Jaylen Waddle catches one of four touchdown passes thrown by Tua Tagovailoa in the Dolphins' rout of the Falcons.

Pressure Point: Dolphins must show success no fluke when they face Ravens

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There are a couple of divergent ways to look at the Miami Dolphins’ surprisingly dominant 34-10 rout at Atlanta on Sunday.

The immediate reaction is, where has this team been the first two months of the season when they were masquerading as one of the most inept NFL teams in recent memory?

Conversely, as a sizable portion of the Dolphins’ fanbase sees it, why did they have to blow up valuable groundwork laid in pursuit of the No. 1 draft choice?

One unexpectedly positive performance doesn’t mean all is forgiven in the NFL. Who knows, the other team may have just gotten some bad fish at their Saturday night training table.

Anomalies pop up every week. The Falcons had an impressive Monday night win over the Bills in Week 6, two games after getting trounced 30-0 by the blah Panthers.

Dolphins finally have a win to build on

On Sunday, the Dolphins did a 180 on their embarrassing rollover a week ago at Cleveland, while the now 2-6 Browns reverted to who they really are in a 32-13 dud at New England.

For those still pulling for the Dolphins to salvage this woebegone season, take heart in everything they did well against the Falcons. There were a lot of positives to build on.

Most notable, Miami won the line of scrimmage on offense and defense after getting pushed around in most games so far.

It certainly helped that Tua Tagovailoa didn’t throw any head-slapping interceptions — hallelujah, he threw no picks at all — while tossing four touchdowns.

We’ll find out soon enough if this was a blip or a turning point for the 2-6 Fins.

First indication will come Thursday in prime time at home against Baltimore. The Ravens, an uncharacteristic 2-5, are seven-point favorites on the road because quarterback Lamar Jackson is expected to return from a hamstring injury.

That will be followed by another home game against the Bills before a trip to Spain to face the Commodores. A difficult final month includes cold-weather visits to Pittsburgh and New England as well as a tough home finale against Tampa Bay.

Dolphins’ controlling line of scrimmage was vital to win over Falcons

The Dolphins are in a strange space where many fans want them to fail miserably this season to bring about a total housecleaning of the front office and coaching staff, as well as at quarterback.

If coach Mike McDaniel and staff are to keep the vultures at bay, Sunday’s blueprint was one to follow.

Most unexpected was Miami’s porous run defense shutting down Bijan Robinson, one of the best running backs who came in leading the league in yards from scrimmage.

What stood out was the sort of determination to make tackles that has been missing all season. Instead of getting pushed aside like scarecrows, the inspired Dolphins defense allowed a mere 1.53 yards after contact.

The Falcons had 11 total first downs, which tied for their fewest in a game since 2008.

It’s a wonder that it took eight games into a win-or-else season for some Dolphins defenders to play like they cared.

Similarly, the Miami offense had everything headed in the right direction. They had success running the ball, and stayed with it for a change, finishing with 10 more runs ( 37 times for 141 yards) than passes, effectively mixing carries among De’Von Achane, Ollie Gordon II and Jaylen Wright.

Dolphins’ changes on offense paid off

Utilizing Daniel Brunskill as a sixth offensive lineman in place of the tight end on some running plays helped facilitate that success.

McDaniel also elected to have offensive coordinator Frank Smith on the sideline instead of in the booth. Players said that facilitated better in-game communication.

In addition, rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea finally looked like the promising offensive lineman they traded up to draft after weeks of impersonating a turnstile.

Can we expect more growth against the Ravens and through the second half of the season?

The only conclusion that can be made right now is the rout of the Falcons is another example of why wagering on NFL teams is a fool’s game.

Dolphins turn desperation into positive results

There are only a handful of legitimately good teams in a field of posers. Most teams are flawed, and injuries can upset the balance in any given matchup.

The Dolphins were aided by the Falcons having to switch quarterbacks. Kirk Cousins, filling in for injured starter Michael Penix Jr., has had a decent career, but he came in rusty and played like dog meat. He also didn’t have star receiver Drake London, who was out with a hip injury.

