13-0 Heading into a Tough Game vs. Dallas 

We were able to come out with another big win in a close game vs. the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. We are now 13-0 and only three games away from an undefeated regular season. The score of 26-23 was way too close for our liking, especially in a game against a divisional opponent. We played well on defense toward to end of the game to solidify the win. I am very happy with the way I played on defense to make the big plays our team needed to come out on top. I was overwhelmed with emotion after the game because it felt so good to have such a rewarding game at a crucial time of the season. We have now clinched a first round bye in the NFC, but we still need to keep playing hard and improve with every game. It is hard to be the team on top that everyone is gunning for, especially because all of our opponents want to be the team to end our undefeated streak.

The New England Patriots went through a similar tough stretch at the end of the regular season two years ago when they completed their perfect regular season. We want to be able to finish our run all the way through a victory in the Super Bowl though, so we need to keep our long-term goals in sight and still fight hard every week. I am very pleased with my performance on defense against the Falcons, coming up with some big stops at the end of the game. We could have limited their big passing plays throughout the game to spread our lead, but I am satisfied with the win and the effort our team put forth. The Falcons were missing a few key offensive weapons, but they still put up a fight and made us earn the win.

Looking ahead to the game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night, I am very excited to have another primetime game to show the league what our team is made of. Dallas is going through a tough stretch with everyone saying they cannot win a game in December, but we know what that team is capable of. Dallas had a close loss against San Diego this past weekend, and they will be fighting for their NFC East playoff spot. The NFC East is a loaded division right now with the Cowboys, Eagles, and Giants all fighting for the top spot. This game means a great deal to Dallas, so we know they will come out fighting for their season. We will need to prepare for them as hard, maybe even harder, as we do for any team. I am excited to be facing another tough opponent because it will definitely benefit our team for the playoff run. Since it is a night game on Saturday, I will make sure I rest up and come prepared to play my heart out.

I would like to finish up by talking about the ESPN movie “The U,” which aired this past Saturday night after the Heisman. I was really happy with the production of the movie and really enjoyed watching it. The producers did a fantastic job highlighting the stretch in college football when Miami was consistently the top team in the country. I thought it was a very well-made movie and was proud to be a Hurricane after I watched it.