A New Era Begins for the Miami Dolphins

When the Miami Dolphins traded Ryan Tannehill, the next era of the franchise officially began. Stuck in neutral, the Dolphins could never rise into the league's upper echelon, yet were never horrible enough to consider drafting Tannehill's successor. An NFL quarterback is either the savior or the bane for the entire organization surrounding him.

The list of casualties is extensive, Philbin, Campbell, Gase, Ireland, Hickey, Tannenbaum, throw in all the coordinators and position coaches and it's easy to see how one player can affect the lives of every person associated with a professional football team. The incredible difficulty and importance of the quarterback position places the rest of the organization squarely on the shoulders of a single player.

Many pundits do not believe the fate of so many resides in success at one position, but the "Fired Football Coaches Association" may disagree. Obviously, teams with great QBs are in the mix every year and teams without sometimes get there, but everything must fall perfectly into place. It is also the reason fans and writers spend so much time and energy on the quarterback position.

Brian Flores and Chris Grier begin their journey through the minefield with singular purpose; their jobs depend on finding a quarterback. Coming from the house of the GOAT, Flores knows what it looks like. He has an advantage Adam Gase was never given, he doesn't have to attempt whispering mind tricks to coax a Lamborghini out of a Chevy. Chevy's aren't bad, a Corvette is a Chevy, but even a Corvette will never be mistaken for a Lamborghini. It's when a team invests $50 million dollars in that Chevy that it damn well better become a Lamborghini or the "Fired Football Coaches Association" awaits.

It all means, Flores and Grier either find that player, or eventually join the esteemed FFCA. The Dolphins purged the entire team, divesting older highly paid players in salary cap maneuvers. Ever wonder what kind of text messages those guys sent Tannehill when his inability to raise the team brought the hatchet down? Maybe Miko Grimes wasn't so wrong after all...

There is no time for the I-told-you-so folks to pat their own backs, its time to move on. This leads to Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen in what should be a single season tryout, not a seven-year project. There is no doubting what the Dolphins have in Ryan Fitzpatrick, he's a placeholder until the real deal presents itself.

Grier knows the FFCA quite well, he watched the demise of all the names above first hand. He knows implicitly that his future resides on the throwing arm of the next Miami Dolphins franchise QB. The trade for Josh Rosen could go either way, but that depends solely on play of Josh Rosen, not the hope of Josh Rosen. Grier placed Miami and Rosen in a great position to be successful. Grier doesn't stand to lose much if Rosen busts and Rosen is no longer burdened with being the 10th pick of the draft.

Miami can only lose by playing the Tannehill game and thinking a QB that has never been a winner can somehow find the Midas touch. History for Rosen is not necessarily great, his UCLA teams never achieved greatness, but that is not a huge concern. UCLA last won the NCAA football championship in 1954. It is not as if the Bruin's are annually churning out national powerhouses. Rosen is in the NFL because he has an NFL caliber arm and has exceptional intelligence to play the position.

What Miami needs to figure out in short order is whether Rosen can win when surrounded by NFL caliber talent. The Arizona Cardinals had a fair offensive line in training camp. Then Center A.Q. Shipley tore an ACL before the season, right guard Justin Pugh tore an ACL in November, right tackle Andre Smith was released in November for non-football reasons, left guard Mike Iupati injured an MCL on Dec. 3, and then left tackle D.J. Humphries re-injured a knee on Dec. 5 and they all missed the remainder of the season.

Rosen will now get a second chance with a Dolphin team that may not be much better than those Cardinals. It will not be easy to judge whether the kid can actually play with a decent team around him. Rosen must display the illusive "IT" factor even if his team is simply not good enough to beat quality NFL opponents.

In the event that Rosen plays the Tannehill opossum and shows just enough to tease, the Dolphins should open the 2020 NFL draft with a QB. This is what the 2019 Miami Dolphins season comes down to, the Rosen audition. It doesn't mean he has to set the NFL afire, it means he has to show beyond any doubt that he has what it takes to be a great NFL QB.

In the coming days, Quadzilla will use his exceptional skills to give Dolphinshout his exclusive Josh Rosen evaluation. Please tune-in and learn the good, the bad and the ugly about Josh Rosen.

Miami Dolphins Must Step Back to Leap Forward

From a swamp the Miami Dolphins came and to a swamp they have returned. While South Florida has expanded wildly over the past 20 years, the Dolphins have regressed. Interestingly enough, Chris Grier has seen it all in his 19 years with the team. Somehow the longest tenured Dolphin, who rode the ebbing tide, will now reside at the top of the heap.

And it is a heap… 31st in offense, 29th in defense, scored the 26th most points on offense and gave up the 27th most on defense. The Dolphins were outgained by 1619 yards and outscored by 114 points. Miami’s 31 sacks were fourth fewest in the league, while allowing 52, tied for fifth most. The quarterback was ranked dead last by Pro Football Focus.

It is amazing this team was able to scrape out 7 wins while being so statistically horrendous. The axe fell on Adam Gase and Mike Tannenbaum, but Gase realistically had little to work with as a fool’s game was playing out behind the scenes. The win now philosophy was doomed without a true star at quarterback and a penchant for paying older free agents that plagued the team with injuries.

The Miami Dolphins are a complete mess and any coach with winning aspirations is certain to choke on this franchise. Not only is Miami once again in a middling draft position, they have very little cap space to work with and enough dead money to fill Davy Jones’ locker.

The Dolphins would have to cut, Ryan Tannehill, Robert Quinn, Cameron Wake, Ja’Wuan James, Andre Branch and rescind the fifth-year option for receiver DeVante Parker, in order to amass $60 million in cap space. Even with these drastic cuts the Dolphins will carry close to $30 million in dead money from Tannehill and Ndomukong Suh’s terrible contracts.

Not a good look for a coach to step into, no money, no quarterback and no early draft picks to acquire one. While division rivals are loaded with cap space and have either the GOAT at QB, or a shiny new QB heading into his second year. The win now philosophy that only ever produced mediocrity has left the Miami Dolphins in dire straights that may take years to overcome.

Wherever Adam Gase is at, he’s probably grinning from ear to ear, having a Miami Miracle of his own being pushed off the sinking ship just before the final plunge. Sometimes a team must sink before it can swim, and Miami is destined to be underwater for the next two or three years trying to amend the mistakes Mike Tannenbaum inflicted.

The only players likely to see the renaissance are Larimy Tunsil, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Xavien Howard. That means Miami should trade players like Reshad Jones, TJ MacDonald, Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, Kiko Alonzo. Even Kenyan Drake should be included because by the time Miami is relevant, he will be an older running back. The cuts and trades will leave the cupboard bare, but only then can Miami find a way out of the perpetual purgatory of mediocrity.

The six prominent choices making a splash in the press are, Chiefs offensive coordinator - Eric Bieniemy. Bears defensive coordinator - Vic Fangio, Patriots linebacker’s coach - Brian Flores, Steelers’ offensive line coach - Mike Munchak, Cowboys’ passing game coordinator/DBs - Kris Richard, and the Dolphins own special team’s coordinator and assistant head coach - Darren Rizzi.

Of the above names, only Mike Munchak has prior head coaching experience in the NFL and in three seasons with the Tennessee Titans, he never produced a winning team. The problem with this coaching search is, no candidate with any hopes of winning for three years should take this job.

The Miami Dolphins have been gutted and more cuts are needed to add draft picks and cap space. The Dolphins need to find a true stud at quarterback before any coach is going to win with any consistency. The truth is, the Miami Dolphins are at least a three-year project away from winning anything. Coaches who lose for three seasons, are fired like the last five in Miami.

