Phins Phorward
Edition #25
The Winds Of Change
It’s hard to be a Dolphins fan after Sunday’s 33-27 meltdown against the New England Patriots. Miami didn’t just lose, they gift-wrapped a divisional win to a mediocre Pats team, and they are staring down the barrel of a disastrous 0-2 start.
The Hard Rock Stadium boos were deafening, the pregame flyover banner demanding Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier’s heads was well deserved, and the performance on the field was a perfect example of how to botch a winnable game.
This team just isn’t built to win these types of close, gritty games. They will always find a way not to seal the deal.
Let’s start with the penalties because there were ten of them! False starts on third and short, a delay of the game when the offense finally had a pulse, and an idiotic illegal contact penalty that gifted New England a field goal were just a few of the bunch. It was all par for the course for this bumbling team that just can’t seem to get out of its own way.
The final two drives were both derailed by penalties, turnover, and incompetence. McDaniel’s game clock management was a clown show with baffling play calls and zero adjustments to New England’s pace.
Tua is a walking contradiction. He slung 315 yards and two touchdowns, including a 47-yard bomb to Tyreek Hill that briefly fooled everyone into thinking he’s clutch. Then came the dagger, a late interception to Marte Mapu, practically handing the Pats the win. Tua just doesn’t have that killer instinct to finish off games. Tua’s postgame quip about the boos being “part of the business” was as tone deaf as his decision-making in crunch time. De’Von Achane’s 29-yard touchdown scamper and 92 receiving yards were nice, but when your offense collapses like a cheap lawn chair, individual highlights ring hollow.
The defense is an embarrassment! Drake Maye torched Miami for 230 yards, two passing touchdowns, and a touchdown run. This comical pass defense has turned Daniel Jones last week and Drake Maye this week into looking like stud quarterbacks. New England converted third downs at will and pretty much controlled the offensive tempo of this game throughout.
The special teams came to life with Malik Washington’s 74-yard punt return touchdown in the fourth, but that joy didn’t last long. Antonio Gibson then ripped the Dolphins’ heart out with a 90-yard kickoff return for a score on the very next play, and just completely flipped this game on its head. Now the Dolphins stumble into Buffalo on Thursday night, where an 0-3 record is inevitable.
The fans’ rage with those boos and that banner is just the tip of the iceberg. This team doesn’t just lose, it implodes. Miami isn’t cursed; they’re just a bad team, and no one’s taking any accountability. McDaniel’s excuses, Grier’s mishandled roster, and Tua’s turnovers all add up to a toxic mix.
Keep those banners coming, keep those boos coming. Hold this front office and team accountable for this sorry product they put on the field, and let them see and hear your frustrations! Change will be coming hopefully sooner rather than later.
