The Dolphins bye week didn’t go quietly, but rather unearthed the scourge of what’s wrong with the entire organization.
Growing in the walls of the headquarters in Davie was a deep wet mold that managed to grow and multiply the more that head coach Joe Philbin assured each denial after denial.
The demise of Philbin was realized finally when the Dolphins fell flat and went into their final two contests versus the Bills and Jets as the players themselves came off the field looking for answers in their bewilderment finding themselves at 1-3 and in last place.
Lost in all of the re-shuffling of the week of personnel moves (Campbell to interim head coach and Lou Anarumo to defensive coordinator), the players who desperately needed this bye week to recuperate from all of the mental and physical toll and weight of bashing by some members of the Miami media.
Underlying all of the negativity leading to the head coaching change, was Ryan Tannehill’s so-called antics that only made the organization look bad almost lighting up the national media’s furor as Tannehill was alleged to have challenged Chris McCain and other practice squad players. Much ado about nothing as the Dolphins players sauntered back to Miami looking for answers.
Just before noon last Monday, groggy players after a transatlantic flight entered the building in Davie as they met to their leader, only this time, it wasn’t Joe Philbin with his dry monotone delivery, but one of their own, a man who has battled in those same trenches in college and the pros and won and lost and knows what it means to rise and fall with the best and worst of them.
A glimmer of hope could be gained from the first news conference with words that haven’t been uttered since the Jimmy Johnson era or perhaps the previous Parcells regime that lasted a couple of years. Words like competition and words like hard-nosed were uttered from newly minted interim head coach Dan Campbell.
Words that spoke of truths and areas of improvement for the 2015 Dolphins.
Officially, for that moment, gone was the air of the unknown, the air of bewilderment and confusion. Like a dose of rejuvenation, the Dolphins on paper and in the media were back.
The teams competed in practice on Wednseday, from everyone on that offensive line and defensive line, players were poised to win their one on ones.
Players were attentive and engaged as their new coach spoke of toughness and overcoming the adversity.
Changing the culture for interim head coach Campbell won’t prove difficult as long as these players believe.
That’s what they needed. That’s the brilliance of VP Mike Tannebaum who for now instead of just accepting the “same old same old” as Stephen Ross said, found away to get the Dolphins to just believe for once that they need each other and for now are Stronger Together.
Maybe this time, the laying down for opponents is over.
The Dolphins will “dominate” and headline an incredible story yet to be written.
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