– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY — In describing what was needed from everyone in the Miami Dolphins’ locker room to dig out of his team’s canyon-sized 1-6 hole it dug itself, defensive end Zach Sieler stated that he and his teammates had to embrace a state of “delusional confidence” to keep the task at hand in salvaging their season. Judging by the four straight wins they’ve reeled off, the Dolphins might very well be one of the most confident teams in the National Football League.
And/or the most delusional.
Either way, the fantasy that was aspiring of a playoff spot at the end of October is all of a sudden far from a pipe dream down the home stretch.
On a chilly-yet-fair afternoon, Miami turned up the heat on the ground to the tune of 239 rushing yards as the Dolphins trounced the New York Jets 34-10 inside MetLife Stadium. Tua Tagovailoa, notoriously ineffective during his career in cold weather games, went 13-for-21 for 127 yards and a first-quarter touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle, while Miami’s defense amassed eight sacks — 2.5 by Sieler.
The Dolphins have now won five of their last six games to move within a game of the .500 mark, and a loss today by the Indianapolis Colts now moves the Dolphins to within two games of the final AFC Wild Card spot with four games remaining.
Statistically, it might not have been our biggest game, but regardless, just to be able to [manufacture] that type of success on the ground, that’s December football and that’s how you win,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said. “So, being able to execute when they know it’s coming is what you’re trying to work towards the whole season. So, it was good to see the guys do that and very proud of that team effort in that regard.”
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