Amid brawl and struggle, Dolphins find themselves. Let them remain that team
Let this be the Miami Dolphins the remainder of the 2020 season as they enter the most important part of their schedule and try to make a playoff push.
Let them be the team that finally plays aggressively on offense as well as defense. That means blitzing and pressing on defense, but also using the no-huddle and uptempo attack on offense.
Let them coach aggressively all over the field, calling plays on offense as well as defense like there’s actually confidence in the players executing them.
That includes special teams, with plays like the modified Mountaineer Shot fake field goal special teams coordinator Danny Crossman called in the second quarter that would have been a touchdown were it not for a mental mistake.
Let the Dolphins stand up in the face of bullying. Let them be the team with the head coach who sprints across the field with fire in his eyes because his 5-foot-7 punt returner is the victim of a cheap shot not once but a second time.
Let these Miami Dolphins be all those things the season’s final four games like they were at times Sunday in a 19-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Please, let that happen consistently during the regular season’s final four games as the Dolphins try to seal the deal on getting into the postseason.
Because that team I’m wishing for -- probably overmatched against Kansas City, on the road at Las Vegas, and already having lost to New England and Buffalo -- might actually have a chance against those arguably better opponents if they adopt the personality we saw against the hapless Bengals.
And now this is the part you should be agreeing with me. Because this is the rare occasion I make perfect sense.
But Brian Flores is not agreeing with me too much.
After the game’s cooling off period, Flores spoke about composure and poise and practically guaranteed there will not be a repeat of his charge across the field to defend Jakeem Grant, the player left prostrate on the field after a late hit.
“We’ve got to do a better job of keeping our poise,” Flores said. “That starts with me. I’ve got to do a better job of keeping my poise.
“But, look, I’m going to stick up for my players. They’re going to stick up for each other without getting penalties, without hurting the team, but we’ve got to do a better job of keeping our poise as a team.
“I’m just going to be honest, these are like my kids. The first time, yeah. The second time I got a little upset about it, but still I’ve got to do a better job. I have to. I can’t do anything to hurt the team. My emotions got the best of me there.”
Flores seemed to be arguing with himself about reacting like a human as opposed to a Vulcan. It’s as if he forgot his actions did not get his team penalized or make matters any worse.
He might get fined, which will cost him dollars. But he also earned some serious respect points with, well, everyone that has a pulse.
“It was good to see,” defensive lineman Christian Wilkins said.
Still, Flores wasn’t having it.
“It’s not about points,” he said. “It’s about not doing things that hurt the team. Unfortunately, I was part of that today. I’ll be better, and our team will be better. We’ll just keep it there.”
I get it. Flores has more than emotions to think about. He has to remain calm within the storm because that sets an example for players.
And Dolphins players such as cornerback Xavien Howard, who was ejected for throwing a punch, and receiver DeVante Parker, who was ejected after he apparently shoved someone, and receiver Mack Hollins, who was ejected for I-don’t-know-what, probably all need reminders about keeping one’s poise and composure.
But, admit it, that was bad (as in good) seeing the team’s head coach charging across that field, sans helmet or pads or body guard, not to make peace with Bengals, but to challenge the other side.
It was like a lone mother lion attacking a pack of hyenas to defend her cub.
Actually it was more like Bryan Cox charging the Bengals sideline -- yes, the entire Bengals sideline -- after somebody hit kicker Pete Stoyanovich on a kickoff back in 1991.
The scene back then and Sunday were inspiring.
And that’s not me saying so.
“That whole incident got the whole team hyped,” defensive lineman Shaq Lawson said.
After that incident, a Dolphins defense that was good but not great suddenly was making game-defining plays. Lawson had one of his two sacks, cornerback Nik Needham collected an interception, and Wilkins came within inches of fumble recovery touchdown had officials not ruled the quarterback’s arm was moving forward.
The Dolphins yielded only 25 total yards in the second half. Kyle Van Noy was credited with three sacks for the day. That’s the kind of aggressive defense they need consistently starting next week against the defending champion Chiefs.
Aggressive applies to the offense, too, by the way. Because that unit had very little life the first half. But in the second half when Gailey let rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa run the no-huddle, things changed.
Gailey seemed to take the training wheels off and suddenly there was juice.
“I think, when you’re on the ball and you’re going fast, it confuses the defense because they need to get lined up,” Tagovailoa said. “They can’t get their right call in at times. Then when you have guys motioning, it confuses up their call, if they have a blitz on or what coverage they’re going to run.
“So I think the up-tempo things that we did in the second half really helped us to get the ball rolling.”
Here’s a question: Why not keep that rolling?
The Dolphins have a choice going forward and that involves doing what seemed to deliver meager results or, you know, be aggressive with an up-tempo attack.
That seems a better fit for a team whose coach rushes across the field during a mini brawl and whose defense blitzes and attacks.
So please let all those things be the Miami Dolphins the season’s final four games.
This story was originally published December 6, 2020 at 7:26 PM.
