This is it! TIME TO SHINE!!!
It’s not going to be easy, we all understand that, but the Miami Dolphins simply have to find a way to win this game at home, in the friendly confines of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Sure, there will be a lot of important Miami Dolphins players that will miss this game, most recently, OLB Bradley Chubb, CB Xavien Howard and WR Jaylen Waddle, who join OLB Jaelan Phillips, OC Connor Williams, OG Isaiah Wynn and potentially, ILB Jerome Baker who may make his way back this Sunday night. There is also a chance Jaylen Waddle plays, but those high ankle sprains are so difficult to play with, and even if WR Tyreek Hill plays, he’s not playing nearly at 100% with a sore ankle of his own.
I can’t express how important this game is. The Dolphins team psyche is fragile at best after getting demolished and embarrassed last Sunday in a 56-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Yes Dolphins fans, yet another beatdown at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. It was a demoralizing loss, in what was a fight for the #1 seed in the AFC. After the 1st quarter, it wasn’t much of a fight, even though we got the first punch in. Of course, to pour salt in already open wounds, we lost OLB Bradley Chubb to an ACL tear (non-contact) very late in the game, where he should have been on the bench. Young coach mistake there, and one that could have ramifications for not only this season, but next as well.
I believe it will be ROLB Melvin Ingram who will start opposite LOLB Andrew Van Ginkel. DE/OLB Emmanuel Ogbah will be in the rotation as well as 2nd year OLB Cameron Goode. On the O-line, it’s looking like RG Robert Hunt will be playing, but how long, is anyone’s guess. OC Liam Eichenberg is hurting with a calf injury but he’s been a gamer and has fought through it. RB Raheem Mostert will almost surely play, it was a surprise he missed the Ravens game. Both ILB’s David Long Jr. and Duke Riley are hurting, so if Jerome Baker is healthy enough to go, he may be needed. Listen, none of this ideal, we all understand the NFL is a game of attrition, and the Dolphins have been hit hard by injuries, but this game is just extremely important. The difference between losing two games in a row at the end of the season and ending up the #6 seed and a Wild Card, and beating the Bills and potentially removing them from the playoff picture entirely is just tremendous. Being the AFC East Champs and securing a Home Playoff game or traveling to KC as a downtrodden Wild Card team is a chasm nearly equal to the Grand Canyon.
The Buffalo Bills handled us quite easily in our first matchup earlier in the season, it wasn’t even close, as they cruised to a 48-20 victory in Buffalo. We will not have the heat advantage as it’s January, and the high temperature for Sunday is expected to be 73 degrees, and about 63 at game time. I would also expect a strong showing of Buffalo Bills fans at Hard Rock, which further lessens our home team advantage. Despite those shortcomings, Head Coach Mike McDaniel has to have his team confident, and ready to compete for the AFC title. This is no small feat, but it’s also essential if this team is going anywhere and contend for a Super Bowl berth.
Two games can really impact our game. First off, the Steelers vs Ravens game. If the Steelers can knock off the Ravens, who will be resting most of their starters, including QB Lamar Jackson, then that would be the first domino to fall. Then on Sunday, if the Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the Tennessee Titans, this would force the Bills into a must win situation in order to make the playoffs. I’m not sure the Bills need any extra incentive to want to beat us, but that scenario just might make them a little extra desperate. My feeling is we should be just as desperate. We need to have a positive ending to the season, and another loss might just break this team. Not that the Kansas City Chiefs are unbeatable, far from it, but a playoff game in January in Kansas City will more than likely be in frigid temps, and I can’t see us having any confidence after surrendering the division crown to the Bills while having a two game lead with 2 games to go. It’s just a horrible situation, and I know our team has been tight, meaning feeling a good camaraderie, but those 2 losses to end the season to fall to Wild Card status could be too much to overcome.
The Bills are the hot team, winning 4 in a row, we’re floundering now after not only losing the game but leaving one of our best defensive players behind as well. RB James Cook has been huge weapon for the Bills during this 4 game tear. He has 355 yards rushing with 1 rushing TD and 8 receptions for 121 yards and 1 receiving TD. Josh Allen has been running the ball more often as well, imposing his will on the defense. Allen has 115 yards rushing in the last 4 and a whopping 6 rushing TD’s. Allen has always been dangerous when facing us, and in addition to James Cook, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, we will have our hands full. Allen, along with James Cook might just run all day against our defense, especially with all 3 ILB’s hobbled (Long, Riley and Baker). With Xavien Howard OUT, CB Eli Apple will get the starting nod at LCB opposite Jalen Ramsey. CB Kader Kohou will be in the slot. I’m not sure how Vic Fangio is going to play this defense. Do we have one of our OLB’s spy Josh Allen, either Andrew Van Ginkel or Melvin Ingram? My preference would not be that, I’d rather have them rushing the passer, but if Josh Allen is running amuck, that might have to change.
