Please Miami Dolphins, Beat the Jets and Give us Something Good from this Season

So here we are at the end of another disappointing Miami Dolphins season. We have (yet again) less wins than losses, we have no direction at quarterback, and we do not know who our next head coach will be.

Thankfully, all is not lost just yet. We can still make this season partially successful. All the Dolphins need to do is win at home this Sunday against the Jets, and we can have something to be happy about going into the offseason.

Just think about it. The Dolphins could really do some damage to the Jets if they win Sunday. A win would damage the Jets in a few different ways. The most obvious way is that they would eliminate them from the playoffs, but that wouldn't even be the worst thing that happened to New York. A lot of people have started to question whether Mark Sanchez is a franchise quarterback, and those questions would only be amplified if he was unable to make the playoffs. Think of all of the uncertainty that the Jets would have at the QB position this offseason if they don't make the playoffs. It would be great.

But, my favorite reason for why I want Miami to hand it to the Jets this weekend is Rex Ryan. Ryan has finally "lost his Bravado", and what better way to make the Jets ownership question him even more than to prevent him from making the playoffs? I would love nothing more than the Dolphins being the team that hands Rex Ryan his last loss before being he is fired, which I believe is a real possibility.

I want the Dolphins to come into this game with a (at one time) backup quarterback, an apparently "washed up" running back, and an interim head coach and beat the snot out of the Jets and their so called golden boy quarterback and loud mouth coach.

I want to end this season on a high note for once. I want to be able to say that we knocked the Jets out of the playoffs. A friend of mine is a Bengals fan, so I want his team to make the playoffs as a result. A Dolphin win will be a win-win for all of us, so let's hope Miami can get one.

And one last note: get this win for Jason Taylor, so he can officially be a Dolphin forever. His last win in the Dolphins-Jets matchup should not be as a Jet beating the Dolphins. It should be as a Dolphin beating the Jets and eliminating them from the playoffs.

Thanks for stopping by, and let me know your thoughts.

Miami Dolphins 2011 Year in Review

Heyyy Dolphin-Addicts, hope things are well for you :) !!

Between the last regular season game of one season and the first regular season game of the next season the time equates to a nine month "gestation" period..
For the most part!! This period is usually spent (with the upcoming seasons playbook in hand) at team functions, team meetings, workouts, practices, training camps etc,etc..
After an NFL league mandated 8 month lockout of the players,The Miami Dolphins as well as a few other teams that were proceeding under new coordinator-ships were finally allowed to get a glance at the new proposed playbooks, offensive schemes, game-plans, coaches and players, etc, etc a month or so before the start of the new season!!
With that being said, here's an attempted summary (tough for me) of how some of it played-out..

0 - 1) vs the power-house and pre-determined AFC East division Champ Patriots (who's had the same HC,QB, and basic playbook for 10 plus years)!! We had them where we wanted them with their backs to the wall and the score at 14 -14 until mid-way through the third quarter.. At that point their team familiarity with one another along with playbook knowledge took control of the game with their Red-Zone proficiency!! Though yardage wise we kept pace with them at around 500 or so yards apiece until with 5 minutes or so remaining in the fourth quarter a 99 yard Tom Brady TD pass to his favorite receiver # 83 gave them a hundred or so total yard advantage for the game.. The final score was 38 - 24 but it was closer than that while we held the ball for 3 minutes longer than them.. Chad Henne threw for 416 yards with a 93.6 QB rating and our jinxed number 19 blatantly dropped a TD,(maybe two I can't recall exactly)!! Lost by 14 (for the most part) in allowing a 99 yard TD, and blatantly dropping at least one TD reception of our own!!

0 - 2) vs the Houston Texans with a HC/QB/offense that's been together for awhile which resulted in their eventual AFC South Division Championship!! In a game that the Dolphins lost the turn-over battle (0 - 2), time of possession by 9 or so minutes, statistically we still basically matched their explosive offense!! Carpenter converted our first 3 points along with a 4th qtr FG while Marshall caught a contributory TD in the 3rd qtr making the score 10 - 16!! Scoring mishaps of two Dan Carpenter missed chip shots (blocked 22 yard attempt,wide left on a 34 yard miss, both in the 2nd quarter with a 3 - 13 deficit), and two blatant TD drops by our jinxed number 19 while down 6 - 0 in the 1st qtr and 16 - 10 in the 4th qtr left us on the short-end of a final 23 - 13 score.. We lost by 10 while leaving at least an easy 17 points on the field!!
(1 - 1)??

0 - 3) at Cleveland with a Dolphin 7 - 0 lead and 10 minutes to go in the 2nd qtr Dan Carpenter missed a FG attempt while our cursed number 19 blatantly dropped a TD pass at 7 - 7 with less than a minute remaining in the 1st half, we took a FG and a 10 - 7 halftime lead!!We dominated the game with a near 16 minute time of possession advantage, nearly an additional 100 total yards to theirs, though we lost the turn-over battle (2 - 1) we had a 16 - 10 lead with 3 minutes left in the game!! Chad Henne had a 90.4 QB rating in a 16 - 17 one point Dolphin loss, while others left at least 10 point's on the field!!(2 - 1)??

0 - 4) at San Diego in a 26 - 16 loss of the game and our just beginning to roll starting QB, Brandon Marshall blatantly dropped a TD reception, all of which resulted in our being dominated in all statistical categories.. (2 - 2)??

BYE (Jimminy-Crickets), only a fourth of the way through and already running long)!! Told'ya "summaries are tough for me", and I'm tryin harddd!! Sorry Folks, gotta get more brief or the 2012 season will be upon us :) ..Hopefully in only the first 4 weeks "summary" I was able to get some points across?? That being of my opinion that 0 - 4 leading to 0 - 6, and then 0 - 7 was somewhat of a farce and not something that one should concern themselves over in the future,(no-matter who the HC is or was)!!

0 - 5) at the NYjets, we statistically matched them, though we lost the turnover battle 3 - 1 in Matt Moore's first start with a 41.8 QB rating compared to El-Guanno's 95.6.. However.. With a 3 - 0 lead mid 1st qtr from the NY 15 B Marshall stumbled into the DB who helped him to the ground as that DB/Revis caught the ball intended for #19 and jogged 100 yards for a 4 point NY lead rather than a 6 to 10 point deficit, (at least a 10 point swing if not 14)!! Fins down 3 -7 with 19 seconds left in the 1st qtr, BMarshall catches a 30 yard pass with nothing but grass between he and the EZ then proceeds to mysteriously run blatantly out of bounds 16 yards later at the NY 19 yard line with 11 seconds left,(qtr runs out).. Second qtr 3rd & goal from the NY 3 cursed #19 blatantly drops TD and squashes the overwhelming momentum we had up to that point !! We kick the FG for a 6 - 7 deficit (instead of a 3 point lead) excluding the previous 10 to 14 point swing which means I realize that stuff happens, But Still :)!! NY took a 14 - 6 lead to the half, BMarshall had a 3rd qtr End-zone attempt that I can't remember if he dropped or Cromartie knocked away, and the rubber-band powered airplanes went on to win 24 - 6.. (2 - 3)??

0 - 6 vs Denver, with 3 minutes left in the second qtr, 3rd and 3 at Denver's 16 Matt Moore recovers his own fumble, we take the 3 points to a 6 - 0 lead, we extended that lead to 12 - 0 with a Anthony Fasano TD to start the 4th qtr followed by a senseless wayy too early failed 2 point attempt while the one extra point would have assured victory and the 2 point failure ended-up giving the opposition hope after 57 minutes of Dolphin domination with a 15 - 0 lead that should have been 16 at minimum!! Then, you all know what happened, 6 for Tebow an extra point, an on-sides kick that we dropped, 6 for Tebow, 2 more for Tebow and a 15 - 15 tie.. OT Matt Moore fumbles at his own 35, Denver kicks the FG and wins 18 - 15, AHHHHH!! (3 - 3)??

0 - 7 at the NY Giants the Dolphins dominated both lines of scrimmage, had an 11 point second qtr lead, and a 17 - 10 4th qtr lead until Pouncey went down for the 4th qtr's entirety and the Giants D accumulated four 4th qtr sacks stymieing our Offense while NY proceeded to a 20 - 17 victory.. Could have went either way had Pouncey not gone down!! (3 - 4),(4 - 3)??

