10 things Dolphins can learn from the playoffs
Win, or go home. Advance, or the season’s done. That’s the point of the NFL schedule we’ve reached, as the best teams in the league jockey in the playoffs to determine which squads advance to the conference championship games, and then the Super Bowl, which will be played in Tampa on February 7.
Here are some things the rebuilding Miami Dolphins should takeaway from the first round of the NFL playoffs as they look to continue try to turn themselves into a perennial contender:
Run games still matter
The old adage is that defense and running games win in the postseason, and the first round didn’t dispel that as a myth. Only one of the first- round winners didn’t rush for 100 or more yards through Sunday afternoon’s games because the Bills only needed 96 rushing yards to pull out a victory. The Baltimore’s ability to contain Derrick Henry, limiting the 2,000yard rusher to 40 yards on 18 carries, was a major factor in why Tennessee lost. The Ravens limited the Titans to 209 total yards.
Bills are scary good
Buffalo’s red hot, and the Bills probably have the best chance at dethroning the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champs, when it comes to AFC teams. The Bills are in the playoffs for the third time in four years after a 17- year postseason drought, and won their first playoff game since 1995. Brian Daboll’s aggressive style as a play- caller could help Buffalo’s offense keep pace with the Chiefs. It’s also a bit of irony that Daboll and Eric Bienamy, the Chiefs play- caller, are the two hottest names when it comes to assistants getting interviewed for head coach openings.
Tannehill comes up short in critical moment
When the pressure rises, history says that Ryan Tannehill typically shrinks in the big moment, and that was the case in the final minutes of the fourth quarter with the Titans trailing, 20- 13. Tannehill threw a pass to the middle of the field that Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters had his eyes locked on the whole way before intercepting it. Tannehill’s failure on Sunday reinforces the perception of those who saw his career in Miami up close and personal, he lacks what’s needed to be an elite quarterback.
Playmakers are in high demand
Every team in the playoffs is running some aspect of a run- pass- option offense, and spread- style concepts that come from the college ranks. That makes it critical for teams to
Dolphins roster with offensive playmakers in free agency and the draft this offseason.
Watson, who was 3- 3 as a rookie starter completing 61.8 % of his passes for 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2017, led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards and 8.9 yards per attempt last season.
Watson has a career 67.8 completion percentage with 104 touchdowns and 36 interceptions with a 104.5 passer rating.
Tagovailoa was 6- 3 as Dolphins starter this past s e a s on, c ompleting 64. 1 percent of his passes for 1,814 yards with 11 touchdowns, five interceptions a 6.3 yards per attempt average and an 87.1 passer rating during the first 10 games of his career.