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By: Chip Turner There’s one more game to be played in the Miami Dolphins season. After a Saturday night game that caused almost every fan on the planet to lose their minds, the team is heading to Buffalo for what is likely a must-win game against the Bills with the playoffs on the line. Nobody saw this Miami Dolphins 2020 season coming. Not you, not me, not anybody outside of, possibly, Brian Flores’s office. The fact that they control their own destiny as the #5 seed is a monumental tribute to Flores, Chris Grier, and the entire Miami Dolphins team. They are a beacon of hope in an otherwise dismal year. So as the year draws to a close, here’s a look back at the absolutely raucous joyride that was the Miami Dolphins season. Game 1 - @ New England: The revamped Dolphins, with no pre-season, came out flat in their season opener. They lost 21-11, their worst points loss of the season to date. That is not a typo. After the game, Cam Newton accused two Dolphins players of trying to steal a chain he was wearing, but said he didn’t want to detract from a team win by drawing attention to himself. He illustrated this selflessness by dressing up as Professor Trelawney from Harry Potter for future press conferences. Record: 0-1 Game 2 – Buffalo: Miami’s home opener was spoiled by Buffalo and one of the weirder television events of 2020. From the end of the 1st quarter through the middle of the second quarter, CBS simply lost power. We have cars that can drive themselves and dancing AI robots, but CBS somehow had no backup plan for their broadcast. Anyway, the Dolphins lost, 31-28. There are those who will tell you the game wasn’t as close as the score indicates; those people didn’t watch the game. Game 3 – @ Jacksonville: With the Dolphins fanbase nearing revolt, Miami marched into Jacksonville and put a beating on the Jaguars, 31-13. The score pretty well indicates how close the game was. It’s also the game that made me ask, “Who the heck is this James Robinson kid?” It turns out that he’s pretty good. Record: 1-2. Game 4 – Seattle: This is the game where the fanbase lost its collective mind. Miami lost 31-23 to a very good Seattle team, and very nearly got the ball at midfield on a very, very shady first down call with under two minutes to go. Fitzpatrick threw a costly fourth-quarter pick, and the fanbase wanted Tua. Record: 1-3. Game 5 - @San Francisco: One thing we can say about Dolphins fans; they’re patient. They don’t fly off the handle and call for the firing of the head coach, GM, and forcible removal of the owner if a rebuild takes more than one season to complete. Oh. Wait. Never mind. That’s exactly what happened. The Dolphins responded by up and beating the ever-loving holy bejeezus out of the 49ers, 43-17, and they could have easily dropped a 50-burger. The defense stifled Garoppolo all the way to the bench, and C.J. Beathard didn’t fare much better. Record: 2-3. Game 6 – Jets: This game was rescheduled due to COVID-19, but it didn’t matter all that much. The Ghost of Joe Flacco also started in place of Sam Darnold, but that didn’t matter, either. Miami easily handled the Jets, 24-0, despite their offense sputtering in the second half. Record: 3-3. Following this game, Tua was named the starter against the Rams after the bye. Game 7 - Rams: Things were going well for Jared Goff and the Rams for nearly a full quarter. They got a strip-sack of Tua on his very first snap, and they led 7-0 until the very last play of the first quarter. Unfortunately for Goff, he got Van Ginkeled and Van Noyed in a second quarter that saw Miami take a 28-7 lead. That was all the Dolphins defense needed to help Miami cruise to a 28-17 win. Record: 4-3.  Game 8 - @Cardinals: Please, those who want to call Tua a bust…watch this game again. Tua led Miami to a 4th-quarter comeback in an outstanding win against Arizona, and Miami won 34-31. Reportedly, the officiating crew from this game called another pass interference call against Xavien Howard this past Monday, just because they felt like it. Record: 5-3.
Game 9 - Chargers: This game was supposed to be Tua vs. Herbert, but it very quickly became Miami jumping out to an early lead, then simply throttling Justin Herbert. The Chargers scored a TD with less than 2 minutes left to make the final score 29-21. Herbert subsequently joined a cult and cut off all of his hair, leading a Chargers executive to ask, “Did we accidentally draft Eddie Munster?” Record: 6-3. Game 10 - @Denver Broncos: This one was all my fault. I predicted an easy Miami win, but Denver shut down Tua, executed a very simple offense well, and beat the Dolphins 20-13. Tua was benched for the first time, everyone lost their minds, and the season was lost, right? Right? Record: 6-4. Game 11 - @Jets: Wrong. If there’s one cure-all for Miami over the last few years, it’s playing against the Jets. This time they faced Sam Darnold, but it didn’t matter much. Fitzpatrick started for an injured Tua, and the Jets continued their ill-fated quest for Trevor Lawrence as Miami won 20-3. Record: 7-4. Game 12 – Bengals: There was no Joe Burrow to make this game interesting, and the Dolphins knocked around Brandon Allen and Ryan Finley in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. Miami won, 19-7. Record: 8-4. Game 13 – Chiefs: If there was any question about whether or not the Dolphins were for real, this is the game that answered it. Miami showed up. Tua showed up. Miami’s defense made Patrick Mahomes look human, and the Dolphins gave the defending Super Bowl champions everything they could handle. The Chiefs won 33-27, in a loss that felt more like a sign of good things to come than a disappointment. Record: 8-5. Game 14 – Patriots: This is the game that felt like the end of the Patriots dominance over Miami. No Parker? No Gesicki? No Gaskin? No Grant? No problem. Without four of their offensive weapons, the Dolphins simply out-Patrioted the Patriots. They ran an effective game plan that New England couldn’t stop, and booted the Patriots out of the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. Miami won, 22-12. Record: 9-5. Game 15 - @Raiders: This was a genuinely boring game until the 4th quarter…and then all hell broke loose. I don’t think I can adequately sum up this game that was tied, then lost, then won, then lost, then won again in the 4th quarter, so I’ll just type out the texts that I received:
Miami won one of the more miraculous games in recent memory, 26-25. Record: 10-5. And that’s where we stand headed into Orchard Park this Sunday. Win, and they’re in the playoffs. No matter what happens, this has been a season that far exceeded any reasonable expectations. With strong candidates for Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and a bevy of quality draft picks, there’s only one direction the Fins are headed. Fins…up. Fins…WAY up.