There is one candidate in this bunch that will approach this job without any illusions. Darren Rizzi knows exactly what he is getting into. Rizzi knows what must happen, knows the expectations of Chris Grier and Stephen Ross and knows the players currently on the roster. Rizzi can quickly look at these players and decide which will be peaking in three years and which will have passed their prime.

Rizzi is not the shiny new coordinator of the moment looking to blaze into head coaching with last-to-first aspirations. It’s not to say the next Dolphin coach shouldn’t have expectations, but the shiny coordinators are much like Adam Gase, they want win now and it’s just not going to happen in Miami.

The Dolphins need a coach willing to purge and rebuild. They need a coach who knows this roster. When it’s open season for trading and cutting, there is no worry about being the jerk who sent some player to Cleveland. This coach gets a clean slate without the expectation of winning now. It’s the perfect place for a first time coach with the patience to rebuild.

Miami also needs a homer coach that really likes South Florida, one who understands the pitfalls of places like South Beach. That knowledge is critical in the player selection process because no matter how talented, troubled players always find the dark side of Miami. Rizzi knows this, he knows this town. Newcomers may have heard tales, but when presented with super talent, they make the critical mistake of believing they can change and control people.

For these reasons, Darren Rizzi is the best candidate for the Miami Dolphins. He must tell the ownership he cannot be judged by his record for at least three seasons. After his third season, then the clock can begin ticking because make no mistake about it, the Miami Dolphins will take at least three years to overcome the win-now philosophy that has gutted this team.

Sorry Dolphin fans, sometimes it takes a step backwards to make a leap forward…

Miami Dolphins Fire Adam Gase

Adam Gase was fired after another Miami Dolphin football season came to an agonizing end. The team lost three games in a row for the second straight year. Some glaring problems surfaced as the season ground to a screeching halt. Players once again ejected in the final minutes of play, dispelling the notion that good guys replacing locker room bad guys really made a difference.

When referencing the three out of four games he does not play well, Ryan Tannehill used the word “obviously” a lot. “Obviously myself, and the team, we need to finish better… Obviously, we didn’t finish strong and you want to be playing in the postseason and competing for a championship.”

When asked to define the problems he replied, “We need to find a way to win these games down the stretch when we have opportunities to put ourselves in the postseason. To answer your question, I don’t know.”

Obviously, the quarterback didn’t know how to win, but it went much deeper.

There were subtleties in player comments that gave outsiders a glimpse of their true feelings. “It’s been up and down,” Danny Amendola said. “Had some great wins. Tough losses. Lost some key players to injuries. It’s the NFL. Ultimately, we’ve got to play better. We’ve got to learn how to practice and play at a championship level. And we didn’t have it.”

“We’ve got to learn how to practice and play at a championship level.”

“It’s been a roller-coaster,” Xavien Howard said. “A couple injuries. Everybody couldn’t get on the same page. It was either the offense, defense or special teams. We’ve just got to be on one page and just work together. So, you know we haven’t been on the same page and the injuries haven’t helped at all.”

“Everybody couldn’t get on the same page.”

“We bite ourselves in the feet,” Ja’Wuan James said. “Penalties. Not starting fast. We just. We never honestly had an identity. When you don’t have an identity as an offense it’s hard because you don’t know what to go to when things go wrong. You’re just trying stuff. We never really found our identity this year.”

“We never really found our identity this year.”

Put all those comments together and what’s under the surface begins rising to the top…

“Obviously myself, and the team, we need to finish better.”
“We’ve got to learn how to practice and play at a championship level.”
“Everybody couldn’t get on the same page.”
“We never really found our identity this year.”

Tannehill can’t finish games or seasons or even third downs very well and when taken in the context of, “Everybody couldn’t get on the same page.” “We never really found our identity this year.” “We’ve got to learn how to practice and play at a championship level.”
 
How do you accomplish this when half the starting roster is on injured reserve and those players have very specific skill sets? Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant have very similar body types and Gase’s early offensive game plan was based around those skills. When an offense is built around certain skills and those skills end up on injured reserve, the offense must adjust to healthy players.

Easier to understand why, “We never really found our identity this year,” was true, without those speedsters. Once those players were lost, Gase tried to use Frank Gore in a power running game but after practicing fancy RPOs through training camp, “everybody couldn’t get on the same page.”

Gore is another player Gase fell in love with, while Kenyan Drake sat. Drake the ascending player, sat watching Gore probably playing in his last season. It made little sense.

The whole thing begs to ask, how do you “learn how to practice and play at a championship level,” While sitting your most explosive player? Gase could never settle and was continually changing the offense to use players with drastically different skill sets.

Gase had built the Miami Dolphins without an identity.

Gase's platform was not team identity or systemic, it was whether or not he loved the player, even if the player did not fit the system. Gase could not hope to find consistency with perpetually injured players all having random skill sets.
 
This is the failure of the Miami Dolphin triumvirate, Gase, Grier and Tannenbaum. Gase fell in love with players and was smart enough to design an offense around the skills of those players. But this trait betrayed him when he designed his offense around one or two of key players. The offense tailored around them changed drastically when they went down due to injury.

With a stable identity, the team may have filled the roster with players fitting the identity. Then, game planning and practices would not alter drastically during the course of the season. Gase never understood the importance of continuity on his roster, on both sides of the ball. Because of this, his team, like his plan, played Jekyll and Hyde all season never knowing which would show up.

The Miami Dolphins lost a good coach, it was reported that he would not relinquish control of the 53-man roster. In other words, he would go down in the same ship with Ryan Tannehill.

The coach killer claims another victim…

Take two lessons Adam Gase:

Don’t fall in love with players…

Build your team around an identity so there is depth to mitigate injures…

Good luck Adam Gase...

Tannehill Decision Will Define Gase's Future

The Miami Dolphins spiral into another dismal off-season with some amazingly offensive stats…

2 of 9 on third down against Jacksonville…

57.7 completion percentage…
 
83 yards gained on the first drive and 100 on the final nine possessions...

Tannehill’s sixth time in 10 games failing to throw for 200 yards...

Averaging 183.2 passing yards per game...

Failed to generate 200 yards of offense in three of the past four games...

Miami’s offense is 25th in points this year, was 25th in points last year, and was 24th in points in 2016...

Former first-round pick DeVante Parker has three catches for 31 yards in his past three games and 122 receiving yards in the past six games.

“It’s terrible,” coach Adam Gase said. “I mean, the offense was awful. It was brutal to watch, to be a part of.  I think today was a rough day for {Ryan}. I wish he would have played a little better. I wish he would have made a few more decisions that were different. I think there’s been games that he has – that he’s played really well – and there’s been some games where we haven’t played well.”

“I think every position has its faults,” Tannehill said about the inept offense. “Start with me and just go right down the line. I think when you have that, it all stacks up and you’re not moving the ball. We have to be cleaner, every position, starting with me and that will give us our best chance, obviously, to put the ball in the end zone.”

Why take a 36-year-old Frank Gore and make him the fixture of your offense when it takes carries away from more explosive backs like Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage? The reason is because there is no trust in the passing game and the only true option left is a power running game.

The stats above define why there is no trust in the passing game and it’s time the Miami Dolphins face the simple truth, Ryan Tannehill is not a Super Bowl quarterback…

There seems to be a misunderstanding in Miami as to why there are football games. There is a single goal in professional football…

Win the Super Bowl.

Certainly, no team can win the big game every year, but the big picture focus seems to have eluded the Miami Dolphins. Frank Gore is a great locker room guy, but he’s not going to take this team to that Super Bowl in the sky. Sitting future players like Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage and using Gore makes little sense in the big picture.

Sitting them because the quarterback cannot consistently show up for football games and then praising that quarterback opens all kinds of questions…

Winning is an interesting conundrum when taken in the context of time. A momentary win can actually hinder long-term success. There is a simple way to remember this, “short-term gains no long-term returns.”

