Drives on with Travis Wingfield begins now.
Let me check your pulse if you're not fard.
Of what is up?
Dolphins? And welcome to the Draft Time Podcast, part of the Miami Dolphins podcast network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins.
How's it going?
Everybody?
I am your host, Travis Wingfield. And on today's show, finally, finally we have gone to the new week. We'll talk to Antwine Stay of ny Daily News to find out why the Jets have changed or how they've changed in the last four weeks. We'll hear from assistant coaches and Mike McDaniel will also pick the week fifteen games that kick off tonight with a snoozefest in Las Vegas from the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. This is the Draft Time Podcast. Ye daffy, you know
how we do it on Thursdays. My guest a Twine Stay, joining me now, is a longtime friend of the show, a heck of a writer, and an overall good dude.
You know who.
He is a columnist at the New York Daily News. Antwine Stay, Antoine, how you living, brother?
I'm good, Travis, how you doing man.
Not too bad.
We talked about us off there a little bit. Still a tough week, still getting over some things here in terms of our first like unexpected loss of the season.
But it is what it is.
You move on and you have a big game coming up on Sunday at home against a division rival and a chance to sweep a team that you love to sweep every time you get a chance to do that.
So our focus has shifted and pivoted there. And we always start these interviews Antoine, as you know, you've done a few things with being the best that the quarterback positions where we start, and it'll be a different quarterback as far as Miami is concerned compared to who they saw back on Black Friday, But the same devil the Jets have danced with for really the last three years in Zach Wilson. I think all state it as basic
as I can to you here, Antwine. What changed in the second half of the Houston game compared to not just the first half of the game or the season prior this year, to the first three years of Zach Wilson's career. What changed where he came out like a man on fire and played a really good football game.
Off like he just let it rip, and they said he was going to do that coming into the week, He's gonna have fun. He played like a man that had nothing to lose. I mean, he's already been benched three times in his career. Obviously a lot of people aren't, you know, kind of bullet shown, Zach. But he was decided, you know what, instead of overthinking and you know, trying to process all these information at one time, I'm just going to go back to my BYU days and just
let it chuck it down the field. And I think that's what he did. And they opened up the playbook for to theay. Hackett did a great job with that some of the play calling. Jack got the ball to his playmakers and Garrett Wilson and Breese Hall and just
kind of let them do the work. And I definitely think despite him, you know, losing the fumble in that game and being sat multiple times and all the issues on the Jets office the line, you know, he stayed confident and poised with the face with the rush pass rush in his face.
And I think that's very.
Different than what he had been in the past, where if you put any kind of pressure on that he would just throw the ball in the coverage and you know he wouldn't be able to use it, wouldn't you know,
make the right decision. But also I was impressed with his like off scheduling play as well, Like he had a ball where he was throwing on the run and got the ball to Garrett and also Tyler Cocklin too as well, And you know, I thought he was really impressive just kind of they all scheduled and you know, you know, not necessarily traditional things that you know he typically does in the offense, which I think a lot of people fell in love, including the gist, fell in love.
Doing the pre draft process. So that that's kind of what stuck out to me.
Yeah, the famous pro day thrill, right, like that was why yes, fans fell in love with him, why he was a second overall pick.
But like, and you know it fee listen to the drive time.
You know, I really harp on this hard that that ain't what wins in the NFL, man, Like you have to win from instructure in the pocket and beat teams to their mind. Otherwise you're going to be a quarterback that shows flashes and doesn't have staying power in the NFL. But that's why I was kind of, for lack of a better term, just flat out and pressed because he was playing that way and reading the hots and getting the ball to replace those hot blitz as the Texans were sending it him.
I'm really I think that this.
This week is the big test for him, Antoine, because like anybody can have one good game, like I'm not like not anybody, but for the most part, like players can pop up for one good game, it's how you follow up when the tape is out there. And maybe the Dolphins adjust to how he was able to kind of, you know, play with that comp maybe you can, maybe you can turn it against him. I don't know, but I think this week is a big test in terms
of where Zach Wilson's career goes from here. And then I wonder about that, like does he still have that same, like, you know, f at mentality, because now there's pressure on maybe I can revitalize my career here in this spot.
