Dolphins are the NFL’s best paper tiger in Wild Card loss to Chiefs

Bush Card video game versus the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday was not simply a chance for the Miami Dolphins to progress to the following round of the NFL playoffs. It likewise was a possibility to change a story that has actually bordered the group all year: that it got its playoff ticket on success over poor groups.

Following their 26-7 loss in cold Kansas City, little has actually altered. If anything, the video game revealed to a nationwide target market that the Dolphins certainly were the organization’s best paper tiger this period.

It was the most recent indignity in a quick autumn from poise for the group of head trainer Mike McDaniel.

On Xmas Eve, the Dolphins resembled among the best groups in the organization. Holding the Dallas Cowboys in a fight of 10-4 groups, they commemorated a 22-20 success to reveal when and for all that they were not simply a legit playoff challenger yet all set to tackle any type of group in football. Approximately it appeared, a minimum of.

What complied with the following 2 week, nonetheless, developed some significant questions concerning Miami’s capability to complete versus the NFL’s leading pet dogs– something they themselves did not seem, nevertheless.

First came a 56-19 beatdown by the Baltimore Ravens that finished the Dolphins’ hopes of making the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. A week later on, with the AFC East title on the line, they were defeated once more. Their 21-14 loss versus the Buffalo Expenses rushed any type of ambitions of the club’s initial department title in 15 years. And not simply that: it likewise compelled the Dolphins to go on the roadway in the preliminary of the playoffs, versus none apart from the ruling globe champs.

2 weeks after their sway the Cowboys, the Dolphins remained in for one more difficult adventure. And was it ever before that.

Miami rapidly fell back 10-0, and while a 51-yard goal pass from Tua Tagovailoa to ex-Chief Tyreek Hillside provided the club some life it was insufficient. Kansas City regulated the video game on both sides of the sphere, apparently never ever running any type of threat of a resurgence. All the while, the factors maintained installing. 13-7. 16-7. 19-7. And when an Isiah Pacheco run made it 27-7 for the home group, the typical fat girl had actually sung.

The Dolphins’ effective violation ended up the video game obtaining simply 13 initial downs and 264 backyards, going a simple 1-of-12 on 3rd down, and transforming the sphere over a consolidated 4 times: when by means of an interception, and thrice on downs.

” We dropped extremely except our objectives,” claimed McDaniel after the video game. “We have extremely solid assumptions for ourselves. Among the factors a great deal of individuals do not place themselves around and hold those assumptions is due to the fact that when you disappoint them it’s psychological, it’s gut-wrenching.”

The situations did not refrain the Dolphins any type of prefers on Saturday. The video game was among the chilliest in NFL background, with the temperature level at first gauged at -4 ° F with a wind cool of -27– an obstacle for any type of group, specifically one utilized to playing in the cozy South Florida problems.

The Chiefs likewise played probably their most full video game in weeks. Their protection supplied unrelenting stress, while their violation relocated the sphere a lot more effectively than it contended times over the 2nd fifty percent of the routine period.

Include the reality that the Chiefs were undermanned, specifically on protection. Besides missing out on side protectors Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb in addition to linebacker Jerome Baker on hurt get, they likewise needed to shut off protective backs Jevon Holland and Xavien Howard as a result of knee and foot injuries, specifically.

The Dolphins were hopping towards the goal, yes. However also when they went to complete stamina previously in the period they had a difficult time versus playoff-caliber groups.

Of their 7 video games versus groups that wound up making the playoffs, Miami shed just about one (the abovementioned 22-20 success over Dallas in December). And they really did not simply shed: the mixed racking up differential in those video games was -110. As mentioned by Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia, just the Washington Commanders had an even worse factor differential versus postseason-bound challengers:

At the same time, the mixed gaining portion of the groups the Dolphins did handle to defeat en course to their 11-5 document was simply.358.

The Dolphins just did not play regularly affordable football versus the very best groups in the organization. Going one-and-done in the playoffs was as a result the sensible method for their period to discover its frustrating end.

Such is the destiny of the paper tigers.