Those short gains by Gore can keep the ball moving slowly down the field in hopes of some success, but in the end the big prize is just an illusion. That prize goes to players like Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, who is averaging 324.5 yards passing in his second NFL season.

Seven years later, any thought of creating a great person out of one that never was, is an illusion. This needs to be addressed unless Stephen Ross is also delusional. If the coach has no ability to project long-term success and is simply mired in short-term day-to-day management, than the expectation for the future should be the results of the present.

Simply stated, doing the same thing over and over again will produce the same results…

The expectation cannot be to remain with Ryan Tannehill, whether it’s perceived as his fault or not. Calling out injuries, or penalties, poor game planning, not playing complimentary football, are all excuses that will not change the result. The only constant on this team has been Ryan Tannehill, not Joe Philbin, Jeff Ireland, Mike Sherman, Bill Lazor, Mike Tannenbaum, Chris Grier or Adam Gase…

Ryan Tannehill...

Tannehill is a really good person and that is what keeps the illusion alive, but make no mistake, it is an illusion.

Think - big-picture - Super Bowl picture.
 
The Miami Dolphins must somehow find this understanding. Adam Gase has the potential to be a great football coach, but great coaches have one thing in common, they can sense and see great quarterbacks. They can take that quarterback, make him better and together they can achieve the ultimate football success…
 
Winning the Super Bowl.

This is what Stephen Ross should be looking for, a coach who can sense a great quarterback and make him better. Adam Gase? Maybe, but if he’s locked in on Ryan Tannehill, than he’s caught in the illusion. He’s not what Ross though he was and the boss-man has no other option but to move on from Gase and keep searching for a coach that can see greatness.

It is pivotal for the Miami Dolphins to make a clear rational decision and cut ties with Ryan Tannehill. Once the cord is cut, then other pieces of the future can begin to establish themselves. A team cannot plan for the future if it is stalled in the past.

Adam Gase ran the most productive offense in NFL history with Payton Manning. Gase has shown the ability to work with greatness, but attaching himself to Tannehill will end his career in Miami. Fighting to keep Tannehill this off-season will only prolong the agony of Miami fans should both remain. Gase will be fired before the 2019 season is concluded and the Dolphins will be left floundering.

Will Adam Gase’s legacy be remembered for being the guy who signed Jay Cutler and stuck with Ryan Tannehill. Will he be the coach who fell in love with players, has no business savvy or vision. Will laughs and scoffing follow decisions like offing Jarvis Landry, Jay Ajayi and Ndamukong Suh.

Gase must square his jaw and step boldly into his future. Those aforementioned players never took to a team led by Ryan Tannehill. It is not a coach’s job to create leadership at the highest level on the football field. Either that player has the respect of his teammates or he does not and clearly there’s something wrong with Tannehill’s leadership in the huddle.

From the outside, it appears Tannehill is the teacher’s pet. The boy who finishes every assignment on time, brings in cookies and listens intently to every word from the teacher’s mouth. In the back of the room, the boys who should defend this QB on the field secretly despise him. This can no longer go on, and if Gase cannot see it, than he’s as blind as the teacher and it’s time for a change.

Gase must come to terms with all of these obvious issues or he may never land a head coaching job again.

It’s time coach...

Time to find your own quarterback...

Time to stake your own future...

Before the coach killer strikes again…

Miami Miracle Crashes and Burns in Minneapolis

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...

Dolphins Pull Out a Miraculous Victory

There are games that define teams and players, games that erase all the critics, games with such a warm afterglow; they leave you reaching for a cigarette. The Miami Dolphin win over the Patriots was one of those games.

The idea of using Rob Gonkowski as the deep safety seems so Belichickian, until the Gronk actually has to become a defender and make an open field tackle. Kenyan Drake was feeling lonely watching Frank Gore run through the New England defense. When Drake got the ball on the final play, nothing would stop him from outrunning the Gronk all the way to victory.

For Dolphin fans, the moment will live forever in the lore of a team desperately needing spark. The Dolphins stood up to the AFC East bullies, duking it out toe to toe, but seemed destined for the knockout blow with 7 seconds left, down by five points.

Somehow the magic happened, a pass to Kenny Stills, a lateral to Devante Parker, another lateral to Kenyan Drake and the field of dreams opened up. The Miami Dolphins won the game.

New England fans will call it luck, high school shenanigans and of course, there was a certain amount of luck involved. This one play is the perfect example of how a football team learns how to win. How a football team learns that luck only matters if the team is in a position to win.

With a minute left in the first half, New England blocked a punt and had a very short field to score. The Dolphins did not allow a single point, in fact, they forced Brady to make an uncharacteristic mistake, he was sacked with no timeouts and the half ended.

What does this have to do with luck? Every person and every team has the same amount of luck, what matters is, if you're in a position to benefit from that luck. If Miami had been 8 points behind at the end of the game, the last play would have been a lot different.

By fighting for every inch at the end of the first half, Miami was able to stay alive and within in a touchdown at the end of the game. By making that goal line stand, the Dolphin's final lucky play turned into victory.

This is the difference between winning and losing. It is the reason Miami can be outgained, lose in time of possession and turnovers, yet still win. Luck does not matter if you are not in a position to win. Adam Gase knows this, he teaches it and his players do not quit until the final whistle blows.

Ryan Tannehill had perhaps his finest game as a Miami Dolphin. The local press and indeed this site have been insistent that Tannehill is nothing more than an average quarterback. If any player on the Dolphins was an example of staying in the game until the final whistle, it was Ryan Tannehill.

JaWaun James stomped his 300 pounds firmly on Tannehill's right ankle and it looked like Tannehill was done. No one would have said a word if Tannehill did not return to that field, but he taped the ankle and hobbled back out there to lead his team. A team one last desperate breath from playoff elimination. In the end, Tannehill and his team deservedly sucked in the sweet aroma of victory.

Kenny Stills, made some ugly mistakes. He slid to the ground in the fourth quarter with his team leading and needing a first down. Had he simply dove over the line, Miami may have won the game without those final heroics. He dropped another first down throw that caused the final punt.

Stills didn't quit, he stepped into the open zone, caught that final pass and flipped it to Parker, who flipped it to Drake, who found the endzone. Stills knew it was a desperate play, but he also knew it was possible because Miami had left themselves in a position for luck to do its magic.

Maybe all Dolphin fans need to learn the lesson of luck. When you give up and put a lucky break out of reach from helping, you lose. The luck was there, the same luck everyone has, but luck doesn't matter if you can't use it.

Tannehill may never be a great quarterback, Stills may never be a great receiver and Adam Gase may never be a great coach, but they will win. The will win because they do not give up.

The Miami Dolphins probably need a better QB, could use some linebackers and secondary...

But in the end, if they believe they can win and keep victory in their grasp...

These Miami Dolphins will find a way...

Breaking The Miami Dolphin Chain of Mediocrity

197-197 since 1994, Miami Dolphin fans understand these numbers all too well, Adam Gase - 21-21, Ryan Tannehill - 40-42. It comes as little surprise the Dolphins head into the bye week 5-5. Every Dolphin-centric media site has been posting these numbers in one form or another. 25 years is long enough to be what your record says you are…

Mediocre…

Don Shula was forced into retirement after the 1995 season and the Dolphins have wilted into average ever since. There are so many data points to analyze in a quarter century, but perhaps the most basic is correct.

Occam’s razor: The simplest solution tends to be the correct one.