I'm tired of pointing-out BMarshalls blatant TD drops which in total for the year is around 12!! Of which four from the arm of Chad Henne, and 8 or so from Matt Moore totaling 79 or so points not accrued to our score's and/or won/loss record!! He single handedly with two hands was the most obvious cause of at least 4 to 5 losses for the year when you factor in an additional minimum of 60 plus pnts in only the first 7 games,(not counting extra pnts), momentum lost, as well as team-wide confidence in what they were trying to accomplish!!!! BMarshalls year has been quite impressive even with all the mishaps!! Mishaps that made the entire offense, and coaching staff APPEAR incapable, plays where the other 10 gyz obviously did their job only to be ridiculed about their Red-Zone Offense because the final cog to those plays had butter-fingers!! I wonder what our Red-Zone effeciency percentage would be with all the RZ TDS dropped by Marshall (or even just half of'em)??

The rest of the season is still pretty fresh in every one's mind ,so a summarizing I will go, Yeaaaaaa :) !!

1 - 7 at Kansas City, Dolphins win 31 - 3, Hippp, Hippp-HooRayyy!!
(4 - 4, 5 - 3)??

2 - 7 vs Washington, Dolphins win 20 - 9, Yeeeee Haaaaaaaa!! (5 - 4, 6 - 3)??

3 - 7 vs Buffalo, Dolphins win 35 - 8, Giggitty, Giggitty!! ( 6 - 4, 7 - 3)??

3 - 8 at Dallas on Thanksgiving day 20 - 19 Dolphin loss, C'monnn Mannn!!
BMarshall blatantly dropped another one!! (7 -4, 8 - 3)??

4 - 8 vs Oakland, Dolphins win 34 - 14, Zippitty Doo Daaa, Zippitty Yeaaaa!!
(8 - 4, 9 - 3)??

4 - 9 vs Philly, Dolphins lose 26 - 10, and our HeadCoach Tony Sparano gets fired!! (8 - 5, 9 - 4)??

5 - 9 at Buffalo, Todd Bowles takes over the interim HeadCoach position!!
Dolphins win 30 - 23, Woooooo Hooooooo !! (9 - 5, 10 - 4)??

5 - 10 at New England, Dolphins lose 27 - 24..
Could'a went either way cuz BMarshall blatantly dropped another one!!
( 9 - 6, 10 - 5) or with a Win (10 - 5, 11 - 4)??

Week 17 vs Yew Nork Nyets
http://thefinsiders.com/video?bcpid=359371433001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAPLps31k~,TJzr-TEF9ZCBmr465_RhOYx3PAlYRdu_&bclid=260803762001&bctid=1363356374001
6 - 10 but OHHHHHHHH How SWEET the sixth WIN was ;)!!

AGAIN, one last time, as I've suggested since our Pro-Bowler Brandon Marshalls first drop of week one, and in response to Thorny's recent post of ""tds dropped by Marshall alone stands at 12""!!

I agree, while @least four of them (28 pnts) would have been credited to CH's already impressive 3 game stats with a likely 2 Wins (Houston & Cleveland), and the other 8 (56 pnts) or so would have likely led to @least 3 to 4 more Wins (Denver, NYG, Dallas, @ New England last week), even with the rest of the team doing exactly what they did through-out the duration of all games.. With those 5 or so W's to go with our actual 5 W's and possibly one more to come, we were potentially lookin at 10 to 11 W's!! While, play 4 full qtrs, and 16 - 0 isn't outta the question ;) ... We're NOT that farr away with a catch here and a made FG there from consistent double-digit wins on a yearly basis, and that's even with out the franchise QB that we all crave/know we need :) !! Is all of this inconceivable to everyone but myself, or do some have a similar positive outlook on our Dolphins immediate future while realizing how different the 2011 season could have been had winning bred winning in week two rather than week nine??

P.S. I love Brandon Marshall "the player", and I know he never has or ever again will have as many blatant TD drops as he did in 2011!! Shoot Pro-Bowler Brandon Marshall catches all those blatant drops and he's in the running for league MVP with-out a franchise QB, and our Dolphins are in the playoffs, if not in the conversation!! He'd have accumulated some 1500 plus yards and as many TD's (something like 17 or so) as the Pats TE Gronkowski who has Tom Fricken Brady!!
Now GIMME RG3 to help Reggie Bush and Brandon Marshall become unstoppable :) !!

THANX for an Open-Minded read, GOFINS!!

Tony Sparano's Failed Vision

“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing…” Those are the words of Vince Lombardi, the iconic coach of the Green Bay Packers, whose name is immortalized on the Super Bowl Trophy. A coach is not on the field with his players and though a member of the staff may be calling the plays, they are not on the field executing them. The coaching of the team is done during the week preceding the game, on the practice field, in the film and meeting rooms, but how does a team practice winning?

Coaches can install the multitude of plays, formations, check-downs and pre-snap reads, they expect to run or defend against, but it is impossible to simulate a game situation. Supposedly, Matt Moore is not a practice player, but that alludes to practices being inconsistent with what is expected in a game. Tony Sparano was plagued by slow starts his entire tenure as the Miami Dolphins head coach, obviously his team was not prepared to play at game speed early in the season.

Ricky Williams was shown the door after he said Sparano was a “Micromanager.” What he said afterward is more telling, “Usually after a rough season there’s a sense of relief when it’s over with, but I didn’t feel like that,” he said. “It’s the contrast with what they have going on in New England and what we have going on here, and it’s a very stark contrast.” Ricky has a way of being completely honest, while at the same time cryptic in his actual meaning.

He was talking about winning, the mindset of winning… The mindset in NE is completely different from the mindset Tony Sparano cultivated in Miami. The Patriots expect to win, they practice to win, and they practice with the intent to dominate. Miami, under Sparano hoped to win; they practiced to counter the other team’s attack, not with the intent to attack the other team. “And it’s a very stark contrast.”

The Patriots do not practice ball control; they practice how to score touchdowns in the redzone. They do not go through blocking schemes on dive plays ad infinitum, they know game situations cannot be simulated in practice so therefore they can’t be perfected. They practice as many ways to attack an opponent as possible so they can react to changes during the game.

The Dolphins were limited at altering a game plan when the opponent did the unexpected, because they had micromanaged their own game plan to the point where they were stuck with it, through thick or thin. After seven weeks of different game plans they finally had enough material to do what the Patriots could do from week one. The Dolphins practiced each play until it was perfected with players who have been playing football practically their entire lives and squandered the time they could have been using to learn how to win.

The difference between a position coach and a head coach is in the details. A head coach looks at the bigger picture, he looks at what it will take to win and dominate a game. The position coach works at practice and looks for the little things that can improve a specific position. The position coach is the micromanager, while the head coach has the vision to see how the smaller pieces make up the whole.

Ricky Williams knew and tried to tell everyone in his own subtle way, Tony Sparano had not made the transition from a position coach to head coach and therefore the team was not prepared to win games. Tony is gone because he did not understand the difference or could not change his mindset. This is a critical lesson for Stephen Ross and Jeff Ireland. Ireland obviously doesn’t understand the concept of a visionary or was fooled into thinking Sparano was capable of making the transition.

The head coaching candidates who have been there before and won, have the insight to see things from a higher level, but when the words, “young and hungry” come into play, the caution flag must go up. The focus when considering a young coordinator or position coach is not how well he can call a game (Cam Cameron) but whether he has the vision to see the game from an overall perspective. A coach that expects to win does not wish to, “fail forward fast.” A coach who expects to win, practices to win…

He does not get caught up in details, he finds weaknesses in his opponent and attacks those weaknesses relentlessly. The NFL is a long way from the YMCA and not everyone gets a trophy in the big boy league. The difference in New England that Ricky spoke of, is a mentality coached into the players from day one. They expect to beat their opponent into submission and continue beating them until the game clock reads 00:00.

If Stephen Ross wants a young Don Shula or Vince Lombardi, he must look for a man with the vision to understand, winning is an overall mentality. The details are vital, but are left to position coaches and those coaches must be enabled to do their jobs. A head coach directs his position coaches based on the larger vision of understanding his opponent as well as understanding his own tendencies.

