Dolphins Can’t Take Anything For Granted

The other night, I was out at a banquet, and a Buffalo Bills fan approached me and said it looks like your guys are winning the division by default. I said wait a minute, the Dolphins aren’t guaranteed anything, and there are eight games left, and anything can happen. Now, from the looks of things, the Dolphins should win this division because the Bills have a tough schedule the rest of the way and are 5-5; the New York Jets are playing with a backup quarterback and can’t do anything on offense, and the New England Patriots are God awful. 

 The thing is, I have seen a lot as a fan. The Dolphins get off to great starts and falter to end the season. Last year, they were 8-3 and then lost 5 of their last six games only to squeak into the playoffs. I know quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was hurt during that stretch, and it could happen again. You never know. I remember one year, 1993, the Dolphins started 9-2 without Dan Marino and lost their last five games to miss the playoffs. There are many other examples, but the bottom line is that the Dolphins must finish the job. 

 The Dolphins have a favorable schedule against the Las Vegas Raiders, the New York Jets twice, the Washington Commanders, and the Tennessee Titans. However, each of those teams could potentially give the Dolphins problems.

The Raiders made a coaching change a couple of weeks ago and have won two in a row, and the team seems to have new energy. As bad as the Jets are, they have an excellent defense, and the Dolphins offense has struggled against good defenses. The Commanders, who I’m not too high on, are better than I thought, as they have gotten better on offense, and even though they traded 2 of their best defensive players, they are still playing hard. The Titans play hard for coach Mike Vrabel even though their record is down. 

Do I think the Dolphins are going into a slump against those teams? No, I don’t, but I’ve seen a lot over the years to not too full of myself as a fan. Now the Raiders have won two in a row but against the Jets and New York Giants. The Jets have scored a total of 8 offensive touchdowns all season long. That’s hard to do nowadays, but they are still one of the Dolphins’ biggest rivals. I don’t see the Dolphins slipping up against the Jets unless the offense gets too cute and the tough Jets defense makes them pay.

The Commanders can make plays on offense, but they also allow a lot of sacks and turn the ball over. The Titans have a rookie quarterback, and I don’t see them hanging with the Dolphins for four quarters. However, like I said, things can happen, and the Dolphins haven’t been a real playoff contender for multiple years, so this is new territory for them. 

 Also, the Bills may climb out of this funk. They have road games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, and they must still come to Miami. They also play the Dallas Cowboys at home. That’s a tough stretch, but the Bills have won the AFC East 3 years in a row and have had some playoff success, but this is the first time we have seen them struggle with Joshy Poo. Yes, I said that because he’s treated like a god around here, and I’m having fun watching him struggle. Anyway, because they have been here, they could turn it around. Do I think they will? No, but I didn’t think they would lose to the Denver Broncos or the pathetic Patriots. Anything can happen. 

 The Dolphins can’t look at the other teams in their division and see them struggling. They need to finish the season strong and care for their own business. I really believe the Dolphins should win their next five games to go to 11-3 going into Christmas. I can’t remember the last time that happened.

It’s a fun time to be a Dolphins fan, but as well as they have played, they could still go the other way. Don’t take this opportunity for granted. Take care of business and finish off this division title. If not, it will be one of the biggest disappointments in franchise history based on what’s been going on. We don’t want to see that.Â