a phone from a sideline employee and filmed himself doing a backflip. The natural first reaction to that sentence is how? The natural second reaction is to boo the league office for the fine you know is coming.
No stranger to fines from the league office, Hill knows the drill. He told reporters it doesn't matter.
"Every time I step on the field I try to make it memorable," said Hill.
Tyreek Hill brushes off inevitable fine over TD celebration
That's a commendable attitude from Hill. Football is a sport and the NFL is a mass market entertainment vehicle. The goal, at the end of the day, is to entertain the masses who attend the game or tune in on television.
Miami (and Hill) are more entertaining than your average team. He's living up to his end of the bargain. Hill currently leads the NFL with 814 receiving yards and six touchdowns. His 19.4 yards per catch is A) comical and B) also No. 1 in the league. There isn't a more explosive open-field athlete in the NFL. Hill is must-watch television every time he connects with Tagovailoa, which is a frequent occurrence in every Dolphins game.
Of course, Hill is also due $26.6 million this season. That makes it a bit easier to swallow a $10-20K fine.
The Panthers ran out to a surprising 14-0 lead early in Sunday's game, but the Dolphins reeled off 35 points unanswered and won the game 42-21. There simply is not a better group in football right now. It's fair to question the Dolphins' defense or the quality of Tua Tagovailoa in comparison to other elite AFC gunslingers, but Miami's offense at full strength can out-score any group.
Hill and company are 5-1 on the season now. If the Dolphins keep winning games and Hill keeps scoring touchdowns, we can expect more creative celebrations from the diminutive difference-maker.
