The Miami Dolphins are 4-6 and middling in the playoff race and after they failed to best the Cowboys losing 24-14, this season can’t get worse. To put it frankly, the Dolphins are less than average at this point in the season and would be lucky to win out…even if they do, does it matter?
People, fans, and the some of the usual beat reporters wish to blame everything on quarterback Ryan Tannehill and management’s lack of doing something about roster depth.
Previously, people would prophethize about the Dolphins making the playoffs with this so called uber talented roster and salivated greatly at the prospects of quarterback Tannehill becoming elite and Ndamukong Suh taking Brady out of a football game.
Let me take a break on this notion of talent to point out some key ingredients that are needed to win games in the NFL.
First and foremost, you need coaching. This isn’t only a head coach driven league. The assistants are the brains behind every unit on the field and the head coach is driving the ship.
After viewing what was a great game last night between the Bills and Patriots, I couldn’t help but notice how the New England Patriots, the team that people in Miami despise, but are now pushing for the label of greatest football franchise ever and probably can win a 5th Super Bowl; have the best and most communicative coaches. Their motto is simple-“Do your Job.”
For the Patriots, being the best means having the players be the best they can be at any given time. It means practicing for anticipating what will happen. It means being prepared.
Think about that statement for a moment- being prepared.
Now aside from coaching, you need a strong defense. You need to be able to stop the run.
In turn, if you stop the run, you have to execute in the run and pass game.
First, you need to run the ball to set the tone and begin to soften the defense.
Next, your quarterback must have the control to call an audible, call out protections and become the general on the field.
The quarterback in the NFL is surrounded by talent, but more importantly players that also recognize converges and are willing to adapt and improvise along with the quarterback.
Finally, special teams is where the best teams win games. Case and point, the New England Patriots who aren’t afraid to pay their kicker millions because he’s accurate and kicks the ball deep on kickoffs.
Overall, the Patriots have been one of the best special teams units in the last 10 years.
For the Dolphins, that’s just it. They don’t have one single unit that is competitive.
At QB, it’s a hot mess because the room is a mess. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is inconsistent and while he has potential, he doesn’t win games. Correction, the Dolphins lose games partly because of what Ryan Tannehill cannot do.
Not to mention, the amount of hits that Tannehill continues to take will eventually end his career. It’s unnerving to see his offensive line let him get hit continually and on nearly every play.
Tannehill, doesn’t possess the wherewithal to take a team down the field for a game winning score. He doesn’t have a sense of pride in leading the team down the field and will happily take a sack instead of throwing the ball away. It’s possible that perception is reality.
On defense, the Dolphins don’t have a scheme that is competitive and frankly don’t have enough roster talent to support it.
Prior to coach Philbin, the Dolphins were a physical 3-4 team. Now they are a finesse 4-3 team with linebackers who can’t cover the pass.
Aside from both Ndamukong Suh and Reshad Jones, no one else on this Dolphins defense makes plays.
Finally, special teams isn’t the Dolphins best unit because of a lack of execution. Penalties, have set the backwards on field position all season long, and the return unit is out of place on kickoffs.
Don’t blame Jarvis Landry for making plays. Don’t blame Landry for making blatant mistakes either. All of that comes down to development and coaching.
It seems to me that Darren Rizzi is too busy teaching Dan Campbell X’s and O’s as well as in-game procedures…to coach up that Special Teams unit.
The Dolphins have tremendous talent, when all their players are healthy. Right now, they are winning and losing games with players they probably didn’t think they’d play.
Players like Bobby McCain, Tony Lippett, are being thrown to the wolves and have performed admirably, but aren’t starters…yet.
The coach, Dan Campbell working in the position of head coach is realizing he isn’t ready and probably won’t be until 4 years from now when he’s had a chance to work on a staff like the Patriots and be properly groomed. Oklahoma drills and rugby scrums would not be something even that coach in New England would ever attempt!
The warning signs were there after the Ireland era, but the Dolphins have been quick to make judgements of their draft picks after their contract is up.
Look at Sean Smith, Nolan Carroll, and Charles Clay as pertinent examples. Players the Dolphins developed and chose to not pay them and had success elsewhere. Smith and Carroll are starters on their teams-Chiefs and Eagles and Charles Clay leads the Bills in receptions.
I’d even toss in Ryan Tannehill’s favorites such as Davone Bess and Anthony Fasano for more expensive acquisitions such as Mike Wallace..this year Cameron who hasn’t been used properly as he’s been called to help block instead of catch passes.
It’s more than likely that Dolphins 2013 first rounder Dion Jordan hasn’t had the last laugh and will end up with a role with another team. Another talent wasted by the team and I’d be the first to point out that he has had his issues with substance abuse, but he will recover.
At this point, the Dolphins have talent, but they haven’t figured out how develop that talent and get the best out of the roster.
I see it, fans see it and ultimately, the Dolphins don’t know who they are- a run first team or pass happy!
More than anything, this lack of development shows when after 4 years, your most important part of the team, the quarterback is playing at a below average level and trending downward no matter what the stats show!
Maybe after this painful season is up, the Dolphins will put away the checkbook and coach up the roster and finally find a coaching staff that will focus on player development.
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