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Dolphins New Coach Search Will Be Filled with Competition

Nov. 28 News and Notes

When late December and early January roll around, the Miami Dolphins will most likely be conducting a search for a new Head Coach. It’s clear that Tony Sparano will not be able to lead the Dolphins to the playoffs this season, which will ultimately lead to his dismissal. It’s also likely that the Dolphins will be looking for a new GM to replace Jeff Ireland (hopefully). Towards the end of the Dolphins 0-7 start to 2011, it became a daily rumor that Sparano would be fired. Remember all of the “Dolphins reach out to Cowher” talk? Sparano putting his house on the market? Truth is, Sparano was probably 1-2 losses away from being fired in-season. At that point, there were only a couple of other places that looked like they’d be in the market for a head coach: Jacksonville, Minnesota, and possibly St. Louis.

Now? There are more jobs that could become available in addition to those places. San Diego has lost 6 straight games after starting 4-1. Norv Turner’s conservative philosophy cost him the game yesterday against the Broncos and may ultimately end up costing him his job. Before the season, many thought the Chargers would run away with the AFC West, as they had a talent laden roster. Entering week 13, it appears Norv Turner may be on the unemployment line. Joining Turner MIGHT be Andy Reid of the Eagles. The Architect and Contractor of the Dream Team appears to have lost his Eagles team and the fan base. There were chants yesterday at Lincoln Financial Field of ‘Fire An-dy’. After 13 season in Philadelphia, THIS might be his most disappointing effort yet. Then there is the New York Giants job….WHAT? Yes, you read that right. I believe that if the Giants fail to make the playoffs, Tom Coughlin will be out as the Giants Coach. The Giants started the season 6-2, but currently sit at 6-4 and have games against the Saints (tonight) and the Packers in the next 2 weeks. Another collapse could spell the end of Coughlin’s reign in NYC.

Matt Barkley Could Be An Interesting Option for Dolphins in April

Nov. 28 News and Notes

The Miami Dolphins’ record indicates that they are closer to earning the top pick in the draft than they are to making the playoffs. Yes, sadly the 3-8 Dolphins are only 3 games behind the Colts (0-10) for the top pick, but the Dolphins are 4 games behind the Bengals (7-4) for the last playoff spot. This reality has begun to set in among Dolphins fans…at least most of us. The fact of the matter is, the Dolphins will officially be eliminated from playoff contention with their next loss or the next Bengals win over an AFC opponent. If this was week 17, it wouldn’t be so bad…..But since there are 5 games left, it’s safe to say there will be no postseason for the Dolphins in 2011. This likely means that coach Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland will be gone when the season is over.

Having said all of that, it’s logical for Dolphins fans to begin to look to 2012. Who will the next coach be? Who will be the new GM? Where will the Dolphins finish in the standings…and more importantly the draft order. Right now, the Dolphins would hold the #5 pick in the draft. The Dolphins would pick after Indianapolis, St. Louis, Minnesota, and Carolina. Considering all of those teams will have recently drafted a QB, with Indy expected to take Andrew Luck, the Dolphins would have their choice of the other QBs. Those ‘other QBs’ could include Landry Jones, Matt Barkley, and Robert Griffen III. All of these QBs are juniors, so the Dolphins options will depend on which QBs decide to come out of college early.

Pitiful Picks: A Sunday Without Dolphins Football

Nov. 27 Pitiful Picks

On Thursday, the Miami Dolphins may have come up short, but we finally posted our first winning day of Pitiful Picks! Going into the Thanksgiving games, we were 1-6-1. But after a successful day Thursday (2-1), we ‘improved’ our record to 3-7-1! We are on a roll and thought we’d make a few more picks on the non-Dolphins football Sunday ahead. Yes, it will be a tough Sunday without a Dolphins game to watch, but having some picks on record should make it a little more interesting. Again, given our pitifulness this season, you might want to bet against the below picks….they have been pitiful this season:

San Diego Chargers -6 over Denver Broncos

Tim Tebow’s magic is finally going to wear off. In all honesty, Tebow’s magic has been made possible by the Bronco’s defense. If the Broncos defense wouldn’t continue to keep the Broncos in the game into the 4th quarter, Tebow’s 4th quarter drives wouldn’t be so impressive. I still can’t get the nightmare of Tebow’s comeback against the Dolphins out of my head…or the “We couldn’t stop Tim Tebow” song by WAARF for that matter. In fact, his struggles earlier in the game would be criticized more. Maybe this pick is too much of an anti-Tebow pick, because the Chargers are not that good either. But, I think this is the week where Tebow’s heroics won’t be enough.

