Former Dolphins Damien Williams scores the clinching touchdown for the Chiefs in Super Bowl 54. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports)

Pressure Point: Chiefs’ Mahomes, Williams show how to stage magical ending

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Five Reasons Sports Network at Super Bowl 54

MIAMI GARDENS

Rarely does a Super Bowl present such a study of contrasts as the No. LIV edition did Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.

The AFC champion Chiefs with the thrill-a-minute pass-happy offense; the NFC champion 49ers with more of an old-school approach with a punishing running game and stout defense.

Which style would prevail?

More to the point, if you’re the Miami Dolphins in the early stages of rebuilding, which is the style to emulate?

The verdict: Defense and a robust running game are still solid building blocks. But the Chiefs’ 31-20 win confirmed that a quarterback with magic in his hands is the difference-maker in today’s NFL.

Chiefs orchestrate comeback win over 49ers

Like Patrick Mahomes did in willing the Chiefs from a 10-point deficit to seize the title with a Super Bowl-record 21-point fourth quarter.

“It’s magic Mahomes, it’s Showtime Mahomes,” said tight end Travis Kelce, who caught the touchdown pass that gave the comeback momentum. “He’s going to be himself no matter what the scenario, and you know what? I love him. He willed this team back into the game, had a lot of make plays.”

Another one that got away

It underscored what the Dolphins desperately need to do this offseason: get the next Damien Williams.

No, wait, they had Williams, the undrafted running back who they discarded after four seasons and is now a Super Bowl champion with Kansas City. Williams made a strong case for the MVP trophy that went to Mahomes by scoring two of the fourth-quarter touchdowns.

As soon as the Lombardi Trophy was presented to coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs, the offseason was underway and the Cincinnati Bengals were on the clock to make the first pick in the draft on April 23. And the Dolphins have to decide how to play their hand with the No. 5 pick and two more later in the first round.

There can be no doubt that quarterback has to be Priority 1 if the Dolphins are to generate the kind of excitement at Hard Rock Stadium that resounded there Sunday.

Chiefs fans had staked their claim to Miami’s home well before kickoff. When a field announcer asked for a showing of allegiance to each team, the K.C contingent rocked the place.

And each time Mahomes was shown on the giant video boards during pregame they made it clear he was the designated star attraction.

Unexpectedly, 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo outplayed his high-profile counterpart for the first three quarters, completing 17-of-20 and registering a 100.6 passer rating.

Slow start for Mahomes

Mahomes had only 145 yards passing to that point, no touchdowns and uncharacteristically two interceptions, both in the third quarter.

“I just tried to fight, and obviously the third quarter didn’t go the way I wanted it to. I tried to force some things and had some turnovers,” said Mahomes, who brought the Chiefs back from deficits of 10 points or more in all three games this postseason. “I just had that same mindset, just to compete and compete.”

Curiously, the turning point came soon after Mahomes threw the second interception. San Francisco, with a 20-10 lead and 12 minutes to kill, managed only one first down and handed the ball back to Mahomes with 9 minutes remaining.

It took the Chiefs only 2:44 to go 83 yards and cut the deficit to three on the 1-yard pass to Kelce. Along the way Mahomes pulled off the play of the game on third-and-15 when he found Tyreek Hill open deep for a 44-yard completion to the 49ers’ 21.

After the 49ers went three-and-out, Mahomes took Kansas City 65 yards in seven plays for the lead on a 5-yard pass to Williams, who barely got the ball into the end zone before being shoved out of bounds.

Williams added the clincher with a 38-yard touchdown run, finishing with 104 yards rushing on 6.1 yards per carry.

“Damien Williams! Feed that man,” Kelce said. “Super Bowl champ, Damien Williams. Enough said.”

Williams returns a champion

The Dolphins didn’t feed Williams enough, and he became the latest in a long line of players to leave Miami and find glory elsewhere. Though, in this case, he found it here, where he started.

While making the point repeatedly that he plays with a chip on his shoulder as a player who came into the league as an undrafted free agent, Williams was charitable in recalling his time with the Dolphins.

“I built a lot of relationships here and still have a lot of relationships here,” he said. “When you get into the league, you think about the Super Bowl, you think about what you would do in it, and for it to be where I started my career at, undrafted, it means a lot.”

Recalling the last time the Super Bowl was staged in South Florida, in 2010, the setting was very different, then a stadium in decline. That’s why it has taken a decade for the big game to return. Incidentally, the MVP of that New Orleans Saints win was Drew Brees, a quarterback the Dolphins had passed on.

Owner Steve Ross did a commendable job in investing three-quarters of a billion dollars to reconstruct the facility that Joe Robbie originally built and the Dolphins once shared with the Florida Marlins, who won two World Series titles there.

The stadium that has had more names than a con man never looked better for football than it did Sunday. It never shook its booty with the energetic frenzy that Shakira and J-Lo provided in the halftime show.

Rebuilt the stadium, now the team?

And it’s never rocked with more impassioned joy than Chiefs followers in celebrating Mahomes’ magical comeback masterpiece.

Yes, Mr. Ross, you’ve built a venue worthy of staging America’s premier sporting event, and the NFL will likely return again soon for another round.

It’s way past time the Dolphins owner built a team worthy of it.

Perhaps coach Brian Flores and GM Chris Grier, beginning their second year together, can finally get it done. They are aided by assistant GM Marvin Allen, who was director of college scouting for the Chiefs when they drafted Mahomes, Hill and other members of the new champions.

They need to get Ross his long-elusive quarterback, one with a special touch and surround him with a worthy supporting cast. Perhaps then his stadium will finally be filled regularly with the sort of high-decibel excitement that is common in Kansas City, New England, Green Bay and other places where winning is a habit.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

More from Five Reasons Sports at Super Bowl 54:

49ers turnaround a model for Dolphins

Technology offers Dolphins a blueprint

Hurricanes Football: Restoring Expectations a Good Start

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Miami Hurricanes football is once again setting high expectations in the offseason, will it carry over to the regular season?

