MIAMI GARDENS â Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert is tired of the âB.S.â
Entering his 10th NFL season â many of which came during a successful tenure with the San Francisco 49ers â Mostert is used to winning.
But for an NFL veteran who was one game short of a Super Bowl ring in 2019, simply ending the regular season as the top offense in the league doesnât mean a thing if it doesnât translate into more.
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âFor me, personally, I want to win a championship,â Mostert said. âI want to go after one and I want to get past the first round. These past two years have been B.S. in my own view. Itâs all about breaking that cycle.â
Miami appeared to be on a fast-track for postseason success last year when late-season injuries struck.
Mostert himself was frequently listed on an injury report that included star players Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Xavien Howard, Jerome Baker, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and others during the final stretch.
And injuries canât always be helped. Theyâre part of the game. But thereâs more to Mostertâs frustration than just that.
âItâs a reflection of pretty much everything weâve been going through,â he said. âInjuries, guys going down, guys not feeling comfortable, guys not feeling in the right position, guys and coaches not working on the same page towards the end of the year when it does really matter.â
Dolphins in midst of 24-year playoff win drought
Fielding questions after Tuesdayâs organized team activities, Mostert was reminded that itâs been 24 years since the Dolphins have won a playoff game, the longest streak in the league.
âTwenty-four,â he said with a tone of shock. âThatâs crazy. Iâm not used to that, and itâs apparent thatâs the accustomed thing around here. But weâre trying to fix that. Weâre trying to change it up. Weâve got to do everything we possibly can to change it. Everybody has to be on the same page.â
After Miami blew out Washington 45-15 during the first week of December, its Thursday night loss to Tennessee left many fans puzzled.
When the team defeated Dallas two weeks later, the ship seemed to be righted â until the Dolphins lost the next two before limping into a wild-card playoff against Kansas City.
âIâd rather take an 0-8 start to making it to the playoffs and making it to the championship round and getting past that point,â Mostert said. âWeâve got to break that mold, the drought for not winning a playoff game.â
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Following an offseason of question marks, the Dolphins find themselves looking to shed the reputation of âbeing a regular-season teamâ circling above their collective heads.
âWhether youâre a second-, third- or fourth-year guy or even a nine- or 10-year guy, youâve still got to find your beliefs and what you truly aspire to achieve,â Mostert said. âIâve played at the highest level. I lost a championship and it sucks.
âOnce you get that hunger and that desire, and once youâve been there before, you want to get back. Thatâs all I can think about right now.â