Twenty-one first quarter points quickly erased the Miami Miracle as the Dolphins crashed and burned in Minneapolis. The Vikings running game gashed the Miami defense on three straight drives, while the Miami offense floundered. The game and Miami's playoff hopes ended before halftime. An average Minnesota Vikings team resembled the purple people eaters, annihilating the hapless Dolphins.
Minkah Fitzpatrick stepping in front of a Kirk Cousins pass and dashing into the endzone and a Kalen Ballage 75-yard touchdown run were the only hint of life Miami showed all day.
It was not enough, Ryan Tannehill stood flat footed in the face of a fierce pass rush, throwing for only 108 yards. After a brilliant performance against New England, Tannehill completed only 11 of 24 passes, looking beleaguered, confused and shell-shocked.
Enough of the Tannehill debate...
Clearly we've seen enough.
The Miami offensive line played an atrocious game allowing nine sacks. Even the invincible Frank Gore could not endure the pounding and left the game with an injured ankle. The Dolphin defense surrendered the line of scrimmage from the onset as the Vikings rushed for 220 yards and Cousins passed for another 215.
Six straight road losses for the Dolphins is the tale of the season. Miami does not bring the same intensity on the road, playing uninspired football in a game broadcast nationally. The euphoria of a walk off victory the previous week quickly gave way to the reality that the Miami Dolphins cannot match up with quality teams on the road. Miami has lost by an average of 17.7 points per road game during the six game skid.
The Dolphins are 7-17 on the road during Adam Gase's tenure and only three of those defeats have been less than ten points. While the Miami defense looked like a revolving door, the offense was equally pathetic. After the 75 yard Kalen Ballage burst to open the second half, Miami's next five drives totaled -27 yards...
Reverting to bad Tannehill, the Miami quarterback completed only 45.8 percent of his passes for 108 yards. His magical 155 rating a week ago, sunk to 59 this week as the Vikings took away the dink passes and forced him off his spot. The offensive line was downright offensive and did not show up for the game.
Enough debate...
It's time for a change.
Both sides of the ball looked lackadaisical and the 41-17 loss was not even that close. Nine sacks are a team record for a single game. Kirk Cousins came into the game as the worst free agent acquisition of the season only to put up 215 yards, 2 TDs and a 112 rating against perhaps the worst defense in the NFL.
It is time for this team to take a long realistic view at how far it is from the next level. In the present form, mediocrity is the definition of the Miami Dolphins. The quarterback has been here for seven years and has yet to reach the playoffs or finish a winning season. The coach has been here three years and his team has played 500 football and is routinely blown out on the road.
It is time for a change. If Adam Gase is unwilling to part ways with Ryan Tannehill, than it is time for Stephen Ross to fire the coach and allow the QB to move on. Any fear that Tannehill will somehow acquire greatness is a foolish notion. Quarterbacks do not take eight years to find some magic formula and anyone who thinks differently is delusional, including the coach of the Miami Dolphins.
Adam Gase has the potential to be a great coach, he can win games he should lose. Unfortunately he will never be that coach with a wildly inconsistent quarterback. If Dan Marino had been in that huddle, the words from his mouth would be ringing in the stands. Tannehill has no leadership skills and it shows vividly on the road.
Enough debate...
It's time for a change.
If Gase is unwilling to make the changes needed on this football team, there is no other recourse than to fire him. Tannehill is what he is, a backup quarterback. Joe Philbin was fired for trying to draft his replacement...
Will Adam Gase be fired for trying to keep the same quarterback?
Tannehill is a coach killer...
Meanwhile, Dolphin fans must agonize season after season mired in his mediocrity. If Mike Tannenbaum is unwilling to do what is right for this team and insists on maintaining the status quo, than he too must be fired.
The personnel people have been changed, the coaches have been changed and the Miami Dolphins remain the same. The only constant on this team is Ryan Tannehill, whether he's a tough guy, whether he has a rocket arm, whether he's smart, whether he's a team guy is irrelevant, you are what your record says you are... Mediocre.
Miami beat New England with a miracle play...
It was a euphoric moment in a season that has been grinding down to this, 7-7 mediocrity. It will be eight years next season.
Enough debate...
We've seen enough...
Time to move on...
