The Dolphins Nightmare Has Just Begun

Rich Storry. Getty Images.

As much as I’m enjoying the Miami Dolphins finally beating the Bills, I’d be doing a complete disservice if I didn’t address the elephant in the room. This all stems back to when we beat the living piss out of the Falcons earlier in the year and I said that game felt like one of those wins that could spark a run, one that would inevitably come back to bite us. And unfortunately, my worst nightmare seems to be coming true.

I know we just lost to the Ravens last week, but our next three games are against the Commanders, Saints, and Jets. Now, I understand we’re in no position to chalk up automatic wins, God knows being a Dolphins fan has humbled us all, but it’s very possible we win those three. That would put us at 6-7 (and yes, I hate that “six and seven” trend more than life itself). The only thing worse than being associated with the most viral record in America is realizing that we’re one win away from football purgatory, not good enough to win big, not bad enough to rebuild.

I’ve seen this movie before. We’ll destroy all the bottom feeder teams, get hyped again, and the fan base will convince themselves that McDaniel deserves another year and that Tua can still be “the guy” if we just give him XYZ. Then, come next season, we’ll be right back here, masters of mediocrity. The proof is in the pudding, and the pudding has been served cold for decades.

As much as I’m enjoying this win, we cannot let it become a rallying cry to justify running back a broken system. I’m not trying to piss on the parade, I’m trying to protect us from delusion and the inevitable heartbreak. Stephen Ross, please understand: beating the Bills might feel like our Super Bowl, but it’s nowhere close to winning the real one.