I have been a die-hard fan for 50 years, and I would like to offer a perspective I have rarely, if ever, seen on this board (before we start slitting our wrists).
I remember well, back in the 70's, 80's & early 90's when the Dolphins would consistently win between 12-16 games a year as if it was normal. We would consistently vie for the AFC championship. When I was much younger, I always wondered why so many other teams were always trash.
When Shula was forced out, I wondered where the Fins would go from there. Obviously they then slid into the depths of mediocrity and the trash pile where all those OTHER teams were. And my point is.... COACHING! While I enjoyed my Fins when they won of course, I had not had any faith that they COULD win consistently, until now. And it's not about 1 preseason game, it's about the growth and development process. From Flores' first year, I knew this was a 3 - 5 year plan to make the Fins RELEVANT & COMPETITIVE again. Remember, the Fins completely gutted the roster just under two years ago so they could start over from scratch. And while NONE of us expected it, last year was arguably a pleasant surprise to all of us. We were celebrating a level of competitiveness we haven't seen in 25 years. Now we are just STARTING year three of the plan. (and I might argue 2 1/2, because of no offseason development and preseason last year). But we have seen extraordinary progress in this PROCESS.
Now, while it may be a self-centered entertainment to grade the 1st preseason game as if it's the 18th game of the season, I see two issues to keep in mind, and they're both a matter of perspective. We should EXPECT that a new line (comprising 3 2nd year players, 1 rookie, and one 3rd year player whose been developing (Dieter), and sometimes Davis, has a LOT of growing to do. Today's test against one of the best D-Lines of VETERANS in the league produced just as expected.
In a 1st preseason game, with one of (if not THE) youngest lines in the league, we were able to move the ball. Tua's 3 drives consumed 21:08 out of the 30 minutes of the first half; Notwithstanding the 1st 3-&-out possession in which we threw one away and dropped another pass, whether you liked what you saw in the run game or not, we moved the ball. After the first 2 passes in the trash possession, Tua connected on 8 for 8 of his next 8 passes (including the 50-yarder to Gesicke), until the end-zone pick.
Overall, 8 -11, 1 INT. 99 yards. On the 2nd & 3rd TUA possessions, we ball-control marched the field. So there were nearly 80 yards of rushing mixed in. Point: while the eyes perceived a poor line, we had rushing production. With VANILLA play calling. Against a great DLINE. And several times, the announcers correctly pointed out how well the TE's sealed the edge for some of the better runs... so what I saw, was that even though we don't have a top-10 line, we can be competitive, and I haven't seen this much growth in this team since 1994.
Recently, the FINS were rated #1 in the league in under-25 talent. So if grading ANYTHING, I would be more interested in grading the PROCESS of this team growing, developing, and becoming a top-4 competitive team in the AFC, and a top 8 team in the league. And though we are CAP-strapped this year, we have PLENTY of CAP space NEXT year. I can only see us getting better. I just can't get hung up on every speed bump I see.
Finally, players aren't static robots. They DO develop and get better, and they will also get better as a group, working together. Getting the details, timing, technique, strength, execution, & chemistry right is a very difficult process. Do I WORRY about where Iggy is RIGHT NOW? No. He's got another year at least to develop before I consider whether he'll be the pro I am hoping for. But he's showing better than last year! Haven't you seen development from Needham? Rowe? Baker? Sieler? AVG? And yes, I see development in Wilkins. I have seen massive growth in Tua, Hunt, & Dieter. And wait and see what TUA becomes even NEXT year! I see SO many of you guys judging each player like you're building a fantasy football team. Do I expect the fins to have top-10 players in every position? No. Do I even expect the entire unit (OL) to be top 10 to be competitive? No. But we can win with this team. With TUA as our QB. and with Flores as our coach. We haven't had THIS trajectory in 25 years. So enjoy what is cooking right in front of you!
