Dolphins enter bye week with growing confidence, potential to make a run in final stretch of season

What a difference a year makes for the Miami Dolphins.

The franchise has come a long way under coach Brian Flores since the start of its rebuilding process.

After six weeks of the 2020 NFL season, the Dolphins are 3-3 and at .500 for the first time in the Flores era, following Sunday’s 24-0 win over the New York Jets.

The Dolphins have won three of their past four games and could even contend for a playoff spot as the season continues after their bye this week.

And that’s a far stretch from Miami’s 0-8 start last year, and 5-11 record they were able to finish with in 2019.

“I think guys are starting to realize they can count on each other. And something we’ve talked about is shifting the overall mindset of the team from hoping to win to expecting to win,” said Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe, one of 12 players still with the team since Flores took over last season.

“And I think that’s something as we continue over the next few weeks, hopefully we build that confidence we’ve had the last few weeks and that mindset will be cemented across the board. That’s what really takes teams to the next level, when there’s an expectation to win instead of hoping to win.”

Ryan Fitzpatrick has continued to galvanize teammates with his personality and veteran leadership as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback, while mentoring and cheering on rookie Tua Tagovailoa, who made his NFL debut in the final minutes of the Jets game.

Cornerback Xavien Howard has emerged as the NFL co-interceptions leader with four this season (all in the past four games) after an offseason knee procedure on a defense that ranks third in scoring defense (18.8) and still discovering how to play together as the season progresses.

The Dolphins sit second in the AFC East standings behind the Buffalo Bills (4-1), who will still be in first regardless of the outcome of their game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, and ahead of the New England Patriots (2-3) and New York Jets (0-6).

Yes, even the Patriots, who are under .500 through five games for the first time since 2002 despite Miami’s loss to New England to begin this season.

The Dolphins need a strong finish in their final 10 games to contend for one of seven playoff spots this season. The NFL’s new playoff format now allows an additional wild-card team to enter the mix in both conferences.

“We’re playing tough, smart, physical football. We’re stringing wins together,” Dolphins center Ted Karras said of Miami’s start before their bye week.

“It’s going to be nice to get some rest and get some guys back. We’re going on a stretch that’s going to determine our fate this year.”

One of the major factors in Miami’s turnaround under Flores has been the buy-in.

There’s a culture change occurring with the Dolphins franchise as Miami’s mix of players remaining from last season, newcomers who joined in free agency, and rookies who joined the team through the draft have started to coalesce.

Dolphins linebacker Sam Eguavoen, another one of the 12 players from last season still on board, joked that he no longer dreads coming into work at the start of practice weeks on Wednesday.

“A lot of it comes back to the guys that we’ve brought into the locker room that have had a direct focus on the mission, which is turning this team around and becoming a consistent winner here,” Smythe said.

Here’s what lies ahead after the bye: One of the NFL’s most favorable remaining schedules this season.

Miami must face the Jets (Week 12 away), Patriots (Week 15 at home) and Bills (Week 17 in Buffalo) again this season, while they travel to face the Arizona Cardinals (Week 8), Denver Broncos (Week 11) and Las Vegas Raiders (Week 16) later in the year.

And Miami hopes its home-field advantage at Hard Rock Stadium can pull through in matchups against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8, Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 and Patrick Mahomes and the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Week 14.

According to Tankathon, a website often used to track a team’s progress toward top picks in the draft, Miami’s remaining strength of schedule ranks 23 of 32 in the NFL, or 10th easiest path for the rest of the season.

If the Dolphins can put it all together in their final stretch, they could be in for a season that exceeds expectations.

“We’re getting there. There’s a lot of work still to do,” Karras said. “After the bye, a 10-game stretch to see what we’re about is really exciting. It’s going to be a fun stretch to finish the season.”

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