Dolphins tigh tend Mike Gesicki scored two touchdowns before suffering an injury.

Pressure Point: Dolphins show resilience in loss, but injuries hurt

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The Dolphins can walk away from Sunday’s 33-27 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs with only one major lament.

That would be the injuries to key players on an offense that was already hamstrung by health issues.

In particular, the loss of tight end Mike Gesicki, who left with a potential serious injury to a shoulder or collarbone on the possession after his second touchdown of the day which came on a spectacular catch under tight coverage.

Otherwise, there was a lot to like about the resilience shown by the Dolphins in a 17-point fourth quarter rally.

Certainly no complaints about the defense, which had four takeaways including three interceptions of Patrick Mahomes, tying a career high for the former MVP.

The toll on an already limited offense doesn’t bode well for the 8-5 Dolphins’ playoff hopes with the gauntlet of Patriots, Raiders and Bills still to come.

Coach Brian Flores didn’t offer any information about Gesicki’s condition. But quarterback Tua Tagovailoa implied that his favorite receiver may be out for awhile.

“I told him my thoughts and prayers are with him,” Tagovailoa said. “The rest of the team is praying for him. … You just hate to see that for someone like him.”

Receiver corps decimated

Wide receivers DeVante Parker and Jakeem Grant went out with injuries in the first half. The offense came into the game missing the top three running backs on the depth chart and the starting left guard.

Nonetheless, Tagovailoa led the comeback with two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter on the way to his first 300-yard passing day in the NFL. Notably, he did some of his best work with what amounted to the junior varsity following Gesicki’s exit and kept it interesting until a last-ditch onside kick failed in the final seconds.

“We’ve got a resilient team. They don’t quit,” coach Brian Flores said.

Injuries aside, the day confirmed what was already apparent: The rebuilding Dolphins need quite a few more skilled pieces on offense to be able to match up against the top teams in the league.

With four picks in the first two rounds of the 2021 draft, they will have an opportunity to upgrade the receiving corps and give Tua an array of playmakers like he had at Alabama.

They won’t need to address the quarterback position, even though Tua has emerged as a polarizing figure in some outposts of the fan base for whatever reason.

Tagovailoa shows ‘good stuff’

Tagovailoa is 4-2 as a starter with nine touchdowns, one interception, 62 percent on completions and a 95.2 passer rating.

Oh, and Tua is now ninth in the AFC in passer rating, just ahead of fellow rookie Justin Herbert.

His first career interception came Sunday after avoiding the rush and tossing a deep ball to Grant that was slightly underthrown and hung up long enough for Chiefs cornerback Rashad Fenton to deflect it to Tyrann Mathieu.

A better receiver than Grant might have caught that ball. But go ahead, put that pick on Tua.

There have been plenty of drops of balls that Tua has put in catchable spots, including a touchdown Parker let slip through his hands in the back of the end zone in the second quarter.

Tony Romo, former quarterback turned network analyst, noted some instances when Tagovailoa held the ball too long. Romo also pointed to a problem of receivers not getting open.

He highlighted a third-and-8 play with three receivers stacked on the left and none of them get gained any separation from defenders. Tagovailoa had to scramble short of the first down.

But where some fans see cause to quibble about Tua, Romo said near the end of the broadcast, “Lots of good stuff I saw out of Tua today.”

Tagovailoa was critical of his own play, particularly in the third quarter when three possessions ended in punts and another in a safety on a sack.

“Not taking what the defense is giving me is pretty much plain rookie mistakes,” he said. “You can’t do that against a Super Bowl-caliber team like the Chiefs.”

Dolphins defense shines with big plays

Meanwhile, there was plenty of good stuff from the Dolphins’ defense, despite Mahomes’ 393 yards passing and the Chiefs’ run of 30 unanswered points in the middle two quarters.

Not all of that was on the defense. Ultimately, a 67-yard punt return and the safety loomed large in the outcome.

Cornerback Xavien Howard continued his remarkable season with his ninth interception on a one-handed grab and started the Dolphins’ fourth-quarter rally.

Linebacker Jerome Baker had 2.5 sacks, including chasing Mahomes into a 30-yard loss.

Nobody has found a way to stop this Chiefs offense cold all day. The hope on defense is to make enough plays to give your offense an opportunity to put up more points.

It’s a tall order, but the Miami defense did that Sunday.

The offense doesn’t yet have a complement of playmakers that scare an opponent like Mahomes and his compadres.

Tua needs more polish and a better hand of cards to play.

But as Romo’s trained eye attests, the rookie has shown enough good stuff that Dolfans should chillax and feel encouraged about the future.

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

Tua vs Mahomes could be the beginning of something special

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For the first time since 2003, the Miami Dolphins are 8-4 and currently hold the No.6  seed in the AFC.

Which is crazy, isn’t it? I mean, when you think about how far this team has come in such a short amount of time, it should give fans everywhere a reason to be excited.

After all, it seems like only yesterday when ESPN’s Mike Greenberg begged the league to punish the Dolphins for deliberately tanking. (OH THE IRONY!) But then things started to come together. And Brian Flores and his team were playing pretty damn good football towards the end of last season. This had many wondering whether or not the Dolphins had won too many games to get a franchise-altering quarterback.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

The Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the 5th-overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. And while some fans and experts are debating whether Tua will be a superior QB to Justin Herbert or Joe Burrow, there’s a much bigger question at play.

Can Tagovailoa become a generational quarterback capable of going toe to toe with the NFL’s elite?

We’re about to find out.

The Franchise

Tua Tagovailoa vs. Patrick Mahomes

First, let me start by saying that I know quarterbacks don’t directly faceoff against one another. This isn’t an opening tip-off in basketball. Or a penalty shot in hockey. Football is a team game. We all know this. And yet somehow, we sit here and view Sunday’s matchup between arguably the greatest QB to ever play the game and Patrick Mahomes… I’m kidding. But you get the point. Tua is not going up against Mahomes; he instead has to execute vs. Kansas City’s defense.