Since Shula, ten head coaches have taken over the franchise and none has broken the chain of mediocrity. Adam Gase obviously falls into this averageness, but for him to be 21-21 is astonishing considering what he’s had to work with. This season, the team has been decimated by injuries, outgained by 787 yards, outscored by 57 points, ranked 28th in offense and 26th in defense. It’s nothing short of remarkable Miami is 5-5 given how statistically bad this team actually is.

Adam Gase is not the problem…

Occam’s razor: The simplest solution tends to be the correct one.

Since drafting Dan Marino in 1983, the Miami Dolphins have drafted only a single quarterback in the first round of the NFL draft. Ryan Tannehill was picked in 2012. It could be argued that with Marino manning the position, there was no need to draft another QB. That makes sense except Marino retired in 1999 and the Dolphins didn’t draft a 1st round QB for another 12 years…

Historically, great teams are led by great QBs. As the NFL has matured into a less violent and more score happy league, the dependence on the QB position has become paramount. In truth, only one position on the football field can realistically be responsible for winning football games.

It’s not to say, the QB is solely responsible for winning football games. It means, in many games the QB is the difference between winning and losing. Statistical averages show, 23% of games will be decided by 3 or fewer points and 46% of games will be decided by 7 or fewer points.

23% is roughly 4 games in a season, for Adam Gase, it’s the difference between being a great coach and an average coach. It’s the difference between ending the season 8-8 and ending the season 12-4. It would be much less than bold to say a QB like Tom Brady is worth 3 points in any given game.

Occam’s razor: The simplest solution tends to be the correct one.

This entire article is an attempt to look at the simplest solution to a 25 year problem… At 40-42 it’s clear that Ryan Tannehill is not worth 3 points per game and this is historically correct for this player. In 2011, Tannehill’s senior at Texas A&M, the team was a pre-season darling, ranked 1st overall by many pundits, they finished 7-6. Three of those loses were by 3 points or less, only one loss was by more than 7 points.

Ryan Tannehill is mediocre because he is not worth those 3 points that are the difference between winning teams and average teams. There’s nothing wrong with Ryan Tannehill, he has all the skills, attitude and potential any coach could ask for. Those attributes are what Adam Gase sees in him and why Gase believes Tannehill is an NFL caliber quarterback.

Clearly with the 28th ranked offense and 26th ranked defense, Miami should not be 5-5. This means Adam Gase is actually a very, very good coach who could easily be great, but he’s missing those 3 points from a great QB. Gase is stubborn and maybe to a fault if he does not take a long look at how to break the chain of mediocrity.

Other players understand this concept, it’s the reason veteran free agents will go to New England for less money and why they came to Miami when Dan Marino was behind center. Players in the NFL are all good. The fine line between winning and losing is the confidence gained when 23% of all games are won by 3 points and the winning team has one guy who can make that difference.

Occam’s razor: The simplest solution tends to be the correct one.

Do the Miami Dolphins truly want to break the chain of mediocrity? Does Adam Gase truly want to create a legacy as a great coach? The simplest answer is most likely correct. Don Shula had John Unitas, Bob Griese and Dan Marino as his quarterbacks, Shula won more games than any coach in NFL history. All of those QBs were worth 3 points per game and have a bust in the Hall-of-Fame.

Maybe the “IT” factor is not some mystical force that one guy has and another does not. Maybe “IT” is simply 3 points. It doesn’t seem like much, but when you narrow down another sport, like swimming where a race is won by 100ths of a second, or golf where 1 stoke wins a 4-day tournament, 3 points should not be taken lightly.

This is what happens with a QB like Ryan Tannehill, the 3 points he lost by in college were taken lightly in the wrong direction. If not for a faulty defense, his team would have won those games. If not for a penalty, an injury, a slip, a fall, a fumble… His team would not have lost by 3 stinking points. In reality, they lost because he’s not worth those 3 points a game.

Occam’s razor: The simplest solution tends to be the correct one.

If the Miami Dolphins truly wish to break the chain of mediocrity, get a QB worth the 3 points of “IT.” Do not stop trying until that player is attained. It really doesn’t matter how good Minkah Fitzpatrick is, or Laremy Tunsil, or any other player at any other position, they are not worth 3 points. Those players only have value, once the 3 points of “IT” are secured.

Ten head coaches have come and gone, with multitudes of schemes and assistants, they obviously are not the difference. Miami has drafted only one 1st round quarterback in a league that is defined by quarterback play. It seems so simple…

Maybe it is…

Maybe the simplest solution is the correct one.

Lifeless Dolphin Defense Leads Defeat

Yawn...

Sorry guys, I'm not going to show up this week.

I'm tired, my typing fingers are sore, my butt's dragging from sitting in this chair.

I couldn't figure out how the old New England defensive coordinator could possibly lead his offense in the exact same manner as his former boss.

I'm not going to wonder why no wrinkles were devised to stop  the dissection of the Miami secondary.

I'm just going to leave the massive "A" hole gaps in my wide nine even after it's been completely exploited.

But really, I'm tired, I get paid zero to be a fan and so why should I show any more passion than the players on the field?

I'll just take this article off...

Maybe I'll take the rest of the season off...

Maybe I'll keep insisting I can make a winner out same quarterback that has never won.

Maybe I'll keep running dive plays to Gore on first down so I can go three and out on the first possession of the game, that'll set the tempo perfectly.

Maybe I can continue not scoring a first possession touchdown for the 19th straight game. The defenses will forget about Gore and the dive play sooner or later.

Maybe the opponent will play a wide nine and leave the "A" gaps wide open on the first possession like Miami does. Come on, there's bound to be another team so stubborn it will continue failing 18 straight times and still run the same plays.

Yawn...

I feel like my team's gaping "A" holes...

Exploited...

Brock Osweiler Leads Miami to a Wild Victory in OT

The Miami Dolphins came up big with a wild win against the Chicago Bears.

There was a collective groan and the echo of, "careful what you wish for," when Ryan Tannehill was ruled out for the game. It was his 21st missed game in the last three years. Brock Osweiler meanwhile, is certainly no Jay Cutler, but since leaving Denver with a huge free agent contract to play in Houston, he has been unable to regain the magic, until Sunday.

After exchanging punts, Osweiler and the Dolphins put together a 54-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to newly signed tight end Nick O'Leary. O'Leary is a local Palm Beach native, who also happens to be the grandson of golf legend, Jack Nicholas. O'Leary did Jack proud, playing a very fine football game for his hometown team.

On the ensuing drive, the Bears seemed to find their stride and went for it on 4th and 1. It wasn't to be, as Miami's premier defender Reshad Jones, sniffed out the screen and shut down the Bears. Plays like this demonstrate why Miami is not the same team without Jones on the field. His presence lifts the entire defense.

After punting back and forth, the Bears got it going again with a 74-yard drive to the Miami 1 yard line. Just when it seemed Chicago would tie the game Robert Quinn stripped Howard and the ever-present Kiko Alonso jumped on the loose ball. Miami had stuffed the Bears again.

Miami began driving the football again, moving 64 yards in 11-plays when Brock Osweiler took a shot down field to Devante Parker. Parker failed to protect his QB, leading to an Osweiler INT without Parker even attempting to make a play on the ball. Miami went into half time leading 7-0. The play may have been the final straw for Parker, who did not play another down.

On the heels of that disparaging play, the second half started disastrous for the Miami Dolphins. The Bears scored in three plays. Osweiler proceeded to telegraph an awful interception trying to find Albert Wilson on the sideline. In one play, the Bears scored again, erasing the tie to lead 14-7. It was easily Osweiler's worst play of the game.

Miami drove 43-yards in 8 plays but settled for a field goal to pull within 14-10. Three plays later, the Bears cut through the Miami defense like a hot knife through butter and scored again. With the score now 21-10, the Dolphins looked shell-shocked and it seemed the rout was on.

