It’s going from bad to worse for the Miami Dolphins. Irreproachable at the start of the season, here they are on the edge of the abyss, as if they had deviated from their trajectory. As if at the end of an ocean of possibilities, there was only a fall as an end. The Dolphins had a chance to turn back on Sunday afternoon, but fell to the New England Patriots 23-21.
Dolphin season is a lot like Florida weather this holiday season. Irregular, annoying and unpredictable.
At the start of the season, everything was going well. Tua Tagovailoa was treading water, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were running at full steam, and the defense was a storm for opposing offenses. Mike McDaniel’s squad were undefeated after three games. The fight with the Buffalo Bills for the top of the division promised to be interesting.
The sequel is a little less brilliant. They lost their next three games. Then won the next five. To lose a fifth consecutive Sunday.
The Dolphins could confirm their place in the playoffs for the first time since 2016 with a victory against the Patriots, coupled with a loss by the New York Jets.
However, the Floridians went from a winning differential record to a zero differential of 8-8.
It should be noted, however, that the Dolphins went to war without several ammunition. Tackler Eric Fischer, cornerback Xavien Howard, linebacker Bradley Chubb and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa all had to watch this defining game without being able to put on the uniform due to injuries.
Even though he is having an up and down season, Tagovailoa’s absence was felt.
Terry Bridgewater was brought in to replace him. The 30-year-old veteran didn’t do badly on his third start of the season, but his ability is clearly lacking. He completed 12 of 19 passes, including one for a touchdown, but he was never able to instill the confidence needed to propel his teammates forward.
In the third quarter, Bridgewater injured a finger on his right hand. The team’s third quarterback, Skylar Thompson, tried his best, but to no avail. Chosen in the seventh round in the last draft, he passed on 12 of his 21 attempts. He also joined Mike Gesiki in the end zone late in the game. Except that is not Brock Purdy who wants.
Tua to the rescue?
The Dolphins will nevertheless have to adjust by their next game, against the Jets. This one-night stand could be the franchise’s biggest in ages.
The fate of the team, however, will depend on who is chosen, or available, to kick the ball. When Bridgewater left, Hill and Waddle saw less use than phone booths in shopping malls. They finished the game with just 100 cumulative yards.
The state of Tagovailoa worries. The Hawaiian suffered a third concussion last week against the Green Bay Packers. He will have to be watched closely, because it was not a simple coconut that fell on the stone. Just remember the horrifying scenes from the start of the season when he was knocked out twice in the space of just a few days. The NFL had also criticized the Dolphins for their inaction and mismanagement regarding such a serious situation.
If Tagovailoa and Bridgewater are still on the sidelines, the fate of the team will have to rest in the hands of rookie Thompson, in his first NFL start.
The Patriots Resist
It was a dead end game for Bill Belichick’s men. With a loss to their section rivals, they would have been officially kicked out of the playoffs.
However, as has been the case for the past few years with the Patriots, the defense played an important role in this victory.
When the hosts trailed 14-7 late in the third quarter, Kyle Dugger returned an interception into the end zone. Early in the fourth quarter, Jonathan Jones halted any possible Dolphins momentum by recovering a drop pass from Hill on the sidelines. It was the 18e interception for the Patriots this season, an NFL high.
With a win over the Buffalo Bills next week in their final game of the season, the Patriots would have their ticket to the Winter Ball.
Tom Brady in the playoffs
With their 30-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers confirmed their place at the top of their division. Tom Brady’s men are blessed with one of the weakest divisions in the league, but never mind, Brady will make the playoffs for the 20e times of his career and for the 14e straight season.
In this defining game, the 45-year-old quarterback was flawless. He completed 34 of 45 passes for 432 yards, in addition to throwing three touchdown passes to receiver Mike Evans. Moreover, Evans manages to accumulate 1,000 passing yards for the ninth consecutive campaign. Only Jerry Rice did better with 11.