It's such a fascinating dynamic heading into this game, and I want to kind of pivot here to something similar that we just you just mentioned yourself that and I saw Jets fans on Twitter, insisting that they've been way too conservative all year that they finally opened up the playbook in the second half of that game for the offense. Is that what you saw? And like, what does that mean exactly? Because like if that's the case, it's it was week fit fourteen, Like the hell took so long?
Yeah, basically, you know Nathaniel Hackett, like he's very predictable.
And I harped on this like when they played the Raiders last month that you know, I tell you your
pears to end on. Coach was saying when they had they want to run the football and that shows I mean, it wasn't necessarily a disc but it kind of was because it showed like the predictability of the Jets offense and that's kind of you know, it's been frustrating for a lot of fans, and it's even covered the team that you know they'll first down start the game, you know they're gonna run, and that's exactly what they do.
And they get in these formations where you know what they're gonna do, and Hacket, you know, the second half like they would be in these run formations, but they would decide to pass or they do it end around or you know they would do. You know, they've done fleet clickers at times too as well. So yeah, he's he's decided to open it up, and it's kind of you know, back to Zach Wilson's just you know, let
it rip and just have fun mentality. And I think, you know, Hackett kind of identified that too as well. I think it was kind of a conversation, you know between the coaches at halftime, was saying when it was there were it was zero zero at halftime, and then all of a sudden, everything just kind of flipped. The Jets got the ball and went down the field and scored, and you know, everything else is kind of fell into
place after that. But I think a lot of credit deserve to go to Hacket as well for you know, having the confidence to you know, open up the playbook, especially with Zach because you know, Aaron obviously, Aaron was his guy when he came here, and everything was catered towards Aaron Rodgers, and of course he got hurt, so it took him a little while to try to trust that with the offense.
And I think you're kind of seeing it now. It's just now to this.
Point whehere they've decided to open things up, and this, you know, being four and eight, five and eight, now that to decide, you know, we have nothing to lose, you know, let's just go ahead and chuck it in and see what he can do.
I'll go ahead and shame less me promote some of my previous content once again here because it provides another solid footnote. And something that I really harp on for Dolphins fans and football fans alike, is like, don't get too caught in what you think a team is for one game or for whatever, like, for however long it might be, because things can change in this thing so
dang fast. Because prior to this game, like it was a Jets offense that couldn't move the ball, couldn't convert third downs, never scored more than one touchdown in a game, and you're talking about them like this. This new offense was birth out of you know, this rest of attack, and we'll see, like you said, it gave him a steppings to see where the can go from here. But you just never know how things materialize. It's just why this league is so much fun and why it's so unpredictable.
But we also tend to get into these bodes where it's like that's who they are now. That's just never how it is. Man, This game changes all the day time. So good stuff there. And speaking of things that change, the offensive line of the Jets has been a turnstile in terms of the people they've had available, Like the injuries have mounted and the same the same story is
true over here for Miami right now. But the Jets offensive line got some more parts back compared to what we saw on Black Friday, with Makai Beckton coming back.
I know it's far from.
Healthy, but how did that group do you think contribute to the win against the Houston Texas.
I think that I think that was solid too. Like you said, beck And played did not played. You know West Swicheler, who that has been typically right right guard as a lady like, he's out for the season now with a calf injury. So they end up having to, you know, go with Hanson there who was at the right guard position, and there at MaTx Mitchell, who you know, crazy enough he also you know he also was limited
in practice on Wednesday due to a neck injury. But yeah, I mean they've they've had two different lineups, like different combinations on the office a lot in fourteen games like that is just you know, murderous role. As far as I know, the Dolphins are kind of close behind too. I believe they've had nine like you can you know, you can clarify that for me too, But I know both of these teams have probably been hit the hardest by offensive a lot of injuries all year long, and
you know, they just hadn't had the continuity. But even despite that, I thought, you, Zach and even with the pressure that was in his face, like, he still was able. That's why I was impressed with He was still able to get the ball out pretty quickly to his playmakers. And you know, he wasn't rattled like I've seen in other games this year. And you know, the run run Like running the ball was still a bit of a challenge, sip because I think teams are expected to just to
run the ball quite frequently. So Britest Hall hasn't had this assess that. I think a lot of people expected him too early.
On this year.
But you did see some lanes start to open up in the second half where he's able to get save some big games there. But yeah, I definitely think the run the rushing the rushing attack needs to be kind of plan, you know, you know, moving into a game against the Dolphins where Miami, as you know, has one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, especially I believe the third in the league in sets coming into
this game. And you know, despite Zach having a game that he did against Houston, you definitely don't want him dropping back throwing the ball more than thirty times in this game and.
