Just a few weeks ago, I couldn’t shake the idea of a Dolphins-Lions Super Bowl. Turns out those images flooding my cerebral cortex were mistaken. Or just a reminder how life in the NFL (much like real life!) can change quickly and oftentimes dramatically. Miami — now 6-3 after a 21-14 loss to the Chiefs in Germany on Sunday morning — still very much profiles as a playoff team and might very well end up winning the AFC East. 

But it’s now pretty hard to take the Dolphins seriously as a Super Bowl contender, with their latest loss drawing a very clear delineation between the teams they beat and the teams who beat them. 

That’s a big old YIKES if you’re a Dolphins fan because, as just about any intelligent human being can tell you, the Dolphins are much, much, much more likely to see winning teams in the playoffs than they are to see losing teams in the playoffs. I suppose they could end up being magically shipped off to the NFC and draw a matchup against the winner of the NFC South but, again, it’s a pretty unlikely scenario. 

What makes the Dolphins struggles really concerning is just how badly they were outclassed in all three of their losing matchups. Buffalo was highly motivated at home as a short favorite coming off a loss and Miami was coming off its 70-point nuking of the Broncos so there was probably a little regression built in, but the Bills straight up thumped them.

Miami wasn’t remotely in the same class as the Eagles on that Sunday night road trip to Philadelphia. And the high-powered Dolphins offense, led by Tyreek Hill, was completely shut out by the Chiefs’ impressive defense during the first half in Frankfurt.

Hill was running his mouth before this game too, saying he would be the “same old Cheetah” and that his old team was “gon’ get this work” from him in the receiving game. The Chiefs did not get the proverbial work, as Hill finished with eight catches for a measly 62 yards. He also fumbled once, with the Chiefs defense turning the gift into the play of the year and a scoop/lateral/score that would account for the deciding points. 

Maybe we could pin Hill’s struggles on the Chiefs knowing how to stop the former player, but the Dolphins’ inability to post gaudy point totals against quality competition is a massive concern. Additionally, even as good as some of the pieces are on this Vic Fangio defense — Bradley Chubb was everywhere against Kansas City and Jalen Ramsey’s made an impact already since his return — giving up 33 points per game in these losses is definitely a concern. 

If the defense can turn the corner and limit some of these better teams, maybe we can get back on board with the Fins. But until we see them beat a quality opponent — or just anyone with a winning record — it’s hard to take them too seriously. 

On the other hand, Baltimore looks like a straight-up behemoth in the AFC after yet another quality victory against a top-tier opponent. Two weeks ago it was Detroit coming into Charm City and getting paddled and in Week 9 the Ravens absolutely flexed on the (at the time) NFC West-leading Seahawks, beating the brakes off Seattle 37-3. 

Things got so bad Odell Beckham Jr. found pay dirt for the first time since the Rams were in the Super Bowl and he caught the pass from Tyler Huntley, who was in because the game was such a blowout.

Seattle had a single drive that went farther than 50 yards and eight drives that didn’t go farther than 11 yards. Baltimore’s defense smothered Geno Smith from jump street and never let up, holding Geno to 13 of 28 passing with 157 yards and a pick. 

Baltimore is now just the third team in the Super Bowl era to beat three consecutive opponents with a winning record by 24 points (the Bills also did it this year, but it was in the first four weeks of the season so a little different) and the first team since they did it in 2019 to win back-to-back home games by 30+ points. 

Lamar Jackson is now a ridiculous 18-1 against the NFC, so maybe think several times before you consider fading the former (and future?) MVP against the opposing conference. The Todd Monken hire is looking like a very good decision.

The Ravens also have now held all nine of their opponents this season to less than 25 points. The Mike MacDonald hire is also looking like a very good decision!