But give the Dolphins full credit for addressing their own shortcomings following their most putrid effort of the season at Cleveland.

“The coaching staff and players did a great job being focused,” McDaniel said. “The results, it’s nice to finally get them in it feels like forever.”

He added, “We have to replicate them in the coming weeks.”

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for more than four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: “Everybody’s getting their piece of the pie”: Heat hold off the Knicks

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The Heat escaped the Knicks in the home opener, with help from coach Mike Brown resting Jalen Brunson too long, improving to 2-1 on the season. Andrew Wiggins had been getting worked by Brunson all game, even giving up a drive-by that cut the lead to five with 92 seconds left. He then redeemed himself, burying a left-wing triple in Josh Hart’s eye.

 

 There were 14 ties and 13 lead changes, but the hosts had 10 extra free-throw attempts, which made New York confront a set defense more often. Norman Powell whipped the Knicks with 12-for-12 free throws and outside jumpers, and later said, “We knew that we were going to have to move them around, get some stops, play them in transition, and move the ball and have them playing in closeouts. I thought we did a good job of that.”

 

The Heat started big with Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware for the second-straight game for matchup purposes, but the best combinations had them going smaller. The contributions from others were plentiful and allowed Adebayo an easier night at the office, but he substantially chipped in, recording eight of his 19 digits from the line.

 

Adebayo said at the postgame presser that they didn’t run one set play. “We got a great group, man, and we all bought into the system, and you see it. Everybody’s involved. You don’t know who is going to shoot the ball or who is going to catch and go, and that’s how we like it.” The system he speaks of involves less pick and rolls and dribble handoffs. He also said that he wants the team to maintain the current pace the entire season.

 

Jaime Jaquez Jr. blasted coverages for 17 points on 66.7% shooting off the bench, and Simone Fontecchio added 14 points in 19 minutes. The rest of the bench had 13 points.

 

Still, the Heat struggled in the half-court, logging 88.5 points per 100 plays, good enough for the 35th percentile. New York’s athletic wing defenders, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, are strong and long with good backpedaling speed and help instincts that bother entry into the lane.

 

The Heat, as has been the case in the previous two outings, experienced success on the go and ran in 31 fastbreak points, spending 19.4% of their offensive possessions in transition, putting them in the 78th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

 

Brunson took 12 more shots than Karl-Anthony Towns, who was second on the Knicks in attempts (14). Still, the former’s mastery of pull-up shooting had the Heat sweating bullets deep into crunch time. Davion Mitchell has the quickest foot speed on defense of Miami’s perimeter players, and buckets rained over him.

 

New York then stalled out, picking up two offensive fouls 27.4 seconds apart. The Heat won 115-107 and had an advantage in three key areas: paint points (48-42), fastbreak points (31-10) and points off turnovers (20-11).

 

“That’s a fun Miami Heat win,” Adebayo said.

 

 



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat make easy work of the Grizzlies in third-highest scoring game in franchise history

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The Heat curbstopped the Grizzlies on the road for the first win of the season (1-1) and had them mentally checked out midway through the second quarter. Kel’el Ware started over Nikola Jović to match Memphis’ size, and the twin bigs feasted on lobs and jumpers.

 

Bam Adebayo went on the first shooting spree, nailing four first-quarter trifectas, and he drew a charge on Jaren Jackson Jr, his fourth foul, as the Heat were up 35 points at the end of the first half. Simone Fontecchio was next, scoring 14 points in three minutes, curling around picks for deep jumpers and running in transition baskets.

 

The second quarter was the Heat’s best defensive sequence, holding the Grizzlies to 33.3% shooting. The visitors led 86-47 at halftime, the most points Memphis has ever given up at intermission. 

 

Jović and Jaime Jaquez Jr. did more heavy lifting off the bench in the second half and eventually a good chunk of Memphis’ fans got a head start on beating traffic. The fourth quarter was a formality as it began with the Heat ahead by 38 points, and they led by as much as 45. No Memphis starter played the last sequence, and the Heat’s background players such as Keshad Johnson, Jahmir Young and Pelle Larsson even got playing time together. The Heat’s reserves finished with 76 points.

