FOXBOROUGH, Mass — Raise you’re hand if you’ve heard this before: The Dolphins have two games left in the season. They’re almost certainly out of the playoff race.
And they have nothing to play for except their coach’s job and some sort of respectability.
“You’re playing for pride,” said quarterback Ryan Tannehill when asked what the Dolphins are playing for now that they lost to New England 41-13 and dropped to 7-7 with two meaningless games remaining.
“You’re playing for the name on the back of your jersey and the name on the front –- the Dolphins,” Tannehill said. “You represent yourself every time you step on that field –- your name and everything about yourself. You have to go out and play even if it may not be for the playoffs. You have to play in a way that you want to see yourself represented and for your teammates too.”
It’s a nice thought, but it’s discouraging for a Dolphins team that was once 5-3 and looked like a potential contender after a 37-0 shutout win over San Diego. That was a long time ago.
From here on out it’s all about Philbin and whether he can keep his job.
It very well could too late. If the Dolphins finish the season with home wins against Minnesota (6-8) and the New York Jets (3-11), they’ll be 9-7.
But the Dolphins didn’t just lose two must-win games the last two weeks against Baltimore and New England. They lost by a combined 69-26. They were outscored 24-0 in the third quarter against the Patriots on Sunday. It was the most points New England had ever scored in a third quarter. That’s history and the Dolphins are on the wrong side of it.
If Philbin does finish 9-7 and is still fired, he’s only be the second NFL coach since 2000 to be canned with nine or more wins and coming off his best season. Philbin won seven games in 2012 and eight games last year.
It’s the reason you can’t say for certain that Philbin is done. But if you’re Dolphins owner Stephen Ross — who wouldn’t talk to reporters after the game — you’re going to have a tough sell to the public of why Philbin should remain the Dolphins coach.
They’ve just looked so flat the last two weeks. They’ve been crushed when it’s counted the most.
Sure, they’ve had injuries, starting with left tackle Branden Albert, the team’s top free agent acqusition. And they’re a young team.
But Philbin said throughout the week that the team is an extension of the head coach. And that’s not something to brag about right now.
The way the Dolphins are playing, it’s hard to even predict them to win out against the Vikings and Jets. This could be another 8-8 season. Even worse, there’s the possibility Miami could finish 7-9 which means they would have ended the season on a 2-6 slide.
So here we are again. The games mean nothing except the coach’s fate. Ross will have to ponder whether he wants a coaching change, managerial or both. Will he only fire Philbin if he can get a specific coach he wants like Jim Harbaugh? Or would he fire him and do a broad search that — much like the GM search last season — might not lead to your top candidate.
Ross can seek the advice of advisors, including Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. In the end, however, it’s a decision he’ll have to make. And it’s really all that matters now.
http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachp...-of-the-season-after-patriots-crush-dolphins/
And they have nothing to play for except their coach’s job and some sort of respectability.
“You’re playing for pride,” said quarterback Ryan Tannehill when asked what the Dolphins are playing for now that they lost to New England 41-13 and dropped to 7-7 with two meaningless games remaining.
“You’re playing for the name on the back of your jersey and the name on the front –- the Dolphins,” Tannehill said. “You represent yourself every time you step on that field –- your name and everything about yourself. You have to go out and play even if it may not be for the playoffs. You have to play in a way that you want to see yourself represented and for your teammates too.”
It’s a nice thought, but it’s discouraging for a Dolphins team that was once 5-3 and looked like a potential contender after a 37-0 shutout win over San Diego. That was a long time ago.
From here on out it’s all about Philbin and whether he can keep his job.
It very well could too late. If the Dolphins finish the season with home wins against Minnesota (6-8) and the New York Jets (3-11), they’ll be 9-7.
But the Dolphins didn’t just lose two must-win games the last two weeks against Baltimore and New England. They lost by a combined 69-26. They were outscored 24-0 in the third quarter against the Patriots on Sunday. It was the most points New England had ever scored in a third quarter. That’s history and the Dolphins are on the wrong side of it.
If Philbin does finish 9-7 and is still fired, he’s only be the second NFL coach since 2000 to be canned with nine or more wins and coming off his best season. Philbin won seven games in 2012 and eight games last year.
It’s the reason you can’t say for certain that Philbin is done. But if you’re Dolphins owner Stephen Ross — who wouldn’t talk to reporters after the game — you’re going to have a tough sell to the public of why Philbin should remain the Dolphins coach.
They’ve just looked so flat the last two weeks. They’ve been crushed when it’s counted the most.
Sure, they’ve had injuries, starting with left tackle Branden Albert, the team’s top free agent acqusition. And they’re a young team.
But Philbin said throughout the week that the team is an extension of the head coach. And that’s not something to brag about right now.
The way the Dolphins are playing, it’s hard to even predict them to win out against the Vikings and Jets. This could be another 8-8 season. Even worse, there’s the possibility Miami could finish 7-9 which means they would have ended the season on a 2-6 slide.
So here we are again. The games mean nothing except the coach’s fate. Ross will have to ponder whether he wants a coaching change, managerial or both. Will he only fire Philbin if he can get a specific coach he wants like Jim Harbaugh? Or would he fire him and do a broad search that — much like the GM search last season — might not lead to your top candidate.
Ross can seek the advice of advisors, including Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. In the end, however, it’s a decision he’ll have to make. And it’s really all that matters now.
http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachp...-of-the-season-after-patriots-crush-dolphins/
