The more I watched these playoff games, the more I realized how close the Dolphins are (were) to being a playoff team. It also makes me reflect on just how devastating that 7-game losing streak was.
The Dolphins have the talent to make the playoffs. Not win it all, but certainly to be in that mix. We are a better team than New England (evidenced by us sweeping them). I say we are better than the Raiders (we had them beat until some key plays and questionable coaching decisions doomed us). Pittsburgh? The Steelers finished half a game ahead of us and got an extremely lucky “tie” from the Lions that should have been a Steeler loss.
Losing 7 games in a season like the Steelers did goes under the radar if those 7 are spread out. But lose 7 IN A ROW, and it affects your men. When some really really bad teams beat you during those 7 games (ahem, Falcons and Jags), it blows up your whole season.
While several players screwed things up, the coaches did not help. It took them until Week 9 to FINALLY start throwing short little passes to Waddle. That change in play-calling philosophy turned our season around. Why did it take those fools over half the season to try it? Same thing with the defense…I thought Jaylen Phillips was a bust until they released the beast around Week 11. His ferociousness made Wilkins and Seiler into better players. But the coaches didn’t unleash Phillips until Week 11 or so.
7 straight games and 7 straight losses, and the coaches tried NOTHING new. If we squeaked out a victory in any of those 7 games, we’re in the playoffs. That close.
Our next head coach will adopt a lot of talented football players. Let’s hope he knows how to utilize them from the get go instead of waiting until it’s too late.
On another note concerning our head coach search….I’m not getting any major excitement from any of the candidates. There are a few who I am all-against, but no one I am all for.
The Rams running back coach? The 49ers’ first-year OC (who doesn’t call the plays). These kids are not ready to be head coaches. Sadly, I think Ross looks for that. He want a yes man, a young kid coach who will say, “Yes, sir, Mr. Grier and Mr. Ross. I’ll do anything because you were kind enough to give me a job.”
Brian Daboll is the intriguing name, but remember, his ties to Tua at Alabama were during Tua’s freshman year when he didn’t play.
Dan Quinn appealed to me at first, but he really didn’t have a good game plan vs. San Fran last Sunday, so my enthusiasm has waned on him.
Todd Bowles is not even on the list of those we are interviewing.
None of the “usual” names have been mentioned this time around either. No Rex Ryan. No Bill Cowher. It seems like Ross is fixated on reading the papers and finding the “next wunderkind” that way. Just like he did with Adam Gase. 🙁
I still like Quinn but wouldn’t mind Caudwell (sp) or Pederson. Dallas’ problem is poor offense and that Dak has trouble finding open receivers in big games.
I agree 100 % that Miami’s coaching staff ruined this season due to unpreparedness and lack of ability to play our talent. It took, what, 14 weeks to finally play our best RB.
I’d love Pederson too, but his name is not coming up too often among all these vacancies. Interesting how these young up-and-coming offensive geniuses are in demand, but proven Super Bowl winners aren’t in the mix. At least not publicly.
Your right admin it really looks that way because at this point if they don’t try something different with a coach with some experience (maybe daboll because he did help Josh Allen become Josh Allen unlike gase and philbin coordinating for a superstar before they were coordinators) than they want what is best and easy for them and not the dolphins and fans. It will truly be astounding if they take the same path again like the 4th or more times. Seriously have lost count lol
Daboll has a lot of experience as a coach. Flores was good, but his background was in scouting and behind the scenes in personnel…NOT in game-day strategizing. Yes, he worked his way up to become a trusted Belichick assistant, but still he did not have years and years of experience like Daboll will bring to the table.
First things first….let’s have the Chiefs knock the Bills out of the playoffs Sunday and that will free up Daboll for interviews.
Look, bring back Vance Joseph and they might have a chance of bringing back all those disgruntled Dolphins fans.
Interesting… that would depend on the way Joseph left us before. If he left on good terms, he might deserve a shot. If he left because he didn’t like Chris Grier, he has no chance!
Just Finforever’s two cents, but…if Ross the moron hires another no-name as head coach, it’s back to Gase and Philbin all over again. This team needs a HC with street cred….my first pick would be Pederson. He’s coached it, dealt with it and seen it…that’s a ton more than Flores-whom I liked-Gase, Phibin combined. I don’t see Harbaugh coming tothis team. Ross has gone the low-budget route too many times and he’s not one to be reaching deep into his pockets-that money, my friends, goes to the Stephen B. Ross School of Business at UMich!
I can just see the love-affair memes with Ross and Harbaugh together. “Rejected a decade ago, Ross never let go of his undying love for Jimmy H.”
I would love to have Rex Ryan here especially with our defense. He would guarantee we would find a running back that could pound the ball all three downs and it would actually be fun to watch the Dolphin defense get to the next level and lock teams down while the offense pounds the ball at them half the game. Oh wait I just woke up……. we will end up with some no name position coach who is an offensive guinus on PlayStation!
That’s hysterical. Another Madden 2021 video game strategist. I’m still amazed as to why we’re interviewing the Rams assistant running backs coach.
“…..assistant running backs coach!” This would be an interview for a low level position on any other team but when it’s the Dolphins you better watch out because they may uncover the next GOAT head coach here! The Dolphins are just trying to ruin Tua the way they did Tannehill. I actually think Tannehill was a better QB than Tua. They both unfortunately ended up here.