The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

Only one team can be left standing, winning the final game of the season.  That hasn't been your Miami football Dolphins in a long, long time.  As the final game of the season goes, this was quite satisfying:

1:  Forced a pick-six on Tom Brady.  IN Foxboro.  He hasn't thrown one since 2017 and it's his first against Miami, ever.  

2:  Miami got a road win against the World Champions, in December.  In a meaningful game.  This wasn't a game where New England couldn't move up or down, everything was locked up and they were doing insulting crap like drop kicks because they didn't care; this was a legacy game.  Why?  Read on...

3:  Miami may have ended "Patriots reign."  As Dolphin fans we have suffered through almost two decades of one team sitting at the top of our division; basically the same team winning the conference and - a lot of times - that same team heading off to the Super Bowl.  If New England wins they get a much needed bye week, can sit back, let a couple teams sort themselves out and host a game.  If they lose?
*Host on Saturday night.  Win that?
*Head to Kansas City.  Win that?
*Head to Baltimore

This is Tom Brady's last hurrah.  I will be shocked if he's back in NE next year. Miami drove the length of the field, with under 1:00 to go, against "The Boogeymen," on the road and basically assured the world they will not have to see Tom Brady ever hold another world title in his hands.

"They hate us cuz they ain't us" and all that crap...but with one emphatic afternoon, maybe, the Miami Dolphins announced they are coming back to the party.   In doing so they also knocked the World Champions from their perch, if unofficially.  I personally think the Titans are going to put NE out of their misery this weekend.  

Soak in this past weekend.  I posted earlier this season about items to celebrate, as a fan.  This is one of them.

So many things to be excited about:

1.  See above
2.  Parker was arguably the best WR in the AFC this year
3.  3 first round draft picks and 2 2nd round draft picks in 2020
4.  2 first round draft picks and 2 2nd round draft picks in 2021
5.  Will lead the league in cap space in 2020
6.  Have developed a core nucleus of players to build off our foundation
7.  This is our bottom, we only go up from here
8.  Crazy amount of undrafted free agents that have earned spots on the team (Williams, Needham could be a 2CB, but definitely depth, Laird is a great 3rd down and change of pace back).

Sticking it to the Patriots and taking away their bye week was a wonderful and satisfying way to end what was a crappy year. 

Yes, the hope at the beginning of the season was to have some of these castoffs and undrafted guys turn into productive NFL players and we got a few. Preston and Devante with Gesicki at Tight End is very solid. Our secondary WHEN HEALTHY can do some things too. This allows us to focus a lot of our draft capital and cap space on the trenches. I think we all agree that the lines are shitty but that can improve in one offseason.

No joke, we can win 10 games next season if we make the right moves.

I agree with points 1 &2. 

#3 is flawed in many ways. 

a) The toughest challenge to New England reaching the super bowl is Baltimore, not hosting Tenn nor traveling to KC.  That was true before and is true now.  Not saying they will definitely beat Tenn, just that the biggest hurdle already existed.  Miami didn't create that, the loss week 9 did. 

b) The Bills not the Dolphins were the only team this year to challenge NE for the AFCE.  Mia ended the season two games behind the Jets. 

c) NE is the early favorite to be the AFCE champion in 2020.  NE won the division with only average performance from the QB.  Assuming Brady leaves it is not going to be quite the loss it was in 2008. 

d) NE's only real weakness is the receiving corp. 

e) NE is not done.  Dolphin's former QB might end NE's season, the Dolphins did not. 

Winter solstice happened 9 days ago.   Each coming day will be a little brighter. 

I hope the Patriots lose in the playoffs, but if history is any indication, they will win because of insane stupidity by their opponents and the breaks going their way. 

It is nice to make it harder for them to win the Super Bowl, but they can definitely still do it. 

Remember last year after the Miami Miracle and the loss to Pittsburgh, everybody said they were done, but they still won.

I could not disagree with you more.  New England is a deeply flawed team.  This is a simple "a to b" exercise:

What specific team 4-11 team did New England have to beat, at home, to secure a first round bye and (maybe) home field throughout the playoffs (but, in the least, hosting a game)?  

Miami.

What specific 4-11 team could New England not beat in this specific scenario?

Miami.

What is the specific result of this action?

New England hosts a wild card game this Saturday.  What is the specific, actual reality of this game (should they survive)?

A road game against Kansas City.

What is the specific, actual reality of this game (should they survive this game)?

A road game against Baltimore.

Of New England's losses, who are two of the teams they could not beat?  I think we may be getting it now.

New England started 8-0 against really bad teams; they sputtered to the end when the competition became a little better.  Tom Brady looks old (or he is really hurt).  Either way, that won't magically fix itself.  

You're the fan of a team.  I wouldn't look at this objectively in your shoes, either.  You're in the playoffs, your team has a better shot than mine.

Miami got a lot better as the season went on. 

Also, what you say is true, but people have said that about NE before, and they've still won the Super Bowl.

They thought it was over in Week 4 of 2014 after the loss to the Bengals.

They thought it was over after the back to back losses last year.

Brady has not played as well this season, but luckily for him, football is a team game and a game played against opponents.

This was not a must win game,  It didn't end the season.  It makes their path more difficult but didn't end the season.  Nor did it move them from having a really good shot to a long shot.  They were a long shot going into to this game.  The juggernaut is Baltimore. By your logic NE ended the Bills season week 16.  

Yes, NE is a flawed team (mostly the lack of a receiving corp). And limping into the playoffs isn't a good thing.   However, Belichick lead teams have a history of rising to adversity.  So who knows.  

This loss hurt NE's chances, but didn't end the season.  

 

I hit a deer once.  I was going about 67mph and literally launched the poor thing.  Last day of hunting season, sun had just gone down; the deer made it and was running across 95.  I went to the animal and found it was still alive.  Barely, but it had life.

No, Miami didn't end your season.  They just put it on life support.  The Titans are going to pull their service piece from the holster and end the suffering; like the game warden had to do because I wasn't carrying that night.  

:)

Why do you think the Patriots will lose to the Titans at home in the playoffs?

Also, have you watched football these last 20 years or so?  Have you seen how many times the Patriots seem done, but they still win?   

Maybe don't celebrate until AFTER they get eliminated.

I must have missed all those New England Patriot games when I used to cover the team.  ;)

Then why are you saying they are done right now?  They are in the playoffs and have a chance to win the Super Bowl.

It's a strange thing, opinions.  We listen to your bizarre ones all the time.

Pretty simple, really.  New England can't stop the run, or explosive offense.  They will have not be able to go toe to toe with Henry, Brown and Davis. 

Did the game warden let you take it home?

Go Dolphins!  :)  Great win.

And, I was given the option.  He was kind enough to butcher it for me and there was a local soup kitchen who wanted it. 

What did it do to your car?

Another interesting trivia:

Tom Brady had never lost to the Dolphins at home in a meaningful game before Sunday.  In 2005, he started the last game of the regular season, (the Flutie drop-kick game) but the Patriots didn't take that game seriously. 

Oh, God - done.  It was my GFs at the time.  Older Chevy and it wasn't worth fixing.

Ding dong, the witch is dead.

You beat me to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSekfCKafMs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSekfCKafMs)