Browsing: The WG Sports Corner

The  WG Sports Corner

The WG Sports Corner

The WG Sports Corner

The WG Sports Corner

The WG Sports Corner

   The Miami Heat currently sit in second place in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference with a 20-17 record, a half game behind the Orlando Majic and just ahead of the Atlanta Hawks in 3 team race for the division. The Charlotte Hornets and the Washington Wizards appear to be in a perpetual rebuilding mode  as they sit at the bottom of arguably a weak though competitive division.

    The Dolphins’ season came to a screeching halt even before late afternoon loss to the New York Jets. You see, any opportunity the Fins had of making the playoffs was predicated on the outcome of the Denver Broncos/Kansas City Chiefs game and the results were never in doubt. That’s  what happens when your destiny is in another’s control. Denver’s decisive victory over the Chiefs eliminated both the Dolphins and the Bengals from the playoffs, though Cincinnati’s 19-17 victory over Pittsburgh kept their playoff hopes alive. The Dolphins’ defeat reflects their middle of the road NFL status. A good draft, a foray into free agency, a trade or two and possibly working something out with Tyreek will elevate the Fins.

   In last week’s article I may have prematurely written the Miami Dolphins off as having no chance of making the playoffs. CBS’ Tony Romo outlined the very minuscule possibility, indicating  that they were mathematically still in the hunt. Just as last week before the Texans’ defeat, the Dolphins  must win their remaining games against the Cleveland  Browns and the New York Jets, both winnable games on the road, as they did Sunday against a depleted San Francisco 49er team. 

    Reality smacked the Dolphins square in the face on Sunday in Houston as the Texans ended any Miami Dolphins playoff hopes,  suffering a 20-12 loss to the playoff bound Texans. The cold facts indicate that the Fins are still very much a work in progress, highlighted by a weak running game, an average offensive line, and a gifted but limited quarterback in today’s game of phenomenal,  duel-threat athletes playing the position such as Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Pat Mahomes, Kyler Murray, Bo Nix, Jordan Love,  et al.

        After a frustrating first half in which the secondary struggled in coverage and the defense had no answers for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets’ offense, a defensive revival, timely offensive  execution and exceptional special teams play catapulted the Dolphins to an overtime win over the division rival New York  Jets on Sunday at the Hard Rock.