Chris Perkins: Are the Dolphins tough enough mentally?

The Miami Dolphins’ biggest challenge of 2024 was spelled out by coach Mike McDaniel a few days ago. 

“You have to be a tough-minded football team to be your best at the end of the season,” he said.

Therein lies the truth.

Therein lies the reality.

Therein lies the failure of the Dolphins.

Mental toughness.

Forget about all the excuses we hear to explain why the Dolphins are 4-10, including two road playoff losses, in December and January in the last two seasons – injuries, road games, tough opponents, cold weather, etc…

The Dolphins need to be tougher mentally.

I don’t think the Dolphins are mentally weak.

I don’t think that at all.

But I definitely think they need more mental toughness in order to win in December and January.

This isn’t just me talking, this is also history.

These last two Dolphins teams have been huge late-season disappointments.

In the last two seasons, a stretch when the Dolphins have had their most talented teams in two decades, they’ve posted a .286 December-January winning percentage.

That’s a lower winning percentage than numerous lesser-talented but tougher-minded Dolphins teams.

Consider:

–In three seasons (2019-2021) under coach Brian Flores the Dolphins were 10-5 (.667) in December and January;

–In three seasons (2016-2018) under coach Adam Gase the Dolphins were 7-9 (.438) in December and January games, including one road playoff loss;

–In three seasons under coach Joe Philbin (2012-2014, he was fired in October 2015) the Dolphins were 7-8 (.467) in December and January;

–In 2015, under interim coach Dan Campbell, the Dolphins were 2-3 (.400) in December and January.

McDaniel, who often talks about the narratives surrounding his team, was candid Tuesday in talking about the closing stretch of the 2024 schedule, a stretch that features games at Houston (Dec. 15), against San Francisco (Dec. 22), at Cleveland (Dec. 29) and at the New York Jets (Jan. 5).

“I think that the opportunities down the stretch of the season are ones that this team, at that point in time, will be thirsting for,” he said.

“That’s something that when I saw the schedule, I was pretty excited.”

It’s healthier for the Dolphins to consider these late-season games as positive opportunities.

The reality is these games have been absolute disasters.

Sometimes they’ve been absolute embarrassments.

The Dolphins have looked bad in a few recent late-season losses, and much of this, you’d have to think, is due to a lack of mental toughness.

A 28-27 home loss to Tennessee in 2023?

A 56-19 blowout loss at Baltimore in 2023?

A 23-17 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022, a game in which the high-powered offense had just two touchdowns, one being a 57-yard fumble return by wide receiver Tyreek Hill?

Yes, better health would help greatly in getting late-season wins.

There’s been a massive late-season injury wave over the last two years.

You know the list.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb. Left tackle Terron Armstead. Cornerback Xavien Howard. Linebacker Jerome Baker. Running back Raheem Mostert. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. The names go on and on.

It doesn’t matter.

The bottom line is you have to find a way to win those late-season games if you want to be taken seriously as a title contender.

Look past the Dolphins’ enviable team speed.

Look past the touchdown celebrations, the funny coach, and all of those well-known, highly-publicized traits.

The Dolphins’ main narrative for the last two seasons is that they can’t win those crucial late-season games.

As a reminder, they need those late-season victories to secure at least one home playoff game so they can win at least one playoff game.

All of that requires mental toughness.

Again, look at this season’s last four games – at Houston, against San Francisco, at Cleveland, at the Jets.

It’ll take a tough-minded team to go .500 or better in that four-game stretch.

Tough-mindedness hasn’t been the Dolphins’ calling card in the past. But it better be their calling card in 2024.

At least one player said he embraces the challenge.

“We go away to Cleveland late in the year and then finish at New York,” wide receiver Braxton Berrios said. “Those are two great environments, and I think being tested on the road late in the year like that is going to be awesome.”

Right now, the Dolphins fall short of being classified as a mentally tough team.

The finishing stretch of 2024 can flip that script.

“If you’re wanting to change a narrative,” McDaniel said, “you’re going to have an opportunity.”