With Super Bowl 54 in their home stadium. the Miami Hurricanes have managed to grab some headlines of their own.

Miami legend Ed Reed joining the team as an advisor is the latest move by the program to rejuvenate the fan base.

If you wrote an offseason checklist for the Hurricanes, your script already has a Hollywood ending.

 

Don’t forget about the kicking woes which may be in the past with the arrival of Jose Borregales via FIU.

Manny Diaz heard you loud and clear Canes fans.

The Hurricanes quickly made people forget about the Independence Bowl.

Hope is for now renewed in Coral Gables, with seven months to fuel the hype flame.

D’Eriq King brings a dynamic resume to the quarterback room that needed a hierarchy.

 

He is the alpha without a doubt this season and will have carry the weight accordingly.

Rhett Lashlee and his 21st century offense look to breath life into a predictable and stagnant Miami attack.

The relationship between King and Lashlee will be one to watch as Spring approaches.

While on the other side of the ball, Quincy Roche adds a second elite pass rusher to bookend Gregory Rousseau.

Roche makes a team strength even stronger, and with many changes on offense the defense will set the tone.

Diaz made a splash in the offseason much to the delight of the Hurricanes faithful.

A lot of new faces will look to mesh with the holdovers, that cohesion takes time.

Fortunately the early season schedule seems favorable on paper.

We hope.

Time will tell if the offseason good fortune will translate into wins on the field.

For now, the arrow is up.

As long as we beat Temple.

49ers DE Nick Bosa is the sort of dominant puss rusher the Dolphins desperately need. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports Network)

Pressure Point: Bosa’s impact illuminates Dolphins’ need for pass rusher

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MIAMI

Five Reasons Sports Network at Super Bowl 54

The flip side of the Miami Dolphins’ obvious need at quarterback is the void they have to fill on defense for a pass rusher.

Someone like Nick Bosa, the South Florida native who will play in his hometown Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday in Super Bowl 54 for the San Francisco 49ers.

“I definitely could have dreamed it, but it is happening and it’s pretty awesome,” Bosa, who starred in high school at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, said this week.

“It’s awesome, just being in my hometown where I grew up, where all my friends and family live. I couldn’t pick a better place to be for my first Super Bowl.”

49ers turnaround a model for Miami Dolphins to emulate

Rookie force on 49ers pass rush

The 6-4, 266-pound defensive end is a big reason the 49ers are here and ready to face the Kansas City Chiefs. Selected second overall out of Ohio State in 2019, the rookie defensive end was the last major piece in a three-year rebuilding project that the Dolphins will attempt to emulate.

Bosa didn’t disappoint, registering nine sacks, 25 quarterback hits and 47 tackles in the regular season, then added three sacks in two playoff victories. He is the overwhelming favorite to be named Defensive Rookie of the Year at Saturday’s NFL Honors show at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami — he picked up the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year award on Thursday.

The boost Bosa provided to the 49ers pass rush is credited as a key reason they ranked No. 1 in passing defense (169.2 yard per game) this season. They were fifth in sacks with 48, coincidentally nine more than they had the previous season without Bosa.

Contrast that to the Dolphins’ inability to pressure quarterbacks this past season. They ranked last with only 23 sacks.

Consequently, the Dolphins are expected pick an edge rusher in the first round up the upcoming draft when they have three selections.

Technology offers Dolphins a blueprint to build

First-round edge rush options for Dolphins

Another dominant pass rusher from Ohio State, Chase Young, is projected to be taken as the No. 2 pick by Washington. The Dolphins, with the No. 5 pick, are expected to address their quarterback need first.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr.’s latest mock draft agrees with the consensus that has Miami taking Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. That is assuming the medical assessment of Tua’s recovery from hip surgery is convincingly positive and that it isn’t necessary to trade up to prevent another team from grabbing him first.

Dolphins’ mission: Find the next Patrick Mahomes

The Dolphins also have the 18th and 26th picks in the first round. Kiper predicts they will use the former for edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson from national champion LSU.

Chaisson, who profiles as a linebacker in a 3-4 alignment, is rated as the third- or fourth-best pass rusher in the draft by most analysts. Young is unquestioned as the best of the lot, a future All-Pro.

Others, such as Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa and Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos, figure to be gone before the 18th pick.

Chaisson is known for quick burst off the ball. But his college sack totals aren’t impressive — his 4 ½ sacks this past season was a career best. He was known for consistently applying pressure and flushing quarterbacks out of the pocket.

Another rusher who may interest Miami is Boise State defensive end Curtis Weaver, who had 34 sacks in three seasons, including 13.5 in 2019. He is a different type than Chaisson — bigger body, quick and powerful — who was Defensive Player of the Year in the Mountain West Conference.

St. Thomas Aquinas launched Bosa brothers

The Dolphins, of course, once had their own Bosa — the wrong one.

Nick’s father John Bosa was Miami’s first-round pick (No. 16) in 1987. He never performed to expectations and was out of the league after three seasons with seven career sacks in 31 games.

John Bosa’s NFL legacy is the two sons who quickly blossomed into defensive stars. Nick’s older brother Joey preceded him at St. Thomas and Ohio State and was drafted third overall in 2016 by the Los Angeles Chargers. He was Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned his second Pro Bowl selection in 2019.

Maybe the St. Thomas Aquinas connection had something to do with the Bosa brothers’ success.

“I moved up to Fort Lauderdale from North Miami solely to go to St. Thomas, that’s how good of a program it is. [Athletic director and former football coach] George Smith runs everything over there. He’s a legend,” Nick Bosa said.

“I honestly became a man during the time at St. Thomas.”

Impressive force from Day 1

That was never in question from the time Bosa joined the 49ers, as six-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley explained this week.

“I will say this, the only time I’ve ever thought ‘Oh, shoot, do I have it anymore?’ was like the first week of training camp going against Nick Bosa,” Staley said. “Honestly, that guy’s so good. And then I saw him go against everyone else in the NFL and was like, ‘Oh, he’s just a really good player. I’ve still got it.’”

