By Sylvester “Nunnie” Robinson
In the NFL winning a football game is an accomplishment, no matter the caliber of the opponent. How else do you explain Jacksonville’s surprising victory over the Buffalo Bills in London on the heels of the Bills rendering our Dolphins as average and the 49ers’ demolition of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. After Dak’s first interception, I switched to Hell’s Kitchen to avoid wasting any more time.
The New York Giants were the perfect remedy for a Miami team that had been exposed as a mere Super Bowl pretender. Here’s my point: for the Dolphins to prove they’re worthy of Super Bowl consideration, they must defeat or play competitive football against acknowledged AFC contenders such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Baltimore Ravens. In the NFC the top teams after 5 weeks are the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Detroit Lions. Until they challenge or defeat one of the aforementioned, the jury is still out. The upcoming home game against the Carolina Panthers won’t resolve the conundrum, but the London contest against the defending champion Chiefs should provide some clarity for Fins fans and skeptics.
The Dolphins defeated the New York Giants 31-16 in a desultory performance that shouldn’t have been as close sans an ill-advised red zone pass interception returned for a 102 yard touchdown by Giant safety Jason Pinnock and a second interception that led to the Giants’ final score, a field goal.
Defensively, the Dolphins played exceptionally well, amassing 7 sacks, 2 of which were credited to relentless Zack Sieler. Contrast that defensive performance with the one versus the Bills and my point becomes clear: absolutely no pressure or sacks against Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen.
Offensively, speed is a powerful asset for the Fins, considering performances by Tua, 22-30 for 308 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions; Tyreek, 8 receptions for 181 yards and 1 touchdown of 69 yards ; and De’Von, 151 yards on 11 carries with 1 scintillating touchdown of 76 yards, the fifth longest in team history. The team totaled 524 yards against the Giants setting an NFL record of 2,527 total offensive yards for the first 5 games of the season.
How the team performs overall – offense, defense and special teams against elite teams – will determine this season’s destiny. Injuries always play a key role in any team’s success and the Dolphins are no exception. De’Von Achane, who will have his knee examined, could be lost indefinitely, Terron Armstead has been placed on IR and Jalen Ramsey has yet to play this season. On a positive note, Jason Phillips is scheduled to return this week. Once it is determined that the Dolphins can compete with the elite, our chances of winning the AFC title are excellent as we certainly have the potential. It’s a long grueling season so we shall see.
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