But all we continue to see is Mahomes vs. Tagovailoa.

And that’s not uncommon.

“He’s probably a left-handed Patrick Mahomes,” said one scout. “He does the same things Mahomes does. He gets out of the pocket. He doesn’t need to set his feet. He can throw the ball the length of the field,” the NFL scout said, via The Athletic. “Take a look at the LSU game. He had never been in that situation before in his life and he brought them back. … He does have inconsistent mechanics. He needs to square up and set his feet more. But left-handers do things differently.” 

Now, I’m not going to sit here and compare anyone to Patrick Mahomes. Well, maybe Dan Marino. But I’m not ready to compare Tagovailoa to Mahomes, and that’s okay. Nevertheless, Sunday’s matchup would be a huge step in the right direction. Moreover, it’s something that this fanbase, this football team, and this city deserve.

Listen to what Mahomes had to say about Miami’s young signal-caller

Now some might take what Mahomes said and dissect it, only to find out he was being sincere. I don’t think he meant anything bad by the “game-manager” comments. Because Tua himself would tell you this defense has played a huge part in the team’s success. And he hasn’t been asked to go out there and make the same plays as a Patrick Mahomes–not yet anyway. That will all change on Sunday, and Tua and Miami’s offense will be ready.

“I think we’re going to need to execute every time we go out there offensively. I don’t think we need to do anything new. We’ve just got to go out there and have all 11 guys playing together and being on the same page, really. We’ve just got to be able to go out there and execute, do that and in the red area, I know (Offensive Coordinator) Chan (Gailey) has something really good for us. But we’ve got to execute offensively. I believe we have the plays, just not executed the way we had done it in practice. It’s all about execution and you can only take it a play at a time and just don’t worry about anything else.”

Tua went on to praise Patrick Mahomes for the type of generational talent he is.

 

But please, temper expectations!

We’re going to have to continue to remind ourselves on Sunday that this is only year two of Brian Flores’ rebuild. And let’s face it, Andy Reid is one of the top coaches in all of football. Everything he touches turns to gold, and paired alongside Mahomes; it’s going to be a tough task. But Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could ultimately be the deciding factor. Not only is he one of the top defensive minds in all of football, but he knows how to get after the QB. It will be up to Chan Gailey and Miami’s young offensive line to not only get the team in the best position to succeed but to keep their franchise signal-caller upright.

Because let’s face it, if the Dolphins want to have any chance on Sunday, they’re going to have to get a superstar performance from Tua Tagovailoa.

You can still vote for Tua Tagovailoa for Rookie of the Week!

Final Yard

 

I don’t know that we will ever see another quarterback as talented as Patrick Mahomes. I think he’s that damn good. But football is a team sport. And with an elite defense by his side and all the tools to go toe to toe with the NFL’s elite, why can’t Tagovailoa outshine Mahomes in Miami? Why can’t Brian Flores do to the Chiefs defense–exactly what he did to them back in the AFC Championship game in 2019? Quite frankly, why not Miami?

If the Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa hope to play meaningful football games well into January (any time soon), they’re going to have to get through Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs consistently.

Sunday’s matchup is just the first of what could become the next great QB duel. And I, for one, am here for it. Now, all Chan Gailey and the Dolphins offense has to do is #LetTuaCook.

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Miami Dolphins need to improve in these five areas

Pressure Point: Final 4 weeks true test for feisty Miami Dolphins

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As the NFL playoff race approaches critical mass, there’s not much to be learned by combing through the debris of the Miami Dolphins’ ugly win against the Cincinnati Bengals.

It was a game that featured two dustups, including a bench-clearing shove fest, five ejections, 14 penalties totaling 116 yards and multiple injuries for each team.

A thoroughly ugly and interminable affair of football. The outcome was significant for the Dolphins, 19-7, which boosted them to 8-4 for the first time since 2003 and kept them in the thick of the AFC race.

Not to make too much of defeating a downtrodden opponent that hasn’t won on the road since 2018. The Dolphins played down to the Bengals’ level for a half, then put the hammer down in the third quarter.

They did what they needed to position themselves for a meaningful December, which has been a rarity for Miami the past two decades.

The next four weeks will give a truer read on where this Dolphins rebuilding project stands than anything that has transpired so far.

Tough stretch to the playoffs

The gauntlet to the playoffs begins next Sunday at home against the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. That is followed by a visit from the New England Patriots, who have reawakened from the seeming ashes of their dynasty by winning four of their past five, including a 45-0 thrashing Sunday of the Chargers and that rookie quarterback some Dolfans inexplicably think the Dolphins should have drafted.

The season concludes with visits to Las Vegas against the playoff-contending Raiders and Buffalo for a potential showdown for the AFC East title.

Are these Dolphins, currently holding the sixth of seven playoff spots, ready for the rigors of a genuine playoff race?

Steve Kornacki, MSNBC’s superstar election numbers cruncher, brought his big board to Sunday Night Football for a breakdown of the NFL playoff picture. Kornacki put the Dolphins’ chances of making the playoffs at 51 percent.

But they must navigate a minefield to get there, through those final four games and with several challengers on their tail: 8-4 Colts (currently holding the final playoff spot), 7-5 Raiders, 6-5 Ravens and 6-6 Patriots.

Notably, Kornacki gave the Ravens, now ninth in the race, a 47 percent chance of making the playoffs, virtually the same as Miami’s.

“Baltimore has the easiest stretch run schedule in the league,” Kornacki said. “Miami, meanwhile, they’re playing Kansas City next week, so they’ve got a much tougher schedule.”

Will 10 wins be enough?

