The Miami Dolphins started the 2020 season on a six game streak with a turnover forced. Then, 16 games later, the Dolphins pushed that streak to 22 consecutive games — the longest such streak in the NFL and the third longest streak in team history. It’s an impressive mark for the Dolphins, who were dead set last offseason to overhaul their defensive depth chart and get better to match Brian Flores’ vision for the team.
Needless to say, it worked.
But with a 22-game streak of consecutive games with a turnover being just the third longest mark in team history, there’s more ambition awaiting Miami in 2021. But how close are the Dolphins to that all-time team record for consecutive games? Unfortunately, they’re hardly halfway there. If Miami hopes to beat their team record for consecutive games with a turnover forced, they’re going to have to wait a long, long time — October of 2022.
The best mark in team history is 42 consecutive games, which was set between December of 1982 and October of 1985.
With 22 games down, Miami will need to reach Week 6 (or their sixth game, depending on when the 2022 bye falls) of not this upcoming season but the season after that to reset the franchise’s all-time mark. Given how far on the horizon such a figure would be, it is safe to say Miami won’t be entering any games next season with a team record on their minds. Instead, they’ll be taking every week on an individual basis — just how Brian Flores preaches it should be.
But store this away, Dolphins fans. Because we’re halfway there and with the momentum this Dolphins team has on the defensive side of the football, it feels pretty easy to envision Miami making another run at a full season’s worth of turnovers again in 2021. And then, 12 months from now with Miami hopefully in the postseason for the first time since 2016, we can talk about the Dolphins closing in on that franchise record.