Now, on to the task at hand.
Normally, when a team is 5-5 and has as much talent as the Miami Dolphins have, that team's fans haven't given up on the season yet. There is normally still hope for that season, and the fans are excited for the rest of the season.
Normally, yes, but that is not the case with the Dolphins.
Through a combination of injuries, poor coaching, and being in an extremely hard division the Miami Dolphins seem to be all but out of the playoff race. They are still mathematically in the playoff chase, and they actually aren't that far from making it in.
They are only two games behind the Steelers, who are currently sitting in the last wild card spot. All it would take is winning the majority of their remaining games and other teams to lose a few. That is no easy task for a 5-5 team, but it is usually still doable.
It's not doable for the Dolphins, though.
A lot of people in Miami have pretty much given up on their team, and I don't blame them. The Dolphins have been extremely disappointing this year. Not many people have been performing at or above the level we were expecting them to perform at this year, and it has showed with a mediocre record.
You guys may not remember, but Stephen Ross predicted the Dolphins would make the Super Bowl this year. He also said that he hoped Chad Henne would be the franchise's greatest quarterback.
I can tell you right now that the Miami Dolphins aren't going to make the playoffs this season, and I haven't given up on Chad Henne yet, but I don't think he is going to be better than Dan Marino.
So, in my opinion, yes the season is over. I just don't see how the Miami Dolphins can come back from that embarrassing loss to the Bears and win for most of their tough remaining schedule.
There are two main reasons why, and the first is injuries, specifically to the Dolphins offensive line. The Dolphins have an injury-riddled line, and I don't see how they will be able to protect whatever quarterback is in there with the personnel we have.
Injuries can cripple a good team, and they have definitely played a part in the crippling of the Dolphins.
Injuries aren't the main reason, though.
I think you all know what the reason is, but I will still say it anyway:
Dan Henning
The man calls all of the wrong plays at the wrong times, and he does it consistently. Sometimes I think he is just trying so hard to catch defenses off guard that he is predictable in what he calls. I didn't mention it before, but when the Dolphins beat the Tennessee a few weeks ago, Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan would tell Brandon Marshall the exact route he was going to run before the ball was even hiked.
The worst part is that Finnegan was right 80 percent of the time.
That, of course, is not Marshall's fault. It is completely Henning's fault. If you are so predictable that a corner can tell the exact play you are going to run, then you shouldn't be in the NFL.
On top of the predictability, the play calling has been atrocious this year, and it is a big reason that players with huge talent like Brandon Marshall, Ronnie Brown, and Ricky Williams have been largely ineffective.
Henning has forced Chad Henne to throw short passes, and rarely allowed him to throw the ball long, which is one of Henne's strengths. Why he had Henne on such a short leash is beyond me. Offensive coordinators that are worth their salt would build their offense around the strengths of their players, but not Henning. He forces players to run his style even when they are obviously unable to do so.
I know that I complain over and over about Dan Henning, but I am not the only one wanting him out of Miami. He needs to be fired ASAP to give the Dolphins more time to prepare for next season. Forget this year. All that matters right now is the future.
In my opinion, Dan Henning is the sole reason the Dolphins are not one of the best teams in the league. He doesn't know how to use the talent that is available to him, and it has shown with a .500 record.
Henning is like the Dolphin who comes up and hits the other Dolphin, who represents Chad Henne, in mid-air. Instead of allowing Henne to soar, Henning just gets in the way and ruins everything.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment. I am always checking and responding to comments, so I look forward to hearing from you soon. Also, if you ever just want to talk football, please feel free to email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I always find it fun to just talk to other Dolphins fans about their opinions on the franchise and recent moves they have made.
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