Armando: Ireland job doesn't appear at risk

[roy_miami]

Armando does mention that an epic and disastrous final four weeks could change things, but with home games against the Bills and Jaguars on the schedule, that probably is unlikely. If the Dolphins finish the season 5-11, then I think the topic of Ireland's job security becomes a realistic conversation. Here is the thing though, in addition to the Bills and Jaguars game, the week 17 game in New England could be against backups. 2-3 wins the final four weeks might not be as crazy as some might think. 2-3 wins and this is definitely not a topic.

For me the biggest reason we need to beat Buffalo and Jacksonville is that will put us at 5-3 at home this season which is a big step in the right direction. If they lose one or both of those games that'll make 4 seasons in a row without a winning record at home. Above everything this is the real reason for dwindling fan support imo. Even if you're 8-8 every season but 8-0 at home I think the fans would still be coming in droves.

 

[ckparrothead]

I don't expect Steve Ross to have made any decisions about Ireland yet. Not at 5-7. Ross is no doubt disappointed that the playoffs appear out of the question, but he's probably thinking 8-8 and a 2nd place finish in the division is still very much in reach. That would be undeniable improvement from a year ago and that would really bolster claims that they're on the right track.

But Armando's source made it clear that the topic will be revisited if the Dolphins tank the rest of the way out. If the rest of the season goes how I think it's going to go, the topic will indeed be revisited. If they take a blowout loss to the 49ers here and then surprisingly lose to the Jaguars...Armando may want to check with his source again.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

My guess is that if Steve Ross thinks that firing Ireland will improve ticket sales, he will do it. But my guess is also that Steve Ross thinks that firing the General Manager and replacing him with a Brian Gaine or some other guy that the casual fan won't instantly recognize will do nothing to put butts in seats. And my only reason for thinking that Steve Ross thinks that is that I personally think that firing Jeff Ireland will have no impact on ticket sales.




Wait, what?

 

[Spesh]

Armando does mention that an epic and disastrous final four weeks could change things, but with home games against the Bills and Jaguars on the schedule, that probably is unlikely. If the Dolphins finish the season 5-11, then I think the topic of Ireland's job security becomes a realistic conversation. Here is the thing though, in addition to the Bills and Jaguars game, the week 17 game in New England could be against backups. 2-3 wins the final four weeks might not be as crazy as some might think. 2-3 wins and this is definitely not a topic.

Id be shocked if the Patriots sit their starters. They have never hesitated in their vindictiveness against real or imagined slights. Belicheat's record against Miami isnt as good as his record against other divisional opponents and hes always shown an eagerness to win our games. As well, they could easily be fighting for a top seed in the playoff berthing. The Broncos just won and went 10-3. Between them and the Ravens i just cant see New England giving away a game.

 

[Nublar7]

For me personally, I could take or leave Jeff Ireland. If he is fired I will be OK with it, but I won't be dancing in the street. If he is retained I will also be OK with it because I can see Ross' reasoning behind it. Again, if kept, I won't be dancing in the streets either. I am on the fence with him at this point.

 

[Nublar7]

Id be shocked if the Patriots sit their starters. They have never hesitated in their vindictiveness against real or imagined slights. Belicheat's record against Miami isnt as good as his record against other divisional opponents and hes always shown an eagerness to win our games. As well, they could easily be fighting for a top seed in the playoff berthing. The Broncos just won and went 10-3. Between them and the Ravens i just cant see New England giving away a game.

New England pretty much sat their starters in the 2005 season finale when Saban beat them. In 2010 the Patriots sat a bunch of players in the season finale, but Sparano couldn't beat them. If the Patriots are locked into their playoff position, they will probably sit some starters. We are probably looking at facing Ryan Mallett, not Brady.

 

[Casas9425]

New England pretty much sat their starters in the 2005 season finale when Saban beat them. In 2010 the Patriots sat a bunch of players in the season finale, but Sparano couldn't beat them. If the Patriots are locked into their playoff position, they will probably sit some starters. We are probably looking at facing Ryan Mallett, not Brady.

