Late in Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, when victory was already secured, Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker turned to teammate Kyle Van Noy and asked what their record is now.
"6-3," Van Noy said without emotion.
And that seemingly uninspiring snapshot of the Miami sideline tells you some remarkable things about the team:
Obviously, the record is notable because it has the Dolphins in the middle of the playoff picture and challenging for their first AFC East division title since 2008. Miami has won five games in a row and is 6-3 for the first time since the 2001 season.
So after a long drought, Dolphins fans are getting sips from the fountain of success.
But go deeper into that exchange. Because it says stuff.
Consider that Baker wasn't fully aware what the standings reveal. And Van Noy wasn't all that excited by a merely good record midway through the season. That probably would bring a smile to coach Brian Flores's face because he drones incessantly about not become satisfied or complacent.
He talks to his players of blocking out the big picture and any outside narrative and instead focusing without interruption on the next assignment.
The next practice.
Or meeting.
Or game.
This coach has never publicly been about the next month or string of games. Flores is steely-eyed focused on the next step. And that leaves no room for spending much time pondering what the record is or the standings say.
So forget asking Flores about the record and instead ask what the Dolphins have accomplished to achieve their current status.
"I think guys have worked together," Flores said Monday. "We are a team full of guys who football is important to them, competing is important to them, communicating is important to them. And I think they bought into the, let's call it working together as a team, working hard and preparing and giving ourselves an opportunity to compete.
"We've seen some good results from that and continue to buy into those things."
The good results are not achieved by luck. The Dolphins have worked both on the personnel side and coaching side to try to reach certain markers.
Consider:
— The Dolphins for the first time in many years seem to have gotten the offensive line close to right. It's still not a fully formed unit but the additions of rookies Austin Jackson and Solomon Kindley in the draft seem promising. And the signing of guard Ereck Flowers and center Ted Karras in free agency have so far paid dividends.
So in one offseason, the Dolphins got quite close to fixing the offensive line. They certainly upgraded it tremendously.
The results is Miami did not allow a sack against the Chargers and that was the first time the team didn't allow a sack in a game since Oct. 14, 2018.
The Miami offense is still admittedly in the getting-to-know stage.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has only started three games, the receiver and running back corps are nursing injuries, and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, with 45 years of coaching experience, is still getting to know all his players' abilities.
But somehow these Dolphins have bonded those disparate parts and people into a viable unit.
— The Dolphins have scored at least 21 points in eight consecutive games. The last time the Dolphins had an eight-game string of scoring 21-points or more in the same season was 1984 — the year Dan Marino threw 48 touchdown passes.
On defense the Dolphins are doing more than keeping opponents out of the end zone. They're taking the football away because the secondary is as competent as it's been in decades, the front seven has caused multiple fumbles, and tackling has been good.
— So the Dolphins have a 16-game streak with at least one takeaway, which is the NFL's longest current streak.
— There are coaching parameters the Dolphins are also meeting and surpassing. The team is far more disciplined than in the past. That's one reason they are fourth in fewest penalties per game at 4.6.
And unlike some past Miami clubs that didn't seem immediately ready to play, this club generally starts fast — a sign of good preparation. The Dolphins have outscored opponents, 80-31 in the first quarter this season, and that has been their most dynamic quarter.
All these statistics speak of accomplishments by players, coaches, and the personnel people who brought them together. They all deserve credit.
But what has that done for you, the fan?
Well, suddenly your team is relevant nationally. Games are fun to watch again, if only on television because COVID-19 has limited attendance.
Dolphins fans are able to now wake up on game day and not necessarily expect the worst from their team, but rather hope for something good.
And, yes, the team is often delivering.
