Kelly: Dolphins have proven they have a winner’s DNA | Opinion
Adversity hits us all at some point. The true measure of a person — or in this case, a team — is how to respond to those tough times.
How do they deal with the struggles, the criticism, the naysayers, the people who jump ship?
Do they dust themselves off and keep charging forward or do they lay down and never get back up?
The 2024 Miami Dolphins (8-8) never quit. No matter how ugly this season got, they never waved the white flag, and that should be commended.
No matter what was thrown at coach Mike McDaniel’s third rendition of a Dolphins team, no matter how flawed the construction of this roster was — and it was flawed from the jump — the Dolphins kept swinging.
They kept getting back up off the canvas after each knockdown, and that’s how the Dolphins flipped this season’s 2-6 start on its head, going 6-2 since.
That’s why there’s reason for hope from this installment of the Dolphins franchise.
As disappointing as 8-8 might seem, Dolphins fans should be proud of this team because they could have easily been the New York Jets, the New York Giants, or some other NFL franchise that faced some turbulence and jumped out the plane.
“We were 2-6 staring at the Los Angeles Rams, and winning this game put us at 6-2,” McDaniel said. “Some of the best things in team sports occur when you have galvanized together and there’s a lot of people telling you that your season is over, this, that and the other.”
Despite all the challenges the Dolphins have endured this season Miami has a realistic chance of qualifying for the playoffs this weekend.
All they need is to take care of business by beating a Jets team circling the drain, possibly doing it without Tua Tagovailoa for a second straight game because of the hip injury he has been nursing since loss to the Houston Texans three weeks ago.
And they also need the Kansas City Chiefs to provide an assist by beating the Denver Broncos despite the expectation that coach Andy Reid will rest a number of their key starters, which includes Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones.
“For the first time in my life I’m going to be a big Chiefs fan for a week,” defensive lineman Calais Campbell said. “It’s never over till it’s over. There’s always opportunity. Who knows?
“Might not happen, that’s part of it, but we have to go out there and do our part of it or it does happen,” Campbell added. “Look out. Look out, we’re coming.”
Just to have a realistic chance with all the adversity the Dolphins have endured is impressive, and should be commended.
If you disagree, think about all the adversity this team has overcome this season, which began with Tyreek Hill and two of his teammates sitting in front of the stadium in handcuffs.
Think about playing without Tagovailoa for five games because of concussion he sustained in Week 2, and now the hip injury that has his status for Sunday a mystery.
Factor in that Miami’s initial backup quarterback, Skylar Thompson, broke his ribs in the first game he replaced Tagovailoa, putting the team in the hands of Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, who was forced to start three games without knowing the offense.
Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, the team’s top two pass rushers, weren’t available for most of the season because of their injuries.
Miami’s offensive line began to struggle, and ultimately fell apart when Austin Jackson, the team’s starting right tackle, sustained his season-ending knee injury in early November.
And the Dolphins have gone stretches of the season without Terron Armstead, Raheem Mostert, Jaylen Waddle, Anthony Walker Jr., Kendall Fuller and Jevon Holland, who are all significant starters, if not contributors.
Every team in the NFL must endure injuries, so this isn’t an excuse for Miami’s mediocrity, or justification for the 8-8 record. But it does provide a testimony about the 2024 Dolphins, which never quit on the season, or themselves.
The Dolphins defense has been a top-10 unit all season. While it struggles to produce sacks and turnovers, and at times gets leaky against the run (114 rushing yards to the Browns last Sunday), Anthony Weaver’s unit has consistently held teams to manageable point totals.
These things don’t happen by accident.
It’s part of a team’s DNA, and should provide the hope fans need to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“I never stopped believing because I know who we got in this room,” linebacker Jordyn Brooks said in his postgame speech to the team after Miami’s 20-3 win over the Browns. “I told y’all last time if it’s 1% percent change we can make it, then that’s what the [expletive] we play for.”
This story was originally published December 30, 2024 at 3:00 PM.