Figure the Dolphins can afford to do no less than split the final four games, but even 10 wins is no guarantee of emerging from this crowded field. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, this is the first time since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger that one conference has had as many teams with a winning percentage of .667 or better through Week 13.

If defense is the foundation of championship runs, the Dolphins can point to their No. 2 ranking in average points allowed of 17.7, just behind Pittsburgh’s 17.1.

Except for one stumble on a two-yard out that turned into a 72-yard touchdown, the Dolphins could claim another immaculate day of defense Sunday. They held the Bengals to 30 total yards in the second half, finished with six sacks and two interceptions.

But the premise that defense wins has been knocked off-kilter in this age of highfalutin offense. Putting the kibosh on recent practice-squad graduate QB Brandon Allen didn’t prepare the Dolphins for dealing with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who will be aiming to reprise their recent success at Hard Rock Stadium earlier this year in Super Bowl 54.

For any chance against Kansas City, Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense must reprise the effort they mustered at Arizona in winning a shootout against Kyler Murray and the Cardinals.

It’s a tall order against the Chiefs, who by the way are allowing only 21.2 points a game.

Tua quiets critics

But that’s why it was incumbent on offensive coordinator Chan Gailey to loosen the reins on Tagovailoa in the second half. Also why the rumblings about benching Tua at halftime were ludicrous, especially those expressed by network analysts who should have a much better grip on the big picture of where these Dolphins are and what they are trying to become.

Can that nonsense be put to rest now that Tua is 4-1 as a starter and has thrown for seven touchdowns with zero interceptions?

As Matt Infante of ThePhinsider.com noted on Twitter, only three rookie quarterbacks in NFL history have won at least four of their first five starts while posting a passer rating of at least 95: Dan Marino, Ben Roethlisberger, Dak Prescott and Tagovailoa.

Yes, Tua was off the mark and out of sync during the first half. But he finished with 296 yards and would have easily recorded his first 300-yard game if Jakeem Grant hadn’t dropped a deep ball delivered in stride.

Tagovailoa is far from a finished product. He is also leading an offense short on playmakers, which will be addressed in the next draft.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins have given themselves a legitimate chance at the playoffs this season even while a work in progress.

These next four weeks will reveal just how much work is still to be done.

But one thing for certain is these Dolphins won’t be a pushover at crunch time as so many of their predecessors have been.

Flores: ‘These are my kids’

That was evident Sunday when coach Brian Flores led the charge at the Bengals’ bench after Grant got flattened for the second time while waiting to field a punt.

“Look, I’m going to stick up for my players,” Flores said. “I’m just going to be honest, these are like my kids.”

Flores lamented that his emotional reaction was receiving more attention than his team’s dominant performance in the second half. But the impact of the coach standing up for his players will serve the team far longer than thumping an inferior opponent.

“It just means a lot. He’s not just a coach out there. If his guy gets hurt, he’s not going to let it go. He stands up for us as a team,” Tagovailoa said. “You got to see, not just him, but other guys going in there trying to defend Jakeem [Grant] and whatnot. But I think it’s a testament — although it happened the way it did, it’s also a testament to how close we are as a team.”

These next four weeks will tell how close these Dolphins are to being the team they aspire to become.

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

Dolphins Broncos

Dolphins: The Cheesecake Factory of NFL Backfields

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By Michael Christian

 

POTENTIAL HOT TAKE: The Cheesecake factory is one of the most overrated restaurants!

Their menu has what seems like hundreds of entrée options and none of them really blow you away. Instead of specializing their entrée’s and creating some signature dishes, they decided it would be best to have a bunch of options to make give everyone a choice, but they all are mediocre at best.

The Miami Dolphins running game has sort of become the Cheesecake Factory of NFL backfields.

The backfield currently consists of five running backs with very similar skill sets and body types. The problem is that none of them truly excels. At least that is what it seems like 11 games into the season.

Let’s look at their stats:

 

Anybody stand out to you? No? Didn’t think so.

There is no consensus on which of these running backs is best. Throughout the season each running back has had moments where you got excited and want to see more but then they fumble, allow a sack, or drop a crucial pass.

The Dolphins, under Flores and Grier decided that a Cheesecake Factory like approach to their backfield was their best bet. Instead of investing heavily in one running back, the Dolphins decided to spread the wealth and hope that one of them was the answer.

Gaskin was a seventh-round draft choice, Breida was acquired for a fifth-round pick, Washington was traded for mid-season, and Ahmed and Laird were both undrafted.

None of these options cost much in terms of resources, and it shows in the performance of the run game each week.

At this point in the season the Dolphins are contending for a playoff spot, and no one has a clear picture as to who the lead back is. I’d argue that the Dolphins aren’t even sure as proven by the constant rotations and minimal running in the Jets game.

I would give Washington the most touches as he is a better pass blocker and seems to have a bit more wiggle to his game, but he is currently limited with a hamstring injury. Due to the injury, and just the way Flores likes to run his team, I expect the lead running back will be a fluid situation featuring whichever running back practiced best that given week.

The Cheesecake Factory approach, when it comes to running backs, has not uncovered a gem for the Dolphins so far this season. Now, we just have to hope that one of the five guys will be enough to help keep our offense moving forward, and our quarterback standing up long enough to make it to the playoffs.

Boxing’s best P4P returns: Errol Spence Jr. vs. Danny Garcia

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Where to watch: Saturday, December 5, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, Available on FOX PBC PPV.

After Errol Spence Jr. defeated Shawn Porter in September of 2019, fight fans everywhere could see where the welterweight division lined up, and how all the big fights would come down. Incoming was a possible Danny Garcia, Manny Pacquiao, or Keith Thurman lead in for a super fight versus fellow title holder Terrance Crawford. Then in the wee hours of October 10th, 2019, Errol Spence Jr. crashed his Ferrari 488 Spider at a “high rate of speed”. After miraculously only having minor injuries, Spence was charged with a DWI. Since then, promotional issues, and COVID19 have had a strong say on his return as a live gate is something a fighter of Spence’ stature requires. There will be 11,000 fans in AT&T Stadium Saturday, when his comeback is completed.

