Dolphins win more a pronouncement about Miami today, not death of Pats dynasty | Opinion

The temptation is to see this amazing, satisfying, hard-won, accomplishment in historical terms. The Miami Dolphins eliminated the New England Patriots from the playoffs on Sunday with a 22-12 victory and everyone is rushing to announce that the king is dead.

And long live the new king because that might just be the Dolphins in a year or two after serving as a prince in the Buffalo Bills’ court.

Yeah, forget that.

Because that pronouncement may or may not really mean much a year or two from now.

It obviously meant nothing after the Miami miracle of December 2018, a stunning Dolphins victory over New England that preceded three consecutive losses. And it meant nothing after that December 2014 win over New England, which Miami followed with two consecutive losses to end that season.

So don’t go there because we know better. And also because the Dolphins aren’t wasting their time with the empty exercise.

This game, instead, should be savored on its own merits for what it means to the Dolphins, not to the Patriots.

So now you’re asking the next logical question which is what the heck does this fulfilling victory over Bill Belichick’s team mean to the Dolphins?

Let me start with the fact the Dolphins rebuild, so painful and onerous through December of 2019, is ahead of schedule exactly one year later.

Stop reading now if you disagree.

Go.

Because if you can’t agree with that fundamental fact, you won’t understand the remaining 46 paragraphs of this column. (Disclaimer: There aren’t 46 more paragraphs coming, I’m just trying to weed out the riffraff.)

Dolphins win gut-check game to stay in playoff race while eliminating the Patriots | Opinion

Friends, the Dolphins won their ninth game of the season Sunday. They are guaranteed a winning season and are close to doubling their victory total from a year ago.

There’s a word for that in my country: Progress.

And because the season is still weeks from ending, this team might actually venture into the land of double-digit win totals for the first time since 2016 and for only the third time since 2008.

So, yes, the Dolphins are ahead of schedule in doing what they set out to when they tore the whole thing down in the spring and fall of ‘19 -- and that was to set themselves up to compete for NFL championships year after year.

Owner Stephen Ross didn’t want to ride the roller coaster that included 10-6 heights and precipitous 6-10 drops anymore.

He wanted 11-5, or 12-4, or better, for consecutive years at a time. You wanted that, too.

But the logical assumption was that maybe the Dolphins could recover from last season and make it back to .500 this year, before making a run at the playoffs next season. That would have been a solid three-year return on last year’s painful investment.

Except nobody told the 2020 Dolphins.

They don’t operate by logic and modest progressions. They work off their own standards, which means, well, win every week no matter the circumstance or cost.

“I think we got a mentally tough, physically tough, resilient group that knows how to deal with adversity,” coach Brian Flores said after the game. “[This team] doesn’t go in the tank. Keeps fighting, keeps working. Keeps coming to work good, bad, hot, raining, whatever the situation is. These guys just work. Our coaches are the same way, really everyone in the building is that way.

“We battle for each other, players, coaches, support staff. We’ll continue to do that. That’s one thing I know every day that everyone is going to work hard. I don’t take it for granted, but I know that’s the case.”

That kind of approach isn’t sexy. There’s no Ballers episode coming from the script the workmanlike Dolphins play by every week.

But the results offer their own excitement even if the approach doesn’t and, indeed, even if the games don’t.

I’m certain you weren’t fired up Sunday afternoon when the Dolphins trailed 6-0 at halftime and the offense had all the juice of a stone.

I’m certain you weren’t thinking the offense Belichick just shut out in the first half would deliver 22 second-half points and a comeback victory -- and do it without its top playmakers.

And here’s the good news: The Dolphins might be a better team next week.

Flores said after the game that the starters who were inactive Sunday -- Ereck Flowers, DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki and Jakeem Grant -- “went down to the wire” on their game status.

“They were all close,” Flores said. “These guys are fighting to play.”

Last time Flores said something similar was about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who missed a start against the New York Jets because of a thumb injury. Tagovailoa played the next week.

So one can reasonably expect the players who were almost well enough to play Sunday will be in the lineup next week, barring unforeseen setbacks.

That means more talent will be available against Las Vegas next week.

After this win, while some were dancing on the New England dynasty’s grave, the Dolphins were kind of just shrugging about making such calls.

“Really, we just got to stay in the moment,” defensive lineman Christian Wilkins said. “That’s the biggest thing. Just keep worrying about each week, each game, and hopefully good things will continue to come for us, really.

“I’m not worried necessarily about, ‘Oh, what’s it going to look like next year, this year.’ You know what I’m saying? I just try to take it day by day and we as a team try to take it day by day and then good things will come for us if we just put our head down and grind and just continue to do things the right way.”

Wilkins, a big Hamilton fan, was dressed kind of like the play’s lead character during his press conference. So the man dressed like a Founding Father was delivering wisdom.

And it’s good that a player only in his second NFL season is already fully immersed in what the Dolphins are trying to represent. That speaks well of the future, while also delivering a tangible result in the present.

Please enjoy that result, whatever the future holds.

“It’s always good to win,” Flores said. “That’s why these guys put out the blood, sweat and tears. That’s why they prepare so hard and practice so hard and lift the weights. Not so much for me but for this team and these players and the effort they put into trying to go out and execute, I’m just happy for these guys.”