I hear a lot of bitching on this board lately, and it really has turned me off of posting here quite as much. Yea, we blew a game yesterday that we should have won (& that a "super bowl" team would win). It's one thing to be objective, but I believe folks around here are so caught up with poking holes in our team that they lose sight of the bigger picture...
Our team, the great Miami Dolphins franchise, is still positioned well for a division win and maybe more playoff success. Our team isn't perfect, but we've shown real improvement recently (I feel).
Here's some antidote to the post-loss blues:
- we're winning tough games on the road and , AS A TEAM, not choking in the end. Mare lost that game yesterday. I hate to pin it on one guy, but he's paid well to make those FGs. He ought to be good from 50yds out.
- our D is shutting down good teams and good offenses.
- we're creating turnovers and scoring opportunities (even if the O isn't cashing in regularly)
- Fielder, despite all of his drawbacks, shows flashes of "I'm gonna win the game for the guys" talent. Like those throws in the 4th quarter and OT yesterday. If he can cut out the INTs we'd be unstoppable. Yea yea, I know. That's a big "if". Everyone throws INTs, even Marino, Farve, & the rest of the HOF'ers, but Fiedler made enough plays to win that game if the special teams did their part.
- Chambers is better this year.
- McMichael is turning into Tony Gonzales
- our ROOKIE LT (gasp!) is holding his own.
- McKnight isn't dropping as many and is making plays.
- Norv, while limited by talent on the field, is calling good games. Sometimes ok, sometimes brilliant, but he's definitely an asset to the team.
- Seau is solid addition to the team, and not a publicity ploy, a la Emmitt Smith. He's looked younger, faster, & almost dominant at times this year. Jaworski can bite me.
- We are trying to get the deep game going, and are testing teams with deep throws (even if Jay & Chambers aren't perfectly in sync yet)
- no significant season-crushing injuries.
- Bills & the Jets are not what the pre/early season pundits thought they would be. The Patsies won a cheap one yesterday, but that's the only thing keeping this a close race. We WILL win the division. Pennington can come back tomorrow & it won't help the Jets. He's overrated. Good, but not even in Manning's class.
- This was our last game with the dirt infield.
- what were our 3 toughest games remaining (colts, titans, eagles) are all very winnable. We have a history of performing well against the Colts and the Titans. Beating both soundly more often than not. That Eagles are a mess, and will either be "just ok" or a complete disaster by the time we meet them. At home. On Monday night. Then the Cowboys are tough but not out of our league. We match up well against all of them, & none has the incredible D that could shut us out.
- Teams ARE trying to take away the inside running game. We're not so dominant that we can prevent that, but Ricky is pounding them and we are becoming a tougher, stronger team because of it. We played 2 incredibly strong D-lines recently (Giants, Jags) and while only had modest success running, we won.
We are a flawed team with an average QB, average O-Line, decent WRs, and maybe the best defense in the game.
We can beat any team in the NFL when we're on, and can lose to any team when we're off - but that's the way it is for everyone. (<--- nominated for the "duh" obvious statement of the year
)
I think we're the most talented team in the divsion, and except for the Chiefs I'm not sure there's a team in our conference I'be be worried we couldn't handle. We'll lose a couple more, sure, but we're primed for good things......maybe great things....the flavor of this year's team - despite the home losses to inferior teams - is tastier than in year's past, & think we're headed deep into the playoffs.
Anyway. Cheer up.
Our team, the great Miami Dolphins franchise, is still positioned well for a division win and maybe more playoff success. Our team isn't perfect, but we've shown real improvement recently (I feel).
Here's some antidote to the post-loss blues:
- we're winning tough games on the road and , AS A TEAM, not choking in the end. Mare lost that game yesterday. I hate to pin it on one guy, but he's paid well to make those FGs. He ought to be good from 50yds out.
- our D is shutting down good teams and good offenses.
- we're creating turnovers and scoring opportunities (even if the O isn't cashing in regularly)
- Fielder, despite all of his drawbacks, shows flashes of "I'm gonna win the game for the guys" talent. Like those throws in the 4th quarter and OT yesterday. If he can cut out the INTs we'd be unstoppable. Yea yea, I know. That's a big "if". Everyone throws INTs, even Marino, Farve, & the rest of the HOF'ers, but Fiedler made enough plays to win that game if the special teams did their part.
- Chambers is better this year.
- McMichael is turning into Tony Gonzales
- our ROOKIE LT (gasp!) is holding his own.
- McKnight isn't dropping as many and is making plays.
- Norv, while limited by talent on the field, is calling good games. Sometimes ok, sometimes brilliant, but he's definitely an asset to the team.
- Seau is solid addition to the team, and not a publicity ploy, a la Emmitt Smith. He's looked younger, faster, & almost dominant at times this year. Jaworski can bite me.
- We are trying to get the deep game going, and are testing teams with deep throws (even if Jay & Chambers aren't perfectly in sync yet)
- no significant season-crushing injuries.
- Bills & the Jets are not what the pre/early season pundits thought they would be. The Patsies won a cheap one yesterday, but that's the only thing keeping this a close race. We WILL win the division. Pennington can come back tomorrow & it won't help the Jets. He's overrated. Good, but not even in Manning's class.
- This was our last game with the dirt infield.
- what were our 3 toughest games remaining (colts, titans, eagles) are all very winnable. We have a history of performing well against the Colts and the Titans. Beating both soundly more often than not. That Eagles are a mess, and will either be "just ok" or a complete disaster by the time we meet them. At home. On Monday night. Then the Cowboys are tough but not out of our league. We match up well against all of them, & none has the incredible D that could shut us out.
- Teams ARE trying to take away the inside running game. We're not so dominant that we can prevent that, but Ricky is pounding them and we are becoming a tougher, stronger team because of it. We played 2 incredibly strong D-lines recently (Giants, Jags) and while only had modest success running, we won.
We are a flawed team with an average QB, average O-Line, decent WRs, and maybe the best defense in the game.
We can beat any team in the NFL when we're on, and can lose to any team when we're off - but that's the way it is for everyone. (<--- nominated for the "duh" obvious statement of the year
)I think we're the most talented team in the divsion, and except for the Chiefs I'm not sure there's a team in our conference I'be be worried we couldn't handle. We'll lose a couple more, sure, but we're primed for good things......maybe great things....the flavor of this year's team - despite the home losses to inferior teams - is tastier than in year's past, & think we're headed deep into the playoffs.
Anyway. Cheer up.