Culture under Flores is starting to show
Even the biggest critic, the biggest cynic, the most traumatized Miami Dolphins fan— or skepticalmedia member— has to start believing in this team at this point.
The Dolphins have a 5-3 record, and sit right up there with theNFL’s best teams after delivering the franchise’s fourth straight win.
After whatwe witnessed during Sunday’s 34-31 nail-bitter of a victory over the Arizona Cardinals, whereTuaTagovailoa put the team in position to kick a go-ahead 50-yard field goal in his secondNFLstart, and the defense kept the Cardinals fromresponding with a score in the games’ final two minutes, allowing Jason Sanders’ kick to seal the win.
And afterwatching what we’ve seen this pastmonth, which has been dominant performances in wins over the San Francisco 49ers, NewYork Jets, Los Angeles Rams, and a hot and talented Cardinals team, it’s hard to deny it any longer.
Brian Flores has built a good football team.
Not a team on a hot streak, or a team that’s getting lucky each Sunday. Flores is in possession of a team that plays hard for four quarters, emptying their tank no matter what the distraction, obstacle, or adversity they face.
Thisweek the Dolphins had to play the game without five of the assistant coaches after one tested positive forCOVID19, and the other fourwere prevented fromtraveling with the team likely because of their exposure to him.
Still, the offensewas sharp for the first time underTagovailoa, the special teams unitwas clutch yet again (they’ve been the best special teams unit in the NFLall season), and the defense made enough plays to contain a dynamic Cardinals offense.
“We’re a defense that bends. We don’t break,” said cornerback Byron Jones. “We’re not a team that likes to have teams score 30 points, butwe find a way to win.”
Indeed these Dolphins do, remindingmeof the lateTony Sparano’s 2008 Dolphins, who rallied to a 11-5 record and the franchise’s lastAFCEast crown with the rally cry“Why not us?”
Why can’t these Dolphins win theAFC East?
At this point they believe they can. The players believe they have something special.
“It’s howguys respond to adversity during the season. Howguys respond to success during the season,” Jones said, explaining when he felt there was something special about this 2020 Dolphins team. “The challenge for uswewon a couple of games in a row, and it feels nice. Butwe got here through hardwork andwe need to continue that.”
At this point, who doesn’t believe they’ll empty the tank no matter who isn’t playing, or who isn’t coaching?
The Dolphinswere down their top two tailbacks inMyles Gaskin andMatt Breida, who were sidelined by injuries, and have lost two defensive starters (defensive tackleDavon Godchaux and linebackerVince Biegel) to season-ending injuries, but this team continues to deliver.
It isn’t always pretty, and there are plenty of issues to fix. But somehowthese Dolphins find away, which hasn’t been the Dolphinsway for nearly two decades.
“We persevered as an offense. We knewwe didn’t have a lot of the guyswe call plays for, butwe made itwork,” Tagovailoa said, referring to the team’s top two tailbacks and receiver Preston Williams, whowas carted off the field after seemingly suffering a serious foot injury on Sunday.
Still, the Dolphins keep the wins coming.
Flores’ team has spent the entire past month— really an entire season— playing good football.
Complimentary football, the stuff that’s usually themythological goal, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbowfor every coach.
“When offense is downthe defense has to pick them up, when the defense is downthe offense has to pick them up,” said defensive endEmmanuel Ogbah, who delivered a second sack-fumble the Dolphins scored on thisweek. “I’m happy to have teammates that trust one another, and play for each other.”