Brace yourself. Winter is coming.
The National Football League is not about being fair; it is about winning games now.
The Miami Dolphins finished 10-6; this season, they have lost six in a row and are currently 1-6 after a 30-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Younghoe Koo sealed the win with a game-winning 36-yard field goal for the Falcons.
“It is a slim margin for error,” Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said. “We are on the wrong side of that margin.”
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 291 yards and career-high four touchdowns; his two interceptions led to Falcons scores.
The last Pro Bowl quarterback in Miami was Dan Marino in 1995. Trade rumors for Deshaun Watson continue to shadow Tagovailoa.
The Detroit Lions are the only team with the worst record in the NFL at 0-7.
Injuries a concern for the Dolphins, Linebacker Jerome Baker (knee) and Running Back Malcolm Brown (quad) were out of the game in the first half with injuries. Safety Jason McCourty (foot) left in the second half.
The NFL officially named the fourth Sunday in October as National Tight Ends Day. Tight ends across the league were first celebrated on the biggest stage in Week 8 of the 2019 campaign.
Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki finished with seven catches for 85 yards and a touchdown.
Falcons’ rookie tight end Kyle Pitts is worth the chips and the dip. Pitts had 163 yards receiving, breaking the Falcons record for a tight end.
Pitts was clutch with a 28-yard sideline catch on the Falcons game-winning drive.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passed for 336 yards. The Falcons had blown a 13-point fourth-quarter lead and were trailing with 2:27 left.
Falcons Safety Erik Harris left in the 4th quarter.
This game was a heartbreaker again. Dolphins played back and forth in the sixth straight loss, made a comeback, and fell short again. Dolphins are losing to teams they should be winning against; it is hard to say that they have lost six in a row.
Tagovailoa may be a good player, possibly great. Football fans know Watson is a franchise, All-Pro quarterback who can carry a team into the playoffs. The trade deadline is approaching rapidly; there is a strong chance other football teams in the mix to compete for Watson’s services now.
Allegations against Watson cannot be minimized. At the moment, he has not been indited, at the moment, it is a civil case, an ongoing investigation for months, and he is not on the commissioner’s exempt list.
At this point, general manager Chris Grier and head coach Brian Flores are on the hot seat. The Dolphins finished with ten wins last season, so the organization should give them one more year together. Acquiring Watson can provide them with a lifeline.
Though not in the hunt for the playoffs, players are playing for their jobs, free agents to be, players who want to renegotiate contracts fighting to continue to play well and win. The season is long and not over.
The beat goes on.
The Falcons play host to the Carolina Panthers next week.
The Dolphins visit the Buffalo Bills.
