‘Game that I’ve dreamed of.’ With the Dolphins at 1-6, what motivates the team?
Losing stinks.
It can be an energy sap. One day, you have all these aspirations — playoffs, lead the league in rushing yards, etc. — then, in the blink of an eye, you’re 1-6. The goals become less attainable, morale can get low and once that happens, the season might as well be over.
Unfortunately, the Miami Dolphins, a team that has fallen well below expectations and become the NFL’s punching bag, find themselves close to that position. The question then becomes what’s the motivation.
“You hope you have the right people that stay motivated considering we are paid professionals, and we’ve played seven games in a guaranteed 17-game season. The feelings, the emotions, whatever expectations, who really cares at this point — the idea is that you’re right in the heat of games that are very much meaningful to each player, coach, staff member and organization, so there shouldn’t be much more motivation than that.
From the ability to live out a childhood dream to sheer hope for the rest of the year, players still have motivation amid the team’s worst start since 2007. Technically, the season isn’t over — Fox Sports still gives them a .1% chance to win the Super Bowl — but the Dolphins have certainly dug themselves in a deep hole. Still, players have pride, above all, and after a dismal outing in the 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Dolphins certainly have something to play for this week.
“That was an embarrassing effort, so what do you do with an embarrassing effort?” McDaniel said. “You want to get back to work and put a different product on your name. I think for Game 8, I would be extremely disappointed if guys were lacking motivation, regardless of how difficult it may seem.”
For players such as Chop Robinson and Tua Tagovailoa, the ultimate motivation is their childhood selves.
“It’s what I’ve been wanting to do since I was a kid,” Robinson said. “You’ve got to love the good, bad and the ugly. You’ve just got to just keep showing up every day, and if things don’t go your way, try to make it go your way. That’s the main thing.”
Added Tagovailoa: “This is a game that I’ve dreamed of playing when I was young to be in the NFL, and I don’t think that’s something you can ever take for granted. It’s one of those gratitudes that you have always. You’ve got to be grateful.”
This situation, however, isn’t new to Ashtyn Davis. The safety spent his first four seasons with the New York Jets, compiling a record of 25-49. A long time ago he realized that regardless of the record, each individual player will still be evaluated on their own merit.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been in this position before and regardless of anything else that I can’t control, the tape is still rolling at the end of the day,” Davis said. “That’s my resume, and that’s what keeps me going.”
Aaron Brewer, however, remains optimistic. Similar to Davis, the center believes that it’s every players’ duty to “represent the name on your chest and on your back to the best of your ability.” He even thinks that the Dolphins could eventually turn it around.
“It’s a full football season and time doesn’t stop,” Brewer said, later adding, “I feel like that’s the motivation to try to keep going, you never know when the page might turn. We’re 1-6 right now, 17 games so you can end up, what, 11-6? You just got to have that optimistic mind-set for the future.”
As much as fans want the Dolphins to give up entirely, that’s just not how football players are wired. They spend too much time in preparation — sometimes up to 12 hours per day — to just lose motivation. The team has not given up on McDaniel. Even better, they have not given up on themselves. And until that happens, expect this team to fight.