Once he from the New York Delay News my guest today talking Dolphins and Jets. I had a Sunday's match up here at hard Rock Stadium, week number fifteen. Big, big game for the Miami Dolphins. Let's go over to the other side of the football here and talk about a stout Jets defense. And first, you know, you're around the guys, you know, Antoine in the locker room and press conferences, all that stuff.
Practice.
I'm curious the mood this week because last time we saw these two teams, like the Dolphins took it to the Jets and really beat them at what they do best, like Tyreek got deep, Wadald got deep.
Two.
I had a big game besides the picks, I mean, he was playing well. The running game got off. I had that long touchdown driving the second half with pretty much exclusively the running game. What's the mood around Dolphins week for the Jets this week?
And I want to go in too against the Miami And that's basically what it is, is another opportunity for them to you know, not get swept against the division opponent.
They didn't get swept.
They didn't get swept against the Bills, but you know, they went't one in one. They don't want to get swept against, obviously the Dolphins. And they have another game against the Patriots that you know, they can try to end that dreaded streak against. They have beat the Patriots its twenty fifteen, which is crazy to think about. But back to the Dolphins. Yeah, they you know, they understand the situation. They understand that they're trying to play spoiler.
There has been a tremendous season for the Dolphins there and they're trying to get another victory. I mean, this team went on a five game losing streak basically right after they win against the Giants, and it was a struggle. It was definitely difficult for the team. You know, they wouldn't score with a whole lot of points. Offensively, the
defenses was you know, carrying a heavy load. They're trying to win games for them, just like in the first Dolphins game where you know, Brendon Epples had that pitch sits and you're thinking, oh, well, the Jets are back in it just because the defense made a play. But yeah, I mean finally their offense kind of stepped up and
you know, took the rains last week. But defensively, they understand what the situation is with Miami and you know, having you know, multiple backups at the offensive line position, Tyler Williams obviously you know, a big, large form.
So I'm definitely curious to see.
How you know, they you know, got against it and try to block Quinn Williams, who you know, his SAT numbers aren't necessarily what it was a year ago, but his pressure level if you look at it is just as high, if not higher, than what it was last
year when he had twelve SATs. But I think that's going to be the key to the game, just how it's the Dolphins offensive line handled this chests defensive line and also can does Miami you know, tend to run the football a little bit more consider their offensive line situation.
Another another example there of you know, having to provide context behind stats, because, like you mentioned, Quentin Williams is still one of the best players in the entire league, regardless of position. I don't care what sack numbers say, Like just watch the tape and yours. That guy's an impactful player every single down, every single game. And you talk about the running game, they're a little bit antoine, like, I'm curious. There's so many fascinating like subplots of this game.
For me, the Zach Wilson thing, like how can they can the offense together two big games like that. On the defensive side, I thought Miami really went after the Jets in a smart way. I'm just trying to think of that word right there, in an intelligent way in terms of attacking the edge with the wide running game
and playing off of that in the passing game. And I'm curious because I thought the two biggest plays in that game back on Black Friday were those deep shots to both Tyreek Hill and Jileen Waddle both to start the first half y and to start the second half, Because I thought that kind of changed the way those drives and the rest of the offense went that entire game. Do you expect a bounce back here from Sauce and Reed?
And I'm curious to kind of hear your conversations with those guys throughout the course of the week as they getting ready for a big challenge here against Tyreek killing Jilen Waddle.
Oh yeah, I'm sure they were not happy with the
way they performed there. I mean, as good as those guys are Waddle who obviously had a big game, and of course Tyree made some big plays too as well, they were definitely not happy with the performers, especially consider and I mean the Jets game be'st the most the Jets have given up all season long and force points, so they defensive wise, they felt like they didn't do enough to win their game, no matter how you know, bad the offense was, and you know they're gonna they're
gonna want to redeem themselves, especially considering also the fact that they end up giving up nearly one hundred and seventy yards on the ground, So whether it was stopping trying to lack of stopping to run or also you know, through the air, which the Jets have still have not given up a three hundred yard passer. They almost did that day, but did not give up a three hundred yard passer and thirty one consecutive games. That's there in
their calling card. That's what they've hung their hat on all year long, stopping opponent's room, throwing the ball down deep form. And you know, I think they're gonna try to do the same thing too against two of who's, like I say, has success that you alluded to. Outside the two picks in that game, Black Friday has had succists in the air against this team too. A lot of teams go into it not taking not taking shots at Salts Guardener considering how good he is.
