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The Miami Dolphins didn’t get the end result they wanted to on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs — losing 33-27 to drop their record this season to 8-5. There’s no shame in losing to the Kansas City Chiefs; Kansas City is likely the favorite to win the Super Bowl again this season and the Dolphins gave the Chiefs all they could handle for the majority of Sunday’s contest. But the plays the Dolphins did make were outweighed by the ones they didn’t — and also the injuries that piled up throughout the course of the game that helped the Chiefs continue to be opportunistic in one on one matchups.
The Dolphins saw starters Bobby McCain, DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki, and Austin Jackson all depart from Sunday’s game at one point or another. And the absence of each of them proved to be too much for the Dolphins to overcome, especially when considering Miami’s top three running backs and two of their best linebackers, Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts, were all absent from the jump and forced Miami to play handcuffed from the jump.
And yet Miami was on the case early on, forcing two Patrick Mahomes turnovers early on en route to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter; but the points left on the board proved to be a major detriment when the game reached the end of the line. Parker could not bring in a high-point reception in the red zone that would have resulted in a touchdown. Kicker Jason Sanders missed a field goal early on — leaving 7 total points on the field in the first quarter.
And then the two units that Miami has leaned on so heavily this season, the defense and special teams units, betrayed them in the final two minutes of the first half and the first two minutes of the second half. Kansas City scored 21 points in less than three minutes of game clock between a touchdown pass to Travis Kelce to close the first half, a deep pass to Tyreek Hill to open the second half, and a 67-yard punt return by WR Mecole Hardman after the Dolphins’ ensuing possession.
That’s the price you pay when you play the best team in the NFL; you can’t afford to blink. The Dolphins did, but in large part to injuries. Both touchdowns on the day from Tyreek Hill were big hitters that came with FS Bobby McCain on the sideline and absent from the back-end of the defense. The Dolphins’ offense sputtered at times without WR DeVante Parker in play for the team; he failed to log a since reception on the day and the Chiefs were able to feast on tight coverage as a result.
But as disheartening as letting a winnable game against the Chiefs may be, the Dolphins have plenty to take pride in. They outscored Kansas City 24-3 in the first and fourth quarters combined. Miami charged back from a 30-10 deficit to cut the lead to six with 4:15 to play and nearly got the ball back until Kansas City went for a 4th and 1 that essentially iced the game. And the comeback effort was fueled not be a standout skill player but rather the Dolphins’ rookie quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa finished the day with 316 passing yards and 3 total touchdowns, smoothly operating a no-huddle effort that was effective despite the absences of both Parker and Gesicki.
Miami will finish this weekend still a member of the playoff field, even after falling to the Chiefs and dropping to 8-5. But Miami should consider their postseason to start now. Miami’s next three are the New England Patriots, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Buffalo Bills — and the Dolphins will need to win at least two of three to give themselves a fair chance to make the postseason. How likely that is will depend on how injured the Dolphins are after today’s costly loss.
In all, this serves as a reminder of how far Miami needs to go to be considered among the NFL elites — but also a friendly reminder that this team can play with anyone on any given week. And also just how bright the future can be in South Florida.