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| Stop Smiling |
Oh wait, things have already gotten out of hand.
I was originally planning on this post being an analysis of the game, but you know what? Screw that. This game does not need an in-depth analysis. The only two things that should result in this for the Miami Dolphins is +1 in the loss column and the firing of Special Teams Coordinator John Bonamego.
Last night was the most embarrassing performance I have ever watched by a special teams unit. It was also arguably the most embarrassing showing in the history of the NFL.
I don't know if there has ever been a team that outgained their opponent by 135 yards and still lost by 27 points until now. You have to be pretty bad on special teams to do that, so I guess the Dolphins qualify
So, thank you John Bonamego.
Thank you for costing us a game that we could have very easily won and putting us in another early hole. We all thought we had avoided the early hole after our 2-0 start. Well, we were wrong. Here we are again with a bad record in the beginning of the season.
Now, instead of winning we end up looking like one of the worst teams in the NFL. Instead of pulling even with the Jets atop the division we are now what seems like an eternity behind both New York and New England.
It may only be a one game deficit in the win-loss column, but it is really so much more because of the two game deficit in the divisional win-loss column.
This game was an early must-win, and we definitely didn't win. Instead we became the first team to allow a kickoff to be returned for a touchdown, a blocked field goal to be returned for a touchdown, and an interception returned for a touchdown all in the same game. And, it was pretty much all John Bonamego's fault.
Admittedly, Bonamego was not out there on the field. He was not one of the tacklers that were beaten on the kickoff TD allowed. He was not one of the blockers who allowed the Patriots to block a punt or the field goal returned for a TD.
But, he sure as hell should not get off without blame for this one.
The Miami Dolphins special teams have been horrible since he has been here, and tonight's performance just brings that fact out for everyone to see. Consider this:
Our special teams is the 25th worst in kick return yards with 21.6, and that was with Pro Bowl kick returner Clifton Smith returning the ball for the first two games. You can try and blame Smith all you want, but no kick returner has been successful in the Dolphins kick return system of late.
In just four games so far this season the Miami Dolphins special teams has allowed three blocked kicks, a kickoff returned for a touchdown, and more yards returned on a kickoff than any other team in the NFL.
But, here's the kicker. They haven't just allowed more yards per kickoff return by a couple tenths of a yard.
THEIR AVERAGE YARDS ALLOWED IS 5 YARDS MORE THAN ANY OTHER TEAM IN THE NFL
They have averaged 35.8 yards per kickoff return. In second place is the Tennessee Titans with 30.8 yards per return. That is the most sickening statistic I have seen in a very, very long while.
Pair all of those stats with the two kickoffs that went out of bounds, and you have one of the worst special teams in the history of the NFL.
Let me put it is perspective for you. I looked through the NFL record book to find the record for the highest average yards allowed in a season for one team.
"Why?" you ask.
Because I'm pissed off and I want to prove my point.
Anyways, would you like to know the record? Trust me you really don't, but I will tell you anyways.
It is 29.5 kickoff yards allowed by the 1972 New York Jets.
The Miami Dolphins are averaging 6.3 more yards allowed per return than the worst average in NFL history.
Granted, the Jets average was after 14 games. But still, if the Dolphins keep John Bonamego then they may very well shatter that record.
So, please Miami Dolphins, put somebody else in there. You can pay them $50 million dollars a year for all I care as long as they don't get in the rest of the team's way.
Just give me an average special teams unit, and let the offense and defense take care of the rest.
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