It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Dolphins fans gave up hope on Sunday.
Maybe it was while watching Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Brown race 50 yards into the end zone fewer than three minutes into the game. Or while seeing him catch another 62-yard touchdown five minutes later.
Or maybe while witnessing Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree turn quarterback Matt Moore’s jaw to jelly with an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit.
But despite a 30-12 bashing in their first playoff game of the decade, Miami fans can be proud of the Dolphins’ lousy 10-win season. They deserve it.
So what if the Dolphins got blown out on Sunday?
The sun-friendly Dolphins had to play the Steelers in sub-freezing conditions without their starting quarterback.
The Dolphins were already down 20-3 in the second quarter when the earth-shaking hit on Miami’s Moore handicapped any hope of a comeback. Miami turned the ball over on its next three drives.
Meanwhile, the Steelers’ Big Three — Brown, QB Ben Roethlisberger and running back Le’Veon Bell — were impeccable in their first playoff game together.
And even if the Dolphins had pulled off the upset, they’d have to travel to New England on Saturday for a date with Tom Brady.
So what if Miami finished 1-5 vs. winning teams?
Looking back, the Dolphins may have stumbled into their 10-win season.
An overtime victory against the (1-15) Browns in Week 3.
A fourth-quarter comeback vs. the (5-11) Jets in Week 9.
A one-score win over the (2-14) 49ers in Week 12.
Nevertheless, a 10-6 regular-season record is still better than 22 other NFL teams. And Miami’s best year since 2008 comes as a particular surprise, considering the Dolphins fired their head coach midseason in 2015.
And while Dolphins fans finish the 2016 season with the same old questions — How much longer are we willing to give Ryan Tannehill to become a good quarterback? — fans are assured at least two things to look forward to in 2017.
The emergence of running back Jay Ajayi, complemented with a refreshingly existent offense in the hands of head coach Adam Gase, should be enough to keep older fans complacent and younger fans playing as the Phins in Madden.
And because of that, it’s officially safe to be a Dolphins fan again. Miami fans from South Florida to Gainesville are finally poking their fins out of the water, finding that revealing their Dolphins fandom to a friend no longer results in fervent laughter but merely an arrogant smirk.
Baby steps.
Matt Brannon is the assistant sports editor. Contact him at mbrannon@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @MattB_727.
New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) scrambles away from Miami Dolphins defensive end Mario Williams (94) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
