“Can I get an, ‘Amen?’ “
Christian Wilkins was preaching late Sunday afternoon, brothers and sisters, however earlier than he talked about this nastiest Miami Dolphins win, earlier than he addressed the grittiest little goal-line stand or the glory of this 3-0 begin, he requested one thing himself.
“Come on, can I get an, ‘Amen!’” the Dolphins defensive sort out requested once more.
“Amen!” the assembled media mentioned.
“Thank you,” Wilkins mentioned.
Sunday’s 21-19 win over Buffalo, the place the Dolphins practiced what they preached, most likely deserves one thing extra, too. Hallelujah? Lord have mercy?
For the primary time in years — or a long time relying the way you body — the Dolphins received the sort of recreation within the sort of scheduling stretch that claims they belong within the dialog of contenders. That’s it. That’s the hallelujah second.
They’ve now overwhelmed New England, Baltimore and top-of-the-heap Buffalo of their first three video games, and that’s pretty much as good a line-up as any staff has put down to date. They weren’t electrical Sunday. They had been simply ok in opposition to their most necessary measuring stick proper now.
Buffalo had drives longer than some tv mini-series. Fourteen performs. Twenty performs. And then crucial of all, a 17-play collection late within the fourth quarter, the place that they had first-and-goal on the Miami 2-yard line and trailing 21-17.
“We made four plays,”’ Wilkins mentioned.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen then received the ball once more with 1:33 left and simply needing a discipline purpose because of a Dolphins punt that ricocheted off a Dolphins participant into a security. Most groups don’t survive Allen getting two cracks like that. Defensive coordinator Josh Boyer’s protection did.
“It was exhilarating, man,” security Jevon Holland mentioned.
So one thing has modified. This protection has grown up from the staff that received dragged across the discipline on the finish of final season in Tennessee. This staff has modified, too, after dropping seven straight video games to Buffalo.
“It was special for everyone involved in that regard, as special as a Week 3 regular-season game can be,” first-year coach Mike McDaniel mentioned. “I will say that much, but we know that we’re going to see them again. If they at all took us lightly at all, I promise you they won’t again, so we’re going to get their best shot. That’s a really, really, really good football team.”
Don’t child your self. Buffalo put up profitable numbers Sunday: 90 performs to the Dolphins’ 39 performs; 497 complete yards to the Dolphins’ 212 yards; 40 minutes and 40 seconds time of possession to the Dolphins’ 19:20. You’d take these numbers each Sunday and win most each recreation.
The Dolphins received Sunday. They made simply sufficient massive performs to take the day. Holland blitzing Allen right into a fumble and Melvin Ingram recovering on the Buffalo 6-yard line to arrange a landing? Tua Tagovailoa getting back from damage for a 45-yard throw to Jaylen Waddle on third-and-22 to arrange one other landing?
“I was wishing and hoping I was open,” Waddle mentioned.
Players had been dropping particularly on the Buffalo facet, largely from the warmth. Buffalo misplaced 13 gamers from the beginning of the sport, reinforcing {that a} Dolphins house recreation in September is the most important home-field benefit in sports activities. Buffalo already had their whole secondary out with accidents, too.
The Dolphins misplaced gamers, too, and the day turned nasty because it went on. Allen was flagged for a private foul late within the recreation. What occurred?
“Just football stuff,” he mentioned.
That was the complete day. Just soccer stuff. Allen is a beast, passing for 400 yards, operating for 46 extra and getting two possibilities within the remaining minutes to win the sport — and never profitable. There’s little doubt he’ll be ready on the finish of October when the Dolphins go to Orchard Park. And that’s good. It means this rivalry can imply one thing once more.
“This is one game,” Allen mentioned. “We’ll learn from this one tomorrow, take it on the chin and again prepare for next week.”
The Dolphins will be taught, too. They’re believers. But then most Dolphins groups have been believers during the last couple of a long time till outcomes present them in any other case. This begin suggests one thing totally different is occurring.
They beat heavyweight Buffalo.
“A good win,” Tagovailoa mentioned.
They’re 3-0.
“Three-and-oh is not our goal,” Wilkins mentioned.
They’re first place within the AFC East.
“You don’t want to do yourself a disservice and fall short of your potential,” McDaniel mentioned.
Yes, it’s September and there’s an extended method to go. But when’s the final time you can say the Dolphins needed to be talked about among the many contenders for something however the No. 1 choose within the draft? When’s the final yr you appeared forward on the good potentialities?
Can I get an, “Amen?”
“AMEN!”
Thank you.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com