More than I'd hoped for

[multistage]

After the last 16 miserable seasons (I don't count the Pennington fluke), all I had hoped to see was improvement and respectability. New coaches, schemes, everything. I figured 7-9 would be OK, 8-8 would be very nice, and 9-7 or better was the winning lottery ticket that you won't get.

Playoffs? Get real.

Looks like they heard me. They got real. Gase has done a superb job with these guys. Finding ways to win with a shaky D, a battered O line, a shredded secondary. Unreal.

I don't believe we will go 5 and out. 4 of these games are tough, and the 5th (Jets) is against a team that has been a chronic pain in our ass since at least 1976 when I donned the colors. Especially at New York. In December.

Neither do I believe we will go 0-5. This team is learning that winning is addictive. Baltimore, oh boy. Arizona, maybe. Jets, likely. Bills, oh boy. I believe our best shot is, as always, New England at home.

But no matter how they finish up, I am most impressed. They have proven to everyone that they are always no bull**** football team.

12-4 or 7-9, good job Miami. You have made believers out of your fans again.

 

[russianbear]

nice post

agreed this is more than i bargained for in terms of season excitement

 

[phinsgohard06]

One game at a time guys. No need to think so far ahead into the schedule. We've won 6 in a row by focusing on the matter at hand. No reason to believe we can't win out. I don't care who we have left to play. Those teams have to show up on Sunday same way we do. Like Wake said put the ball on the ground and snap it. Still have alot of work to do before we talk playoffs.

 

[fansinceGWilson]

After the last 16 miserable seasons (I don't count the Pennington fluke), all I had hoped to see was improvement and respectability. New coaches, schemes, everything. I figured 7-9 would be OK, 8-8 would be very nice, and 9-7 or better was the winning lottery ticket that you won't get.

Playoffs? Get real.

Looks like they heard me. They got real. Gase has done a superb job with these guys. Finding ways to win with a shaky D, a battered O line, a shredded secondary. Unreal.

I don't believe we will go 5 and out. 4 of these games are tough, and the 5th (Jets) is against a team that has been a chronic pain in our ass since at least 1976 when I donned the colors. Especially at New York. In December.

Neither do I believe we will go 0-5. This team is learning that winning is addictive. Baltimore, oh boy. Arizona, maybe. Jets, likely. Bills, oh boy. I believe our best shot is, as always, New England at home.

But no matter how they finish up, I am most impressed. They have proven to everyone that they are always no bull**** football team.

12-4 or 7-9, good job Miami. You have made believers out of your fans again.

I try to avoid "if's" because anything can happen. That said, IF the current team could replay the 1st 5 games, what would the current record be? I'm not trying to change history - just emphasizing the job Gase has done. And that's not with exceptional talent on the field. 8-8 or 11-5, this is a team on the rise.

 

[dol_fan_81]

Definitely. This team has felt very different to watch this year. We seem tough for once - Landry and Ajayi show it perfectly.
I saw us going 7-9 and we're already at the 7 win mark. Regardless of what may come in the weeks following, you've gotta love the way things seem to be heading with this team.

 

[Sarnics13]

If the culture of this current team had been established in the first 4 games I think we would have started 4-1 instead of the other way around.....but that's what happens with a new regime and this is the first time in 2 decades that the phrase "next year" actually has factual merit. If we get embarrassed the remainder of the season then I think that takes away from the belief (bc what good is all this if you can't sustain at least a semblance of it through adversity) but if we even hold our own and show this grit and determination the final 5 games then we are looking at a whole different team next year. I think you see this team regularly being the dominant force in the AFCE in the coming few years. We are on to something.

 

[FrostyFinFan]

Was hoping they could win five of last eight. Something we haven't done in long time. I felt they would start slow with new staff. So far I'm very happy. Definite signs of improvement. Most of that is on the coaching staff in my opinion.