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The PhinManiacs Mid-Week All-22 Coaches Film Breakdown with Jay Fiedler & Jason Sarney – MIA at LV12/30/2020 What better person is there to break down the quarterback play within a Chan Gailey offense, than an actual quarterback who played in a Chan Gailey offense? In this breakdown, right off the bat Jay explains what was missed by Tua on the very 1st offensive play for the Dolphins. In fact - Jay picked up on something we all missed. Including the refs. He also dives into the social-media controversy of different play-calling with Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Fitzpatrick. SPOILER ALERT: There is no difference in play-calling per quarterback. Jay proves this. Follow Jay and Jason on Twitter and please subscribe to the PhinManiacs Channel, as plenty more content will be coming this season and in the off-season! @JayFiedler @OrangeAquaman By: Jason Sarney
 By: Hussam Patel This feels unreal. Am I dreaming? Someone pinch me. Did we actually win this game? Just a couple of statements every fan said after a magical win against the Las Vegas Raiders. I’m going to be honest, I really did not see this coming and baffled that Rod Marinelli called Cover 2 instead of prevent D. Colonel Sanders proved to be Automatic. A perfect 4/4 and drilling a game winner putting the Dolphins in playoff contention. Brian Flores does not care what you think of him pulling Tua in for Relief pitcher Ryan Fitzpatrick. It’s been an incredible 24 hours for this team and its fan-base: The New York Jets are out in their bid for the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. Winning 2 in a row and giving the Browns a shocking loss moving the Browns to the 6th seed. Big Ben and the Steelers rallied from a 24-7 deficit against the Indianapolis Colts and pulled of a Comeback of the ages winning 28-24 knocking the Colts out of a low seed and in the hunt for the playoffs. Essentially, moving the Dolphins up to the 5th seed. Which is crazy, who would have thought at one point in the season the Miami Dolphins would be the 5th seed after a tanking season. The Dolphins can make the playoffs with any of these situations next week:
If any of these scenarios happen, the Dolphins are in play for the 5th, 6th or the brand new 7th seed. Currently the Dolphins stands at an 82% probability of making the playoffs per ESPN FPI. Yes this feels real. A real possibility of Playing either in Tennessee, Buffalo or Pittsburgh. The best scenario is Miami to outright win against Buffalo and have the luxury of help to lock in the 5th seed and play against the Titans in the wildcard. Although, I would rather play in Pittsburgh. To add icing on the cake, the Houston Texans lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 37-31 pushing the first of the Dolphins two first round picks into the top 5. The Dolphins could still get the 3rd overall pick even if the Falcons lose next week because of SOS pending the Texans losing against the Titans. There’s a .03 difference between the Texans and Falcons schedule, the Panthers Winning against Washington certainly helps. This time of year is the gift that keeps on giving. A potential Top 5 pick and Miami has a plethora of options to choose in the draft. Do they draft Parsons? If Miami gets the 3rd or 4th pick will they pick Sewell or trade back to a QB needy team? Do they stick with the pick and get the top receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith? Miami has a luxury this draft and this is only Year 1 of the rebuild. Chris Grier has found the talent in last years draft and can add more play-makers and additional depth pieces. The Miami Dolphins have found their Head Coach in Brian Flores and regardless of who is in at QB this team is all in to the culture. Onto the Bills in an attempt to make the playoffs.  In a holiday bonus edition of The Monday Morning Quarterback that includes some All-22, Jay looks at foreshadowing to Ryan Fitzpatrick's Miracle Blind Heave! Even while the QB playing was Tua Tagovailoa. Wait until you hear (and see) this breakdown, as Jay points out how cerebral Fitzpatrick is. Some terrific stuff in this, and Jay and Jason reminisce about another Primetime Dolphins win from 2002 that he knows plenty about! He remembers....because he was there!!! Follow Jay and Jason on Twitter and please subscribe to the PhinManiacs Channel, as plenty more content will be coming this season and in the off-season! @JayFiedler @OrangeAquaman 
By: Hussam Patel
Welcome to Juice’s Jumbo Board where each week I highlight an impact player the Miami Dolphins can target in next Year's NFL Draft. After picking up 11 players in the 2020 draft, the Dolphins look to build their organization through the 2021 draft and compete in the postseason. Currently the Dolphins hold the following projected picks not counting compensatory picks via Tank-athon (December 26th Update): RD1: Pick 6(From Houston) RD1: Pick 21 RD2: Pick 37(From Houston) RD2: Pick 54 RD3: Pick 85 RD4: Pick 118(Swap with Las Vegas) RD6: Pick 188 (From Pittsburgh) All I want for Christmas is a reliable pass-catcher that can turn on the jets and take the ball into the endzone. That, my Fins fam is Kadarius Toney. The Dolphins need more Run After Catch yard receivers for Tua and a “Tyreek Hill-esque” player that can take it home. Toney is absolutely electric, can stop on a dime and leave defenders bamboozled. The Dolphins could look to draft him as one of two receivers in the draft. After all WR is a big need. 
