Amazon Analysts Share Strong Message for Dolphins

The four former NFL players on the Amazon Prime pregame and postgame shows point out what the Miami Dolphins need to do to take the next step in 2024 and how far they can go.

Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football broadcasters from left: Charissa Thompson, Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Whitworth and Richard Sherman during the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints SoFi Stadium last season. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins face a big test against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime, and the four former NFL players on the pregame and postgame shows had some pretty strong words about the game's significance for Mike McDaniel's team.

Buffalo has dominated the series lately, with 11 wins in the past 12 matchups, which has not coincidentally helped the Bills win the AFC East title each of the past four years.

Amazon Prime analysts Richard Sherman, Andrew Whitworth, Tony Gonzalez, and former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick participated in a Zoom media session Wednesday morning.

I asked them about their confidence in the Dolphins' ability to take the next step this season and go from simply making the playoffs to winning in the playoffs and even capturing the AFC East title.

"It starts this game because they've got to show they can beat Buffalo," Sherman said. "Because if they beat Buffalo last year, then they play Pittsburgh in the first round instead of going to Kansas City in the first round. It's things like that that you've got to focus on, that changed the outlook of the season. You know, they're the better team this week. They're technically, on paper, the more talented team. They've got to win this game."

Fitzpatrick was next to answer the question.

"I would say that's a big lesson from last year," he started. "And, you know, it's been pointed out. I know you know very well Tua's record in the cold. I mean, this team is built with speed. This team is a finesse team. This team is an explosive team, but they need to get a home playoff game. And I think that's on the front of their minds this year. I think that really hurt them last year, and it was one of the coldest playoff games ever in Kansas City. But it's a really important thing for them to get over the hump is to host a playoff game."

WHAT THE DOLPHINS NEED TO CHANGE

Both Whitworth and Gonzalez went a step further, pointing out that the Dolphins must improve their game if they hope to become legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

ANDREW WHITWORTH ON MIAMI'S POST-SEASON

"I think they've got to get those games start getting played in Miami, because I think it's a huge impact," Whitworth said. "You look at this offense, I think they need the opportunity to play a lot of these games in Miami, in the playoffs, and you'll get rid of this narrative a little bit. But the truth is in cold-weather games and in those atmospheres, there's a style of football that wins, and that's playing great on defense and being able to have an effective run game. You look at Andy Reid and the success the Chiefs had, but people don't talk about the fact that when they get to the playoffs, they play lots of 12 and 13 personnel (one back and two and three tight ends, respectively), and they run the football and they run play actions. They do a lot of things differently every year. So far in these last two years, back-to-back playoff runs, it's the same game plan that executes and wins.

"And so it's about to me, being able to understand that the NFL season is really, to me, broken into parts. There's these eight to ten games that start the season, we're being explosive, winning games, all those things. You'll see everything be electric, playmakers, making plays, and then the last half of season, teams are beat up. And even if you've got the best player and he's healthy, the game moves a little slower, and you'll be able to better be able to play that style of football and win. And that's whether you can play defense, whether you can run the ball, whether you can be efficient on offense and not make the most mistakes of the other team, and go out and just play efficient winning football. And then when you get to the playoffs, you've got to play some version of a physical defensive football game and have your little one-offs on it that have explosives built in.

"And I think to me, you look at the teams that make those runs, there's little parts of that built into it. And so this Dolphins team is the most important they have to show they can beat the Buffalo Bills. That's the reality. They have to show they can play that style of football and win and play that way against teams that are really good, that everyone respects that way, and that'll get them that confidence to make that late-season run."

TONY GONZALEZ ON THE DOLPHINS' PLAYOFF CHANCES

Gonzalez was the one analyst who was skeptical of the Dolphins' ability to make a deep run.

"There's, to me, there's no way the Miami Dolphins can go on the road and get to the Super Bowl," he said. "They're just not good enough. And physicality wise, you look at the Chiefs and a lot of people will mistake them for saying, Oh, well, they got Patrick Mahomes and they're a finesse team, and you look at last year, all of a sudden they're getting their win in the Super Bowl because of their defense. Obviously, Patrick is a great football player, but Chris Jones and Nick Bolton and Sneed that last year, McDuffie, these guys will come out and bring it on defense. They will stop you. And I have not seen that.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, the Dolphins have some talented players on the defensive side of the ball, if they stay healthy, I would like to see that happen, go to the playoffs healthy, but right now, until proven otherwise, their style, I have a hard time believing that they can make it to a Super Bowl. They can be a really good football team, be a playoff team. But as far as winning the whole thing, I think some things have to change, and I'm sure they know that, and they got it. They've got to get that identity.

"They've got to get OK, we're going to be more of a physical team, but that's what the Chiefs have done. Just really copy them. You can be a finesse team and be a physical team at the same time. There's no reason why they can't do that, but I haven't seen it yet, and we'll see what they can do this year."