The Miami Dolphins players do not view themselves as a 1-3 football team.  They view themselves as a 3-1 football team, according to center, Mike Pouncey.  The Dolphins know that they had the last 2 games in their grasp, but managed to let it victory slip through their fingers.  To develop into a winning NFL team, they must to a better job of closing out games and learning how to finish off an opponent.

The Dolphins lost back to back games in overtime to teams that they outplayed for most of the game.  The Dolphins had a 21-14 lead on the Jets in regulation and allowed the Jets to score in the 4th quarter only to eventually lose in overtime.  Against the Cardinals, the Dolphins blew a 7 point lead with less than a minute to play, and again lost in overtime.  The Dolphins defense was great in both games, but they need to tighten up and hold onto those 4th quarter leads.  The offense, for their part, needs to do a better job of holding on to the football in crucial times.

The truth of the matter is that the Dolphins are 1-3. As Bill Parcells famously said ‘you are what your record says you are’.  So the Dolphins ARE a 1-3 football team.  But thankfully, the arrow appears to be pointed in the upward direction.  The Dolphins must be more consistent to win football games.  Ryan Tannehill is playing better than people thought he would, this early in his career (more on that in a moment).  No matter what the Dolphins say publicly, they knew this would be a rebuilding year.  We obviously want them to win games, but the big picture, building a consistent winner, is the end goal.

The Dolphins players and coaches are deflated from these losses, but they know that they aren’t that far away from being a good team.  Heck, if Dan Carpenter had hit the game winning field goal against the Jets and the defense had held on 4th and 10 from their own 15 against the Cardinals, they could be 3-1 and in 1st place in the AFC East.  But they’re not.  (cont’d on page 2, click below)