 

The Heat played at a quick pace for the second game in a row and won 146-114, with eight players in double-figure scoring and five with at least four assists. The half-court attack logged 111.1 points per 100 plays, good enough for the 91st percentile. And it was the third-highest scoring game in the 38-year history of the Heat. 

 

Adebayo said they could have beat the record (153) set in April against the Pelicans, but they loosened up in the third quarter. He also endorsed the recent style of play. 

 

Panthers Set To Face Penguins at Home After Long Road Trip

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. —The Florida Panthers are back home after a disappointing road trip, which saw them drop four straight games before finally getting in the win column on Tuesday night in Boston.

 

[It was] a long road trip,” Panthers defenseman Seth Jones said. “We finished it off the right way with a nice win in Boston there. We want to just play a full sixty-minute game tonight in front of our fans — try to use some of that energy to bring our game back to where it needs to be.”

 

On Thursday night, the Panthers (4-4-0) — who are undefeated at home to start the season (3-0-0) — will host the Pittsburgh Penguins (5-2-0) at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.

 

Returning home after an extended trip, especially an unsuccessful one, can often be the reset a team needs. There’s little doubt Florida would be ecstatic if they can step right back into the same shape they did before heading on the road. Yet, head coach Paul Maurice made it clear he doesn’t want the results of his team’s game to rely on whether they are playing on home ice, or away from it.

 

“We don’t have a different feel — up until last week — of home and road [games], we had lots of confidence playing on the road and an equal amount of confidence playing at home,” Maurice said. “But the key is not thinking that you’re home [so] this is somehow going to be easy. That there is a shift.

 

”I don’t want that, I don’t want that feeling — a difference at home. You should get energy from the fans. Not need it, or expect it, coming to the rink.”

 

Sergei Bobrovsky will get his seventh start of the season (4-2-0) for the Panthers. On the other side, Tristan Jarry is set for his fourth start (2-1-0) for Pittsburgh.

 

Florida is expected to roll out the same lineup they did last game in Boston.

 

As for updates on forward Noah Gregor and defenseman Donovan Sebrango, both players are still waiting for visas, per Maurice. Gregor has been with the team and skating (since preseason), while Sebrango — who was claimed off waivers from Ottawa on Oct 15 — has not been on the ice with Florida.

 

Puck drop is 7 p.m. ET from Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL. 

 

Projected Panthers Lines 

Verhaeghe-Bennett-Reinhart

Luostarinen-Lundell-Marchand

Boqvist-Rodrigues-Samoskevich

Greer-Kunin-Gadjovich

 

Forsling-Ekblad

Mikkola-Jones

Balinskis-Petry

 

Bobrovsky (Starter)

Tarasov

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat lose season opener in Orlando

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The Heat left Orlando- the 10th season opener between them- with a narrow loss. One of the biggest problems was stopping the Magic from getting to the line for 14 attempts in the fourth quarter, of which they made 13.

Norman Powell wasted no time asserting himself with the Heat in desperate need of firepower on night one. He drained deep jumpers and set up Bam Adebayo on a screen roll and Davion Mitchell on a drive-and-kick play in the first five minutes as the visitors took a 23-19 lead. At the same time, Desmond Bane was doing the same thing- raining jumpers and layups- for the Magic in his first stint with Orlando.

Miami added more 3-point bombs, helping them build a brief 12-point lead, but Orlando raised their intensity by 50°, cutting it to just one going into the second quarter. The hosts had success pushing the pace and exposed coverages by going to the body, which looked like a light heavyweight picking off a welterweight. At one point, despite only holding a four-point edge over Miami, Orlando was nailing 80 percent of attempts at close range, with six baskets belonging to Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero.

The Heat went to intermission down four, as seven of their players had converted multiple field goals. Adebayo gave them a boost with numerous trips to the line late in the second quarter, but the Heat struggled against Orlando’s length, taking most of their attempts in the paint non-restricted area- one of the hardest spots to score because defenses collapse there quickly.