Meanwhile, Danny Garcia was dealing with inactivity (had last fought in April of 2019) that he later remedied by winning a unanimous decision over Ivan Redkach on January 25th of this year. The detractors of this matchup and of Garcia, point out that he had lost to Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter before, and thus disqualified himself from a title shot. The truth is that any reasonable observer could have easily had Danny Garcia as the winner of both fights (lost to Thurman by SD,Porter by UD), which would make him a perfect 38-0. The simple fact is that Danny Garcia is very deserving of this title shot based on merit. The only question is whether he will take advantage of this opportunity.


How does Danny Garcia (+350) win?

Don’t fade. It’s been Danny Garcia’s story that he tends to slow down as the fight gets longer, as he coasts with a perceived lead. He can’t do that this time. He must raise his activity level, with jabs/leads and be first to initiate for the scorecards, but keep that counter left hook as a deterrent, and land it to punctuate exchanges. Danny Garcia will have to fight the best fight of his career, but he is very much capable of it. I don’t see a knockout in the cards, as Garcia has never been known for his punching power, and the risk/reward ratio is pinned against going for it.

How does Errol Spence Jr (-500) win?

Stay behind his Jab. Move and be first. Control the center of the ring, and assert yourself as the more physical fighter. Instigate exchanges, and move left, as Garcia likes to throw his left hook as he escapes. Spence will be best served with each reset after a break, or when they finish exchanges. Spence is quicker to find the range and Garcia is a counter puncher at heart. Take opportunities to finish it as the power advantage belongs with Spence.

PREDICTION: Errol Spence (-500) Jr wins by Unanimous Decision.

All Odds cited are via MY BOOKIE
Use Promo Code: THREEYARDS (Match Bonus)

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

Brian Flores makes it clear that Tua Tagovailoa will be the Miami Dolphins quarterback when he is healty. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports Network)

Pressure Point: If Tua is healthy, he’s the Dolphins’ QB—as he should be

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The main conclusion about the Dolphins’ 20-3 win Sunday against the hapless Jets (0-11) is Miami did what was needed to hold serve against the worst team in the NFL.

They got the result that was expected. Combined with losses by Las Vegas and Indianapolis, the 7-4 Dolphins moved into the sixth seed (out of seven) in the AFC playoff race.

Individually, cornerback Xavien Howard (seventh interception) and kicker Jason Sanders (two more field goals longer than 50 yards) reaffirmed their status as super stars having All-Pro seasons.

What Sunday’s result didn’t do was ignite a quarterback controversy, though some short-sighted observers are sure to stoke the embers.

Coach Brian Flores nipped that in the bud postgame, asserting that Tua Tagovailoa (thumb injury) will be back at the controls as soon as he is healthy.

Flores: Tua is the guy

“Yeah. If he’s healthy he’s the guy. I don’t know how many different ways I’ve got to say that. You keep asking, I’ll keep answering the same way,” said Flores, adding that Tagovailoa was close to being able to play Sunday.

“He’s dealing with something with the hand. We’ll take it day to day. He’s a tough kid, he wants to be out there,” Flores said. “Thankfully, we have other guys who stepped up.”

Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, in throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns, provided what any team would hope to get from its backup quarterback.

“It’s good to have Fitz,” Flores said. “He’s obviously a leader on this team. He’s been that for awhile. He’ll continue to be that for this team.”

As Flores pointed out, Fitzpatrick gave a competent, veteran performance. He was particularly effective in utilizing his best receiver, DeVante Parker — something Tua needs to improve at — who had eight receptions for 119 yards.

Fitzpatrick was good enough, not spectacular

But let’s not overstate Fitzpatrick’s performance. He didn’t exactly light up a Jets defense that ranked 30th in the league (29th in pass defense).

He had a run of 10 consecutive completions in the first half. But in the second half his accuracy was erratic.

Notably the Dolphins’ first five possessions in the second half went punt, punt, fumble (Matt Breida), fumble (Patrick Laird), punt. Fitzpatrick finally put together an 80-yard touchdown drive, aided by 32 yards in penalties, to put the Jets out of their misery and one step close to a chance to draft Trevor Lawrence.

The Jets are playing for the future. Frankly, so are the Dolphins.

Granted, Flores has the rebuilding Dolphins in playoff contention much faster than it was reasonable to expect.

They may actually get there, riding the backs of a defense that has blossomed into a high-end unit.

Flores was quick to credit defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, saying, “He’s done a great job the entire year. I think often times people give me too much credit.”

But let’s face it, these Dolphins aren’t constructed to vie with the top teams for a serious run in January. Not with an offense so lacking in playmakers.

Aside from Parker, there is little to fear in the receiving corps, particularly with Preston Williams out for the year and Albert Wilson opting out due to the coronavirus.

Receiver is Dolphins’ biggest draft need

The Dolphins will a chance to address that deficiency in the next draft. Wide receiver should be right at the top of the shopping list. Running back should be another priority, though DeAndre Washington showed some promise with some tough running in the fourth quarter that helped close out the victory.

The lack of depth at receiver is apparent regardless of the quarterback. But Tagovailoa can take a lesson from Fitzpatrick in making better use of Parker, who has the ability to beat defenders for contested balls. And he will.

Remarkably, a surprising number of fans were ready to toss Tua overboard after a poor outing at Denver. That despite leading wins in his first three starts while throwing for six touchdown and zero interceptions.

Some went so far as to suggest the Dolphins made the wrong choice in taking Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert. Even though Tua outplayed Herbert in beating the Chargers the week before.

