Not long ago, the Miami Dolphins were 1-7 on the season. The Dolphins, who entered the year with playoff aspirations, instead found themselves in the hunt for the league’s worst record.
However, in recent weeks, the team has turned a corner. Miami has won three straight contests and currently has a 4-7 record after beating the New York Jets on Sunday.
Elijah Campbell recently revealed that head coach Brian Flores issued an inspiring message to the team when things were looking bleak. Campbell explained that the Dolphins have been a different squad since then.
DB Elijah Campbell says when Dolphins were 1-7 Flores said at team meeting, "From here on, we're going to play a different type of football." Campell: "When he said that, everybody bought into it. Practices had more energy to them."
— Hal Habib (@gunnerhal) November 22, 2021
"'We're sticking with our guys. We trust in you guys.' He believes in us. He does," Elijah Campbell on Brian Flores' midseason speech to the team. "We have all the pieces, from defense to offense to special teams."
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) November 22, 2021
Dolphins players easily could have thrown in the towel on the 2021 campaign after their 1-7 start, but it’s clear that the team isn’t done fighting.
While Miami still has a steep mountain to climb in order to get back into the playoff mix, things have the potential to get interesting. The Dolphins have a relatively easy remaining schedule, and if they can take advantage of that, they could find themselves in the middle of the postseason race again.
The organization is still looking for its first playoff bid since the 2016 campaign after narrowly missing out on the postseason in the 2020 campaign. Reaching the playoffs this season would be a massive accomplishment for the Dolphins given their brutal start to the year.
The team can’t afford many hiccups the rest of the way, however. Miami will look to keep things moving in the right direction this week in a matchup with the Carolina Panthers. Each of the Dolphins’ next three games will be played at home.
