Eagles Show The Dolphins The Difference Between Being A Lion and A Paper Tiger
This doesn't mean the Eagles are headed back to the Super Bowl. And it doesn't mean the Dolphins have officially fallen out of contention to play on the NFL's grandest stage.
But this one has meaning.
It says a lot about both the Eagles and the Dolphins.
Eagles 31.
Dolphins 17.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a touchdown on a pass play during the second half of a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lincoln Financial Field on October 22, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dolphins Vs. Eagles And Refs
First, let's be clear that regardless of the score, the biggest loser in this Sunday Night Football show was the NFL. Because the officiating was annoyingly substandard. And inconsistent.
That's saying a lot considering NFL officiating in recent years has been unmasked as an activity that often resembles making educated guesses.
The Eagles were called for zero penalties this game. None. And, no, it's not because the Eagles played a super clean game.
There was an obvious facemask penalty against the Philly secondary that wasn't called.
"That's not why we lost the game," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said.
There were also some obvious holding calls on the Eagles offensive line that went uncalled. There was a questionable 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on Christian Wilkins for merely pushing Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
And there was this:
NFL Officiating Terrible But Not An Excuse
"People can say the penalties this, the penalties that," Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said afterward. "For us as a team, we're not throwing that out as an excuse. They went out there and did what they had to do to win that game. We didn't do enough to win that game."
So there's that on the striped shirt front. On the numbered jersey front, it wasn't really close.
Yes, the Dolphins managed a rally after falling behind 17-3 to tie the game at 17 with 4:02 remaining in the third quarter. But the Eagles imposed their will the rest of the game.
The Eagles were the more physical team, winning at the line of scrimmage on both offense and defense. They were the more complete team, managing both a passing attack and effective running game.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: Julio Jones #80 of the Philadelphia Eagles catches a pass and is tackled by Eli Apple #33 of the Miami Dolphins during the first half of a game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 22, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Eagles Show They're Legitimate Contenders
The Eagles were simply tougher. And better.
"This game always comes down to physicality and toughness," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "It always does. No matter what because it's hard. That's physical and mental toughness."
The Eagles have a 6-1 record which is a testament to the quality of team they are. They overcame a rough week after losing to the New York Jets last week. They overcame two turnovers and a frantic Miami rally.
And they responded like a high-caliber team should.
At one point in the fourth quarter the Eagles authored a 13-play drive that spanned 83 yards and ran 10:14 off the clock. So the drive effectively killed the clock.
It also drained the life out of the Dolphins.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts to a touchdown during the second half of a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lincoln Financial Field on October 22, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Eagles Jalen Hurts Is A Lion
The Eagles, by the way, did this with quarterback Jalen Hurts nursing some sort of knee injury that required him to put on a brace at halftime. He was limping as early as the first half and was late coming onto the field with his team after halftime.
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota actually strapped up his helmet in case he was needed. He never got in the game even though after the game Hurts was left hoping he would not be affected by the issue in the future.
"We'll see," he said.
"There's nobody else I'd rather be our quarterback," Sirianni said. "He played his butt off tonight. He's tough. You all saw he's going through a little something. But he's tough. He is tough, tough, tough."
Sirianni was making the point Hurts is a lion. The Dolphins, meanwhile, now have the look of a paper tiger.
Miami is a contender, sure, if you're talking about landing a playoff spot. But if you're talking about winning a championship? It doesn't look that way based on this performance.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: Head coach Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins hugs Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles after a game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 22, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Mike McDaniel Sees Need For Dolphins Growth
Coach Mike McDaniel was sober about that afterward. He said the game helped convince him the Dolphins could compete with a team of Philadelphia's caliber, which itself is a curious statement. But ...
"There's still some growth that needs to be had," he admitted.
Tagovailoa was less willing to admit the Dolphins aren't quite the team their 5-1 record before the game suggested.
"I don't think we listen to the outside noise in regards to how people feel about our team," Tagovailoa said. "I think the most important thing is the guys in the locker room sticking together and continuing to go. There's a lot of football to be played. A lot of football. It's a long season."
Tagovailoa is free to think that way. But the facts don't line up with his opinion.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles and Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins talk after a game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 22, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-17 (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Dolphins Offense Thwarted By Eagles
The Dolphins had scored 30 touchdowns in six games before this one. That's an average of five per game. Against the best opponent they've played all year that was cut to a much more modest one offensive touchdown.
Tagovailoa, leading the NFL while averaging nearly 313 passing yards per game, was limited to 216 passing yards this game.
The reason the Dolphins lost by only two touchdowns is because the Eagles dialed it down at the end when the victory was sealed. The Eagles took a knee three consecutive plays inside the Miami 10 yard line to run out the clock.
And, look, this stuff can happen on a weekly basis in the NFL. But the reason people are making proclamations about the Dolphins after this one is because of the clear difference in how they perform against winning teams compared to bad teams.
Simply, the Dolphins built their 5-1 record before this game on the backs of five struggling teams.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: A Miami Dolphins looks on during the second half of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 22, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Dolphins Struggle Against Good Teams
Miami beat the Panthers who are 0-6.
The Dolphins beat the Broncos who are 2-5.
They beat the Chargers who are 2-4.
They beat the Giants who are 2-5.
And they beat the Patriots who are 2-5.
So the Dolphins had beaten five teams with a combined record of 8-25.
Miami's lone loss, meanwhile, was against the 4-3 Buffalo Bills.
So the Dolphins have lost to both teams they've faced that have winning records. It doesn't mean the Dolphins are a bad team.
It does mean they're not yet the kind of team anyone should be picking to win a Super Bowl.