End-Of-Game Debacle Hastens Pretender Narratives Surrounding Dolphins
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) gets stopped in the backfield by Miami Dolphins safety Brandon Jones (29) during the second half of an NFL game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Dec. 11, 2023.
“It’s a hard, hard lesson, but no lead is safe,” Miami Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel told the assembled media after his team’s collapse on Monday Night Football.
In one of the most bizarre finishes in franchise history, with six minutes to go in a 13-13 defensive battle, things got weird in Miami. The Dolphins, after struggling to move the ball all day, tallied two quick touchdowns to go up 27-13 with three minutes left. Then, they promptly gave up two touchdowns and a two-point conversion to lose 28-27.
We all know what happened, but I think it’s important to summarize the insanity. The above paragraph reads too bizarrely to be believed as part of a Hollywood script. Yet we saw it take place. The maniacal finish is the perfect microcosm for the trust issues developing for those who want to put this team into legitimate contender conversations.
A favorite of the sports entertainment genre, the “pretender or contender” segments take flight this time of year. Former athletes, coaches, and reporters gear up their hot takes and shout about whether or not your favorite team is the real deal. After the stunning debacle, Miami is set to become the poster child for said discussions.
And rightfully so. Maybe no team in recent history possesses such an enigmatic combination of talent, performances, and results.
Before last evening, the Dolphins were 8-0 against teams with losing records, while compiling an 0-3 record, with subpar performances, against contenders. They’re amassing offensive records left and right yet somehow struggle to sustain long drives. They dropped a 70-point performance in Denver and now, as a cherry on top, they’ve given us the NFL’s craziest finish of 2023. They somehow have the ability to simultaneously seem like a Super Bowl contender and the most likely team to get eliminated at home on Wild Card weekend. That’s what we watched in the final six minutes of the Titans game: a Jekyll and Hyde identity that, although it had never presented itself in such a dramatic way, has been there all season long
But December football matters. These next four games are everything for Miami, and not just for locking up the division or trying to gain seeding. How this team performs in the last four games will be the truest indicator of what we will see during the playoffs. If McDaniel and company cannot show the league consistent, reliable football over the next month, it will be impossible to believe that they are anything other than inconsistent and unreliable. If they continue to jump all over the football spectrum through their final games, it will be reasonable to believe that their unpredictability will ultimately be their undoing.
There are those who will say the proof is already on the board with their results against different levels of competition. But it’s easy to argue the level of competition narrative is a little overplayed.
Beating bad teams isn’t the hallmark of pretenders; in fact, it’s the opposite. NFL history is littered with Super Bowl champions who won the games they should have in dominating fashion. With the exception of Monday night, that’s what Miami has done.
Although we would like to raise red flags around the team’s losses to contenders, the reality is that it’s rare to find any NFL team that dominates against other good NFL teams. If you find one of those, you’re usually looking at a generational squad. Yes, the losses are definitely a concern, but they’re not the end of the conversation. There have only been three opportunities, and all of them came prior to Miami’s defense getting settled. With games against the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, and Buffalo Bills to close the season, that record will, one way or another, have a different look come the end of Week 18.
The good news is Miami has the culture in place. McDaniel and his staff have instituted trust and belief within the locker room. A loss like Monday’s would shake many teams to their core, but the Dolphins remain consistent with their messaging. They preach accountability, week-to-week work, and short memories.
“At the end of the day, we’re only going to go as far as we take this,” Nick Chubb said after the loss. “That’s going to require us playing together, playing with each other and being on the same (page) at all times.”
“I feel like we’re going to be able to move on pretty quick,” Tyreek Hill added. “With the great leaders that we got on this team. I feel like we’ll be fine.”
Exactly what you want to hear after a loss like this. But, make no mistake, now is the time for those words to translate to consistent actions. While the sports world debates whether or not the Dolphins will matter come January, it’s Miami’s job during December to prove that they will.
Up Next