Many people in the media, and some fans, expect the Dolphins to fall apart this season. They expect them to collapse under the pressure of a coaching staff on the hot seat.
We have all witnessed it before, with the infamous Wanny breakdown in 2004, and even with Saban in 2006. You got the sense with those teams were ready for a downward spiral. Wanny and Spielman went into all out desperation mode in 2004 once Ricky quit. The writing was on the wall from the onset. To top it off, you could clearly see that Wanny lost control of the team and himself. He was a nervous wreck.
I believe the same could be said of Saban, even though many of us had high expectations for that season. You could tell Saban was lacking in confidence from the first game when he was hesitant throwing that challenge flag. Culpepper wasn't healthy and everyone knew. He realized his mistake early on and was prepared for the failure.
Now, with this group, I get a different feeling. Sparano and Ireland don't appear desperate. They actually appear confident. They have made no moves of sheer desperation such as Wannspiel did in 2004 (3rd round pick for Lamar Gordon?). Instead, Sparano has calmly gotten the team ready, embraced a philosophy change and has spoken with confidence. You see that confidence coming across within the team itself, with veterans and newcomers each putting forth a confident persona to the outside world.
Henne is a question mark, but I have also noticed a change in his demeanor and attitude as well, and his teamates appear to notice that as well, having mentioned it.
I could be wrong, but this just feel like one of those years where everything rides off a cliff.
