Category: NFL

MIAMI GARDENS — Resolve is being hardened and focus is being honed as the Miami Dolphins (11-5) prepare for this Sunday’s monumental battle against Buffalo (10-6) at Hard Rock Stadium. “I think that with that bad taste being in our mouth it’s just going to fuel us to be better,” safety DeShon Elliott said in reference to Miami’s 56-19 blowout loss at Baltimore. Lots is on the line this week for Miami. It can win the AFC East with a victory and earn a home playoff game. The best news of all is December is over. The Dolphins are 2-4 in December under coach Mike McDaniel. The defense won’t...

Generally, the worst thing you thought might happen to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday was some player, some unit — some specific part of the greater team — might get embarrassed at Baltimore and cost the top prize of the regular season. What happened instead was everyone got embarrassed. The Dolphins defense watched Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Pompano Beach native, basically cement the league’s MVP award. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s big plays in an offense known for big plays were two interceptions. The special teams gave up a long kickoff return when the script was still...

BALTIMORE — Miami Dolphins center Liam Eichenberg was perplexed. He was asked in the solemn postgame locker room whether Miami should stew in Sunday’s 56-19 drubbing by the Ravens in Baltimore, allowing the pain of that brutal beatdown to motivate them for next weekend’s dramatic regular-season finale against Buffalo, or just flush this loss completely and move on to the Bills game. “What a great question,” he said, actually pausing to take time to ponder the inquiry. The Dolphins have to flush this one and rely on their strong mentality to carry them through next weekend’s dramatic finale...

MIAMI GARDENS — Each Miami Dolphins game provides coach Mike McDaniel and his players an opportunity to break another glass ceiling. Last Sunday’s 22-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys showed the Dolphins can defeat a team with a winning record. This Sunday’s big test is beating a quality opponent on the road, and the Dolphins (11-4) get that opportunity at 1 p,m. on Sunday at the Baltimore Ravens (12-3), a familiar opponent that the Dolphins are playing for the third year in a row.  In 2021, the Ravens won, 22-10, at Hard Rock Stadium. In 2022, Miami won, 42-38, by scoring 28...

Mike McDaniel really did instruct his Miami Dolphins players to tell media members, respectfully, to “F off” if any narrative other than focus on the Dallas Cowboys was brought up last week. The famous quote the Dolphins coach told reporters to start the week of preparation for the Cowboys was not just a made-up anecdote. Cameras of reality series “Hard Knocks” captured the moment he said it to players in a week he knew there was going to be considerable talk about Miami’s 0-3 record against winning teams entering last Sunday. Tuesday night’s sixth episode of “Hard Knocks” chronicling the...

The injury that Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle sustained in Sunday’s 22-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys now has been deemed more of a high ankle concern, rather than the original shin injury. “Those can be tricky,” said coach Mike McDaniel in a Monday web conference with reporters, adding Monday follow-up examination on Waddle’s ailment provided new information from what was reported by Waddle to trainers during the game. The coach said more information will need to be gathered by doctors in the coming days. Waddle hurt the ankle/shin deep into the third quarter against the...

MIAMI GARDENS — So much for not beating a good team. “Awesome, check that box,” Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. So much for not having a signature comeback this year. “It means the team isn’t crazy for feeling the way we feel,” McDaniel said. So much for the kicker also not making 50-yard kicks. “Our locker room is filled with they-said-you-cants,” McDaniel said. There were so many nagging questions and so much good answers in the Dolphins’ 22-20 thriller of a Christmas Eve win over the Dallas Cowboys in Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday that it was time to consider more pressing...

In this video, the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Chris Perkins and David Furones discuss the Miami Dolphins’ defining moment of the season so far — getting their first victory over a winning team this year with their win over Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins improved to 11-4, and clinched a postseason berth with the win. Miami will get another big test next week when they play the Ravens in Baltimore. (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1&cid=38d5daa3-18ac-4ee1-a905-373c67622f25'; cnx.cmd.push(function()...

MIAMI GARDENS — It was a possible Super Bowl preview, this huge matchup between Miami and Dallas at Hard Rock Stadium, as well as a meeting between two teams that have struggled against high-quality opponents. Miami came out ahead on all counts with a riveting 22-20 victory on a 29-yard field goal by kicker Jason Sanders with no time remaining. It was his fivth field goal of the game, his first from less than 50 yards. The Dolphins and Cowboys both had lots of storylines to diffuse in Sunday’s matchup. But the enduring narrative is Miami can beat good teams. This was the Dolphins’ first...

MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins redeemed their identity, confirmed their character, vindicated their coach, sidestepped a weeklong crisis, sent their season back on its merry way and, according to Tua Tagovailoa, started the process even before the 30-0 romp against the New York Jets on Sunday. “Dude, if you can’t go, we got you, brother,” the Dolphins quarterback said to Tyreek Hill long before kickoff as the receiver tested his bad ankle. “It’s a team sport. It’s going to take all of us.” This was the question Sunday, wasn’t it? Well, it was one of the questions. There were so many:...