Desperate Dolphins got everything they needed in win over New England

Last Monday night, the Miami Dolphins took on the then-winless Tennessee Titans. They not only looked to snap a brief two-game losing streak, but hoped to avenge a bitter 28-27 Monday night loss to the Titans on a Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium last season.

So much for getting even. A 31-12 setback dropped Miami’s record to 1-3. They entered this week’s action tied with the New England Patriots at the bottom of the AFC East. Both the Buffalo Bills (3-1) and New York Jets (2-2) were ahead of Mike McDaniel’s club in the division standings. On Sunday, the Dolphins traveled north to Foxborough for a battle of basement dwellers.

The Dolphins enjoyed a good Week 5 in more ways than one

It took some doing, but the Dolphins rallied for a 15-10 road victory on Sunday at New England. Miami’s running game was in high gear, and McDaniel’s team held off a late Patriots’ touchdown march. The ‘Fins entered the game knowing that the Jets had already lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 23-17, in London. That dropped New York’s record to 2-3, the same as the Dolphins.

The news got even better for McDaniel’s club at roughly the same time on Sunday afternoon. The Bills trailed the Texans in Houston, 20-3, in the third quarter. However, Sean McDermott’s club would respond with 17 consecutive points and evened the score at 20-all. That would be a short-lived reprieve for Buffalo, as Houston’s Ka'imi Fairbairn nailed a 59-yard field goal at the gun to give the Texans a 23-20 triumph.

What an interesting turn of events. After a 24-3 loss at Seattle in Week 3, the Dolphins were two games behind the 3-0 Bills, and one game behind the 2-1 Jets. Miami ended their three-game skid on Sunday, while Buffalo and New York have now dropped two in a row.

McDaniel’s team has Week 6 off, while the rival Patriots host the Texans. Even more fascinating is the fact that the Jets host the Bills on Monday night. Barring a tie, one of those clubs is about to drop its third consecutive game. Who knows what the AFC East standings will look like when the 2-3 Dolphins travel to Indianapolis in Week 7?