3 things the Miami Dolphins need to learn from the 4 conference championship teams

Somehow the Miami Dolphins have to get more physical on both sides of the ball.

We've all been saying it for years. Sure, we get a little blinded in September and October when the Dolphins are having fun doing what they want to the opponent, but then the cold weather and meaningful football games happen, and the team that pushes around the other team usually wins.

We saw the Dolphins get manhandled by Kansas City in the deep cold. Yep, turns out that speed and precision mean nothing in January in Kansas City.

All the teams left can maul you on offense and run the ball. Hell, they all can tell you where they're running it and teams still can't stop them. If you want to demoralize a team, run the ball on them in cold weather.

Defensively, getting to the quarterback is beyond important. Even if you can't sack him, just flushing him to one side of the field is usually a job well done.

Currently, the Miami Dolphins are soft at everything they do. Don't get me wrong, some players are tough as nails, but the overall feeling of the team is that they aren't going to punch you in the mouth. They'll always look to go around you. That doesn't work in the playoffs.

The NFL playoffs are like the NBA playoffs. Sure, you can run up and down in the regular season, but being able to beat half-court defense is what separates teams.

I don't know how the Dolphins can build inside out like an old Bill Parcells team, but they kind of have to if they're going to compete with Baltimore, Kansas City, and Buffalo. A lot of new players will be here next year, start by bringing in physical players that play with an edge.