Offseason spotlight: Did Dolphins overachieve in 2008? Baldinger & Wilcox Discussh

[mnphinfan]

The NFL Networks Brian Baldinger and Solomon Wilcox discuss if the Dolphins overachieved last year. It is a snippet from the upcoming Fins section of 32 teams in 32 days. You can click on the link for the rest of the inverviews.

Baldinger
"It's difficult to replicate a season where everything comes together perfectly. The Dolphins probably overachieved last season."

Wilcox
"Absolutely, yes. It is totally unexpected to go through an entire season committing only six fumbles and 13 total turnovers. Certainly, that's mind-boggling. The Dolphins lead the NFL with a plus-17 turnover
ratio."

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d81104e82&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

It's hard for me to say if they over achieved or not. I do know though that I wasn't expecting a 11-5 and would have been very happy with 8-8.

I think most of the turnaround has to be given credit to the coaching staff. They kept the players which they felt were needed and chose draft choices they knew who could contribute to the positions where help was warranted. They were also able to put current players on the roster in places where they thought they could excell, i.e Porter, Roth, and Ronnie in the Wildcat. Lastly, they provided a huge upgrade in the talent at the bottom half of the roster.

However, I feel the most important change the coaching staff was responsible for was the culture of the team. They taught both old and new players the philosophy if you train hard both on the practice field and in the classroom good results will occur. I feel no person embodies this philosophy more as a player that CP. I think he was the clear cut #1 addition to our football team. Not only did his way of approaching the game rub off on his backups, but if filtered through the offense with his weekly position meetings.

So maybe we did over achieve some last year and won some games due to lack of respect from opponents, but I also think most of the teams improvement came from nothing but dedicated hard work and preparation from an amazing coaching staff. Look at it however you want to, but I guarantee you we won't be over looked by our opponents this year.

 

[RockyMtnPhinfan]

Why doesn't Baldinger get that finger fixed? Man that thing FREAKS ME OUT.......His pinky finger on his right hand looks like it was bent backwards and it stayed that way! I can't pay attention to what he is saying because of that thing, it is a distraction!

 

[Chubby]

The problem I have with the notion "That we sneaked up on people" or "the wildcat snuck up on people is, that aside from NE, the dolphins nor the wildcat snuck up on anyone.

You can bet your aqua buttocks that every team in the NFL took note of us and the wildcat after week 3.

And us loosing our best veteran gaurd meant nothing? WTF, May not as been as big as loosing Brady but we still had our own injury losses.
Chubbs


Ps. is this airing tonight?

 

[dolpns13]

Why doesn't Baldinger get that finger fixed? Man that thing FREAKS ME OUT.......His pinky finger on his right hand looks like it was bent backwards and it stayed that way! I can't pay attention to what he is saying because of that thing, it is a distraction!

im usually more interested in looking at his finger than what he actually has to say.. that thing is messed up

 

[fin-atic]

I diagree. I actually think we underachieved the year before. We were better than a 1-15 team and there were five or six of those games we could have won. I think we were more like a 6-10 team and with the additions and changes we made we improved to a 10 win type team. I think we played above our heads, but not that far above. I expect us to play very well, contend for the division title this year. 10-6 is very possible.

 

[arcane1229]

I believe we may have over achieved a little last year but not by much. I think many people underestimated the abilities of CP, Brown's recovery, and the play of the WRs and TEs.

I think this year the team has a great deal of confidence going in. CP, if he stays healthy, will duplicate, if not be better than last year. Ronnie is strong and healthy. I believe Cam will do well, especially witnessing how Ronnie recovered. The Oline is going to be very strong and our wide recievers are not just going to be better, they are going to be much better.

Defensively the addition of several legitimate defenses backs will make us hard to pass on. I think our linebacking core may be overrated but the defensive backs and defensive line will cover that somewhat.

I want to hear what people will say after this year when we win 10 games and win the division again.

 

[FinsFan24]

We may have overacheived last season, but not by accident. Thanks to a great coaching staff and hard work. The Wildcat surprised nobody except New England. As soon as we scored 5 TD's against one of the leagues best teams, people noticed. It seemed like fate took a big part in last season. I'm not saying it wasn't hard work and dedication that led to an 11-5 season but check this out. Week 1, Tom Brady messes up his knee and is out for the season. I was at the Dolphins-Jets opener when this happened and even though we lost, most of the stadium was rejoicing (Dolphins and Jets fans alike) in the fact that we have an entire season to show what the other teams in the AFC East can do without the offensive juggernaut that was the Patriots Offense with Tom Brady. We had the opportunity to have one of the easier schedules in the league. A lot of which were close games, and games we probably would have lost if we had played the South Divisions, like we are this year, instead of the West Division, like last year. Last year is old news, only the deep playoff teams, plus the Cowboys and Cheatriots who will be grandfathered in, will get any respect from ESPN and the media. Just look at last year as the pre-season of this year. This year is the one that will count, Brady will be back, we have a gauntlet for a schedule. And we will have the ultimate prize for having a successful year. Home Field Advantage at the Super Bowl! Could it get any better than that?