When a head coach is consumed by the details, he does not trust his own position coaches and they are no longer enabled. When he is caught up in a player’s mistakes, he does not allow that player exemplify the positive, but worry about the negative. Winning takes all the positives and uses those advantages, while losing dwells on the negative and the results reflect the mentality. New England may have the worst defense in the NFL and yet have the number one seed in the playoffs.

Tony Sparano never graduated from assistant to visionary. He did not leave the devilish details to his assistants long enough to look at his team from the higher ground. Shula found the positive in each player and put them in a position where that positive resulted in winning. Sparano practiced to remove the negative and resulted in losing. Winning exemplifies the positive and losing exemplifies the negative.

Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing… The reason that statement lives on is because, winning or losing is a mentality. Micromanaging looks at the details, vision looks at the results… “And it’s a very stark contrast.”

Mr. Ross, Please Consider My Resume

Dear Stephen Ross,

Enclosed is my resume... Please take a moment to review in detail. Allow me to introduce myself with this short list of career highlights...

2004-Present - Pittsburgh Steelers OC

3-time AFC Champion — 2005, 2008, 2010
2-time Super Bowl winner — XL (2005), XLIII (2008)

Please notice how the QB of the Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger has performed under my tutelage.

2001–2003 - Cleveland OC

I realize Mr. Ross, this was not my finest effort as I found it impossible to coach up Tim Couch, even though we thought he was a can't-miss pro prospect. I'm sorry to say, I cannot polish a turd.

1998–2000 Indianapolis - QB Coach

Yes Mr. Ross, I was Peyton Manning's first quarterback coach when he arrived in the NFL. In 3 years I took him from a raw rookie to one of the most prolific talents in the history of the league.

1997 - Alabama OC

This was not a good year for the 4-7 Crimson Tide, I will take my share of the blame for team not playing well.

1993–1995 - Mississippi State OC

1989–1992 - Chiefs RB coach

Mr. Ross, you may remember a guy named Christian Emeka Okoye? No? Does the Nigerian Nightmare ring any bells? I was his RB coach.

1983-88 - Temple University Head Coach

I know you were looking for a coach with experience as the head man and I realize it was a long time ago, but I think my body of work shows I am ready for another opportunity.

1981-82 - University of Alabama RB coach

You may remember a man named Paul Bryant, commonly referred to as "Bear?" He retired in 1982 and I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked, but any time with Bear is better than none.

Mr. Ross, I appreciate you taking the time to review my career highlights and I hope you will take me into consideration in you search for a new head coach.

Sincerely,
Bruce Arians

Miami Dolphin Playoff Game??

Hey Dolphin-Addicts..
Hope your Holiday season beyond football has been nothing but joyful :) !!

Well, we're all aware that our Miami Dolphin 2011 football season didn't go quite as well as we had hoped it might!! With our beloved team being eliminated from playoff contention early-on due to momentary instances of lacking focus during one or so plays in each and every loss, it's been a tough year to bare being soo-close, but yet, sooo farr from victories and/or the playoffs!!

However :) !! With the upcoming week 17 1pm match up our Dolphins will be playing in a playoff atmosphere vs Miami's most disliked rival in a game of which that rival has to win or be eliminated from their 3 year long boisterous guarantee of a 2011 playoff and Superbowl appearance!!

Those rivals have to win at our house, (which is a possibility) seeing that they have soo much more on the line!! However, our Fins will not go gracefully in a dress rehearsal preparation of being in a playoff atmosphere that will matter to our franchise towards the end of the 2012 season, while going-up against a division foe that lacks any class whatsoever offers the Fins another reason to rise above and beyond the occasion!!

The NFL's loud-mouths also need the Titans to lose at Houston in a 1pm match up,(which is a high possibility).. Houston at 10-5 is hoping to steal the #2 seed from both Baltimore, and/or Pittsburgh at 11-4 should Houston win at 1pm and both the Ravens and Steelers lose in separate 4pm contest.. Not a likely scenario for Houston, but they will be playing to win!!

Our week 17 opponent will also need the Bengals to lose a 4pm contest vs an inner-division rival Baltimore Ravens team who as suggested above will also be playing to win due to the numerous seeding scenario possibilities..While the game is in Cincy the Ravens are a better team, soo though the game is even more critical to Cincy, the Bengals losing (is a serious possibility)!!

Those gyzzz coming to Miami also need one team of two to lose in either Oakland vs San Diego, or Denver vs Kansas City in 4pm inner-division match ups,(another very likely possibility)!!

For myself at this point in any season, other than winning for a Miami Dolphin playoff position the only other extraordinarily exciting scenario second to that would be eliminating a team the likes of the one that's coming to our house in week 17!! I'd like nothing more (on this particular up-coming Sunday) than to have them prematurely (by 4 pm) feel the pain that we've felt for much of 2011, (then we can move-on toward what we'd like for o12) !! While seeing that so much more was expected of them (in their own minds), their season will end-up being every-bit the disappointment and failure if not more of one than that of our own season, especially if we're the one's that deliver the deathly blow to their heart!!
We didn't really expect a 2011 Super Bowl Championship, right?? Right!! So this is as good as it gets :) !!

It's quite possible that Tennessee, Cincinnati, and either Oakland or Denver will lose!! So it could very well be up to our Dolphins to give us some sense of happiness about who's in or not in the 2011 playoffs??
May I suggest that we fans root our butts off for our Miami Dolphins like never before this up-coming Playoff Sunday between 1 - 4 pm??
Even from afar YOU CAN HELP WILL OUR TEAM to kickin the classless crappers of the HATED Holiday Spirited yew nork nyets!!

In spite of it all, it's been a fun season of hangin with all of you!! I look forward to conversing with everybody through the coaching search, Free Agency, the draft, and franchise QB acquisition, while I'll also be spreading the faith in our Dolphins toward the 2012 season all the way up to and through that seasons playoffs!!

But first, lets over wind the rubber band that powers that lil airplane referred to as mean green, and put'em outta their misery!! While in victory over a ""guaranteed"" playoff bound, Superbowl winning team, our team and we the fans will be reassured at least to some extent of great hope for a prosperous Miami Dolphin 2012!! WhatDaYaSay??

THANX for an open-minded reading, GOFINS!!

Matt Moore Fails to Seize the Day

The New England game was Matt Moore’s chance to show Stephen Ross, Jeff Ireland and the Miami Dolphin fan-base he was worthy of the word franchise, but alas… It was not to be.

Moore played well in the first half and was able to overcome several drops by Brandon Marshall to lead the Dolphins to 17-0 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Miami lost momentum when errors by Moore opened the door for Tom Brady and the Patriot offense.

In a time when Moore needed to step-up and show leadership, he was swallowed up by the moment. He fumbled critical snaps, overthrew a wide-open Brian Hartline on a sure TD that was instead, intercepted. He looked flustered at the time when a stable force was needed to hold his team together.

Like blood in shark infested waters, Brady and the Patriots seized the opportunity with a frenzy of 27 unanswered 2nd half points. The Miami defense forced NE to use up 18:20 of the 2nd half clock by shutting down the deep passing game, but the Miami offense was unable to respond against the worst defense in the NFL until it was too late.

One sustained drive in the middle of the Brady feeding frenzy could have closed the door on the Patriots, but by the time Moore regained his focus, the game was over. The meaningless last minute scoring drive came without the pressure of winning the game.

Horace said it right for Matt Moore… -Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero – "Seize the Day, putting as little trust as possible in the future.” This was Moore’s opportunity to prove he had the character to stand up in the face of adversity and will his team to victory. Moore has not played poorly, but he has also not shown the special magic that sets QBs like Tom Brady apart from the rest of the league.

The Patriots are one of the best teams in the NFL and Miami showed, as they have many times this season, they are not far away from beating elite teams. The difference seperating Miami and the word elite is at the QB position. NE played without 2 of its starting tackles, and Miami lost all pro tackle Jake Long. Every team deals with injury over the course of a season, it is the play of the QB that seperates perennial winners from middling teams like Miami.

Miami is in a better place heading into this off-season because Matt Moore has shown he can win games in this league against the teams Miami should defeat, but he has also shown he is not elite. The bright side is, Miami will not go into the future with uncertainly about what they have at the QB position. Chad Henne will not be re-signed and with Moore, the Dolphins have an adequate starter.

