Today the Dolphins answered everyone’s questions about the state of the team by losing in a laugher 41-13 to the rival Patriots.
We saw how one game could become a microcosm for the entire season: a model of inconsistency.
The Dolphins are now 7-7 after going on a three game winning streak from late October through November.
A streak that included wins versus the Bears, Jaguars, and Chargers. Teams that for whatever reason couldn’t come close to beating the Dolphins. Teams more troublesome in the consistency department than the Dolphins.
What about December you ask? December has gone from bad to worse and the Dolphins don’t seem to have an answer for their losing ways.
In the middle of this firestorm is Ryan Tannehill who threw the ball 47 times in an attempt to come back and had a season high in yardage. He had no choice but to throw rather than run because that was the call from the sideline.
Aiding Ryan Tannehill in this tailspin are most of his Dolphins receivers who can’t seem to get their Nike and Underarmour gloves wrapped around the football, whether their quarterback throws the ball high or low.
The Dolphins need a coach that cannot only teach, but preach tough love. They don’t need an “aw shucks” guy which they currently have in head coach Joe Philbin. The need a coach that leads and doesn’t cower in his office sending out press releases through intermediaries.
Right now, Joe Philbin is in hot water and destined to not have much defense to keep his job. He doesn’t have anyone in his corner now that can validate his team’s performance since he was provided with more personnel control and had a say in hiring his offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. Bill Lazor was supposed to bring Philbin better play offensively, the Dolphins are 6th in red zone touchdowns with 29. The Dolphins are the best at short yardage passes, not deep. The game plan, has Philbin written all over it. Not Lazor.
As said earlier by Dave Hyde of the Sun-Sentinel: “The touchy thing of this (potential coaching) change is the Dolphins need Bill Lazor to stay running this offense. ”
Philbin also hired defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle, who for whatever reason was not purchased enough groceries from the linebacker aisle. The defense he coaches lacks depth.
Losing 41-13 to the first place Patriots and dropping to third in the division three straight seasons is reason enough to fire Joe Philbin.
His shields which adorn the hallways of the Dolphins training facility seem lost on the players and should be put away.
The antics of throwing quarterback Ryan Tannehill under the bus are now worn.
Running the ball on 3rd and 6 with the Dolphins first second half possesion seems inexplicable and down right ridiculous when the Patriots are throwing to the heart of the Dolphins defense on every down.
At 7-7, the Dolphins have lost their identity at the wrong time of the season when they should be kicking butt in making the playoffs.
With Joe Philbin as good as gone, the Dolphins need a fresh approach that doesn’t disrupt the team and it’s key core guys. They need a coach who has complete trust in his players to get the job done. They need a coach that doesn’t red shirt players (see Dion Jordan year one and OG Billy Turner).
This team has bit, scratched, and clawed while earning an average 7-7 record with two tough minded teams standing in their way of a decent 9-7 record.
This is a team that shows up for most of the game, but coaching drags them down with unnecessary gamesmanship. Philbin always has to appear as the smartest man in the room, when smart doesn’t win 100 percent of the time in the NFL.
Think about this, the Dolphins are in 3rd place to the Buffalo Bills who got a college coach (Doug Marrone) with a bit of NFL experience and in two seasons find themselves in second place and surging ahead. Buffalo has managed to corral a defense, special teams, and even though they don’t have a longterm solution at quarterback are kicking the rear end of tough teams. Up in Buffalo, they play good, smart, and tough football.
Aren’t good, smart, and tough the adjectives that Joe Philbin used to describe how the Dolphins would play when he took the job as head coach?
After three seasons with Philbin at the helm, it’s time to bid adiós to his antics. Time to say good bye Joe Philbin and brace ourselves for another coaching search.
A coaching search that sells and attempts to build around quarterback Ryan Tannehill, because right now, that is the only indication that this team is close to the ever elusive playoffs.
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