At Florida, Toney was used almost everywhere- kind of like another Dolphins WR we know of. A WR, R, and Wildcat QB, Toney showed he’s a firepower at any skill position on the field which makes him dangerous. In space is where he does the most damage and a great return specialist which could make Jakeem Grant expendable.
Catching the ball, especially around traffic and with multiple defenders, Toney is at ease with sticky hands and breaking tackles contorting his body and using his strength to churn yardage after the first contact to go up field. Against 1-on-1 man-coverage Toney uses his footwork to leave defenders stunned and in zone coverage, especially in the middle of the field, is able to find soft spots and utilizes his speed to gain chunk yards.
Toney is only 5’11 and 190 lbs. His body from and weight is put into question against taller and heavier DBs in the NFL; however, that is normal tangible traits for slot WRs. Toney would not be able to lineup as a True #1 WR against bigger body DBs but can certainly use his speed to make space and catch the ball. He would not be able to make contested catches like DeVante Parker and Preston Williams.
Ball security is not an issue with Toney but he uses his pads and shoulders to leverage the ball coming to him- a signal that he might not have confidence in his hands just yet and is an issue that needs to be corrected. With the league changing from big body contested catchers to small body WRs catching the ball in open space, Toney is a perfect fit in this era. If the Dolphins do draft him he would need to work on better positioning for quick hitters such as slants, in and out routes.
Coming into the season Toney was regarded as a Day 3/UDFA prospect. With the way Dan Mullen and his staff developed and utilized his skills on the field, Toney broke out and became a pleasant surprise for the Gators and scouts. Toney’s draft stock took a massive boost and could be a late Day-1 pick and a definite lock for Day-2.
His speed reminds me of Tyreek Hill and Jakeem Grant but play ability is a bit similar to Deebo Samuel. Essentially a great WR draft class this year Toney is a steal. If I’m in the Dolphins draft room I would pound the table for him. By: Jason Sarney The Miami Dolphins gave their fans a Christmas miracle...on the 26th of December. As the saying goes, especially with a Dolphins team prone to the wild and unimaginable, “better late than never.” In a memorable moment within a franchise of unforgettable ones, the Dolphins created a memory that will live in Fins lore, forever. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Hail Mary prayer, was answered by Mack Hollins, and was assisted by a Christmas gift of a face-mask penalty on the Raiders, adding 15-yards to Hollins’ reception, thus allowing Jason Sanders to do what he does best. Split uprights when it matters most. The Dolphins beat the Raiders 26-25, in a game than could have ended, twice. In a very controversial coaching move, Jon Gruden elected to not run a touchdown in while the game was near completion. As the Raiders mathematically knew they had to return the ball to Miami, it was a time and strategy snafu that allowed The Gunslinger, Ryan Fitzpatrick to create some magic. The crafty veteran went 9/13 in relief for 182 passing yards, including the 52-yard no-look heave to set Sanders up to win it in the closing seconds. Fitzpatrick found Hollins, who minutes prior, had a drop of a would-be go-ahead touchdown right at the goal line. Hollins, who certainly made up for it, emphatically told reports following the game regarding its last few moments, “I live for this sh*t.” So do we Mack. So do we. And for the Die-Hard Miami Dolphins fans who witnessed yet another Miracle on Saturday night, the craziness and joy are far from over at 10 wins, and one game to go in a regular season nobody thought would go this way. The Dolphins victory puts them in control their own destiny mode for Week 17. Win, and in. They are also alive if certain teams lose on Sunday the 27th during the full slate of games, but to be able to say this, in a 2nd-year re-build, is simply another miracle. The game against the Raiders is one where Brian Flores, must have, and should have, clinched Coach of the Year. Here are some reasons why. Not only did he make an extremely and potentially dividing call, benching rookie Tua Tagovailoa for Ryan Fitzpatrick in the 2nd half, he made some outstanding decisions. Namely, a fake punt where Clayton Fejedelem took a direct snap 22 yards for the 1st down in the 2nd quarter, leading to a field goal by Jason Sanders. Speaking of Sanders, who went 4/4 on his field goals and 2/2 on his PATs won the game on a 44-yarder following the Fitz-Face-Mask Miracle, yet another victory from his foot for Miami in his tenure, and has already solidified himself as a legend. LEGEND. Sanders is the AFC’s only place kicker with regular work to not miss a PAT all season. Wil Lutz of the NFC and New Orleans Saints is the NFLs only other who can claim this in 2020. As we all saw last night, one point matters. The Dolphins defense came up big when then needed to, holding Las Vegas to field goal attempts where touchdowns could have been what put the game out of reach for Miami. Additionally, in the 2nd quarter Andrew Van Ginkel and Nik Needham teamed up for a huge 3rd-down sack on Derek Carr to force a punt following the loss of yardage.
Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Xavien Howard, held rookie speedster play maker, Henry Ruggs to zero catches. Howard had a stellar endzone pass-break up on a 50-yard pass intended for Ruggs. As a team, with the last second fumble recovery by Clayton Fejedelem on the final play of the game, the Dolphins extended their takeaway streak to 21 consecutive games, the longest active mark in the NFL, for the NFL's TOP team defense. This is starting to look like a team of destiny, and truly starting to be the potential building and beginning of a Dynasty…with a team that is the league’s 3rd youngest overall roster and seemingly, heading for bonus football in tournament format. The Dolphins now prepare for essentially a pre-playoff, play-off game with the rival Buffalo Bills next Sunday. A team they can face yet again, in a potential Wild Card match-up in January six or seven days later.
The Miami Dolphins work with local groups to purchase food from area restaurants to provide a minimum of 1,000 meals each weekend that will be distributed to those dealing with food insecurity.
Through these partnerships, the program generates jobs and revenue for the local restaurant industry, while employing guest services and security staff at the stadium that have been idled as a result of COVID-19-related event cancellations. This campaign is an independent effort with a collection of fan sites to raise money for this initiative up until and through Saturday, December 26th from 11:30 pm est - 8:00 pm est where there will be a running Zoom show of guests including former players, media personalities and fans from across Fin Nation. All leading up to the Dolphins Prime-time game against the Las Vegas Raiders Saturday night! An All-Pro guest list for a great cause! 100% of the proceeds will be sent to this program! Please contact @OrangeAquaman on Twitter for details! 
By: Hussam Patel
They came. They saw. They conquered. Who knew of all games, this would be the week where the running game would get going and exceed over 100 yards. The entire hype of this game was going to be how Tua did in the passing game against Bill Belichick- a daunting task was ahead of the rookie southpaw slugger. The Dark Emperor was 21-5 against rookie QBs heading into this game. Boy, we’re we all wrong. It wasn’t Tua taking over the game it was a combination of rebel maulers to pave the way for A-Wings and X-Wings. That is Salvon Ahmed, Matt Breida, Patrick Laird and Lynn Bowden JR did the dirty work behind an offensive line of Jackson, Kindley, Karras, Davis and Hunt. The unheralded way to win dropping bombs on TIE Fighters of New England and making dents large enough for its RBs to fit through the gaps and do damage. 
No I was not paid to do Marketing for Disney’s “Mandalorian” I’m simply imploring you to watch the show. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Coming into this game the Patriots were not good at Stopping the run game, giving up 2,035 rushing yards and a measly 4.5 rushing yards per game. Cam Akers, Kyler Murray, and Kenyan Drake ran over this entire defense. Gone are the days of Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour, and Tedy Bruschi where they could stop the run. The Patriots had a leaky run defense, Brian Flores and Josh Boyer took notice.
The Dolphins (9-5) beat the Patriots (6-8) because they pounded the rock and got the ever important ground game going, after struggling to rush all season, Salvon Ahmed (122 yards rushing) and Matt Breida (86) destroyed the Patriots on the ground, totaling 250 rushing yards.
Rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa rushed for two touchdowns and overcame an early interception to manage the game well enough to overcome a New England squad with a weak offense. Miami won without key offensive play-makers in: DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Jakeem Grant, Mike Gesicki and Ereck Flowers.
Historically Rookie QBs struggled against Belichick and attacking the secondary, why not change up the game plan and attack the Patriots glaring weakness, a very Belichick type of move by Flores and Gailey. As mentioned on the podcast. The Patriots could not set the edge leading to long runs by Salvon Ahmed and Matt Breida
This same game plan can be inserted in Saturday Night's Prime-time match-up against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are not effective in stopping the run and setting the edge. With an upcoming run game in Miami this will be a fearful offense in the RPO game.
