Metal Panda
One Moe Win
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2005
- Messages
- 5,842
- Reaction score
- 0
- Age
- 44
I feel like it's ok to talk about this more in depth now that we've exorcised this demon. So, why did we really miss the playoffs in 2002? It's funny as nobody seems to agree, with the exception of one reason (which should come as no surprise). I've detailed below what I think are the main reasons.
Jay Fiedler's Injury--Captain Obvious away! Seriously, though, few probably remember that after six games, Miami had scored 180 points. 30 points per game. The post Marino-Dolphins, 30 points per game. It was largely due to Ricky, but Norv Turner's offense creatively used all of the players on the field and played to Fiedler's strengths earlier in the year.
Jay goes down, in comes Ray Lucas, who was a disaster in about 66% of his starts, and Norv has to 'dumb down' the offense. Fiedler comes back, but the offensive style seems to remain 'simplified' and easier to shut down for the rest of the year, the team averaging only 19.8 points a game for the remainder of the year.
Poor Road Play--Miami went an astonishly bad 2-6 on the road that year. While some point out that many of Ray Lucas's starts were road games, it was the defense that laid the egg on the road.
At home, Miami's defense gave up an astonishing 212 yards a game, not once letting a team surpass 300, and holding 4 teams under 200 yards. The team as a whole only gave up 12 points per game.
On the road, Miami's defense surrendered 369.9 yards per game, and the team surrendered 25.6 points per game. Obviously, some dropoff was to be expected, but the defense was gashed frequently, especially in the Chiefs and Bills road games. Which ties into the next point...
Coaching--When the perception is that your team can't win in December, and you never finish the year strong, your first priority as a coach is to get the team to realize that the ghosts of the past don't carry over and get you through the stumbling block. Wannstedt and company could never do that. Oddly enough, Miami looked as if it may break the Fish Fade for the first time in years, after posting a 4-1 streak after a 5-4 start. Unfortunately, two consecutive losses to end the year, and it was back.
Yours?
Jay Fiedler's Injury--Captain Obvious away! Seriously, though, few probably remember that after six games, Miami had scored 180 points. 30 points per game. The post Marino-Dolphins, 30 points per game. It was largely due to Ricky, but Norv Turner's offense creatively used all of the players on the field and played to Fiedler's strengths earlier in the year.
Jay goes down, in comes Ray Lucas, who was a disaster in about 66% of his starts, and Norv has to 'dumb down' the offense. Fiedler comes back, but the offensive style seems to remain 'simplified' and easier to shut down for the rest of the year, the team averaging only 19.8 points a game for the remainder of the year.
Poor Road Play--Miami went an astonishly bad 2-6 on the road that year. While some point out that many of Ray Lucas's starts were road games, it was the defense that laid the egg on the road.
At home, Miami's defense gave up an astonishing 212 yards a game, not once letting a team surpass 300, and holding 4 teams under 200 yards. The team as a whole only gave up 12 points per game.
On the road, Miami's defense surrendered 369.9 yards per game, and the team surrendered 25.6 points per game. Obviously, some dropoff was to be expected, but the defense was gashed frequently, especially in the Chiefs and Bills road games. Which ties into the next point...
Coaching--When the perception is that your team can't win in December, and you never finish the year strong, your first priority as a coach is to get the team to realize that the ghosts of the past don't carry over and get you through the stumbling block. Wannstedt and company could never do that. Oddly enough, Miami looked as if it may break the Fish Fade for the first time in years, after posting a 4-1 streak after a 5-4 start. Unfortunately, two consecutive losses to end the year, and it was back.
Yours?
