Can Miami finish strong over these last three weeks?!
The Miami Dolphins are now 10-4 and have piled up some dominant performances, but the knock has been that they have been against teams with losing records. The narrative will change or get confirmed from this point on with the Phins entering the final stretch of the season against three winning teams in Dallas, Baltimore, and Buffalo. This final stretch will be a great litmus test of how good this team is… really!
The good news is Miami is all but guaranteed to make the postseason, unless they lose all three games, then there’s a chance they could miss out on the playoffs entirely.
While Tua and the Dolphins aren’t in control of the narratives, they are in control of their play. If the Dolphins win out, then they’ll get the #1 seed in the AFC, a bye-week, and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
The time is now for them to change the narrative by finishing strong!
Who will the Phins show themselves to be?!
If Miami can win their next game against the Cowboys, this will at least guarantee them a playoff spot. The Dolphins squandered a great opportunity against the Titans because that 4th quarter collapse left the door open for the red-hot Buffalo Bills to still steal the division crown. Again, the Phins still control their destiny by how they handle these next three games.
The Phins and fans need to take one game at a time, so Christmas Eve is the beginning of the Dolphins’ big test. The Cowboys are a very similar team to the Dolphins. Dallas has the same 10-4 record as the Dolphins and has also dominated teams with losing records, but has not had a great record against teams with winning records. They’ve beaten two teams with winning records in the Rams and Eagles and a .500 team in Seattle, so they are doing a little better than Miami.
Some of the various pay-per-head sites are calling this upcoming game the CupCake Bowl, because neither team has been successful against quality teams this season. Something will have to give in this game.
Dallas is getting some love in the spread
The line opened at -1.5 for the home Dolphins, but it’s worth noting the Bills who just recently wrecked on the Cowboys closed at -2.5-point favorites at home against the Cowboys. It will be interesting to see where this line closes on Sunday, and a big factor will be based on who is healthy enough to play, especially with Hill, Holland, and Howard. As of now, only Robert Hunt has been ruled out. It seems the oddsmakers are back on the Bills bandwagon. Matching these spreads together, the oddsmakers believe the Bills are currently the better team compared to the Dolphins.
Time will tell and we’ll get a firm answer in three weeks on that one.
The best way to beat the Cowboys is with another solid performance from our Defense, who forced 4 turnovers and created 6 sacks against the Jets. However, the Cowboys offense is light years better than the Jets offense and is the #2 ranked scoring offense in the league, just behind the Dolphins at 30.8 points per game. The Cowboys have injury problems too with star tackle Tyron Smith and star right guard Zack Martin both missing two days of practice, so they might not be able to go this week. If the Dolphins’ defense can keep the Cowboys out of the endzone when they get into the Red Zone, this will go a long way in helping them earn a victory in this game.
On offense, the Dolphins need to lean on the running game and create a balanced attack. The Cowboys have a very good defense that is only allowing 18.9 points per game which is the 5th best in terms of the fewest points allowed per game. When the Dolphins get into the Red Zone they must score touchdowns instead of settling for field goals. If they can do this and also win the turnover battle, Miami will likely win the game…
… And they must win!
The Phins need at least two out of the next three games to prove they aren’t the same ole’ team. Will 2023 Season be the turn in the corner for this franchise we are all hoping or will it be more of the same? Let’s hope for a great Christmas present in the Dolphins beating the Cowboys!
What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans’ thoughts on this upcoming game and the final three games of the season?
At the time of me writing this it is Christmas night and our dolphins did win the game against the cowboys.It was a very stressful game for all of the dolphin fans as the dolphins had to drive the length of the field to not only score the winning fg but also eat up the clock to end the game. I too have been a dolfan since ’66 and have seen the glory days of the ’70’s.But this team is different,we do have the team that can beat any team in the NFL but we need to be on our A game.Watching the ravens manhandle the 49ers in the 3rd qtr tells me they are the team to beat,but our offense is better than the niners and ever since Ramsey was able to come back after his injury our defense is playing one thousand times better than it was at the beginning of the season.We can definitely win out in my eyes and for all of us fans of the dolphins let’s have faith in our team that the road to the playoffs go thru Miami.
This won’t be the last time we witness a collapse from Miami. I have been a fan for fifty years and have been disappointed that many times. I don’t understand the problem but it does exist. The schedule makers have played with the teams over the years not to give anything to Miami. This year will not be different, I just hope the Miami Santa will be kind to us this year.
At the time of me writing this it is Christmas night and our dolphins did win the game against the cowboys.It was a very stressful game for all of the dolphin fans as the dolphins had to drive the length of the field to not only score the winning fg but also eat up the clock to end the game. I too have been a dolfan since ’66 and have seen the glory days of the ’70’s.But this team is different,we do have the team that can beat any team in the NFL but we need to be on our A game.Watching the ravens manhandle the 49ers in the 3rd qtr tells me they are the team to beat,but our offense is better than the niners and ever since Ramsey was able to come back after his injury our defense is playing one thousand times better than it was at the beginning of the season.We can definitely win out in my eyes and for all of us fans of the dolphins let’s have faith in our team that the road to the playoffs go thru Miami.
This won’t be the last time we witness a collapse from Miami. I have been a fan for fifty years and have been disappointed that many times. I don’t understand the problem but it does exist. The schedule makers have played with the teams over the years not to give anything to Miami. This year will not be different, I just hope the Miami Santa will be kind to us this year.