Against Kansas City, Miami Dolphins Face Their First Real Test

If you look at what the Miami Dolphins have accomplished so far, their complete rebuild has been a success so far. No one expected them to win many games last season and they’ve finished with 5 wins. Not many expected them to be playoff contenders, but that’s right where they’re at with 4 games left this season. Whether or not they make it might come down to the Kansas City Chiefs.

It may be one game, but with the Chiefs being the pinnacle of the NFL power structure the past few seasons, it will be a good indicator of just how ahead of schedule the rebuild actually is. Defensively, the Dolphins are right near the top of the league and are showing Super Bowl level competitiveness. When it comes to their offense, they feel they have their franchise quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa. No matter how the rest of the season turns out they won’t walk away with a losing season.

To start the season, they’d lose their first two games and that would be the only time they’d have back to back losses. They’d win 8 of their next 10 games but it’s not all positive. Statistically, their offense is in the bottom 3rd in the league. They’re 25th in the league in passing yards per game. Currently, they’re 26th in rushing yards per game. In total yards, they’re only better than two other teams.

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With that being said, the Chiefs are the line of how close the Dolphins truly are to being one of the winningest franchises in NFL history. Sure, they could lose this game and go on to make the playoffs just fine. They could even win a Super Bowl. However, in today’s NFL one fluke season doesn’t mean you’re on your way to a dynasty. The Dolphins have had a couple of seasons where they squeezed out a playoff appearance, then struggled to win again the following season. The Philadelphia Eagles would go on a run and win a Super Bowl and two years later they have won 3 games all year.

So what does that have to do with the Kansas City Chiefs?

Right now, Kansas City is coming off their Super Bowl win. They’re early favorites to win again this year and have only lost one game this season. Their high-powered offense is one of the best in the league and they’ll take on one of the best defenses in the league in Miami.

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If Miami loses this game it won’t be the end of the world, but its how they lose the game that will determine their future. If Miami comes out and shows they can hang with the likes of a powerhouse Chiefs team, we’ll know they’re on the right path in their rebuild. If they come in and get absolutely demolished, it’ll be more telling of how close they really are.

The Dolphins might not need to win against the Chiefs, but if they can’t keep it close they don’t deserve to be a playoff team.