DJ reed, you know, kind of the same thing.
He's had a tremendous year in Michael Carter, the second, who I think is one of the better slot corners in football, as we'll talk about, I'm sure, but yeah, they really hunt their hat on, like how they stopped the past pass average and you know, also passing deep passes and it's supposed to.
Play throughout the air.
Yeah.
I watched that Houston tape and like I thought, it was a good example of kind of a similar offense. Because you know their OC is off that Shanahan try as well.
So similar concepts there in terms of how they run things.
And I was like, I wonder if the Jets changed it all, Like, Nope, they're gonna go out there, they're gonna play physical, they're gonna pressure, they're gonna challenge you every step and you have to beat them and anticipate until we see on Sunday here at Hard Rocks.
The only thing that they did differently is then, especially with a young quarterback and CJ, they brought more pressure like they typically the Jets typically don't.
Let it's a whole lot, but they did that.
They usually just pressure with four and then you know, dropped seven back there. But they brought they brought pressure a lot more than what they're used to in that game against CJ and Texas.
That's that's a good point because you probably won't do that against two. That's where he's best. Against the Blitz, I probably don't see much of that. We'll see, I mean, you never know. The Jets can be aggressive in multiple ways. You mentioned this and it will be the last question before my my question. I asked everybody about how the Jets can win this game. But I'm curious because you mentioned him and he wasn't in there for the game
back in week number two. Well, Michael Carter the second, how does his return impact that defense?
It's huge because that gives you another defender who can you know, help slow down and exposive offense with the Dolphins too. And you know everybody talks about Waddell and obviously Tyreek Hill, but you know you also have your checking account. You know, Cedric Wilson as well, and Bratson Barrios, who you know Jets fans know particularly well too as well. And we know Mike Daniel likes to you know, scheme up ways to you know, be able to get his
receivers open. But now you got another guy and Michael Carter along with Brandon Eckles who you can also bring in in but to also help slow down this dynamic offense who can who loves to get those supposed to plays through the air, and having a guy like him is also can be a safety valve for also assaults and also DJ Reed, So.
Just his with without him like it was big.
They were really struggling at times, like stopping those disposed to plays that you saw on Black Friday. Now you get him back and you know you can hope he can try to prevent that as much as possible.
Yeah, I think that position Manon Nickel is one of the most underrated positions, and not just in football but all of sports, because like the Jets run Nickel eighty five percent of the time, so he's a key starter out there.
If you don't have those guys like.
They can make it, because not many guys can play that position. It's kind of like the center position. I think there's only like a handful of really goods in the league. And when you have them, it's great to have them. But if you don't like it's it's a it's a saucepan and you can attack it. So good
stuff there, Antoine. I end the podcast here with the opponent beat writer the same way every single week, and I ask you this, the Jets can win this game if and then you get a chance to fill in the blank.
Well, they have to be able to rush rush forward too and get in his face too. So I think we kind of saw that and gets the Titans there, Like, if you if you bring pressure, like especially blitz against two it he's going to pick you apart all game loll.
So yeah, you have to be able to rush for the Jets typically like they're only rush for but yeah, they have to be able to get some pressure in his face because otherwise, like I mean, the man is a surgeon out there, and you know, I know, you know they struggle gets Titans there without Tyreek a times. But you know, whether he plays or not, you know, might be Danvee's going to have a game plan, you know, one way or the other. It's how to tack the
Jets defense. And yeah, you'd have to get you know, you have to get that consistent pressure on him because and otherwise I think.
It could be a long day.
And also stopping the run, like the Jets are twenty eighth and stopping the run this year, we kind of saw what they looked like in the first matchup there. They can't stop the run, you know, a chan and also spent where he movest to have a.
Really big day and he also could fuel Miami to the win.
You can find him on social at Antoine Daley. You can probably find him at the Elbow Room on Saturday night too in Fort Lawerdell, New York Daily News.
Antwin you are the man. We'll see you Sunday. My friend, it sounds good and the way he goes, I love that guy. He's the best.
