The Miami Dolphins played a nearly flawless game on Sunday against the visiting Buffalo Bills. It was one of those games that fans expect from the team. Is it coincidental that it comes a week after Chris Grier left the organization?
Fans were all over social media Sunday afternoon, reminding everyone else that it took Grier's departure for them to finally beat the Bills. It goes to show you how much fans wanted him gone. Following the game, the atmosphere in the locker room seemed as though they, too, might be sending a message.
The Dolphins posted a video of the locker room celebration. It clearly shows their energy, to say the least.
Postgame video shows just how much Mike McDaniel has not lost the locker room
McDaniel couldn't contain himself in the face of his team, which played their hearts out on Sunday. Miami's start to the game was pointing toward another blowout. They used a timeout with 15:00 minutes left in the first quarter. Tua Tagovailoa threw a first-drive interception, and everything that could go wrong did. Then, everything turned.
Miami's defense was the catalyst. They played a flawless game. When the Bills were in position to drive for a score with the momentum at their backs, the Dolphins' defense took the ball away. It was that kind of game.
The locker room was alive, and suddenly there is hope in that room that they can turn things around. For more than a month, fans have watched McDaniel discuss turning things around, learning from their mistakes, and applying the practices to the games. They did all of it against the Bills.
The Dolphins ended a seven-game losing streak that dated back to McDaniel's first year in Miami. That infamous "heat game" that wilted the entire Bills team. It was hot on Sunday too, not nearly as much from the sun, but what Mother Nature didn't deliver, the Dolphins players and coaches did.
For the first time this year, there is actually something positive to talk about, and it's glorious!