Another key factor will be our offense. We must be running hot, we have to run the ball with both Mostert and Achane, and we must score TD’s, not rely on FG’s. The Bills offense has not been a high powered offense, and we’ll be much better suited to defend them if they’re playing from behind. It’s imperative for our run game to be working and someone besides Tyreek Hill needs to threaten the defense. I’m fine with the Tyreek show if he’s killing it, but I’d much rather see more balance in our attack. McDermott has been successful defending us, so Mike McDaniel has his work cut out. My hope is that he has the right gameplan on Sunday night to finally grasp the AFC East crown. It’s been 15 years since we’ve done that, 2008. It’s TIME TO SHINE!!!
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
BUCK*BUCK*BUCK*
Let’s fucking goooooooo!
Jordan Poyer on the Achane run
Run all night long!!! 40 times!!!
It’s what wins play off games
Yes, and this is a playoff game!
The Bills have been moving the ball. D needs to tighten up.
Agreed
We are lucky Allen has made bad decisions
https://x.com/houtz/status/1744178507360370949?s=61&t=NWZ–WfgKu_dYbC-fKuB3A
Check out this angle
https://x.com/jacobmeshel/status/1744178872961372407?s=61&t=NWZ–WfgKu_dYbC-fKuB3A
Baker’s in at ILB
Wow!!! Apple had great coverage too
One bad Apple spoils the barrel
In the terms of omens, that’s a horrible sign
Remember this Brian?
‘The Bears scored on their first possession of the second half to close the gap to 31-17, but their fate was sealed when a third-down Marino pass ricocheted off the helmet of Bears’ defensive tackle Dan Hampton and into the hands of the farthest player downfield: Mark Clayton.
His 42-yard touchdown catch ended the drama.
“That put the nail in their coffin,” he told the Chicago Tribune. “I said, ‘Merry Christmas to me.”
Final score: Miami 38, Chicago 24’
Lucky fucking bounce. Sherfield no less!
🍻
Well that was a shitty bounce … damn Sherfield, where are your loyalties
The offense needs to step up, because Buffalo is having their way with us on offense. A few horrible Allen passes are the only thing preventing us from being down 10.
Need to execute a perfect 4 minute drive
Apple was really in perfect position, just a crazy throw and great catch by Diggs
If he turns his head he knocks it away
I can’t fault him. He was step for step with him. Diggs fell down to catch it. Just can’t see how he could have stopped that one
Well at least the in game injuries are so far in our favour….
Would be nice to get Douglas out of the game…
If Rasul Douglas is out, that’s a big loss for the Bills
Perfect drive so far. We have two downs to pick up this 1st, then run the clock down, and finish with a TD.
We have to convert here.
^
Was thinking ahead, we don’t want a long FG attempt here
Gorgeous pass by Tua
What a bee-yoo-ti-ful throw
Great drive
Near perfect drive!
Come on defense!
The ONLY thing that matters in this game is a W and definitely not stats. So far so good.
Stop the flips , ya were wearing a boot earlier this week , WOOT WOOT
He’s on 🔥. Too early 😉😇
LMAO , and to the house 🔥
Very good
Let’s fucking GOOOOOOOOO!!!
The throw to Cedric Wilson was incredible
Absolutely perfect
Come on defense
Another INT and a FG would be wonderful
Yes it would
This would be a great time for a turnover
We came to play but it’s a game.
I saw a false start that the refs didn’t see
Been a few by Buffalo on the last few plays
If you’d been wearing pants you could have taken them off and thrown them if you had no flag?
C’mon, Baker for an INT
Cook with the choke
WWHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT? That was dumb
So instead of playing one play, we give them 3? WTF?
DUDE, we let them pick up that 3rd down and have 3 fucking shots? WTF??????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wouldn’t like to be your cat right now? 😉
lol, they always hide in the bedroom during football
That was an idiotic defense
Wtf was that coverage BS?
OMG!! Who made that tackle!!?
Net result.. it worked 😎😲
FUCKING BAKER!!
