Detroit Lions' success leaves Dolphins alone, frustrated by playoff futility | Habib
MIAMI GARDENS — The Dolphins had their TVs on Sunday night, just like you.
They saw the joy on the faces of the Detroit Lions and their fans, just like you.
And they wondered what about us.
Just like you.
The Dolphins set their sights on standing alone at the end of this season. Today, they do. Just not in the manner anyone would have wanted. Twenty-four hours after the Dolphins were one-and-done again in the playoffs, the Lions smashed through their glass ceiling by beating the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 in the Motor City.
The 31-year wait for a playoff win had finally ended for one NFL franchise (Lions).
The 23-year wait is morphing into 24 years for another (Dolphins).
Even worse: The Dolphins now own the longest active drought in the league.
“I was looking at that game purely, solely as a Lion fan, simply because you know they haven’t done it longer than a lot of people in winning a playoff game,” Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert said during locker clean-out day Monday. “They actually got it done. So they closed that chapter last night and it was pretty cool.”
Makes you want to duplicate it here?
“It definitely does.”
Left tackle Terron Armstead also watched the triumphant Lions. For the first nine years of his career, starting in 2013, Armstead was with the New Orleans Saints, a laughingstock that got the last laugh in 2009 by winning it all. Armstead just finished only his second season in Miami, but don’t let that fool you.
“I still carry that burden of a 23-year drought, you know, because I care so much,” Armstead said. “And everybody in this locker room, we understand the hardship from the fan base. And not seeing success, not seeing those big victories, we wear that, too. I don’t want the fans to think that we don’t or we’re just oblivious to it.”
Jevon Holland on how season ended: ‘It's trash'
Safety Jevon Holland used the words “it’s trash” to know the Dolphins at one point controlled the race for the No. 1 seed only to see the season end with a three-game losing streak and a 26-7 drubbing in frigid Kansas City. Asked if the 23-year thing only compounds players’ frustration, Holland answered the question with a question.
“Would you be frustrated?” he said.
Holland continued: “I’m frustrated, too, although it doesn’t look like it. I mean, it’s a frustrating situation because you want to win but we’re just not winning in the playoffs. We’re just not doing it. Especially, what is it? Twenty-four years? That’s terrible. I got to see Detroit win last night. Shout out to them. But damn. Now we’re the only team. It’s trash.”
By the time Armstead joined the Saints, their bags-to-richest legacy was set.
“Yeah, and it took a long time,” Armstead said. “It took a long time from bags over the head to being a very proud fanbase. It took time to build a winning culture in a winning environment.”
The Saints’ assistant head coach overlapping with Armstead was Dan Campbell, the one-time Dolphins interim head coach and a candidate for the full-time gig until the Dolphins instead hired Adam Gase in 2016. In 2021, Campbell took over the Lions, who had gone 5-11 before his arrival. Year 2 under Campbell brought a winning season. Year 3 features a trip to the divisional round.
“What’s Going On,” obviously, is “Dancing In the Street.”
Will there ever be Dolfans dancing down Miami’s Calle Ocho?
“We want them to get bragging rights, to talk (crap) to their co-workers or their friends across the league,” Armstead said. “I love that part of it. I love interacting with fans and getting their perspective on everything. So we carry that burden, too.”
More: Miami Dolphins sending message to GM Chris Grier to improve roster, bring back key players
The burden just got heavier. You might say it's because of the Lions. But no. Where the Dolphins are today is 100 percent on them.
Just as getting out of this mess is.
Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal. Click here to subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lions' success leaves Dolphins alone, frustrated by NFL playoff futility
