This game had the makings of a made for TV movie for the Miami Dolphins and one that could prove pivotal for their season with a win.  However, the Dolphins as a team were stymied at one point or another by the big bad Denver Broncos who managed to keep pace with the Patriots in the first round playoff bye race.

The Dolphins nursing a 21-17 lead from the first half managed to weather a second half first drive that included several running plays for Denver, with the Broncos running for over 175 yards.  Next, the Dolphins couldn’t get anything done on the ground in the second half as they had no answer for blocking the Broncos Terrance Knighton, a defensive tackle built in the mold of a Vince Wilfork.

Luckily, on the ensuing special teams play, the Dolphins managed to get some help from RB/ST Damien Williams who forced a fumble after the Denver punt returner went backward attempting to get yardage and Dolphins long snapper John Denney recovered the fumble.

On second down in the red zone, the Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill found Mike Wallace for a pretty out in the front of the end zone.

Even though the Dolphins fought offensively to make a comeback over Manning and the Broncos, Ryan Tannehill’s determination could only take him so far as a tipped pass led to an interception and a drive with less than three minutes fell short to make the game close pending a recovered on-side kick.

First the bright spots for the Dolphins, 5/5 in the red zone offensively.  Ryan Tannehill showed he is the quarterback to lead this franchise.  Everything he did, he did it with conviction whether it was the game’s final drive, the first half offensive drives, made smart decisions, and finally his three touchdown passes.  Right now Tannehill’s leadership is evident in that the team is buying in.  He’s showing he’s the ultimate pro by not getting down when things get tough.

The biggest sign of this Dolphins team coming into it’s own was the offense.  The biggest sign that the Dolphins are not quite close to being a playoff caliber team was the defensive performance.  Despite the injuries, the defense couldn’t set the tone as they had in past games this season.

After allowing three fourth quarter TDs and a whopping 201 yards on the ground, something clearly went wrong for Miami defensively.

In the NFL, you need consistency, you need guys pulling in both directions and right now, the Dolphins didn’t get the job done.

For Dolphins fans, there will be some excuses and some regrets, but for now, the Dolphins are a team on the up and up, despite the tough loss.

Dolphins fall to 6-5 and visit the Jets next week as Dolfans attempt to takeover Met Life Stadium.

PhinsPhocus MVPs:

QB Ryan Tannehill: 3TDs, 1 rushing, 26-36, 228 yards, 1 INT, 104.9 rating

WR Jarvis Landry: 7 catches, 2TD, 50 yards receiving

RB/ST Damien Williams: Forced Fumble on special teams