The Miami Dolphins’ hopes and dreams of securing the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft have come to a close. But they sure made it interesting along the way. Miami outlasted a late push by the Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday afternoon — seeing the Bengals rip off 16 points in the final 29 seconds of regulation to force overtime.
In overtime, the Dolphins held the advantage of field position for the majority of the period, having the Bengals pinned back deep into their own territory after Miami took initial possession of the football in the extra time. It took Miami gathering a big catch and run for 28 yards from wide receiver Isaiah Ford to move the Dolphins into field goal possession on their final possession. From there, the Dolphins knelt out the remainder of the clock before kicking a field goal as time expired to seal the win, 38-35.
It was a game filled with dynamic performances from Dolphins standouts. Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 419 yards on 52 attempts, DeVante Parker went over 1,000 yards for the season with his 111 yard performance and tight end Mike Gesicki hauled in 6 receptions of 79 yards and two scores — while nearly tacking on several more big receptions.
The fallout for Miami is notable as the team shifts their eyes forward to the 2020 offseason. On one hand, the Dolphins’ coaching staff should be applauded for their work in getting this Dolphins team to four wins (and on the fringe of two more when considering the Jets and Redskins games). On the other side of the coin? Miami’s hopes of securing the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft are up in smoke. The Dolphins will need some help to work back into a top-3 positioning, too. As things stand as of the end of the 1PM games, Miami is slated to pick 5th — trailing the Bengals, Redskins, Lions and Giants.
If you’re looking for a silver lining, Miami won’t fall any further with a loss next week to the New England Patriots. And if Detroit, Washington or New York can scratch out an additional win, Miami is poised to go no where but up from 5th in the order.
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