Onto the Raiders. The PhinManiacs Mid-Week All-22 Coaches Film Breakdown with Jay Fiedler & Jason Sarney – NE at MIA12/23/2020 What better person is there to break down the quarterback play within a Chan Gailey offense, than an actual quarterback who played in a Chan Gailey offense? Jay Fiedler reviews the All-22 coaches film from the Dolphin's run-heavy victory against the Patriots on Sunday. Salvon Ahmed was Miami's first 100+ yard rusher of the season, led by outstanding blocking by the offensive line as well as tight ends, Durham Smythe and Adam Shaheen. Be sure to check out the guys on Twitter: @JayFiedler @OrangeAquaman Please subscribe to the PhinManiacs YouTube Channel. More fun on PhinManiacs is in store the rest of the season and beyond!
Hussam Patel and Chip Turner talk Dolphins over Patriots as well as look ahead to Week 16's must-win against the Raiders!
By: Jason Sarney Week 16 has the Miami Dolphins starting an essentially must win, "play-off" run the next two weeks in order to make the NFL post-season. They travel to Las Vegas at 9-5 to face the Raiders and here are your Fin Facts of the Week!
 By: Chip Turner In the thick of the 2020 NFL playoff race, Miami desperately needed a win Sunday against their nemesis, the New England Patriots. They went into the game without DeVante Parker, Jakeem Grant, and Mike Gesicki. And as pundits were happy to remind everyone, a rookie QB starting his first game against Belichick hadn’t won since the Cretaceous Era. And then, in a change of pace from what has been a series of surprise endings, weird twists and thrill rides in this series, the Dolphins just went out and beat the Patriots. There was no desperation in their play; they simply executed their game plan, didn’t beat themselves, and figured out how to do something their opponent couldn’t stop. In other words, they out Patrioted the Patriots. Moving forward, that’s one of the most encouraging things I’ve seen from this team, and this was the most important win Miami has had in years. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. Down 6-0 at halftime, this was a game that Miami would lose in years past. Miami had outplayed New England for all but three or four plays, but they were still being shut out. But instead of frustration, the mood seemed to be one of patience. It certainly looked like Miami’s game plan was working; that if they stayed the course, it would be okay. They did, and it was. Miami beat New England and knocked them out of the playoffs in a game that started feeling like an inevitability with a quarter left to go. It was supposed to be Tua saving the day, right? His second-half heroics last week against Kansas City last week were a sign of things to come, right? Sure, almost all of his receiving options were partially deceased, but that didn’t matter, right? Miami was going to put all of the responsibility on his shoulders, right? It was going to be Tua vs. Newton to see who could continue on a playoff run, right? Wrong. Instead, Brian Flores drew up an absolutely brilliant game plan despite an offense that was literally made up of castoffs and spare parts. In reviewing the Patriots defensively, they realized something, and then they exploited it.  New England can’t stop the run. So the Dolphins ran it. And then they ran it. And then they ran it some more. 42 rushes. 250 years. Nearly 6 yards per carry. They controlled the ball, played conservatively, and kept their playoff hopes alive. Moving forward, that’s a very bad sign for the rest of the league. Because for all of the excitement of this year, and all of the hype of the 2020 rookie QBs, there’s one question that should (and I suspect does) concern a lot of people. “If Miami’s playing this well by simply out-executing their opponents…what’s going to happen when Tua has weapons?” For now, we’ll have to be content with a playoff push into Las Vegas, where Miami looks like they’ll be a smart bet. The Monday Morning Quarterback with Jay Fiedler & Jason Sarney - Miami Defeats New England 22-12!12/21/2020 In the latest edition of The Monday Morning Quarterback, Jay breaks down the methodical play-calling and time of possession domination of the Dolphins. While the big plays and the highlights were lacking, Jay explains why most plays were nothing if not positive for this offense full of rookies and role-players. Follow Jay and Jason on Twitter and please subscribe to the PhinManiacs Channel, as plenty more content will be coming this season and in the off-season! @JayFiedler @OrangeAquaman By: Jason Sarney With a ragtag bunch of wide receivers, tight ends and running backs, Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins jumped on the back of rookie running back Salvon Ahmed and beat the New England Patriots 22 to 12. To make it even more impressive, a rookie quarterback along with three rookie offensive linemen, beat a Bill Belichick coached team while Miami was also missing a number of key offensive weapons. Wide receiver DeVante Parker joined fellow top wide-out Preston Williams on the sidelines this week as well as tight end star in the making, Mike Gesicki. Not to mention Jakeem Grant who also left a space open in the return game. Picking up the slack for Gesicki were his in-room tight end mates, Durham Smythe and Adam Shaheen, who each contributed with big plays throughout the afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium. Defensively the Dolphins once again held their opponent to under 20 points and moved to 7-1 on the year when accomplishing such a feat. Although not necessarily getting