Hey, America, after seven wins in a row, do the Miami Dolphins have your attention yet? | Opinion
The statement is best made when everybody is listening, and watching. Like on a Monday in prime time.
So, America, do the Miami Dolphins have your attention now? Yet?
The Dolphins just won a seventh game in a row -- that’s one, two, three, four, five six, seven straight -- to put themselves in position to do what no NFL team in the league’s hundred-plus years has ever done: Start a season 1-7, and make the playoffs.
Monday’s 20-3 win over the Saints in New Orleans put the Fins at 8-7 and in control. They’d be in it if the playoffs started now. Closing wins next week at Tennessee and then at home vs. rival New England will make seal the deal and history.
“This team stuck together, really the entire year,” coach Brian Flores said afterward. “Dealt with a lot of adversity. It revealed a lot, I’d say. Revealed some people were with you, some people were on the fence. All the distractions, it reveals a lot about a lot of things. Our guys stuck together.”
The doubters remain; no doubt on that. Miami has beaten only one team with a winning record in its long streak (the Saints were 7-7 coming in). And the Fins received their holiday gift in the buildup to Monday’s game with the news 16 Saints players -- including both of their top two quarterbacks and several key defensive starters -- would miss this game in COVID protocols.
Miami was missing six guys to test-positives. It has become standard as the Omicron variant surge sweeps America, football and all of sports. Just Monday, 96 NFL players leaguewide tested positive -- the Saint’s toll especially severe.
Ian Book out of Notre Dame was left as New Orleans’ starting quarterback in his pro debut. It was so dirte the team tried to lure Drew Brees out of retirement this week, and signed unemployed Blake Bortles as an emergency backup.
Yes, the Dolphins have been kissed by a bit of kismet on this thoroughly unexpected run.
It is remarkable nonetheless.
Beating anybody seven times in a row this strangest of seasons is remarkable.
No team before this one had ever won seven in a row after losing seven in a row the same season.
“It speaks to the character of this team,” said quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Skeptics keep making excuses why the Fins aren’t that good.
While they keep winning.
This was Miami’s record 86th Monday Night Football appearance all-time, and if it did nothing else, it verified the Dolphins belong in this playoff conversation. It isn’t a fluke. No asterisks required.
Though depleted, this was a Saints team that just handed Tom Brady a 9-0 loss, his first time shut out in 15 years., New Orleans opened the season by beating Aaron Rodgers. This was the first team ever to keep both the reigning league MVP (Rodgers) and reigning Super Bowl champ (Brady) out of the end zone the same season.
Monday, they could not overcome their own rookie QB.
And they could not overcome Tagovailoa, either.
Efficient as usual, Tagovailoa completed 19 of 26 passes for 198 yards and a short, shovel-pass touchdown to Jaylen Waddle. He was not perfect. That’s as usual at times, too, unfortunately. Tua lost a fumble he was lucky a teammate recovered. Later a bad overthrow was intercepted, making it three picks in the past two games for him.
“Took a chance there. Obviously we could have just hit the easier throw. It was what it was,” said the QB of his pick.
But Tagovailoa also was this guy: Leading only 10-3, the Saints seemingly with momentum, Tua tossed a gorgeous 40-yard completion to Mack Hollins followed by a 24-yarder to Waddle en route to the breathing-room TD.
You begin to count him out, he shows you why you maybe shouldn’t.
Just Monday the ESPN.com headline read, ‘Has Tua Tagovailoa shown the Miami Dolphins enough to build their future around him?’ (The headline has been on continuous loop for around two seasons now).
He has two more games, maybe at least two more, to erase lingering doubts.
Meantime the Dolphins defense was dominant, with coordinator Josh Boyer presenting the perfect game plan to flummox a raw, rookie QB like Book. A mix of high-pressure blitzes and feigned pressure and dropbacks kept the kid guessing all night. When he wasn’t being sacked eight times.
Saints offense was 0-for-12 on third downs.
“We had a nice game plan. Mixing coverages, mixing the fronts,” said Flores.
Defense made it 7-0 fast when Nike Needham intercepted Book and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown, finding the mute button on a loud Superdome.
“Today was definitely fun,” said Needham.
This dream comeback by the Dolphins can’t continue, right?
Haven’t we all been saying that and wondering it for a lot of weeks now?
The ending has been perfectly drawn.
Next the Dolphins must beat, in Tennessee, their longtime former quarterback, Ryan Tannehill.
Then the Dolphins must beat, in Bill Belichick, the nemesis-coach who has been their roadblock for 20 years.
All of that to get to the playoffs, a place that seemed as unreachable as Oz back when Miami was 1-7 and the laughingstock of football, franchise maps and blueprints all aflame.
Now?
Maybe this is where it ends, who knows?
Either way, perhaps the Dolphins have finally have America’s attention.
Dare say, maybe even a smidgen of grudgingly given respect?
This story was originally published December 27, 2021 at 11:18 PM.