That’s the type of young pass rusher the Dolphins need to build a quality defense. It is an objective every bit as important as getting the right quarterback.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

More on the Super Bowl from Five Reasons Sports Network:

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Former Dolphin Damien Williams’ journey goes full circle

CK’s Take: Technology Offers Miami Dolphins a Blueprint

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While admiring the sheer size of the Miami Beach Convention Center, the central hub for Super Bowl LIV, I came across a back room in a relatively un-trafficked part of the Convention Center. Peeking into the room, the presentation slides on the screens bracketing the dais said, “Zebra Technologies”. I decided to attend the scheduled conference.

Considering how out of the way the room was, literally as far from the infamous and chaotic ‘Radio Row’ as possible while still being in the same building, it should have been unsurprising how few members of the media showed up for the presentation. They largely ignored this little room, preferring to see staged shouting matches between UFC fighters, or to rub elbows with Jim Rome, Peter King, etc.

Their loss.

Some of the most fascinating and revealing information about the matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs featured in that secluded room. The benevolent geeks (it’s OK for me to call them that since I count myself among them) at Zebra Technologies and the NFL’s Next Gen Stats platform were kind enough to share the sweet nectar of analytics with the three or four of us who found our way in.

First, a little bit about Zebra Technologies. They implant radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips in every set of pads and every football used by NFL teams on game day. They have a complex network of sensors in every NFL stadium which tracks all locations and movements of these chips throughout the games. Using the data, the NFL and Zebra are able to model and recreate every movement that happens on every play in the game, measuring distances and speeds along the way.

(Side Note: The Miami Dolphins happen to be one of about ten or so teams in the league that have also contracted with Zebra independently to have the same chips and sensors installed in their practice facilities, adding to the library of data they are able to analyse for everything from training to scouting.)

The NFL puts out analytics derived off this data through its Next Gen Stats platform.

During the presentation, we learned a number of conspicuous factoids about the cream of the conferences. The overarching theme, the primary takeaway if you’re a Miami Dolphins fan and you want to know how to get to the Super Bowl?

SPEED

Did you know that the #1 and #2 fastest ball carrying teams in the NFL ended up facing one another in the Super Bowl this year? Kansas City ball carriers (including receivers after the catch) averaged a speed of 13.36 miles per hour during the 2019 season. San Francisco ball carriers averaged 13.35 miles per hour.

One team did it with receivers like Mecole Hardman (21.9 miles per hour and 21.7 miles per hour) and Sammy Watkins (21.3 miles per hour), the two together having recorded 3 of the top 20 speeds measured on a player carrying the ball in the 2019-20 season.

The other team did it with a set of running backs like Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert, who reached at least 15 miles per hour on 29% of their carries this year, trailing only Dalvin Cook’s 30% figure.

The 49ers and Chiefs also recorded 7 of the top 12 speeds achieved in the NFL playoffs.

The speed leads to separation, as the Chiefs led all NFL teams in average separation of receivers (3.7 yards), while the not-too-shabby 49ers ranked 6th (3.2 yards). The separation helped the teams rank 3rd and 5th, respectively, in pass plays of 15+ yards.

The 49ers added the wrinkle of a speedy ground attack which ranked 2nd in the NFL in run plays of 10+ yards. This achievement was all the more impressive since the data show that all three of San Francisco’s running backs (Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida, and Raheem Mostert) were among the most likely in the NFL to be running against an 8-man box on any given run play.

Speaking of speed, the 49ers pass rush deserves mention, particularly when Dee Ford is healthy and participating. Ford, we learned, is the 3rd quickest pass rusher in the NFL when it comes to time it takes to cross the line of scrimmage after the snap. When he was in the game this season, the 49ers pass rush was able to pressure the quarterback on 34% of pass plays. When he was out, that number dipped into the mid-20’s. Easy to see why the 49ers seemed to get a boost in performance as Ford came back for the playoffs.

The matchup with Kansas City could put this increased pass rush efficiency even more in the spotlight, as Patrick Mahomes proved to be the most dangerous quarterback in the NFL this season when allowed 2.5 seconds or longer to throw the football. He averaged 10.1 yards per attempt on such plays.

The 49ers are able to generate nearly identical pass rush efficiency with just four pass rushers as they are when they rush five or more. That should be convenient for San Francisco, since Mahomes had a 116.5 passer rating versus the blitz this season. The guess is that San Francisco will sit back and allow their four-man front to harass Mahomes, if they can get away with it.

On the back end, the most effective deep passing game in the NFL, led by Patrick Mahomes and those speedy receivers, will face off with far and away the stingiest deep pass defenders in the NFL. While Mahomes has led the NFL in deep pass completions and touchdowns since 2018, the 49ers defense only allowed a total of NINE deep completions during the entire 2019-20 season. That is astounding, and was the best number in the NFL by a margin.

The data on these two teams, the speed they share in common, is fascinating because of how differently they’re constructed. While it’s easy to imagine how the Chiefs are able to produce these speed and separation measurements with explicitly fast players like Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and Sammy Watkins, the 49ers are not staffed the same way. They have been able to achieve speed figures through misdirection, spacing, decisiveness, and run after catch skills.

While the Dolphins may have multiple roads they can take to get there, the goal should remain the same. For the Miami Dolphins to take the next step, they must learn to play faster than the competition. If they can do that, perhaps the next secret nerd meeting at a Super Bowl convention will feature slides on Devante Parker, Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant, … and Tua Tagovailoa?

Kyle Shanahan sought players with high football character in building the 49ers' Super Bowl team. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports Network)

Pressure Point: 49ers’ turnaround a model for Dolphins’ rebuild

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Five Reasons Sports at Super Bowl 54 in Miami

Miami Dolphins fans are relegated to watching wistfully as Super Bowl 54 is contested on their team’s home field on Feb. 2.

They can find hope, though, in knowing that one of the teams vying for the championship was in much the same situation in 2017 as the Dolphins were this past season, beginning a rebuilding process led by a novice head coach and general manager combo.

