Game Plan Still In Play

A Dolphins winning streak and a significant college injury may have changed the outlook for some, but the organization still in great shape for next spring

The Dolphins made clear and impressive progress over the course of the past month, to the point they surprised many observers with their back-to-back wins against the Jets and the Colts.

What was perhaps an even bigger surprise was the fact so many — on Twitter and in the media — were complaining, some even screaming, because they saw this as a bad thing.

Winning as a bad thing.

Yep, that’s how crazy the fascination with a certain Alabama quarterback was for so many. In their eyes, the Dolphins needed to lose every game to make sure they would land the No. 1 overall pick and be able to draft Tua Tagovailoa.

Well, the conversation over the course of three weeks certainly changed, first with the Dolphins’ two victories and then with the unfortunate injury that instantly raised questions about the lefty quarterback’s draft status.

With a hip injury severe enough to bring back memories of Bo Jackson, Tagovailoa no longer is the leading candidate to be that No. 1 overall pick — whether he should have been in the first place would be an interesting discussion in itself, though it’s now moot.

So now maybe the focus shifts to LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, who has been spectacular all season and outplayed Tagovailoa in that epic showdown in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 9 — though Tagovailoa also played well.