Football and the Dolphins are back, and so is that warm feeling. The feeling of a Dolphins win. We have felt this before; it’s not a familiar feeling but a good one. If you truly love this team, you know exactly what I mean.
Us Dolphins fans have been conditioned to expect the worst; it’s just a part of the gig. In the Dolphin’s season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, a lot did go wrong in classic Dolphins fashion. The Dolphins struggled defensively, giving up 234 yards on the ground. The Charger’s impressive running back duo gashed the defensive front repeatedly, allowing a whopping 6.5 yards per carry.
On a positive note, Justin Herbert was held to only 228 yards and one touchdown through the air. Jevon Holland seems to be flourishing on this Vic Fangio lead defense, collecting ten tackles throughout the ball game. I expect this defense to settle in within the next few weeks and reach its full potential. With multiple question marks on the defensive side of the ball, it will be interesting to see how Vic Fangio will respond in anticipation of next Sunday night’s game against our division rival, the New England Patriots.
The real joy found in this game was on the offensive side of the ball. It’s easy to overlook some irresponsible throws in the first half with a clutch 4th quarter performance from Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins could rack in 536 yards in total offense with number 1 at the helm. The quarterback threw for the 4th most passing yards in a season opener in league history with 466 yards. The Dolphins had 16 explosive plays of over 20 yards or more, tied for 9th most in 9 years. Giving Tua a clean pocket with serviceable offensive line play proved devastating for the Chargers.
Tyreek Hill had a monster performance, cutting up the Chargers for 11 receptions, 215 yards, and two touchdowns. Tyreek Hill is currently making the case for himself to be considered the greatest receiver in the history of the NFL. Every time this man touches the football, a touchdown can be scored from anywhere on the field. This league does not have an answer for Tyreek Hill. We will surely see this offense use this performance as a catapult to unload on upcoming matchups.
Every year, these Dolphins give us a shred of hope to pull the rug out from under us right as we begin to believe. I will be honest; I am beginning to believe. So, the question arises: can I trust this feeling? Can I sit back and relax, trusting that my home team has finally entrenched Itself to the status of “good”? Or will it all come crumbling down like it always does? Unfortunately, this team has a habit of offering us more questions than answers.
This is the life we choose as Dolphins fans, or maybe we don’t choose it at all. Maybe loving this team is just part of us. There’s something about being a Dolphins fan that’s almost unexplainable. The lows are low, but the highs are higher. I know what it’s like to go to work every morning humming the fight song for 11 weeks only to have another episode of seasonal depression. My only advice is to enjoy this good feeling while we can. Go Dolphins.