Subsequently, the Heat experienced some playmaking issues, stemming from the lack of a true orchestrator in the lineup, but they found enough of a rhythm on transition strikes and actions around pindowns. On top of that, Kel’el Ware didn’t let the Heat’s defense fall apart in the non-Adebayo minutes, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. plus Davion Mitchell gave the Heat relief scoring, looking as sharp as ever.

The Heat led by six with eight minutes left and came out of their timeout in the mud. Banchero chipped away, attacking the hole and Jalen Suggs’ pick-6 had the Heat on shaky legs.

Jaquez checked in for Nikola Jović in the last four minutes, but it didn’t matter because the Heat let go of the rope as Wendell Carter Jr. overwhelmed the restricted area, nailing a key layup and three freebies that took the lead for Orlando. Mitchell also turned it over on a sideline ATO play because he couldn’t inbound it over Wagner. Afterward, Wiggins tied it with a pull-up trey, but Suggs downed a jumper in the lane on the following possession, and Carter added two extra free throws to put it out of reach.

The Heat lost 125-121. Coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game that he is “more encouraged than not. I don’t want to focus too much on moral victories… but I do see a blueprint.”

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Rockets fold in OKC on opening night

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The Rockets let their chance to upset ring night for the champs slip through their grasp and it took two overtime periods to get there. It didn’t matter that the bonuses they got were 3-point production from players not known for their marksmanship, and their second opportunities resulted in easy baskets. Kevin Durant was OKC’s second-best player late.

But that was a turnaround. KD feasted in the first half as he was booed, maneuvering for jumpers and kickouts as smoothly as a ballerina alone in a studio. But he missed a critical free throw with 9.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Then he was spared by the refs, with them ignoring a timeout he was calling when Houston had none while tied, which should have been free throws for OKC. He followed up by bouncing the ball off his foot, failing to get it. Next, he ensured OKC got the ball back after a loose ball foul. And with the Rockets up one in the second overtime, he bit on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s pump fake and put him on the line for two, coughing up the game.

 

Alperen Şengün’s masterclass, turning into Turk Nowitzki with 39 points, 11 rebounds and seven helpings, was wasted, and Amen Thompson was subbed out late because of a leg injury after slicing to the cylinder for three baskets in the fourth. To pile on, Houston left Chet Holmgren unbothered at the arc for two trifectas in the first overtime, forgetting he’d pieced them up in the first half from the outside. He eventually fouled out, getting replaced by Alex Caruso, but OKC still kept a top-grade defender on the floor.

 

Keep in mind that the Thunder were without Jalen Williams’ firepower against Houston’s massive rotation. They hung around until SGA erupted in the fourth quarter, scoring seven of his 12 baskets between then and the last extra period, and they demonstrated championship form when they needed to.

 

The Rockets’ lack of a real-deal point guard because Fred VanVleet tore his ACL in September stung harder than anticipated. Despite FVV’s size, he is not as exploitable as second-year guard Reed Sheppard. The point of attack was compromised when Thompson was out.

 

The Thunder became the sixth squad in NBA history to win a double overtime season opener, and the first since 2005. Houston took a good shot to send a message on night one and missed. Until further notice, they’re a cut below the champs.

 

Norman v. Haney is the most interesting fight remaining in 2025

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The co-main event of the Nov. 22 card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, could easily be a headliner to a show. WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. (28-0, 22KOs, 2NCs) will defend his title a third time, but it comes against the top rival of his young career: Devin Haney (32-0, 1 NC), the former undisputed lightweight champion whose career is at a crossroads.

 

Norman, from Decatur, Georgia, and turning 25 the day after the fight, and Haney, age 26, from San Francisco, aren’t too friendly toward each other. The challenger shoved the champion at a press conference, and Haney’s bodyguard grabbed Norman in a hallway.

 

Norman is a hot name on top of holding a belt because he razed Jin Sasaki in Tokyo on June 25 with a left hook in round five. Potentially the knockout of the year, combined with a 78.6% KO ratio, he is the slight favorite on the sportsbooks (DraftKings, Caesars) and is a dangerous rival for Haney.