The Dolphins will do what they must to upgrade the position, and hopefully it will come through the draft. Matt Barkley deciding to return to USC will leave Miami out of position to draft one of the top two prospects, Andrew Luck and RG3. Either another QB comes into the mix after the combine or the Dolphins will have to sellout the future.

Matt Moore will have one remaining chance to seize the day, but unfortunately it is too little too late.

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots Live Game Chat

Hey everyone. Sorry I'm a little late. I almost forgot about the game being on Saturday.

Here is a link to the game.

Merry Christmas !!!

To all my friends on the Dolphin Shout I'd like to send my best wishes to you and your Families on the special day that descends upon us.

My Wife and I are heading to WDW on Friday and we will be there until the 26th of December. We swore we would never visit Disney again on Christmas day, New Years day, or July 4th. Her work schedule dictated that our traditional visit to see the Candlelight Procession at EPCOT would have to be on Christmas weekend. Because of that I have sent this out a little earlier than what I wanted.

I would like to extend to each and everyone of you an individual personal message for the Holidays, but there is no way to do that or at least not in the way I would like. So I will do that in this way.

Through out the year, we sometimes or should I say mostly disagree with each other. At times I have found myself needing to step away for a day or so, and say nothing to not incite anyone or myself any further. I'm sure most of you have done that same thing. How ever I can tell you one thing. All of you have made me a better person even my Wife has noticed it. So thanks to all of you for that.

I hope all of you have learned not only something about the Miami Dolphins that you didn't know in the past, but also something about yourselves as I have.

Merry Christmas to all of you... !!!!! GO DOLPHINS !!!!!

A Dolphinshout Out to Matt Moore

Miami Dolphin fans and media have been fixated on the QB position. The ramped negative connotation is, winning games now will have an adverse affect on the draft. The players claim to ignore the media and go about their business as if the written word all around them has no bearing on what they think or how they perform.

Matt Moore has been given reluctant praise for his recent performance but is summarily dismissed in speculation about the future. The truth is, Moore in his 5th season, is not the journeyman QB most fans to think. Forced to start the final 8 games as a rookie in 2007 for Carolina due to injuries to Jake Delhomme and David Carr, his 67.0 QB rating was not good, but he held his own.

He spent the entire 2008 season on IR with a broken fibula.

He broke out in 2009 starting the final 7 games after injuries to Delhomme and Josh McCown. He ended the season with a 98.5 QB rating and played so well the Panthers cut Delhomme after the season and declared Moore the starter.

A concussion in the 1st game of the 2010 season derailed his chance to lead the team. After drafting Jimmy Clausen, the Panthers were eager to play the rookie and when Moore played poorly the week following his concussion he was benched. When Clausen proved incapable, Moore returned as the starter only to separate his shoulder and finish the season on injured reserve. He was cut when Carolina drafted Cam Newton.

Moore has started 32 games with a 17-15 record in those starts. Moore is 5-5 with the Dolphins after losing his first 3 starts. While Moore is in his 5th season, he is only in his 2nd as a starter due to injuries. In October, Moore had a QB rating of 65.3, in November, 112.7, in December, 91.5, clearly this is a QB playing at a high level after a rocky start with no off-season and few 1st team reps prior to Chad Henne’s injury.

Those are the numbers and the history, it is important to put them together and analyze whether Moore has shown more than a cursory glance at being the Dolphins starting QB in 2012. It is also important to understand how Moore’s performance will play a part in the Dolphins 2012 draft strategy.

The common knock on Moore is that he has not won any significant game this season. It would seem that any victory after a 0-7 start would be significant but the only opponent deemed worthy of that title would probably be the Philadelphia Eagles. Moore and the Dolphins did not perform well in that game after the injury to left tackle Jake Long. This leaves Moore with two games against the vaunted Patriots and the hated Jets to win over the city of Miami.

The next two weeks will be defining moments in Matt Moore’s NFL career. Not too much pressure! How Moore performs and how the Dolphins respond to his leadership will not only dictate his future but how the Dolphins approach the off-season as well. If the Dolphins come out of at least one of those games victorious and if Moore leads the team on a final victory march, the tale will be told.

There is no need for predictions, it is simple, lead the team and show the character that has been lacking in Miami since number 13, and the city belongs to Matt Moore. Crash-and-burn and Miami will be looking for another solution to the endless void at QB.

Nothing is ever that simple and one concern cannot be overlooked, injuries. The history shows a propensity for injury as Moore has already ended 2 seasons out of 5 on IR. This is the big unknown because very player in the NFL is one hit away from IR. QB is the one position where injury can lead to complete devastation; one look at the Colts shows how true that is.

It is clear no matter how Moore ends the season, Miami must draft a QB, but Moore’s performance will speak volumes on how the Dolphins approach the off-season. If Moore shows he can lead the team to wins in these career defining games he will be Miami’s starting QB next season and perhaps mitigate drastic moves to improve their position in the draft.

If Miami loses badly, Moore will still be slated as the starter, but his replacement will be drafted early, no matter the cost and he will have lost his chance to be a franchise QB and all the windfalls that come with the title.

Here’s a Dolphinshout out to Matt Moore!

Take your chance young man and show the world what you’ve dreamed of as a child, beat the Patriots and the Jets and leave nothing on the table. This is your time.

Jeff Ireland is a Survivor

Contempt for Jeff Ireland has been a resounding theme coming from the Miami Dolphin fan base. The reality is far less demonstrative with emotion removed from the equation.

One glance at the perennial playoff teams would be like listing a who’s who of the league’s best QBs. Had one of those names landed in Miami, there would be a love affair between the fan base and Jeff Ireland. Every Ireland free agent bust or draft day miss, forgotten with the right decision at the most critical position on the football field, QB.

Discounting the early influence of Bill Parcells when considering what could have been in Miami is a mistake. In Ireland’s first year on the job, Miami had the first pick in the draft and chose left tackle Jake Long. Matt Ryan, chosen by the Atlanta Falcons is in his fourth year and continues rising up in the QB ranks each season. Most folks don’t remember, Phillip Merling was Miami’s second pick at number 32, and Chad Henne’s selection didn’t come until the 57th pick in the draft. If analysts and scouts across the NFL had any inkling Chad Henne had franchise potential, he would have never made it to 57.

The strategy of building from the interior out, clearly demonstrated Miami’s intention with first two draft picks. The decision to move up in the late 2nd round and draft Chad Henne for his potential was not a reach or a mistake.

Chad Pennington falling in Miami’s lap and the advent of the Wildcat fooled Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano into believing they had a long-term strategy for success. Jeff Ireland tried to bring in the players to fit a failed system. Ireland’s job was to supply his coach with the players needed to make the system work, but the system was flawed.

Many pundits point to Pat White as an example of Jeff Ireland’s inability to judge talent, but this is wrong. The Miami Dolphin coaching staff was selected to coach the senior bowl that featured Pat White, coaching in that game was another unfortunate coincidence that led to Tony Sparano’s demise. Pat White went on to win the game and the MVP. Parcells and Sparano became enamored with White and it is certain they swayed Ireland into drafting him in the 2nd round.

The coaching staff fell in love with Pat White, not Jeff Ireland and yet Ireland took the fall in the fan’s eyes. In hindsight, it is easy to see that game clouded Parcells’ and Sparano’s vision and they went away from their own criterion for selecting draft picks.

Many folks look at the failed FA offensive linemen as a stain on Ireland’s resume. Tony Sparano was supposed to be the offensive line guru; it was Sparano’s evaluation that led to the release of Samson Satele and the subsequent 3-year search for his replacement.

Sparano worked out Jake Grove and Justin Smiley, not Ireland. Ireland signed those players because they were Sparano’s choice. Sparano recommended Mark Columbo because he had worked with him in Dallas. Ireland depended on Sparano’s expertise on the offensive line to sign those players, perhaps Sparano should be the one in the crosshairs.

Stephen Ross, called everything from an idiot (me), to a buffoon, even the Muppets’ Beeker, may be funny looking, but he’s a little smarter than Miami fans think. A GM makes decisions based on the input he gets from football people and brings in players based on a strategy. When the input is poor and the strategy is flawed, the GM is blamed, but the quality of the output is only as good as the quality of the data. Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano are as much at fault for Jeff Ireland’s misses as he is.

