Game Thoughts: Week 17: Dolphins at Patriots

You think this season doesn’t matter? Well, I had tears of joy in my eyes – literally – as the Dolphins scored the go-ahead TD today. This game meant something, to the team and to the fanbase.

In a storyline that defied all logic, the Dolphins went into New England and walked away with a 27-24 victory, and in the process made the Patriots’ road to the Super Bowl a lot more difficult.

I cannot put into words how proud of this team I am. It’s a roster full of players that nobody knows and nobody wanted, but they play their asses off and they never – NEVER – stop fighting. Coach Flores is the best thing to happen to this Dolphins team since Dan Marino, and he has this team of misfits believing in themselves and playing at a high level.

The way this season started, with historically bad losses in the first 4 games, no one would ever have believed the Dolphins would finish 5-11. Yet that’s just what they did. And a big part of it is Ryan Fitzpatrick. He drips leadership from every fiber of his being, and he has ice water in his veins when the game is on the line. FitzMagic is not a myth…it’s alive and well in Miami.

What more can I say about DeVante Parker? He went from the doghouse to the penthouse seemingly overnight, and he capped off his magical rebirth with his best game ever. 8 catches for 137 yards, while being covered on every down by the best CB in the NFL, Stephone Gilmore. Just a dominant performance by Parker, and he is now, without question, a legit #1 receiver.

I’m not even going to get into game details. I’ll just say this: the Dolphins dominated this game, but the Patriots kept clawing their way back. And the Dolphins did not give up. They just stuck to their plan and did everything they could to pull out the win. No name players like Nate Brooks, Trent Harris, Nik Needham, and Isaiah Ford all played huge roles in this win, and a once-maligned Mike Gesicki caught the winning TD. And that OL that has sucked all season and played terribly for much of today? They stepped up and played flawlessly on the winning drive.

Don’t let anyone tell you different: this season was a colossal success. We have a great coaching staff, and we have unearthed a handful of unknown players that look to be part of the future. A future that looks very bright indeed.

Hero of the Game: The 2019 Miami Dolphins players and coaching staff. What an unbelievable effort from this entire group. Simply amazing.

Goat of the Game: You think I’m going to say anything negative about today’s game? Hell no!

Beer of the Game: Founders All Day IPA

Agreed, 316. This will be a franchise-defining win for the Dolphins, and a franchise-defining loss for the Patriots.  It's that big.  Things are going to change moving forward.

Two teams from awhile back strike me as having had very similar seasons to this: the 1996 Bucs and the 1997 Falcons.

Both started hideously. Bucs 1-8 with rookie HC Tony Dungy, and Falcons 1-7 with proven winner Dan Reeves in his third stop. Bucs finished 5-3 and Falcons 6-2. Bucs began a run as perennial winners the next season, finally winning the SB in 2002. Falcons made the SB the following year with underappreciated veteran QB Chris Chandler finally putting it all together.

I doubt we are doing what the Falcons did in year two, despite having a similar QB. But I do see signs that we will begin a multi-season run of contention under Flores.

Side note: we could get Jim Caldwell back next season, which would only add to an already impressive looking staff.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/former-nfl-head-coach-jim-caldwell-eager-to-return-to-sidelines-in-2020/

Great way to end the season on a high note and culture change but still not getting #1 or #2 after gutting team and total rebuild sucks.

JEGnj wrote:Great way to end the season on a high note and culture change but still not getting #1 or #2 after gutting team and  total rebuild sucks.

I think long-term it is much more important to have the coaching staff in place. If this staff can win 5 games with Ryan Fitzpatrick, no running game and a garbage OL, just think what they can do with actual talent. We actually had a top 15 passing offense, which really is incredible when you think about it. I think this staff is strong enough that we don't need to have "the best" QB in the draft. What we need is the guy that fits in the best - and it's up to Grier now. All you need to do is look at the playoff teams: none of those QBs was drafted #1 overall.

BTW - I just want to acknowledge that Julian Edelman had 3 catches for 26 yards yesterday. That is a truly amazing accomplishment by the Dolphins secondary. I think Nik Needham covered him much of the day. Needham is a keeper.

And, Andrew Van Ginkel (despite one bad missed tackle in the backfield) had a very strong game. This guy improved every game he played...looking forward to see what he can do in a full season. Another keeper.

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:BTW - I just want to acknowledge that Julian Edelman had 3 catches for 26 yards yesterday.  That is a truly amazing accomplishment by the Dolphins secondary.  I think Nik Needham covered him much of the day.  Needham is a keeper.

Who needs Xavien 'The Misogynist" Howard when Flores has shown a magical ability to make literally any bum off the street into at least a mediocre DB? Trade him to one of the several teams who don't give a damn about that sort of thing and move on, I say.

I'm all for it. The contract X signed actually isn't terrible from a team perspective and would not scare away potential trade partners. Even putting aside the arrest, that seemingly-chronic bad knee scares me.