to Cam Newton via the sack that often as well as committing a number of questionable penalties throughout the game, they held him in check. The defense came up big especially defensive player of the year candidate Xavien Howard who created a major turnover by knocking the ball out of Jakobi Meyers grip following a reception. Tagovailoa started the game 7-7 and although threw an early game interception while on the doorstep of the goal-line, kept his cool and led the Dolphins to victory with two rushing touchdowns. Tagovailoa threw for 145 yards on 20 of 26 passing and those two ground touchdowns. Ahmed was a star for Miami with 122 yards on 23 rushes and a score. He had a 5.3 yards per carry average. Smythe led the way with 5 receptions and 40 yards and rookie Lynn Bowden was targeted a leading 7 times for 6 catches and 37 yards. He also added 9 rushing yards which seemed like he ran the length of the field, laterally. Miami continues to play stellar defense when it matters the most, defending their fourth quarter lead and continuing to be a top NFL team in turnover creation, 3rd-down efficiency, and scoring defense. They created two turnovers on Sunday and held New England to a mere 22% 3rd-down conversion rate. Miami dominated the time of possession 37:26 to 22:34. With having to pretty much win out the rest of the season, Miami has a road trip with a match-up against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, a day after Christmas, which was flexed to a prime-time game. This, followed by a finale Week 17 in Buffalo, which could be a meaningless game for them having already wrapped up the division. Credit needs to be given to Chan Gailey who opened up the playbook with a lot of creativity and although there were some penalties, and not a ton of points, there easily could have been 30+ points on the board if a few things went differently for the Dolphins offense. Almost more importantly than anything, this game officially ends the New England Patriot’s playoff reign and might send them in a rebuild mode unseen this century. Coach Brian Flores guarantees a winning season in his second year as a Miami Dolphins head coach, and really should be a front runner for NFL Coach of the Year now, certainly if he stamps a ticket for the Miami Dolphins to make a playoff appearance. Which that alone, is almost a Miami Miracle of 2020.  By: Jason Sarney The Miami Dolphins conclude their home schedule on Sunday with a Hard Rock Stadium match-up against the hated New England Patriots. The Dolphins are in a position to make the playoffs, but it has to start with a victory against the Bill Belichick led AFC East foes. The Dolphins sit at 8-5 with two games following Sunday's contest against the Patriots, however this team cannot look beyond Cam Newton and company. The mobile veteran quarterback carved up Miami’s defense on the ground in their Week 1 meeting for 75 rush yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also went 15 of 19 and no picks. There is plenty of confidence however, that Brian Flores and his staff can translate adjustments from the Week 1 film to the personnel on field and hope to contain the rushing attack of Newton. Yards will likely be given up, but the Miami defense is 2nd in the NFL in scoring, so the Dolphins could hold the Patriots under 20 points, and it should shock no one. Offensively, Tua Tagovailoa needs to continue his solid rookie season and keep finding the open man regardless of place on the depth chart. With receivers Preston Williams already hurt followed by injuries against Kansas City to DeVante Parker and Jakeem Grant as well as tight end Mike Gesicki, Tua found guys like Lynn Bowden and Mack Hollins in a comeback effort that just fell a bit short. With signs indicating Gesicki and Parker should play, still watch for Lynn Bowden to continue to get targets from Tua. The rookie from Kentucky, and trade acquisition earlier in the season from the Raiders after they drafted him in the 3rd round, reeled in 7 of his 9 targeted passes Sunday for 82 yards. He even attempted a rush and a pass and looked to take a sweep for yet another throw as well. Watch for more creativity with the former collegiate “Wildcat,” as a “joker” type player like Bowden is exactly the kind of spark and weapon this team needs against the Patriots. Additionally, former Patriots Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts look to return to the field after a game absence, clearly in a effort to be ready to face their former mates. Officially listed as Questionable, and limited in Friday’s practice, both need to be on the field. Newton will keep the linebackers busy, so guys like Andrew Van Ginkel, Jerome Baker and those former Pats, need to step up. 
Brandon Liguori and Hussam Patel of Phinmaniacs preview the Dolphins and Patriots match-up at Hard Rock Stadium!
Brandon Liguori and Hussam Patel are two aspiring journalists and podcasters who are each finishing up their college studies but both possess professional level knowledge!
As part of the PhinManiacs.com Varsity Program, Brandon and Hussam will be featured on PhinManiacs as writers and weekly co-hosts, bringing Dolphin Fans collegiate and professional football content daily! Please follow the guys on Twitter: Brandon at @BrandonRLiguoriand Hussam at @AirXAlpha1721 The PhinManiacs Preview Show with Carter Melrose and Jorge Hinojosa - Patriots at Dolphins12/17/2020
Carter Melrose and Jorge Hinojosa are back with their dynamic duo of a Preview Podcast highlighting Week 15's AFC East match-up with the rival New England Patriots.
