Kiz: With the Broncos now facing a steep climb to make the NFL playoffs, is running back Javonte Williams the correct running back to lead the push? For all the offensive genius of coach Sean Payton, this team’s 21.9 points per game is no better than middle of the pack. Ball control is good. Three-and-out is bad. Should Denver consider a more dynamic back than Williams to be RB1? Please, tell me where I’m wrong.

Gabriel: I think he is, Kiz. But let’s not confuse that with the conversation about needing to get more dynamic. The question at this point is about where that’s going to come from down the stretch. Samaje Perine’s done good work in his role, and we’ve seen the tantalizing ability of rookie Jaleel McLaughlin. But I’m skeptical that the Broncos run game or, just as important, offense overall would be much more efficient if one of them were getting 15 carries per game and Williams had his role cut.

Kiz: We all respect the work ethic and toughness Williams has displayed in his recovery from a serious knee injury. But how close do you think he really is to the get-outta-my-way mauler that we saw when Williams was a rookie? In 32 career starts, Williams has only gone over 100 yards rushing twice, and not once since December 2021. He’s averaging 3.82 yards per carry this season. When the Broncos let somebody else carry the rock, that average jumps significantly to 4.94.

Gabriel: Totally agreed, he’s decidedly not a home-run hitter at this point. I’d go so far as to say the position is a sneaky priority to address for Denver in the offseason. But right now, he’s the best mixed-down option they have, even though he’s been shaky catching the ball at times. Plus, he’s going to get you tough yards — think either of the other backs convert the gotta-have-it fourth-down run in the waning moments Sunday when contact’s made two yards in the backfield?

Kiz: I appreciate all the grunt work Williams does for the Denver offense. And I expect by the time the Broncos report to training camp next summer, we might well see more explosiveness from him. But if Payton wants Russell Wilson to throw the football only when necessary, with the occasional shot down the field, Denver needs more pop in the running game. During the past five games, Williams’ average has slipped to 3.47 yards per carry. So why not give the majority of the touches to the much quicker Jaleel McLaughlin?

Gabriel: They’ve pretty clearly decided at this point that McLaughlin is not capable of handling the full share of the work. That’s in large part, it seems, because of his lackluster pass-protection. I’d be interested in seeing what it looks like. Right now, defenses know when he checks into the game that he’s getting the ball. If he had a handful of series per game, maybe that would change and he’d see a little more daylight. I suspect, however, that if they were to redistribute the carry share at all, it’d be Samaje Perine working his way up the pack. He looked fresh and powerful against Cleveland, has reliable hands and brings the wood in pass protection.

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In the respectful quiet of a losing locker room, Washington defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was asked Sunday what needs to change on his dreadful team.

“That’s a great question,’’ he said after losing to the Miami Dolphins 45-15. “I have no idea.”

For most of this millennium, I asked that question. I wrote that answer. I stood in the Dolphins locker room wondering, as Washington did Sunday, if a talented receiver like Terry McLaurin was upset after getting zero catches.

“I ran a lot of cardio,’’ he said.

It wasn’t quite as humorous as Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace fearing he’d say what he really thought after a game and having teammate Brandon Gibson answer questions for him. But it was close enough. Just as the deathwatch of coach Ron Rivera’s Washington era is close to a litany of failed Dolphins coaches for two decades.

There’s nothing like writing about good men as the elevator is at the low point of their careers, Sunday after Sunday, to realize what everyone in the sportswriting business knows: It’s always better to cover a winner than a loser. New England Patriots writers wrote books for years. I wrote obituaries.

I wrote about losing Dolphins teams so long that readers’ letters saying “You’re only ripping them to sell newspapers,” became e-mails saying  “You’re only ripping them as clickbait.”

The larger truth is losing teams don’t draw readers. Winning teams do. The Miami Heat winning a title. The Florida Marlins, back when they were called that, winning a World Series. That’s what draws readership.

The 2023 Dolphins starting December with a 9-3 record and being the most entertaining show in football have flipped all this. They’re fun to watch, fun to write — fun in a lot of pent-up ways for South Florida after watching a franchise that spent decades in a dysfunctional Dark Ages many opponents are dealing with now.

Boston writers have coach Bill Belichick fired and have made headlined reference to the 2-10 Patriots hitting, “Rock Bottom” after each game for weeks now. Sorry, you haven’t hit it. Keep looking down. It might be years.

That’s from callused experience. Just when Joe Philbin delivered a motivational speech to the team off index cards and you thought that was the bottom, there came the saga of Bullygate. And then a cocaine-sniffing assistant coach. And then passing on Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. And …

Ryan Tannehill returns to town Sunday with Tennessee, and he came to mind because of another question in the Washington locker room. It’s another go-to idea about gauging character on a losing team.

“I’ve been dealing with this for seven years — I’m tired to trying to build character,” Allen said. “My character has been built up enough. I’m trying to win.”

