IF the Dolphins lose to the Jets on Sunday...

[roy_miami]

As a gambler I'm more than willing to risk a 3-13 caliber replacement for Ireland, when it also includes a swing at a 13-3 type, instead of knowing I'm signing up for more years with a proven 7-9 clod with a pathetic personality. Jeff Ireland is the perfect personality for this stadium, like they were created with each other in mind. Jeff came first so it's his fault.

Yup.

I've seen Geno play a few good games too, notably the NE and Saints games. Divisional game, fairly evenly matched teams aside from QB, who the **** knows how they'll respond emotionally for Rex, good defense (which is our Achilles heal) and if Geno plays uncharacteristically good they could definitely steal this one from us. I definitely don't like the phins at -6.5 in this one.

 

[Hayden Fox]

Yup.

I've seen Geno play a few good games too, notably the NE and Saints games. Divisional game, fairly evenly matched teams aside from QB, who the **** knows how they'll respond emotionally for Rex, good defense (which is our Achilles heal) and if Geno plays uncharacteristically good they could definitely steal this one from us. I definitely don't like the phins at -6.5 in this one.

Sounds like you agreeing with me yet you kill me for being negative on other threads...SMH.

 

[67Stang]

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein

 

[67Stang]

For the record, I would love to be wrong and Ireland to stay and build a great team for years to come.....I just have 5 years of visual evidence to suggest it isn't going to happen.

 

[doughbraz54]

Pretty disappointed there wasn't a break everything, flip cars, wreck havoc button. I selected keep philbin and fire irelham as a result.

 

[AgentXof12]

I'm a strong believer that coaching dictates the quality of the product on the field. Even when the roster is lacking in talent, those lacking in talent still look good while failing. Take the 11-5 team in Parcell's first year. They always looked like they were doing something even if that something was losing. Therefore, those saying it's not the coaches' faults and that Jeff Ireland is to blame for the poor execution on blocking, I firmly disagree and see that as scapegoating Ireland--he frankly doesn't need to be a scapegoat to be fired.

I question Joe Philbin's potential as head coach. I want to buy in that he, like Tannehill, is taking the necessary steps to develop into an NFL head coach. I can forgive poor gameday coaching and failures to prepare the players for gameday if I can see him making the needed systematic changes to both his coaching skills as well as the coaching staff under him. Guys, let's not forget that Joe is still a relatively new head coach, and now with two full years under his belt it's time for Coach Philbin to address inadequacies in his coaching staff. Number one my list would be offensive coordinator. When under the 2-minute warning, I want to know why there seems to be poor recommendations for timeouts or why we opted for the field goal on 4th down at 50 yards in Pittsburgh. I look to Mike Sherman's years of experience to factor during these critical game time situations. Not only is the offensive gameplanning often suspect, but if Mike Sherman's value isn't in his experience then what is there for keeping him around? Furthermore, the offensive line coach and quarterback coach are the other two areas I want to see improvements from. Ryan Tannehill is easily demonstrating improvement, but the feeling is that he could do much more. What are the limiting factors? I know I'm not the only one who has been down on the choice for QB coach. Looking at the O-line, I think the easy conclusion is that they aren't well coached. Frankly, passer protection appears to not be coached on this team. Why is that?

The thing that Joe Philbin can do to swing me back in his favor is make changes to his coaching staff. In two years, it hardly seems he has made adjustments, and for someone who is cerebral, I've been waiting for some chess moves. Seriously, the O-line has worked with Jim Turner for two seasons and it just doesn't seem to show signs of real improvement... do we really need to throw down big dollars to assemble even an average O-line? I don't think so. And how do we fix poor execution on the field? Isn't it with coaching?

I'm in favor of keeping the GM and head coach, because I am not in favor of starting all over again. However, I would consider starting it over if we're still looking at the same poor execution and rollercoaster performances this time next year and we're staring at 8-7 on the heels of an absent performance like the one we saw last weekend.

 

[Shouright]

I'm a strong believer that coaching dictates the quality of the product on the field. Even when the roster is lacking in talent, those lacking in talent still look good while failing. Take the 11-5 team in Parcell's first year. They always looked like they were doing something even if that something was losing. Therefore, those saying it's not the coaches' faults and that Jeff Ireland is to blame for the poor execution on blocking, I firmly disagree and see that as scapegoating Ireland--he frankly doesn't need to be a scapegoat to be fired.

