Miami interim coach Dan Campbell stood in front of his team three weeks ago, before his first significant team meeting as coach, and said, “Thirty-seven to three. Who knows what that is?” No one raised a hand.
That, Campbell said, is the score of the Miami games in the first quarter this year—37-3 in favor of the opposition. A big reason, obviously, why the Dolphins were 1-3, and why Joe Philbin got fired and why the 39-year-old Campbell was now in charge.
This morning, if he so chose, Campbell could say to his men, “Thirty-one to three. Who knows what that is?” And he could tell them that’s the first-quarter score of the two games since he’s taken over—this time in Miami’s favor. I’ve watched a good deal of Miami’s decisive wins over Tennessee and Houston (Dolphins 82, Foes 36), and Miami has come out on fire for both games, playing smart and with intensity.
That’s going to be a vital part of what they do Thursday night in Foxboro, when the 3-3 Dolphins try to shock the world and the 6-0 Patriots. It’s almost unfair, trying to beat the best team in football with very little practice and very little of what has made Miami so good against two struggling opponents so far. New England might be tired, but the Patriots certainly won’t be struggling.
