The Miami Dolphins stood toe to toe with the Buffalo Bills for three-plus quarters and were in position to seize control of momentum in the fourth before deja vu struck. A devastating roughing the punter penalty led to a deficit, and an interception prevented them from getting back in the game, as the squad left Highmark Stadium with a 31-21 loss. Valiant efforts on the road count the same in the standings, and the Fins are now 0-3.
Fans long for the days when Miami's biggest problem was its inability to beat top-tier competition. In a cruel twist, that longstanding issue compounded the team's most pressing concern on Thursday night: missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Last season, everyone could point to Tua Tagovailoa's health as the major reason for the franchise's unsuccessful 8-9 campaign. Now, the worry is that the Dolphins may be broken beyond repair.
Though, testing a Super Bowl contender like the Bills on their own field provides some hope that this group can save its season. Tyreek Hill summed up Miami's situation after the loss.
“Do you want to be remembered for throwing in the towel?” the five-time First-Team All-Pro wide receiver told the media, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, after recording five receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. “Or do you want to be remembered as the team that started 0-3 and turned it around?”
The Dolphins are not dead yet
Hill is an ironic candidate to light a fire under the Dolphins, considering he threw in the towel himself late last season. The man literally said “I'm out.” Players are completely justified in rolling their eyes and scoffing at the legally-embattled 31-year-old, but they must devote their energy to the gridiron. Miami proved it could compete with one of the best teams the NFL has to offer. Now, it has to make that one or two extra plays to secure a victory.
The October slate affords the Dolphins an opportunity to escape the basement. They welcome in the New York Jets next Sunday and also face the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns (all winless) in the next month. Regardless of Tyreek Hill's credibility, his point stands. Miami is at a crossroads. How the franchise proceeds this year could determine its long-term trajectory.