No question, Fitzpatrick is more poised and in command of the offense than Tagovailoa at this point. He’s been doing it for 17 years.

Tagovailoa has four starts under his belt after having no preseason to aid in getting a grip on playing at this level.

Dolphins must look beyond 2020

Does Fitzpatrick give the Dolphins the better chance to make it to the playoffs? Maybe.

But it’s no certainty. And Flores made it clear that is not the way he is assessing the situation.

“We’ll take this one day at time, try to improve and get better on a daily basis,” Flores said, reiterating the mantra he has recited since Day 1. “I’m actually saying that very sincerely. So to get into a playoff this or that, I’m not really into that. I’m into, let’s get better tomorrow. Let’s prepare for the next opponent.”

So it’s not playoffs 2020, or bust. For Flores, it’s about preparing to make an impact in the playoffs when the ingredients are present to make it happen.

The objective is for Tagovailoa to lead the way. Unfortunately for Dolfans, who have waited so long for an impactful playoff team, that will require a bit more patience.

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

The Essence of Maradona in 5 Unforgettable Quotes

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Diego Armando Maradona was a legendary soccer player, maybe the greatest of all-time, and he passed away at the age of 60 on Wednesday. His legacy was defined not just by his authorship of the best goal you will ever see, the one that made him seem like a “cosmic kite” leaving Englishmen in the dust.

 

Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi dubbed him as “eternal” in their social media posts after his passing, and maybe you think that is too big a word for someone who just kicked a ball around for 20 years. However, the memories he left embedded in everyone’s minds are indeed timeless because he made us rise with joy after a goal, left our mouths wide open after not believing that gravity could be defied the way he bent it at his will, and most importantly gifted us with the goals that allowed us to hug our dads, grandfathers, moms, brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, girlfriends, boyfriends and even total strangers.

His memories as a player are intertwined with ours as fans who believed we could be him playing soccer in the park, at school or on the street. That is his true legacy.

Here are five of his best quotes, the ones that combined emotion, charisma, fear and anger. Sometimes separately, sometimes all at once. That is what made him relatable, that is what made him Maradona. What he lacked in formal education, he more than made up for in charisma.

1) “Shut up, you idiot, and hug me” 

That was what Maradona told his teammate right after his infamous “Hand of God” goal in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals against England.

He didn’t want the referee to realize what had happened, so he said that when Argentinian midfielder Sergio Batista asked him point blank if he had scored. Like a kid trying to get away with mischief but, you know, in the world’s biggest stage.

“I scored with Maradona’s head, and the hand of God.”

2) “They cut my legs off” 

Maradona retired from the Argentinian national team for the first time after the 1990 World Cup that saw him but came back in 1993 to save Argentina from potentially missing the 1994 World Cup in a qualifying home-and-home playoff against Australia that they barely eked out with an overall 2-1 score.

Argentina survived that scare and entered the tournament as back-to-back finalists in the previous two editions and won 4-0 against Greece with what would be Maradona’s last international goal ever and 2-1 over Nigeria in a comeback effort that included an assist by “El Diego”.

I was 7 years old at the time and teachers at school would stop class and let us all gather in the auditorium to watch the matches. To watch Maradona.

 

However, Argentina’s championship dreams were crushed when a mysterious nurse came on the field to escort Maradona for “random” drug testing. He tested positive for ephedrine and a 15-month ban ensued.

Maradona felt so betrayed by the process that he said “this hurts a lot, it feels like they (FIFA) cut my legs off.”

Argentina hasn’t won the World Cup again since 1986.

3) “The ball should remain spotless”         

Maradona was in bad shape in 2001, he had already had one near-death experience because of his drug habit a year earlier, but he was able to gather soccer legends from all over the world for a match in his honor.

Afterwards, he took the mic and said this in tears: “Soccer is the most beautiful and one of the healthiest sports in the world. I made mistakes and paid the price for that, but soccer shouldn’t pay the price for that. The ball should remain spotless.”

His moral code revolved around the ball, his one and only true love. He was a flawed sports superhero, and people loved him for it.

4) “Grondona let the turtle get away” 

Maradona was anti-establishment and railed against the institutions that dared to attempt to control him. So he took a shot at Julio Grondona, the president of the Argentinian Football Association and FIFA VP, when he let a concert take place before a match Argentina had to play.

5) “No matter what happens or who coaches Argentina, the number 10 jersey will always be mine” 

Messi may be great, but Maradona is legendary. When you think of number 10, you think of Maradona.

 

Relegation, legitimacy, popularity: What should MLS do to grow in America?

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Soccer, or more commonly known around the world as Futbol, is the most popular sport in the world. When the World Cup is on, people worldwide stop what they’re doing and watch. However, in the United States, it’s just that. For the World Cup, everyone in the US watches, but most don’t take a second to look at the MLS. Fans in the US follow other leagues and more popular teams, such as, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool FC, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Manchester United, Juventus, and the list could go on and on. 

The question we ask when looking at the lack of popularity in the MLS starts with how it’s set up. When you look at the structure, you can ask yourself, what is the MLS lacking? Truthfully it’s simple, a relegation system and legitimacy. In every major league worldwide, there is a relegation system. Finish last? You’re dropped to the second-tier league. Finish with the most points? You win the league. Cut, dry, and straightforward. However, it’s unlikely that the MLS goes through with a second league or a relegation system. 

This is unfortunate, but here is why a relegation system would prompt more fans in the US and worldwide to take the MLS seriously and not just as a retirement league. For this argument, I’m going to use the system that is in German football, the Bundesliga. 