Let's go ahead and take our first break right there. Come back on the other side, we got McDaniel and assistant coordinators, assistant coaches press conferences on a Thursday. That's next Draft Time podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by I Don't Nation, Segment two on a Thursday.
We heard from head coach Mike McDaniel on this Thursday, as the schedule has changed a little bit down here around Miami Gardens in terms of our weekly practice schedule, walkthroughs on Thursday, no media session for practice, and that means no exact injury updates, which means that coach will have to provide those for us via his press conference, which he did on Thursday.
We're setting a pr here.
For my tenure, but there's it's really just unknowns because you know, for us we UH, we're orchestrating to walkthroughs today.
That's where my mind's been wrapped up. I know there's a lot.
Of people really really pushing themselves in terms of UH rehab and and and there's a lot of people that really really want to go, uh work the taste out of their mouth this week, and you know, there is a lot of question marks. The one thing I am not questioning is the the gusto with which whoever is playing on Sunday will be providing. So we have a very focused team on the New York Jets and there's a lot of moving parts, but we'll be able to handle it.
One of the positions that we saw the attrition occur on Monday night was at the safety spot with the Javon Holland not playing and Deshaun Elliott going in and out of the game, and of course Brandon Jones, Elijah Campbell,
Nick Needham filling in for those responsibilities. Coach was asked about the difficulty of replacing those two traffic cops on the back end as the communication of safety, as we've learned this year without Deshaun in the game, without Javon in a game can really be a stark contrast to what you get with the starters. Here's Coach on just that how difficult is it to prepare for a game when you don't have your top signal callers on the very back end?
Well, I think the difference is the reps and they've Javon and those two they've had a a great season working together. So anytime you have those processes kind of interrupted, you know, there there's a there's communication, there's don't don't get it twisted that they had. It was not their
fault that we that we gave up a lot of yards. Really, from my advantage point, we've we've moved on because understanding when you watch the tape, there was a lot of really good play in the course of the game by all those players.
And then there wasn't. So we get down to why, and then we.
Press forward to the New York Jets, which is where I'm at.
And the rest of the team is at right now.
And finally, this last one here is a long one because he was asked about the conversations he had with Vic Fangio following the Monday Night Let's call it what it is, a collapse two touchdowns in the final four minutes of that football game to give the Titans the victory. Still stings to say that, But he was asked about the conversation with the Vic Fangio, and he touched on that, but he also went more in depth on the feelings
and the emotion for the team and the fans. I thought it was just a really good picture inside of how McDaniel can compartmentalize what the team needs, but also the emotions and the feelings. Just really good stuff here from your head, coach, and it's going to lead us into our first bit of the third segment. Here here's coach talking about the emotion and the need to control that and get it under your belt, but also how maybe sometimes these types of things can be wake up calls.
I'm not sure if it's a silver lining or the positive part of going through stuff together as a team. Listen to any team that does anything worth anything.
Goes through stuff together. It's like a family like.
You, you know, I would imagine siblings fight and when you get through it, you are stronger. Well, that was a fight for us, really for for all three phases in terms of emotional like. We put a lot into it and we didn't get the results at all. You know, I very much am a person that looks at intent. I try to communicate as best I can throughout the season. I'm very aware of our defensive coordinator is one of, if not the best defensive play callers.
That I've ever been around.
You talk about timeliness of certain calls, You talk about being on because your job is to prepare players and put them in the best position to succeed. And so within that, you know, knowing knowing the scheme and then knowing knowing the offense.
You know, each and every week, the last person.
I'm worried about out doing everything they can for the team is Vic Fangio. So uh with that, we you know, we're teammates, so yeah, there there's there was no projection on towards him. We we talked through what we saw, why stuff happened, so that we can coach our players so that you learn from it. You have the choice of, uh, if something you have the choice of however you handle anything, and you know that that can that can be a great experience for a team if approached the right way.
So that's where our mind's been at, and you know that really that happens you you approach your team and make.
Sure that you guys are all you know, really.
Really taking in that pain the correct and appropriate way. And then we've moved on to the New York Jets because you can't I mean, at this point on this day, if we would have won by forty or lost by forty, what does that have to do with today. I know there's a lot of feelings, as there should be because people are invested, whether you're on the team or you're a fan of it. But the bottom line is is that we are constantly looking at what we're doing today
for the next game, and we're not. We can't live in last game. Whether we won seventy to twenty or lost twenty seven, really the same rep for us, and I think the whole building feels the same. And we're at Carpa DM on this what is today?