I question Joe Philbin's potential as head coach. I want to buy in that he, like Tannehill, is taking the necessary steps to develop into an NFL head coach. I can forgive poor gameday coaching and failures to prepare the players for gameday if I can see him making the needed systematic changes to both his coaching skills as well as the coaching staff under him. Guys, let's not forget that Joe is still a relatively new head coach, and now with two full years under his belt it's time for Coach Philbin to address inadequacies in his coaching staff. Number one my list would be offensive coordinator. When under the 2-minute warning, I want to know why there seems to be poor recommendations for timeouts or why we opted for the field goal on 4th down at 50 yards in Pittsburgh. I look to Mike Sherman's years of experience to factor during these critical game time situations. Not only is the offensive gameplanning often suspect, but if Mike Sherman's value isn't in his experience then what is there for keeping him around? Furthermore, the offensive line coach and quarterback coach are the other two areas I want to see improvements from. Ryan Tannehill is easily demonstrating improvement, but the feeling is that he could do much more. What are the limiting factors? I know I'm not the only one who has been down on the choice for QB coach. Looking at the O-line, I think the easy conclusion is that they aren't well coached. Frankly, passer protection appears to not be coached on this team. Why is that?

The thing that Joe Philbin can do to swing me back in his favor is make changes to his coaching staff. In two years, it hardly seems he has made adjustments, and for someone who is cerebral, I've been waiting for some chess moves. Seriously, the O-line has worked with Jim Turner for two seasons and it just doesn't seem to show signs of real improvement...

Don't forget that in that season, the team had an MVP runner-up quarterback with a near-100 QB rating, which can compensate for lots of weaknesses elsewhere on a team.

Right now we're functioning with a developmental quarterback, who's still getting used to the game at this level. That's going to limit what the team can do in many ways.

Rather than viewing the quarterback as having untapped potential, I'd suggest we view the team as being made better than it is by a coaching staff that's getting the absolute most out of a developmental QB, while simultaneously being limited in significant ways by that QB at the present time.

 

[67Stang]

Don't forget that in that season, the team had an MVP runner-up quarterback with a near-100 QB rating, which can compensate for lots of weaknesses elsewhere on a team.

Right now we're functioning with a developmental quarterback, who's still getting used to the game at this level. That's going to limit what the team can do in many ways.

Rather than viewing the quarterback as having untapped potential, I'd suggest we view the team as being made better than it is by a coaching staff that's getting the absolute most out of a developmental QB, while simultaneously being limited in significant ways by that QB at the present time.

IMO Pennington was given way too much credit. We are averaging more points this year than we did that year (* Edit, after the shutout last week, we are averaging exactly the same as 2008). The big difference which is often overlooked is that we had the best 4th QTR defense in the league that year. We actually struggled mightily until the Wildcat was brought out. Once that was figured out, we got our butts handed to us and Pennington struggled before getting hurt the next year.

To the above post, that was not good coaching as much as it was a gimmick that worked for a while against a very weak schedule. You saw what happened when we got to the playoffs and then the following year. This actually proves the opposite that without good players, coaching and a gimmick can only get you so far. Without talent, those gimmicks and work-arounds are solved by other teams and you become exposed, like we did!

 

[Shouright]

IMO Pennington was given way too much credit. We are averaging more points this year than we did that year. The big difference which is often overlooked is that we had the best 4th QTR defense in the league that year. We actually struggled mightily until the Wildcat was brought out. Once that was figured out, we got our butts handed to us and Pennington struggled before getting hurt the next year.

To the above post, that was not good coaching as much as it was a gimmick that worked for a while against a very weak schedule. You saw what happened when we got to the playoffs and then the following year. This actually proves the opposite that without good players, coaching and a gimmick can only get you so far. Without talent, those gimmicks and work-arounds are solved by other teams and you become exposed, like we did!

When do you suppose the wildcat was "figured out" and we "got our butts handed to us"? The team was 11-3 in the regular season following the unveiling of the wildcat. Surely you're not saying the wildcat was "figured out" in the playoff game against the Ravens, and a complete success in every game prior.

Chad Pennington's YPA was a stellar 7.7 that season. That would put him 6th in the league this year, tied with Drew Brees and behind only Foles, Manning, Rodgers, Rivers, and Wilson. That team moved efficiently up and down the field with the running game and passing game.

Furthermore, the 2008 team scored more points than the team this year, and didn't need as many opportunities to do so. For example, the team this year is scoring 0.56 points per pass attempt, whereas the 2008 team scored .70 points per pass attempt. On top of that, the team in 2008 scored 21.6 points per game, whereas the team this year is scoring slightly less at 20.7.

