After conga-lining to 3-0, Dolphins know they can’t take next challenge in AFC East showdown at Buffalo lightly

David Furones, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
·4 min read
John McCall/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/TNS

MIAMI GARDENS — There was much to celebrate after the Miami Dolphins’ 70-20 obliteration of the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.

And celebrate, they did, throughout the historic afternoon that saw several records broken.

There was the conga line in the end zone after running back Raheem Mostert’s second of four touchdowns to put Miami up, 35-10, late in the first half. Long before that, star receiver Tyreek Hill was jumping into a premium fan section on the field after out-racing the Broncos defense for a 54-yard touchdown three scrimmage plays into the home opener.

And, surely, the celebrations continued into the night after 35 more points — five more touchdowns — were scored after both of those on-field exhibitions.

But NFL teams often allude to a 24-hour rule, as defensive tackle Christian Wilkins did Monday at team facilities, to leave one result behind and move on to the next. Whether victory or defeat, it works both ways. A team has to flush a devastating loss or stay motivated off a convincing win.

In the Dolphins’ case, it’s the latter as the team transitions to facing the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills (2-1). Coach Mike McDaniel believes his team has the right mindset for sustained success and not over-satisfaction after one impressive game.

“If you want a feeling of success that you start to get used to, there’s no shortcuts,” McDaniel said. “I don’t think there’s anybody in the locker room and there’s anybody on the coaching staff that is misrepresenting how their successes on Sunday occurred.

“That was old-school blood, sweat and tears, so to speak, in terms of preparation. And I thought our week of practice prepared us to have that opportunity, and then guys made plays in the moment, which is what it’s all about.”

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Mostert said Sunday the approach doesn’t change just because things are going well.

“We’ve just got to hone in on our craft,” he said. “We’re not worried about what everybody outside the building thinks. We’re going to focus in on what we’ve got to do and get the job done.”

It helps that the upcoming opponent doesn’t make it difficult to find any extra motivation, especially the way the Bills have rebounded from an opening-week loss to the New York Jets with 38-10 and 37-3 wins over the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders, respectively. Not to mention these are the three-time reigning AFC East champions that the Dolphins (3-0) are trying to dethrone.

“They’re playing some high-level football themselves,” McDaniel said. “That draws enough of your attention to the different teams from a season ago. I think, individually, from a player-to-player perspective, there’s probably some internal grudge matches that go on that are natural to football.

“But, by and large, I have no doubt that our locker room is going to give them their due respect that they’re earning through their play. You always know, to even be in the conversation to have a win in Orchard Park, you have to be hitting on all cylinders.”

To the point of those grudge matches, case in point, the dynamic of Wilkins and Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, who have had their share of pleasantries exchanged over recent history in the rivalry.

To that, Wilkins deadpanned Monday: “That’s my guy. I love Josh Allen.”

Nonetheless, before we move on from the Dolphins’ touchdown celebrations Sunday, they show how much fun this team is and how much fun they’re having.

“We actually practiced it on Friday,” Mostert said of the conga line celebration. “Then we were undecided what we were going to do, and then we just decided to hit that, just to show a little culture.”

Tackle Austin Jackson said Monday it was Hill who had the idea for the celebration and it only took a quick five seconds of choreography to prepare for the moment.

McDaniel is all for his players taking time to organize a celebration because a lot of hard work goes into scoring that touchdown.

“Part of what we try to do with the Dolphins is work relentlessly hard, but in that process try to have fun doing it,” McDaniel said. “I think it’s hard to score touchdowns in this league. So when you do, if guys want to take an extra five or ten minutes to organize something or have a plan, I definitely positively reinforce it.”

On Monday morning, the Dolphins’ social media team revealed an image of the conga line was placed on its famed elevator doors that get a new snapshot of a key moment in the last win.

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