Not that there’s any shame in losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. They have, after all, won three of the last five Super Bowls, have the best coach in the sport in Andy Reid, and the best quarterback we’ve ever seen other than Tom Brady in Patrick Mahomes.
Never mind that the Chiefs-Dolphins Wild Card Weekend tilt was among the coldest games ever recorded. Many fans were treated for frostbite at the hospital, with 70% recommended for amputations. Brutal for any opponent to deal with, especially one that hails from Miami.
So it’s a little bit of weird energy when everyone leaves Tua Tagovailoa for dead and say he can’t be a franchise QB because of that game. But I digress. Tyreek Hill is a big reason why Tua led the NFL in passing yards this past season. The Cheetah led the NFL himself with 1,799 receiving yards. Unfortunately, Tyreek got banged up down the stretch, wasn’t quite himself in the final several games, and it all culminated with an ugly 26-7 loss in Kansas City.
Tyreek refused to use any injury as an excuse, though. He explained in a recent Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast how Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was disappointed in his performance when it mattered most. To his credit, Tyreek said he fed off it and that he loves a coach who holds him accountable.
“The play against [L’Jarius] Sneed, against the Chiefs. […] He called me out like, ‘Reek bro, you supposed to be the best player in the f****n’ league, and you got this guy putting hands all over you like that. We pay you all this money for what?’
And for me, I love sh*t like that. Because I’m gonna take that to heart, and I’m gonna get better from it. It’ll never happen again to me in my life.”
Newly minted Titan L’Jarius Sneed can now relate to being traded away by the Chiefs despite being a key cog in a Super Bowl run. Sneed forced a key fumble in the AFC Championship Game and publicly demanded to be paid. Alas, he was shipped away to Tennessee. While the punch-out play on Ravens wideout Zay Flowers on the goal line will likely be Sneed’s best play of his career, you don’t see many dudes jamming Tyreek into the earth like this:
That’s the play The Cheetah was referencing when McDaniel berated him. Regardless of whatever injury or bitter cold weather Tyreek was dealing with, that’s a tough look.
When the Dolphins are firing on all cylinders, they’re so fun to watch. Tons of speed, explosive plays, and schematic poetry in motion. McDaniel is a brainiac play designer and shot caller. Tua is a savvy distributor with excellent accuracy and anticipation. Tyreek is the special sauce that elevates the whole operation. Now if the Dolphins can just stay healthy enough, wrest the AFC East crown away from the Bills, and get some home-field advantage come playoff time, they just might have a shot at a Lombardi Trophy here soon.
If you’re Tyreek Hill, however, it’s got to sting that the Chiefs have won back-to-back Super Bowls after you were traded. He revealed in this podcast that he and his wife went to Tokyo during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win last year, but said he was able to watch it all the way through against the 49ers and cheer KC on without any hard feelings.
