The next week and a half...

[Driven_Phinsane!]

will prove to be very telling and will speak volumes as to whether this team has even a glimmer of hope (for this season anyway), whether yesterday's game was an aberration; a bit of an emotional dump if you will and whether Dan Campbell really has any chance of becoming the Fins next HC..

This Sunday we host the Texans, a team we have NEVER beaten..It's a HUGE game & a must-win; a win would elevate us back to .500 and continue building confidence & momentum heading into our primetime showdown against the Pats only four days later in Foxboro..

IMO, while it would be awesome to spank the Pats in their own backyard knocking them from the remaining undefeated's, i think we just have to make a game out of it..Be competitive, play aggressive (borderline dirty as DC said), knock Brady on his ass constantly as we did to Mariota and we will come out of this game winners, whether the scoreboard reflects it or not...I'd love to win this game, but i'd take a close loss leaving the team confident that they can hang with ANYBODY, and sitting at 3-4 (provided we don't poop the bed against the Texans!) with games against the Bills, Eagles, Cowboys, Jets & Ravens to follow...If yesterday's game is any indication how this team can play when motivated and playing as a TEAM, they can feasibly win any of these games!

[marino4ever]

I am going to take it a one game at a time approach with this team, one good game does not salvage the crap they put out the first four game of the season. I get it Philbin was terrible but players still should have pride for the uniform they play for. Yesterday was a great start now let see if they can do it again.

[AquaXI]

We are now on heal fast mode. No more bye week to sleep it offf so play physical and slap on lots of bengay. I don't care if the locker room smells like an old folks home, " just Win baby"!

[cuchulainn]

Agree... Loved seeing Suh blowing up the interior and Wake coming off the edge. And Holy Hell, we even had Misi in the middle of the field and he had a TFL - and didn't hurt himself. lol...

Hope to see this same style of play against the division for sure, but definitely in all the games.

Anyone catch Dan's post game speech? ''To watch the way you guys played and practiced all week, it's inspiring, OK? I makes somebody like me want to f***king bleed for you, ok. I'd do anything for you guys. That stuff, it's invaluable, man, the way you have come together. Don't forget why we were able to do what we did today. All week guys you were after each others throats. Don't forget this...''

Love that he called out guys by name, even the PS guys, and thanked them for their contributions. That's gold.

[gulfcoast74]

And that he was not reading from note cards.....

[cuchulainn]

GC - agreed. Dan speaks from the heart and emotion and calls guys names. He's genuine and the players love it. Hell, even Ross picked up on how much emotion there was in the locker room and how much it positively affected the team. If Philbin hadn't jettisoned so much talent the past 3 years, we'd be a serious ass-kicking machine going forward. Hoping Dan can make do with what he has ATM and keep it going.

[kelbail21]

Those double Tight End formations and running the ball from the single back set with Tannehill under Center made all the difference in the world. Lamar Miller was getting creases and getting to the next level with some momentum. I can't wait to see Ajayi breaking through those creases. He's a different animal than Miller in the open field and attacking Safeties. When Coach Lazor was talking about his offense originating from the Joe Gibb's Redskins and Al Saunders helping him recreate the same kind of success they had there together, I couldn't help but think of Jay Ajayi's version of John Riggins. Let's get the "A Train" going.

[cuchulainn]

Agreed. Hoping Ajayi is back next weekend for the Texans game and get's a chance to play. Now that the OL is 3 to 4/5ths of what it should be and not 2/5's, our Offense should roll.

[cuchulainn]

Well said by the HC...

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/greg-cote/article40287759.html

The realist is telling you Miami must now beat visiting Houston this coming Sunday and then keep winning against an escalating schedule to keep the improving and the proving going on. After the Texans it’s three straight road games at New England, Buffalo and Philadelphia, then Dallas here in what could be Tony Romo’s comeback game, then at the Jets.
The Dolphins will need every bit of the team that showed up Sunday in Nashville to keep that proof coming and actually make a run at the playoffs.
Campbell’s newly awakened “sleeping giant” can afford no naps, no narcolepsy.
The coach knows it.
“The challenge for these guys is not to start patting each other on the back,” he said. “We’ve been notorious around here for that. We get a big win and then there’s a lull.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/sp...#storylink=cpy

[FTLDOLFAN]

I think the Dolphins can beat almost anybody if we bring that kind of effort and intensity each week. Now that we have shown how well can play expectations have been raised again. I don't expect us to be that dominant every week but I do want to see us compete and show that we care and I think with Dan Campbell as our HC we will do that. Next weeks game is huge. We have to beat the Texans at home for a couple of reasons. At 2-3 we can't afford to lose this game with the next 3 games on the road against some tough competition. Another reason is that we want to build off the win over the Titans and create some momentum and confidence. If we lose to the Texans then yesterday will be viewed as just an aberration and that we are the same old Dolphins.

[61finfan]

Beating a team we have never beaten will show me the arrow is pointing up.