Miami did not cave as expected and drove the ball 68-yards in 11 plays, giving the defense a much needed rest. Osweiler did not seem bothered by much of anything and team followed his leadership. Unfortunately, the Dolphins were unable to convert the touchdown and settled for a field goal to end the third quarter, down 21-13.

The bears began the fourth quarter by driving all the way to the Miami 3 yard line when the magic began to happen. TJ McDonald stepped in front of a Trubisky pass in the endzone and the Dolphin defense breathed new life into the entire team.

The Dolphins worked the field for six plays when Osweiler flipped a short pass to Albert Wilson. Wilson shredded the Bears secondary leaving would be tacklers clutching nothing but air. 43-yards later, Wilson danced into the endzone leaving the Dolphins down by 2 points.

Adam Gase, decide to ride the train out and went for two. Osweiler was chased from the pocket. On a typical non-call for Miami, Danny Amendola was pushed to the ground. Unfazed, Osweiler kept the play alive long enough to throw a rope to Kenny Stills in the back of the endzone and Miami had completed the comeback to tie the game at 21.

The Bears again took control of the Miami defense, immediately driving 75-yards in 11 plays, while eating nearly 6 minutes off the game clock to take back the lead 28-21.

Albert Wilson would have none of that and in one play, raced through the entire vaunted Chicago defense, 75-yards into the endzone and Miami had tied the game at 28 in less than 30 seconds.

Miami could not convert after Kiko Alonso forced a fumble recovered by Howard and went 3 and out. With only 34-seconds left, deep in their own territory, Chicago opted to take the game into overtime.

Miami won the toss and promptly rode the horse named Frank Gore all the way to the one yard line. Then disaster struck, Kenyon Drake took a handoff and bounced right heading for the winning TD when the ball was popped loose. Drake lost the handle and hung his head in despair as the Bears drove down for the winning field goal.

But the great Gods would have none of it and former Dolphin Cody Parkey promptly missed the game winning field goal, wide right...

Osweiler one more time took the reigns, getting the ball three straight times to a redeemed Kenyon Drake for a total of 22-yards. A quick throw to Amendola for 6 yards positioned Miami at the 29 yard line. Osweiler spiked the ball with only 3 seconds left before the game would end in a tie.

After a Chicago icing, rookie kicker Jason Sanders stepped up and knocked through the game winning 47-yard field goal as time expired. All over Miami fandom pandemonium exploded. The Dolphins had miraculously gutted out an incredible victory after two straight agonizing losses.

For the much maligned Brock Oweiler, the victory was sweet. For Kenyon Drake, what could have been a confidence destroying fumble was washed away with the savory flavor of victory. The Miami defense showed again that this unit is moving toward something special.

Coach Adam Gase stuck with his team and never allowed them to think victory was impossible. We're left to ponder the future of Ryan Tannehill, but allow that to rest while the sweet scent of this win resonates in the hearts of Miami fans everywhere. :) :) :)

Ryan Tannehill leads another Miami Dolphin loss..

I'm not even going to write about the game. Fifty articles out there will give you the play by play. There are many things I could say, including how the referees destroyed Miami's momentum coming out of the half by throwing horrible flags, but l'm just going to get down to the root of it...

Will the Miami Dolphins ever win the Super Bowl with Ryan Tannehill at QB?

Is this the legacy of Adam Gase?

Does he follow Joe Philbin as one of Tannehill's fired coaches?

Did Adam Gase see this quarterback performance coming?

Does this poor performance by his quarterback register with Adam Gase, or will he blame other players?

Is Gase getting played a fool... Tannehill has all the things you want in a QB. He has arm strength, he has mobility, he's smart, he's a team guy, he's tough, but he's missing perhaps the most critical component, he doesn't win big games. He doesn't even show up in big games.

He never will...

He doesn't play well when the team really needs him to play well. When the team is looking for a leader to be "that guy" Tannehill shrinks in the moment.

Point the finger, go ahead... Tunsil down... Half the Offensive Line down... Parker wussing again... The officials killed the momentum, go ahead point the finger...

Go ahead and make whatever excuse you want Adam Gase, but answer the damn question...

Will the Miami Dolphins ever win the Super Bowl with Ryan Tannehill at QB?

Answer the question Tannenbaum...

Answer the question Ross...

Allow this fan to answer for you...

The Miami dolphins will never win the Super Bowl with Ryan Tannehill at QB.

And so, another season is over...

Another season over...

Week five...

Another season...

Over!

Time for Miami Dolphin Soul Searching

Obviously, the Miami Dolphins did not show up against the New England Patriots. Addressing this problem by declaring Ryan Tannehill sucks on every social media forum has no value. This team has talented players and the coaching staff is very good. There is no denying, one Patriot player is better than any on the Dolphins roster, the QB.

Not recognizing the QB as the key, is simply stubborn ignorance. At this point, it makes little difference, it cannot change this season. Tannehill can be good when everything goes right; he is not good when obstacles present themselves. These obstacles are not as apparent as most would think. Tempo dictates NFL football, when things go good, they tend to go very good and when things go bad, they tend to go very bad.

The Miami Dolphins knew beyond any doubt, the officiating of this game would be lopsided. It is particularly important at the beginning of the game when the tempo and nuances are set in motion. Here are some examples of how the officiating can dictate early critical drives.

On the initial drive, the Miami offense is moving then, offensive holding on Kilgore at 50 effectively stuffs the drive, forcing a punt. Miami is off the field without establishing momentum.

NE gets the ball and the Miami defense is playing well. A Brady incompletion should stop the drive, but a highly questionable defensive holding by Howard gives NE an automatic first down. Brady remains on the field and is able to establish his rhythm.

The defense still managed to hold NE to a field goal, but the tempo was dictated by two calls. By the end of the game, those calls get fluffed off as whinny Miami fans complaining about officials.

We're missing the point...

Adam Gase and his staff have to understand what they are playing against. In New England against Coach Batman and Wonder Boy, the refs are going to call the game slanted.

There is only one way to combat slanted officials at the beginning of games. Miami needs to quit starting every game with tippy-toe trap runs and dinky bubble screens and go for the dagger, early and often. The officials can call holding on any trap play or bubble screen, there is bound to be some ticky tack holding if they choose to call it.

On the flip side, the NFL loves big plays! Whatever makes it to ESPN and brings fans to the game, that's what they want. Whether anyone chooses to believe it or not, those flags are a little more reluctant on home runs than they are on bubble screens.

There's another reason to come out boldly, they are going to call these penalties anyway why not while making a chunk play? If the flag stays in the pocket, bingo! There's the tempo! Even if it doesn't work the defense will be on its heels.

They will be backing out of the box instead of running into it, again, the tempo is set.

The Dolphins played right into the Patriot's game plan. The officials are going to dictate the game, but when they call back huge plays, everyone notices. When they're stopping the bubble screen offense, no one cares.

Enough said...

The Miami Dolphins must address a very simple question...

Are they capable of winning the Super Bowl with Ryan Tannehill at QB?

Take some time… Saver the question, let it resonate because that's why you play the game, to win the Super Bowl...

Are the Dolphins capable of winning the Super Bowl with Ryan Tannehill at QB?

Before the New England game, big plays masked Miami's greatest offensive problem in recent years, 3rd down conversions. Miami is currently ranked 27th in the league. In 2017 Miami was dead last, 2016 - 21st, 2015 - 30th... Playoff teams rank at the top of this list, not at the bottom. There are two main reasons why a team ranks poorly.

Number one is penalties that leave the team in untenable down and distance.

Number two is poor QB play under pressure.

Against New England on the biggest stage, Ryan Tannehill did not show up?

Sure, Adam Gase has some answering to do because he's the coach, but he's not the guy out there on the field. Tannehill is not the leader Gase has been spouting about for three weeks while his team pulled out games against marginal opponents.

