Does Dolphins loss to Titans foreshadow late-season collapse?

Jim Rassol / USA TODAY NETWORK

Does Dolphins loss to Titans foreshadow a late-season collapse?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 12/12/23

After the Tennessee Titans upset the Miami Dolphins on "Monday Night Football," it's fair to wonder if it's just a hiccup or foreshadowing a late-season collapse.

"Right now, it feels terrible, but that's everything that we'll be trying to do moving forward because these types of losses can be very galvanizing," Miami head coach Mike McDaniel said in a postgame news conference. "As long as guys aren't pointing fingers, which I feel like there's a lot of people looking internally, you have that chance, and that's what we'll be spending our time doing."

TITANS SACK TUA FOR THE WIN. #TENvsMIA pic.twitter.com/tmURcUgeD0
— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2023

While McDaniels insists the team will bounce back, the Dolphins nearly had a meltdown last season. After an 8-3 start, they lost five of their last six games.

"It was brutal," ESPN analyst and Super Bowl champion Jeff Saturday said Monday on "Get Up." "They keep doing these things. You can't lose to Tennessee on a Monday night game in the position you are in. And by the way, they're trying to fight the demons from last year when they went through a tailspin."

In the 28-27 loss to Tennessee (5-8), Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill — who leads the league in receiving yards (1,542) — suffered an ankle injury, which sidelined him in the second and third quarter. Hill missing most of the game clearly made a difference; however, Miami blowing a 14-point lead with under three minutes to go was more costly.

The Dolphins (9-4) are still in playoff position. The New York Times simulator gives them a 59% chance to host a wild-card game. But they have the league's third-most difficult remaining schedule, per Tankathon. They must get their act together to avoid a late-season crumble.

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