The 5-1 Miami Dolphins have been something truly remarkable, and despite not going undefeated, there’s a great chance we could see them on the big stage at the end of the season going for another Super Bowl ring.
The last time the Miami Dolphins appeared in a Super Bowl was in 1985 against the San Francisco 49ers where they lost 38-16; The last Super Bowl they won was in 1974 against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Dominant Dolphins
After a comeback 42-21 win against the Carolina Panthers and their first game without rookie running back star De’Von Achane, the Dolphins have shown that this is just another work day for them. It was a slow start, but the electric offense went on and scored 35 straight points like it was nothing.
Many players such as Tyreek Hill said that the panic never reached the team, there was no pressure at all:
“I feel like last year, games like this one when we were down 14-0, there was doubt. It seemed like today was different. Everybody was calm, everybody was relaxed because we understand how the game goes and how well we are prepared.”
This team has been something special to watch; From breaking and creating records, like putting up 70 points against the Denver Broncos, setting the NFL record for yards in the season’s first five weeks, and now fighting back against the winless Carolina Panthers, Miami should be featured on every single primetime slot for the rest of the season.
They’ve shown over the last five weeks that they mean business, their work ethic is unmatched and head coach Mike McDaniel says the team is always looking for ways to improve themselves:
“They’ve found how important it is to fully invest ourself into the weekly plan and the weekly opponent, and that’s going to prove dividends as we move forward for sure.”
One big thing the team constantly talks about is playing up to their standards, that it’s nobody but themselves.
Coach McDaniel also said that even though they fell short of expectations early, the team went out there and did their jobs, just as he would expect them to do if they were up on the opponents 14-0.
While the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal, getting there and continuing to be the best is the priority. Bad luck has struck the Dolphins over the last three decades, and the players and coaches have talked about peeking “in February” and things in that nature are just uncomfortable things to talk about.
The Dolphins have been playing since Week 1 like championship contenders, it’s unlike anything football fans have seen in a while.
To have four of the best players in Tyreek Hill, Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle on the same roster is a force to be reckoned with. And obviously coach McDaniel knows what he’s doing, bettering the team week-by-week, making each week better than the last.
Tough Stretch Ahead
Miami has been able to bulldoze through their competition, but they do have a bit of a tough schedule coming up.
The next team the Dolphins face will be Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles (Also 5-1), who appeared in last year’s Super Bowl and intend on doing it again. The Eagles hold the best record of any team that the Dolphins have faced so far this year, despite losing their first game of the season to the New York Jets, 20-14.
The Dolphins are on their way to breaking the 2011 New Orleans Saints’ record for total yards of offense in a single season. They do have an advantage however with the NFL going to a 17-game schedule in 2021.
If the Dolphins are able to upset the Eagles, their offense will prove to be the most dominant in the league. This team is more than capable of proving themselves, and it seems like the coaching staff knows what they’re doing in order to have a successful season.
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