Dolphins History Lesson: Miami as a Double-Digit Favorite

[Dolph N.Fan]

It truly is a new day for the Miami Dolphins.

As part of the evidence, we offer this: The Dolphins are 11.5-point favorites for their game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, and it's the largest point spread in their favor since 2003, according to pro-football-reference.com.

Yes, 2003.

The Dolphins were 14-point favorites in their season opener that year against the Houston Texans, who were beginning their second season in the NFL after going 4-12 in their first year.

That game, of course, ended in disaster for the Dolphins, whose shocking 21-20 loss ended up costing them a playoff spot when they lost out to the Denver Broncos in an AFC tiebreaker after finishing 10-6.

Dolphins History Lesson: Miami as a Double-Digit Favorite

The Miami Dolphins will be favored by double digits against the Cincinnati Bengals for the ninth time in the new millennium

www.si.com

I remember that 2003 Texans game all too well...

 

[ladeback]

Man that Texans game sucked in more ways than one. Some idiot threw a lit fire cracker in the front door at the sports bar i was at and it blew up right next to me. I've been partially deaf in my right ear since then. I hate the Texans.

 

[Dolph N.Fan]

Man that Texans game sucked in more ways than one. Some idiot threw a lit fire cracker in the front door at the sports bar i was at and it blew up right next to me. I've been partially deaf in my right ear since then. I hate the Texans.

Damn that sucks. I’ve hated the Texans ever since. Losing 7 straight games to those bums

 

[Feverdream]

Each week I am more and more shocked by how quickly this has happened.

I thought maybe 6-7 wins and I would have considered that progress... and now we might actually get in to the playoffs???

 

[coalesce]

Each week I am more and more shocked by how quickly this has happened.

I thought maybe 6-7 wins and I would have considered that progress... and now we might actually get in to the playoffs???

I still don’t think the Dolphins will get into the playoffs, but I definitely see 9-7 or 10-6 as an almost definite possibility.

 

[Mach2]

I still don’t think the Dolphins will get into the playoffs, but I definitely see 9-7 or 10-6 as an almost definite possibility.

You don't think 10 gets us in?

 

[The Bopkin]

Buffalo at San Fran this week, but unfortunately it is not at San Fran, but in Arizona I think. San Fran MUST win.
Pitt at Buffalo I believe in two weeks.
They also have Miami, obviously, week 17.
They don't have an easy road to hoe either.
Meaning, take care of some business- LV, NE, Buff...of course Cincy...anything could happen.
Still can't imagine us beating KC, but am dying to see the matchup.

 

[andyahs]

To me history with any coach after Shula is different to what we have in Flores.

 

[ANUFan]

For those that are into making wagers(Not me by the way...I'm appalled by such activities!).
What are the chances they cover?

 

[phinfan40353]

Buffalo at San Fran this week, but unfortunately it is not at San Fran, but in Arizona I think. San Fran MUST win.
Pitt at Buffalo I believe in two weeks.
They also have Miami, obviously, week 17.
They don't have an easy road to hoe either.
Meaning, take care of some business- LV, NE, Buff...of course Cincy...anything could happen.
Still can't imagine us beating KC, but am dying to see the matchup.

KC is a dangerous game for the organization.

Too many times in the past this organization has been riding hope and belief waves of false hope heading into litmus type games... only to get pummeled and set back by our own realization that to truly be a good/great team... it takes more than we currently have and we must readjust our perception to the task of organization building.

Teams that seemingly rise up to establish greatness have foundational pieces in place that do not show up on the field.

Too many times we have pinned our hopes solely on a few player names or short term results. These do not build the fortitude to stand in the ring with well built teams.

The Jaguars play off pounding for Jimmy revealed such realities. There was a philosophical split internally within the organization: Dan or Jimmy? Choose your path. We chose both and were not aligned.

Huge games against well established organizations on the big stage reveal internal flaws. Thus we have been disappointed too many times because our organization's foundation has been flawed.

We may not beat KC, but how we handle shifts in the game and the final outcome will tell us how close we truly are to taking the next step.


