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And over the hump we go....

phins_4_ever

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Not sure where to start. This loss was definitely as devastating as any loss. Probably more so than any loss this season and that includes Detroit and Packers. But as devastating as this loss was it gives me so much more confidence.

First of all the loss came at a place which is almost impossible to win this year. The Broncos are 6-0 for a reason at home. They are maybe beatable away but they rule at home.

Secondly the loss came against a QB who is well known to put up big numbers and have stellar games like that known for 4th quarter comebacks and known for picking defenses apart He is Peyton Manning for a reason.

Thirdly it was a freakish failure. One of the best running Ds vs one of the worst running Os. Usually no match there but that's why it was so freakish.

This game has given me more hope and confidence than I ever had. In a season you always look for a signature game (win or loss) or that one game which will define a season. We always thought that it may have been the win over SD, the loss against the Pack or Lions. Some people even thought that London was our game. Statistically they may be right. But from a point of emotions: this was it.

I don't think you can pinpoint this loss on any one player or any one play or any one play call or any one bad call by the refs. It was a combo effort of rise and shine and **** the bed together. This game was more of an avalanche. You push the snowball down the hill and it keeps growing. That is what happened in the second half especially in the fourth quarter. But to see the light at the end of the tunnel you have to look in between the plays sometimes. This game has taught me a couple things:

This D will never get embarrassed like this again. Ever. The absurdity of one of the worst rushing attacks having their best game against one of the best rushing Ds - will not happen again. For the D it was the game they will not forget like other games. They will remember it and make it never happen again. The injuries didn't help but I won't use them as excuse.

I always said before I declare Tannehill a franchise QB I want to see him in a shootout when the team and the rest of the O relies on him. I always meant for it to be a win but even in a loss you see the glory. On offense we played statistically a great game and if you look at just the score and the loss you say "wow". If you look at the first half and the second half you see two different offenses. The first half was almost like out of the twilight zone (positive). But as good as the first half the second half was almost just as bad. But instead of pointing at this or that and look for individual performances it was a combo of things and the rise of the Denver D. But as bad as the second half was I saw at the end something which put this game in a total different perspective. It was a QB who with 3 minutes left to go and 11 points down took charge and said" no way will we lose this game". The wheels came off and we were tumbling but instead of just folding we tried the impossible. You knew from the first pass thrown that there is a QB who is fighting against this loss. There was no fiddling around with play calls. There was our avalanche. A quick strike offense who went over 80 yards in less than 1 1/2 minutes. By the end of the drive I have seen enough to finally declare that he will be the QB of the future.

We have to realize that we were essentially an onside kick away from taking this game back. There is no way that we would have gone for just a FG, not with a minute and a half left. The onside kick was the greatest play by the Broncos (or our worst).

Most have expected that we lose this game anyways. Most have seen us lose this game by double digits. At the end this team gave me more confidence than ever. They will come out against the Jets on fire. I do expect a 4-1 the rest of the way. But I do think that we will not just have a fair chance in NE but a real possibility of an upset.

At the end of the season you will look back at this game and realize that it was THIS heartbreaking loss which changeD the Miami Dolphins to the better, not just for this year but for years to come.
 
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