3 sneaky keys to victory for the Miami Dolphins over the Bengals
By Matt Serniak
And just like that, week four is here. The Miami Dolphins played and won one of the more improbable victories an NFL team has ever earned. Three days ago the Miami Dolphins defeated the 2022 Super Bowl champion Buffalo Bills after they got outgained, got outplayed(number of plays is what I mean here), and out statisticed(new word?). The only place the Dolphins had more than the Bills was the final score. Turns out, that one is rather important.
The Miami Dolphins have been the talk of the league, for a multitude of reasons, since Sunday. But, that is in the past. We’re on to Cincinnati and we’re on to them real quick.
Trap game, letdown game, game where your defense is still dead tired because they essentially played two games on one day. Those phrases are what are being thrown around when discussing the Miami Dolphin’s chances on Thursday against a Bengals team that finally looked like the team that went to the Super Bowl last year. Sure, it was against the Joe Flacco Jets, but their stacked offense looked like it was supposed to.
But Mike McDaniel and the players aren’t hearing any of it.
mike mcdaniel: "all i see is a team that's geeked up to play on TNF. i kinda have to pull teeth to find out how their bodies are feeling. i think they recognize the moment. they recognize the opportunity, and they're eager for this experience.
— josh houtz (@houtz) September 27, 2022
I love this attitude. I mean, I don’t think there was any chance that we would hear any different But, it still feels good to hear about the team especially when they’re 3-0. Things just sound better when the Miami Dolphins are 3-0.
To get to 4-0 and defy Las Vegas and the odds they’re giving the Dolphins, a lot is going to have to go right. Or, based on what happened on Sunday maybe nothing has to go right. Let’s try not to have a repeat performance of that where the Bengals have 41 extra plays.
We all know the obvious keys to any victory. Those are to dominate up front, establish the run, the quarterback needs to take what the defense is giving him and make the proper throw but also take calculated risks, keep the penalties down, tackle the ball carrier, and be sound on special teams. These things need to happen in most victories.
But to make my sneaky underrated keys to victory list, I needed to delve deeper into the nuances of the game and assimilate what the Dolphins did last week. I think I did that but let me know what other sneaky, off-the-beaten-path keys to victory the Miami Dolphins need to start the year 4-0 and be the talk of the NFL come Friday.