Dolphins very much alive in playoff race after dominating Jets 23-3
What I didn’t like
– Caleb Sturgis – I’m sorry, but I do not trust this guy to make a big kick. He missed an early field goal from 41 yards, but rebounded to hit his next 3. Maybe I’m being too hard on him, but when you draft a kicker in the 5th round, he should at least be more reliable than the guy you drafted him to replace!
– 1st Half Ineffectiveness – The Dolphins dominated play and the clock in the first half, but didn’t score until there were less than 2 minutes to go. If they want to make a push for the playoffs, they will need to find consistency in the red zone. Failing to get points when you are in the green zone (field goal range), usually comes back to haunt teams.
– Short Yardage – The Dolphins do not ave a short yardage back. And no, it’s not just because Daniel Thomas is out, he sucked at short yardage too. The Dolphins have a lot of fast, agile running backs, but no big bruisers. They need to figure out a way to convert 3rd and 1 & 4th and 1 situations.
Overall, this was exactly what the Dolphins needed. They needed a win to stay alive and to give them some confidence in themselves. They head to Pittsburgh next week for another crucial, playoff type game. The Dolphins entered week 13 tied with 5 other teams at 5-6 for the 6th playoff spot in the AFC. After Sunday, only 2 teams won, the Dolphins and the Ravens (both of which played other 5-6 teams). Every other 5-6 team lost. The Ravens hold the tie-breaker over the Dolphins because of their win in Miami earlier this season.
But the season doesn’t end today. There are still 4 more games to go, so anything can happen. The Ravens play the Vikings at home this week, then head to Detroit to play the Lions, host the Patriots, and play at the Bengals in week 17. So there are probably 1-2 losses on their schedule (at least). If the Dolphins can find a way to go 3-1 over the last 4 games, they should claim the 6th spot (due to their 5-3 conference record). We’ll have more on the playoff situation later this week. For now, let’s enjoy this big win over the hated, freaking, obnoxious Jets!
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