Finsmob Unleashed

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!!!