No way. Brady will start and cut our throats just like he did in 2010.

 

[ckparrothead]

New England pretty much sat their starters in the 2005 season finale when Saban beat them. In 2010 the Patriots sat a bunch of players in the season finale, but Sparano couldn't beat them. If the Patriots are locked into their playoff position, they will probably sit some starters. We are probably looking at facing Ryan Mallett, not Brady.

Possible. But the competition for that second bye week in the AFC is red hot with New England and Baltimore both 9-3 and the Denver Broncos having just gone to 10-3 tonight. The Patriots lost to Baltimore head-to-head and another division loss would give the Patriots the same conference record as the Broncos and Ravens. Not to mention, the Patriots play games against both the 49ers AND Texans before they play games against us. If the Patriots lose one of those games, the pressure will be even more on. Yet, if they win both and therefore beat the Texans (who still have to play Indy twice), that could put the Patriots in the running for home field throughout the playoffs.

The year they played all their backups against us, they headed into the game 13-2 quite literally unable to lose their #1 seed in the AFC playoffs no matter what happened in the Week 17 game against the Dolphins.

On the other hand, look at 2011. In 2011 the Patriots headed into a Week 17 game against the Buffalo Bills at 12-3 which was the same record as the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers BEAT the Patriots head to head earlier in the year, so if the Ravens and Patriots lost in Week 17 while the Steelers won, the Patriots would've lost the #1 seed to the Steelers. It's unclear to me whether the Patriots would have lost the #1 seed to the Ravens in a tie, because they'd have had the same conference record and I don't feel like figuring out the "common opponents" tiebreak.

Anyway, point being, there was a mere CHANCE that the Patriots would lose #1 seeding in that week if they took it easy and lost to the Buffalo Bills. They wouldn't have lost the bye week, mind you. Just gone from #1 seed to #2 seed. And you know what happened? Tom Brady played the ENTIRE game. You know what's interesting about that? The fact that the Buffalo Bills jumped out to a 21-0 lead right away, giving the Patriots every excuse to fold up their tents and rest their starters, and just accept that the #2 seed was a possibility if the Ravens lost and the Steelers won.

They didn't do that. They kept plowing away with Tom Brady. They scored one touchdown, then another, then a field goal, then another field goal to pull to 21-20. They took the lead with 1 minute left in the 3rd quarter at 28-20. Did Brady leave yet? Nope. Threw another touchdown to go 35-21 with 11 minutes left in the game. Did Tom Brady leave yet? Nope. Did they even start RUNNING THE BALL at that point? Nope. On the next drive, up 35-21 with the Bills pretty much in give-up mode, Tom Brady dropped back to pass on 9 of the 14 plays of the next drive, capping off with a touchdown to Gronk to go up 42-21 with 3 minutes left. Only with 1:30 remaining in the game, now up 49-21 because the defense returned a Fitzpatrick interception for yet another score, did the Patriots offense march out there without Tom Brady.

So don't go assuming that we'll be seeing Ryan Mallett in Week 17. This is the team that reinvented the idea of "running up the score" in the NFL. If there's a chance they could get the #1 seed or #2 seed, they'll be playing for every inch in Week 17.

 

[ckparrothead]

No way. Brady will start and cut our throats just like he did in 2010.

And that's the other thing I forgot to mention. Even in 2010 when the Patriots very literally had the #1 seed LOCKED prior to their Week 17 game against us, they still marched Tom Brady out there for the first three quarters until they were up 31-0, at which point they put in Brian Hoyer. They sat some of their starters, such as Wes Welker, but not most of them. They didn't start sitting people until they were up a TON.

 

[Vertical Limit]

Notice how Nublar is always the one looking for articles that says Ireland is safe. Dude is hoping he stays just as much as he wanted Sparano to stay.

I wonder if you fist pumped one last time when Sparano's-led offense beat our LA Dolphins, I mean Miami Dolphins.

