Miami Dolphins’ Most Valuable Player | Week Seven | Who would have seen this coming?

Sometimes your most valuable player isn’t chosen because he had the best overall game for his team. Sometimes that player is chosen because of a single play that was the most important play during that team’s victory.

This is one of those occasions.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers driving down the field late in Sunday night’s game, Noah Igbinoghene - who had been getting picked on by the Steelers’ passing attack - made the most important play of his young career with the Miami Dolphins when he stepped in front of a Kenny Pickett pass intended for Diontae Johnson and snatched an incredible, leaping, toe-tapping interception to seal the Dolphins’ victory.

Miami Dolphins Week Seven MVP - Noah Igbinoghene

Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t all roses and daisies for the 22 year old cornerback. In fact, for much of the night, if the Steelers were looking for a big play in the passing game, they were targeting the receiver lined up across Igbinoghene, so naturally, Noah took some lumps.

But when it mattered most, when the Miami Dolphins needed a play to survive Pittsburgh’s late comeback attempt, it was the man who countless people have labeled a first-round bust that stepped up and made the play of the game, sealing the victory for the boys in aqua and orange.

After the game, with Miami’s coaches and players celebrating the win in the locker room, Igbinoghene received the final game ball from head coach, Mike McDaniel. In that moment, his teammates surrounded the young defensive back, congratulating and cheering him on - a clear signal that no matter what the outside noise has been surrounding Igbinoghene and whether or not he will ever live up to his draft status, he continues to work hard every day at practice, in the weight room, and in meeting rooms. His teammates see that hard work and are ecstatic for the player when it finally pays off.

With Miami’s attrition in the defensive back room, Noah Igbinoghene will need to play a big part in the Dolphins’ success moving forward this season. Hopefully he’s able to build off of Sunday night’s success and he continues to grow and develop into the player Dolphins fans hoped he’d be when he was selected with Miami’s third first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

MVP TRACKER

Week One - DB Kader Kohou

Week Two - QB Tua Tagovailoa

Week Three - S Jevon Holland

Week Four - WR Tyreek Hill

Week Five - RB Raheem Mostert

Week Six - WR Tyreek Hill

Week Seven - DB Noah Igbinoghene