The Miami Dolphins have gone through ups and downs all season long. They were able to win in week 1, but then went on a three game losing streak. They turned that into a three game winning streak before they lost another game. Ultimately, they are sitting at 8-5 heading into their week 16 game. The turn of events in the last few weeks of this season couldn’t have been worse for the Dolphins and it’s going to get better for Dolphins fans, but this season and what could have been will be on their minds for a very long time.
Kamara Fumbles the Game Away –
The Miami Dolphins hoped to increase their four game winning streak to five when they traveled to New Orleans to take on the Saints in week 16. The Saints were coming off of a seven point loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and they needed to rack up a few more wins in order to stay relevant in the playoff race. The Dolphins were without their stellar rookie wide receiver in this game due to a mishap at practice. Jaylen Waddle was setting up a routine block that he has a thousand times before when he felt a sharp pain in his right quad. Waddle dropped to the ground and needed to be helped off the field by the training team. Shortly after practice, the medical team diagnosed Waddle with a quad strain and he was ruled out for the week. In his absence, the Dolphins asked Devante Parker to step in the starting lineup. The Dolphins started out on offense first and Tua was able to d*** and dunk his way to the 40 yard line. On 2nd and 6, Coach Fallen set up a pistol style play hoping to pick up the first, but Devante Parker was able to race past two deep Saints defenders for a 58 yard touchdown. This was just his second touchdown of the season and the Dolphins took a 7-0 lead. The Saints were able to hang with the electric offense of the Dolphins for most of the game and despite going into halftime losing by 3, the Saints were able to take a 27-26 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Dolphins drove down the field but were held to a field goal and the Saints took the ball back with just under 5 minutes left in the game. The Saints were able to march down the field with ease and were facing a 2nd and 4 when they called an inside zone against a three man Dolphins front. Alvin Kamara took the handoff, changed his direction, cut up to the ride side, and was hit viciously by JaCoby Stevens. Kamara fumbled the ball and linebacker Jerome Baker recovered it and ran a few yards to the Saints’ 43 yard line. This was the second fumble lost in back to back games for Kamara, but the Dolphins were able to score a rushing touchdown following the fumble and it helped them defeat the Saints 36-27.
Lighting Never Strikes Twice? –
Myth. Lightning can actually strike the same place twice however that’s not what happened this week for the Dolphins when they traveled to Tennessee to take on the Titans. There were two games played this week, well a game and a couple quarters but the way the games were going were vastly different from one another. In the first game, the Tennessee Titans started out with the ball. On the second play of the game, Ryan Tannehill dropped back and tried to force a pass across the middle and Jerome Baker stepped in front of the pass and intercepted it. This turnover would lead to a screen pass to Salvon Ahmed for a touchdown. The Dolphins ultimately went deep into the second quarter down 14-10, but with the ball driving across midfield when the game disconnected. The Dolphins were owed the ball coming out of halftime in this game as well. It was decided to start the game from scratch, but in the second game, the Dolphins started out with the ball. On their first drive, Tua wanted to throw the ball over top of a linebacker’s head to a wide open Will Fuller, but the ball was intercepted on a low throw. This turnover led to a touchdown for the Titans and on the very next drive, Tua fumbled the ball, and the Titans recovered it and ran it into the end zone for another touchdown. The Dolphins were forced into a 14-0 hole that they couldn’t recover from and they ultimately lost 47-10. In the past four games, Tua had only thrown one interception, but he was rattled under center all game long, and ended up throwing 4 interceptions in a must win game.
The Computer is Alive –
In a must win game, the Dolphins were supposed to take on another user in week 18, but instead had to take on the all dominating, all knowing, break every d*** tackle, CPU Patriots team. It’s the computer, they aren’t difficult, it should be an easy win, right? Wrong. On a 3rd and 18, noodle armed Mac Jones tossed a prayer up to 77 overall, 88 speed, Kendrick Bourne. The game was 28-31 Patriots at the time of this catch. Nonetheless, the Dolphins were knocked out of the playoffs due to this loss. It’s a hard way to get knocked out of the postseason, but the Dolphins didn’t have a win at all costs mentality in this game and it backfired. Loss aside, the Dolphins still managed to go 10-7 this season. You would like to think that if your team is good enough to win 10 games, you’ll make the postseason, but not in the AFC. Meanwhile, in the NFC, there was an 8 win team and a 9 win team that made the playoffs. However, it is on Coach Fallen, his team was in prime position to make the playoffs this season, but mistakes against the Ravens when they were leading by three scores ultimately led to their downfall earlier in the season. If the Dolphins would have pulled out that victory, their week 18 game against the Patriots wouldn’t have mattered. Coach Fallen and the Dolphins have a lot of thinking to do as they head into the off-season. The Dolphins will be a major player in free agency as they have almost $60M to spend. The Dolphins will have to take this loss on the chin and use it as a lesson of what not to do in seasons to come.
