Miami Dolphins: The Most Improved Team In AFC East

   The Dolphins this off season were able to drastically improve their roster with a great influx of talent including a massive overhaul of the offensive line and defensive front 7.

This is the one area of the team that really struggled the most in the last five to ten years maybe longer. So it makes all the sense in the world that finally the team went out and drafted more linemen than we have in the past few years combined. As it stands right now because of the number of acquisitions even if they don't hit on some of the players they pick in the draft or acquired in Free Agency they still have enough bodies to at least give the line a serious boost.

Great news for Fitz, Rosen and Tua as well as the running backs. Think of this stat Ryan Tannehill was the most sacked QB in the NFL his first three seasons a QB. When Tua finally get to start he would not be able to withstand the beating that poor Tannehill took.

So in the end as a team the Dolphins have realized that the real war is fought in the trenches. Great for them great for their fans and great for this coaching staff. It seems like the Dolphins have arrived at the corner and this season they will try to turn that corner into being a winning team.

This season isn't going to be easy because of the massive turn over of the roster and the new OC and DC but as the season goes the new players will buy in and will start to gel together with the ones that were here last season. So as the season goes along the Dolphins are going to be an improving team that nobody wants to go up against.

The other area that's going to be much improved is the back end with 

Byron Jones opposite Xavien Howard. Safeties Eric Row Bobby McCain and new draftee Brandon Jones seems like a very solid group.

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Tunsil Trade

I was sitting at my desk when this trade flashed across  my phone, and immediately I smiled. Why you ask? Even with the twitter firestorm of hatred towards GM Chris Grier and the Dolphins Brain Trust? Its actually very simple; for the first time in a nearly two decades the folks entrusted to steer this team in the direction of a February game for the Lombardi (instead if the usual direction of nachos on their respective couches) are making the hard decisions necessary to get there.

For the naysayers, lets take an honest moment of reflection on what this season was going to be. Steven Ross already said "do what it takes" which was quickly and accurately decoded to say "tank to get me a franchise quarterback". All offseason the narrative from the talking heads has been "how will Coach Flores deal with a team that is going to tank?" We all KNEW this season wasn't going anywhere pretty or nice. Which is why this decision makes so much sense.

There are rumors (i stress rumor, its per PFT with no source named by them) that Tunsil had grown lethargic and lazy. That he wasn't growing into the leader the team had hoped he would become, so why pay him 19 million a year? As far as Kenny Stills goes, he sealed his own fate speaking out against his team owner.  I have no issues what-so-ever with his activism. He was constantly in the community helping the underprivileged and those in need. However, you can not speak against the guy paying your check. That applies to any job any where any time. So Grier has two guys on his hands that he knows don't fit the team, culture, or future. So what does he do? He builds the future. Addition by subtraction.

An excerpt from Darin Gantt:

"Via Field Yates of ESPN, the Dolphins have amassed 13 picks in next year’s draft, along with more in the future after a flurry of trades.

In addition to their own picks in every round except the fifth, the Dolphins should get third- and fifth-round compensatory picks for losing right tackle Ja'Wuan James and Cameron Wake in free agency.

They’ll also own the Texans’ first-rounder from the deal that sent left tackle Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to Houston.

They’ll also own the Saints’ second-rounder from a draft day deal which allowed New Orleans to move up to take center Erik McCoy.

They’ll also own the Titans’ fourth-rounder from the deal that sent quarterback Ryan Tannehill to Tennessee.

They’ll also own the Cowboys’ sixth-rounder from the deal that sent defensive end Robert Quinn to Dallas.

They’ll also own the Chiefs’ seventh-rounder from the deal that sent safety Jordan Lucas to Kansas City.

Oh by the way, they’ll also have the Texans’ first- and second-rounders in 2021 from today’s deal."

This IS THE DOLPHINS FUTURE. Oh and as sickening as it is to say... it is also the Patriot Way. The way that has made them relevant for the last two plus decades. Get rid of guys that don't fit your culture and your way, do it EARLY, not late, and get a ton of draft capital in return.

So yeah. I'm excited, and honestly, you should be too. Heres to the future ladies and gents!

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That Was Worth The Bengals-Colts Losses, & Anything Else Negative This Year!!!

Anytime we have a chance to beat a team that wins SB's because new rules have been written, or there is an asterisk after the score, plus just having Belichick as the HC, it's worth it.

I noticed no one is reading anymore. Whether it be my period of extreme inebriation, and again I don't drink so you can try figure it out, maybe have the guts to ask me(that's a laugh), or just assume I am one of the numbers of the epidemic that went round & round, you'd be wrong.  Or has everyone given up on the Dolphins?

