Nobody streaks quite like the Dolphins of Miami. It’s not enough for them to simply win a game here and lose a game there. They have to string wins and losses together like they’re going out of fashion.
At this time last season, the Dolphins were being praised for an incredible seven-game winning streak that vaulted them into playoff contention after a 1-7 start to the season — never mind the seven-game losing streak that put them in a hole to begin with. They were finally playing winning football, and Brian Flores was earning Coach of the Year consideration.
Ultimately, they missed out on the playoffs, going 1-1 over the final two weeks to finish the season 9-8. But the stage was thought to be set for a bigger and better year in 2022.
Well, that bigger and better was here for a few weeks. Then, it wasn’t. A continuing case of the streaks is threatening to end this season exactly how last season ended for Miami. New head coach Mike McDaniel, who has also been brought up in Coach of the Year discussions, doesn’t have an answer for what ails Miami.
The Dolphins started this year 3-0 before Tua Tagovailoa’s head injuries brought an equalizing three-game losing streak. Then, in his return, they ripped off five straight wins to reach 8-3 and come close to realizing all that was missed in the previous year.
But one streak of five games in a season isn’t quite to the standards of Miami. So they dug in and really went for it, and after Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots, the Dolphins are losers of five straight games. Now, they’re 8-8 and facing the incredible scenario of finishing this season exactly how last season finished: 9-8 and out of the playoffs.
Dolphins this season
3 straight wins
3 straight losses
5 straight wins
5 straight losses pic.twitter.com/DDDkxpTytF— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 1, 2023
That’s because their postseason fate is out of their hands. The Dolphins need a win over the Jets in Week 18, a game they’re favored to win but can’t write-in as a win. Especially considering they could be without both Tagovailoa and backup Teddy Bridgewater. The Jets beat Miami 40-17 in Week 5. The Dolphins also need the Patriots to lose to Buffalo, which is another likely but non-guaranteed scenario.
If Miami doesn’t win, their losing streak will reach six games to close the year. It’ll be almost the same length of the losing streak that doomed them in 2021.
