Y'all Fought & Brought it Back Last Year! Don't Lose it in "1" Year!!

  Here it is, and for those who have not noticed. I am always thinking of a positive way the 'Phins can turn the season and their team into playoff contenders.  This is not an attack or a negative theory on what's going on.  It's more of a possible reality check of what wasn't supposed to happen last year.

 Starting out I believe Mr. Ross finally got a Head Coach he wanted.  Again, I think this because at that time I was not listening to ANY opinions of so called NFL experts.  OK.  We now have a HC with a reputation as an Offensive Guru and a Quarterback Whisperer all in one.  Still, he is HC now, not either one of those.  At the time I was unaware he would still be calling the offense. 

I'm guessing but I don't think many fans felt we had very many above average players on the team Gase was inheriting?.?.?.  Some might find it hard to believe, but Philbin's record for the 3 seasons he started & finished was 23-25.  First year 7-9, with years 2 & 3 .500= 8-8.  I think the biggest issue was we had a chance at the playoffs in 2013 & 2014.  '13 we lost our final 2 games to the Jets & Bills.  In 2014, our final 4 games, we lost to the Pats, and believe it or not we were beat by the Ravens.  We recovered to beat Minnesota 37-35 and needed one more win for a chance....percentage wise I think?  Didn't matter, again the Jets beat us.  Lemon wedges, lime pieces, & grapefruit triangles over sauerkraut was what my spaghetti dinner tasted like that evening.  Talk about a sour taste & feeling going into the off season.

Gase arrives and immediately a horseshoe falls in his lap minutes before the draft begins.  All those people saying marijuana is an evil, bad drug.  We have had our ups & downs with the THC product.  Ricky couldn't get enough, & Laremy....well, in reality who really knows or cared when he fell to us over some Twitter Pics.  It seemed like he would be a good starter right away.  And I guess he was, although at LG, not his natural position of LT.  This year I hope it's just some growing pains, or maybe a collective sickness infecting the entire team?

So last year started out as predicted by many.  Gase's leadership tactics seemed to work and the players it was used on started playing well.  We started winning games and got into the playoff race.  But seriously, other than Pittsburgh without Roethlisberger for most of the game, and beating the Jets quite handily, the victories we had could have just as easily been losses. 

What if last year went like most thought it would??  Probably under .500, missing the playoffs, and setting up for another good year of future Draft Picks!  Honest to goodness, that is what I thought the year would be like.  I'm not complaining at all.  That was fun! It brought back great memories! The attitude of the team, on the field and evidently in the locker room, did something that is considered to be the hardest adjustment a professional organization involved in COMPETETIVE team sports can do.  Going from an accepted losing belief/mindset, by making a 360 degree change in THOUGHT & ACTION= Losing is not acceptable any longer!  We, as Miami Dolphins, EXPECT to win each game no matter how injured we are, how ugly we might play, if we are outscored quarters 1-3, we will play & EXPECT to win each game(when this document was written some joker added in, "Unless were playing Baltimore)!  And it often happened last year.  So much so that the talk of this year was can we overtake the Patriots?  Of course we only play twice a year and both games this year are basically in December(first one is Nov. 26th).  I don't think that was an issue however.  

What if we did not PULL-OUT all those one score, last play, overtime victories?  I don't think we would be as derogatory in our assessment's of what is happening.?.?  A First Year Head Coach with 8 victories by a TD or FG, on the final play, or in OT.  Personally, I could throw all that stuff out the door!  For me it was whatever he did to bring that change in attitude to the Miami Dolphins we all fell in love with during Shula's time.  And God forbid, it seems like this team is teetering on that BELIEF system, that WINNING MINDSET! We cannot lose it no matter what happens & who is traded.  I feel that trade was a statement to all involved.  No One is bigger or more important than the team and the WINNING attitude we achieved last year!

The ATTITUDE STAYS no matter who leaves!!  That is what a TEAM IS!  A common goal.  All thinking alike.  Losing, although inevitable, is not tolerated week to week.  Winning and Playing hard and FULFILLING YOUR ASSIGNMENT on each play is DEMANDED!  The % of players that score the winning touchdown, make the last basket, hit the walk off homerun is/are miniscule.  Lose the attitude and be part of a winning team.  You are making millions of dollars right now.  The stands are filled with people that maybe thought they would make it, or others that admire you, and some that are losing interest in very self-centered behavior.  The time goes quick man, don't waste it!!  Wait, am I preaching?  There ya' go, I am truly a hypocrite!