It’s December, and if the Miami Dolphins aren’t already in crisis mode, they probably should be. But what else is new?
On Monday night in Miami, the Dolphins held a 27-13 lead over the seemingly inept Tennessee Titans with 4:34 remaining. After a series of miscues and some rather unfortunate bounces, Miami let the Titans score two touchdowns in the final moments to steal away a stunning 28-27 win. Tennessee is officially the first NFL team of the 21st century to win after facing a 14-point deficit in the game’s final three minutes.
I mean… what???
In case you were wondering, NFL teams facing that kind of deficit are now 1-767 since 2016, per Bleacher Report.
The Titans trailed 27-13 with less than 3:00 to play then rallied for a 28-27 win over the Dolphins.
Per @TruMediaSports, Tennessee is the only team this century to overcome at least a 14-point deficit in the final three minutes of a game and win in regulation.
— Jason Starrett (@starrettjason) December 12, 2023
What on Earth happened here? Were the Dolphins really just overlooking a horrific Titans team on paper? Do they have more fatal flaws than they’d like to admit? Worse yet, have they simply run out of gas?
Let’s diagnose the current (emphasis on current) AFC East leader and assign proper blame to five important Dolphins figures for one of the worst collapses in NFL history. Don’t worry: There’s plenty to go around.