My guess. Everyone went to other sites.  So as long as this is open I don't have to worry about criticism, agreement, ANYTHING!  I can just write what I really feel!!
6 Days Later:
Thanks Ted, Kenyan, & 9 other offensive players that didn't give up!!!
Tomorrows game against the Vikings will be tough without DBs....heck we have an entire squad on injured reserve, we rank 29th in Offense & Defense & we are still alive.
Truth be told, the game might be close, might not, I feel a low chance of us winning but will still be cheering from my computer chair.
All I truly hope happens at the end of this season is 2 things:
1) Keep Gase
2) Bring in someone strong as DC!!!  

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Could'a, Should'a, Would'a, & Really, There Is A Santa Claus!

Okay, I have never been one to look back and say: "Daggonit, we should have won that game!"  or, "If we would have made that FG with 6:48 on the clock against the Chargers, we would be looking at a WC home-game!" 

Even though I do it every single year for every single close game that we could'a, should'a, & dang it, if we would'a, I'd be writing a normal Post in all black and not thinking up reasons for why we are in the position we are in year after year!

Still, if not for tripping over our untied shoelaces in Cincinnati.  And not thinking (I guess this could have been a reason) that going up by 10 points in the 4th Quarter(24-14) that we are moving the ball well enough so even if Luck gets hot, we'll get enough first downs to ice the game.

Ah heck, I can Could'a, should'a, would'a 'til the cows come home!!  Regardless, it would have been nice to win 2 Conference games on the road!

My apologies for not having anything for this weeks.....uuuhhh...game.  Or saying anything about our incredible offensive display against the Bills.  But what?  What do you say? C'mon guys, get fired up & beat the Pats!!  Or, yardage doesn't matter, it's the final score and we had more points so we win!!  You didn't outplay us, we had our eyes on the over-under total, or how many we were supposed to win by.

How ever this weekend goes, I'll be cheering for Brady to throw INTs, and for Tannehill to throw TDs!!  I do hope they play one of those fabulously inspired games.  I can think of two involving the Dolphins:  The game where the Wildcat was introduced and the Patriots had nothing for stopping Ronnie Brown.

For me though.  One of the greatest Dolphin victories of all time was a Monday Night Game when Howard, Frank, & Dandy Don were still arguing, or getting along, or just having a great time it seemed!!

In the Orange Bowl, where we were nearly unbeatable.  Mike Ditka brought the undefeated Chicago Bears in to face Dan Marino & the Dolphins, who had been the last & only team to go undefeated in the Super Bowl Era.

The Bears were FORMIDABLE!  And that is really an understatement.  If it weren't for the ego's of Ditka and DC Buddy Ryan, that Bear team could have, should have, would have won more than just one Super Bowl.  But bringing in Doug Flutie and putting him in front of two capable QBs, was......man that was the stupidest thing I've seen besides handing the bowl off instead of kneeling in the final seconds.  You think that play was Edwards claim to fame, or would he have made a great ESPN-NFL Analyst anyway??

Dang it, I rambled on again.  Oh well, I haven't expressed my feelings any time recently so I guess I'm allowed to wax rhapsodic a bit.

Go Phins!!

KNick 

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“Still alive at 5-5”

I noticed this morning the dolphins record is 5-5.

30 years ago, the Marino-led dolphins were muddling through a season. I was a subscriber to the Dolphins Digest at the time, and my title here was the headline as the team headed into week 11.

For whatever reason, it was a memorable headline (I assume because it was catchy) and it popped into my head this morning.

Of course that team went on to finish 6-10 but there was optimism in the moment.

Just doing a brain dump. Carry on. 

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Cause For Celebration!!

Now that was an exciting 60th Birthday present the Dolphins and the Saints gave me on Sunday.

Any time we beat the Jets it's cause for celebration. Twice in one season is a chocolate double scooped and dipped ice cream cone!

Then, to cap off the day with a Ram loss is truly a birthday blessing.

Most of you know why. The '72 Dolphins are still the only "Perfect" team in NFL history.

I say "Perfect" because there were NFL championship teams who finished their seasons with no losses but had ties. They were undefeated but not perfect.

I say "history" because it hasn't just not been duplicated since 1972 but all the way back to  beginning of time as far as the NFL is concerned.

And that goes back to 1920.

We are the only "Perfect" team in close to 100 years. Think about that.

Here are some other tidbits about that season many of you may not know.

We had the number 1 ranked offense and the number 1 ranked defense.

Our starting QB, Bob Griese, broke his leg in game 5 vs San Diego and our back up, Earl Morrall, led the team until halftime of the AFC Championship game.

At that time in the NFL, teams were not seeded for the playoffs. The league determined before the season started which division champions would host which rounds of the playoffs which would start the following week after the season ended with 4 teams from each conference qualifying, 3 division champs and 1 wildcard.