Like the Dolphins, on the field those San Francisco 49ers were losing. A lot: They started 0-9 in that first season under coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch.

As first-timers in their roles in the NFL, there was reason to question whether Shanahan and Lynch were up to the task.

Dolphins need to find the next Patrick Mahomes

Duo with much to prove

Not unlike the Dolphins leadership tandem of coach Brian Flores and GM Chris Grier, now entering a crucial offseason in the rebuilding process.

The work of Shanahan and Lynch can offer a model for the Dolphins to emulate.

Through deft drafting, augmented by some savvy trades and signings of established players, they pulled off one of the most successful three-year turnarounds in NFL history.

Flores and Grier, beginning their second season as co-leaders of football operations in Miami, have a tough act to follow. Shanahan and Lynch haven’t missed much in an uncanny run of decision-making.

The Dolphins have ample resources to follow a similar path with 14 picks in the 2020 draft and nearly $100 million in cap space, the most in the league. Projecting further, they have stockpiled 10 picks for 2021, including two each in the first and second rounds.

The 49ers drafted 21 of the 53 players on their active roster. Of those, 16 came in the past three drafts (seven others from those drafts remain with the team on injured reserve).

Last year’s draft produced defensive difference-makers Nick Bosa, the second overall pick, and linebacker Dre Greenlaw, their second-leading tackler who was taken in the fifth round.

The turning point in the 49ers’ rebuild came when they traded a second-round draft pick for New England Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo during the 2017 season.

Check out Super Bowl Experience on Miami Beach

More than one way to win

The revelation of this postseason has been a deviation from recent belief that it takes a dominant do-everything quarterback to win a championship in the pass-happy NFL of the 21st Century.

The Kansas City Chiefs, the other Super Bowl finalist, have that in Patrick Mahomes. But, the 49ers beat the Packers and future Hall-of-Fame QB Aaron Rodgers via an old-school formula of stout defense and a punishing running game.

Which path will the Dolphins follow?

Grier, in media interviews last week at the Senior Bowl, made it clear that drafting a quarterback to lead the Dolphins turnaround is a top priority of the organization. And indicated he would utilize some of the extra draft picks the team has amassed if needed to trade into position to select the player he wants.

“You see how important it is around the league,” Grier said. “We think it’s important that we find the right guy who could be the quarterback here for a long time.”

While the 49ers chose a different route in trading for their quarterback, it was just one piece of the puzzle, as it must be for Miami.

The key that shaped the 49ers into a team on the brink of a championship is the attention Lynch paid to building strength on the offensive and defensive lines. That provided the impetus for the NFL’s second-ranked rushing attack in 2019 and second-ranked total defense (No. 1 against the pass).

Contrast that to the Dolphins who couldn’t generate the push up front to run the ball effectively at all or muster any semblance of a pass rush and it is obvious where the focus must be beyond obtaining a quarterback.

2017 draft started 49ers turnaround

The process that led to the 49ers turnaround began with the 2017 draft, which notably netted George Kittle, who was endorsed as the current top tight end in the league this week by no less of an expert than Rob Gronkowski, one of the best to play the position.

“When I got [to San Francisco] there were probably 80 percent rookies on the team,” Garoppolo said Tuesday. “So it was a pretty young team. But you could definitely see pieces were there [but] there were parts of it that were missing. But Kyle and John did a great job ever since I got there of bringing in the right people, good people, and it’s transferred onto the field.”

There are a few significant contributors to this run to the Super Bowl who were with the team when Shanahan and Lynch arrived, including 13-year veteran left tackle Joe Staley and running back Raheem Mostert, who had been cut by six teams including the Dolphins.

Three defensive starters were first-round picks in the 2014-16 drafts: safety Jimmie Ward (2014)  and d-linemen Arik Armstead (2015) and DeForest Buckner (2016).

But 46 members of the 53-man roster were acquired by the Shanahan/Lynch regime (See the list of personnel moves below.) They have had considerable success with third-day draft picks, which will be vital to the Dolphins restocking a stripped-down roster. Miami will have six picks in rounds five through seven in this draft.

The other area the 49ers have excelled is in their choice of veterans to add as free agents or via trades, including cornerback Richard Sherman, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, linebacker Kwon Alexander , defensive end Dee Ford and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

Chance on Sherman pays off

One of the boldest moves that paid off was the 2018 signing of three-time All-Pro Sherman, coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon, to a three-year, $39 million contract.

“He’s creative and he’s always evolving,” Sherman said of Lynch, who had no previous experience as an NFL executive.

“You’ve got the obvious moves like [drafting] Bosa, but you’ve got keeping Arik Armstead, you’ve got paying  Jimmy Garoppolo early, which a lot of people questioned. Those are the things that have made him a great GM is having the foresight and the thought to go against what everybody else thinks.”

The 49ers went 6-10 and 4-12 in the first two years before the 13-3 breakthrough this season followed by the dominating playoff run to the Super Bowl.

Sherman said he was convinced from the time he arrived that the rebuild would lead to this level of success.

“I thought we’d be a little closer last year, but thank God we weren’t because we got Nick [Bosa] out of it,” he said. “We got banged up last year and it ended up being a blessing in disguise.”

There has been a lot of talk this week about team chemistry and the positive vibe in the 49ers locker room — similarly with the Chiefs.

Group of selfless players

That, of course, is easier to maintain when you’re winning. But in this case it was partly by design of the process.

“The one thing I keep coming back to is everybody is very selfless,” Staley said. “It’s a team that really doesn’t care about individual accolades. It’s all about the team, and I think that was built with the people that we’ve brought in here who we’ve drafted.”

Shanahan said: “I always believed culture just has to do with an accumulation of good people. We wanted to get people who really cared about football, people who worked hard.

“We always described it as high football character. When you do that and you make most of your decisions based off of that, usually the culture takes care of itself. You never know if it will work out that way exactly. You hope you are getting the right guys.”

