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Adam Gase Has Dolphins Thinking Straight, Playing Great

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – For the second straight week, the Miami Dolphins pulled victory from the jaws of defeat and came away with a big road win.

For the second straight week, the Dolphins scored a game-winning touchdown in the final moments of a game played in California.

For the second straight week, Miami came back from a double-digit deficit to keep their winning streak alive.

The streak now sits at five games, the longest run of consecutive wins since the Cinderella season of 2008 when the Dolphins went from 1-15 the year before to an 11-win AFC East Championship.

The last time Miami won six games in a row was in 2005 under Nick Saban, a year the team finished 9-7 after winning just three of their first 10 games.

That season did not include a playoff berth, however.

Whether this season will end after Week 17 remains to be seen as there are still six games left on the schedule, though it does appear that Miami has a favorable outlook.

Of the Dolphins six remaining opponents, only the New England Patriots have a winning record.

While the fans may be happy to look at the schedule and see lots of possibilities, don't expect the Dolphins to look past their own noses.

Head coach Adam Gase has the team locked into a week-to-week attitude, meaning the team is focused on their opponent each week and nothing else.

Even after Sunday's thrilling comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams, Gase was already looking ahead to the team's next challenge.

"Last night was fun," Gase said on Monday. "Today we've got to move on. We've got to get some things corrected and we've got to move on to the next game."

That attitude is a big part of why the team has been so sharp and cohesive, especially compared to how they looked during the first five games.

Gase points to Miami's Week 6 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers as the turning point, quickly pointing out that getting offensive lineman Mike Pouncey and Branden Albert back in the lineup was huge for the team.

"When we hit the Pittsburgh week, and I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that 'Pounce' [Pouncey] was back, 'B.A.' [Albert] was back. It was just a different feel," Gase said.

It's amazing the difference a healthy offensive line can make.

"We hit that Pittsburgh week and you could tell there was different, 'Hey, everybody just all in, sell out. Let's do every little detail we could possibly do and let's leave it all out there,'" Gase said. "That Pittsburgh game really flipped it for us."

The Dolphins aren't just winning, they're finding different ways to win.

Three weeks ago against the New York Jets it was a fourth quarter kick return that provided the game-winning touchdown.

Two weeks ago it was a pick-six by Kiko Alonso with 61 seconds remaining.

Sunday it was the offense scoring two touchdowns in the final four-plus minutes, with the winner coming in the final seconds.

"I think it says that it's a group of guys that have developed a belief in each other. There's a trust there," Gase said. "There's a different feel as far as just making sure we're all in this thing together. That's why I think you see good things happen at the end of the game. There's no, 'I wonder if this is going to happen?' The whole time we're thinking, 'We're going to figure out a way to win. We're going to figure out a way to win.' It's a good mindset to have."

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