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It cannot be overstated how important this Sunday's game is for the Miami Dolphins and major participants of the organization. A win Sunday and the team has a winning season and can boast progress. A win and some help from around the league, the team makes the jump to the playoffs. A loss puts a dark cloud over the entire organization and it could possibly reverberate for years to come.
There are many that have a ton on the line Sunday. Perhaps no other person has more on the line than GM Jeff Ireland. Out of anyone in the organization, Jeff Ireland has the most to lose Sunday. If the Fins fall up short, it seems like Ireland could be the fall guy. True enough Ireland has had many years on the job. However, if the Fins drop two in a row to finish the season, the team will look for someone to blame. I feel for Ireland. I think he has done an okay job, but he routinely is blamed for anything that goes wrong while the coaching staff skates by heavy criticism or the players' execution is not nearly discussed enough. I could not imagine being in Ireland's spot heading to the stadium Sunday. Be that as it may, if the team wins, Ireland can show progress and that his moves are paying off. He can claim that continuity is needed for more success and not more change. While people want Ireland's head, they should also realize that a new GM from outside the organization with no prior connection to the current head coach typically fails. Eventually, that new GM will want his own head coach. If the team does not have wild success next year, fans could be looking at another coaching change and purging of the roster. While that might be necessary, it also puts the team further and further away from being relevant within the league. True enough, I am not a huge Jeff Ireland guy and I might be the strongest critic of Joe Philbin on this site. However, I am tired of starting over. I want to try something for a few years. Maybe it works. What does not work is consistently starting over.
The day is huge for Mr. Ross. Steve Ross has a chance to get into his first playoffs. He has made mistakes, but I truly think he wants to win. He might not know how to win exactly, but I think he hurts for success. From his commitment to re-signing players, to signing free agents to big deals to making sure games are not blacked out locally, Ross has tried. A win and a playoff spot will validate his efforts. A loss and one wonders if Ross will feel alone in the wilderness of the NFL.
Joe Philbin's career can go many ways after Sunday. Philbin has done a good job keeping the team together through the Jonathan Martin situation. Win on Sunday, and at the very least, he can boast a 9-7 record. Win and get help, and Philbin can claim to be a coach that got his team to the tournament in his second year. Simply winning Sunday shows improvement in the coach's record and if somehow he makes the playoffs, Philbin can be looked at as a longterm answer in Miami. A loss, and Philbin will be stained with the mark of losing to two division teams with a playoff spot within grasp with two weeks remaining in the season. After more than half of dozen coaches are fired at the end of the year, Joe Philbin will be viewed as endangered to start next season. The progress, or lack thereof, will be monitored all of the 2014 season. Questions will abound of whether Philbin will return if the team is at or below .500. IF a new GM replaces Jeff Ireland...one that is from outside the organization...there will be speculation all year of will the new GM want "his guy"? While that day is biggest for Ireland, Joe Philbin might have the most to gain or lose Sunday.
Ryan Tannehill can join the other great QB's from his draft class by making the playoffs. While he is the forgotten guy in the 2012 draft class, Tannehill has shown well early in his career. QB's are labeled ultimately by wins and losses. Win Sunday and he can claim a winning season. Get into the playoffs and he can be mentioned with the Andrew Luck's and Russell Wilson's. Lose and there will be an entire offseason of debate of who exactly Ryan Tannehill is as a QB. Is he developing like he should? Is he really "the guy"? Can he get the franchise over the hump? All of these questions will come about if the team drops the game to the Jets.
The free agent additions were debated all year. Did they sign the right guys? Did they pay too much for certain players? Can you win by going in big with free agency? All of those questions have a certain answer based on the scoreboard Sunday. I supported the moves for the most part in the spring. I will not lie...it made the offseason very exciting. With that said, we will see if those moves warrant applause or criticism.
As funny as this sounds, the Dolphins FO, coaching staff and players have been destroyed by various talking heads in the media. People like Heath Evans, Louis Riddick, Mike Florio and Jason Laconfora have made it their weekly hobby to kill something about this team. With a win on Sunday...and maybe a playoff spot, the media that have routinely ripped the team from its style of play, to how the roster was made, to the Martin/Incognito situation can now be ripped via Dolfans. Lose and those media personalities will be relentless for the next six months.
This game is huge for the fans. I feel fans want to buy in. They want to feel they are heading the right way. They want to believe their team is in good hands. A win or go home scenario on Sunday, versus a bitter rival at home, Dolfans need a win. If not, the franchise will have the hardest time with their fans going into the future. Seeing will not even be believing for them in the years ahead. Alienation and apathy could result from the average Dolphin fan if they are to drop Sunday's game to Jets. "Same old Dolphins" is what you will hear. A win is vital to the fan base and the team's future.
I have read some people's posts that state that it will not mean much if the team makes the playoffs because they "won't go anywhere". Or people using statistics to show there is not much difference of 9-7 to 8-8. I could not disagree more. This game is huge for the very foundation of the Miami Dolphins in the years to come. A win and progress can be claimed. A win and some help, the team reaches a plateau that is very difficult to achieve. I will lead the applause for the team if they can make it to the playoffs. Lose, and everything because a question mark heading into the offseason and the future. While we all disagree about how to find success for our beloved team, we want nothing, but the best for them. Sunday a win is needed more than ever.
