Five Things I Think About the Miami Dolphins – Week 12

paste (verb) – to defeat by a large margin

It’s the time of year to look inward and show gratitude for the good in our lives and, as Dolphins fans, that’s sometimes really hard to do.

But not today.

Not this day.

Let’s all take a minute to be thankful for something that doesn’t get acknowledged enough around here: New England is trash.

I, and all Fins fans, had to suffer through decades of watching Tom Brady and whatever gaggle of secret murderers they trotted out with him just run roughshod all over the league, converting every single 4th and 1 with a QB sneak despite it being the most obvious play in the history of mankind. Since Brady’s left, they’ve gone through Cam Newton, Brian Hoyer, Macaroni and Jones, Bailey Zappe, Jacoby Brissett, and now Drake Maye.

All the while, the Tua-led Dolphins are, after Sunday’s 34-15 win, 7-0 against them.

If you can’t find thanks in your heart for that, you probably have atherosclerosis.

Tight ends need to be a focus on both sides of the ball

Free agent acquisition Jonnu Smith started out slowly in his role for Miami, but has come on strong as of late. After going over 100 yards for the first time last week, he hauled in another 9 recs for 87 yds and 1 TD against the *Patriots, showing a newfound trust between himself and Tagovailoa.

Mike McDaniel hasn’t used his tight ends particularly effectively since taking over the head coaching job, but Smith is becoming the exception and production like his will hopefully end up the rule.

It’s true that Durham Smythe has disappeared, but as long as Smith is making the most of the targets he’s allotted when the defense’s focus is on Tyreek Hill (and/or Jaylen Waddle and/or De’Von Achane), I’ll take it.

My main squeeze Julian Hill had an almost fumble, but showed up with some nice blocking in the run game. He had a decent, though not statistically standout, game last week too. Despite the fun I poke at him, he’s young, so he has time on his side to get the missed assignments, penalties, and fumbles (or almosts) out of his system. It’s obvious that he’s supplanted Smythe at this point, so here’s to hoping that his recent weeks are a sign of things to come.

Now, on the other side of the ball, as Bob Dylan asked: How many years must a man watch the Dolphins cover tight ends poorly before he can pick a new team?

Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry, aka Marley and Marley, combined for 9 recs, 103 yds, and 1 TD. After being jackslapped by Brock Bowers the week prior, you’d think that Anthony Weaver and the Dolphins’ defense would have focused on neutralizing a position of pain. But, at this point, it’s been a problem since the Dolphin on the logo wore a leather helmet, so maybe there’s just no fixing it.

Of course, if (when) they play a team with a game plan to exploit that weakness, it’s likely to knock them out of the playoffs since their margin of error is so slim from here on out.

Maybe some pilgrims will bring them a cornucopia full of answers.

Linebackers are a critical group

Speaking of players who spend a lot of their time patrolling the middle of the field: linebackers!

David Long was unceremoniously demoted from Captain to casualty when he was cut on November 13th. In his place, Anthony Walker stepped in and was solid, if not spectacular.

Sunday, Walker went down with an injury, the details of which aren’t clear beyond ‘hamstring’, but it was non-contact, which is always a cause for more concern. In his place, Tyrel Dodson stepped in and was pretty impressive, for an admittedly small sample size.

Dodson had 5 tks, 1 PBU, and a one-handed INT. He’s only been on the team for a couple weeks, but the early returns look promising. Maybe he can finally become the field general type that Miami’s been missing for so long.

A girl can dream.

Dodson being signed on November 12th and getting live reps on November 24th begs the question: How bad is Channing Tindall?

He was one of the preseason’s darlings and has totally evaporated.

If Miami is going to extend their three game winning streak, make the playoffs, and maybe make some noise once they’re in, they’re going to need the linebacking corps to elevate their play to match that of the dominating D-line and smothering secondary.

It isn’t looking like Tindall will be part of that elevation, but Dodson could be on his way.

In other defensive-players-elevating-their-play news:

Chop is starting to pork

Yeah, that’s the headline I went with and I’m not changing it now.

Rookie rusher Chop Robinson continued his improved play, tallying 4 tks, 1.5 sacks, 1 TFL, and 3 QB hits. He also had a sack fumble overturned into an incomplete pass and generally was in Drake Maye’s face for a sizeable chunk of the day.

He won with what is perhaps becoming a Cam Wake-esque speed move, but also showed another dimension with a bull rush that saw success. For a guy who some might consider undersized, that’s a great thing to witness.

Naysayers will point out that the linemen he was against aren’t very good. That’s true. But any rookie (or a player of any experience, for that matter) showing improvement week-to-week will take an ‘easy’ game to keep building confidence. All you can do is beat who they line up across from you and beat them Chop did.

He chopped them, if you will.

You won’t?

I don’t care, I don’t even know you.

The Fins’ window is now (ish)

“That seems like a ludicrous statement.” you mumble through your gravy engorged maw.

Well, allow me to justify myself. It’s the holidays.

Coming into this season, the Dolphins were built to ‘win now’. They had a bunch of veterans, a bunch of big contracts, a coach with a new extension, and recent success (read: high expectations).

Despite Tua’s injuries, and the resulting poor play of all non-Tua-led squads, they’re still built that way. If injuries can be staved off and the team can play complementary football like they did against New England against teams that aren’t vying for the first overall pick, they have the talent to compete with anyone.

Of course, they didn’t do that for a good portion of this year and are currently sub .500, so ifs, buts, candy, nuts, and so on.

The (maybe sad, depending on your POV) thing is, this is likely almost the exact team that the front office will roll with next season. Their ‘win now’ mode goes through 2025. If it doesn’t work out by then, it could head any number of ways. But until then, I expect much of the same.

The upside of that is that even if Miami manages to flounder (see what I did there? I hate it, you hate it; move on) to close out this season, we fans can at least look for positive changes that can carry over into next year.

Hopefully we won’t have to resort to silver lining hunting. But that possibility hinges on just a few games, such as:

Thursday is crucial

Let me start by saying that Thanksgiving games are a tradition steeped in the hallowed grease of millions of absolutely sopping turduckens. We have to have them. It’s our right as idiots.

That said, Thursday night games as a general concept are terrible. Miami is going to come off a win against the *Patriots where they tried their damndest to sit starters and save some wear and tear. Skylar Thompson was having none of that and it didn’t end up working out, but it’s a weakness in the system that the team has to plan for that in the first place.

Sure, with a big enough lead, they’d have tried to sit guys even if the next game was a week away, but the fact that there are only three days off in between weighs heavily. It makes for worse football and I have to imagine more injuries.

Alas, no matter how much we dislike Thursday night games or do like Thanksgiving games, Miami’s got one. Heading to Lambeau Field in late November is likely a recipe for some chilly temperatures and is certainly a chance for MM to wear history’s dumbest shirt (I own 31).

The Packers don’t feel like a good team to me even though everything says they are. That’s based on absolutely nothing other than not having watched them at all this season. I’m sure they’re good. I’m at least sure they’re way better than New England. And they’re at home in the winter in a prime time game on a short week. That’s a lot of situational variables working against the Fins.

So, just go win fellas.

That’s it. Just score more points than they do and, if you do that, there’s a stronger chance you make the playoffs.

I’m not sure anyone told you that before now.

If they haven’t and that’s all it takes for you to succeed, just remember to give thanks to this guy.

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side? Which one do you refuse to eat? What species of birds do you stuff into each other for your family’s main course? Commit avicide in the comments below.