Seattle Seahawks -3 over Washington Redskins

This is actually the game I feel best about picking (so I’m sure it’ll be wrong). The Seahawks have looked much better of late. They beat the Ravens two weeks ago and put a beating on the Rams last week. The Seahawks have had 2 impressive wins this year, against the Giants and Ravens. I don’t think they’ll have any trouble, at home, against a Redskins team that can’t get out of their own way. The Redskins look lost, as we saw first hand against the Dolphins. They’ll be flying cross-country to play in a place where the hometown crowd is possibly the loudest in the NFL. Give the 3 points, it’s far too little for this game.

Sparano Watch Begins Again, Following Loss to Cowboys

Nov. 26 News and Notes

The book on the Miami Dolphins 2011 season hasn’t been completely written yet. Unfortunately, the remaining chapters of the book will be filled with the Dolphins playing the ‘spoiler’ role. The Dolphins are currently 3-8 and for all intents and purposes, are eliminated from playoff contention. We know it was even crazy to talk about the playoffs when the team was 3-7, but the team looked so good in their previous 3 games, many Dolphins fans got their hopes up. Now, the best the Dolphins can do is finish at 8-8 and play spoiler to the remaining teams left on their schedule (Raiders, Patriots, Bills, Jets, Eagles).

Even before the Dolphins Thanksgiving Day loss to the Cowboys, we knew it would be a long shot for Tony Sparano to return. However, the talk about Sparano’s job security had died down during the winning streak. I fully expect that talk to surface again in the next couple of weeks. Before the Dolphins season started, Stephen Ross said that Sparano needed to ‘win’ this season to keep his job. That’s a very vague goal. However, taken literally, Sparano AT LEAST, needed to have a winning season and likely needed to make the playoffs, to return as Dolphins coach. At this point, neither of those goals are achievable.

Dolphins Playoff Hopes Extinguished; Miami falls to Dallas 20-19

Nov. 25 Post Game

After starting the season 0-7, the Miami Dolphins knew that they’d have an uphill battle to make the playoffs. We knew, to even have a chance, the Dolphins would need to win all of their remaining games. Even getting to 9 wins wouldn’t guarantee the Dolphins a playoff spot, as they’d still need A LOT of help. After a tough loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, the Dolphins have essentially eliminated themselves from playoff discussions.
Give Tony Sparano credit, the Dolphins played hard against the NFC East leaders, but in the end, they came up short. The Dolphins defense played well, but couldn’t stop the Cowboys on their final drive, which led to the winning field goal. This game was lost for the Dolphins much earlier in the game. Truth is, the Dolphins kicked one too many field goals, when TDs were needed to pick up the win. Early in the game, the Dolphins defense forced Tony Romo into 2 turnovers, but couldn’t capitalize with touchdowns. Instead, the Dolphins settled for field goals, which just weren’t enough. Vontae Davis and Sean Smith each picked off Romo early in the game.
Matt Moore had an effective day, but couldn’t get the job done in the big spots. Moore threw for 288 yards and a TD, but he couldn’t move the chains late in the game when the Dolphins BADLY needed a first down. Up by 2 points, with under 4 minutes left in the game, the Dolphins needed to play keep away, but failed to convert. They gave the ball back to Tony Romo, who connected with Jason Whitten a few times, to move the Cowboys into position for the winning field goal as time expired.
There’s been a lot of talk recently (by some) about Matt Moore potentially being the QB of the future for the Dolphins, I’d expect that talk to die down. Moore showed on Thursday why he is a good backup, but why he can’t be considered “the guy”. If the had been able to convert some of those field goals into TDs, we might be talking about the Dolphins 4th straight win.
The Dolphins offensive line, which had played well of late, struggled as the game went on. Moore was harassed and didn’t have time to make the plays he needed to make. It was again made clear that the line will need to rebuild their line for 2012. The question is, who will rebuild it? Tony Sparano’s fate may be determined, as the Dolphins can only win 8 games this year, at best. But what about Jeff Ireland? Will he return? Or is the writing on the wall that Carl Peterson will be the Dolphins GM next year? Unfortunately those answers won’t come for a few weeks, only after we watch meaningless games (again) for the Dolphins in December.