 

[roy_miami]

My guess is that if Steve Ross thinks that firing Ireland will improve ticket sales, he will do it. But my guess is also that Steve Ross thinks that firing the General Manager and replacing him with a Brian Gaine or some other guy that the casual fan won't instantly recognize will do nothing to put butts in seats. And my only reason for thinking that Steve Ross thinks that is that I personally think that firing Jeff Ireland will have no impact on ticket sales.

There are a few types of people we could replace Ireland with and gain an immediate impact in ticket sales.

1: The Ex-Player. Preferably an ex-dolphin but it wouldn't have to be. Not that he would want it but name Dan Marino GM and you'll see an immediate impact on ticket sales. Somebody like Archie Manning could bring in fans too, we would have our own Manning. Even some younger guys like Jason Taylor or Kurt Warner could be good options.

2: The Car Salesman. Get a young smart charismatic guy with Obama's speaking ability that loves the camera. Sell the fans that he is the guy to turn this thing around. "Yes we can. Yes we can. You should have fired yourself ireland, amirite?"

3: The Wheeler and Dealer. Get a guy that loves to trade picks for big names and sign big free agents. I don't like this option personally because I don't believe you can build a winner that way but Chicago could prove me wrong on that one.

 

[Spesh]

So don't go assuming that we'll be seeing Ryan Mallett in Week 17. This is the team that reinvented the idea of "running up the score" in the NFL. If there's a chance they could get the #1 seed or #2 seed, they'll be playing for every inch in Week 17.

Agree with all your post, but wanted to add: anyone recall our first game against them in 2007? They went up by 2 or 3 touchdowns and pulled Brady in the 4th. Jason Taylor then runs back an interception to make the score respectable and not a complete blowout. What does Belichick do? Unbenches Brady so he can start throwing more touchdowns.

New England has shown they dont need any excuses to run up the score. They do it whenever the mood strikes. I wouldnt be surprised if Belichick decides to run it up on us because we kept our last game close.

The Texans have all but locked up the top seed. With the way Denver is playing it could very well take a complete sweep by New England to get the first round bye week. If they have even a remote chance at it, they will make a run for it.

 

[iambanned]

Here's some happy thoughts: Outside of 2 years when they were the best team at the end of the season and won a total of 6 playoff games (including the 2 Superbowl victories), they've never been as good as the dynastic teams of the past few decades. They've never been as well-rounded as the Steelers, '9'ers, or 90s Cowboys. When I say 'Steelers', I'm including the teams of the last 6 years which featured 3 Superbowl appearances and 2 victories. Miami has advantages that other teams don't have in that broadcast crews like to go there and tourists like to go there. Miami is always a city that free agent talent would like to be in. So the fact that this organization has failed to capitalize on such structural advantages as these is f'n pathetic. If this team could ever put together even a couple of 10-6 seasons we could have the best FAs willing to take less money to play for us, which is an advantage that the Patriots have had for years too. Players are front-runners at heart, especially ones that got fat rookie contracts and are now prioritizing their legacies more than their finances.
I wish someone could beat it into Ross' head that having a man like Ballboy Jeff making bad picks and seeming like a douche to most players in the league is so much more of a negative than any amount experience or skill is a positive. Perception is reality, especially when you need talent to come through your door. This idea of being the football version of the 2007 Colorado Rockies with the Christian boys is a freakin' joke. We need talent now. I don't care if our players spend the offseason in jail so long as their scoring and tackling (and covering, especially) from August to the beginning of February.
It would help if we could get a GM that understands that hiring guys fired from college coaching positions isn't the best way to get cutting-edge offensive coordinators, especially when they bring in their protege project QBs who we can only hope is smart enough to learn and execute a real offensive coordinator's system.

 

[ckparrothead]

Well anyway point being don't expect to see Ryan Mallett in Week 17 until/unless the Dolphins are losing by three or four touchdowns.

 

[roy_miami]

I wouldn't be so sure that Mallett wouldn't kick our ass anyway.