As it currently stands, there are three major leagues in German football with several other leagues down below, which also hold the possibility for promotion and relegation. The same applies in various other leagues worldwide, but with less or more “major leagues.” For example, the Premier League in England has four major leagues, and La Liga in Spain has two. Let’s break the Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga, and 3. Liga down piece by piece and show examples of how this might work in the MLS. 

 

Bundesliga

-Top German league

-Current champion: Bayern Munich

-The first place wins the league, 17 & 18 place get demoted, 16 plays a playoff game to stay up top.

The Bundesliga doesn’t compare to Spain’s La Liga or England’s Premier League when it comes to worldwide stature. However, German giants Bayern Munich won five trophies, including the Champions League, during 2020. The 2020 UCL win put Bayern as one of four clubs to win six or more UCL titles. The German league is also still considered one of the top five leagues in the world. Unless you go to Twitter, where everyone calls it a “farmers league,” I guess they haven’t seen Serie A yet. When we evaluate the table from this season, this is how the standings in the bottom-3 look like on Matchday 9. 

As we currently stand just eight games in, if the season had to end today 1. FC Koln and FC Schalke 04 would be automatically relegated down to the 2. Bundesliga as they hold the 17 & 18 spots on the table. This would also mean that Arminia Bielefeld  would also face a playoff relegation fight to stay up top. The MLS likes to make things complicated when it comes to standings, but if we took all of the teams and found the bottom three teams from this past season, FC Cincinnati and the Houston Dynamo would be automatically relegated with D.C United fighting to stay afloat. 

 

  1. Bundesliga

-Second-tier German league

-Current champion/promoted: Arminia Bielefeld 

-Follows similar rules to the Bundesliga

I ask you to stay with me a little here as the names start to get a little harder to pronounce. The top two leagues in Germany have played the same amount of games at seven ahead of Matchday 9. If we took the table as it is now, Hamburg SV and Grether Furth would be instantly promoted in place of Mainz and Schalke, and Vfl Osnabruck would play Bielefeld in the playoff to decide who goes up or stays put. There isn’t much to compare directly to the MLS with the bottom two German leagues. However, they’re essential for developing and promoting Germany’s young talent, which is key to the leagues success. Young talent developing in a separate professional league bodes well for the five major leagues, it could do the same in the MLS. 

 

  1. Liga

-Last hope for teams in the major leagues before a demotion to the amateur leagues

-Current champion/promoted: FC Bayern Munich II (the Bayern Youth Team…)

It had the same situation as the first two leagues. Winners go up, and losers go down. In this case, the losers would be demoted to the fourth tier of German football. The only difference is that the bottom four of the 20 club league go down to the fourth tier. No playoffs for them to stay. It’s an automatic relegation. The top two teams do get automatically promoted, and the third team would face off for promotion. We did see an abnormal table last season when FC Bayern Munich II, the youth team for Bayern, won the league. However, due to rules from the governing soccer body in Germany, they’re not allowed to be promoted any further than the third division.

What benefits does a relegation system provide?

Why does it matter if a team gets relegated? Essentially why should you care about relegation or promotion. Well, It’s a situation that would be uncommon to major sports leagues in the US and something that even LAFC coach Bob Bradley would welcome. 

There is a certain passion, as most fans of teams in these worldwide leagues will tell you. The feeling of having the last matchday of the season mean relegation, promotion, or winning the title is a feeling like no other. This goes from fans to the players. The fans build a connection with their team. They embody the club and everything it stands for. The passion they hold for each match is important no matter what the competition.

If the MLS requires the playoffs, then create a separate cup for the top four teams. Running each game as a two-legged affair (except for the final) with teams getting one home and away game. With away goals making the difference as they do in every league worldwide. 

When we related this to the 2019 MLS season, LAFC would’ve won their first MLS title, and the “MLS Cup” would be played between LAFC, NY City, Atlanta United, and the Seattle Sounders. LAFC would’ve faced the Sounders in a 1 vs. 4 seed matchup both home and away. NY City and Atlanta facing off in the 2 vs. 3 seed matchup with the same home and away fixture. Also creating more money, just saying. Make teams earn their spot in the league’s history and don’t allow a 7th place team into a playoff while undeserving.  

Breaking it all down:

For this same situation as the German leagues, we would be breaking down the MLS into three (or four) separate leagues instead of their one-tier league. Each team would play each other twice, and at the end of the season, the team at the top of the table wins the MLS title. It makes each game important during the season and, as the season progresses, leaves little room for error.

The USL Championship already has a system in place with multiple leagues. The MLS could adopt the USL into its system while replacing the youth teams for each MLS team and make a youth league for the MLS. They could even keep the four league system. 

 

  1. MLS
  2. MLS Championship
  3. MLS League One
  4. MLS League Two (Or just a youth league with their own cup but no relegation)

 

This would allow the MLS to keep a top tier league and include the chance for poor placing teams to be relegated to the championship. Not only this, but the US Open Cup already includes both USL teams and MLS teams. Why have a cup that is including both leagues but no relegation? 

There are currently 26 teams in the MLS, with expansion on its way with four more teams, and realistically we’d want the league to be around the 17-20 team range. All of this would be extremely difficult to accomplish, and it would be hard to break down the monetary distribution for the league(s), but it’s possible. 

Interest in the MLS is low in the states and worldwide. Again, it’s considered a retirement league to just about every country in the world. Wayne Rooney came here and essentially retired before moving to Derby County as a player-manager. David Beckham retired with the LA Galaxy, Thierry Henry with the NY Red Bulls, and the league thought it claimed its most recent victim in Zlatan Ibrahimović. The latter played two seasons with the Galaxy before returning to A.C Milan for a second stint in the winter transfer window. Star players from Europe come here to chill out, relax, score some goals, make some money, and retire. Even Gonzalo Higuaín and Blaise Matuidi have no European future and are now Inter Miami C.F. players. 