That’s the thing about the rebuilding process, there are no guarantees stockpiling draft picks will pay off. Look at the Cleveland Browns, who can never get it right.

The 49ers, playing Sunday on the Dolphins’ home field, are the poster child for how to turn a team around, and quickly.

Crucial offseason for Dolphins

That’s the gauntlet the Dolphins will attempt to run through beginning this offseason with a boatload of draft picks and cap space.

There were some positive signs in the first season of the Flores/Grier pairing as the Dolphins finished 5-4 following the dreadful 0-7 start. They maintained unity despite the early losing and constant churning of the roster.

But now the real work begins on a team with so many needs: quarterback, pass rush, o-line, running back, corner cover, linebacker — name it, Miami needs it.

Consequently, Super Bowl 54 is just a diversion for Dolfans. Once these teams get off their field Sunday, the important game they care about can begin leading to free agent signings and the NFL draft.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

More on Super Bowl 54 from Five Reasons Sports:

The better QB: Marino or Mahomes?

 

Here are the personnel moves by Lynch and Shanahan to acquire players since 2017, according to NBCsports.com:

2017

DL Solomon Thomas, 2017, first round
CB Ahkello Witherspoon, 2017, third round
CB C.J. Beathard, 2017, third round
TE George Kittle, 2017, fifth round
QB Nick Mullens, 2017, rookie free agent
RB Matt Breida, 2017, rookie free agent
WR Kendrick Bourne, 2017, rookie free agent
K Robbie Gould, 2017, veteran free agent
DB K’Waun Williams, 2017, veteran free agent
FB Kyle Juszczyk, 2017, veteran free agent
LB Elijah Lee, 2017, veteran free agent
LB Mark Nzeocha, 2017, veteran free agent
DT Sheldon Day, 2017, waiver claim from Jacksonville
LG Laken Tomlinson, 2017, trade from Detroit
QB Jimmy Garoppolo, 2017, trade from New England

2018

RT Mike McGlinchey, 2018, first round
WR Dante Pettis, 2018, second round
LB Fred Warner, 2018, third round
DB Tarvarius Moore, 2018, third round
DB D.J. Reed, 2018, fifth round
S Marcell Harris, 2018, sixth round
WR Richie James, 2018, seventh round
RB Jeff Wilson, 2018, rookie free agent
TE Ross Dwelley, 2018, rookie free agent
CB Emmanuel Moseley, 2018, rookie free agent
CB Richard Sherman, 2018, veteran free agent
RG Mike Person, 2018, veteran free agent

2019

DE Nick Bosa, 2019, first round
WR Deebo Samuel, 2019, second round
P Mitch Wishnowsky, 2019, fourth round
LB Dre Greenlaw, 2019, fifth round
OT Justin Skule, 2019, sixth round
LB Azeez Al-Shaair, 2019, rookie free agent
DL Kevin Givens, 2019, rookie free agent
LB Kwon Alexander, 2019, veteran free agent
RB Tevin Coleman, 2019, veteran free agent
OL Ben Garland, 2019, veteran free agent
OL Daniel Brunskill, 2019, veteran free agent
TE Levine Toilolo, 2019, veteran free agent
CB Dontae Johnson, 2019, veteran free agent
WR Jordan Matthews, 2019, veteran free agent
DL Anthony Zettel, 2019, veteran free agent
DT Earl Mitchell, 2019, veteran free agent
TE Daniel Helm, 2019, waiver claim from L.A. Chargers
DE Dee Ford, 2019, trade from Kansas City
WR Emmanuel Sanders, 2019, trade from Denver

INJURED RESERVE
TE Garrett Celek, 2012, rookie free agent
DE Ronald Blair, 2016, fifth-round draft pick
WR Trent Taylor, 2017, fifth-round draft pick
NT D.J. Jones, 2017, sixth-round draft pick
WR Marquise Goodwin, 2017, veteran free agent
DL Kentavius Street, 2018, fourth-round draft pick
DL Jullian Taylor, 2018, seventh-round draft pick
RB Jerick McKinnon, 2018, veteran free agent
C Weston Richburg, 2018, veteran free agent
T Shon Coleman, 2018, trade from Cleveland
WR Jalen Hurd, 2019, third-round draft pick
CB Tim Harris, 2019, sixth-round draft pick
WR Shawn Poindexter, 2019, rookie free agent
OL Andrew Lauderdale, 2019, veteran fee agent
DL Damontre Moore, 2019, veteran free agent
CB Jason Verrett, 2019, veteran free agent

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the opening night event for Super Bowl 54. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports Network)

Pressure Point: Dolphins need to find the next Patrick Mahomes

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MIAMI

Miami Dolphins fans have been dreaming about a franchise quarterback for two decades now.

The quest has gone unrequited since Dan Marino retired. So many have tried and been found wanting that you wonder if anyone in Miami would recognize a franchise quarterback when they saw one.

Well, it’s not that tough, folks. One was on display Monday night in Dolphins country in a Miami stadium.

Unfortunately, Patrick Mahomes is in town to play for the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54 against the San Francisco 49ers. Watching him at the podium at the opening night event of Super Bowl week at Marlins Park it was evident, this is what you want.

This is what Miami needs. Someone like Mahomes.

Who is the better QB: Mahomes or Marino?

Trade up if necessary

The Chiefs recognized the potential when Mahomes was coming out of Texas Tech and traded two first-round picks and a third-rounder to the Buffalo Bills to select him 10th overall in 2017.

That is what the Dolphins must do to break out of the quarterback doldrums.

Maybe it is Tua Tagovailoa, provided he aces his medical exams. Or perhaps someone like Utah State’s Jordan Love, who drew the interest of NFL talent evaluators last week at the Senior Bowl, including Dolphins officials.

If they identify that elusive quarterback of the future anywhere in this draft crop, GM Chris Grier must do whatever it takes to get him, even if that requires dealing valuable draft capital to move up from Miami’s current No. 5 spot in April’s draft.