The real difference in the NFL is coaching and preparation; unity of vision and ability to execute.

If we get blown out in Year 2, something is fundamentally wrong.

If it is a competitive game and we lose, we are on the right path.

If we win, then we are on the cusp of becoming legitimate.


Winning a game is due to circumstances.

A winning culture is about the organization.

 

[TrogdorTheBurninator]

KC is a dangerous game for the organization.

Too many times in the past this organization has been riding hope and belief waves of false hope heading into litmus type games... only to get pummeled and set back by our own realization that to truly be a good/great team... it takes more than we currently have and we must readjust our perception to the task of organization building.

Teams that seemingly rise up to establish greatness have foundational pieces in place that do not show up on the field.

Too many times we have pinned our hopes solely on a few player names or short term results. These do not build the fortitude to stand in the ring with well built teams.

The Jaguars play off pounding for Jimmy revealed such realities. There was a philosophical split internally within the organization: Dan or Jimmy? Choose your path. We chose both and were not aligned.

Huge games against well established organizations on the big stage reveal internal flaws. Thus we have been disappointed too many times because our organization's foundation has been flawed.

We may not beat KC, but how we handle shifts in the game and the final outcome will tell us how close we truly are to taking the next step.


The real difference in the NFL is coaching and preparation; unity of vision and ability to execute.

If we get blown out in Year 2, something is fundamentally wrong.

If it is a competitive game and we lose, we are on the right path.

If we win, then we are on the cusp of becoming legitimate.


Winning a game is due to circumstances.

A winning culture is about the organization.

Placing waaay too much importance on one game imo. We are on an upward projectory(??) regardless if we get blown out by the best team in the NFL or not.

 

[The Bopkin]

Placing waaay too much importance on one game imo. We are on an upward projectory(??) regardless if we get blown out by the best team in the NFL or not.

Trajectory.
Not trying to be a douche, but you put the ???, so I thought maybe you'd want the input.
Apologies for being the Vocab Police.

 

[TrogdorTheBurninator]

Trajectory.
Not trying to be a douche, but you put the ???, so I thought maybe you'd want the input.
Apologies for being the Vocab Police.

Yes. Thank you, I knew I was effin' that up lol

 

[phinfan40353]

Placing waaay too much importance on one game imo. We are on an upward projectory(??) regardless if we get blown out by the best team in the NFL or not.

I wasn't placing any importance on the KC game.

I was commenting on Bopkin's "Still can't imagine us beating KC, but am dying to see the matchup.".

I wasn't implying either of us had skin in the KC game. But I was merely reflecting on how the organization and fan base have faired after games against legitimate championship teams when we are looking for validation; directly or indirectly.


You can't ignore results completely. One game, yes... but trends, no.

Flo and Co have been progressing and seemingly, finally, have us on a path of "the sum is greater than the parts". We have a team mantra about us we've not seen in a long time.

We aren't dependent on one person. We have coaching in place that is showing up in player development and in the details of our execution.


I don't expect us to beat KC. But I do expect to see glimpses of the future.

And while one game is not a condemnation or foreshadowing of the future.... what is discovered should not be ignored. Especially the negatives.

 

[TrogdorTheBurninator]

I wasn't placing any importance on the KC game.

I was commenting on Bopkin's "Still can't imagine us beating KC, but am dying to see the matchup.".

I wasn't implying either of us had skin in the KC game. But I was merely reflecting on how the organization and fan base have faired after games against legitimate championship teams when we are looking for validation; directly or indirectly.


You can't ignore results completely. One game, yes... but trends, no.

Flo and Co have been progressing and seemingly, finally, have us on a path of "the sum is greater than the parts". We have a team mantra about us we've not seen in a long time.

We aren't dependent on one person. We have coaching in place that is showing up in player development and in the details of our execution.


I don't expect us to beat KC. But I do expect to see glimpses of the future.

And while one game is not a condemnation or foreshadowing of the future.... what is discovered should not be ignored. Especially the negatives.

Guess I read that out of context. My fault. But yeah I agree with everything here.