Now’s the time for the Dolphins to turn it on against elite teams

Henry McKenna

AFC East Reporter

The Miami Dolphins have proven to be the total opposite to the Buffalo Bills in one particular sense. While the Bills don’t seem to have any rhyme or reason for when they play their best (and, in turn, win or lose), the Dolphins have a clear pattern.

They play a bad team? Miami wins.

The Dolphins play a good team? Well, they lose.

It’s not exactly that simple. In their lone slip-up, the Dolphins lost to the now 5-9 Tennessee Titans in embarrassing fashion in Week 14. And they did top the Denver Broncos back in Week 4, but it’s hard to give the Dolphins credit for beating a “good team” there, because Sean Payton’s squad was 0-3 and about to hit rock bottom against Miami.

The Dolphins simply refuse to pick on someone their own size. Unless, of course, the opponent is not the giant it statistically appears to be. Their other wins have come against the Chargers, the Patriots, the Broncos, the Giants, the Panthers, the Raiders, the Commanders and the Jets.

Yuck.

Their losses have been against the Bills, the Eagles, the Chiefs and the Titans.

Woof.

The Dolphins’ record might be 10-4, but it’s hard to peg them as anything other than regular-season warriors. They’re certainly not Super Bowl contenders.

So here’s the good-news, bad-news. 

Miami might just have the toughest slate of games in the NFL to finish out the season. That starts on Sunday when the Dolphins host the Dallas Cowboys (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). After that, the Dolphins go to Baltimore before hosting the Bills in the regular-season finale. Right now, that means facing teams with an aggregate record of 29-13. And Buffalo, which has the worst record of the bunch, might just be the hottest team in the NFL.

Cowboys slight underdogs vs. Dolphins in Week 16: Who wins?

For a Dolphins optimist, that slate is great: a chance to prove themselves!

But … pessimists might see yet another Miami collapse…

Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/dolphins-need-to-turn-it-on-against-elite-teams-they-can-start-sunday-vs-cowboys

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Publish date : 2023-12-20 21:30:35

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