I have seen a lot as a fan of the Miami Dolphins. I have yet to see everything. I’ve never seen the Dolphins go to the Super Bowl or go undefeated at home during the regular season. The furthest I have seen the Dolphins go in the playoffs is the AFC Championship game in the 1992 season. The thing I have seen a lot over the years is the Dolphins fading in December and collapsing to end the season. Last year, they collapsed after starting 8-3 and got into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. I’ve also seen the Dolphins lose all their games in December 1993, after starting 9-2, and miss the playoffs. In 2002, the Dolphins had the AFC East title in their hands and had two winnable games against losing opponents and lost both. They didn’t win the AFC East and missed the playoffs altogether. I’m bringing up bad memories, but only a little has gone right for this franchise in the last two decades. It got me thinking: Could we collapse the previous three games and miss out on the division and the playoffs? The answer is yes, and the game against the Tennessee Titans reminded me that it is possible.

This team is too talented to have that happen. I remember the last time this roster had this much talent on both sides of the ball. I know I’m probably traumatized and thinking too negatively, but the fact is it’s in my head, and until this team proves it, that is how I will feel at times. The Dolphins have yet to beat a team with a winning record this year, and the last three games are against teams with winning records. Are the Dolphins up to the challenge and ready to get that label off their back this season? The Dolphins had three games against winning teams this year in the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and Kansas City Chiefs, and got beaten and exposed in those games. I know they lost the Chiefs game by a touchdown, but they got into a 21-0 hole at halftime. The Dolphins haven’t proven anything yet, and it’s why you see “experts” talk about contenders in the AFC, and the Dolphins aren’t mentioned or taken seriously.

People like to start the talk with the quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa. Some question if he is a big-game quarterback. This season, Tagovailoa has silenced critics by staying healthy for all the games played, showing he can throw the ball down the field, and that the Dolphins were right in taking him over Justin Herbert. Up here in Central New York, I hear it from Bills fans all the time that the Dolphins have nothing at quarterback, and Tagovailoa can’t take you anywhere. I don’t look at Tagovailoa as just another quarterback. I look at him as the best prospect they have had at the position since Dan Marino. Sure, there are things he must work on, like finding different options when his first receiver isn’t open and when he gets pressured doesn’t do as well. There are a lot of quarterbacks that could do better under constant pressure. Heck, Josh Allen, when he gets pressure, forces throws, which gets him into trouble with his turnover issue. Tagovailoa has a quick release, is very accurate, and puts the ball to the receivers to make big plays. However, now he must prove he can lead the Dolphins to the playoffs and beyond. The question is, will he be up to it? I believe he is, but he must prove it.

The last three games are also a critical stretch for head coach Mike McDaniel. McDaniel (along with offensive coordinator Frank Smith) has brought life into this franchise and put together one of the best offenses in the game statistically for a team that has had no offense for over two decades. However, McDaniel must prove that he can lead this team in this critical stretch and that his offense can be up to the challenge against better defenses. They were very pedestrian against the Bills, Eagles, and Chiefs. In the collapse to the Titans, the offense was stale, to say the least, and didn’t look prepared at times or make the adjustments needed. Sure, they got on track against the New York Jets, but they are awful this year, and you must assert yourself this time of the year against better defenses. The passing game is less explosive than in September, but the weather gets colder and windier, and defenses make the proper adjustments. Is McDaniel going to be able to do that? These final three games are a critical time for McDaniel, especially after squeaking into the playoffs last year despite losing 5 of their last six games.

Sunday, the Dolphins go up against the Dallas Cowboys, and both teams are similar. They are both 10-4 and must do better against winning teams. The Cowboys, though, have beaten a team with a winning record against the Eagles at home. The problem with the Cowboys is they don’t do well away from home, so something will have to give on Sunday. Either the Dolphins get over the hump and beat a team with a winning record, or the Cowboys finally play well on the road and win.

Then the Dolphins go on the road and play the Baltimore Ravens, a team they have beaten each of the last two years, including a thrilling come-from-behind win in Baltimore last year. The Ravens are a much better team this year. Their defense looks more potent than a year ago, and their offense is better with quarterback Lamar Jackson healthy, and he has a better receiving. He has Odell Beckham Jr and promising rookie Zay Flowers to complement their physical running game. The Ravens are a team that is tough to beat in December and January. They will be playing for the number 1 seed, and the question is, can the Dolphins take it to them for a 3rd year in a row? They will pose problems for the Dolphin’s offense, and the Dolphins have failed to match the intensity on the road against the Bills and Eagles.

Then, the final game of the year is against the hated Bills, who have won the division for three straight years. The Bills have struggled at times this year but have played better recently. A couple of weeks ago, the Bills went to Kansas City to play the Chiefs, and many people felt the Dolphins should root for the Bills to beat them because it would help them get the number one seed. I wasn’t one of them. You must win the division first before looking at any playoff seeds, and while the Dolphins were three games up on the Bills in the division at the time, they would be better off if the Bills kept losing, just in case. If you give the Bills any momentum, they might come back and bite the Dolphins. It looks like the season finale could be for the division, and depending on how things go elsewhere in the conference, it could be the only playoff spot in the AFC East. If that happens and the Dolphins lose, it will perhaps be their biggest choke job. That may be an overstatement, but in 1993, the Dolphins didn’t have Dan Marino in that 5-game skid; they were down to their 3rd string quarterback. The Bills are starting to gain some confidence, and everybody respects them more than the Dolphins because they have won the division 3 years in a row and have at least won some playoff games. The Bills fans here where I live in Central New York tell me the Dolphins will choke like always, and they don’t have the team to beat them. The beating in Buffalo earlier this season certainly doesn’t give me any confidence, but the Dolphins are a better team than they were in that September match-up.

I realize the Dolphins are a more talented team than in years past, but they must prove they are better and win some of these last three games against teams with winning records. If they don’t, the Dolphins must reassess everything because they have everything going for them. Miami controls their destiny and has most of these games left at home, where they have played well. This team can do it, but I have seen many Dolphins teams fade down the stretch, and it makes me wonder if we are setting ourselves up for another collapse or if it will be different. It’s an exciting time to be a fan, but it also is a nerve-racking time for me with what I have seen, especially the past two decades when they let things slip away. The Titans game was a reminder of that.