NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
The Miami Dolphins open up their 2025 season against the Indianapolis Colts. What will it take for Miami to start the season 1-0?
Revenge Game For Miami
No, not for Tyreek Hill after the Colts’ schedule announcement slight, but going back to last season. If only the Dolphins had played better against an inconsistent Colts team, they would’ve greatly increased their chances of making the playoffs. With all the negativity in the media surrounding Miami, look for them to come out swinging.
Yet, while we’re on the subject of Tyreek, he’s been a monster the past two seasons in week 1 matchups, but it goes back further than that. Only twice in his career has he failed to score at least 1 TD in week 1, while scoring twice two times. In the past two seasons, he’s gone for 130 yards last year and 215 the year before. Hill will be coming off an injury, but we’ll have to see if Indy can slow him down.
What Have You Done Lately?
Forget the lack of quality wins or not being able to win in the cold weather. Has anyone else felt like the Miami Dolphins have been stuck in neutral since they hung up 70+ on the Denver Broncos? All anyone keeps hearing about is how much potential they have. Until they can turn that potential into productivity, save it. They can have the best WR duo in the league or the best front pass rushers in the league, and it won’t mean squat until they can prove they can control a game the way they did in Denver. No, they don’t have to put up that many points, but they have to prove they can separate themselves from the pack.
Defining Year?
All anyone is talking about with Tua is how this is his “defining year,” but he’s six years in. Based on the longevity of most NFL quarterbacks, his career is half over. Despite him being on the right side of 30 at just 27 years old, sure, he could potentially play a lot longer. However, given his size and his injury history, the chances of him having the longevity of a Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers are slim. The Dolphins are the underdogs in the media right now, and Tua needs to put his stamp on the game before it passes him by. With that being said …
Play It Safe
Tua needs to be healthy. When he is, no one has control of Mike McDaniels’ offense quite the way Tua Tagovailoa does. He just has to get it through his head not to play hero ball. Not every play defines your career. Live to play another down. There’s a difference between being a competitor and being reckless, and Tua ducks his head and charges past it. Miami needs to get rid of the football when plays aren’t there. They need their offensive line to keep Tua clean and upright. There’s no shame in a dump off to your RB when the play isn’t there. At the very least, slide like a batter trying to beat out a play at the plate.
The Miami Dolphins don’t need to drop their best stuff in week 1, but they’d better pack it just in case. Confidence is fading fast in this Dolphins team, and they need to start strong. Kickoff is at 1 pm EST on Sunday, Sept 6th at Lucas Oil Stadium.