Players signed in free agency are largely a product of coaches watching film and making recommendations, the draft is where the GM and his staff make the calls. Miami fans generally believe Jeff Ireland has done well in the draft and missed on free agency. His worst misses in the draft, Pat White and Phillip Merling correlate directly to input from the coaching staff and Bill Parcells.

What little the Dolphins have won came in spite of a flawed system and poor personnel judgment by the coaching staff and Bill Parcells. It is due to the one man who made the proper decisions, Jeff Ireland.

Tony Sparano is a likable man and loyal to a fault, Bill Parcells is an NFL icon; it is easy to see why the media and fans would turn on the remaining member of the tirade as the scapegoat in Miami. Jeff Ireland has survived while the others are gone, because he is not a “weasel” as a headline here labeled him. He has survived because he overcame poor coaching; a flawed strategy and an overrated Czar, to put enough good players on the field to suggest he may have what it takes to lead this franchise.

Okay Jeff, no more criticism here, Miami has seen what all powerful coaches and Czars can do, not much. The ball is your court…

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills Live Game Chat

Here we are in our first game without Tony Sparano in about four years.

Here is a link to watch the game.

Big Name Coaches Reject Miami

Stephen Ross made another mistake in hanging his hat on Jeff Ireland. Regardless of whether he thinks Ireland has done a good enough job to remain, Ross has handcuffed his ability to hire a named coach, like Cowher, Fisher or Gruden by not firing Ireland. There are other reasons these coaches will pass on the Miami job, a fan base that does not show up for the games and is hypercritical in the media, the lack of a franchise QB and a city that has too many distractions for the players.

By keeping Ireland, Ross has set his table for rejection by these men who will be looking to choose their own personnel man. The lack of a franchise QB means the coach will be at the mercy of the direction Ireland decides to go at that position. Every coach knows he will live or die with the player behind the center. Overcoming the city and the fans can happen by putting a winning product on the field, but without a personnel man of their choosing or a franchise QB, it is unlikely.

Imagine Fisher at the interview table with Ireland, “coach, what were you thinking when you drafted Albert Haynesworth and Pacman Jones?”

Fisher, “their chances of making it in the NFL were slightly better than Pat White…”

Ireland, “coach, did you question Vince Young’s maturity before drafting him?”

Fisher, “did you really think Chad Henne had a better chance of being a franchise QB?”

If anyone ever considered being transformed into a fly, it would have to be the one on the wall of that meeting room. These are not men who would take to answering questions from a weasel like Ireland, being in the same room would be tough enough. Ross has taken those names off the table by siding with Jeff Ireland.

Ireland is viewed as a GM who sold out his coach. The NFL is a closely-knit fraternity of men who sacrifice their lives and their bodies to play a brutal game, where the word “team” includes everyone in the organization. The moment Jeff Ireland committed mutiny by not going down with Sparano; he proved he could not be a trusted member of the fraternity. His name fits him well now, because Jeff Ireland is on an island.

Ross has made the fatal mistake of not respecting the depth of the fraternity he bought into. The men who are in the position to select the team they will coach, men like Cowher, Fisher or Gruden, have marked the Dolphins off their list. Ross will soon learn this lesson when he tries to interview these men and they decline.

The hope for Dolphin fans of seeing one of these men as the next coach in Miami is gone. Ross made his bed with Ireland and when the Dolphins finally name an unheralded, obscure coach, it should come as no surprise to Miami fans.

Sparano will get the last laugh because that same fraternity knows, the one man in Miami who proved his loyalty was Tony Sparano.

Unfortunately, the misery in Miami is far from over and will continue as long as Ross is unable to see the fox in the hen house.

You Tell Me: If The Miami Dolphins Could Get Peyton Manning, Should They?

I am sorry for not posting all week. I have been too busy to put anything up, so I figured that I would do a very interesting Miami Dolphins "You Tell Me" this week.

The "You Tell Me" for the week is this: if the Miami Dolphins had the chance to trade for Peyton Manning, would you want them to do it?

I saw a post on a Dolphins fan page on Facebook, and there were a lot of people who thought that Miami shouldn't try and get him. I was shocked, because to me it is a no-brainer. In my mind it would be ludicrous to not take him. So, I am bringing this question to you guys to see what you think.

Thanks for stopping by, and I look forward to your thoughts.

Jeff Ireland is a Weasel

There is a lot of speculation about why Jeff Ireland is getting preferential treatment for a Dolphin team he is as much responsible for as Tony Sparano. The answer is more about timing than Ireland’s relationship with Stephen Ross. As Bill Parcells once said, “the NFL is a talent acquisition business.” While the football team is playing this year, the player personnel people are planning for next year. Firing Ireland now could have a dire effect on the preparation for the draft in April.

Many of the same reporters doing the speculating have also pointed out the disconnect between the front office and football operations. The owner, the president and the rest of the folks who run the business side of the Dolphins have their offices at Joe Robbie Stadium in North Miami, while the football people reside at the train facility in Davie. Bill Parcells may have orchestrated the separation to keep his kingdom free from the prying eyes of management, it has worked.

Obviously, Stephen Ross knows little about the inter-workings of the personnel side of the game and Ireland should be happy about it. Ross’ relationship with former Chiefs personnel man Carl Peterson is well documented and while it may be true Ross has no intention of hiring Peterson, he is listening. All the film work that goes into creating a draft board is happening right now and Peterson has probably told Ross, firing Ireland at this point would be a mistake because of it.

From his perch above JRS Ross can see the result of Sparano’s work each Sunday just as we all can, but the personnel work is all done in the dim light of film rooms and remote scouting locations. It’s the shadowy world at the heart of every NFL team and the backbone of the franchise. Todd Bowles may make a few mistakes, but with his DC and OC still in place, removing Sparano will have minimal affect on a 4-9 football team. Shaking up the personnel department now could be detrimental to the future of the franchise and no doubt, Peterson has warned Ross of this consequence.

A high profile coach may indeed want to bring in his own personnel people, but that won’t happen until after the 2012 draft. Ireland proved his loyalty when he jumped on the plane with Ross and that loyalty is to himself. This means, Ireland is a calculating man. When Ross wanted to fire Sparano during the atrocious start of the season, Ireland knew, the longer Tony remained, the better his chances of sticking. Ireland was the one who recommended Sparano continue, as long as he did not lose the locker room.

The timeline of events stack up a little too cleanly in favor of Ireland for one not to wonder whether the puppet master was pulling the strings. The business of the NFL is a high stakes cutthroat game played where it is routine to talk in millions and billions of dollars. The hard work pays in dividends most folks only dream of and when a personnel person aligns himself too closely with a coach who does not perform, he has to believe, his ability will be cast in the same light.

Once Parcells walked away, the guardian angel for both Sparano and Ireland walked out the door with him. They were left to fend for themselves and Ireland knew Parcells would never have walked away if he felt his legacy and reputation would grow from what was happening in Miami. Parcells walked away because he knew he had failed. He had failed in his selection of a coach and he has failed in his selection of a personnel man. Ireland saw this immediately and knew, if he didn’t distance himself from Tony Sparano, he would be identified with him and the under-performing Dolphins.

This is not new or isolated, this happens in big business everywhere, everyday. Once tasted, success and power are a wicked elixir and the hearts of many a man changes by the sweetness of the potion. The NFL has changed because of its own success. The coach has to motivate players who have tasted the sweet nectar and the only way to do this is to show he is not overcome by the spell. The GM and the coach must be perfectly aligned or they will both be looking for other employment.

Ireland split with Sparano when Parcells left and he knew Ross would build the team without the influence of an all-powerful Czar, and a coach he did not choose. It could be said, Ireland is a company man and Ross is his boss, therefore his loyalty should not be questioned. From the top to the bottom, football is about sacrifice and loyalty, loyalty to the player next to you, loyalty to the coach and loyalty to the management. When the chain is broken it is only a matter of time before the organization breaks down and the components fracture.

Sparano made the mistake of remaining loyal to the people who gave him this opportunity, even after Parcells left him high and dry. Ireland cut the ties and bowed to a new master. Time will tell whether Jeff Ireland played the right hand in this million-dollar game of truth or dare. One thing is certain, his chance to survive was greatly enhanced, the longer Sparano held on. Success is the only thing billionaires are loyal to and like Parcells and Sparano, Ireland is as much apart of the failure in Miami.

