By “Nunnie” Robinson, Westside Gazette Sports Editor
All of my fears surrounding the crushing home defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills came to fruition. The Fins forfeited the opportunity to win the Eastern Division, play at home and perhaps go further into the playoffs. As it unfolded, the loss placed them in treacherous wildcard status which meant traveling to play the Chiefs in bitter cold conditions. I don’t know of anyone in their right mind desirous of that option other than optimistically seeing the glass as half full. Truth be told, the Dolphins simply weren’t good enough to defeat the best teams in the AFC: Baltimore, Buffalo, Kansas City and Houston, at least not with the current makeup of team, combined with the myriad injuries that beset them this season.
I cover Miami for the Gazette, but I am also a Dolfan! The pro game has evolved and many successful teams possess mobile, dual-threat quarterbacks, 3 of which were previously mentioned. The Dolphins don’t have that luxury with Tua so developing a stalwart offensive line is or should be a priority since everything else offensively is in place, e. g., receivers and running backs. Defensively, they need to develop interior depth, more playmaking linebackers and better secondary play. However, after watching the playoffs, I concluded that, in spite of the injuries, the Dolphins played well enough defensively to win both at home and in KC. Our high powered, ballyhooed offense consistently underperformed, failing to sustain drives, unwilling to take chances in crunch time and becoming overtly predictable, especially when it involved Tyreek Hill. A close scrutiny and examination of offensive schemes and philosophy should be a priority for Coach McDaniel and staff. We were a good team in 2023-24: Just not good enough!!
Regarding the game, the Dolphins’ defense managed to hold Kansas City to just two touchdowns, keeping the Chiefs lead to single digits for almost three and a half quarters which proves my earlier point. However, in contrast, the offense finished 1-12 on third down. Not a winning formula.
Additionally, despite allowing an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes to wide receiver Rashee Rice on the Chiefs’ first drive of the night, Miami’s strong red zone defense from that point on kept the game within reach. Again defensively, the Dolphins played well enough to win.
Tua was 20-39 for 199 yards, 1 TD and 1 Int. I love Tua but I can understand why Flores wanted Deshaun Watson. Peyton Manning succeeded with limited mobility so it can be done. Pocket manipulation and creating a run threat will only advance his effectiveness. Still love our Fins!! On to the offseason and next year. Hope springs eternal.
