A comeback like this can be decades apart for teams
This comeback is now part of Dolphins lore
The Miami Dolphins pulled off the unthinkable, and some might even call it a miracle. This type of highly improbable event has not been witnessed since the days of Dan Marino and Don Shula in 1994 when the Fake Spike completed the comeback to stun the Jets.
https://youtu.be/eZfzr9tB4oo
Just like in 94′, the Dolphins Defense allowed a 17-0 early advantage against the Atlanta Falcons.
This time the defense gave up two big plays in the first half, one was a long touchdown pass and the other was a 44 yard run by Freeman that also led to a touchdown. However, after that the Dolphins Defense played terrific. They kept the Falcons off the board with the help of a missed field goal and then two 3 and outs in the second half, consistent pressure on Matt Ryan and a game ending interception by All Pro Safety Reshad Jones.
https://youtu.be/OaR4bXwQadk
Despite a bumpy start, the Dolphins defense showed that they are for real with a shutout in the second half against a high-scoring offense on the road. In addition, they clamped down on Atlanta’s run game in the second half by allowing less than 30 yards on the ground after a shaky first half. Being able to limit the always dangerous Julio Jones to 6 catches and 72 yards is a major accomplishment.
The combination of Howard, Tankersley and McCain appear to be playing better in the secondary as well–bye, bye Maxwell… hello 10 mill saved.
Too bad Marino didn’t have this defense and Jay Ajayi…
…sorry was dreaming there for a bit.
Speaking about the defense must include Matt Burke, who is showing to be both smart and creative. I guess Ivy League school pays off. Timely blitzes and ability to gameplan show he’s far, far beyond the horror of Tom Olivadotti.
A final look at the odds of this comeback as icing on the cake:
The best betting software on the web closed the Dolphins as a +14 underdog which was the biggest underdog of the weekend. However if that were not amazing enough, the Dolphins were down 0-17 at halftime and when they started the second half they were a +20.5 point underdog and a +1700 money line to win the game at that point.
Now, the big question is can Miami continue to win? If so, they must continue to improve. When you peel back the layers, there’s still a lot of work to be done. But after a win like this, how can you not at least have hope? Jets are coming fast, so we’ll see if the Dolphins can respond to this victory as well as they did the last one. Go Fins!!!