Perhaps the timing has tied Ross’ hand when it comes to Ireland, but the ropes are frayed and Jeff is on tenuous ground because the rest of the NFL is watching. In a game based on men willing to sacrifice their body and soul in pursuit of greatness, a weasel won’t last long.

A Dolphinshout Out to Tony Sparano

It would seem Dolphin owner Steven Ross has some cards up his sleeve with the firing of Tony Sparano. The 4-9 record is probably reason enough but there is more behind the scenes and we will be hearing about it in short measure. After Jack Del Rio and Todd Haley were sent packing and with Jim Caldwell and Norv Turner soon to follow, Boss Ross decided he needed to jump in the game before the best coaching candidates were gone. Ross learned his lesson about approaching potential candidates with the ill-fated pursuit of Jim Harbaugh, now he is ready to talk.

For Ross, this is his chance to select a coach of his own liking. Bill Parcells brought in Sparano when Wayne Huizenga handed Parcells the reigns to rebuild the franchise. From the start, it was obvious Parcells and Ross did not meet on common ground. Ross wanted to be more involved with his new toy and Parcells preferred his owner took a backseat and only be involved when the purse strings needed opening. Ross is not the type of man to stand in the shadows while someone else runs his billion-dollar baby. Parcells recognized the warning signs and baled before his legacy would come under scrutiny.

The situation left Tony Sparano in the middle of the crossfire. Failing to hire Harbough was like a thorn stuck in Ross’ heel, his mistake forced him to live with a coach he obviously didn’t want and it was only a matter of time before Sparano would be shown the door. It had to be difficult for Sparano to motivate his team with the axe waiting over his head, but 3 straight losing seasons was enough for Ross. With an opportunity to bring his team back to the playoffs, Sparano led the team to a 0-7 start and sealed his fate.

Ross knows the only way to win back the fans and fill the seats is to field a winning team. Hoping Sparano would find the winning formula was not going to work for a man like Steven Ross because to him, hope is not a plan. The moment Ross took off on the flight across the country to talk to Harbaugh, he’d made up his mind to find another coach for the Dolphins. Jeff Ireland was on that flight, and it was clear whom Ross had chosen to run his football team and the structure of the team going forward.

Parcells had soured Ross on the notion of an all-powerful football Czar as the final voice on the team. The days of a coach having the final say in all decisions is past. It is simply too much for one man to handle and we can see the example in New England. After Belichick’s personnel people moved on to GM positions, the Patriot drafts have not been the quality they had been in previous years. For a GM to be successful, he must have a clear direction when selecting players. Sparano could not find a direction for the Dolphins.

A lot was written about Sparano adapting to the modern NFL, but it is that very indecisiveness that cost him his job. The NFL is at the top of the football world and if a coach has to learn on the job, he is not ready to coach in this league. Tony Sparano was not ready. The experience Sparano gained while coaching the Dolphins could very well be his stepping-stone to other opportunities, but that future will play out somewhere else.

Tony Sparano is a good football coach and he never lost his players when they could have easily packed it in. While many fans felt Sparano deserved another year because of this, it is probably better for him to move on and use this experience to avoid failure when his chance arrives again. Even the fans who wanted to see Sparano gone are not running him out of town as they have many before him. He is a good man and we wish him well, even if it didn’t work out in Miami.

So here’s to you Tony… Your name will not go down with the likes of Wannstedt, Saban or Cameron. Miami will remember a man with pride and dignity, who worked hard and never once succumbed to the pressure of knowing one foot was out the door. As a coach, there is still much to learn, but as a man, there is a lot Tony Sparano can teach each of us.

This is a Dolphinshout out to Tony Sparano!

We wish you well coach!

Welp, you all got your wish, Sparano officially fired!!

I guess my good deeds days are over, oughta make a bunch of'ya happy :) !!

Todd Bowels to be the interim HC...

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7345810/miami-dolphins-fire-coach-tony-sparano-source-confirms

Miami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano To Be Fired At End Of Season

Miami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano is going to be fired at the end of the season, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

The interesting part about Sparano's future firing is the news that Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland will remain with Miami next season.

According to Salguero, this news is "fact". It is going to happen. What we don't know yet is who will be replacing Sparano.

This news comes just hours after the Dolphins 10-26 loss to Philadelphia, and it comes after a week where Tony Sparano received a lot of support from fans and media alike. That support is likely all gone after Miami's pathetic loss against the Eagles, though I expect that there will be some outrage at the news of Ireland staying.

I am personally undecided about Ireland. He has his really good moments he has his not-so-good moments. I suspect that the Dolphins will be alright with him still at GM, but I'm not sure.

Thanks for stopping by, and let me know what you think.

Miami Dolphins vs Philadelphia Eagles Live Game Chat

Another important game for Sparano and Co.

Here is a link to the game.

You Tell Me: Should Brian Daboll and Mike Nolan Keep Their Jobs?

There has been a lot of talk recently about Tony Sparano keeping his job as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and rightfully so. But, what about others on the coaching staff like Brian Daboll and Mike Nolan? Those two both started this season off kind of rough, but have since improved.

I want you guys to tell me what you think about the two. I haven't done a "You Tell Me" in a while, so I figured this would be an appropriate topic to use to bring it back.

So, you tell me. Who should the Miami Dolphins bring back next year, or how much more of them do you need to see to know if they should stay?

Thanks for stopping by, and let me know your thoughts.

Here's to the Dolphins Winning Out

It’s an odd time for Miami fans as they ponder what the future holds for the Dolphins. The opening seven loses made it easy to speculate how the Dolphins would approach selecting a new coaching staff. Chad Henne’s season ending injury in the midst of the losing streak left Miami in the hands of a journeyman QB whose initial starts were uninspiring. The defense, which was supposed to be the strength of the team, was hovering near the bottom of the league and the entire team was in disarray.

With the Suck-for-Luck campaign in full bloom, the Dolphins found a spark, the coaches figured out winning game plans, Matt Moore began a pro bowl run at QB and the defense suddenly stifled opponents. In all the Dolphins now look like a formidable team that could seriously challenge all comers. However, with four games to play, even winning out will leave Miami with an 8-8 record and watching the playoffs from home.

The certainty of a new coaching staff and a first round QB has now led to debate about whether Sparano could earn another season and Matt Moore could become a franchise QB. It is hard not to root for Sparano and Moore, both have been ostracized to the point of exhaustion, making many people gravitate toward the underdogs they have become. Nevertheless, three straight seasons have found the Dolphins starting so slow, it has virtually eliminated them from the playoffs by mid-season.

It’s hard to reconcile the slow starts with giving the staff another chance. It has split the fan base into two distinct groups, those who believe Sparano should get another chance if the team wins 3 or 4 more games and those who are actually hoping the team will lose to seal Sparano’s fate. It is natural there will be folks on both sides of the debate, but one thing is certain, winning beats losing in any scenario.

Waltzing into work after winning is so much better than dreading the comments waiting after another loss. Grinning at fans from opposing teams instead of wearing a sneer all day makes the week just a little more tolerable. Ultimately, fan opinion may play a part in the direction the team takes after the season, but perhaps it is better to allow that to come in its own good time.

As fans, we impatiently wait 6 months each off-season for the season to begin and now it seems we are impatient for it to end. The Dolphins have won 4 of 5 and are playing some of the best football in the league. It’s not time to worry about what next year will bring, it is time to wear our colors with pride. The future could hold many things, but living in the present is much more enjoyable.

This is a call to Dolphin fans everywhere, carry the banner down into the fight! It’s not time to worry about the fate of Tony Sparano or Mat Moore, it’s time relish the feeling of your favorite team riding the tide of victory. The burgers are better, the beer is smoother and the world is sunnier after a win.

So, this fan hopes the Dolphins win every remaining game, the rest will take care of itself and give us plenty to debate during the long boring wait for football to begin again.

Go Fins!

I Love Eagle Fans

Being born in Philadelphia makes the Dolphins – Eagles match-ups even more exciting for me, because my family is full of Eagle fans… They must think a certain extremity of mine has a lot of reach because of the things they’ve been telling me to do to myself. They can be vulgar, but it’s vulgarity with passion and that has to account for something. When I asked my nephew about the match-up he said, “I love you, go 'F' yourself.” My cousin told me Michael Vick would be looking to “F” some blowhole! Going for the blowhole, now that’s a low blow!