Miami came back against the Raiders by Tannehill throwing two 1-yard passes...

The QB stats were a complete folly and the guy up in New England knew his team was not going to get beat by 1-yard passes.

Miami spent 2nd and 4th round picks at TE. Are those players still on the team? Are they just bad picks? It seems that if the Dolphins don’t score on a big play, they can barely move the ball. Of the 10 drives with Tannehill on the field, seven ended in punts, two in turnovers and the other ran out the first half.

None of those 10 drives lasted more than five plays...

For some levity so we understand I'm not only picking on Tannehill, the Dolphins defense gave up scoring drives of 74, 67, 22, 85, 59 and 90 yards. The Patriots converted 10 of 15 third downs. They out-gained the Dolphins 449-172. They controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes and ran 75 plays.

“I didn’t see this coming,” a dejected Adam Gase said afterward.

Painfully I must admit, I did see this coming. I saw it coming because I answered the question above actually a few years ago, but the knee injuries pushed the reality further into the future, which is now.

I like Ryan Tannehill. He is a fine man and a very talented quarterback. He simply doesn't carry his team when the stakes depend on him being that guy.

Adam Gase believes if the system is run well enough, Tannehill does not need to be that guy. He could be right, if he had Ray Lewis or Derrick Brooks, Jon Lynch and Warren Sapp, but he doesn't.

Let's be clear, the season is not over, in fact Miami can get a lot better if they learn from this game. So what are the lessons?

Ryan Tannehill is never going to be a great quarterback. This means the team around him must execute with perfect precision if the Miami Dolphins hope to be a contending team...

Miami must understand, the officials are an opponent every week, particularly early in the game. They cannot allow the officials to dictate the early tempo. They must force flags on huge highlight plays because if the flags are going to fly away, Miami may as well be taking shots down the field.

The dinky bubble screens and trap runs have been exposed. Miami must invent a different game plan each week that is not so easily predictable. It's the NFL, no matter how well a team executes, if the other team knows the plays, they will win.

Please stop saying Cameron Wake is a special player... Lost in all the Tannehill talk is the other disappearing Miami star, Wake. He plays against the right tackle, he's had Suh and now Quinn to take away double teams, and he still doesn't get it done.

Like Tannehill, Wake does not show up in big games and he was absent again against New England. If these are the leaders of the Miami Dolphins, well maybe they should follow Suh, Landry and Pouncey out the door because on the biggest stage, they disappeared...

Someone once said, "Ryan Tannehill is just good enough to get you fired..."

Are you listening Adam Gase?

Gase' Dolphins Outwit "Coach" Grudens Raiders

The Black Jersey wearing Oakland Raiders came to Miami for the seasons week three matchup. Real feel temperatures were stifling in the triple digits, and one would figure that the visitors would eventually wilt.

The heart and soul of the Dolphin defense in Safety Rashad Jones would be ruled in-active for this weeks game.

Perhaps the hardest working coach turned commentator, turned coach John "Coach" Gruden worked his but off this past week in preperation for Miami's Dolphins.

Miami won the coin toss and diverted.
Oakland took the opening possession 75 yards in four plays with two of those plays going to ex-Packer receiver Jordy Nelson. On the games second play from the vistors 25 QB Derek Carr hit a wide-open Nelson in stride for 61 yards through the area of what is usually the responsibility of the in-active Rashad Jones. Two plays later Nelson finished the deal with a 12 yard touchdown reception and 7 - 0 visitors lead.

The home team went 3/Out on four yards from their own 29, but with a great punt, coverage, and aid of a Raider penalty, Miami pinned the visitors back to their own 5 yard line. Any "Coach" will tell'ya keep doin what you're doin until they can stop'ya, and 6 plays later from the visitors 26 Carr hit another wide-open Jordy Nelson for 66 yards to the Dolphin 8 yard line.

Miami's Defense held on a 4th/Goal from the one. However. Jordy Nelson (alone) had piled up 139 recieving yards and a touchdown in two possessions before the Dolphins had gained 5 yards. "Keep doin what you're doin until they can stop'ya". Nelson caught 3 balls for 34 yards on the days remainder.

The home team moved out from under their goal-post to the 31 on seven plays and Haack'ed a punt of 28 yards to the visitors 41 yard line. Carr immediately procedded to toss a hail mary into triple coverage that Miami CB Xavian Howard intercepted at the four and returned 39 yards to the Dolphin 43.

A Miami 3/Out was followed by an Oakland 3/Out though the Dolphins lost DE/DT William Hayes to injury 45 seconds into the 2nd quarter on his 3rd & 3 sack of Carr. The Dolphins began the day with a 9 man Defensive-Line rotation, and the loss of Hayes was almost immediately felt. From here on out, Head Coach extraordinaire turned Commmentator Bruce Arians suggested that the Miami DL was "gassed", and he wasn't lying.

The exchange of punts left the Dolphins at the Raiders 35 yard line. Gore got nadda, then one yard on second down while a 3rd down incompletion was a do-over for off-setting penalties. On 3rd/9 Ryan Tannehill dropped a 52 yard (through the air) lolli-pop over the shoulder of a well covered Kenny Stills at the extreme back-end of the endzone for the 34 yard Miami TOUCHDOWN to even the score with SEVENS.

Oakland then received the ball at their 25. Four plays follow and from the Raiders 41 Cam Wake sacks Carr on 3rd/6, but wait, Dolphin DT starter Akeem Spence is penalized & ejected for a man on man unsportmanlike altercation which nullifies Miami's defensive stop.

The home teams nine man DL rotation is now down to 7 (four minutes into the second quater), and Marshawn "Beast-Mode" Lynch along with the Raiders Big, Nasty, Talented OL seems to be having their way as the pre-game wilting scenario has taken a turn for the worse as far as the home team fans are concerned.

The visitors march down to the Miami 7 yard line for a 1st/Goal opportunity. For the days second time the Dolphins D rises to the occassion and this time forces a 25 yard field goal to stay within 3 points.

Miami replied with a nice drive from 25 to 25 for an end of half tying field goal possibility but the refs called a few ghostly penalties on them which led to a sack on a play that should have never came to be (if not for the erroneous calls via the guys in stripes) that pushed the Dolphins out of game tying range. Head Coach turned Commentator Bruce Arians suggested time and again throughout the game that "Gruden had great influence over the refs and that he was in their head". The first half ended with the home team trailing 10 - 7.

The Dolphins open the 3rd quarter with a 3 & Out. Oakland responds with a 15 play, nearly 10 minute, 67 yard touchdown drive capped off by a one yard Beast Mode leap over the "gassed" Miami DL. Seems as though that Lynch has run for a thousand today while the Raiders bull their way to a 17 - 7 late third quarter lead. PS. DE Andre Branch went down with knee injury during this previous visiting team TD drive, and the Dolphins 9 man DL rotation for this game is down to 6 with 21-plus game minutes remaining.

Holdup there Ye'Of'Little'Faith, things are about to get interestingly exciting as Adam Gase decides to open up the playbook. Miami takes possession at their own 30. The Dolphin QB named Ryan Tannehill (who as starter with Gase at the helm has now won 10 of his last 11 games played) hits Amendola for 15, then drops another 46 yard (through the air pass) over the shoulder, down the sidelines and into the bucket of first time activated DeVante Parker for a 36 yard gain to the Oakland 19. A play later he flicks a one half yard shovel pass to end-around Jakeem Grant who's blazing speed takes it the remaining 19 yards of the (4 play, 70 yard series) for a Miami TOUCHDOWN to pull within 17 - 14 with 55 third quarter ticks to go.