In an excellent article by Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, he mentions that money is starting to entice the world and, most notably, South American players to come to the MLS and eventually move on to Europe. Let’s say the MLS moves from a retirement league to a developmental league with more reputation and prestige than before. Well, it’s had its success in players like midfielder Miguel Almiron and winger/full-back Alphonso Davies who both moved to Europe in the last few years from the MLS. Almiron moved to the Premier League from Atlanta United and Davies to the Bundesliga from the Vancouver Whitecaps. Davies, a Canadian international, is 19 years old and the starting left-back for Bayern. The MLS can do it, but the biggest question is whether they can keep the casual fan. 

Popularity issues:

When Zlatan made his move to the Galaxy, he was on nightly talk shows, and he instantly became the face of the MLS while players like Carlos Vela and Josef Martinez had better overall seasons. Zlatan was the star with the Galaxy and even mentioned he was, “a Ferrari amongst Fiats”. He left, and now outside of LA who is truly following the Galaxy, or even better, did you hear anything from them at all this season?

They brought in Chicharito to replace that star talent they lost in Zlatan but still lack defense, which was a significant flaw the Galaxy had last season. Which is another problem the MLS faces when building teams. There is too much focus on star power and not the team. What more could Zlatan do without a team around him? They continued their lackluster performances this season without Zlatan, who is back in great form with A.C Milan scoring two-goals against Napoli this past weekend. 

To use the City of Miami as an example of why the MLS lacks in its popularity, I ask you to take a second and think about the types of jerseys you see in stores. What are the team jerseys most commonly worn? The top two teams are, without a doubt, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Ask any kid who loves soccer what their favorite team is, and it’s most likely one of those two top teams in La Liga. You could honestly throw in Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool F.C, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Paris Saint Germain to the mix. Especially with most of those teams collaborating with shoes, clothing lines, etc. They’re more popular in the US than the MLS is by a mile. 

All of these teams do US tours, and each time they get ideal audiences. Barcelona and Madrid played an El Classico game in Miami, and the crowd was huge. Mind you, it was just a preseason game. Relegation is not why these teams are popular, but their league gets credit for the competition and how every single game matters. The same with the Premier League and the Bundesliga. Each dropped point matters, each mistake, every missed goal, they all provide context for what happens in a team’s season. Currently, the MLS has no reason for teams to panic or even care what happens if they finish last. Adopting a relegation system will ultimately provide more competitive games, bring legitimacy to this “retirement league,” and make each game matter more. 

Helping United States soccer grow:

Finally, we finish with one of the bigger issues. In the United States there is a big issue with the men’s team producing soccer stars. This is an issue in the MLS and how soccer is treated in the states. As it currently stands, the US team has many promising players, and most of them are playing in the Bundesliga (or have before). Top young prospects like Giovanni Reyna and Josh Sargent play in the Bundesliga right now. Reyna just recently signed a new 5-year deal with Borussia Dortmund and Sargent played a huge roll in the 1-1 draw against Bayern this past weekend. 

One of the most popular and successful of the current young stars, Christian Pulisic, plays with Chelsea in the Premier League after moving last summer from Dortmund. Even Weston McKinnie moved on loan from FC Schalke 04 to Juventus. US soccer prospects are moving to Germany to make a living for themselves, and rightfully so. The US gives them no path to make a name for themselves here. 

Top US prospects have grown and have shown the ability to get their name out there and make the most of their opportunities. All are playing outside of the country without any clear development provided in the US right now. They’re also learning the system they will hopefully play through for the rest of their lives. Having a league in their backyard that provides quality football and is respected worldwide would help a younger generation of players fall in love with soccer and develop at an earlier age. 

There is a need for an ability to show a younger generation of people in the US that they can be a successful star in soccer and allowing them to do it in their backyard is the chance of a lifetime. We had Dempsey, Donovan, and Howard in recent years, but none were as successful internationally as Pulisic is now. Create a relegation system, bring legitimacy into the league, and give young stars the chance to succeed here. 

Tua Tagovailoa experienced his first NFL loss and benching on Sunday. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports Network)

Pressure Point: Tua one of many Dolphins who played poorly in loss to Broncos

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This will go down as Tua Tagovailoa’s first NFL defeat after wins in his first three starts.

Also, his first time pulled from a game for ineffectiveness.

All of which he summed up succinctly as: “It just sucks to lose.”

A lot of blame will be directed the rookie’s way in the Miami Dolphins’ 20-13 loss Sunday at Denver which ended a five-game winning streak.

But the Dolphins were beaten the old fashioned way in this one. They got soundly whipped up front.

This was a big change from what we’ve seen throughout Miami’s streak. The Broncos were too physical on the line of scrimmage. On offense and defense.

That was evident in the difference in yardage, 459 to 223, advantage Denver. And in the Broncos’ six sacks to zero for a Dolphins defense that has been so impressive in applying pressure in recent weeks.

Miami’s offensive line, featuring two rookies starting and three seeing action — rookie Solomon Kindley left with an injury and rookie Robert Hunt came in at tackle with Jesse Davis moving to guard — had its poorest game of the season.

Dolphins offense struggles

Often Tagovailoa had no time to set up. When there was time, Tua often took too long to find a receiver. That was due in part to receivers struggling to get open — the absence of Preston Williams, on injured reserve, is apparent.

Coach Brian Flores mentioned the trifecta of inadequacies — Tagovailoa, the line and the receivers.

He made the switch at quarterback to Ryan Fitzpatrick with 10:44 remaining because, “At the end of the day we weren’t moving the ball effectively and I just felt like we needed to give ourselves a spark.”

Flores said Tagovailoa wasn’t injured (he’d been on the injury list with an undisclosed foot issue during the week). He also nipped any quarterback controversy in the bud.

Tagovailoa will start next week against the Jets. As well he should.

