Chris Perkins: Stakes are high (possibly Super Bowl high?) in Dolphins vs. Chiefs

MIAMI GARDENS — DeShon Elliott has an interesting reason for wanting the Dolphins to win  Sunday’s game against Kansas City.

“I’m not worried about the playoff situation,” the Dolphins’ veteran safety said, referring to the possible ramifications the game has on home-field advantage.

“I’m more worried about beating a good team right now. We haven’t shown we can beat a good team. I don’t want to go out there and prove anybody else wrong, but prove us right inside this locker room. We know we have the talent to beat really good teams. We just have to give ourselves the confidence going into the bye week by doing that, by competing against KC and coming out with a (win).”

These were revealing words from Elliott.

If you’re reading this, you probably know I agree with Elliott, who is in his first season with the Dolphins after spending last season with Detroit and the previous four with Baltimore. You probably also know that I have said as much many times, except I say “teams that made the playoffs in 2022” instead of good teams. 

McDaniel wasn’t asked about the stakes of this game during his media session on Wednesday in Frankfurt, Germany.

That’s fine. Just know that the stakes are likely far-reaching.

Under McDaniel, Miami is 4-8 (.333) against teams that made the playoffs in 2022, and 2-7 (.222) on the road against teams that made the playoffs in 2022. 

Judging by Elliott’s words, at least one Miami player is aware that the Dolphins struggle against quality teams. Usually if there’s one player thinking that way, there are more players thinking that way.

Elliott’s statement wasn’t prompted by a leading question.

This conversation happened in the Dolphins’ locker room on Monday, a few hours before their flight departed for Frankfurt, site of Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.

I asked Elliott if this Kansas City game was just one of 17, or if this game carried more importance because it could be a tiebreaker for home-field advantage in the playoffs.

You saw his response.

I followed up by asking Elliott why he included that qualifier about beating good teams.

“Iron sharpens iron,” he said, “so if we want to prove we can be in the Super Bowl, we have to prove we can beat good teams. Going out here and going 13-4 and going out of the playoffs with a first-round loss, that don’t show nothing. All that shows is that you’re a regular-season team.

“You don’t want the championship in the regular season, you want the championship in the postseason.”

I asked Elliott whether this is his personal feeling or the feeling among players inside the locker room.

“That’s my feeling,” he said. “I don’t know what everybody else’s opinions are, but that’s mine. Usually I try to keep my opinion to myself, but I like to say what needs to be said.”

I respect that.

But let’s go a step beyond Elliott’s thoughts, because beating a team that made the playoffs in 2022 and gaining some confidence from that victory is just one thing that’s at stake Sunday.

Here’s something else: If the Dolphins get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, you can pencil them into the Super Bowl.

The way it looks now, no one’s beating the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Dolphins are 10-2 at home under McDaniel.

It should be noted Miami is only 2-1 at home under McDaniel against teams that made the playoffs in 2022.

The Dolphins beat Buffalo, 21-19, last year, then had that loss to Minnesota, and beat the New York Giants, 31-16, this season.

That’s the list. 

So, yeah, it’s a small sample size.

You still have to pencil them into the Super Bowl however, because the team with home-field advantage also gets to stay home, where every team plays better. 

But let’s put the focus back on Sunday.

You don’t want to make too much out of a single regular-season game. Anything can happen on a given Sunday.

This one, however, is bigger than most.

If the Dolphins win this one, they finish 7-2 in their “first half” of the 17-game regular season.

Then comes the bye week, and after that presumably full health, or as close to full health as they’ve been all season.

Looking at the eight games after the bye — vs. Las Vegas, at New York Jets, at Washington, vs. Tennessee, vs. the Jets, vs. Dallas, at Baltimore, vs. Buffalo — the Dolphins have a good chance of going 6-2.

The two losses would be at Baltimore (New Year’s Eve), and then one of the two games against the New York Jets, or Dallas or Buffalo in the finale.

That outcome would give Miami a 13-4 record and surely put the Dolphins in the running for home-field advantage with a good chance of getting it, and possibly the Dolphins getting it by virtue of a victory Sunday against the Chiefs.

Granted, that’s extrapolating a lot from a little, but it’s all very realistic.

There’s a lot at stake for the Dolphins on Sunday for a lot of reasons.

If you don’t believe me, ask DeShon Elliott.