Somewhere along the way, the days of grind-'em-out, low-scoring December NFL games have disappeared like frozen turf under a blanket of winter snow. Sunday's schedule saw two games hit a total of 50 points, and others that registered 53, 69, 71, 73, 78 and 87!
Interestingly, the game played in the best weather conditions was a run-of-the-mill 44 point affair; the Dolphins 24-20 win over the Patriots in Miami where an unlikely hero emerged. A recently acquired defensive back named Michael Thomas, playing in his first NFL game, stepped-in, stepped-up and broke-out as the game-saving star.
Trailing by four in the final minutes, New England took over on it's own 20 with 1:15 to play. On to the field trotted Tom Brady with three timeouts in his pocket and the been-there, done-that swagger of supreme confidence in his gait.
The Patriots marched 61 yards in ten plays down to the Miami 19. From there, on first down, Thomas saved a sure-touchdown, knocking the ball out of the hands of receiver Danny Amendola in the end zone...
Remember this guy?
That's Philip Michael Thomas whose glory days also came in South Florida. Yes, his character, Tubbs from Miami Vice, had his moments (He twice saved his partner Crockett's life!) but you know what? He never did intercept a future Hall-of-Famer to win an NFL game.
Of the 106 active players at SunLife Stadium Sunday, (Not Philip) Michael Thomas might have been the least likely to grab headlines. An undrafted free-agent out of Stanford, Thomas spent all of the past two seasons on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad, working to get a shot in the NFL.
Late last Tuesday morning his agent got a phone call from the Dolphins, who needed depth in their secondary. Thomas scurried to catch a mid-afternoon flight, arrived in Miami and signed a contract. Wednesday he practiced. Sunday he saw his first NFL action in the first quarter, as a special-teamer on punt coverage. It wasn't until the 4th quarter though, after injuries to Brent Grimes and Nolan Carroll, that he played his first snap on defense.
And that's the guy who saved this game, and perhaps this season for Miami. Amazing.
In an interview afterward, Thomas acknowledged getting so emotional that he cried on the field and on his way through the tunnel to the locker room. He thanked his teammates, admitting he did not know the Dolphins defensive signals!
"If it wasn't for Rashad Jones and (Chris) Clemons actually talking to me out there in that two minute situation, I wouldn't have been able to make the plays that I did."
Reflecting on his whirlwind week, Thomas finally exhaled and basked in the deep satisfaction of both the journey and destination. "I believed in myself, but being on the practice squad, all you can do is just hope for that opportunity," he said. "You're working for it. You're hoping for it. But for it to actually come, it's a relief!"
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For the Dolphins, it's another huge step forward on a path that just five weeks ago seemed to be leading nowhere. Or at least nowhere good.
With the nauseating stench of the Incognito/Martin affair emanating from every orifice of the franchise, Miami lost to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 11th. It was their fourth loss in five games and continued a free-falling downward spiral of growing controversy, mounting defeats and franchise instability in what appeared to be another lost season.
Since then, as if emboldened by the negativity, the Fins have muscled-up to go 4-and-1, improving to 8-6 overall. Suddenly the post-season is very much in play. The turnaround has been remarkable. But, hey, this is the NFL. right? Anything can happen.
Just ask Michael Thomas.
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MNF tonight: Ravens at Lions. Who ya got?
