There was the suggestion the day after their season, proper inside their locker room, that the Miami Dolphins had taken good steps towards one thing large as a result of they took large steps towards beating the Buffalo Bills twice in closing month.
“We took them right down to the end twice,’ linebacker Jerome Baker said. “You want to win those, but we feel we’re getting to be in a good place now.”
It made sense then, and nonetheless does concerning the Dolphins being nearly step-for-step with Buffalo. It’s what that conclusion signifies that’s wants adjusting after this weekend.
Just like that on Sunday, Buffalo regarded like a bunch of working stiffs. Just like that, the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t simply win, however toyed with Buffalo in a means that exhibits how the playoffs outline every part.
The AFC is a quarterback gauntlet, simply as marketed. Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, one nice and one shifting there, had been knocked out this weekend.
Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes meet once more within the AFC Championship Game. They’re ruthless. That’s the one method to say it. They appear designed to play the place in the best way race automobiles are designed for velocity.
Burrow was 9-for-9 and threw touchdowns to wide-open receivers on Cincinnati’s two opening drives. He appeared to be like a child taking part in in Buffalo’s snow the remainder of the best way.
Mahomes suffered an ankle sprain that may really feel like a ball and chain within the championship recreation. He nonetheless beat Jacksonville on one leg. He nonetheless carries all of the hope for Kansas City making the Super Bowl.
That’s how the dialog seems to be to be for the subsequent decade, the AFC being a convention the place you must beat a fantastic quarterback by having a fantastic quarterback of your individual and a protection to assist out.
In the NFC, San Francisco is using rookie Brock Purdy to the championship recreation in opposition to a Philadelphia crew with Jalen Hurts and highly effective line play. This is the opposite method to construct, although its the fallback play if you happen to take a look at it.
San Francisco traded three first-round picks to maneuver up and draft their designated nice quarterback in Trey Lance. The solely drawback is Lantz was a dud, then acquired damage. Purdy is a shock to date.
So this isn’t a profitable blueprint by the 49ers as a lot because the type of enjoyable story that occurs generally in sports activities. It did in one other era with Tom Brady, a fifth-round decide, and Kurt Warner, who went from the sector league to the Hall of Fame. Maybe Purdy is a type of. Maybe he’s a one-season marvel. It’s too early to say.
The AFC isn’t the NFC. It has nice quarterbacks to the purpose the one query in locations like Buffalo is the crew round them. That’s the actual downer for the Dolphins on this method Buffalo didn’t compete with Cincinnati in a 27-10 loss.
Maybe the Bills will probably be motivated now to repair some apparent issues just like the over-reliance on Allen. He’s by no means had a operating recreation. He has solely common receivers, as signing Cole Beasley in January reminded everybody.
The Dolphins confirmed Buffalo’s issues of their playoff recreation by sacking Allen seven occasions and forcing him into three turnovers. Allen nonetheless put up 34 factors. Cincinnati held him to a season-low 10 factors.
It helped the protection to play forward the entire recreation. Burrow performed behind three reserves on the offensive line, together with each starters, and took aside Buffalo’s protection from the beginning.
This was to be Buffalo’s January, many thought again in September.
“Just because we lost to the Bengals, it doesn’t diminish the type of team that we know we have,” stated Buffalo edge rusher Von Miller, who missed the final month with a knee damage. “We have a really good team. Our window is still open, and brighter days are definitely ahead for us.”
They do have a extremely good crew. It’s simply not a fantastic one. Cincinnati and Kansas City, led by Burrow and Mahomes, meet for the second straight season to go to the Super Bowl.
Every week in the past, the Dolphins appeared near the mountaintop, as a result of they performed a rookie quarterback and misplaced an in depth playoff recreation to Buffalo. But every part adjustments rapidly within the playoffs. Now there’s one other mountaintop, and possibly two or three, on the market to climb.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com