Tua Tagovailoa's rise and 4 more reasons to jump on Dolphins bandwagon

2. The lightbulb is starting to get a little brighter for Mike McDaniel

Mike McDaniel called a nearly perfect offensive game against the Bills, even in defeat. He wasn't as good against the Rams, but McDaniel made the right calls when it mattered the most. The Rams took away the Dolphins' run game and forced them to go to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but instead, McDaniel used Jonnu Smith and De'Von Achane as pass-catchers.

McDaniel is starting to realize that he can adjust his game to what the defense is giving him and then make them pay for it. What is the difference? For starters, McDaniel isn't going for the big plays to Hill as much as he has in the past. He is slowing down the speed of his offense, and it is working because now defenses can't figure out where to allocate their coverages.

The Dolphins have to stick with what is working, and McDaniel has to get the plays in on time. He wasted timeouts on Monday night. He also has to avoid the "Madden" in him. In other words, he can't take unnecessary risks when he doesn't need to. It's OK to punt the football, and it's OK to pick up four yards instead of 20 when the defense gives you four. He is learning, and it seems he may be settling into his job a lot better. This will be key to the rest of the year.

1. Tua Tagovailoa is taking over the team as a bonafide leader

There were three mistakes that could have been costly for the Dolphins on MNF. Tua turned the ball over on an interception and then fumbled on a sack. After the interception, he made a more critical boneheaded mistake when he lowered his head to tackle the defender. That could have sent him right back into the concussion protocol. He has to play smarter if the Dolphins are going to win.

What does stand out is the fact he is taking over this team. There is no question anymore who the leader is, and while Tagovailoa may run the offense, the defense is also playing better as a result of his leadership. Great quarterbacks win because they have teammates who don't want to disappoint them. Tua is becoming that type of QB, and when players start playing for someone else, they tend to play much better than if they were playing just for themselves.

The Dolphins are finding their way through the adversity, but it's still a long season and one mistake could be the difference between winning and losing.

There is enough going right for the Dolphins to think they have a real shot at making a good run down the stretch. The team believes they can, and they are not talking about the future, just the one game ahead of them.

Dolphins fans have seen this before, nearly every year. They throw in the towel only to be given reasons to believe, then to have their hearts ripped out once again. Will this season be any different? That isn't clear, but we can at least enjoy the ride because these Dolphins are not giving up.

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