It also brought to mind the words of former Dolphin and current Steeler safety Deshon Elliott, who made headlines earlier this month when he commented last month that "Last year, I played for a team that was soft as fuck." A controversial take at the time, the Dolphins' dogshit performance in prime time in a big game makes it clear Elliott wasn't chewing on sour grapes.
He was spitting facts.
The loss to the Packers proved that the Dolphins should be considered a soft-as-fuck team until further notice. The only question that remains now is what they'll do about it and who'll be the personnel to do it.
All signs point to Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel being part of the problem and not the solution.
Thanksgiving was to have been the day the Dolphins put the naysayers' opinions of their play to rest in front of a national television audience. Instead, they confirmed everything that's been said about them since McDaniel took over the team and inserted a "speed over physicality" identity that was once cute and exciting but has proven to be a sugar high against poor teams.Deshon Elliot did not hold back, referring to his time with the Dolphins. ⬇️
— Bobby Shouse (@B_Shousejr) November 13, 2024
“Last year I played for a team that was soft as fuck” 👀
pic.twitter.com/UeXE3uL63u
Referring to Miami's rep as a soft team unable to perform well in cold weather, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa commented in the days leading up to Thursday's contest on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field that he was "excited to kill narratives" and to bring on the chill. Instead, the book on the Dolphins now has a new chapter to strengthen the theory that Miami is a fair-weather franchise that beats up on bad teams but shits the bed against top competition, especially in cold-weather games.
Tua, who completed more than 80 percent of his passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers, now stands at 0-8 in games played temps under 45 degrees.
As WQAM (AM 560) radio host Brendan Tobin put it, "It's not a narrative anymore. Just a stone cold fact."
One must now wonder what Grier, whose fingerprints are all over a roster that's reliant on speed, not toughness, and McDaniel, who has led said roster to a 1-16 record against teams above .500 in his three years at the helm, have done to earn the opportunity to continue failing.He killed it. It’s not a narrative anymore. Just a stone cold fact https://t.co/1cBxOVnxXt
— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) November 29, 2024
Far from a rumor or a form of hating, the fact that Miami, as NBC's Jason Garrett pointed out during the telecast, "gets exposed" in big games, must be addressed in the offseason. Addressing something as ingrained in a team's DNA as its identity and numerous failures in big games will likely require a roster overhaul and a change in leadership.Twelve words by NBC's Jason Garrett that sum up the big issue: “They’re not a physical team; that gets exposed in games like this." Can this regime fix that? https://t.co/Jmm6ANSXWe
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) November 29, 2024
Dolphins fans should be thankful only for one thing this Thanksgiving: The team understands its fatal flaws.LB Jordyn Brooks said he thought weather was a factor and the Dolphins played soft pic.twitter.com/aiejXzt5tv
— Chris Perkins (@chrisperk) November 29, 2024
What remains to be seen is whether owner Stephen Ross understands what everyone outside the organization has been saying for some time: The Dolphins are a soft, poorly coached team, and something drastic needs to be done to address it.
