The Miami Dolphins lost another big game against a team with a winning record in Week 18, dropping them to 1-5 on the season in those scenarios.
“I don’t think it’s a funk. I think it’s reality,” head coach Mike McDaniel said candidly after the Sunday Night Football loss to the Buffalo Bills that surrendered the division.
He went on, explaining: “[I’ve] said time and time again, I get out in front of narratives because you know that they’re going to exist because it’s reactionary. So, if you lose to two good teams down the stretch, you leave yourself vulnerable for people to say that you can’t beat good teams, which will be the case until you do.”
McDaniel added that his personal “opinion” on that narrative is “irrelevant.” He finished the response by seemingly challenging his players to end it themselves and “do something about it” — aka, beat a good team.
Dolphins Can Change Narrative vs. Chiefs in Wildcard Round
That’s where the Kansas City Chiefs come in. The Dolphins will travel to KC to face the defending Super Bowl champions at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, January 13.
That’s a daunting task for most NFL franchises in itself, but an added factor could be the weather. Obviously, Miami is used to playing in warmer temperatures, while Kansas City can be frigid at certain points of the year. Next weekend appears to be one of those times, as reported forecasts predict a temperature near or below 0°F with “winds at 10-15 MPH.”
Some have noted a potential real feel temperature below -15°F on Saturday night due to wind chill. Needless to say, that could be an issue for a warm-weather franchise.
Having said that, it’s put up or shut up time for the Dolphins, as McDaniel alluded. With an upset victory over the Chiefs in Kansas City, Miami can put a stop to this narrative once and for all, while also advancing to the final four of the AFC.
Week 18 didn’t make the Dolphins’ Super Bowl hopes any easier, but it didn’t end their season either. In order to complete a special campaign, they must now flip their record against winning teams with a 4-0 sprint to the Lombardi Trophy.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel Provides Early Injury Updates on Jaylen Waddle & Raheem Mostert
The Dolphins chose to sit offensive playmakers Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert against the Bills.
“They were pretty close [to playing],” McDaniel admitted after the game. “But both situations [were] very, very vulnerable to [Week 18] being their last game if they were to [reinjure themselves].”
The early playoff prognosis from the Dolphins HC regarding Waddle and Mostert revolved around one word: “Optimistic.”
There was no guarantee, but if they were as close to playing as McDaniel hinted, one more week without setbacks could do the trick in getting them back onto the field. He was less hopeful about linebacker Cameron Goode — who left the outing with injury.
“Cam Goode [injury] doesn’t appear promising,” McDaniel stated on the evening of January 7.
He also relayed that he’ll find out more about outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel’s new ailment on Monday, January 8.
If the Dolphins are going to turn things around and go on a run, they’ll need to get healthy first. That’s been a challenge in recent weeks, as the injury list has generally been long and jam-packed with key names.
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Mike McDaniel Gets Brutally Honest About Dolphins Record vs. Winning Teams