I’m in Davie, Fla., at the Dolphins’ training facility, just off the campus of Nova Southeastern University. There’s a first here for a Joe Philbin team: music. As so many teams are doing (I credit Pete Carroll for it), the Dolphins have added tunes to the 8 a.m. workout. Tunes of all sorts, from salsa to rap to “Teenage Wasteland.” (How nice! Playing music for me!) It’s one of Philbin’s nods to being more communicative and player-responsive. The heat is toasty but not oppressive here on Friday morning: 83, with heavy humidity. Welcome to south Florida in August.
Two players this offense needs dearly—center Mike Pouncey, the best offensive lineman of a totally new group; and wily running back Knowshon Moreno, coming off the first 1,000-yard season of his career—ran in the end zone with a trainer during practice. Pouncey is out till October, at least, recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip. Moreno walks around with ice packs attached to both aching knees. They alternated in a drill, tethered to a resistance band around their waist that the trainer held behind them. The Pouncey loss hurts more. Without him for maybe half the season, a Miami offense screaming for continuity will have different starters at each of the five positions from last year. (It’s no wonder they just re-signed seven-year veteran center Samson Satele, a second-round pick of the Dolphins in 2007 who spent the past five years in Oakland and Indianapolis.) And Miami ranked 26th in the league in rushing last year. Who knows when they’ll have Moreno, and how much he’ll play?
HOW THIS TEAM CAN GO 12–4
Well, one thing is for sure: the Dolphins can’t get swept by Buffalo, which happened last year. But two things have to happen. First, third-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill has to adjust to a new offense orchestrated by rookie coordinator Bill Lazor, and he has to do it behind a new offensive line. Second, so much depends on the health and welfare of four key players—the aforementioned Pouncey (especially) and Moreno on offense, and safety Louis Delmas and cornerback Cortland Finnegan on defense. Delmas broke down consistently for Detroit, which is why he’s no longer there. If Pouncey can play the last nine or 10 games at his usual high level, and if Tannehill catches on quickly, and if the defensive question marks can stay upright, Miami will contend in December. Lots of ifs there, folks.
HOW THIS TEAM CAN GO 4–12
Tannehill, for most of 2013, seemed to be on the upswing; at least he was until a dismal two-game finish (Bills/Jets 39, Dolphins 7, an incredible blot on the Incognito/Martin season, and Tannehill completed 45% of his throws with three picks in those games). Now, he’s going to have to excel in this new offense needing more time from his line because the Lazor offense emphasizes more downfield throws than the offense of the fired Mike Sherman did. So if the offense suffers a total breakdown, the win-loss record could too.