That was awesome 😎
Last name B AAAAAAAAAA K E R
Awwwwwww, clock ran out!! 😪
🐊🥲
BOOMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111
Yes!!!!!!!
We have won every game this year when we lead at the half…
I’ve been aching for Baker to make a big play. There it is! 💥
Bet our WC game is a night game again. Sleep patterns wrecked
Where the fuck is 🌞?
Wow. That was some stop
It’s pretty hilarious, if we had stopped them on that 3rd down, they almost certainly kick the fg.
That defensive call was still idiotic. I bet the players didn’t execute it right, because it was really dumb to just give them 3 shots instead of 1, lol.
I bet the idea was everyone to be a couple of yds closer than they were.
I played this game three times today on Madden and lost twice. I won by running and keeping the same personnel on the field and going right left right middle right left middle right and I eventually broke them.
Madden seldom translates IRL but please keep running on them. Put Wilson back in and pound it with him some more too
NICE STOP GOOD DEFENSIVE STOP TO KEEP THE POINTS OFF THE BOARD!
This is a tough matchup and a good football game. I’m enjoying it.🙂
So am I … we are winning 🤡
Hey Cav: what ya think of league leading Winnipeg Jets
I haven’t been paying attention cause the Blues have been pretty bad. Congrats, bro!
We were close here last year too , but we look different now
The d needs to tighten up. Fangio needs to adjust. Yes, we have only given up 7 points, but the Bulls probably could have scored on every possession they had in the first half.
^^^
Stop giving me cardiac symptoms!
Early game 😎
It’s not good for the NFL for there to be back to back games Bills at Miami.
Good for us, perhaps. Depends if we can win. I might almost want to go on the road to play KC. Nah, just kidding..
Ding dong the witch is dead the wicked witch is dead
LET’S GO DEFENSE!!!
LET’S GO DOLPHINS!!
C’mon defense! Step on their throat!
Not AVG!!!
Please no AVG 😩
That’s a knee
FUCK…
Fuck this fucking season
We’re going to have Sanders rushing the passer next week?
Such a big sack, Let’s go offense. Get us a two score lead
Just barely got em too
Ingram!!!
Our edge is so completely screwed, Hopefully AVG will be back next week.
He walked off, so who knows. At least he didn’t go out on a cart.
That’s true Bri, could be ok
Great call. Allen on his back.
Let’s put a good drive together 🙂
We need it
Score now and our D gets to play with a decent lead. Gives Fangio some more scope to be creative and bait Allen some more
We didn’t need a three and out there
We needed a big fat QB and a scrum to convert on 4th down. Too risky though.
We’re in one of those games. Yikes!
At least we punted 😯
Where’s 🐕 and ☀️?
Play smart, wait for ErraticAllen to cough it up again. Keep him pressing. Don’t let hm get into a comfortable groove. Keep someone chasing him sideways / backward. Don’t let him bail forward.
Another false start at the bottom
Allen just killing us on the ground per usual
Too much blitzing
Our dline is going to be so gassed in the 4th. Our offense is going to have to match scores to win this.
Yep. The rest of this game is on Tua and the O. The D is playing as well as can be expected
So glad we got #29 Jones back from injury
Pay that man
YEAHHHHH, FUCKING WILKINS!!
Wilkins!
Weeeeeeeeeeeee
BIG MAN BALLING
JUST TAKE THE BALL AWAY
WHOOOP!!!
Offense HAS to keep the ball for a few minutes and make this a two score game
💯
OMG, huuuuge play!!
🙂
WILKINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Wow Wilkins
OMFG
Score a TD!!
Have to eat some clock and score, have to eat some clock and score, have to eat some clock and score
Tua Tagovailoa vs Josh Turndaballova
The offense owes this defense tonight. The owe it to them to score a few times, and put some time consuming drives together so they can rest. Or the game goes down to the final possession and the Bills have the ball, they aren’t going to have enough left in the tank to stop them.
Pound the damn ball
Even if we win, it is going to suck for me this week. I am surrounded by Bills fans. There is one or two in every group a frequent. I won’t be able to talk shit too much or temp the football gods making me look the fool next week.
That said. BRING THEM BACK NEXT WEEK!
Let’s switch everything up on them when they come back!
Exactly . I’m in the same position.
Does the ball move?
Is there enough evidence to overturn?
LOSE THAT TIME OUT BITCH!
Last look before break looked like it skidded
Unfortunately, I believe they win the challenge
Agreed
fucking offense