‘There was no doubt in my mind’—Jeff Hafley’s biggest decision was made for him during an exchange on the sidelines during 28-25 win over Jets
The Miami Dolphins are in the win column, and Jeff Hafley knew it was over before the clock hit triple zeroes.
Welcome to the win column, Miami! The Miami Dolphins are victorious. With a 28-25 victory over the New York Jets, all of the senseless talk about a winless season can go away.
And boy, what a win it was. Fireworks came throughout, though the Dolphins never trailed after taking their first lead of the season on their opening possession against the Jets. But it was their last possession that should mean the most to Dolphins fans, especially after hearing Jeff Hafley break down his gutsy decision to go for a 4th-and-1 near midfield with two minutes left. A successful sneak later and Miami was in victory formation. But how did Hafley decide to go for it when a failed attempt would have left the Jets about 10 yards from a game-tying kick? The look in the eye of his offensive line.
Jeff Hafley knew the Miami Dolphins would convert pivotal fourth down after seeing the look in the eye of his offensive line
“I said to hang on. I went and grabbed the (offensive line), looked at them, and asked them what they thought and what they wanted to do. And when I saw the look in their eye, I was very confident that we would get it. So as soon as I saw that, there was no doubt in my mind that I’d go for it. I trusted them. I talk about the toughness of this team and what they’re built on — once we made the decision, I knew we’d get it.”
— Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley
Not going to lie, y’all. That’s some stones. And what’s more? That’s the kind of moment that this group should carry with them into the weeks ahead. A football team needs to learn how to win. This Dolphins roster? Filled with young players that played their first snaps of their careers with a lead today. And despite a clunky offensive effort in the third quarter, the Miami Dolphins showed up big when the chips were down. The biggest moment?
That four-minute offense scenario to close the game. The New York Jets sorely needed a stop, trailing by three with just over three minutes to play. The Dolphins pulverized the line of scrimmage to oblivion and left no doubt. It was the look in their eye that told Jeff Hafley what to do. And that’s a moment that can hopefully be remembered for down the road when these opportunities arise again. For now? It’s good for win No. 1 — a well-deserved one for the big guys up front. And also for Jeff Hafley for seeing they were ready for the moment.
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