Notably, Love has elicited comparisons to Mahomes, and doesn’t shy away from it.

“We’ve both got strong arms. [Mahomes] obviously makes ridiculous throws off schedule and stuff like that, some I’ve seen and tried to model my game to make throws like that,” Love said at the Senior Bowl. “I hope to be on the same platform as him.”

Not easy to get back to Super Bowl

Right now Mahomes has the grandest platform, the one every player aspires to.

Watching him close up Monday for nearly an hour fielding all sorts of questions, serious and whimsical, the first thing that stands out is how young he looks. Younger than his 24 years, though he has already accomplished so much.

“I want to be back here, I want to play in multiple Super Bowls. But every opportunity you get here you know how hard it is. So I just want to maximize that,” he said.

One can’t help recalling that Marino was also a fresh-faced kid with curly hair when he came to Miami and set the league on fire in the early ’80s. Danny Boy got to the Super Bowl in his second season and never got back.

The Dolphins are still looking for another quarterback to get them back to this platform, as Miami hosts the big game for a record 11th time.

Someone like Mahomes, whose rocket arm and electric ability may command the NFL’s first $200 million contract.

Ghosts of Dolphins dreams

Mahomes was as comfortable and patient in the spotlight Monday as he is in the pocket dodging pass rushers and improvising. He deftly handled every surprise thrown his way — Do you believe in ghosts? Yes he does, though he hasn’t seen one.

He should have known, the ghosts of Dolphins broken dreams are everywhere around here.

“I want to be known as a great football player, but I also want people to know me as a great person,” Mahomes said.

Exactly what Miami has been searching for all of these years.

Keep in mind, franchise quarterbacks come in different forms. The 49ers have one in Jimmy Garoppolo, though they haven’t relied on him to carry the team on his back like the Chiefs do with Mahomes.

Don’t underestimate Garoppolo

But Garoppolo showed he can do that after the in-season trade with the Patriots in 2017, going 5-0 in five starts with a team that was 1-10 when he arrived.

Don’t be surprised if Garoppolo ends up being the difference in Super Bowl 54 when the Chiefs gear up to stop the 49ers’ vaunted running game and coach Kyle Shanahan calls on Garoppolo to counter it with  play-action. He’s got the arm and talented receivers to do so.

Garoppolo’s 1,250 yards in his first four starts with the 49ers in 2017 was a record. It was enough to earn a five-year, $137.5 million contract the next offseason.

“That’s a huge commitment and it’s hard to make a judgment on people over a six-week time when you’re committing that type of money,” Shanahan said Monday night.

“He came in for six weeks, he won our team, he won me over; I think he won our town over. All anyone has to do is watch the games he played in and after six weeks the decision was very easy.”

That’s all Dolfans have been asking: Wow us. Win us over.

Like Marino did. Like Mahomes has done in Kansas City while breaking some of Marino’s most cherished records.

We can’t be sure what the Dolphins braintrust is thinking about the quarterbacks available. Even they can’t be sure about Tua’s recovery from hip surgery, though that should become clearer by the Combine and before draft day.

All we know is the prototype is in Miami right now, the son of a former major-league journeyman pitcher. He belongs to Kansas City.

That’s your mission, Dolphins. Identify the next Patrick Mahomes and do whatever it takes to bring him to Miami.

Simple as that? Hell, yes!

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Houtz Super Bowl Special: The better QB? Marino or Mahomes

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“Montana was a product of the system; Marino was the system.”

For 20 years, the Miami Dolphins have been searching for their next great quarterback, searching for a QB that can fill the void left behind by The Right Arm of God, Dan Marino. And during that time, they’ve had the opportunity to land some legit NFL talent. In 2017, while the Dolphins waited patiently for their turn on the clock, several other teams were making moves to land their franchise signal-caller. One of those teams was Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs moved up from #27 to #10 to land Patrick Mahomes. The price? A 2017 third-round pick, a 2018 first-round pick, and #27 overall.  And after just three NFL seasons, Andy Reid has Kansas City Super Bowl-bound. So, with the Chiefs and their prolific QB headed to Super Bowl LIV, it has opened up an interesting debate on Twitter. Patrick Mahomes or Dan Marino?

Yes, I realize that one plays in today’s NFL, where the rules heavily favor the passing game. I also understand that one had a 17-year NFL career while the other has only been in the NFL for three seasons—starting only two. But for someone lucky enough to witness Marino play football on Sundays, it’s hard not to project just how great Patrick Mahomes can be.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at two QBs that –when all is said and done– will be remembered as two of the best to play the game.

Tale of the Tape

Dan Marino

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Height: 6’4

Weight: 224 lbs.

Pick: 27th overall (1983)

Stats: 

 

Patrick Mahomes

Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Height: 6’3

Weight: 230 lbs.

Pick: 10th-overall (2017)

Stats:

Stats don’t tell the whole story, but when comparing the two players’ first two seasons, things look eerily similar.

In 1984, Marino threw for 5,084 yards, 48 TDs, and 17 Ints. In 2018, Mahomes first full-season as a starter, he threw for 5,097 yards, 50 TDs, and 12 Ints. And then in year three, Mahomes threw for 4,031 yards, 26 TDs, and 5 Ints compared to Marino’s 4,137 yards, 30 TDs, and 20 Ints. Again, this is apples to oranges, but it gives you an idea of just how great both players are.

Accuracy

To have success in the NFL, a QB must be accurate, among many other things. And trying to figure out which of these two QBs was more accurate, is a tough feat. Marino had the quickest release the NFL has ever seen. He was also capable of putting the ball exactly where it needed to be, something that very few QBs since his departure have been able to replicate. However, Mahomes isn’t every other QB. And while Marino is a more accurate QB (IMO), the gap between the two is far from seismic. I give the edge to Marino, but it’s a lot closer than most fans want to admit.

