I know I'm way late on this review- yet that makes it even more special to me. You see, we got 14 inches of snow Saturday and we were without power/water heading into kickoff. I was bummed I couldn't see the game and then remembered that the Sunday Ticket had an app....and I had an old Verizon tablet in the closet. So I jerked it out ten minutes before kickoff, did a little dance when I saw the battery was at 94%, and then slapped my phone's sim card into it. Downloaded the app and boom- I was ready for kickoff with 20 second to spare.

I've told you folks that my parents live in a cabin in my backyard....their house is literally RIGHT THERE....but when you're talking about 14 inches of snow and a decent little hill, my dad said he just couldn't make it up for the game. So I jogged down the hill and we watched the 1st quarter at his house, even though the Internet sucked and it was choppy as hell. He told me to go home and watch it, he couldn't make the walk at 84 years old but I refused...I said I wouldn't leave without him.

We stepped outside to have a cigarette though and he said what the heck, let's try to make it up the hill. So I took little steps and stomped all the way up to give him somewhere to step...he made it fine but he's pretty thin/frail at his age, so we had to get right in front of the gas fireplace to get him warm. He was cold for at least a half-hour...I felt horrible about that.

But to witness that second half...and that final play in the crap conditions that we were in when I didn't even think we'd get to watch the game at all....guys, I will never ever forget that day. I'll eventually lose my dad to old age but that amazing memory will be here forever.

Anyway, I had to get that out....let's talk about the game.

Folks, Ryan Tannehill is the real deal. Maybe he can't navigate the pocket like Cutler or Oz, but the kid is tough as they come and his passes have never been more crisp. He was hitting Stills in stride all day long and I believe Tannehill is a legit franchise QB. Forget the numbers and the ratings and the ratios for a moment- Tannehill had us working on a 7-game win streak when he went down in 2016. Then he started us 3-0, struggled with a banged up arm (that we didn't even know about) and took a hard hit to bench him for 5 weeks. Since then, he's 2-1 with three EXCELLENT games in a row....and we know he limped most of the 4th quarter yesterday. Hell, he couldn't even stand in the locker room interview....but he sure could throw the rock a few minutes earlier.

Gore looked excellent again on Sunday....he's the heart and soul of this offense. Even without half our starting O, his work ethic is spreading and this team is playing violent football. You're seeing linemen 7-10 yards downfield trying to re-engage a 2nd block whenever possible. You're seeing receivers fight to help their teammates. This is not a great offense by any means and we're definitely handicapped, but our boys just didn't play that way Sunday.

I know a lot of you gave Gase grief for punting on 4th and 3.....I was talking trash to my tablet about that time as well. And I know a lot of you were pissed at Minkah for holding but HE WON THE GAME by grabbing the wrist and holding on for dear life. He saved a sure-fire TD because he was beat and that's a smart veteran move. I didn't think the defense would hold....but they did. Our defense won that game.

On the kickoff, I was upset we returned the ball instead of getting out of bounds. But if we hadn't got up to the 30, Gronk wouldn't have been on the field. That run-back won the game. Tannehill's pass also had me screaming....it wasn't close enough to the sidelines and I definitely thought it was over...but the pitch to Parker meant we could get out of bounds with about 2 seconds left. The toss to Drake was do or die....he had a microsecond to decide whether to step out or turn on the jets....and he knew he had someone right behind him. I was screaming GET OUT, GET OUT yet those decisions by RT, Stills, Parker and Drake won the game. And yes, the real hero was Larsen....he showed restraint on a defenseless player 40 yards down the field. How he didn't flatten the dude I don't know....maybe he was too tired to....but his block and Parker's quasi-block (cutting off a lane) won the game.

I still don't know why Drake cut back towards Gronk....it was a much easier TD to the other side of the field....but that cutback meant the other safety had to get around Gronk to save the day and it was the exact right call. Drake should be the NFL MVP of the season for that shake and bake move alone.

My point here is that we had over 30 players that were 100% committed in the final 30 seconds to create the outcome that we saw. They didn't quit despite the impossible odds....and Gase deserves a little credit as well. He still shouldn't have punted on 4th and 3, but that punt probably won the game since it burned 3 minutes off the clock.

So on a NFL Sunday that I'll never forget, with my 84 year old dad in front of a fireplace and an old 7" tablet, I watched the 2018 Miami Dolphins "arrive". My friends, they all bought in....they all believed in the impossible...and somehow we saw one of the craziest endings to a football game ever. Heck, that tops the Heidi game...doesn't it? It felt even more impossible to me and it was truly Magic in Miami.

I can't predict how this season will end but to be honest, I'd be shocked if we don't beat Minnesota and make a real run at the playoffs. Because even though we've all given up on Gase and Tannehill, they still haven't given up on the season and it's exciting to watch. At 7-6, with all the injuries and setbacks, this almost tops the 2016 season for me when we had everything rolling smoothly.

For the first time in forever (yes, I just quoted a darn Frozen movie), I am a true believer in the Miami Dolphins. Three and o, here we go!

Oh, and it's good to be back! We got power back on about an hour ago!

 

LOL, I like the phrase...I'll catch myself saying it then thinking, "Crap, that's from Frozen!" That's the joys of raising kids though- I spent the 2000's saying "we just got a letter" from Blues Clues (and I hated that show with a passion too!).

 

Yeah, it was just a special day all around....and it probably wouldn't have been if Miami had lost. I just realized I could share photos from Facebook; this was the little hill (the photo was from my back porch to gauge the distance he had to walk). It's maybe 50-60 yards with about a 20-25 degree slope....but it took a lot out of him. And he was freaking thrilled afterwards!



Shockingly, that was about the worst of our tree damage....the surrounding roads had full size Pines down everywhere though! We lost one small tree in the front yard but otherwise, we escaped mostly unharmed damage-wise except for small branches. That photo was yesterday with about half the snow already melted....it was a lot worse Sunday!