A Raider, Dolphin, and another Raider punts gives Miami the ball at their own 30 yard line with just one half of the 4th quarter remaining and the home team trailing 17 - 14. Tannehill scrambles for 18. Then on a play from Miami's 48 that appeared to be similar to the planets revolving around Gase' prodigal son/sun. Gore lines up at FB with Grant deep in the backfield, Gore moving to the left drifts across the face of THill for a handoff while wideout left Albert Wilson and Grant cautiously gravitate right, Gore pitches the ball to Wilson who glides around behind the solar eclipsing/blocking QB while the tiny planet Grant streaks into unchartered territories all by his lonesome to recieve Albert Wilson's 27 yard (through the air) pass and takes it to Da'House for the 52 yard first Miami lead of the day 21 - 17 Dolphin TOUCHDOWN.

Oakland then proceeds 77 yards from their own 10 to the Dolphins 13 in four-plus minutes on nine plays before Miami CB extrodinaire X Howard takes away possession for his second of the day on an unbelievable back of the EZ interception.

Frank Gore runs for 6 yards from the Miami 20, and on 2nd/4 Albert Wilson again streaks left across the face of Adam's sun for a one half yard shovel pass that turns into an untouchable 74 yard shooting star to wish upon for another Dolphin TOUCHDOWN and lead extension of 28 - 17.

Jakeem Grant from the fields extreme right ran gradually left across the field stride for stride with Wilson almost as if it were a race, and when they converged at the Raiders 20 they high-fived their way into he EndZone side by side, GREAT-STUFF!!!

TWENTY ONE unanswered Miami Dolphin points before the Raiders score their meaningless end of game field goal to pull within 28 - 20. Miami recovers the on-sides kick, and for a third consecutive week they hold the final possession for the W in VICTORY FORMATION!!!

The Miami Dolphins outlasted the Titans in the leagues longest game in history, they outplayed the Jets in NY, and now (in what became a game against all odds), those of Aqua & Orange have "outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted" the Raiders!!!

These Dolphins of Miami are SURVIVORS, and to win how they've won in 2018 they are far beyond average!!!


YEAAAA BABY 3 - 0 with a two game lead on the entire division, and sole possession of first place after three games for the first time since 1998 when a guy named Danny was who the universe revolved around!!!


Yeee Haaa, GIGGITTY, GOFINS!!!

Adversity Cannot Stop the Miami Dolphins

After a torturous 2017, the Miami Dolphins opened 2018 winning in the longest game in NFL history. Lightning scared off the officials, but it was not enough scare off the Dolphins.

Adam Gase released what many thought his most talented players because his team folded under pressure in 2017. He was determined, it would not happen again. A stickler for details, Gase may have researched a little history surrounding this storied franchise.

The opening game in 2017 wasn't the first time a hurricane forced the Dolphins to lose their bye week. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew forced the rescheduling of Miami's September 6 opening game against New England to October 18, when both teams originally had a bye week.

It does not stop there for the NFL's most weathered team. On October 25, 2003 California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard to fight a massive fire ignited two days earlier. The NFL moved the Miami's October 27 Monday Night game against San Diego to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Forcing the teams to travel early and disrupt their usual practice routine.

In 2004, the Tennessee Titans at the Miami Dolphins opening-day game, scheduled for Sunday, September 12, was rescheduled to Saturday, September 11 due to Hurricane Ivan. That same year, the Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami game scheduled for Sunday, September 26, at 1 PM was moved to 8:30 PM due to Hurricane Jeanne.

In 2005, the NFL moved up the Kansas City Chiefs at Miami game from Sunday, October 23 to Friday, October 21 due to Hurricane Wilma. Gase figured out quickly, if he was going to be successful in Miami, his team needed to be prepared for Mother Nature.

By allowing the stars to shine elsewhere, Gase built a roster better suited to handle the elements. In actuality, the 2018 opening game could not have been better scripted for Adam Gase and his Miami Dolphins. He preached mental toughness and continually warned his team to be ready for circumstances beyond their control.

When Lightning forced the teams into the locker room for nearly 4 hours, Gase's preaching became reality. Nothing could reinforce his persistence better than defeating the very obstacles he anticipated. His team met the elements head-on and came out victorious. A locker room built for adversity, grew closer with every bolt of lightning.

The game was not a thing of beauty, it didn't need to be, all the Dolphins needed to take from this game was a victory. Each time the Miami offense began to get untracked, the officials jumped in and stopped play, sending the teams to the locker room. Tennessee faced the same disruptions, but was unprepared. Vrabel admitted, he had never seen anything like it in his storied NFL career.

Welcome to Miami Mike...

There was plenty of good and enough ugly to go around.

Tannehill threw two beauties for TDs and a couple clunkers for INTs. His 89.9 passer rating was not Aaron Rodgers, but it was good enough for the 13th best of the week. No other QB had to deal with Tannehill's distractions and Marcus Mariota's game ended with a hit from defensive lineman William Hayes early in the third quarter. Tannehill was good enough to win.

Kenyan Drake averaged only 3.4 yards on his 14 carries, gaining 48 yards, but the stat does not account for his clock killing runs, into an eight-man front, to seal the game. Ageless Frank Gore rushed 9 times 61 yards, a nifty 6.8 yards per-carry. The Dolphin running game looked impressive in spite of the conditions and disruptions.

The Miami receiving corps was perhaps the most impressive offensive unit on the field Sunday. Gone was Jarvis Landry as a permanent fixture in the slot. Gone was DeVante Parker camped on one side or the other. Instead, Kenny Stills, Danny Amendola, Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant ran a dizzying stream of formations and alignments! Miami hadn't seen this since the Mark's brothers.

Looking forward, rookie Mike Gesicki has not touched the impact he will have on the Miami Dolphin offense as he learns the NFL. Miami is not forced to rush DeVante Parker back and his job and playing time will be on the line when he returns. It will bring out the best in Parker or he will follow Jarvis Landry out the door.

On defense, the Miami secondary was as good as advertised, every player made defining plays. Free to roam, Reshad Jones sniffed out two interceptions. Bobby McCain had zero passes completed against him. Minkah Fitzpatrick stuffed a 4th and goal prior to a 98 yard Miami touchdown drive. The Titans avoided Xavien Howard and TJ McDonald led the defense with 8 tackles.

By the season's end, the Miami defensive backfield could be special...

The defensive line did not show the exceptional pass rush fans were lured into during the pre-season. Tennessee was without its first team tackles and the Dolphins did not register a sack. The Titans rushed for 116 yards at 4 yards per carry, which is not terrible, but isn't very good. The line needs to have more impact on the game if the Miami defense ever hopes to be elite.

The linebackers were completely nondescript. Kiko Alonso pulled in an interception for the group's only highlight, but there were also no glaring mistakes from the two first-year players. The signs are indicating the unit is destined to get better as the season moves on.

Aside from giving up a kick return touchdown, the special teams played an exceptional game. Jakeem Grant's 102 yard return was the second longest in Miami history. Rookie kicker Jason Sanders was perfect, including 3 field goals and Matt Haack averaged 53.8 yards per punt.

It's a single game against a team that lost its QB, but the victory was against more than the opponent. Adam Gase built the Miami Dolphins to overcome adversity, and on the first, very long day of the season.

His TEAM responded...

Fins Up!

The Miami Dolphins are Ryan Tannehill's Team

The loss of Miami Dolphin quarterback Ryan Tannehill in 2017 left Adam Gase searching for leaders to fill the void. The signing of Jay Cutler made it immediately obvious Gase was not impressed with Matt Moore. The inability of Mike Pouncey to participate in practice limited the oft-injured center. As the team's designated playmaker, Jarvis Landry's swashbuckling style left it impossible to depend on mercurial receiver. At some point, Gase realized a huge change was necessary if the Miami offense would ever reach the potential he envisioned.

