Resilient Fins still in thick of playoff race
MIAMI (AP) – Stephen Ross has been an NFL majority owner for 12 whole games, and he’s already impatient about his Miami Dolphins making the Super Bowl.
This season’s game is Feb. 7 in Miami, and Ross wants the Dolphins to be the first team to play a Super Bowl in its own stadium.
“It should only happen in Miami,” he said. “This year wouldn’t be soon enough.”
Ross smiled as he spoke, and the comment would have been even funnier just last week, when his team appeared headed nowhere fast. Saddled with the NFL’s toughest schedule, the Dolphins started the season 0-3, twice blew chances to reach .500 and lost Thanksgiving weekend at Buffalo in their worst performance since Bill Parcells came to town nearly two years ago.
That left defending AFC East champion Miami at 5-6 and likely needing a sweep of the final five games for a return to the playoffs.
“Our mettle got tested,” coach Tony Sparano said.
As has been the case all season, the Dolphins bounced back. They fell behind New England 14-0 Sunday, then mounted a frantic rally, throwing 52 passes and kicking a field goal with barely a minute left to win 22-21.
“It was something out of a movie, man,” guard Justin Smiley said. “I am very honored to be a part of it.”
With serious deficiencies at receiver, two rookies at cornerback and a first-year starter at quarterback, the Dolphins are probably not going to fulfill their owner’s Super Bowl wish. But a scenario sending them back to the playoffs is now an easier sell.
New England (7-5) leads Miami in the division by only one game and has lost two in a row. As for the wildcard race, six AFC teams have more wins than the Dolphins, who play one of them Sunday at Jacksonville (7-5).
The schedule has eased: After Jacksonville, none of the Dolphins’ final three opponents has a winning record.
Miami is grateful to be in the mix because at times, this season looked like a big step backward from last year’s improbable run to the playoffs.
“I like knowing that you have a chance, and like knowing there are some teams right now not playing for very much, and we have a chance,” Sparano said. “We are going to try to do everything in our power to make this the best run we can make it.”
They have yet to climb above .500, an indication there’s still work to do for the Parcells regime. The wildcat has helped disguise the scarcity of big gains on offense, and the defense has given up more fourth-quarter points than any team in Dolphins history. Especially wrenching were blown leads late in losses to Indianapolis and New Orleans, both still undefeated.
The resilience of Miami’s young players bodes well for the future.
In Chad Henne, the Dolphins believe they have a keeper at quarterback. The second-year pro is inconsistent, but he’s also 6-3 as a starter, including three fourth-quarter comeback wins. He missed several open receivers against the Patriots, but also topped 300 yards for the first time.