Miami Dolphins Prove They Can Hang With NFL Elite

The late Dennis Green once said, “They are who we thought they were, and we let em off the hook”. He’d say it after a tough comeback loss against the Chicago Bears back in 2006. After a tough loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Miami Dolphins have to feel the same way. The Chiefs played good football, but not so good the ‘fins couldn’t win the game. Walking away from that game, the Dolphins and their fans should feel confident their team is headed in the right direction.

This wasn’t just a fluke game where a couple of good breaks bounced their way. The Dolphins started off hangin’ with one of the toughest teams in the NFL, down 14-10 at halftime. However, it was after the half they would fall behind and big. After Miami would score the first 10 points, KC would go on a 28 point run and seem to be in firm control.

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Luckily for the Dolphins, a Brian Flores-led team is resilient. By the game’s end, Miami would do what so few have done against the Chiefs and get turnovers. This season, Patrick Mahomes would throw just 2 interceptions leading up to Sunday’s matchup. By the end of the game, Mahomes would have nearly triple that number. Three Dolphins defenders would walk away with interceptions, including Xavien Howard’s beautiful one-handed takeaway.

While a loss still stings when you’re on the road to the playoffs if it wasn’t for a 4th down conversion we might be having a different conversation. On 4th and 1 with 2:30 left, the Chiefs put the Dolphins’ hopes of a comeback to rest. At the time they were down only 6 points and getting the ball back with momentum swinging might’ve been the shot they needed.

However, the stout defense wasn’t the only star of the show. Tua Tagovailoa showed that it wasn’t just a fluke game against the Cincinnati Bengals. If you compare stats, Tua matched Patrick Mahomes step for step. The rookie would throw 77 fewer yards, but match Mahomes with two touchdowns but only one interception. His lone interception on the season was only partially his fault. A pass that bounced off Jakeem Grant to a waiting defender, if placed over his opposite shoulder would’ve fallen incomplete instead. It was a catchable pass for Grant but didn’t change the outcome of the game.

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Looking at the Chiefs game as a whole, a lot was revealed about these Miami Dolphins. A lot of questions were answered today. If it ended up as a blowout they’d prove they’re not ready to be in the playoff conversation in year two of their rebuild. However, they kept it close, had one of the game’s best QBs on tilt, and almost walked away with the win. The Dolphins proved they can hang with any team in the NFL, next time they just need to walk away with a win.