 

The toughest challenge on fight night, according to Norman, will be Bill, the trainer and father of his opponent. He senses vulnerability from Haney because he hasn’t been himself in the ring since getting beat up by Ryan Garcia, who had an unfair advantage in April 2024. It was initially ruled a unanimous decision win for Garcia, but later a No Contest. Haney’s defense was subpar, starting with catching a left hook early in round one that impaired him, then never recovering from a round-seven knockdown. He was still hurt when Garcia put him on the canvas twice more.

 

The drama that followed damaged both men. Garcia, also three pounds over on the scale at the weigh-in, later had his integrity questioned because of the banned substance in his system, was used as a political pawn, and he spiraled into racist and callous remarks towards others online. He later said he was getting help for his mental health.

 

Haney pursued legal action for battery against Garcia for an unspecified amount of money, but fans and people around the boxing world questioned his heart, such as Oscar De La Hoya (Golden Boy Promotions was also sued), Oscar Duarte and Tim Bradley, to name a few. He was gun-shy in his return: a boring victory over José Ramirez (29-3, 18KOs), more than a year after the clash with Garcia.  He wasn’t close to being the guy who relatively recently won a thrilling, unanimous decision against Vasiliy Lomachenko and outclassed Regis Prograis.

 

No one outside Haney’s inner circle knows what he is, but respect is deserved for taking on the tough challenges. He has no choice but to fight to the level of his competition or what he used to be, or else he’ll get smoked, potentially sent to the hospital. At his best, he could maneuver around peril with good footwork and punish others with one of the top jabs in all of boxing, plus quick counter punches. Only that version of himself makes it a close fight against Norman.

 

Hamzah Sheeraz wants the top names at 168 pounds:

 

Hamzah Sheeraz doesn’t think Saul “Canelo”  Álvarez is finished, but he’s looking elsewhere for a super middleweight (168 pounds) fade as the former Mexican champion recovers from elbow surgery. Unsure of who is next, he told The Ring in an interview that “whatever name they put in front of me, I’m going to sign…” yet doesn’t sound interested in fighting Callum Simpson because he’s not a big enough name.

 

The division has worthy matchups, such as Christian Mbilli, Jaime Munguia, Diego Pacheco, Jose Armando Resendiz and Caleb Plant. It’s uncertain what undisputed champion Terance Crawford’s next move is, and as stylistically enticing as a defense against Sheeraz- a 6-foot-3, 75’’ reach specimen- would be, it probably isn’t worth the risk to the champ, considering he can still chase history by taking over another division.

 

Sheeraz wasn’t stellar in his eighth and last fight at middleweight (160 pounds) against Carlos Adames- a draw for the WBC title that left many unsatisfied. But he’s a different man at super middleweight, judging by how he brutally erased Edgar Berlanga and wounded his pride.

 

The Englishman says this is only the start and the plan is to make a February return. Hopefully, nothing holds that up from happening with one of the top guys.

 

 

Tua Tagovailoa pointed out a leadership problem with the Dolphins after losing to the Chargers.

Pressure Point: Dolphins’ shortcomings much deeper than choosing the wrong quarterback

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What transpired Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium wasn’t a revelation.

It has been well established that the Miami Dolphins made one of the biggest draft mistakes in their history when Chris Grier and company chose Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth pick in 2020 instead of Justin Herbert, who became the gift that keeps on giving for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Having the quarterback they famously spurned in the draft turn what would have been an uplifting comeback victory for Miami into a gutting 29-27 defeat against the Chargers was merely salt rubbed in a painful wound.

The story was much bigger than the difference between quarterbacks. It was affirmation of the inability of this Dolphins leadership group — and the others that preceded it this century — to get much of anything right.

The latest loss was another example of a poorly constructed team that doesn’t have the aptitude or the attitude to win.

