Show grit, resilience by handling injuries, adversity
Positive mindset helps overcome physical hurdles as Gase’s outfit rallies to overtime win over Bears
MIAMI GARDENS — Your attitude can affect your altitude.
That is one of those cliche talking points motivational speakers usually parrot when trying to change the course of a person’s life, or a business’ trajectory.
But that’s the type of mindset that feeds into Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase’s mentality. It is the seed he’s planted and hopes will continue to grow in his football team.
There might be a little truth to this mantra when it comes to the these Dolphins, who have talked nonstop about having a better locker room, a more united team, and changing the culture from last year’s 2017 team, which got negative at times during their 6-10 season.
Get blown out in Foxborough by the New England Patriots?
Just one game.
“We’ll see them again,” defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said after that 38-7 loss.
Have a fourth-quarter collapse in last week’s 27-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals?
On to the next one.
“We’ll fix it,” was Gase’s mentality.
Lose Ryan Tannehill, the team’s starting quarterback, to a shoulder injury?
“You can be positive or negative,” defensive end Andre Branch said, explaining his mindset when facing the numerous things Miami (4-2) had to overcame during Sunday’s 31-28 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears (3-2).
The Dolphins were facing one of the best defenses in the NFL with an injury-depleted offensive line, and without the team’s starting quarterback.
The defensive line, which was already thinned out by injuries, learned they would play without Charles Harris, who joined Cameron Wake on the sideline. Next man up.
Throughout Sunday’s game adversity wasn’t hard to find, like when the Bears scored 14 points in the first four minutes of the third quarter to take a 14-7 lead. Or during overtime, when tailback Kenyan Drake fumbled on a go-ahead touchdown at the 1-yard line, or when Bears kicker Cody Parkey lined up to kick a 53-yard field goal he missed, giving Miami possession at the 43-yard line with 1:55 left in the extra period.
The Dolphins kept finding the positives in each situation, and continued to lift one another up, believing in the process.
“You got to keep the faith,” Branch said. “I always tell myself just be positive, no matter what the outcome is. It’s going to be ups and downs throughout the game, but if you stay positive good things happen.”
Adversity will come because it’s the nature of football, especially the NFL, a league designed to ensure that every teams remains competitive.
The way a team handles it usually dictates the course their season takes.
Last year, at this point in the season, the Dolphins owned an identical 4-2 record, but injuries were mounting. That team buckled to the pressure when adversity surfaced.
That Jay Cutler-led team had a bad attitude, a negative demeanor, a selfish spirit, and troublesome work ethic at times, and they hit a five-game losing streak, which doomed the 2017 season.
There’s something different about these Dolphins, which makes me conclude that kind of slide — no matter the injuries — won’t happen this season.
These Dolphins are scrappy, resilient fighters, which explains the four close victories this year, and why the Dolphins defense has created five turnovers in the red zone this season, keeping the offense in those close games.
“I’ve seen a lot of different things since I’ve been here. Things go south when stuff happens and stuff like that, but I feel like the guys we have in this room, everybody stays positive,” said right tackle Ja’Wuan James, who did an admirable job blocking Bears star pass rusher Khalil Mack on Sunday. “We all have each other’s backs. Whether its offense, defense, special teams, no one is pointing fingers.”
What Gase’s team has done is propped one another up with positivity, and it is reminiscent of Miami’s 2016 playoff team.
“Adversity can make or break you. This team has been going through a lot,” said Branch, who returned to the team two weeks after suffering a knee injury. “For us, it’s about keep fighting for one another. Keep getting better, and keep going up.”