That’s the same answer Hall of Famers like Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas gave for too many years and more talents with equally strong character like Tannehill did. He wanted to win. He did for a while with a better team in Tennessee.

“I’d like to go through a season where I’m asked ‘winning’ questions,’’ Tannehill said after the 2015 season.

It’s more interesting to ask them, too. Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel saying Sunday how defensive coordinator Vic Fangio  noticing a move by the Washington left tackle led to his pick-6. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa answering how a simple shift put Washington’s defense in a quandary and led to receiver Tyreek Hill’s 78- and 60-yard touchdowns.

“This offense is fun,’’ Tagovailoa said. “I think any offense is fun when you’re scoring a lot of points.”

Those aren’t the quotes that came out of Dolphins locker room for two decades. To remember what was, and understand the fine art of asking losing teams what’s wrong, there was the other side of the stadium again Sunday.

Rivera, who is aware enough to know his Washington days are numbered, was asked what his message is to his team with six games left.

“We got a quarter of a season left to play and expect everybody to show up and play,’’ he said.

That’s what the Dolphins coaches from Dave Wannstedt to Adam Gase sounded like by their end. It’s a changed world now. The Patriots talk of an era ending as the Dolphins wonder if one is beginning.

In the respectful quiet of a losing locker room, Washington defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was asked Sunday what needs to change on his dreadful team.

“That’s a great question,’’ he said after losing to the Miami Dolphins 45-15. “I have no idea.”

For most of this millennium, I asked that question. I wrote that answer. I stood in the Dolphins locker room wondering, as Washington did Sunday, if a talented receiver like Terry McLaurin was upset after getting zero catches.

“I ran a lot of cardio,’’ he said.

It wasn’t quite as humorous as Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace fearing he’d say what he really thought after a game and having teammate Brandon Gibson answer questions for him. But it was close enough. Just as the deathwatch of coach Ron Rivera’s Washington era is close to a litany of failed Dolphins coaches for two decades.

There’s nothing like writing about good men as the elevator is at the low point of their careers, Sunday after Sunday, to realize what everyone in the sports-writing business knows: It’s always better to cover a winner than a loser. New England Patriots writers wrote books for years. I wrote obituaries.

I wrote about losing Dolphins teams so long that readers’ letters saying, “You’re only ripping them to sell newspapers,” became e-mails saying, “You’re only ripping them as clickbait.”

The larger truth is losing teams don’t draw readers. Winning teams do. The Miami Heat winning a title. The Florida Marlins, back when they were called that, winning a World Series. That’s what draws readership.

The 2023 Dolphins starting December with a 9-3 record and being the most entertaining show in football have flipped all this. They’re fun to watch, fun to write — fun in a lot of pent-up ways for South Florida after watching a franchise that spent decades in a dysfunctional Dark Ages many opponents are dealing with now.

Boston writers have coach Bill Belichick fired and have made headlined reference to the 2-10 Patriots hitting, “Rock Bottom” after each game for weeks now. Sorry, you haven’t hit it. Keep looking down. It might be years.

That’s from callused experience. Just when Joe Philbin delivered a motivational speech to the team off index cards and you thought that was the bottom, there came the saga of Bullygate. And then a cocaine-sniffing assistant coach. And then passing on Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. And …

Ryan Tannehill returns to town Sunday with Tennessee, and he came to mind because of another question in the Washington locker room. It’s another go-to idea about gauging character on a losing team.

“I’ve been dealing with this for seven years — I’m tired to trying to build character,” Allen said. “My character has been built up enough. I’m trying to win.”

That’s the same answer Hall of Famers like Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas gave for too many years and more talents with equally strong character like Tannehill did. He wanted to win. He did for a while with a better team in Tennessee.

“I’d like to go through a season where I’m asked ‘winning’ questions,’’ Tannehill said after the 2015 season.

It’s more interesting to ask them, too. Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel saying Sunday how defensive coordinator Vic Fangio noticing a move by the Washington left tackle led to his pick-6. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa answering how a simple shift put Washington’s defense in a quandary and led to receiver Tyreek Hill’s 78- and 60-yard touchdowns.

“This offense is fun,’’ Tagovailoa said. “I think any offense is fun when you’re scoring a lot of points.”

Those aren’t the quotes that came out of a Dolphins locker room for two decades. To remember what was, and understand the fine art of asking losing teams what’s wrong, there was the other side of the stadium again Sunday.

Rivera, who is aware enough to know his Washington days are numbered, was asked what his message is to his team with six games left.

“We got a quarter of a season left to play and expect everybody to show up and play,’’ he said.

That’s what the Dolphins coaches from Dave Wannstedt to Adam Gase sounded like by their end. It’s a changed world now. The Patriots talk of an era ending as the Dolphins wonder if one is beginning.