Tagovailoa points to need for better leadership

On what proved to be the decisive play, Herbert didn’t deliver the knockout punch as much with his arm as with sheer determination in the final minute. Jaelan Phillips had him in his grasp but Herbert shrugged off the linebacker and made an easy throw to a wide-open Ladd McConkey who raced to a 42-yard gain to the Miami 17.

Instead of a game-saving sack, it was game over with a gimme field goal coming a few plays later.

It didn’t even come as a surprise from a 1-5 team that always finds a way to lose, provided they are not playing against the even more woeful New York Jets.

Tagovailoa, in his postgame media session, offered eye-opening insight into what is lacking inside this team, revealing that some players have shown up late and in some cases skipped players-only meetings in recent weeks.

“I think it starts with the leadership in helping articulate that for the guys and then what we’re expecting out of the guys,” he said.

Coach Mike McDaniel noted that these meetings aren’t required. But it would seem that a team prone to missing assignments, whiffing on blocks and tackles and committing game-altering penalties, would be taking every extra opportunity to attempt to eliminate the mistakes that have already rendered this a lost season.

Justin Herbert quickly negates Dolphins’ comeback with Herculean effort

As for the quarterbacks, there was a certain symmetry in the game beginning and ending with interceptions by Tagovailoa, who threw three on the day.

While boos directed at Tua were justified, give him credit for doing what he hasn’t done often enough in rallying the offense from a fourth quarter deficit. He led back-to-back long touchdown drives to put Miami ahead 27-26 with less than a minute remaining.

Herbert had 39 seconds to get the Chargers into field-goal range and he did it with several seconds to spare.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, in his postgame comments, compared Herbert to Hercules and said of the quarterback’s effort on the final pass to McConkey: “That play will be burning in my mind until they throw dirt over top of me.”

Imagine how it burns from a Dolphins’ fan perspective.

No one could try to argue at this point that the Dolphins wouldn’t have been better off with Herbert, with the possible exception of Dolphins general manager Grier, whose career will ultimately fall on that sword.

Drastic change inevitable for struggling Dolphins

McDaniel said being 1-5 “sucks” before rambling on about finding ways to fix what’s wrong, adding, “While we didn’t get it done, the guys showed me why I believe in them.”

Viewed from outside the team, belief has clearly left the building, where a banner calling for firing Grier and McDaniel again flew over the stadium.

The loss dropped McDaniel’s record as Dolphins coach below .500 at 29-30.

“I’m not worried about the team staying together, I’m worried about getting our football right,” he said. “I think that’s the fourth game that we’ve lost in the final couple of minutes this season … so we’ve got to figure that out.”

It is the refrain of clueless coaches everywhere: Watch the film and figure out how to get better.

If defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver wanted to throw up after last week’s gut-wrenching collapse at Carolina, wait until he watches the video of the third quarter against the Chargers. His defense gave up two touchdowns and 155 yards.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins were held to a minus-11 yards during that floundering 15-minute stretch.

See, there are problems everywhere, including special teams, which allowed a generous kickoff return that gave the Chargers favorable field position for their final drive.

There is no doubt that drastic change is coming for the Dolphins, the question is when. More daunting is finding a way out of this never-ending cycle of poor decisions and failure on the field.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for more than four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

“154 is mine”: Jaron “Boots” Ennis puts 154-pounders on notice, destroying Uisima Lima

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Jaron “Boots” Ennis wiped out Uisima Lima in round one, declaring himself a huge threat in his junior middleweight debut in front of hometown (Philadelphia) supporters. There was criticism for fighting a lesser-known opponent on a four-fight win streak, and it even continued until shortly before the bout when former boxer and current Golden Boy Promotions chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya tweeted, “Not to be an ass but can someone please educate the educator? Who is Boots fighting tonight?”

 

The Angolan challenger was ranked sixth by the IBF, eighth by the WBA and 10th by the WBC, but the talent plus skill level was nowhere close to his rivals. 

 

“Bring them names.,” Ennis said. He added moments later in his post-fight interview that he wants Vergil Ortiz Jr. first. Then his promoter and chairman of Matchroom Sport, Eddie Hearn, co-signed the Ortiz suggestion and added that his man can beat anyone, even up to 168 pounds, alluding to the undisputed champion, Terence Crawford. 

