Alright Dolphins fans, we’re back and we have some help thanks to our Twitter friend, Thomas (@nashmax73). Thomas does a great job every week writing the ‘Dolphins Drinking Game”, and he’s agreed to let us share it with our readers at PhinNation. So here you go:
By Bill (@PhinNation on Twitter)
The Miami Dolphins will look to get their season back on track today, when they take on the Raiders in London. Unlike the Dolphins, our Pitiful Picks are red-hot! We went 4-1 last week, with our only loss coming from….wait for it…..the Dolphins!
Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com
This week has some pretty interesting matchups and we’re going to stick with our theme from last week: Taking the team that NEEDS the win. So….here we go:
Colts -7.5 over Titans
We’re going with the Colts again. They’re 1-2 and need to beat up on teams like the Titans. After a surprising week 1 win over the Chiefs, the Titans haven’t looked good. Meanwhile, the Colts are trying to get healthy and beat up on teams after a tough 0-2 start to their season. Andrew Luck lit up the Jaguars last week on the road and I expect him to do similar things to the Titans. This won’t be pretty. Prediction: Colts 34 Titans 17
By Bill (@PhinNation on Twitter)
Back by popular demand, we present our Pitiful Picks! We’ll pick a selection of games, including the Dolphins game, every week. At the end of the year, we’ll look forward to being mocked….endlessly. Last year, we started off slow, but were able to rebound and finish above .500. We even took the Seahawks as underdogs in the Super Bowl and won! But that was last year, this week we’re starting with a blank slate.
Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com
In our preseason predictions, we had the Dolphins beating the Patriots and losing to the Bills. Are they that predictable? Apparently so! We won’t count those 2 victories, like I said, we’re starting fresh this week. If you choose to play along, leave your picks BEFORE THE 1 O’CLOCK GAMES, in the comment section! We’re using the CBS point spreads, so if you have a problem with the spreads, take it up with them. Here we go:
Colts – 6.5 over Jaguars
You’re probably going to notice a theme here: desperation. The Colts are 0-2 after tough losses to the Broncos and Eagles. They’re on the road, but it’s hard not to pick them when they NEED a win, they’re playing the Jaguars, and the spread is less than a touchdown. Andrew Luck will not lose to the Jaguars and I’m betting the Colts come out and make short work of their AFC South foes. Prediction: Colts 30 Jaguars 13
By Julian (Miami_Jules on Twitter)
It has happened again! The Miami Dolphins, going into the 2nd game of the season following a brilliant and glorious game against New England last week, managed to not just lose the game, but to get soundly outperformed at every level by the Buffalo Bills. Please tell me we’re not about to re-live 2013 all over again and that this game was just an accident, a compilation of all that could go wrong instead.
Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com
There were few positives coming out of this game and since the list of horrors is a lengthy one, I’ll list the good things first, believe me, there are not that many. It was reassuring to see rookie running back Damian Williams doing well, after Knowshon Moreno had to leave the game and Miller’s struggling performance. The second positive we could take from the game is… actually, there are no more positives we can take from the game.
By Bill (@PhinNation on Twitter)
As good as the Miami Dolphins looked in week 1 against the Patriots, they looked every bit as bad in week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. The offense stunk….the defense wasn’t great……and the special teams were….well…..’special’. Add it all up and you had the EXACT performance we fans expected from the Dolphins following their surprising win against the Patriots. I am no Nostradamous, but I said on Twitter that ‘if the Dolphins beat the Patriots, I expect them to lose next week against the Bills’.
Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com
Why would a life-long fan, who wants nothing but the best for his team feel this way? Because I’ve seen it before. You’ve seen it before. The Miami Dolphins are the Hangover movie. WE ALL KNOW HOW THE MOVIE ENDS. Sadly and predictably, this is what it’s felt like to be a Dolphins fan for the last 5 years:
By Julian (@Miami_Jules on Twitter)
The Miami Dolphins offense, coming off a sack ridden year last season, had its work cut out by starting the new season under a new offensive coordinator and brand new offensive line. Few predicted other than a less than promising season for the Phins, who failed to sell the play action last season because of a non-existent running game, and long drawn out plays from the pocket.
Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com
Many times last year, the Miami defense looked exhausted and spent because of the offense inability to keep a sustained drive alive which only compounded the many problems facing the team, but change was coming and today change was evident on both sides of the ball, when Miami beat New England by coming from behind for a change.
Another change from last year was the fact that the higher scoring game favored Miami, a sign that the dynamics of new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor’s plan had been embraced, digested and was about to be executed on the field of play.
By Cyrus (@Cyruslassus on Twitter)
The New England Patriots have won 10 straight season openers. That is the third best mark in league history, behind the Dallas Cowboys (17, 1965-1982) and the Miami Dolphins (11, 1992-2002). They also have spanked the AFC East since 2001, with a 63-17 record and a .788 winning percentage.
Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com
In more recent upsetting news they claimed safety Don Jones and added Marcus Thigpen to their practice squad in anticipation for this critical first week matchup between the dominant team in the division and their strongest challenger, the Miami Dolphins.
The Patriots have not only picked up two special team standouts, but they have also gained two experts on what the new look Miami Dolphins will be looking to do this year in order to take this game and make a serious run at the division title.
By Bill (@PhinNation on Twitter)
Alright, so Jules and Cyrus have laid out their predictions for the 2014 NFL season, so I guess it’s my turn. Jules thinks the Dolphins are winning the Super Bowl and Cyrus thinks they can reach the AFC Title Game. I wish I were as confident, but I will hope that they’re right!
Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com
Alright, here goes, these are my playoff teams for the 2014 NFL Season:
AFC
West: Broncos 12-4
East: Patriots 11-5
South: Colts 11-5
North: Steelers 9-7
Wild Card: Chargers 10-6
Wild Card: Dolphins 9-7*
The Miami Dolphins are about to kickoff year 3 of their most recent re-build. Ryan Tannehill enters year 3 in the NFL…..Joe Philbin enters year 3 as the Dolphins Head Coach…..and both need to come up big this year. Philbin likely needs to guide his team to the playoffs in order to stay in Miami beyond this season. The team brought in a new offensive coordinator, who’s offense will finally be unveiled on Sunday. The defense made a few tweaks, but remains a question mark. Will the offseason changes by new GM, Dennis Hickey be enough?
Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com
You’ve probably already read through Cyrus and Jules predictions for the season. Spoiler Alert: I’m not as optimistic as they are. Cyrus had the Dolphins making it to the Conference Championship game and Jules had the team winning the Super Bowl. I’m not going to give away my prediction just yet, but I will say that I’m cautiously optimistic. Here’s how I see the season playing out:
vs. New England
Lazor unveils his new, high-speed offense. Will the Dolphins be able to pass the ball effectively against a very good Patriots secondary? Will they be able to stop the run? Will the South Florida heat make the Patriots wilt? I’d love for the answer to all of those questions to be yes. One matchup that scares me to death is Vince Wilfork against Samson Satele. Wilfork has stolen Satele’s lunch money in the past and I actually fear for Satele’s health after this game (and Tannehill’s). Despite all of that, I think the Dolphins find a way to excite the fanbase, pulling off the upset of week 1! Prediction: Dolphins 27 Patriots 24 (1-0)
By Cyrus (@Cyruslassus on Twitter)
Recent history makes me a little bit afraid of projecting a 10+ win season, but the team is the strongest it has been in years and I do not think it is logical to expect mediocrity just because they have been in previous years. Although that is a feeling I have a hard time shaking myself.
Photo Courtesy of Dolphins.com
In spite of mediocre results Miami has played exceptionally well against, and beaten, some of the league’s elite teams over the past couple of seasons and I think that the key to turning the corner will be to deliver a 5-1 divisional record. This is how I visualize their leap into the league’s elite.
Sweeps over the Bills and Jets are a must. They could not accomplish this without Bill Lazor’s offense, in fact they put up a pitiful 1-3 record against these squads.
That three game swing would have given Miami an 11 win season in 2013.
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