dolphinsbshaw72
Practice Squad
Readers know that I am acutely afflicted with Homerism. They know I try and look at the positive, even if that isn't the likely or even logical outcome. I love the team and that's that.
After this weekend, I know there are a lot of readers who are disgruntled, even mad, at the fact that barring miraculous occurances, we will miss the playoffs. Coming off the astonishing success of last season, most have the idea that a Dolphins team home for the playoffs wasn't supposed to be...
Actually, yes it was. When you start 0-3 with the toughest schedule in the NFL, you're not supposed to go 7-5 (with a chance at 8-5). We played poorly in the first game, lost a heartbreaker in the second and played poorly again in the third.
When you lose your starting QB, you miss the playoffs, barring more of those miracles.
When you lose your starting RB, you're not supposed to keep winning.
When you lose a NT in a 3-4, you're not supposed to recover.
In the AFC East, losing your no.1 CB is a death sentence.
Any ONE of those factors is enough to snuff out the playoff life of a team.
When you suffer ALL of them, you're supposed to go belly-up.
We didn't. We fought through it, and were competitive until the end. We now have one more game where there is little at stake except a chance to beat the defending Champs and play spoiler.
That's a miracle in itself.
Think about it.
Take New England, the AFC East Champ this season.
Where would they be if the lost Tom Brady AND Lawrence Maroney AND Vince Wilfork AND Leigh Bodden? Would they still be giving teams hell? We are, and frankly, they wouldn't. Heck, we BEAT them with Brady.
Where would the Colts be without Manning AND Addai, etc. etc. Would they still be competitive?
How about the Saints? Take Brees AND Colston AND Thomas and ANY of their DL. Would they be what they are?
We suffered those injury losses. We continued to play well.
You know why?
Because we have a good staff, a roster of players who work hard, and the FO has dramatically improved this team.
Think back...remember before the season started, how everyone was questioning keeping the extra RB? Then down goes Pat Cobbs, down goes Ronnie Brown and suddenly Ricky looks dinged up. No problem. We've got a Lex Hilliard to plug in. Where would ANY other team be if you hobbled their three top RBs?
I think the coaches KNEW with the injuries we had, especially Pennington and Allen, that it would be a longshot. Now, they're in a fix. They have these young players that they simply MUST evaluate, but they want to still stay competitive as long as there's hope.
They did.
Think about it. They KNOW we can run with all our pieces, and a goal of the team starting out was to run 30-35 times a game and control the clock.
What they DIDN'T know was how the young guys would do.
How would the two rookie CBs do? More importantly, how would Henne do? What about the DL, could it sustain?
They had to find out, so they did. they gave the keys to the car to Henne and he's been airing it out. That's not a change in philosophy. They're seeing what they have with this guy, whether he's a player or not. He is. He's at 60% (59.9) passing, and he's throwing a TON. What he needs is experience, not an arm boost. He's got the skills, just needs to settle in. Think about how wretched most of you consider our WR/TE group: hard for a QB to succeed?
Henne is rated higher (74.4) than these QBs, and if you're not surprised at some of the names, you should be.
Jay Cutler
Mark Bulger
Matt Cassel
Jake Delhomme
His 2700+ yards are 20th in the NFL, and he didn't start the first three games.
This team has lost two games in a row where he has led the team back to make a game of it. He tied the game in Tennessee in the waning moments. He fought back from 27-0 to make it a one-score game against Houston. We've found a player. He doesn't rattle.
Good insurance against the departure (now made imminent imho) of Pennington.
The two rookie CBs have played decent. Vontae Davis has emerged as the better of the two, but they wouldn't have kept Sean Smith in if he wasn't doing what the coaches wanted. They're seeing what they need to, or he'd be on the bench and filling in at nickle. Smith is actually rated higher than Davis. We have hit on these two, and will be decent at CB for years.
You've got to love it.
From where we were to where we are is light year's different. Look at the young talent we have: Smith, Davis, Henne, Cam Wake, Jake Long, Langford, Merling.
This team is good NOW. This team is decent now with FOUR KEY STARTERS GONE. That's not supposed to be...but it is.
Makes you turn a wistful eye to next season, even as you may be wiping a tear from your eye over this one.
