After an 0-7 start, the Miami Dolphins finally got their first win last week, a dominating 31-3 blowout of the 4-4 Kansas City Chiefs. It was a solid game in all three phases by the Dolphins. This week, as the Dolphins get ready to face the 3-5 Washington Redskins, the subject of their confidence, or overconfidence, came up repeatedly.
Yes – in spite of their 1-7 record, they were actually asked about being overconfident going into this week’s game.
Linebacker Jason Taylor responded to the question of overconfidence by bursting into laughter, “Are you serious (laughing)? You had a week to think of questions for me and that’s the best you came up with (laughing)?”
“Can you be overconfident? No, I mean, I don’t know. I’m always a confident guy and I think everybody should have that swagger and be confident. And expect to win so I don’t know. Can you be overconfident? I guess that everyone will give you a different answer on that.”
Coach Tony Sparano was also asked about the team’s confidence level.
“I don’t want to ruin confidence. I mean I think that you work too hard to get it,” coach Tony Sparano said. “The good teams have it. They have a swagger about them.”
“They’ve worked hard here with no reward early in the season and came off of a win and finally got a little reward. So you don’t give them a lot of sugar. That isn’t what we do here. But at the same time you don’t squash enthusiasm. I think that obviously when you win everything is a little bit better, just everything.”
On the field, the Dolphins looked solid across the board in last week’s victory. Quarterback Matt Moore had by far his best game of the season – he went 17 of 23 for 244 yards, with 3 TDs and no INTs, for a QB efficiency rating of 147.5. The Dolphins also had 107 rushing yards, led by Reggie Bush with 13 carries for 92 yards and a TD, averaging over 7 yards per carry. The defense also played solid “bend but don’t break” football, holding the Chiefs to 0-2 in red zone trips. If the Dolphins can repeat that performance and intensity, they can walk away with their second win of the season againt the erratic Redskins.