Eagle fans get a lot of abuse, but I guess pelting Santa with snowballs can give a city a bad reputation. Knowing them as well as I do, I’ve seen a certain change the past couple years and this year is particularly bad. I remember the feeling all too well, the Dolphins under Shula and Marino went to the Super Bowl after the 1984 season, then spent the next 10 years teasing us with the playoffs, only to lose before making it to the dance. I try to empathize with my beloved Eagle family, but they keep telling me to go drink a tall frosty glass of shut the “F” up.

The difference between Eagle fans and most other fans in the NFL is, there’s no grey area. They are all-in all the time and can go from jumping up and down cheering, to telling some guy (me) he needs to find his evening meal in the toilet. The near misses have left them a bitter group. They even resort to demeaning their own mother, or maybe they don’t realize when calling me a stupid bastard that we have the same mother. I would be offended, but they mean it with all the love.

I’m not sure why LeSean McCoy is nick named Shady but they tell me, he will leave Karlos Dansby searching for his jock strap. If McCoy is “Shady”, I can only imagine what they nicknamed Michael Vick! For some reason they really get mad when I call him “Coach Killa!” I’m just saying, there are no coaches in street football. When Vick gets in the huddle, he makes those noises like the teacher from Charlie Brown and then tells everyone to run around until he can get loose and heave it.

Why they tell me I’m a Pole-Smoker when I say things like that is beyond me, I’m just saying… Sheesh, don’t take things personal!

I also learned the 4 Dolphins victories were against unimpressive competition, excluding the Redskins, which come from the sacred NFC East. Oh by the way, the Redskins are fondly referred to as the “Foreskins” in Eagle country. I guess Eagle fans don’t look at team records much before spouting off, they might find all the teams the Dolphins beat have a better record than the Eagles, excluding the Foreskins. See, the Dolphins can’t play in the big boy league but when I mentioned the Eagles already lost to the Bills and Patriots from the little boy league, I’m reminded, any stupid SOB knows the AFC East couldn’t even beat teams from the Big East. Man I am Stupid, I didn’t know that!

They may have gone a little easier on me had we beat the Cowgirls, their hate for the Cowgirls in unparalleled. The city of Brotherly Love proved that when they cheered as Michael Irvin lay on the field with the cervical spinal cord injury that ended his career. I’m not an Irvin fan but I don’t think, “the coke snorting piece of human excrement deserved it.” They should change it to, The City of Brotherly Tough Love, see then we can understand, because Irvin was snorting coke, getting his neck broken would straighten him out, right? They were just trying to help Irvin lead a better life.

It’s gotta be hard on Eagle fans, I mean everyone was thinking Super Bowl Dream Team. They signed every damn FA on the market including Ronnie Brown. When they figured out why we let him go, they tried to trade him to Detroit for running back Jerome Harrison but the trade was voided because Harrison failed his physical. Now they tell me, they should have known Brown was a POS because he came from the Sardines.

They signed Vince Young to back-up Vick, after the 4 picks he threw last week I bet he doesn’t spend as much time in the local watering holes as he did in Tennessee. They tell me they’ll, “beat his F-ing arse” if they see him on the street, it’s the Tough Love thing again…

I told them it was pay back for all the veterans they traded at the peak of their game because they were too cheap to sign them. They told me I was an “F-ing” idiot and should go back to my day job and stop think I’m an “F-ing” GM. Hey, they signed The Dream Team, oh BTW, don’t mention the phrase “Dream Team” around a Philly fan; it sends them into another stratosphere. My own brother told me he would knock the – toilet content consuming – grin off my face if I brought it up again.

It’s important to remember, all of this was said in a normal tone of voice. People in Philly just talk to each other using colorful expletives and outsiders often mistake them for being obnoxious jerks. I don’t have this problem, I know them too well, and they are! Nevertheless, I love them just the same…

Tony Sparano Should Keep His Job

Tony Sparano has certainly made what once seemed his inevitable firing a little easier to second guess. For the past 5 weeks, the Dolphins have been playing at a level not seen in these parts since the Wildcat made the Patriots wonder what hit them. Things are a little different this time; there is no gadget play to account for the turnaround, the team is using conventional plays and emotion to dominate opponents. It is important to understand what has changed in Dolphin land and in the case of Tony Sparano, can we expect it to continue.

Several factors have created a new identity for the Dolphins and we can begin on the defensive side of the ball. Earlier in the season, many called Kevin Burnett a complete bust, another miss in free agency for Jeff Ireland. Burnett looked lost on defense and as we often hear, he was thinking instead of reacting. The change for Burnett came when he was relieved of his job of calling the defense. Karlos Dansby whose experience in the defense made it easier for him to make the calls, took over the job.

Dansby had some issues of his own, coming into training camp a whooping 270 pounds he was moving more like a DT than a LB and was a complete liability in coverage. The big fat FA contract must have filled Dansby’s fridge with meals measured for Refrigerator Perry and undoubtedly, his teammates wondered whether he came to play this season. One thing learned from the “New NFL” after the lockout is waiting until training to start getting into shape can no longer work without two-a-day practices. It took Dansby much longer to shed the weight then he had anticipated and it clearly affected his play.

Vontae Davis showed up thinking all he had to do was walk on the field and things would come easy to him. A hamstring injury slowed him down and instead of taking the proper steps to rehab the injury; he used the down time to extend his nightlife into the wee hours. Coming to the facility late, hung-over and not ready to work, infuriated his fellow defenders. Tony Sparano, not known for being a disciplinarian, shocked Davis and the rest of the team by leaving him behind when they traveled to KC. That was the beginning of the change in the Dolphin season. Davis Finally woke up and intercepted his first pass of the season against the Redskins the following week.

Tony Sparano showed the defensive players none of them was untouchable, nor were any of them above the team, when one of them started acting that way, the bus left without him. It doesn’t seem like such a simple act of discipline could have the ripple effect it had on the Dolphin defense. A coach can easily lose a locker room when he treats players who are not performing differently because of their draft or salary status. By benching Davis, Sparano woke up players like Dansby, Burnett and Smith.

Once Dansby began the hit parade, Yereiamh Bell, Burnett, Davis and even Sean Smith started getting into the act. For the past month, opposing receivers are thinking twice about coming over the middle, QBs are holding the ball just a second longer and RBs are not hitting holes without expecting to meet some serious resistance. Passion, confidence and winning feed on themselves, when a coach shows he takes exception to a player he feels has given up, the rest of the team takes notice.

On the offense Matt Moore started rough, in his first 4 games he was completing less than 60% of his passes, he had thrown only 1 TD and 4 Ints and his QB rating was abysmal. But it was not only Moore who had the light go on before the KC game, it was Tony Sparano as well. Sparano made the critical decision to stop forcing the run on 1st down and throw the ball.

The offense was so predictable it was joke; no one could expect a QB to play well when the opposing defense knew invariably Miami would run the ball on 1st down. It comes from Sparano’s old school Parcellian training that it is essential to establish run before trying to throw. It’s a ridiculous notion, made worse by the amount of data available on play calling charts that show team tendencies. When 80% of a team’s 1st down calls are a running play, it becomes easy to defend them. Stuck in unfavorable down and distance on 2nd and 3rd down left the team again predictable and allowed pass rushers to come after the QB without worrying about running plays or gap integrity.

Whether it was Daboll or someone else in the organization that convinced Sparano to open things up on first down we will probably never know. A certain writer on this blog was constantly ranting about it. Regardless of why or who, by spreading Reggie Bush out into the formation and using more 3 receiver sets on 1st down, opposing defenses were forced to loosen up the front 7, pull a safety or LB out on Bush and bring in a 3rd corner.

They began by calling easy West Coast style passes for Moore on early downs. He responded by completing these throws, which helped his confidence and got the defense on its heels. Once the defense loosened up, lanes began to appear between the tackles and Bush was able to use his speed and quickness to make bursts into the 2nd level. Now defenses had some issues because if they shrunk in to defend the run, they would be vulnerable to the short passing game and if they remained spread, they were susceptible to the rushing attack. For the 1st time in a number of years, Miami was dictating the flow of the game on offense.