Arm Strength

It is unfair to try and pick which of these players is better. Yes, I’m viewing things with Aqua and Orange shades, but it’s hard to overlook how good Patrick Mahomes is. If we’re going to give Marino the edge with accuracy, we might have to do the same with Mahomes and arm strength. Both QBs have tremendous arm-strength. No, they might not be able to throw the ball 70 yards into the stands on an HB screen like Josh Allen, but they both have cannons. Gun to my head, I’m giving the edge to Mahomes. 

X-factor

Both quarterbacks are wired a bit differently, and when the game was on the line, took matters into their own hands. Sure, they both had elite arms, accuracy, and football IQ, but they are gamers. One of the greatest plays in NFL history was Marino’s fake spike, and last week, we saw Mahomes improbable run vs. the Titans. When a pass is needed to put a game away, few QBs did it better.

Verdict

Both Mahomes and Marino are two QBs that will likely never be replicated. There will be excellent prospects like Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa, but none will ever compare to two of the greatest QBs of all-time. For two QBs that are so different and unique, the similarities between the two are uncanny. Both QBs have a rocket attached to their upper body. Both players can manipulate the pocket and make throws that seem unimaginable. And both QBs have pinpoint accuracy, with the ability to place the ball exactly where they want.

It’s too early to sit here and claim Patrick Mahomes is better than Dan Marino–because he’s not. But when the history books are written, I don’t foresee many QBs, if any, as talented as Mahomes. Thankfully, for the Dolphins. The man that helped build the current roster in Kansas City and had a helping hand in selecting Mahomes is currently in Miami’s front office. Perhaps, Assistant GM Marvin Allen can once again find an elite QB and help turn this once storied franchise, into a winner.

Marino vs. Mahomes. Mahomes vs. Marino. There is no right answer. Both QBs are elite players, regardless of what era of football they played. But for now, there’s only one QB that can refer to themselves as the GOAT, and his name is Daniel Constantine Marino Jr.

Brian Flores

Miami Dolphins: Team goes backwards with coaching youth movement

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The Miami Dolphins are bucking the trend with coaching hires.

The Miami Dolphins have hired two coaches in the past month who are on the older side of things. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey is 68, while Steve Marshall, the new offensive line coach, is 63.

I have no problems with either of the hires, aside from the fact that age is an issue for me.

The Miami Dolphins have hired experience

Gailey has a ton of experience. Gailey began his coaching career at Florida State in 1974. He was a graduate assistant back then. Landing his first head coaching gig in 1983 for Troy State, he held the position for two seasons before moving on to Denver. Since then, he has gone through the football ranks rather rapidly, taking on different positions in the process. Most recently, he was the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets in the 2015-16 season.

Marshall has experience in the National Football League as well. He was an assistant offensive line coach from the time the Houston Texans were an expansion team until 2006. In 2006 , Marshall joined the Cleveland Browns. Since then, he has held different positions throughout the National Football League. Most recently, he was the offensive line coach for the New York Jets in 2017. There is a Jets theme to the staff.

Again, there is no doubt they have experience. However, the league is trending in a younger direction when it comes to coaches. That’s what makes me a little bit skeptical about these moves.

Recent coaching hires have gone the younger direction

Take a look at the Carolina Panthers, for example. They hired 30-year-old offensive coordinator Joe Brady for the same position. Brady’s ascent to the position was rapid. He began as a linebackers coach for William and Mary in 2013. He rose through the ranks of football, most recently as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach of LSU. He is credited with a ton of offensive success for the Tigers, and his presence helped this year as the Tigers won the National Championship.

From Sean McVay to Josh McDaniels, to even Brian Flores, the league is trending in a younger direction. From analytics to the fact that the NFL is becoming a passing league, the game has changed even since Marshall and Gailey last coached three years ago. Somebody younger might have been a better fit for Miami. I know a huge deal is made about the youth infusion and these young, “Wizkid” coaches. I believe there is something to that, however.

Nevertheless, we’ll have to see how these two do. I hope they do well. In this day and age of younger coaches, I believe that the Dolphins should hire younger coaches to keep up with the times. Even still, we must throw our support behind the coaches.

Dolphins Chris Grier

Fresh Perspective: Potential new cap rules mean Dolphins should spend heavily

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Several months ago, I wrote up a massive offseason plan based on both free agency and the 2020 NFL draft. The Miami Dolphins would have gotten star free agents, stud prospects, and a franchise quarterback in it. Not only that, I was about to redo that plan to reflect the confirmed draft positions. However, some new information has caused me to rethink the position I was preparing to take.

Evidently, there’s a real possibility that due to the expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), there will be no cap carryover from 2020 into 2021. This information comes from Jason Fitzgerald at overthecap.com, whose specialty is explaining cap space.

In layman’s terms, any cap space that isn’t used in the current year can normally be rolled over into the next season to use then. That would give the Dolphins more room to spend on new players and extend homegrown talent. But if there will no longer be cap rollover, then where is the incentive to not spend up to the cap?

What it means for Dolphins

As it stands, according to overthecap.com, the Miami Dolphins have nearly $100 million in cap space available for 2020. Obviously, the ideal scenario is that things will continue as if nothing changed and allow teams to continue carrying over cap. But there’s no guarantee that will happen. Fitzgerald suggests that the best thing teams can do now is to put voids and buyback options into player contracts for this upcoming season.

But there’s a problem. No amount of buyback options or voids will be enough for the Dolphins to get to the point where they’ve used up all that would-be wasted cap space. How much money can realistically be spent? Using the plan I created, free agency would still leave approximately $25 million in cap space that would otherwise be wasted. So what are the solutions?

1. Spend More

On top of what was mentioned in the old offseason plan, Miami will need a stud running back. Derrick Henry may leave Tennessee and look for a huge contract after becoming the league’s leading rusher. The Dolphins could pay him and finally have the star they’ve been missing since the days of Ricky Williams in his prime. That makes things even easier, by the way, for whoever is anointed the team’s franchise quarterback.