Jorge comes clean about his failed prediction of a Miami win over the Chiefs and the guys discuss the significance in certain numbers in Miami history! Find the Guys on Twitter @CarterMelrose7 @FranciscoHinoPe
Ryan Roberts of Locked on Irish joins PhinManiac's Hussam Patel to talk college football playoffs and some Notre Dame Fighting Irish! Be sure to check out Ryan and his work at @lockedonirish - Daily Notre Dame Athletics podcast part of the Locked On Podcast Network hosted by @risendraft #GoIrish #RALLY #WEAREND What better person is there to break down the quarterback play within a Chan Gailey offense, than an actual quarterback who played in a Chan Gailey offense? Jay Fiedler reviews the All-22 from the Dolphins tough, but encouraging loss to the defending Super Bowl champion, Kansas City Chiefs. Jay focuses on the emergence of role players because of the numerous injuries Miami faced prior to kick-off as well as throughout the game. Lynn Bowden and Patrick Laird stepped up, in very different ways, and Jay tells us why we should expect more of the same from each on Sunday against the Patriots and the rest of the season. Be sure to check out the guys on Twitter and on www.PhinManiacs.com! @JayFiedler @OrangeAquaman Please subscribe to the Channel, as much more fun on PhinManiacs is in store the rest of the season and beyond! By: Chip Turner The holidays are here, and Miami Dolphins fans are a little more festive than usual this year. Even after a tough loss to Kansas City, even the most jaded fans are starting to understand that this Miami Dolphins team is different. Tua Tagovailoa very nearly brought the team all the way back against the reigning World Champions with a supporting cast that was dropping all around him like characters at the end of Platoon. The Dolphins have truly been a gift this year, arriving earlier than expected like a surprise album release from your favorite artist. They’re fighting for a playoff spot when most “experts” predicted them wining no more than 7 games. In exchange, I’ve put together a (hopefully) humorous list of gifts for most of the Dolphins players. For those I excluded, I wish nothing but happiness and prosperity…and more exposure, so I know what to properly wish for them next year. To Jerome Baker: The ability at any time and from anywhere, to know the exact location of his Mama. To Andrew Van Ginkel: Mjolnir. He’s clearly Asgardian and worthy of ruling.  To Tua Tagovailoa: More weapons to run a high-powered RPO, wide receivers who can get separation, and a hammer of a running back to keep opposing linebackers honest.
To Xavien Howard: Defensive Player of the Year Honors and autographed photos of himself to send to every NFL quarterback outside of Miami. Why, you ask? Because for whatever reason, they keep throwing at him as if they don’t know who he is. To Byron Jones: A secret identity, so more QBs don’t know who he is. To Nik Needham and Eric Rowe: Bigger fan clubs for the jobs they’ve done. Additionally, fruit baskets to Doug Pederson and Bill Belichick for underutilizing Eric Rowe in the first place. To OL rookies Austin Jackson, Solomon Kindley, and Robert Hunt, along with Ted Karras and Jesse Davis: A long, prosperous career together as Miami Dolphins. Seriously, you guys have no idea how long most Dolphins fans have waited for a good offensive line. To Ereck Flowers: A bit more recognition for the job he’s done turning his career around. To Raekwon Davis: More people to react to him the way Brian Flores reacted to drafting him this past April (and now we know why). To Christian Wilkins: Absolutely nothing. Christian Wilkins appears to be one of the happiest dudes I’ve ever seen. I don’t want to mess up a gift for him and potentially ruin that. To Lynn Bowden, Jr.: More opportunities. Honestly, I think that’s all he needs. To Jakeem Grant and Myles Gaskin: A lifetime supply of Stickum. We love you guys, we really do. And we want you to stick around. To Emmanuel Ogbah: A well-deserved Pro Bowl berth. To Mike Gesicki: Good health, well-wishes, and the promise that nobody ever again drops him on his head and shoulder like what happened this past Sunday ever again. To Clayton Fejedelem, Noah Igbinoghene, and Sam Eguavoen: The proper pronunciation of their last names by every NFL announcer. To DeVante Parker and Preston Williams: Healthy returns from injury this year and lots of 50/50 jump balls. To Bobby McCain: The love he deserves from Dolphins fans. Bobby McCain might be the most underrated player on the entire team. To Kyle Van Noy: More face time on NFL programming. The guy is clearly having fun this year, and we all love to watch him. To Jason Sanders: A 60 yard-plus field goal attempt. Because, seriously, we’re all curious. To Ryan Fitzpatrick: Another shot as a starting NFL QB, if that’s what he wants. Just…not in Miami, please, because that would mean bad things have happened. To Chris Grier: A lackey walking behind him at all times playing Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” on a continuous loop. I was originally going to wish for a second lackey to walk slightly behind the first with a hand cupped to his ear to hear any residual complaints, but I’m pretty sure that would be wasted at this point. To Brian Flores: Coach of the Year Honors. I tried to think of something else to gift Brian Flores, but it seems he has everything else under control. He’s already given Dolphins fans the best present they’ve had in years; a fun, ascending team that is a joy to watch in development. Along those lines; last but not least: To Steven Ross: I’m not entirely certain there’s a lot I could wish for the multi-billionaire this year that he doesn’t already have. But come back next year, because there’s this trophy named after some “Lombardi” guy he might have a realistic shot at raising in February of 2022. What better person is there to break down the quarterback play within a Chan Gailey offense, than an actual quarterback who played in a Chan Gailey offense? Jay Fiedler reviews the All-22 from the Dolphins tough, but encouraging loss to the defending Super Bowl champion, Kansas City Chiefs. Jay focuses on the emergence of role players because of the numerous injuries Miami faced prior to kick-off as well as throughout the game. Lynn Bowden and Patrick Laird stepped up, in very different ways, and Jay tells us why we should expect more of the same from each on Sunday against the Patriots and the rest of the season. Be sure to check out the guys on Twitter and on www.PhinManiacs.com! @JayFiedler @OrangeAquaman Please subscribe to the Channel, as much more fun on PhinManiacs is in store the rest of the season and beyond! https://www.youtube.com/phinmaniacs By: Jason Sarney The Dolphins hold a 56-54 record against New England in the all-time series (including playoffs). Miami and New England have split the season series in 6 of the last 7 seasons. Currently, they have split 3 years in a row. Miami lost to NE Week 1.
