Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has a lot of respect for Chiefs

It’s clear from his comments that Dolphins head coach Brian Flores appreciates the Chiefs.

No one is taking the Kansas City Chiefs lightly in 2020. In fact, it often brings out an opposing franchise’s best efforts. For Brian Flores, the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, it’s clear that he’s aware of the tremendous challenge in store for his team this week.

In his early comments to reporters before the Week 14 matchup between the Chiefs and Dolphins, Flores had plenty of praise for several aspects of the Chiefs’ organization—from head coach Andy Reid to the powerful offense to the defensive front and even Eric Bieniemy‘s future, about which Flores said, “If Eric Bieniemy is not a head coach soon something is wrong.”

Perhaps the most interesting take coming from Flores on Wednesday was his perspective on the team’s current makeup compared to past years.

"“It’s harder to stop the Chiefs now than it was even in 2018. This team has been built the right way. They have a lot of great guys over there. When this team smells blood in the water they go after you.”"

For many fans, the 2018 season was the height of the team’s offensive prowess, when Patrick Mahomes threw 50 touchdowns in a single season. Yet what’s lost on some is how unbalanced that team was in its construction, which is why Mahomes got into so many shootouts. The Chiefs quarterback had to throw so much because he carried such a heavy load in his first season as a starter.

The season ultimately ended with the Chiefs on the outside looking in.

While Mahomes’ stats aren’t quite so gaudy in 2020, Flores is aware that the Chiefs now know what it takes to win it all. Their postseason run last year looks like the start of something special, not a one-off to appreciate and hold onto for another five decades. If any team is positioned to own the league for the next decade, it’s the one with multiple future Hall of Famers on offense and a better-than-advertised young defense.

Flores went on to mention a need to avoid giving up the big play, to focus on communication in the back end of the defense and to double team Travis Kelce in particular. That all sounds well and good, but execution of that plan is another thing entirely—one that many teams have struggled doing for 60 minutes on the field against the Chiefs.

Then again, the Dolphins aren’t the middling franchise they used to be either. Flores has his team on the right track with a new franchise quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa and an exciting young defense anchored by potential Defensive Player of the Year in Xavien Howard and a young pass rush. The Dolphins are 8-4 and hope to make a playoff run of their own, which means this week’s contest could be telling for both sides and their wintry futures.

The Chiefs and Dolphins kick off on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. C.T.