Phins Put Pats in Rearview Mirror!
Phins dominated early, then let the game slip, but in the end, they slammed the door on the Pats
The Miami Dolphins again outlasted their opponent in a wild 4th Quarter by beating the New England Patriots 24-17. It seemed going into the first half that it was going to be a cruise control win, but the Patriots battled back and the Dolphins played a little sloppy. In the end, the Phins tightened up the ship, and the Vic Fangio defense came through in the clutch with shining colors. Ending the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick’s record of not starting out 0-2 since 2001 made me a giddy schoolgirl and the win that much more enjoyable. Now, with the Dolphins 2-0 and three very manageable games sandwiched in between the Bills in Week 4, the Dolphins fans should expect them to be 5-1 at the very least!
It’s so early, but it feels so good!
The Dolphins’ defense could have taken a step back with the loss of Jaelen Phillips, but Andrew Van Ginkel, David Long Jr, Christian Wilkins, and Bradley Chubb stepped up and all delivered stellar games both in shutting down the run and getting after the quarterback, tallying 4 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 17 tackles between them!
Yes, this is an offense-first team, and Tua, Hill, Waddle, and Mostert all played a major role. But, we saw that all last season and expected it again this season. This growth in the defense is a big game-changer and a huge difference from last season to this one. The great news is Jalen Ramsey and Nick Needham are both in the wings waiting to return. So, not only with this defense get better as it grows over the season, but there will be an injection as well.
You can bet with the best pay per head that if the Dolphins can add a defense equal to their offense then the 2023 Season WILL be epic!
Defense, smart play, and letting the opposition beat themselves is key
The old Patriots way was playing good defense, being disciplined, and letting the opponent make the mistakes that sink them. Last night the Dolphins played that motto almost to a T up until the first half with them leading 17-3. Some sloppy play followed and it became a game. Still, the Dolphins were the more clean team for the second week in a row. Averaging 6 penalties a game isn’t great, but it’s a far cry from last season and I think it’s a big key for this season, so I’m happy to see some growth.
Yes, the offense was held down a bit and there were hiccups with snapping and an interception. But the Dolphins’ speed killed the Patriots most of the night, and Tua and the “O” got experience winning a game with ‘small ball’ and the run game.
In the end, the Patriots are 0-5 against Tua and lost a critical home game leaving the Dolphins in first place in the division. It doesn’t get much better than this!