Sparano Names Jason Taylor New Dolphins Captain

Nov. 23 News and Notes

Most things in life come full circle. Jason Taylor’s career with the Miami Dolphins seems to have as well. Jason Taylor has twice been let go by the Dolphins…and returned after each time. He’s not the defensive wrecking force that he used to be, but he’s still viewed as a leader for the Dolphins in the locker room and on the field.

Since Tony Sparano arrived, the Dolphins players have voted on the team captain positions. Chad Henne was one of the Dolphins captains, but he has since been placed on injured reserve and is out for the rest of the season. Usually, teams do not replace captains if they are hurt. Apparently, Tony Sparano is making an exception. As Omar Kelly writes, Sparano selected Taylor as a captain for the Dolphins game against the Chiefs. Since the Dolphins have won every game since then, Sparano doesn’t want to tempt fate. He plans to keep the streak alive, as he has informally named Taylor a team captain for the remainder of the season.

We all know how great Jason Taylor was in his prime. He was a quarterback’s nightmare…Actually, I think Tom Brady still has nightmares about Taylor harassing him in the backfield. JT has been a standup guy and will eventually end up in the Dolphins Ring of Honor…and very possibly the NFL Hall of Fame. After the Dolphins week 2 loss to the Texans, it was Taylor that called a players only meeting. Granted, it didn’t work because the Dolphins would lose 5 more games, but is shows what type of a leader Taylor is. Through 10 games, Taylor has 4 sacks and 1 forced fumble in his part time role. Hopefully, he can create a few nightmares for Tony Romo on Thanksgiving against the Cowboys.

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Week 12 Preview: Miami Dolphins @ Dallas Cowboys – Thanksgiving Feast or Famine?

Nov. 23 Uncategorized

In a special Thanksgiving day addition of NFL football, the (3-7) Miami Dolphins will head to Dallas to take on the (6-4) Cowboys. Despite being on opposite ends of the standings in their respective divisions, these two teams have some distinct similarities. Both have, wins over the Redskins and the Bills, losses to the Jets and Pats, and are riding 3 game win streaks. The Cowboys are barely clinging to their first place lead in the NFC East, but Tony Romo is lights out in November (18-2), but the last time the Dolphins beat the Cowboys was on Thanksgiving 2003.

What to Watch For:

Cowboy Offense vs. Dolphin Defense:

It is safe to say that the Cowboy offense goes as Tony Romo goes and lately, Romo has been going extremely well. In his last three games/wins, he has had 8 TDs to 0 INTs. That is outstanding for Romo who is know for his Brett Favre, high-risk – high-reward type play. For the Dolphins to be successful, it may be necessary to force Romo to make those mistakes and turnovers that he is prone to. This may not be too difficult as the Dolphins D has had 4 INTs the past two weeks (2 each week). With Cowboys WR Miles Austin still out, it will be imperative for the Dolphins to finally cover a TE. Jason Witten, the Cowboys TE (Romo’s favorite target), has the 3rd most rec. yards (670) and 5th most TDs (5) amongst the leagues’ TEs and both are near the tops of all receivers. Our D has struggled all year covering TEs; including last week when Bills’ TE Scott Chandler led their receiving with 5rec. for 71 yards. Witten is a much better TE then Chandler; which may prove to be a big factor in the game tomorrow.

When it comes to the running game, the Dolphins D has played absolutely lights out. They have climbed up to having the NFL’s 7th rush defense and have given up the 6th, the SIXTH, least amount of points (186). That absolutely baffles me and makes me think of all the blown opportunities we had this season. Sigh, well back to tomorrow (back to the future if you will). It will be interesting to see what the Cowboys’ run game looks like tomorrow. Demarco Murray had been outstanding, until last week, filling in for the injured Felix Jones, but Jones is expected to play tomorrow. What roll will each have? Will it effect their productivity for the better or worse? It might keep them fresh and it’s another factor the Dolphins had to prepare for on a short week.

