Embarrassed, disgusted, disappointed and dejected are all adjectives that describe how some Miami Dolphins fans and players feel right now. Not only did the Dolphins get off to the same slow start as last season, but the overall performance appears to have regressed.
For instance, after four games last season Miami had two losses to divisional rivals. These are acceptable losses considering the familiarity of the teams. Furthermore, Miami was competitive in both games, with each being decided in the fourth quarter. The Dolphins’ other defeat was to the Seattle Seahawks, a bonafide NFC contender. However, Miami was only one big play away from winning that game also.
This season, Miami’s lone victory was by one point. The Dolphins did not score in their home opener meanwhile giving up 35 points. They followed that with 25 answered points on the road to fall in overtime. Most recently, they lost at home to a previously winless team. All of this feels like the team is going in the wrong direction.
Super Bowl LV Could Change Everything
The Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced off in Super Bowl LV and they could give the Dolphins new life in a matter of 24 hours. The Buffalo Bills are already running away with the AFC East Division. The Bills have a 3-1 record with everyone else looking up at 1-3. If the Bills go to 4-1 and the Dolphins fall to 1-4, the Dolphins, the divisional title hopes for Miami would be all but over.
Kansas City to the Rescue
This is where all Dolphins fans will once again be cheering for the Chiefs. In a Sunday night showdown, the Bills will travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs. This will be a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game, where the Chiefs were victorious. With a slower than normal start of their own this season, the Chiefs will be giving it their best shot to keep pace in their own division. Ultimately at 3-2, the Bills still remain in striking distance of the Dolphins.
But first, on to Tampa
Be a tall task, the Dolphins are in a familiar position. They essentially have to defeat the reigning Super Bowl champs led by Tom Brady to save their season. Fortunately for Miami, they have been successful for a time or two. Brady has victories against every team in the league, but his worst record by far is against the Dolphins.
The Bucs are playing good football right now, but it’s not perfect. The offense, in particular, the passing offense is clicking for Tampa. The Buccaneers are ranked second in the league in that category. That is good and bad news for Miami. The Dolphins secondary is built to stifle passing attacks. The problem is they have not been very successful consistently at it this season. The Dolphins rank near the bottom in the league in that category. If Miami’s defense plays to its potential this week it could level the playing field.
Another sign of hope is that the Buccaneers are not good at stopping the pass. Unfortunately, Miami’s offense has not proven that it can take advantage so far this season. None of that matters though. If the Dolphins expect to turn their season around they will have to do things that they have not done successfully this season.
- Make Plays Downfield
- Stop Teams on Third Down
- Protect the Quarterback
The Bucs have multiple injuries on offense, which sets this matchup to be a possible “Any given Sunday” game.
Here’s your rooting guide to a perfect week 5 for Miami:
Atlanta Falcons over New York Jets
Houston Texans over New England Patriots
Green Bay Packers over Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers over Denver Broncos
Jacksonville Jaguars over Tennessee Titans
Chicago Bears over Las Vegas Raiders
Indianapolis Colts over Baltimore Ravens
Kansas City Chiefs over Buffalo Bills
Mark Doyle
October 10, 2021 at 6:05 am
buy a powerball ticket, better chance.