Miami Dolphins 3-0 start still fails to generate respect

The Miami Dolphins are 3-0. In many “power rankings” they are at or near the top but they still generate little respect from the talking media heads.

Are we being too naive to think that a 3-0 team should get more media personalities to think they can win a football game? As predictions have come out today, most are going with the Bengals. Is that disrespect to the Dolphins or a matter of looking at Miami’s short week, early travel, and road trip against last year’s AFC Champion?

I can see some picking the Bengals, I think the game is going to be tough and probably close but on ESPN, I know I shouldn’t be remotely surprised, all of their guys are taking the Bengals.

We know that Tua will start tonight as well as Terron Armstead and Jaylen Waddle. All three were banged up and none of them practiced this week. Miami’s defense is still healthy and they shouldn’t be missing that much on that side of the ball.

Melvin Ingram, the NFL’s newly anointed AFC Defensive Player of the Month, is healthy and looking to extend his incredible start to the season. He could and should be a big factor in tonight’s game.

You do have to wonder what the Dolphins will need to do to prove they deserve respect. The next eight games following tonight are favorable and even if the Dolphins ran the table to week 12, I’m not certain that an undefeated start of that magnitude would matter unless Miami avoided losing the Packers, Chargers, 49ers, and managed to beat the Bills again.

It seems as though no one is buying into this success. One thing is for certain, a loss tonight will give many in the media fuel to add to their vitriol fire toward Miami’s football team. For the Dolphins, I don’t think they really care, in fact, I think the disrespect actually fuels them.