Depending on where one looked ahead of Miami’s 27-24 upset win over the New England Patriots in Foxboro, the Dolphins were somewhere between 15.5 and 17.5 point underdogs against the defending Super Bowl champions. Rightfully so, too. The Patriots entered the game at 12-3 and needed a win to secure a first-round bye in the AFC Playoffs — New England had every motivation to provide a strong showing and take care of business.
Except they didn’t. And in the aftermath of Miami’s upset win, more details are emerging of just how unlikely this win really was. Miami’s victory will go down as one of the most unlikely upsets in recent memory — it’s tied for the biggest NFL upset in the last 30 years.
The Dolphins defied the odds of bad fortunes in Foxborough and knocked off New England the same way they’ve surged to a winning record over the final 9 games of the season — with fearless play from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Paired with wide receiver DeVante Parker’s best performance of the season, Miami scratched and clawed for the most unlikely of wins.
The offseason will be a much smoother ride with so much positivity stemming from the victory. Miami will now set their eyes to finding the right players to further buy into the foundation set by Brian Flores and company in year one of the new regime. It shouldn’t be a tough sell, given the momentum Miami has built for themselves over the second half of the season.
