Dolphins’ record against top teams might be worse than you think

Arguably the most compelling game of the Week 2 NFL slate quickly devolved into a laugher Thursday evening, as James Cook flipped into the endzone as Buffalo took a commanding 24-7 first-half lead over Miami in a battle of two 11-win teams from a season ago.

It was a familiarly disappointing showing for the fans at Hard Rock Stadium, as despite the Dolphins recent string of successful seasons — Miami has finished with at least nine wins four years in a row, a first since 2003 — they’re now just 1-11 in their last 12 games against opponents better than .500.

“There was a lot of high expectations and ambitions for the game, fully knowing that it was going to be a tough one,” head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters after Thursday’s game. “I think every person on the team would tell you, that when playing a good football team, if you’re minus three, or four [in turnovers], no one foresaw that, and you might be able to win 1-in-100 [games] with that. I think that’s the main thing the football team is feeling: supreme disappointment.”

The arrival of McDaniel and star receiver Tyreek Hill ahead of the 2022 season brought arguably the NFL’s most creative, dynamic offense to Hard Rock Stadium, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ranked third in passer rating and fourth in yards per game during that stretch. The 2023 season proved particularly dominant, with the Dolphins reaching 11 wins for the first time since 2003 while posting their widest scoring margin since Don Scula’s dynastic run in the late 1980s.

However, hidden beneath this breakout campaign exists several lopsided scores against the NFL’s top teams, including another early-season splattering against Buffalo and a two-touchdown setback in Philadelphia against a playoff-bound Eagles squad. And with a two-game lead in the AFC East entering Week 17, their first division title since 2008 nearly in grasp, Miami suffered a stunning 56-19 defeat in Baltimore before falling to Buffalo again to complete their late-season collapse into a wild card spot.

These struggles have continued into the postseason as well, where the Dolphins have suffered Wild Card round exits in each of the past two seasons. Buffalo once again shattered Hard Rock hearts in 2022, outlasting the Dolphins in a 34-31 thriller, before falling flat last postseason 26-7 against Kansas City.

McDaniel’s crew appeared to get over the hump in Week 1 this year, claiming Floridian bragging rights with a 20-17 win over Jacksonville, which finished at 9-8 a season ago. Buffalo quickly restated their recent dominance on Thursday, however, as Cook capitalized on a Tagovailoa interception with a 17-year touchdown grab after just five minutes. Turnovers continued to plague the Dolphins, as another Tagovailoa pick set up a short-field field goal, and Cook’s third touchdown of the game put the Dolphins out of reach midway through the second quarter.