Here were some of the postgame comments that stood out after the Dolphins' 17-16 loss against the Washington Redskins, along with some perspective:
"We thought we had an opportunity to win the game, and that was the thought process there."
— Head Coach Brian Flores made it clear there was no hesitation in the decision to go for the two-point conversion after DeVante Parker’s touchdown made it 17-16 with 6 seconds left. In fact, Flores said that decision was made earlier in the fourth quarter to go for the victory instead of kicking an extra point to send the game to overtime.
"We all had confidence in the play. It just felt like when we scored, it felt like that was the right move for us at that time."
— Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick represented very well the sentiments of Dolphins players, who pretty much all wanted to go for the game-winning two-point conversion instead of kicking a game-tying extra point.
"We kept moving the ball, but at the end we didn't win and that's all that matters."
— Wide receiver DeVante Parker played a key role for the offense, catching Fitzpatrick's pass in the end zone to give the Dolphins a chance to win. Like his teammates, though, Parker wasn't interested in moral victories after the game. He was, however, encouraged by the way the offense moved the ball in the fourth quarter.
"That was cool, just to have that first big play in a regular season NFL game. That felt good. All my teammates were there to celebrate with me, so that was a real cool moment. I'll remember that for the rest of my life."
— Cornerback Nik Needham found himself in the starting lineup Sunday when he played in his first NFL regular season game. Starting in the absence of Xavien Howard, Needham turned a solid performance, highlighted by a first-half play when he knocked down a third-down pass to force a Washington punt.
"We are getting better, but we've got to focus on the minor details in order to come out here with a win one of those weeks."
— Tight end Mike Gesicki came up with a big catch on the Dolphins’ final touchdown drive and, like Parker, he was happy with the progress the team showed but not satisfied because it didn't produce a victory in the end.