As it would play out, we beat the wildcard Browns at home in the first week of the playoffs while the home standing Steelers beat the Raiders in what would come to be known as the Immaculate Reception game.

The following week, for the AFC Championship game, we traveled to Pittsburgh. That's not a typo, we traveled to Pittsburgh.

Earl Morrall struggled in the 1st half and Bob Griese replaced him for the 2nd half leading us to the Super Bowl vs the Redskins.

Now here is some ammo for you in case another team happens to go Perfect in your lifetime. We got no bye week off going into the playoffs which is a distinct advantage for your 1st playoff game and no home field advantage for the AFC Championship game which is another distinct advantage.

So don't let anyone in the future believe that their 16 game season meant more than our 14 game season. We played who was on our schedule and we beat them all.

Those above playoff obstacles should offset 2 extra games. Throw in the number 1 rankings and no one could be better.

I often wonder that if Franco Harris didn't grab that 4th down miracle rebounded pass, who would have hosted the AFC Championship game between us and the Raiders.

Back to the Jet game on Sunday. That was the most exciting game I have watched in years!

No I am not nuts. I have just been a football fan for 50 years and respect a good ole fashioned defensive battle.

I know living in a microwave era with fantasy football holding supreme, it's hard to appreciate a game were every single play could be the game winner.

Just one blown coverage, missed tackle or as it turned out, one interception for a TD made all the difference in the game.

I know it may seem abysmal to think no one scored a TD on offense in that game. But let's give credit to were it is due, to both defenses playing hard and not blowing assignments.

My heart was pounding every play because I had no idea, good or bad, what was going to happen and for me, that was exciting entertainment.

So cast aside fantasy and watch that game again if you can. I set the DVR. There was a lot happening, just not on the scoreboard.

So we roll to Green Bay and I got to say. I like our chances.

Any given Sunday Dol-Fans, any given Sunday.

Phins Up!!

Carl Leone
Dol-Fan since 12/25/1971

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Theory in Question:

Depending on the position, mental state of mind, an unnoticeable type of play that appears balls out yet is 85-100% geared on remaining healthy/avoiding injury.
Making it closer than it has ever been for a player to ignore his age and continue his career well past the likeliest age his position normally requires retirement.
In essence you now see players playing past that "call it quits age" which enables them to play where they want.  Not in a guaranteed condition, but they do increase their odds of eventually making it to desired team or making it to a team with the greatest chances of winning them a ring for their finger.
They have realized they can take whole years, maybe even 2 off for injuries.  Rehab very strong, live an extremely healthy life with food & avoiding false chemicals that age a human body.  Again, there are many more practices that have been at the front of human understanding and an insatiable search for the fountain of youth.  Many think Ponce de Leone was at the heart of this desire, yet that seems to only be a myth.
It is far from a myth that millions & more are still searching for this fictitious gulp of liquid that halts aging by the human body.
However, it is possible to the slow the progression.  And this practice taking place by more each year has switched the power of the....struggle/competition/see who blinks first....between the players association and the Owners.
The Owners must come up with something to bring back the closest equableness by teams that still has exceptional fan loyalty & a competitive fieriness' for victory & a trip to the playoffs.
Right now the cream rising to the top each year has a very similar look. Same colors, names, cities, teams, etc...
The rollover/turnover of NFL teams is not happening as much as it used to.  Maybe the NFL has become so strong they needn't worry about fans of losing teams not showing up to home games. Or if they do, they are alone in 8 sections of emptiness & they wear a paper grocer bag on their head.
The gambling/fantasy aspect of the NFL has won out. Very similar to when Nixon allowed Insurance Companies to create another form of society that has it's own economic existence, & forces more members in each year.  Try see a doctor without being insured.  Say you are depressed, a condition you suffered previously and were cured or set back on track by taking Prozac for 2-3 months.
Go to a walk-in clinic and say your piece=want to see a Doc, depressed & it was cured before by using Prozac for 3 months.
They'll ask if you are insured. "No." Okay, that will cost you $300.00 to see the Doc, and most likely he/she won't prescribe an anti-depressant.  "What if I was insured?"  Well, that depends.  But ball park it will cost you $50.00 & you'll probably get what you want. 
You are favored with insurance and you are screwed without it no matter if you can afford it or not. 
The point of all this is the oldest story in the book.  The money rotates to those that have it.  Trickle down theory.  That was a blind fold creating belief among those oppressed; one of the greatest ever.  If you examine close enough, you will see the same business theory/program operates within the NFL.
Even though I enjoy the NFL sometimes.  I would love nothing more then to see a 5-8 year period of these FB players lose the league.  No paychecks for 8 years. Watch them wonder around penniless and then hear all of the old clichés about how N#$gg%^rs are discriminated against.            

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