Without a doubt, the rookie quarterback played poorly Sunday. The Dolphins punted on six of eight possessions with Tua. The only touchdown drive was 22 yards, set up by Xavien Howard’s interception.

“I felt like I was holding the ball a little bit too long,” Tagovailoa said.

Fitzpatrick provides spark but throws clinching interception

Veteran Fitzpatrick came in and provided a spark, leading the Dolphins to a field goal. Then, after Andrew Van Ginkel forced a fumble at the Miami goal line, driving the Dolphins from their own 1 to the Denver 15.

It was vintage Fitzpatrick. The ol’ gunslinger can come in and lead a dramatic comeback or he can take you to the brink and throw the interception that seals defeat.

The later is what happened as Denver free safety Justin Simmons read Fitzpatrick’s intention on a post to DeVante Parker and cut across to pick it off.

It was a bad day all around for the Dolphins in Denver.

Adding to the frustration, a win would have pulled them even with the Bills atop the AFC East at 7-3. It would have been Miami’s best start in 19 years.

Sure, it’s disappointing. But it’s going to happen on the road in the NFL that a team playing well gets outplayed by one that has been struggling.

Dolphins outplayed, outcoached

The Broncos, now 4-6, not only outplayed the Dolphins, they outcoached them.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio is a heck of a defensive mind. His game plan appeared to confuse Tagovailoa and his defense outmuscled Miami.

Tagovailoa finished 11 of 20 for 83 yards. He still has not officially thrown an interception in the NFL. A penalty negated one Sunday.

The accuracy that Tagovailoa had shown in previous games wasn’t there. When he did look deep, he overthrew speedy Jakeem Grant three times.

His most impressive completion of the day was the three-yard fade to Parker for the only Miami touchdown in the first quarter. Tua has been very good in the red zone. But he was unable to get them there again.

Tagovailoa said the right things about his fourth-quarter benching, saying he recognized it was for the good of the team.

Flores said he isn’t concerned about how the loss and benching will affect Tua: “He’s a confident kid. … I think he’s dealt with a lot of adversity. I think he’s fine.”

Tua said he viewed it as a learning experience.

“It’s one way hearing from Fitz when I come to the sideline. … It may seem like [a receiver is] covered to you. It’s another seeing him going out there and kind of doing it.

“For me, a lot of the time I’ve seen guys were covered but they’re not necessarily cover, if that makes sense. Just being able to see a lot of what Fitz was doing when he got in … a lot of it [was] learning lessons for me.”

Reality check for Dolphins

It was also a reality check for a Dolphins team that perhaps is not as good as it may have appeared during the winning streak.

But for perspective, it was the first loss in two months for a rebuilding team that wasn’t considered ready to compete for a playoff spot this year. And Miami remains very much in the race with winnable games the next two weeks.

Also a reminder that a rookie quarterback in his fourth NFL start, no matter how highly acclaimed, has a lot of learning to do and growing pains to go through.

It could be worse. The Cincinnati Bengals, who play the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in two weeks, lost prized rookie quarterback Joe Burrow to a season-ending knee injury on Sunday.

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

E:5: Best Sports Video Games of 2020

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Whilst sporting events may have taken a hit over the course of 2020, sports video games have gone from strength to strength.

It has been a tough year for physical events, with cancelations and postponements of fixtures peppering the calendar with uncertainty. The NHL season was postponed, as was the NBA and a host of other sports. To fill the void, some fans turned to online video games instead.

MLB was one organization which turned to an online competition to keep fans amused, with MLB The Show event pitting players from real clubs against each other in competition. Other sports, such as Formula One, followed suit and whilst the world emerges, slowly, from the shadow of 2020, those games have remained popular.

Sports video games have been big business for some time now, with some great titles and some a little less than inspiring. Whether it is an officially licensed game such as the soccer game FIFA or something a little zanier like Mario Tennis Aces, sport makes a great platform for drawing in players. Some developers even use sports themes in titles not directly linked with the game, such as in online slots or puzzle games. There is a diverse collection of titles dedicated to the sports genre on Foxy Games, including 24 Hour Le Mans and Football Star, whilst some big console sports titles encompass puzzle games, such as FIFA’s squad building challenges. Sport, whether played with a ball, racquet or engine, will always find a potential market, whatever the genre.

With such a variety of sports games available, how do you know which ones to buy and which to avoid? The market is choked with great simulations, but these four are arguably the cream of the crop in 2020.

Madden NFL 20

The latest Madden release, Madden 21, is hitting the shelves as we speak, but most players have been focused on Madden 20 through the year. With a franchise such as this, a new game hits the market every year, but that means the old one reduces in price. If you have not played Madden before and want to test the water, you can grab a bargain with the 2020 release. The highlight of the game was the QB1 story mode which offered you the opportunity to create your own quarterback, controlling their rise from College Football into the NFL.

NHL 2020

The NHL games do not gain as much traction in the market as the EA cash cows of Madden and FIFA, but it is an incredibly playable and fun game well worth your time and effort. It does lean on Madden for the superstar abilities mode, but also has a challenge where players can earn rewards for defeating featured squads, assembled by stars, not unlike the popular Ultimate Team mode in FIFA.

UFC 3

Combat games have formed a key part of the video game market for many years, from titles such as Mortal Kombat and Tekken right through to the present day. Boxing titles have always struggled due to the limitations of the combat, but with MMA, the gloves are off (pardon the pun). There are so many options and game modes to choose from, such as customizable fighters and a career mode, that even non-UFC fans will find this title engrossing and long-lasting.

Everybody’s Golf

Everybody’s Golf might not pack the licensed punch of TGC 2019 featuring PGA Tour, but it is an instantly accessible and enjoyable version of the real thing. It was formerly known as Hot Shots Golf and boasts features such as character customization, online play, and the ability to wander around golf courses as a tourist.