National Football League

After losses to Bills, Eagles and Chiefs, are the Dolphins legit contenders?

Published Nov. 7, 2023 11:09 a.m. ET

After losing in Germany on Sunday, the Miami Dolphins' three defeats this season have now come to the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.

On one hand, there's no disgrace in losing to those teams. On the other hand, how are the Dolphins going to make a Super Bowl run if they can't win the big games? On "Undisputed" Monday, Keyshawn Johnson said he believes the Dolphins are not a powerhouse team, just an entertaining one.

"I don't consider them one of the big boys. I consider them fun to watch. I consider them dynamic when they are at home and throwing the ball all over the lot," Johnson said. "But when I look at the three teams they lost to, what did those three teams do? They disrupted the timing in the passing game.

"Tua [Tagovailoa] gets the ball off quick, like one of the fastest we have seen in a very long time," Johnson continued. "But if I have to make him cock, reload and look for something else at that point in time, that defender is in his face."

Johnson also pointed to the Dolphins' close call against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.

"They had to squeak out a win against them, because they still were being disrupted at the line of scrimmage," Johnson said of Miami's 36-34 victory.

Chiefs beat Dolphins despite Mahomes being held scoreless in second half

Johnson believes that Miami is getting overtaken in the AFC by Baltimore and Cincinnati. And then there’s the defending Super Bowl champs.

"When we talk about teams like the Miami Dolphins, they are cute, it looks fun, but let's give a lot of credit to Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City," Johnson said.

Colin Cowherd shared his opinion on "The Herd" that the Dolphins are pretenders, not contenders.

"Miami and Tyreek Hill talk a big game, but flashy, fast, and fun has got a ceiling," Cowherd said. "Super Bowls are played mostly in rain, cold and snow leading up to them. Teams need all-weather tires, and Miami doesn't have them.

Dolphins proved they are not contenders in 21-14 loss to Chiefs

"Miami really is what we thought they were, which is a lot of speed, a lot of fun, highly creative, built for September and the first couple of weeks in October. But this sport is outdoor, and there is a lot of northern teams that are good."

The 6-3 Dolphins host the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday before heading to the East Coast for games against the New York Jets and Washington Commanders.