The strength of Hard Knocks: In-Season With the Miami Dolphins is its versatility.
During the good times, it reveals just how fun this team can be.
During the bad, it unflinchingly captures the lowest of lows of NFL life.
Tuesday’s Episode 7 was certainly the latter, chronicling the team’s 36-point drubbing at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens and the season-ending knee injury Bradley Chubb suffered late in the game.
Miami Dolphins Hard Knocks Episode 7 Recap
Chubb, the Dolphins’ most productive player this season, tore his ACL with just minutes left in regulation of a contest long decided.
Mike McDaniel’s decision to have Chubb on the field in a lost cause has been the big story in these parts the last three days.
But the show didn’t get into that controversy; instead, it showed the real-time human anguish that comes when one of the team’s most important and most liked players suffers a season-ending injury.
Chubb’s teammates knew immediately on Sunday that his injury was serious, and NFL Films respectfully recorded them in prayer.
“Lord, please watch over Chubb,” defensive tackle Zach Sieler said emotionally.
HEARTBREAKING: #Dolphins DE Zach Sieler went down on a knee and started praying over Bradley Chubb when he went down with a serious injury. pic.twitter.com/5BlViNK7lH
💔🙏Football is family. Shows you how much every player/teamate cares for one and other
(Via @KingOfPhinland)
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 3, 2024
Just feet away, Dolphins medical staff were watching over the team’s sack leader in their own way. Doctors can identify a torn ACL without an MRI, but Chubb knew better than anyone that something was terribly wrong with his knee.
“I can’t even move my s—, bro,” Chubb said, writhing in pain. “F— me, man.”
At least when Jaelan Phillips suffered his season-ending injury the month before, the Dolphins won the game, softening the emotional blow to the team, at least a little.
No such relief came on Sunday. Rather, the Dolphins suffered the worst loss of the McDaniel era, one that has them reeling heading into their Week 18 showdown with the Buffalo Bills.
“I can’t believe it,” Tyreek Hill muttered to himself as he walked off the field. “I can’t believe it brah. I can’t believe it.”
Earlier in the week, McDaniel told his team that Sunday’s showdown with the Ravens was “the reason you get into professional football … to go toe to toe. That is fun as f—.”
MORE: There’s Only One Way Forward for the Miami Dolphins
The game was anything but.
“This is a very important moment,” McDaniel told Tua Tagovailoa on the sidelines late in regulation. “It’s very defeating, and we have to guard against our team’s human nature. Human nature is to say, ‘F— it, I don’t care.’ No, dude. Let’s take this ass-whooping and apply it. All we have in front of us is winning the AFC East.”
From Hard Knocks: Mike McDaniel's message to Tua in the midst of their loss to the Ravens after Bradley Chubb got injured.
"Let's take this ass whooping and apply it like all we have in front of us is winning the AFC East." pic.twitter.com/RzbKdWnPmb
— Mike Cugno (@MikeCugnoCBS4) January 3, 2024
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