Thursday?
It is Thursday?
And with AUS, go ahead and take our last break right there and come back on the other side. I'll pick it up with my thoughts on what coach touched on right there. We'll also do the week fifteen game picks all of that. Next Draft Time podcast, your host, Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation, Segment number three. Here on a Thursday. We've got three TNF games left, Man, lot's of Saturday games and some Christmas games and additional
games around the holidays. But it's almost over, Man, like, damn enjoy it while it's here. Right, Let's go ahead and get to the week fifteen picks. But first, before that, I put together a little research project that was just kind of my own curiosity, I suppose, getting the best of me within the scope of two ideas, and those ideas are that the doom and gloom panic after Monday is nonsense.
And again, for the.
Fourteenth time this week, I feel like a pet died. My stomach was being turned over itself the night of the game all the way into Tuesday, through hard knocks. It sucked, But the doom and gloom panic after Monday was nonsense. But that's also totally fine to be a little bit concerned, maybe even moderately concerned, but the whole like they're gonna finish nine and eight thing, Come on, guys, chill out, chill out. The loss sucked. But the truth is the loss at center is bigger than the loss
in the game. And that's where most of my consternation comes from. That in the dubious nature of the safety position, which clearly is needed for this defense to play with connectivity and be itself that we've come to known and love. The last eight weeks of the season or whatever it's been.
If you told me, though, that we were playing the Jets on Sunday with Connor and Rob and Javon and Deshaun and all those guys are good to go even without JP and Bake and tees dead, I'd be like bet super Bowler bus still and even still, like if you go to the you know, computer cowboy ranking power rankings, Miami is still in that tier of teams that could make a legit Super Bowl run.
So all of that's still ahead of you.
But I get how sometimes critical injuries at keyspots can change things. Now that said, what inspired this little research project was the Miami Miracle. Oh didn't have the angle. A nine and three Patriots team had a five point lead with seven seconds to play, and the Dolphins had to go what was it, sixty four yards to win the football game, and they got it, ted ted Ted Ted Ted Larson Key block nine and four. And then
they lost again the next week, nine in five. But then they didn't lose a game the rest of the way and won the World Championship. So I just wanted to look at some of the best teams the Super Bowl champs. The last ten or so years and how their decembers have looked. And I'm not sitting here guaranteeing you that this team will win the Super Bowl. I just think that Dolphins fans, all football fans, all football discourse, are very good at losing perspective and doing so very
quickly in the emotional heat of the moment. Because I will also never forget a younger, less mature, more naive, still pretty mature, still maybe a little bit naive, but definitely more mature now than less than a twenty five year old Travis, and that twenty five year old Travis saying, man that most suck Hevin Joe Flakka was your quarterback. He'll never win you as super Bowl. He's good enough to get you to the playoffs, but not to win
a super Bowl. And that was as they were nine to two and proceeded to lose to a Charlie Batch led Steelers team Washington overtime. Denver beat the Giants to go ten and five and get in the playoffs, then lose the finale to go to ten and six. Then they beat the Colts at home Broncos in overtime, Patriots in convincing fashion, and the AFC Championship Game, and then they won the Super Bowl over John Harball's brother YEP lost four of the last five and then won the
whole damn thing. Or the seven Giants, who lost two of their three final games, finished ten and six and won the Super Bowl, including three road playoff games en route to knocking off the unbeaten Patriots. Those are both outliers and not part of the research project I wanted to do, but they belong in there because they're part of the context of how football narratives almost never play out that way. But let's go ahead and start last year with the Chiefs and go back to that twenty
twelve Ravens team. So the twenty twenty two Chiefs, well, they lost in Week thirteen to the Bengals. It was one week before our first loss of December, and it was their first game in December, and they won the
next eight games and the Super Bowl. They did have to beat the Texans, a four and three thirteen Texans team in overtime and narrowly escaped that game, and also escaped a bad Broncos team that was at five and eleven five and twelve Broncos team last year they beat those that team by touchdown twice in the last minute of the game. They lost to a Colts team earlier