Contrary to what many pundits and fans believe, Gase firmly stands behind Ryan Tannehill. Matt Moore had his moments as a Miami backup, but Moore never pressured Tannehill to start and accepted his reserve role. That acceptance left a void in the absence of Tannehill. The Miami Dolphins were now dependent on the leadership of a backup who was happy collecting a paycheck on the bench. Gase made a mistake believing Jay Cutler could lead; it was obvious by the season's end, Cutler would never play another down in the NFL.

Mike Pouncey was the player coaches proclaimed the best lineman on the team, while frustrated fans only saw a completely inept unit. Pouncey sacrificed his body for the game of football. For coaches and teammates, this is the ultimate gesture of love for the game. Leadership in the locker room comes from players willing to strap it up in the face of injury. It is often said, "after the first week, everyone in the NFL plays injured." Gase needed players willing to sacrifice, but his need for leadership was far greater.

Mike Tannenbaum refused a salary increase for Pouncey and Gase had his out. The center could remain a favorite, but the fabled "NFL is a business" line saved Gase from cutting the injury prone Pouncey without cause. With its leader unable to practice, Gase's offensive line never came together. No other unit on the football field depends more on playing together. The line could not work as a unit with Pouncey on the sideline during practice.

Jarvis Landry wanted to zig when the play was a zag... Jarvis Landry wanted to prance after a catch when his coach was running a fast-paced offense. Baiting Jarvis Landry into throwing down punches when his team was marching to score was easy. Jarvis Landry caught 112 passes and those catches were the wide receiver's only obsession. In today's fantasy world of stats, it's easy to argue, Landry was due a huge payday.

Adam Gase clearly understands money talks more than anything in football and perhaps life. Players follow the example of core leaders generally paid the highest salary. A huge payday for freewheeling Landry clearly would send the message to follow the money. In 2017 the Miami Dolphins needed a leader and Jarvis Landry was not that player. Paying him would have sent the wrong message and Gase knew it.

2018 begins anew with Ryan Tannehill back at the helm. A cohesive offensive line has practiced every single day together since the opening of training camp. The wide receiver room is now a precision group without the leading freestyler. The offense is set for the next play when the QB is ready, and a loud mouth ball-hog no longer challenges Tannehill in the huddle.

Is there addition by subtraction? In seven years with Mike Pouncey as the leader, the Miami Dolphins never fielded a decent offensive line. Four years with Jarvis Landry leading the NFL in receptions, the Miami offense never rose above average. The last eight games Miami played with Tannehill at quarterback, the Dolphins are 7-1.

The Miami Dolphins are finally Ryan Tannehill's team...

23 of the 53 players on the 2018 Dolphins were not on the team when the 2017 season began. When the Dolphin offense takes its first snap this season, only three players may remain from the 2017 season starters. The Miami brass may claim they are not rebuilding, but it certainly seems the team has made a drastic change.

In three seasons, Gase learned who could play his offensive style and who could not. Adam Gase did not make bold or rash decisions this off-season, he simply wanted players who loved the game of football. The city of Miami is an extremely difficult place to cultivate a winning football team. The players are young, wealthy, famous and in the best shape of their lives. The distractions are plentiful and difficult to avoid.

These distractions often lead players into thinking the game is secondary to the spotlight. Gase knows he must find football-first players if he is going to succeed in Miami. Ryan Tannehill is a perfect example of this type of player, Mike Pouncey and Jarvis Landry, not so much.

The Miami Dolphins are finally Ryan Tannehill's team...

This drastic change is settling in for the Dolphins; gone is the glitter and flash, replaced by football-first players. The NFL has taken on a fantasy mentality and with gambling laws changing it will be harder to avoid players looking for stats. It is a very difficult time for coaches. The off-season actions indicate Adam Gase understands and is trying to change his team to keep pace with the game's evolution.

The pre-season gave no indication whether this offense would step forward in 2018. If anything, the pre-season showed the opposite, but it was obvious, Miami held back its aces. Sit back and watch Miami fans, it's Ryan Tannehill's chance to shine. For the first time, an offense built around his strengths aligns squarely on his shoulders.

The Miami Dolphins are finally Ryan Tannehill's team...

Time for Miami Dolphin Winners

As Miami dolphin fans, we are acutely aware of the negativity that originates from a sports network in the backyard of our rivals. Having listened to enough critics, we will not condone the vicious words of hateful anonymous commentors. Every reader has a voice on the internet, and those voices have evolved until only the meanest or most outlandish get attention amid the over-saturation.

Ryan Tannehill may never be great, but the Miami quarterback is a true survivor in an age gone completely fanatical. Without an ounce of his talent, haters incessantly disparage his ability until he has become a hero in the hearts of many true Miami Dolphin fans. Hate is easy. A hater never has to face the fear of losing, like a batter that never comes to the plate will always bat one thousand… Hiding behind hateful words is easier than facing the consequences of losing.

People or teams learn how to win by facing and overcoming the pain of losing. Only two reactions come from losing, learn how to get better and win, or quit. Adam Gase felt several accomplished players were a little too comfortable with losing and those players are no longer with the Miami Dolphins. With so much distraction and unrelenting expectations, it is more difficult than ever to be a loyal fan.

Attention spans compressed into instant gratification, fantasy teams rewarding individual accomplishments and promoting fan disloyalty, all fight against a simple word – Team.

The overused term, “there is no I in team” is a little ludicrous when fantasy is all about “I” and instant gratification starts with the same letter. The quarterback is easily the most important position on the football field, but Tom Brady is not famous for his physical prowess. It’s his ability to demand complete cohesion and unrelenting commitment to team goals that marks his greatness.

Tom Brady lost a lot before he won. He sat on the bench behind Drew Hensen his senior year at Michigan and wasn’t drafted until the 6th round.

Belichick was fired by Cleveland!

Digressing into Brady and Belichick comparisons in a Miami blog is certain to bring out the haters who will miss the point. This season will be the moment Ryan Tannehill is mentioned in the same sentence with Tom Brady. The reason is simple, Tannehill has lost but did not quit, instead he has grown and learned.

Adam Gase removed the players more interested in individual accomplishments at the expense of team goals. Money cannot motivate, there is never enough. When team goals become secondary to money, it is time to part ways. Landry wanted more than his position demanded. Suh was grossly overpaid for his impact. Pouncey could no longer perform up to the value he placed on his own services.

In the NFL, there are always teams willing to pay players on the open market. Landry may never repeat his accomplishments in Miami, but he got his payday. Suh is a mercenary who made his fortune in Miami. Pouncey will be the sad story we read about ten years from now when he can no longer walk. The point is, winning and team goals must come before personal goals in the game of football.

Tannehill has had many opportunities to use losing as a reason to quit and instead has used it as a reason to learn. Ruthless anonymous commentors who can only find pleasure in knocking down others are the definition of a loser. Claiming to be a fan only to antagonize the players who have worked their entire life to reach their dreams, that is the definition of a loser.

Winners will stay with it, even when times are the toughest. The Shout is here for those fans, the faithful, and the true diehards who enter every season hopeful that the turning point has arrived.

Antagonizers, and bad mouthed losers are unwelcome here, please spew your hate elsewhere.

Here, we give Ryan Tannehill one more shot. We give Adam Gase the years he needs to get it right. When the team decides their time has come, we’ll wish them good luck on the way out. Sports, like most things in life runs in cycles, and soon, our time will come again.

While we can never follow our team with blind faith, we will constructively criticize. We will handle losing with dignity and winning with grace. We will stand behind our team through thick and thin, even when it hurts.

We are Miami Dolphin fans.

Respect the Fin!