 Photo Credit: Miami Dolphins Media Department
By: Hussam Patel Heading into the Chiefs game the Miami Dolphins were down their #2 WR in Preston Williams, Down 3 starting RBs in Myles Gaskin, Matt Breida and Salvon Ahmed. The defense was doing its part in the first half limiting Patrick Mahomes and picking him off twice even without their starting two LBs, Elandon Roberts and Kyle Van Noy. Miami was up by 10 towards the end of the first quarter; a historically great first quarter team throughout this season. Then came the gloom and doom. Bobby McCain was taken off the field to check on a hit to his head being in Concussion protocol, leading to Clayton Fejedelem being on the field. The chiefs feasted on that with Tyreek Hill taking a 32 yard sweep for a TD. Later on, in the 3rd Quarter Bobby McCain was down on the field with a leg injury and Fejedelem was in again. The Chiefs pounced on it once again leading to a DEEP TD to Hill where Fejedelem was burned. The Chiefs pounced on these “opportunities” the Dolphins gave them. On the flip side Miami did little with the opportunities Kansas City gave them. With the first pick Patrick Mahomes threw, Byron Jones took a tipped ball and almost lost the fumble, thankfully recovered by Miami. The offense sputtered and an unfortunate FG was missed by Captain Clutch Jason Sanders. The Second pick was taken by Eric Rowe- Tua ended up missing DVP for the TD and did not read Jakeem Grant coming on the crosser for a walk-in TD. As mentioned, the Chiefs then scored to make it 7-10. Jakeem oh Jakeem, every week there seems to be a bonehead play where the entire stadium and fan-base reeks with disappointment. On a 3rd and 7, Tua escapes the pocket wonderfully and throws a deep pass to Jakeem where it bounces of his chest and into the arms of Tyrann Mathieu. The first ever INT of Tua’s career. You know the story; the Chiefs went up 21-10 towards the beginning of the 3rd Quarter. Stop me if you have heard the Chiefs routinely coming from behind and winning the game. The Injuries piled up, DVP out with a leg injury, Jakeem Grant with a hamstring and after Gesicki’s second TD of the game was taken out with an injury to his shoulder/collarbone (yet to be determined). The remaining weapons for Tua? Lynn Bowden, Malcolm Perry, Antonio Calloway, DeAndre Washington, Patrick Laird, Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe. Tua did not care who was on the field, He did not care who he was playing, He cared about winning and did his best to make a miraculous comeback against the defending Super Bowl Champions: The Daunting Kansas City Chiefs. Once again, the Rookies stepped up. Per Travis Wingfield “Rookies accounted for 45.6 percent of the Dolphins offensive snaps in yesterday's game. Tagovailoa, Hunt and Kindley played 83 each. Austin Jackson played 75, Lynn Bowden Jr. played 59 and Malcolm Perry played 33.” Lynn Bowden Jr. played 71% of MIA's snaps against KC. He was targeted 9 times for 7 receptions & 82 yards. 6 of those receptions led to 1st downs. Our foundation is being built and certainly was out to the test. The 3 rookie OL are the building block of our offensive line. Bowden Jr is our future slot WR, Tua is already our QB.  With everything going against this team, this offense- Tua and the Offense did all they could with a nice help from Xavien Howard, Raekwon Davis, Zach Sieler and Josh Boyer's elite defense. Tua was cooking in the spread offense hitting whoever could catch the ball and even scoring himself
Unfortunately, he did all he could- the Dolphins were playing the Chiefs after all, a prolific offense which carried out a long drive to ice the game with a Field goal- a two possession game which ensured a victory. The crazy thing is The Dolphins scored more points than the Chiefs offensively. The Chiefs relied on a Punt Return TD. Tua did make mistakes as previously said, rookie mistakes you could say, but mistakes that can be easily fixed with more reps and playing time. Coach Flores said it best “I thought bringing us back. putting together some TD drives there in the 4th quarter. i thought that was good. there were obviously some throws we could've made, that he didn't. but i think overall i think he played well. he took a step in the right direction.” Indeed, he did. Could you imagine if the Dolphins had all their weapons, like the Chiefs did- Miami was remarkably close to winning this game. If this Dolphins team wants to make noise in the playoffs this year and especially next year, the offense will need its play-makers and an even better more experienced Tua which will happen. For now, enjoy the growth of the Southpaw slugger, an Elite defense, a competent coaching staff and a possible playoff run in Year 1 of a rebuild. Onto the Patriots. |
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