I shed my last tear for the Miami Dolphins football season.
The Dolphins lose their final game of the season 22-16 to the Buffalo Bills. Dolphins won 6 and lost 10. More on the Bills in a moment.
The Dolphins showed up, but I am not clear on the intention to win the game. Miami starter Jay Cutler took three snaps before he was replaced by David Fales, a sixth-round draft pick by the Bears in 2014. Fales, who came into the game with only two career completions, went 29 for 42 for 265 yards with one score and one interception.
“Jay was great as far as saying, `Just let him go. Let him play a full game,” coach Adam Gase said.
That’s not the way to end the season, why not sprinkle some ejections. With 6:21 left, receiver Jarvis Landry, running back Kenyan Drake and offensive lineman Jake Brendel were ejected following a fight. Landry was flagged for disrespecting an official, and Drake for throwing his helmet 20 yards in anger. Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were called against both teams.
The undisciplined Dolphins, who came into the game with the second-most penalties in the NFL, had 14 for 145 yards.
Miami will clean out their locker rooms the next time they step onto their practice facility. Add soul searching to it also. There will be more said in the offseason as the Dolphins hold the 11th pick overall. There is nothing positive to take from this season to the next. There were storylines off the field that embarrassed fans moreover fans lost faith on the gridiron.
Ryan Tannehill is expected to be the starting QB next season, however, can Dolphin fans really believe they have a quarterback? The banter begins.
Helmets off to the Bills who snapped the longest current non-playoff drought in North American pro sports, making the postseason for the first time since 1999. They avoided elimination by beating Miami and clinched an AFC wild-card berth minutes later when Cincinnati rallied past Baltimore. It was not pretty, however, setting yourself up for success is a page the Dolphins can take out of the Bills playbook.
