POLITASPORTS

Those numbers haunt the dreams of Falcons fans and are cheered repeatedly by Pats fans. Today, they’ve given Fins Fans reason to celebrate! Miami outscored Baltimore 28-3 in the 4th quarter! The 21 point deficit is the largest a Dolphins team has ever overcome to win a game. Last year, in my season ending post, I gave you my thoughts on the team and future. I concluded the post with “Find the right Head Coach. This will dictate the next 3-5 years. Will they finally get the next Shula? Or will they find another Gase?” Though two games is not a definitive sample to say “we’ve landed Shula Jr.” I believe, after watching this team, it is enough to confirm we don’t have another Gase.

Miami fought. Flores’ teams never lacked fight. This was borne out the way they finished last season after an abysmal 1-7 start. However, where previous teams had to engage their opponents with dummy rounds, this team plays with live fire. Tyreek Hill proved he remains The Cheetah, and Waddle showed he is more than just a quantity possession receiver. What changed? Waddle is still playing with a suspect line, backs by committee, and Tua. Yes, I’m sure Hill opens up some avenues, but the main component is mentality. Mike McDaniel has shown he will be aggressive. The 4th down call in week 1, the 4th down call in their own territory on Sunday. Though I was shouting and CAP TEXTING my friends “GO FOR IT” on both occasions, these are not calls that most NFL head coaches make. I, for one, am glad. I hope he keeps the pedal to the metal all year.

A win against a conference opponent will always earn higher marks than perhaps the film shows. An incredible, and franchise historic comeback victory over a top Super Bowl contender? Well, that will most assuredly tip the scales towards hyperbole. To say the first 3 quarters were abysmal is akin to “the Amazon is woodsy.” The Dolphins defense and special teams, allowed three touchdown plays of 75 yards or more, two coming directly after the Miami offense scored a TD of their own. Quickly flipping the momentum back to the Ravens. Tua finished those three quarters with as many picks as touchdowns and looked shaky in the pocket. The Miami defense came up with a large goal line stop, limiting the damage from Tua’s first INT of the game. Baltimore had first and goal inside the 5 and came away with nothing. However, the second INT of the half didn’t end as well. The Ravens’ Williams came up with the ball after Tua overthrew Waddle down the sideline just two plays after converting on 4th down to keep the drive alive. Though Baltimore got the ball back deep in their on territory with only 1:20 to play, the Ravens rapidly went down the field culminating in another TD to extend their lead to 28-7 at the half.

Miami came out with a solid drive to begin the 3rd quarter, cutting the lead to 28-14; however, the defensive woes continued as Miami soon gave up a Lamar Jackson 75+ yard TD scramble pushing the Ravens’ lead back to 21 points just as the 3rd quarter came to an end. Through 3/4 of the game the grades were failing. Tua: C- (2 TDs, 2 INTs, and several bad misses), Special Teams: F (You can’t give up a 103 yard TD return to start a game. You can’t give that up ever, but definitely not on the road.), Defense: D (They consistently gave up chunk yardage not counting he two 70+ yard TD plays. No forced turnovers. The only bright spot was the hold on 4th and goal.) Coaching: C+ (I like McD’s aggressiveness. Not just on 4th down, but trying to push the ball downfield. The results are the reason for his low first 3 quarters grade.)

I remember the glory days of Miami Hurricanes football. When the crowd and the team would hold up four fingers as the 3rd quarter would come to a close and everyone, including the opposition knew, “the Canes are going to win this game.” That is not something Fins Fans have become accustomed to believing, not even when the Fins have a 35-14 lead entering the final frame. WOW, how that changed on Sunday! McDaniel continued his aggressive play calling and Tua found a way to hit his open receivers. Waddle’s longest catch of the game was 59 yards, Hill’s was 60 and he added a 48 yard TD for good measure! The offense became electric, and not the kind produced by fairy dust and windmills. After Miami tied the game on Hill’s 60 yard TD catch with a little over five minutes to play; the defense almost reverted to the first 3 quarters. Baltimore began driving the ball down field with minimal resistance. Even after the euphoria of tying the game, the usual “here we go again” pessimism began creeping in as the Ravens converted 3rd downs and Miami committed stupid penalties. However, in the end, the defense held; forcing a FG and leaving time on the clock for Tua and the offense to complete the comeback.

The final Miami Dolphins drive went as such: 3 yard pass to Waddle. 21 yard gain to Hill. 9 more yards to Hill. And then with under a minute, and Miami in game tying FG range, Chase Edmonds came through with an explosive 28 yard gain up the middle that ensured Miami and McDaniel were going for the jugular, not settling for Jason’s foot. Two plays later from the 7 yard line, Tua found Waddle in the end zone and threaded a ball into his hands. One game does not overcome two years of mediocrity; but, Tua put some major holes in the “he isn’t good enough” argument. Did Hill have to hold up on both those deep balls? Yes. But, they both arrived and lead directly to scores. The throws to Gesicki and Waddle (2nd) were great throws into small windows. Tua, as much as Hill or Waddle, was responsible for this win, does that mean he has staked his claim as the Fins’ Franchise QB? No, not yet, but it does mean Teddy is cemented as the back up and Skylar will probably remain inactive. This was a great win. In recent memory only “The Miami Miracle” against the Pats can even come close to equaling the jubilation experienced.

The fourth quarter grades are as follows: Tua: A+++, WRs: A+++++, TE: B (Gesicki’s catch came in the 3rd), Special Teams: A++ (without all four PATs Fins lose.) Coaching: A++++ (not giving up, pressing down field), Defense: A (that forced FG after the tying score), Running Backs: A+ (not many yards, but it’s hard to commit to the run when down by 21. However, the plays they did make, including Edmonds nearly 30 yard scamper to set up the win, deserves “High Praise.”) Overall: A bsolutely A mazing!