that went four to twelve and one. Twenty twenty one Rams lost the last game of the year for them to the Packers in November to fall into seven and four, won five straight and then lost their season finale to the Niners to fall to twelve and five. Then they won four playoff games in the Super Bowl. The twenty twenty Bucks lost to the and Chiefs and back to back weeks to fall to seven and five into their
bye week and everybody thought they were cooked. Right then they rattle off four straight to close it out, then win four straight road playoff games. Pretty good example there. They also lost to a Bears team that year that went five and eleven. By the way, the twenty nineteen Chiefs are a bad example. Their lost last lost. Last last loss was on November tenth to a five hundred
Titans team the twenty eighteen Patriots. We covered them miracle in Week fourteen, kind of like the Titans miracle and lost again and then ran through the playoffs and the Rams in the Super Bowl, and that Miami team they beat that year was their bad loss. That and the lost to the six and ten Lions, but also a lost to the five and eleven Jaguars. The twenty seventeen Eagles lost their first game in December, a twenty four to ten stinker to the Seahawks. Then they lost their
quarterback the next week. Like that's your best example of the Connor Williams loss. They lost their damn quarterback and didn't lose a game after that. Twenty sixteen Patriots another bad example. Patriots usually are. Last loss was November thirteenth. Pretty good team, huh. Twenty fifteen Broncos. Here's a good one. Talk about like bad quarterback play. Who brock Osweiler goes in for Peyton Manning and then they re they revived
the corpse of Peyton mann to come back. They lose back to back games in December to the Raiders and Steelers, have an overtime win against a Bengals team who was down Andy Dalton, and then that was any Dalton's best year, by the way, not like he was better than what you think of any Dalton that year. And then the touchdown win over the Chargers to go twelve and four before going through the AFC playoffs and winning a super Bowl. Twenty fourteen Patriots lost their last game on December first
of the Packers to fall to nine and three. Hey, that's what you just were. Then they lost the finale to the Buffalo Bills, but they are resting starters in that game and.
Won the Super Bowl.
Twenty thirteen. Seahawks lost on December eighth to San Francisco to fall to eleven and two. Beat the Giants, then lost to the Cardinals, so two out of three games to fall to twelve and three, and then they went on to win the whole thing. And of course that twenty twelve Ravens team one in four in December. And the funny thing is that's us last year and they had their quarterback. Because if we have Tua in the Buffalo game last year in the playoffs, we win that game.
Right.
What happens next week? Who knows, But you get what I'm saying. Rarely hold up, especially when you get to that part of the season. So eleven total teams here, eleven super Bowl champions, All but two had a loss in December, and in total, the eleven teams lost sixteen games in December. Remove that Ravens team and they were an anomaly. You still had twelve losses for ten Super
Bowl champions. So what am I saying here, Travis? If the Dolphins go too and two the rest of the way, people are going to say they have no shot to win the whole thing. I think that's pretty much just not true at all. That would be eleven and six disappointing for sure, but everything is still in front of you at that point. So can we just all agree on this show to a enjoy the fact that the season has been an absolute blast, Like we've had fun, right.
I think we as sports fans get so caught up in the end results when really the truth is that it's about how much fun you have on the journey. Because, like thirty one, teams are going to end the year disappointed. But you can have good seasons and you can definitely have fun and get enjoyment when you don't win the whole thing. I promise that if you just think about the Jets, not what's ahead after that, your day and
your week will get better. Because, like I had to talk myself out of this whole funk because I had so much fun at nine and three, the year was a blast. The Chief's loss was hard, Eagles lost whatever. The Bills loss was hard. But like at nine to three, I was like, this, We're gonna win the super Bowl.
That's gonna be.
More, more paychecks for everybody in the building.
Like it's gonna be awesome.
But then they lost, and I'm like, distraw, I can't handle it, Like that's not that's stupid.
Why would I do that?
Like, you've had twelve games of pretty much sheer enjoyment. Don't let one like ruin the whole thing. Like you've had fun this year. You're gonna watch these games this summer and enjoy them back again. And then my other request is be let's just see what happens man, Like, yeah, we lost Connor, it sucks. But what if Dak Prescott gets hurt against the Bills. What if Lamar Jackson gets hurt in missus the Dolphins game in week seventeen? What
if Josh Allen missed? Like you never know what could happen. The Bengals were back on track and gonna make a run, right, five and four, looking good, gonna go beat the was it.
Who they play?
When?
When Broke got hurt, the Ravens.