The major difference between Moore and Chad Henne has to do with touch. For a West Coast throw to be an easy throw, the delivery must hit the receiver in stride, leading him to the open space. From there the receiver has a step to make moves to elude tacklers and make positive yardage. Chad Henne is not capable of making these throws because he lacks the touch required throw short passes over linemen. A true West Coast offense is more like a rushing attack and designed to gain 5 yards, but when the receiver makes one defender miss, the gains can then become substantial. It is the beauty of the scheme, because it allows skilled players to maneuver in space. It’s the perfect attack for a scat player like Reggie Bush and a big WR like Brandon Marshall; it’s all about yards after catch.

Couple Dan Henning at OC with a stubborn run-first head coach and the Dolphin players probably felt they were in the football stone ages. It was a leap of faith for Sparano to release the reigns on Brian Daboll and a stroke of luck the West Coast style fit perfectly with Matt Moore. These two factors are what led to the change in the Miami offensive we now see on the field.

Talent at QB is obviously of great importance in this league but it is the talents around the QB that makes the engine run and contrary to reports, blogs and stories, Miami has an abundance of talent, which up until the last several games had been largely misused. The Miami Dolphins have hit upon a formula for success and should have a nice run the rest of the season, but will it be enough to give Tony Sparano a second chance at coaching the Dolphins?

The Dolphins must continue the late season surge to keep Tony Sparano in the picture, but if they do, keeping him may be the best option for the Dolphins. The team has found a formula for success and the proper utilization of the talent currently on the roster. Blowing up the coaching staff now will place Miami in the same position it was in at the beginning of this season, trying to find which pieces fit where in the puzzle. The continuity gained over the second half of the season will be lost and new systems will put the Dolphins back to square one. Sparano has kept this team together through an awful stretch that would have sent a lesser man packing.

Like any rookie, Sparano is learning on the fly. Having the arcane influence of Bill Parcells only made his job worse as he tried to bring his team into the modern era of football. Tony Sparano has shown the most vital ingredient great coaches possess, a willingness to change with the personnel he has and get the most out of his players. Most coaches fail because they fall into the trap of forcing rigid systems on mismatched personnel. Sparano has changed everything Parcells put in place; he fired both the offensive and defensive coordinators. He saw the folly of the Wildcat and he worked through the poor personnel decisions that folly precipitated. Only now is he playing with his team.

To reiterate, this team needs to finish strong or there will be no chance for Tony Sparano. If it does, making a change would be like pulling the plug after just filling the tub with hot water. A rookie QB is needed, but the best place for him will be carrying a clipboard and learning from Matt Moore. The firm grasp the staff now has on the personnel will allow them to draft complimentary players instead of trashing everything and starting over. Many coaches come from humble beginnings and only begin to flirt with greatness when the pieces fall into place. That is what is happening in Miami.

From this vantage point, a successful end to the season will earn Tony Sparano a chance to prove, he should continue to be the coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Miami Dolphins vs Oakland Raiders Live Game Chat

It's game time.

Here is a link to the game.

The Dolphin - Raider Match-up

The Oakland Raider - Miami Dolphin games have lost a little luster over the years but these two teams don’t like each other. It goes way back… In the 1974 AFC Divisional Playoff Game, Miami was about to earn a 4th consecutive Super Bowl appearance. Only 24 seconds remained in the game when Raiders RB Clarence Davis somehow caught the game-winning touchdown pass with three Dolphin defenders draped on him and QB Kenny Stabler throwing from his knees.

Ever wonder where the “In the Grasp” rule came from? It wasn’t the last time the Raiders changed the rulebook… In a 1978 game against the Chargers, Stabler fumbled the ball, RB Pete Banaszak deliberately batted it into the end zone, TE Dave Casper recovered for a touchdown and the Raiders won. After that play, only the offensive player fumbling the ball could advance it. Remember the tuck rule, this time the Raiders were on the wrong side of what surely should have been a Tom Brady fumble. A little history lesson makes it easy to see why the Raiders are the most hated team in the NFL, not to mention their obnoxious fans.

That 1974 playoff game was the end of an era for the Dolphins. When Joe Robbie refused to pay Larry Csonka the million dollars he demanded that off-season, Csonka, with Jim Kiick and Paul Warfield defected to the World Football League’s Memphis Southmen. That playoff game would be the final game together for one of the greatest teams in NFL history. For old school Dolphin fans, it will live on in infamy. These players have no link to that history, but it’s time to remind them of their roots and give them a reason to hate the Raiders as much as their fans do.

The Raiders 7-4 record is out of line with its statistical performance. The Oakland defense, allowing over 5 yards a carry, ranked 20th against the pass and 27th in scoring, is not a formula for success, but the Raiders have found their stride. QB Carson Palmer, after a complete collapse in his 1st game, a 28 to 0 loss to KC, has reeled off 3 consecutive victories. The statistics are indicative of the mistake of using overall stats to predict how a team is playing later in the season. The Raiders are playing above the numbers in the stat column and will prove formidable, if taken lightly by the Dolphins.

Oakland has been able to overcome the loss of starting QB Jason Campbell and RB Darren MacFadden, not making the playoffs since 2002 is fueling the Raider fire. Miami will need to play at the top of its game to beat a Raider team that is rolling downhill. Losing to the Cowboys effectively eliminated the Dolphins from the playoffs but this is also a team on the rise. Miami will need to force the Raiders away from its 4th ranked rushing attack and then bring pressure on Palmer to create turnovers.

On the offensive side of the ball, Miami must not revert to a vanilla game plan on 1st down. The Dolphins find trouble offensively when forced into predictable play calling on 2nd and 3rd down caused by forcing the run between the tackles on 1st down. The Dolphins reverted to predictable play calling against the Cowboys and went away from what had led to a 3 game win streak. The Dallas game plan looked like the Miami coaching staff trying to change what was on film in the 3 previous victories.

Dallas showed a weak front on 1st down and Matt Moore checked to running plays, but the front was a façade as Dallas was bringing safeties in run support at the snap. The coaches showed a season long inability to make adjustments during the game. In-game adjustments are often overrated and teams do not vary much from the game plan, but that only alludes to a flawed game plan from the beginning. The Dolphin offense plays better when not forcing the run early and the game plan must take advantage of this strength. Spreading the field and pulling the defense out of the box opens the running lanes.

Tony Sparano broke his tendency to establish the pass with the run prior to the Dallas game and the old phrase, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” applies well for Miami. The Miami offense works better by setting up the run with the pass because this approach takes advantage of Reggie Bush as a pass receiver. Defenses must respect Bush when he lines up out of the backfield and cannot stack the box giving Bush the open space he needs to use his elusiveness. Forcing Bush to run between the tackles takes away the advantage Miami gains from Bush’s ability in the open field.

The Keys…

Play with the passion of the past.
Shut down the Raider running game.
Pressure Carson Palmer and create turnovers.
Spread the offense on 1st down.
Set up the run with the pass.

Miami 31 – Oakland 14

Miami Dolphins Game Preview: The Raiders

Canamdolphin has a new preview post for the Miami Dolphins matchup against the Raiders.

I encourage you guys to check out his post and then come back here and discuss it. Here is the link to his post: Raiders at Dolphins: Preview Time!

Thanks for stopping by.

Matt Barkley Might Be Coming to the NFL After All

Matt Barkley has sent in his paperwork to the NFL Draft Advisory board to see what they think about him and his draft prospects, according to Pedro Moura of ESPN.

From what I gather, this isn't anything really significant, but it does tell us that he is still considering the NFL. I kind of expect him to stay in college another year, but this is a good sign. At least he is taking the steps to go to the NFL. It might not be anything huge, but it is notable nonetheless.


On a separate note, I wanted to say that I have become less and less impressed with Robert Griffin III the more that I watch him. I don't see him making NFL throws. He may have a big arm, but he doesn't have a very accurate arm. A running quarterback can only do so much when he is inaccurate. The fact that he can run so fast makes him an exciting prospect, but not one that I want the Dolphins to get.

I am not quite positive yet, but I think that I have Kellen Moore ranked above Griffin III. I need to watch more film on Moore to be sure, but I get the feeling that he is a better passer than Griffin.

That's all I've got for today. Let me know your thoughts.