We won't have the toughest schedule in the league next season. We will have new, young players arrive in the draft. We will have a more seasoned Henne. We will be Hell on Wheels.
After this weekend, I know there are a lot of readers who are disgruntled, even mad, at the fact that barring miraculous occurances, we will miss the playoffs. Coming off the astonishing success of last season, most have the idea that a Dolphins team home for the playoffs wasn't supposed to be...
Actually, yes it was. When you start 0-3 with the toughest schedule in the NFL, you're not supposed to go 7-5 (with a chance at 8-5). We played poorly in the first game, lost a heartbreaker in the second and played poorly again in the third.
When you lose your starting QB, you miss the playoffs, barring more of those miracles.
When you lose your starting RB, you're not supposed to keep winning.
When you lose a NT in a 3-4, you're not supposed to recover.
In the AFC East, losing your no.1 CB is a death sentence.
Any ONE of those factors is enough to snuff out the playoff life of a team.
When you suffer ALL of them, you're supposed to go belly-up.
We didn't. We fought through it, and were competitive until the end. We now have one more game where there is little at stake except a chance to beat the defending Champs and play spoiler.
That's a miracle in itself.
Think about it.
Take New England, the AFC East Champ this season.
Where would they be if the lost Tom Brady AND Lawrence Maroney AND Vince Wilfork AND Leigh Bodden? Would they still be giving teams hell? We are, and frankly, they wouldn't. Heck, we BEAT them with Brady.
Where would the Colts be without Manning AND Addai, etc. etc. Would they still be competitive?
How about the Saints? Take Brees AND Colston AND Thomas and ANY of their DL. Would they be what they are?
We suffered those injury losses. We continued to play well.
You know why?
Because we have a good staff, a roster of players who work hard, and the FO has dramatically improved this team.
Think back...remember before the season started, how everyone was questioning keeping the extra RB? Then down goes Pat Cobbs, down goes Ronnie Brown and suddenly Ricky looks dinged up. No problem. We've got a Lex Hilliard to plug in. Where would ANY other team be if you hobbled their three top RBs?
I think the coaches KNEW with the injuries we had, especially Pennington and Allen, that it would be a longshot. Now, they're in a fix. They have these young players that they simply MUST evaluate, but they want to still stay competitive as long as there's hope.
They did.
Think about it. They KNOW we can run with all our pieces, and a goal of the team starting out was to run 30-35 times a game and control the clock.
What they DIDN'T know was how the young guys would do.
How would the two rookie CBs do? More importantly, how would Henne do? What about the DL, could it sustain?
They had to find out, so they did. they gave the keys to the car to Henne and he's been airing it out. That's not a change in philosophy. They're seeing what they have with this guy, whether he's a player or not. He is. He's at 60% (59.9) passing, and he's throwing a TON. What he needs is experience, not an arm boost. He's got the skills, just needs to settle in. Think about how wretched most of you consider our WR/TE group: hard for a QB to succeed?
Henne is rated higher (74.4) than these QBs, and if you're not surprised at some of the names, you should be.
Jay Cutler
Mark Bulger
Matt Cassel
Jake Delhomme
His 2700+ yards are 20th in the NFL, and he didn't start the first three games.
This team has lost two games in a row where he has led the team back to make a game of it. He tied the game in Tennessee in the waning moments. He fought back from 27-0 to make it a one-score game against Houston. We've found a player. He doesn't rattle.
Good insurance against the departure (now made imminent imho) of Pennington.
The two rookie CBs have played decent. Vontae Davis has emerged as the better of the two, but they wouldn't have kept Sean Smith in if he wasn't doing what the coaches wanted. They're seeing what they need to, or he'd be on the bench and filling in at nickle. Smith is actually rated higher than Davis. We have hit on these two, and will be decent at CB for years.
You've got to love it.
From where we were to where we are is light year's different. Look at the young talent we have: Smith, Davis, Henne, Cam Wake, Jake Long, Langford, Merling.
This team is good NOW. This team is decent now with FOUR KEY STARTERS GONE. That's not supposed to be...but it is.
Makes you turn a wistful eye to next season, even as you may be wiping a tear from your eye over this one.
We won't have the toughest schedule in the league next season. We will have new, young players arrive in the draft. We will have a more seasoned Henne. We will be Hell on Wheels.