Dolphin Offense vs. Cowboy Defense:

The Dolphins’ offense averaged 28.7 ppg, Reggie Bush had 4 TDs, and they won the in the last three games. If you would have told me that would happen before week 9, I would have absolutely laughed in your face. But this is what they have done. In last weeks preview, I thought Brandon Marshall would have a big day…well not so much huh, but they did continue to do something I said they should: that is to use the TEs. Last week, both Anthony Fasano and Charles Clay had touchdowns; with Clay and Moore being nominated for offensive players of the week. A few weeks back, I talked about how I liked what I saw so far from Clay and I wanted to see him progress. That is what he is doing. By no means is he a Pro-Bowler yet, but I think he can be a big piece of an offense. Having multiple weapons like Bess, Hartline, Fasano, Clay, Bush, etc., to compliment “BM” really benefits a QB like Matt Moore. I’ll admit, Moore, has played better than I thought he would. I do not think he’s a guy that will go out and win a game for you, but he has done a very good job getting the ball to our play makers. That being said, he will finally play an established defense this week. The Cowboy defense enters the game ranked 13th in pass defense and 11th in rush defense, but much like their QB, have had ups-and-downs.

I think this may be the week that Reggie Bush’s success will be really be tested. Will he be able to continue to run between the tackles, especially on short rest? I would like to say we may be seeing more touches for Daniel Thomas, but his production has really been down and has fallen into the shadow of Bush. This game may call for a more powerful running style; that Bush may not be able to provide on a short week. Dallas’ D also has a +6 mark when it comes to turnovers. It may be very important for the Dolphins to establish their game plan early and be successful. Whether its to run the ball, use multiple targets, or hit some big plays, they need to get it rolling early. Partially, to not get behind, but also to keep Matt Moore in his rhythem. With this Dallas pass rush and defense, its not going to be pretty if we have to go out of our game plan comfort-zone.

Two Minute Drill:

Dolphins’ Key to the Game: A Little Bit of Everything on your Plate: I really like how things have been going for the Dolphins’ offense. For too long, they tried to be a run first offense and everyone knew it. That’s fine, IF your excellent at it, but we weren’t. Last week, 4 different players scored on offense. This makes the defense consider all options and not just focus on stopping the run.

Cowboys’ Key to the Game: Get into the Kitchen: You know how your Mother or Grandmother always want you out of the kitchen when they are cooking? Well, that’s kind of what a QB’s passing pocket is like. Except the Dolphins’ cook(offensive line) let’s everyone into the kitchen. Matt Moore will make mistakes if you put pressure on him and I think this Cowboys’ defense can disrupt all of the Dolphins’ “cooking” tomorrow.

Dolphin’ Player to Watch: Matt Moore. Why not? Let’s see if he can continue his success.

Cowboys’ Player to Watch: DeMarcus Ware. Ware is a grown man and can can wreak havoc on an offensive line, a QB, and an entire offense.

How it plays out: Thanksgiving Treat. If you eat a early or late Thanksgiving feast then this may be your appetizer or dessert. Despite being a touchdown underdogs, I think the Dolphins make this one interesting. As is the case with the majority of Dolphin game (except for the past few weeks) this game will be decided in the 4th quarter.

Prediction: 20-17 Cowboys. I think that Dolphins do play well, but the Dallas defense is able to provide more of a challenge then have have seen lately. Romo has 2 TDs and 1 INT; which is enough to get the job done…unfortunately.

Regardless of the result, I hope you have a fun, tasty, and safe Thanksgiving!

As always, PhinsUp! -John

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @PhinNationJohn for additional Dolphin news and commentary.

Thank you for reading my article, I hope you enjoyed it and be sure to leave a comment.