 

More names of the top guys at 154 were mentioned as Boots (35-0, 31 KOs) was barely sweating. The fight changed when he switched to a southpaw stance. First, he stunned Lima (14-2, 9 KOs) with a right uppercut, pierced the lower body with another right clever and hooked him with both hands, knocking him down. Then he unloaded swiftly after the count, dropping him a second time. It ended moments later as Boots cornered him, and the referee stepped into the thrashing after a thumping right hand connected on the head. 

 

It stopped after a minute and 58 seconds.

 

De LA Hoya tweeted after the fight, “There’s only 1 name at 154. @ Vergil Ortiz.” 

 

Ortiz, a Golden Boy fighter and the WBC interim champion, will make his ring return on Nov. 8 at Dickies Arena in Ft Worth, Texas, against Erickson Lubin. Ortiz is a heavy favorite by the wise guys, but if he gets past Lubin, a clash with Ennis is one of the best fights to make because it could turn into a savage brawl. Goodness willing the public isn’t cheated and it does happen next.



Keys to a Miami Dolphins Victory vs The Chargers

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While many have already given up on the season, there is still football to be played. In fact, the 2016 Dolphins made the playoffs after starting 1-4 back when there were only 16 games in a season.

Now, no, I’m not saying that’s likely. But the Miami Dolphins are going to trot onto the field each and every week with that belief, because that’s what athletes do, they have that will to win, no matter what everyone else has to say.

The last time the Miami Dolphins played the Chargers, Tua Tagovailoa was incredible, going 28-of-45 for 466 yards, three touchdowns (and one interception), capped off by a game-winning drive.

Watch that game’s highlights here!

This time around, both teams look a little different. Both are dealing with struggling offensive lines, and both quarterbacks still have plenty to prove in this league. With all that said, here are the Miami Dolphins’ keys to victory.

The Front Seven’s Best Opportunity to Shine

Last week was embarrassing, a blown lead and complete domination on the ground. This week, Miami’s supposed strongest unit has to play like it.

The front seven has been exposed in the running game, failed to generate consistent pressure, and missed tackles and gap assignments across the board. But the Chargers will be without Joe Alt, are allowing 3.4 sacks per game, and may be rolling out an offensive line that rivals the Dolphins for the league’s worst.

If there were ever a time for this group to wake up, it’s now. Miami’s defensive front needs to generate 4+ sacks and allow fewer than 4.0 yards per carry for the Dolphins to have a real chance.

Time for Tua to Change the Narrative

Last week, Tua played nearly perfect football and still took the blame because he “had a shot.” Yes, he missed an open Waddle and came up short on the final drive, but that’s an unfair judgment for a quarterback who put his team up 17-0, got just 19 yards of rushing support, and was sacked three times.

Still, that’s life in the NFL. Quarterbacks don’t get excuses, especially when their name is Tua Tagovailoa.

He finished 27-of-36 for 256 yards and three touchdowns, including a beautiful go-ahead strike to Waddle. It wasn’t enough. So this week, Tua must not only outplay the quarterback he was drafted ahead of, Justin Herbert, but summon that same fire from the 2023 matchup.

If he doesn’t respond and outplay Herbert, this season will be all but over.

Play With Pride

Nobody in the locker room is happy, not with the results, not with the narratives, not with the attention. But only they can change it.

The Dolphins must come out with an intensity they’ve yet to show this season. They need to play cohesively, play with something to prove, and do it for all 60 minutes, not just when it feels easy.

Beating the Chargers isn’t impossible. Los Angeles has faltered two weeks in a row, first to the Giants, then to the Commanders. Now, the stumbling Dolphins have their chance to get back on their feet.

Getting a rushing attack going this week would surely help Tua and the offense, especially in maintaining leads. But more than anything, I’d like to see the Dolphins simplify the offense and let Tua find his playmakers, don’t get cute.

For Miami, this is truly their final chance to save the season.