 

[ckparrothead]

I hate to say this but we'll find out this year. I think that when it comes to winning 7 of the 9 close games we battled in 2008, that can either be a luck thing, or that can be a team character thing. Some of the teams that I was most impressed with over the years, the Patriots during some of their Super Bowl years, the Colts during their Super Bowl year...the thing that impressed me most about them was not how they'd constantly blow out one opponent after another, but rather how they would always manage to come out on top when games went to the wire. They had the character to make the plays that count when they counted most. Joey Porter, sack on 4th down, basically ending the game. Is that a character thing or was he just lucky?

Back in 2005 the Colts were just absolutely blowing everyone out en route to a 13-0 start to the season. They won by 17, 7, 7, 21, 25, 17, 18, 19, 14, 8, 19, 32, and 8 points. Comfortable margins in most of those games. They were unstoppable, right? Not really. San Diego sacked Peyton 4 times and doused them 17-26 to hand them their first loss and from there the Colts pulled their starters halfway through the Seattle game and put Peyton out for only 2 pass attempts against the Cardinals. They got the home divisional game against the Steelers and Pittsburgh replicated what San Diego did, sacked Peyton 5 times and won the game.

I was mildly impressed during that 13-0 run, but I didn't think they were going to win the championship.

The next year, the Colts got off to another 9-0 start. Except this time, games kept coming down to the wire. Teams kept hitting them in the mouth and they'd come out on top anyway. They won by 5, 19, 7, 3, 1, 14, 3, 7, and 1 points. At that time, I told some people, watch out...the Colts are really impressing me this year, I wasn't as impressed last year when they were steamrolling everyone...but this year they're making a habit of finding a way to win the tough games, and that is more scary. Sure enough, they won the Super Bowl.

If going 7-2 in the games decided by a touchdown or less was a sign of Miami's character and not Miami's luck...then I think we have something, if the front office can increase the team's overall talent level.

 

[Denny]

This is very irresponsible reporting. The Dolphins did not lose anyone to injury? Really? Then what do you call losing your number 1 WR, number 1 guard, and number 2 guard to season ending injuries? Hello? Brian Baldinger? you are a clown

 

[BIG_FISH_RI]

CK I agree but I disagree
Overachiving is clearly character.
Lucky is 1 min left in the game and the opp is driving the ball to win the game when the ball slips out the qb hand and lands on your DL that was on the ground becasue he was cut by the OL. Thats luck. MIA did not win ANY of the close games like that. neither did they lose close games like that.
So the answer is YES we did over achieve last year. that is a good thing and credit to the FO that they can get the best out of their players.
MIA will "overahive" again this year. I think the team is better then last year but agian the FO will get the best out of the players. The Pat's overachieve every year. Player by player they are not that good (just take a look at the "superstars" that leave there and go other places. They turn out to be garbage.) To me that label is not a bad thing.

 

[So Be]

Last year, we were an average team, and played a number of other average teams. The difference was that we beat those other average teams, and other above average teams did not.

We MADE some "luck" by not turning the ball over, and having few injuries.

This season is a far greater challenge. Do we take big step forward, and two steps back? That's what most believe.

I look at our coaches and players fairly, and do not see that happening.

 

[FORMER FIN1]

Why doesn't Baldinger get that finger fixed? Man that thing FREAKS ME OUT.......His pinky finger on his right hand looks like it was bent backwards and it stayed that way! I can't pay attention to what he is saying because of that thing, it is a distraction!

maybe he could get Ronnie Lott to help him out.

 

[72champagne]

The Chiefs game last year impressed me. I've seen many a Dolphins team that would've lost that game but the '09 squad was tough enough to get the win even though lacking talent in many areas.

You can pick apart almost any teams season and draw whatever conclusions you prefer. It's usually meaningless to predict the future with.

 

[tay0365]

I diagree. I actually think we underachieved the year before. We were better than a 1-15 team and there were five or six of those games we could have won. I think we were more like a 6-10 team and with the additions and changes we made we improved to a 10 win type team. I think we played above our heads, but not that far above. I expect us to play very well, contend for the division title this year. 10-6 is very possible.

Exactly, that has been my argument from the beginning, we were not nearly as bad in 07 as our 1-15 record indicated, we had too many injuries, and bad coaching in 07 to succeed, yet it seems nobody will say we underachieved that year with a 1-15 record, yet now because Miami goes 11-5, Miami got lucky injury wise....I do not know how losing arguably your best guard, or later losing your most consistent receiver can be considered lucky, and now claim Miami overachieved.

 

[oasis]

I think one of the biggest parts of our success last year was the way we took care of the ball. As Wilcox points out, only six fumbles is pretty crazy, and our TO margin was awesome. Can we do that again? If yes, I think we'll win by more comfortable margins this year as our offense will be much improved.

While I'd like to believe that taking care of the ball last season was because of character and the fundamentals drilled into the players by the coaching staff, there's a part of me that is scared it may have been luck. Or that it can't happen again.

But theoretically the offense should be just as good at taking care of the ball and if anything, the defense should be expected to create more turnovers with a better pass rush and ball hawks in the secondary.