fisi
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Someone has to do it, here we go. Skimming the phins news wire is a lowly task, lots of handwringing with a healthy dose of doom and gloom. I’m not seeing it that way, even after the steaming pile of chum that remains in the wake of the loss to the mighty Jets. Simply put, this team is moving in the right direction, and kudos to Stephen Ross for having the wherewithal not to whither to the public pressure to blow it all up.
Allow me to start at the most obvious point, Quarterback. Though Ryan Tannehill’s detractors have dwindled in number as the season progressed, for those of you who still count yourselves among those ranks I ask you, what are you comparing him to? Go look at the numbers of any QB you view favorably and you will be hard pressed to show me any who seriously outperformed him in their first four season in the league. Tannehill has gone in the right direction in each of his first four seasons, and he has done so with an offensive line that no would argue has been much good over that period of time. For the first time in Dolphins A.D. Miami has a QB that I can actually envision, enthusiastically, as being under center in Miami for ten plus years.
Perhaps the loudest demands for change have come from those calling for Coach Philbin's job.
The most maddening of criticisms though is that Philbin in not a leader of men. Please, just stop. What a load of insipid meaningless nonsense. He is not a leader in the eyes of some because the Dolphins are not winning enough, if the Dolphins were on their way to the play offs right now I have a feeling there would be little concern in this area. Let's put it this way, if Bill Belichick did not pull one of the greatest players in NFL history out of his back side with a 6th round supplemental pick back in 2000, I seriously doubt there would be many who were in awe of a Belichick's leadership qualities (I’ll go round and round all day with anyone on this point). There is no style of coaching that lacks in leadership qualities when a team is winning.
That is what it boils down to obviously, winning. I have hope there will more of that in the future. The 2014 Dolphins bested New England this year, lost two heart breakers to play-off teams against the Lions and Packers, and went toe to toe with the Broncos in Denver. A few late defensive stops and many of this organization's biggest critics would have a lot less to say. Heck that might have been true just by avoiding the loss of Brandon Albert. The windows are closing in New England and Denver. Who strikes fear in you as the next AFC heir apparent? Is there anyone who remains that you don’t think Miami can be right there with when it is time for a changing of the guard? Giving this team more time was the right thing to do. There is no doubt work to be done. The Dolphins are going to have to make some tough calls to get the cap right in order to retain key players and add new ones. They need to figure out how to get that defense back on track. They have to hope for the best with Brandon Albert. They need to decide if Mike Wallace is their play maker for another year or if they need to look elsewhere. There are plenty of challenges but the fact remains, I have reason for optimism, even if I do skim the news wire more often than I should.
http://dolphinblog.bitchindave.com/2015/01/in-defense-of-these-dolphins.html
Allow me to start at the most obvious point, Quarterback. Though Ryan Tannehill’s detractors have dwindled in number as the season progressed, for those of you who still count yourselves among those ranks I ask you, what are you comparing him to? Go look at the numbers of any QB you view favorably and you will be hard pressed to show me any who seriously outperformed him in their first four season in the league. Tannehill has gone in the right direction in each of his first four seasons, and he has done so with an offensive line that no would argue has been much good over that period of time. For the first time in Dolphins A.D. Miami has a QB that I can actually envision, enthusiastically, as being under center in Miami for ten plus years.
Perhaps the loudest demands for change have come from those calling for Coach Philbin's job.
The most maddening of criticisms though is that Philbin in not a leader of men. Please, just stop. What a load of insipid meaningless nonsense. He is not a leader in the eyes of some because the Dolphins are not winning enough, if the Dolphins were on their way to the play offs right now I have a feeling there would be little concern in this area. Let's put it this way, if Bill Belichick did not pull one of the greatest players in NFL history out of his back side with a 6th round supplemental pick back in 2000, I seriously doubt there would be many who were in awe of a Belichick's leadership qualities (I’ll go round and round all day with anyone on this point). There is no style of coaching that lacks in leadership qualities when a team is winning.
That is what it boils down to obviously, winning. I have hope there will more of that in the future. The 2014 Dolphins bested New England this year, lost two heart breakers to play-off teams against the Lions and Packers, and went toe to toe with the Broncos in Denver. A few late defensive stops and many of this organization's biggest critics would have a lot less to say. Heck that might have been true just by avoiding the loss of Brandon Albert. The windows are closing in New England and Denver. Who strikes fear in you as the next AFC heir apparent? Is there anyone who remains that you don’t think Miami can be right there with when it is time for a changing of the guard? Giving this team more time was the right thing to do. There is no doubt work to be done. The Dolphins are going to have to make some tough calls to get the cap right in order to retain key players and add new ones. They need to figure out how to get that defense back on track. They have to hope for the best with Brandon Albert. They need to decide if Mike Wallace is their play maker for another year or if they need to look elsewhere. There are plenty of challenges but the fact remains, I have reason for optimism, even if I do skim the news wire more often than I should.
http://dolphinblog.bitchindave.com/2015/01/in-defense-of-these-dolphins.html
