The Miami Dolphins are chasing something never done before

The 5-0 Miami Dolphins have turned into one of the most dangerous buzz saws in the NFL over the past month, they are on such a tear that only New England (7-0) has a longer winning streak in the entire NFL. Through adversity this team has found life and is performing to the expectations that were originally set out at the beginning of the year, but is it already too late? After all the 2021 Miami Dolphins are chasing after something that has never been done before.

No NFL team has ever made the playoffs after a 1-7 start, and I’ll take it a step further because no team has even finished with a winning record after starting like this. The Dolphins currently sit at 6-7 after winning 5 straight, and the rest of the schedule includes the Jets, Saints, Titans, and Patriots. A road that could be seen as the perfect set up to finish the season strong, but a road that could also be seen as the perfect set up for the Dolphins to you know… Dolphin.

However there are many good signs that point towards option number 1 being more realistic, starting with the fact that many of the teams that start with a 1-7 record are most likely headed to a #1 pick in the draft. Or scratch up a couple wins to end the season on a good note, but the Dolphins have done a complete and sudden 180 on all fronts in the middle of the season.

And why could that be? There’s a lot of factors that play into it but the most important detail here is that Miami was built to be a tough out and possible playoff contender. A physical team who will make your life miserable when they are on defense, and a team who is not going to be flashy but efficient enough on offense to drive the ball down the field without too many mistakes.

Injuries, tough scheduling, questionable coaching decisions, and drama surrounding the Dolphins had a big hit on the overall morale in the locker room. And this was to be confirmed with the product that was put out on the field. Now that a lot of the noise, drama, and most serious injuries are out of the way, Miami is playing like the team we thought they would be.

But can Miami reach the playoffs? or finish above .500? It’s important we don’t get too ahead of ourselves, after all the Dolphins have caught fire during the weakest stretch of their schedule, and after the next game against the Jets the level of competition will increase drastically. So for that it’s important to understand who we are and who we are not.