Pitiful Picks: Dolphins and other Thanksgiving Games

Nov. 23 Pitiful Picks

I’m hoping that there are similarities between the Miami Dolphins season and my season picks. I missed a bunch of weeks, but currently sit at an impressive 1-6-1 record. Not quite as bad as the Dolphins 0-7 start, but bad nonetheless. Actually, if you are a betting man/woman, you’d be wise to pick the opposite of what I pick. However, I’m hoping to turn things around, starting this week. Like the Dolphins, I wasn’t doing enough to get the job done. So here they are, PhinNation.com’s Pitiful Picks for week 12, Thanksgiving Edition:

Detroit Lions +7 over Green Bay Packers

Recently, the Thanksgiving Day game involving the Lions has been the weakest game on the schedule. This year, some would argue, it’s the best game. The Lions (7-3) will host the undefeated Green Bay Packers (10-0) in the early game on Thursday. The Lions are coming off a shootout win against the Panthers, while the Pack is coming off a closer than expected win against the Buccaneers. This is set up to be a high scoring game, as both offenses can put up points. Going with that logic, I’m going with the home team, that also happens to have the better pass defense. The Lions rank #5 in the NFL in pass defense, while the Packers rank #31. Yes, I know the Packers rank 31 in some part because they are usually ahead, forcing teams to throw more. But, I think the Lions keep this game closer than a TD and could win the game outright.

Dolphins would pick 7th if season ended today

Nov. 22 Uncategorized

We interrupt this Miami Dolphins 3 game winning streak to look ahead to April 2012. Yes, we know that there is a big portion of the fan base that is still rooting for the Dolphins to make the playoffs. Yes, we know that there is another big portion of Dolphins fans rooting for the Dolphins to lose every game to improve their draft position. And yes, we know that (like us), a lot of Dolfans are confused about what they should think….Well, PhinNation.com has something for everyone!

A few weeks ago the Dolphins were in prime position to draft Andrew Luck, or at least another highly regarded. We brought you Suck for Luck previews each week. We’re putting that on hold for now, because 1. The Dolphins are winning and 2. The Dolphins have zero chance of landing the top pick. If the Dolphins go on a losing streak, we’ll bring it back, perhaps the Blow Games for Barkely Preview?

What we can tell you is that the Dolphins have moved themselves up the standings in recent weeks. At the same time, they’ve moved themselves backwards in Draft Positioning. If the season ended today, the Dolphins would pick 7th in the Draft:

1. Indianapolis Colts (0-10)

2. Carolina Panthers (2-8)

3. St. Louis Rams (2-8)

4. Minnesota Vikings (2-8)

5. Arizona Cardinals (3-7)

6. Washington Redskins (3-7)

7. Miami Dolphins (3-7)

Thanksgiving Day has been very good to the Miami Dolphins

Nov. 22 News and Notes

When the Miami Dolphins take the field on Thursday, they will be playing in their 7th Thanksgiving Day game. From a historical perspective, the Dolphins are 5-1 in Thanksgiving Day games (3-1 vs. Cowboys). The Dolphins other 2 victories came against the Detroit Lions and the (then) St. Louis Cardinals.

The current Dolphins enter this year’s game with a 3 game winning streak. The Dallas Cowboys, also roll into Thanksgiving Day on a 3 game winning streak. One of these two teams will win their 4th in a row. The Dolphins need a win to keep whatever faint playoff hope they have, alive. The Cowboys are looking to take control of their division, having caught the NY Giants with their victory on Sunday. The Giants next 2 opponents are the Saints and Packers, while the Cowboys take on the Dolphins and Cardinals…This is the time for the Cowboys to take control of their division.

The Dolphins slow start has been well chronicled, but they are almost like a different team right now. Over the last 3 weeks, the Dolphins have not only won, but they’ve blown out their opponents by an average of 22 points/game. The Dolphins are 3-7, but on the season have actually scored more total points than they’ve given up (+7). It’s stats like those that make all Dolphins fans frusted…because we think of what could have been. What if the Dolphins would’ve won against the Browns and Broncos…Uh, the Dolphins would be 5-5 and in the middle of the playoff race. But they didn’t, so we are where we are.

I love the fact that the Dolphins are playing on Thanksgiving. Although my day involves a bit of running around, it will be great to eat and then watch the Dolphins play…much better than watching a Redskins/Dallas game, which I’d undoubtedly fall asleep to. There are two games that stick out in my mind, when I think about the Dolphins playing on Thanksgiving:

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