Again, I submit this was primarily a function of having a field general the likes of Chad Pennington, which is similar but not fully equal to having someone like Peyton Manning out there.

 

[Strangeworld]

If you told me... win Sunday and sneak in the playoffs to get waxed but we keep Ireland then I would prefer we lose if it guarantees this turd is finally canned.

We will N E V E R win with him.... NEVER

 

[67Stang]

When do you suppose the wildcat was "figured out" and we "got our butts handed to us"? The team was 11-2 in the regular season following the unveiling of the wildcat. Surely you're not saying the wildcat was "figured out" in the playoff game against the Ravens, and a complete success in every game prior.

Chad Pennington's YPA was a stellar 7.7 that season. That would put him 6th in the league this year, tied with Drew Brees and behind only Foles, Manning, Rodgers, Rivers, and Wilson. The team moved efficiently up and down the field with the running game and passing game.

They may not have scored more points than the team this year, but they didn't need as many opportunities to do so. For example, the team this year is scoring 0.56 points per pass attempt, whereas the 2008 team scored .70 points per pass attempt. On top of that, the team in 2008 scored 21.6 points per game, whereas the team this year is scoring slightly less at 20.7.

Actually yes I am saying that, they started crashing their ends on Defense, thus destroying the Wildcat. Once that was gone, Pennington's greatest asset (lack of turnovers) was thrown out the window when he was asked to make plays without the help of a gimmick; I think we all saw what happened. Also your points per pass attempt makes me laugh because we are passing much more this year (63 times more with one game to go still).....that is because we have no running game over 500 less yards than 2008. Just out of curiosity, how did Pennington do (before getting hurt) the next year without the Wildcat and where did it go?

 

[Shouright]

Actually yes I am saying that, they started crashing their ends on Defense, thus destroying the Wildcat. Once that was gone, Pennington's greatest asset (lack of turnovers) was thrown out the window when he was asked to make plays without the help of a gimmick. I think we all saw what happened. Also your points per pass attempt makes me laugh because we are passing much more this year (63 times more with one game to go still).....that is because we have no running game over 500 less yards than 2008. Just out of curiosity, how did Pennington do the next year without the Wildcat and where did it go?

The team this year is averaging 0.1 yards per carry fewer than the team in 2008. The difference in total rushing yards is coming from the difference in rushing attempts, only.

The points per pass attempt statistic is independent of numbers of passing attempts. It's an efficiency statistic. If you're passing the ball more, theoretically you should also be scoring more, but this team is not. It's scoring less, and it's doing so much less efficiently.

Chad Pennington's performance in 2008 wasn't significantly different from his performance previously in his career when he had no benefit of a wildcat. In 2002 he led the league with a 104.2 QB rating, and he's a career 90+ QB rating quarterback, with a 7+ career YPA and a 66% career completion percentage. He didn't just "show up" to play when the wildcat was unveiled.

 

[67Stang]

The team this year is averaging 0.1 yards per carry fewer than the team in 2008. The difference in total rushing yards is coming from the difference in rushing attempts, only.

The points per pass attempt statistic is independent of numbers of passing attempts. It's an efficiency statistic. If you're passing the ball more, theoretically you should also be scoring more, but this team is not. It's scoring less, and it's doing so much less efficiently.

Chad Pennington's performance in 2008 wasn't significantly different from his performance previously in his career when he had no benefit of a wildcat. In 2002 he led the league with a 104.2 QB rating, and he's a career 90+ QB rating quarterback, with a 7+ career YPA and a 66% career completion percentage. He didn't just "show up" to play when the wildcat was unveiled.

Helped immensely by Tannehills long runs.....please don't try to compare our running game this year to the 2008 team.....PLEASE DON'T!

 

[AgentXof12]

Look, it's plain as day when this team was actually coached well, and it's easy to see the contrast when Parcells began stepping back into the shadows. It's very easy to identify a team that is well coached (good discipline, fewer idiotic penalties, good execution) versus one that maybe just plays hard at times. This team has some room to grow in the coaching staff, and it's upon Philbin to make these calls.

 

[Shouright]

Helped immensely by Tannehills long runs.....please don't try to compare our running game this year to the 2008 team.....PLEASE DON'T!

So for you the difference between the 2008 offense and this one comes down to this?

http://www.pro-football-reference.c...margin_max=&order_by=yards&rusher_id=TannRy00