MIAMI GARDENS — It’s been about two decades since things have looked this good for the Miami Dolphins at this stage of the season. 

The Dolphins, who defeated Washington 45-15 on Sunday, are 9-3 for the first time since 2001. They’re the top seed in the AFC over Baltimore (9-3) because they have a better winning percentage in conference games (the Dolphins are at .750 based on their 6-2 record, the Ravens are at .667 based on their 6-3 record).

And the Dolphins are almost a lock to win the AFC East over struggling Buffalo (6-6).

Miami’s offense, defense and special teams are all operating at a playoff level, and seem to be getting better.

There are health concerns, but, overall, the Dolphins are among the most healthy title contenders in the league.

And because this week’s game against Tennessee (4-8) is on Monday night, Miami’s injured players get an extra day of rest.

But before looking too far ahead, let’s look back at Sunday’s lopsided victory over the Commanders.

Run game: A

Miami rushed for 123 yards on 34 carries. Look at the number of carries, yards and time of possession (32:16) more than the yards per carry (3.5). Rookie De’Von Achane (17 carries, 73 yards, two touchdowns) and veteran Raheem Mostert (11 carries, 43 yards, one touchdown) are giving the Dolphins offensive options. Against quality teams, you might not always get the big play, sometimes you need another option and the run game, which entered Sunday No. 2 in the league at 145.2 yards per game, is getting the job done. Remember that 13-play, 59-yard drive in the fourth quarter that chewed 7:50 off the clock? It had 12 run plays.

Pass game: A

Tyreek Hill (five receptions, 157 yards, two touchdowns) is simply amazing. You can’t say that enough. And quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (18-of-24, 280 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, 141.0 passer rating) was excellent on Sunday, especially because he didn’t have any turnovers. Jaylen Waddle (five receptions, 52 yards) made a solid contribution although he had a drop. And don’t forget Achane had three receptions for 30 yards, meaning he had 103 yards from scrimmage. Oh, and pass protection didn’t give up a sack. So a tip of the hat to the offensive line, which cleared the way for a 100-yard rushing day and didn’t allow a sack.

Defending the run: C

This was a bit of a downer, but no big deal. Washington rushed for 138 yards on 28 carries, averaging a robust 4.9 yards per carry. Brian Robinson Jr. (seven carries, 53 yards) didn’t crush the Dolphins, but he did damage. So did Chris Rodriguez Jr. (seven carries, 29 yards). Miami entered the game No. 6 in run defense (92.8 yards per game). In the grand scheme of things this isn’t a big concern. Miami had held its previous five opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing and the Commanders are only the fourth team to rush for 100 or more yards against the Dolphins. This was a hard-earned effort by the Commanders, not a collection of missed tackles or missed run fits by the Miami defense.

Defending the pass: A

Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel had an impressive 33-yard interception return for a touchdown. But the entire defense did well. Washington quarterback Sam Howell (12 of 23, 127 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, 50.5 passer rating) was sacked three times, hit nine times and was under constant pressure. Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin ended with no receptions on just three targets, with much of the credit going to cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard. Defensive lineman Zach Sieler had 1.5 sacks as the pass rush overcame the loss of edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (season-ending Achilles injury) and the absence of  Jevon Holland (knees).

Special teams: A

Kicker Jason Sanders hit a 49-yard field goal, punter Jake Bailey (three punts, 42.3 yards per punt, one inside the 20-yard line) was solid, returner Baxton Berrios was good (two returns, seven yards), and the coverage teams did strong work.  Injuries usually have ripple effects that extend to special teams play. Overall, Miami has done a good job of being stable despite losses of key players such as running back Salvon Ahmed (foot) or wide receiver River Cracraft earlier in the season.  

Coaching: A

The Dolphins were focused, and that’s saying a lot. Coach Mike McDaniel and his staff keep their players looking at what’s in front of them and little else. That’s not easy, especially with “Hard Knocks” cameras all around. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is also doing a solid job. The defense is becoming proficient at making plays. And offensive coordinator Frank Smith is also gaining attention, with his name being mentioned in connection with the Carolina Panthers head coaching vacancy. 

Stock up: LB Andrew Van Ginkel

Van Ginkel has been a strong replacement for Phillips all season. Van Ginkel, a narrowly-built edge rusher, not a muscular, bulky sort such as Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Emmanuel Ogbah or Jason Pierre-Paul, gets his job done by being crafty. And Van Ginkel (47 tackles, 4.0 sacks, one interception, one fumble recovered, six passes defended, one touchdown) has excelled.

Stock down: LT Terron Armstead

This isn’t for performance reasons, this is for health reasons. Armstead, the Pro Bowl performer, and respected team captain, left his second consecutive game with an injury. This time it was an ankle injury. Last week against the New York Jets, it was a quadriceps injury. He’s already missed six games. The hope is he’ll be healthy for the final three games and the playoffs.