Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrates with followers after a dramatic playoff win towards the Payments in extra time on Sunday evening.
Sunday’s loser threw 4 touchdowns. Sunday’s loser had a pristine 136 quarterback score. Sunday’s loser led his crew on two, 75-yard landing drives within the ultimate two minutes to offer Buffalo the late lead twice.
Sunday’s winner answered along with his personal passing miracles. Sunday’s winner bought the ball with 13 seconds left and made two deep throws for a miraculous tying discipline aim. Sunday’s winner received the coin flip in extra time after which received the sport for Kansas Metropolis in a 42-36 thriller.
Have you ever ever watched a extra disheartening sport?
Ever heard everybody use phrases like “dramatic” and “historic” however couldn't get previous the native, “miserable?”
Probably the most fast thought, and essentially the most distressing and, sure, miserable one in watching that playoff sport, is the Miami Dolphins are misplaced within the wilderness for one more soccer technology. Kansas Metropolis quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 26. Buffalo’s Josh Allen is 25.
Sure, you’ll discover the Dolphins within the outback, consuming birch bark and sleeping on pine needles for years to return.
For a lot of the earlier 20 years, the Dolphins confronted what was a easy query by comparability: Are you able to go to New England and win towards quarterback Tom Brady?
As Sunday once more confirmed the query has multiplied. Are you able to go to Buffalo and win towards Alllen? After which go to Kansas Metropolis and win towards Mahomes?
In the event you can’t challenge that, what's even being achieved right here? What has modified in a long time?
That’s not even stepping into who’s going to Kansas Metropolis this weekend. Joe Burrow has picked up a sad-sack Cincinnati franchise and lifted it to the AFC Championship sport. That’s what elite quarterbacks do, even of their second yr.
(Nor out of courtesy will there by any point out of Justin Herbert, the quarterback the Dolphins handed on. He’s in a nasty Los Angeles Chargers group — a defensive coach with the Thirtieth-ranked protection — however could be the primary participant NFL sorts like Jimmy Johnson would choose if beginning a franchise.)
Sure, it was a nasty weekend throughout for the Dolphins, proper right down to their draft choose sinking decrease with San Francisco’s win. A draft-day commerce final yr meant a swap so their unique choose (fifteenth) is the property of Philadelphia and the Dolphins personal San Francisco’s choose. It may’t be increased than twenty ninth. One other fantastic mess.
4 groups stay within the playoffs, and it’s clear the mannequin the Dolphins have chosen. Three of the surviving groups — Kansas Metropolis, Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Rams — have an elite-level quarterback who lifts everybody like a rising tide.
The fourth is San Francisco and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He’s good many video games. He will be nice occasionally. However there’s no pretending that his sport can do greater than accompany a well-built crew to a championship.
That’s what the Dolphins have determined in going all-in on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. It’s not like there have been many choices by this level. They shut down the one proprietor Steve Ross and common supervisor Chris Grier had been open for at midseason of buying and selling for Houston’s embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson (and his 22 sexual-misconduct allegations).
The organizational concept for Tagovailoa is now what it was for seven years of Ryan Tannehill: He’s ok if everybody round him is sweet sufficient. Tannehill has been fantastic in Tennessee, going to the AFC Championship sport two years in the past and getting the highest seed this yr.
Properly, he was fantastic till Saturday’s three-interception sport value Tennessee its season. It occurs. And now, a decade into his profession, individuals nonetheless marvel who Tannehill is.
Again to Tua and the Dolphins: The protection appears fantastic. However is anything ok? Something in any respect?
Enter the San Francisco mannequin. It has a line of defense that wins video games. It has some good offensive playmakers corresponding to receiver Deebo Samuel and tight finish George Kittle. It additionally had superior particular groups that blocked a Inexperienced Bay discipline aim and blocked a punt for a landing in its win.
The 49ers get some successful performs from Garoppolo, and that’s it. They’re within the NFC Championship sport underneath him — simply as they had been within the Tremendous Bowl just a few years again.
The Dolphins mannequin is the 49ers’ mannequin. Form of. The 49ers tried to maneuver on from Garoppolo in buying and selling as much as draft Trey Lance. The Dolphins are all-in on Tagovailoa. At the very least that’s what they’ve advised media, what they’re telling teaching candidates, what they’ve advised the total Dolphins roster.
And, let’s face it, what’s the choice? It’s not like Aaron Rodgers is strolling by way of the door this offseason. Or Russell Wilson. Why would they?
Take one other flyer on one other younger quarterback within the draft? Certain. Why not? Grier can hold throwing darts.
Sunday evening’s fireworks by Allen and Mahomes had been distressing for any Dolphins fan. Now comes Burrow and Mahomes. It’s miserable to observe, sitting right here, consuming birch bark and sleeping on pine needles.