There are many that have a ton on the line Sunday. Perhaps no other person has more on the line than GM Jeff Ireland. Out of anyone in the organization, Jeff Ireland has the most to lose Sunday. If the Fins fall up short, it seems like Ireland could be the fall guy. True enough Ireland has had many years on the job. However, if the Fins drop two in a row to finish the season, the team will look for someone to blame. I feel for Ireland. I think he has done an okay job, but he routinely is blamed for anything that goes wrong while the coaching staff skates by heavy criticism or the players' execution is not nearly discussed enough. I could not imagine being in Ireland's spot heading to the stadium Sunday. Be that as it may, if the team wins, Ireland can show progress and that his moves are paying off. He can claim that continuity is needed for more success and not more change. While people want Ireland's head, they should also realize that a new GM from outside the organization with no prior connection to the current head coach typically fails. Eventually, that new GM will want his own head coach. If the team does not have wild success next year, fans could be looking at another coaching change and purging of the roster. While that might be necessary, it also puts the team further and further away from being relevant within the league. True enough, I am not a huge Jeff Ireland guy and I might be the strongest critic of Joe Philbin on this site. However, I am tired of starting over. I want to try something for a few years. Maybe it works. What does not work is consistently starting over.
The day is huge for Mr. Ross. Steve Ross has a chance to get into his first playoffs. He has made mistakes, but I truly think he wants to win. He might not know how to win exactly, but I think he hurts for success. From his commitment to re-signing players, to signing free agents to big deals to making sure games are not blacked out locally, Ross has tried. A win and a playoff spot will validate his efforts. A loss and one wonders if Ross will feel alone in the wilderness of the NFL.
Joe Philbin's career can go many ways after Sunday. Philbin has done a good job keeping the team together through the Jonathan Martin situation. Win on Sunday, and at the very least, he can boast a 9-7 record. Win and get help, and Philbin can claim to be a coach that got his team to the tournament in his second year. Simply winning Sunday shows improvement in the coach's record and if somehow he makes the playoffs, Philbin can be looked at as a longterm answer in Miami. A loss, and Philbin will be stained with the mark of losing to two division teams with a playoff spot within grasp with two weeks remaining in the season. After more than half of dozen coaches are fired at the end of the year, Joe Philbin will be viewed as endangered to start next season. The progress, or lack thereof, will be monitored all of the 2014 season. Questions will abound of whether Philbin will return if the team is at or below .500. IF a new GM replaces Jeff Ireland...one that is from outside the organization...there will be speculation all year of will the new GM want "his guy"? While that day is biggest for Ireland, Joe Philbin might have the most to gain or lose Sunday.
Ryan Tannehill can join the other great QB's from his draft class by making the playoffs. While he is the forgotten guy in the 2012 draft class, Tannehill has shown well early in his career. QB's are labeled ultimately by wins and losses. Win Sunday and he can claim a winning season. Get into the playoffs and he can be mentioned with the Andrew Luck's and Russell Wilson's. Lose and there will be an entire offseason of debate of who exactly Ryan Tannehill is as a QB. Is he developing like he should? Is he really "the guy"? Can he get the franchise over the hump? All of these questions will come about if the team drops the game to the Jets.
The free agent additions were debated all year. Did they sign the right guys? Did they pay too much for certain players? Can you win by going in big with free agency? All of those questions have a certain answer based on the scoreboard Sunday. I supported the moves for the most part in the spring. I will not lie...it made the offseason very exciting. With that said, we will see if those moves warrant applause or criticism.
As funny as this sounds, the Dolphins FO, coaching staff and players have been destroyed by various talking heads in the media. People like Heath Evans, Louis Riddick, Mike Florio and Jason Laconfora have made it their weekly hobby to kill something about this team. With a win on Sunday...and maybe a playoff spot, the media that have routinely ripped the team from its style of play, to how the roster was made, to the Martin/Incognito situation can now be ripped via Dolfans. Lose and those media personalities will be relentless for the next six months.
This game is huge for the fans. I feel fans want to buy in. They want to feel they are heading the right way. They want to believe their team is in good hands. A win or go home scenario on Sunday, versus a bitter rival at home, Dolfans need a win. If not, the franchise will have the hardest time with their fans going into the future. Seeing will not even be believing for them in the years ahead. Alienation and apathy could result from the average Dolphin fan if they are to drop Sunday's game to Jets. "Same old Dolphins" is what you will hear. A win is vital to the fan base and the team's future.
I have read some people's posts that state that it will not mean much if the team makes the playoffs because they "won't go anywhere". Or people using statistics to show there is not much difference of 9-7 to 8-8. I could not disagree more. This game is huge for the very foundation of the Miami Dolphins in the years to come. A win and progress can be claimed. A win and some help, the team reaches a plateau that is very difficult to achieve. I will lead the applause for the team if they can make it to the playoffs. Lose, and everything because a question mark heading into the offseason and the future. While we all disagree about how to find success for our beloved team, we want nothing, but the best for them. Sunday a win is needed more than ever.
