Chris Perkins
South Florida Sun Sentinel
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — This year’s 8-3 version of the Miami Dolphins feels different than last year’s. To me, it feels stronger.
It was the same phenomenon with this year’s 3-0 version of the Dolphins.
This team, with All Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, can do things last year’s Dolphins couldn’t.
This year’s Dolphins, simply put, are better than last year.
How much better?
Last season’s team lost its opening-round postseason game.
This year’s team is good enough to win its opening-round playoff game, at home or on the road (it’ll likely be at home).
That’s an improvement from what I thought at midseason, when I said the Dolphins could win home postseason games but not necessarily a road playoff game.
Winning a playoff game would satisfy the No. 1, bottom-line goal of the season, and it would make this a successful season.
Beyond winning a playoff game, however, it’s tough to say at this point how much better these Dolphins are than last year’s team.
We still must see how these Dolphins fare against the best three remaining teams on their schedule — vs. Dallas ( Dec. 24), at Baltimore ( Dec. 31) and vs. Buffalo ( Jan. 7). Those games might be key to earning more than one home playoff game.
But we’ll worry about that later.
The key with this team is you wanted to see pedal-to-the-metal improvement, and that’s what you’re getting so far.
This team — with coach Mike McDaniel a year older and wiser, with wide receiver Tyreek Hill headed for a 2,000-yard season, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle headed for a 1,000-yard season, running back Raheem Mostert headed for a 1,000-yard season, linebackers David Long Jr. and Jerome Baker and safety Jevon Holland headed for 100-tackle seasons, and defensive lineman Christian Wilkins and edge rusher Bradley Chubb headed for 10-sack seasons — seems headed for big things.
This team plays a more physical brand of football than last year’s team.
This team’s defense has the potential to be a play-making, game-changing unit.
This team plays complementary football.
I’m still very concerned about Miami’s minus-5 turnover margin, led by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s 10 interceptions, a number that already exceeds last year’s total (eight).
I also worry about his team’s health. Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead, a constant injury concern who left the Jets game with a quadriceps injury, is near the top of the list here. Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips went down last week with a season-ending Achilles injury. But Tagovailoa, who has never had an injury-free season, is on the watch list, too. At this point he almost must make all 17 starts. There’s little time for, say, a two-week injury recovery before those huge final three games and then the playoffs.
Still, this Dolphins team is better than last year’s version.
Consider what we saw in last week’s 34-13 victory over the New York Jets.
On third-and-4 from the Jets’ 30-yard line, Tagovailoa dropped back to pass and was sacked for a six-yard loss.
McDaniel sent kicker Jason Sanders, who has struggled with field goal attempts of 50 or more yards, onto the field for a 54-yard field goal attempt. He drilled it with no problem to give the Dolphins a 20-6 lead.
Sanders’ field goal came on Miami’s first possession of the half, the one that followed Holland’s dazzling 99-yard pick-six on the Jets’ failed Hail Mary pass (the Fail Mary, as it’s been dubiously called by Jets fans) right before halftime to give the Dolphins a 17-6 lead.
A lot of things happened there, some subtle, some not so subtle.
The defense picked up the offense with Holland’s interception return touchdown. McDaniel showed confidence in Sanders with the field goal attempt. The Dolphins, who were on the ropes a bit after interceptions on back-to-back possessions to end the first half and a potentially costly sack on their first possession of the second half, fought back quickly and took charge of the game.
We saw this sort of fight and take-charge ability the previous week in a hard-fought 20-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Does this mean the Dolphins have learned a thing or two from that 21-14 loss to Kansas City in Germany, the 31-17 loss at Philadelphia, and the 48-20 loss at Buffalo?
Probably.
Does it mean the Dolphins could beat any of those teams at home or on the road?
I don’t know.
But I know this team is better, and I expect this team will win its opening-round playoff game.
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