 

[fansinceGWilson]

If the culture of this current team had been established in the first 4 games I think we would have started 4-1 instead of the other way around.....but that's what happens with a new regime and this is the first time in 2 decades that the phrase "next year" actually has factual merit. If we get embarrassed the remainder of the season then I think that takes away from the belief (bc what good is all this if you can't sustain at least a semblance of it through adversity) but if we even hold our own and show this grit and determination the final 5 games then we are looking at a whole different team next year. I think you see this team regularly being the dominant force in the AFCE in the coming few years. We are on to something.

Guess I'm more liberal. With Jones, Howard, Pouncey, Tunsil, Albert out and with 2-3 significant holes, I'll take 1-4, IF they play competitively and play with passion. Yes, 4-1 is better, but as you say, getting "embarrassed" changes the entire off-season.

 

[Ben Had]

If we beat the Ravens Ill buy NFL ticket again next year.

Way better year than I expected.

 

[The Ghost]

If we beat the Ravens Ill buy NFL ticket again next year.

Way better year than I expected.

Ya I'm starting to think the same about getting Directv again.

I've been watching all the games at a friends house for the last 10 years but I'm expecting my first child, a son due a week before the superbowl, and somehow I don't think a year from now I'll be able to go to my friends house every sunday for at least 4 hours.

I can deal with Directv again if it's for a team worth paying for, which this one is shaping up to be for awhile.

 

[fisi]

check my record, I said 10-6 but the 1-4 start. that may not be good enough for playoffs in the AFc but I'll take it.

 

[Danny]

I think we're all mostly happy with the job Gase has done. The offense is not very far from being very very good. The defense I don't really trust. We could be looking at 4 or 5 new starters on defense next year. On offense we'll need at least one new starting guard if not two. A TE would be gravy but get the guards fixed and then all defense

Ozzy rules!!

 

[Waddle]

It's amazing the progress that's been made this year. Everyone had questions about how Gase would handle the team, how they would respond. Hell we had Arian Foster starting game 1.
We've seen huge progress from RT, from DVP, from the o-line (even when 3 starters go down). Our running game has been solid. Defense has stepped up when needed despite losing Jones, Misi, and Howard. Our "blockbuster" trade deal for Kiko and Maxwell has panned out better than anyone could have hoped for, despite a rough start. Drake has been solid returning kicks despite many people's fears when we drafted him. Cam Wake has shown he's a robot from the movie Terminator with his return from injury.

All we could have asked for at the beginning of the season was progress. But when you look at what's happened it's amazing all of the things we have seen work out. More than we could have hoped for indeed. :brewskis:

 

[Trucanes99]

After the last 16 miserable seasons (I don't count the Pennington fluke), all I had hoped to see was improvement and respectability. New coaches, schemes, everything. I figured 7-9 would be OK, 8-8 would be very nice, and 9-7 or better was the winning lottery ticket that you won't get.

Playoffs? Get real.

Looks like they heard me. They got real. Gase has done a superb job with these guys. Finding ways to win with a shaky D, a battered O line, a shredded secondary. Unreal.

I don't believe we will go 5 and out. 4 of these games are tough, and the 5th (Jets) is against a team that has been a chronic pain in our ass since at least 1976 when I donned the colors. Especially at New York. In December.

Neither do I believe we will go 0-5. This team is learning that winning is addictive. Baltimore, oh boy. Arizona, maybe. Jets, likely. Bills, oh boy. I believe our best shot is, as always, New England at home.

But no matter how they finish up, I am most impressed. They have proven to everyone that they are always no bull**** football team.

12-4 or 7-9, good job Miami. You have made believers out of your fans again.

As a long time fins fan, this pretty much sums up exactly how I feel this season.

Feels like (I'm hopeful, but still way too early to tell) we've finally found our best head coach/QB combo since the early-mid 90's.

 

[Despacio]

Six weeks ago we were facing a reality in which we would have had to console ourselves all offseason that Gase is a new coach and will improve in his second year with the QB of his choice. Six weeks later we're talking playoffs and franchise QB. The turnaround is stunning. Even short of the playoffs Gase has already earned new respect around the league for this franchise.