They're gonna go beat the Ravens, right, Joe Burrow's wrist and the Jags were right in line for the one seed after that injury, right because they weren't gonna face Joe Burrow.
What do they do?
They lose to Jake Browning and Joe Flacco against the Browns and Bengals, respectively. As anybody taking the Jaguars serious right now, like their year is not over. They're still talking win the AFC South.
That's it.
Chill, that's the message. If we lose Sunday, all right, freak out, fine by me, but not until then. Okay, Week fifteen, picks man, Speaking of setbacks. We were cruising in Week fourteen, nailed the Chicago and Cleveland upsets, got the Buffalo pick. Right, We're eight and one heading into those afternoon games, and then the Buffalo game was the only game we'd win the rest of the way loss loss, dub in the late games, and then zero to three in primetime. That is a one and five finish to
the week. It knocks us to one forty nine and sixty three. That's seventy point three percent winning percentage. And let's go ahead and cue the music right there and get to these picks.
On Thursday Night football, I'm.
Taking the Raiders over the Chargers, but I don't want to watch that game at all. I'm not gonna watch it. I'm not gonna watch Easton Stick play against Aidan O'Connell not doing it. I make a joke every year that, like you guys are going to be craving these football games come, you know, February, but I just can't do it. Give me the Satarius late here. Give me the Bengals over the Vikings. I think the Vikings offense is utterly broken right now, and Jake Browning.
You know, it's funny.
The Bengals offense is scoring ten more points per game with Jake Browning of what Miami scored last year without two tone my.
Lower Yeah, that's interesting in your thing.
Give me the Colts over the Steelers. I'm not picking the Steelers the rest of the way. I think I've communicated that on the show here. Their offense is beyond broken. Detroit over Denver. The Lions have to bounce back. It's in the nice, cushy confines at Ford Field. I'll take them to win that one. Give me the Saints over
the Giants. I am getting beat by the Giants last couple of weeks, but I'm gonna ride the hot hand here and trust that a decent sites defense can handle Tommy de Veats, even though the Saints offense is just as bad.
Give me the rather the Bears over the Browns.
I just can't have faith in Joe Flacco and they all have either starring tackle Grant Delpit got hurt.
The Bears are rolling.
I like justin field where he's at right now. Give me the Bears. Give me the Falcons over the Panther. I'm not picking the Panthers the rest away. Give me the Packers over the Bucks to bounce back in a big way. The Dolphins to bounce back over the Jets. Give me the Chiefs over the Patriots because Duff. I'll take Houston over the Titans, but I'll swap that if CJ. Stroud can't play and it's Davis neck Mills. Give me the Niners over the Cardinals. I'll take the Rams over
the Commanders. I'm picking Buffalo over Dallas. Hopefully that's not what happens, because I want to see Dallas get another huge win and then come into our game like with a you know a little bit of a wiggle room to lose. And also, obviously a Buffalo loss would be massive for us because we can wrap the division up in a few weeks if they lose that game and we get take care of our business. But I'm taking the Bills. I just think they're gonna find a way
again at home. If it was in Dallas, i'd pick the other way around. But Dallas traveling in bad weather, we'll see. Man, give me Baltimore over Jacksonville again. Hope that one swaps. Hopefully I'm over two on these picks because that would be huge for us if we got those.
And then Philly over Seattle on Monday night. So if the Dolphins beat the Jets and then you get to go home and watch, you know, the four twenty five game, and if Dallas beats Buffalo and then Jacksonville beats Baltimore, like you.
Are right back where you start.
You could be right.
Back where you were prior to Monday night if you get those three results and they're not at all crazy.
Miami's nine point favorites.
Let's go ahead and pull up my app here and tell you about the other two games. I think Buffalo's probably probably a pick them right, Like in that spot, they're one point five favorites, so Dallas is less than two point dogs in the road, and then the Jags are three point dogs at home, so like either of those games could clearly go in the way of the Dolphins beneficiary. So that's the podcast, that's the picks you all. Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify,
wherever you get your podcasts from. Lea us are rating, leave us a review, follow me on social at Winkle NFL, and the team at Miami Dolphins. Check out the Fish Tank with Seth and Jews. Check out the YouTube channel for media availabilities, Dolphins Today and so much more, and last but not least, Miami Dolphins dot com. Until next time, fins up on camera, Daddy's Coming