For those of you fortunate enough to have attended a rodeo, you certainly remember the excitement that exploded when the gate to the bucking bulls flew open and a bull came out like a tornado. That was the feeling when the Dolphins-Jets game began.
Achane ran like McDaniel’s job depended on it, Tua threw with the touch and precision of a younger Tua, and the defense could best be described as a cork. The adjectives running through my mind during that period included determination, energy, imagination, and confidence. The only negative was that the team had to call time out on a couple of occasions when it could not decipher what the play-call required. The positive scenario lasted through the first quarter after which the game settled down to be more ordinary.
Unfortunately for the Jets, their #1 QB was injured and the back-up was actually # 3 on their chart for that position. Balancing that out somewhat was the injury suffered by Achane that put him on the sideline for the remainder of the game. That being the case, the defense pretty much assumed control of the game and the win came relatively easily.
But then the Dolphins went from being hot to freezing in Pittsburgh. The temperature was freezing and the defense needed anti-freeze but instead got a very hot Rodgers at QB.He drove the Steelers to touchdowns on four consecutive drives demonstrating that it’s easier to look good against mediocre teams than good ones.And the offensive line unfortunately turned out not to be as tough as it needed to be to stop a multi-talented Pittsburgh group. The result was getting knocked out of the playoffs with three games remaining in a very disappointing season.
The Bengals game was to be a rebirth, at least at the quarterback position with Quinn Ewers starting. The first half displayed a transition back to a run-first team and a few, fairly easy short passes.Things looked pretty good. Then the second half began and the Dolphin offense made too many mistakes while the air came out of the defense in a single puff, and the Bengals ran all over the Dolphins in every way imaginable. The best part of the game was the final gun!
Since the season was all but over for the home team, the contest with Tampa Bay was only worth watching to evaluate whether Ewers has the talent to be a #1 QB, whether with the Dolphins or someone else. He played a steady and mostly error-free game, and the offensive line continued to demonstrate talent and maturity. It was also rewarding to see the defensive secondary continue to perform with grit and determination.
The final game of the season with the Pats continued to provide evidence of further improvement across the roster, especially at the quarterback position where Ewers showed patience, confidence and ability, all of which should bode well for him for a future with the Dolphins or some other team. The most incredible screen shot of the day was HC McDaniel studying his play sheet towards the end of the fourth quarter with his team four touchdowns behind.
One would expect that a head coach would know all the options available by that time in the game without having to research it on his crib sheet. In contrast, his counterpart on the Patriots’ sideline spent his time energizing his team rather than studying potential plays that would make no difference in the game.
So this was the end, certainly of a disappointing season and probably for Dolphins employment for an armful of players and coaches, including HC McDaniel who departed January 8. This should be an extremely interesting off-season for all involved.
Photos Courtesy Of The Miami Dolphins