DAVIE, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins played one of their most complete games under coach Joe Philbin Sunday when they demolished San Diego 37-0 at Sun Life Stadium.

Miami is now riding a three-game win streak, quarterback Ryan Tannehill is coming off a career-best 125.6 passer rating, and the Dolphins are tied for third in the NFL in giveaway-takeaway margin at plus-eight.

And with their 5-3 record at the halfway point, there is talk among fans of this team winning 10 games.

After all, Miami has a time-tested formula for winning — defense.

The Dolphins rank No. 3 in the NFL in defensive yards per game (304.6), No. 2 in passing yards per game (201.1), No. 12 in rushing yards per game (103.5) and No. 3 in points per game (18.9).

Give them an early lead, which the Dolphins did against the Chargers but have rarely done this season, and the defense gets downright stingy.

“We’re a tough team defensively when we’re playing with a lead because we’ve got some real guys that can rush the passer and guys that can cover,” defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle said. “(San Diego) was a game that when we did stop them early on and we were able to get a lead, we did a lot of real positive things. We rushed the quarterback well, we pressured them, we got turnovers. When you do that, generally, you’re going to put yourself in a position to win.”

Still, fans might want to slow down on that 10-win talk.

The Dolphins were hot twice last season — they opened 3-0 and started December 3-0 — and still finished 8-8.

In a few ways, though, this three-game win streak might be different.

Miami is playing within its means. It has limited the offense (very few deep passes, for example) to what Tannehill does best. And for that matter, everything on both sides of the ball is tailor-made to what each player does best.

In other words, the Dolphins are playing to their strengths — good defense led by an active defensive line, a solid running game, and a passing game that relies mostly on short and intermediate passes.

Combine that with better overall talent than a year ago, and maybe this Miami team begins to take on the look of a playoff team rather than merely a playoff contender.

Coach Joe Philbin, rarely one to brag on his team, took the conservative route when asked whether this team has staying power.

“I think we’re playing better,” he said. “As I told the staff, we’re a better team today than we were October 1st, than we were in September. The challenge every week is to find ways to improve and get better.

“I said to the staff, we can’t anticipate we’re going to shut out our next eight opponents. That’s not real life in the National Football League. It’s hard to average 37 points a game in the NFL over an eight-game stretch. We’re going to have to find new ways to win and just keep improving and keep getting better. It’s a good group.”

Philbin was on the job Sunday even though his father died Friday night. Philbin went to Massachusetts to be with his father, Paul, on Thursday, missing practice two days. He returned on Saturday.

It was an emotional time for Philbin, who almost choked up after Sunday’s game while talking about his father.

And it’s not over. Philbin left for Massachusetts on Monday night for services and he will return Wednesday night. He will miss practice Tuesday and Wednesday. He showed a sense of humor about the team’s ability to win last week despite him being away two days.

“Again, we’ve got a great staff here,” Philbin said. “I’m absolutely 100 percent confident that things will go smoothly. And it’s probably better that I’m not around; you know how that goes.”

NOTES

–Running back Lamar Miller left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury and was scheduled for an MRI. If Miller is limited or sidelined look for Daniel Thomas and Damien Williams to share the load. LaMichael James, who is on the practice squad, could be added to the 53-man roster.

–Cornerback Brent Grimes has four interceptions, which times him for second in the NFL. All of his picks have come in the last five games.

REPORT CARD VS. CHARGERS

–PASSING OFFENSE: A – QB Ryan Tannehill had a career-best 125.6 passer rating. He completed passes to 10 receivers. And he didn’t get sacked. Yes, WR Mike Wallace threw a pass to Brian Hartline that was way off course, but we won’t hold that against them.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: B-plus — RB Lamar Miller rushed for 49 yards on 11 carries; Tannehill rushed for 47 yards on seven carries. It’s unclear if that makes a good or bad statement about the running game, but they rushed for 132 yards, which is good.

–PASS DEFENSE: A – They had four sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. They limited QB Philip Rivers to a passer rating of 31.0.

–RUSH DEFENSE: A – The Chargers had 19 carries for 50 yards. Enough said.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: B – K Caleb Sturgis missed a 45-yd FG attempt wide right. Everything else was good, and after a season-long struggle in this area, things seems to be getting better. Losing S Michael Thomas (torn pectoral) leaves a big void, however.

–COACHING: A – Joe Philbin coached two days after his father died, and after missing two practices. The win might have been the most complete victory of his two-plus seasons in charge.