Courtesy: palmbeachpost.com
Looking across the NFL and seeing the Miami Dolphins at 3-0 may have raised a few eyebrows for folks outside of south Florida.
The New England Patriots aren’t the only team in the AFC East that finds themselves undefeated after three weeks of football and they may not even be the best team in their division up to this point.
Sure, the Dolphins faced a cupcake in the Cleveland Browns Week 1 and were expected to win that game, but going to Indianapolis on the road in Week 2 and defeating them was something deemed outside of the realm of possibility for most that follow the NFL. It was even less likely that they would take down the vaunted Atlanta Falcons in a Week 3 showdown that pitted them against the NFC’s runner-up last season.
What does this say about the Dolphins going forward? They have the stuff to get it done… that’s what.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s development has progressed swiftly this season and providing him with weapons like wide receiver Mike Wallace during the offseason was clearly the way to go for the former Texas A&M Aggie. His poise and maturity have stood out, especially during the final drive he led for the Dolphins. The 25-year-old guided the Dolphins on a 13-play, 75-yard drive that was finished off with a 1-yard touchdown strike to rookie tight end Dion Sims, leaving the Falcons with just 38 seconds remaining on the game clock.
By the way, the young quarterback overcame two double-digit deficits, was sacked five times, had a pass intercepted earlier in the contest and still found a way to overcome the odds and defeat the Falcons.
I understand this isn’t the same Falcons team, given injuries to key components like Julio Jones and Roddy White at the wide receiver position, but you have to be marveled by the way Tannehill is growing up before our eyes.
I just wanted to throw some names out there in terms of who he has a better record than thus far in 2013: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and he has the same record as Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. These are all young players who overshadowed Tannehill in 2012, but no one is sleeping on Miami anymore.
I pegged this team as a 10-game winner before the season started and I can still envision them snagging one of the final two playoff wild card spots in the AFC. While winning the AFC East title over the Patriots may be a stretch, they can further legitimize themselves as perennial contenders with a win over the undefeated 3-0 New Orleans Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Monday Night.