Also, it might not be a bad idea for Miami to basically buy an elite offensive line altogether. Brandon Scherff, Anthony Castanzo, and perhaps sign Jack Conklin to be the right tackle. Jesse Davis is solid as depth, but he’s not an ideal NFL starter. So, make him depth again. A line of Castanzo, Deiter, Tyler Biadasz (Deiter’s old center from Wisconsin), Scherff and Conklin would be a solid team.

Sign both Yannick Ngakoue and maybe Kyle Van Noy or Arik Armstead to contracts. That would shore up the defensive end spots instantly. By the time the draft class is signed, the Dolphins should be right at the brink of their salary cap. Not to mention, the roster’s talent level will be so elevated by that point, the playoffs should not only be a goal, but an expectation.

True, it feels like a return to what hasn’t worked in the past. However, the reasoning behind it is completely different.

2. Front-Loaded Contracts

This other option would allow the Dolphins to save up cap space for the future while still using it up for 2020. With whatever contracts are signed this offseason, give a huge chunk of the money in the first year. It’s a simple idea, and has been utilized by teams for years. Just, in this case, make it a bit more top-heavy than usual.

It’s hard to imagine there will be any player out there who will turn down $20 million dollars in the first year of a new contract. Sure, the other years will be significantly lower, but instant gratification is a powerful temptation. It also comes with the added benefit of insurance. If a player doesn’t pan out the way they’re expected to, a much lower cap hit the next year means moving on from them should be much easier.

No doubt, it’s a gamble. But playing games with the salary cap isn’t as easy as it looks. It would be a waste to let that money go unspent if it’s going to just disappear.

Now, for all we know, news will come out later that the cap will be rolled over after all. Nothing is set in stone as of yet. But if push comes to shove, and a massive chunk of cash is about to be flushed down the toilet? Miami needs to be ready to seize the moment. Spend big on star players, or front-load deals for one year so the cap will be prepared for 2021.

Teams that are prepared win championships. Teams that get caught looking? Not so much.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for six years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Tua Tagovailoa announces that he will enter the NFL Draft.

Pressure Point: Tua presents difficult draft dilemma for Dolphins

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Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback of Dolfans fantasies for much of the past year, may well be there for the taking when the Dolphins make their pick at No. 5 in the 2020 NFL draft.

The Dolphins may be wise to take a pass.

What, after the incessant #tankfortua talk and all the offers of selling souls for a chance to select the talented Alabama quarterback?

It’s not only the serious hip injury that required surgery in November that makes Tua a risky pick.

There was the high (right) ankle sprain that prompted a surgical procedure in October. That was the bookend to the same injury and surgery on his left ankle in December 2018.

The latter came on the heels of a sprained knee followed by a quad injury earlier in the 2018 season.

All of which must be of major concern to any NFL team considering investing a top-10 pick on Tagovailoa.

Tua bandwagon an easy ride

It is easy for fans and media to say unequivocally, ‘hell yeah, Tua or bust!’

It can’t be an emotional decision for the Dolphins in the early stages of trying to lay the foundation to break from a long pattern of losing.

A landmark offseason for Miami was assured when Tagovailoa confirmed Monday that he is foregoing his final season at Alabama.

It prompted the immediate assumptions that: 1) Miami is the likely destination for Tagovailoa; 2) The Heavin’ Hawaiian will be the same player that made him the likely first overall pick before he dislocated his right hip Nov. 16 against Mississippi State.

Neither can be verified at this point. But the Dolphins will have a chance at Tua if they want him.

There is no question about the talent or the character. Elite on both counts. Tagovailoa is the model for what any team would want to build around.

The hip injury (dislocated right hip and posterior wall fracture) was the game changer, though. It is a rare football injury and there is little basis to predict how a player will come back from it.

As Tua said Monday, “I don’t think any of the doctors can tell the foreseeable future.”

That sets up a dilemma that is so Dolphins.

Pitfalls from the past

Imagine the fallout if they shy away from Tua and he goes on to a long and spectacular career. Much like they did with Drew Brees amid concerns about his shoulder in favor of Daunte Culpepper, who lasted all of four games with Miami.

At the same time, they can’t afford to follow the path of the Redskins, who bet the farm on Robert Griffin III and got burned when a seemingly transformative QB began to break down after one superlative season.

Sure, Tua is a different type of quarterback than RG3. But the accumulation of lower-body injuries in college raises durability issues that can’t be overlooked.

Finding a franchise quarterback isn’t just about evaluating talent. It’s about projecting longevity.

It’s not just about whether Tua can get back to a semblance of the special player he was. It’s about, can he last?

Different options for Miami

When he spoke in early December about his recovery, Tagovailoa acknowledged, “I don’t think I’d be the same again because there’s, like metal in here, you know? I lose some rotation inward, so I won’t be able to twist as much inward and whatnot.”

No team can be sure prior to the draft what they’d be getting if they pick Tua. The stakes become even higher for the Dolphins if it becomes necessary to trade up from the No. 5 spot to get him.

They do have three first-round picks, and 14 overall in 2020.

They also have a lengthy shopping list of needs to reach respectability — offensive line help, pass rushers and run stoppers, secondary and a primary running back, to name a few.

Fortunately, they don’t have to make the call on Tua right now. More medical information will be available on Tagovailoa’s progress before the draft in late April which could provide a clearer basis for a decision.

Flores-Grier tough to figure

Meanwhile, it would be fascinating to eavesdrop on the discussions taking place among the Dolphins braintrust between now and then.

It may not be at all along the lines of what is being posited on social media or major media sites.

What has become apparent through the first year of the Brian Flores-Chris Grier leadership tandem is it is unpredictable. The abrupt dismissal of offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea and hiring of Chan Gailey out of retirement is only one example.

It is possible they have a totally different read and plan on the quarterback solution. Maybe they have their eye on someone other than Tagovailoa.

Maybe their emphasis is on building other parts of the team first and adding a quarterback later, relying on a veteran stopgap such as Ryan Fitzpatrick in the meantime.

Whatever they decide on Tua, it will be a significant turning point in the ultimate success or failure of this Dolphins regime and its rebuilding plan.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns