This is just my opinion.
First of all why he won't be fired:
1. The Dolphins had a Cam Cameron type collapse the last 2 games, but in favor of Philbin is the fact that it's only the ending, not the entire season. We're 8-8, which technically is average. We were in a position to make the playoffs, which means Ross can project we'll be in at least that position next year, and with some minor changes, can make a strong run.
2. Ross likes Philbin a lot, and seemed to have faith in him right before these last 2 games. Philbin's only had 2 years, and it's likely Ross thinks he deserves at least another year.
3. There doesn't seem to be any locker room revolt. Yes, the team laid down for the Jets game and sent a message to the coaching staff. But given the fact that Ryan Tannehill has let it be known he's lost faith in Mike Sherman, and Mike Wallace seems fairly upbeat in terms of wanting to continue to work with Tannehill,...things seem to be set up for Sherman and other coaches to be fired, not Philbin. All of the older veterans, keep in mind, are gone. Right now they would be the most vocal and cause the most trouble, but they're missing.
4. Good is the enemy of Great. While it's clear there's not much progress in year two, Philbin could argue this is expected, as a natural side effect of huge roster changes, a lot of youth, and insufficient time to fully implement his version of the WCO. He'll get out that big Mead spiral folder and show Ross how far along the path he's gone, and that we're on schedule. Then he'll get a sad face and lament that it would have been so much easier if Ireland didn't screw up the draft.
Why I no longer like Philbin and think he should be fired:
1. Personality-wise, he's not an alpha male. He's not a leader of men.
2. Talent-wise, he was not the "young Don Shula" we were looking for, when we hired him. Despite a lot of tenure in Green Bay, was not allowed to call his own plays. He's not a mastermind. What he did was bring knowledge of a winning organization to Miami, and was smart and could lay out a vision and a method to get to the Superbowl. He interviewed well. He had a big notebook. He had a plan. Unfortunately, I think we were sold a bill of goods.
3. Incognito/Martin: This was something you'd expect the control freak and planner from Green Bay to be good at, which is keeping high character guys in the locker room and being hands-on to make sure everything's working and going smoothly. But instead, we learned he covered up a previous instance, and doesn't take responsibility for any of the debacle, because he claimed he didn't know. I have to admit, that as much as we hated Parcells/Sparano, this wouldn't have happened under their watch. It would have gotten fixed, or someone would have left the club.
4. He promised an explosive, WCO, and it didn't materialize.
5. He hired Sherman, and the O line coach, and the QB coach, all who deserve to be fired. (Sherman has claimed that he prefers a balanced run/pass offense, and that it was actually Philbin who kept pushing for more passing during the season.)
6. He failed to develop Ryan Tannehill as much as he and Sherman claimed they would, or utilize his strengths.
7. He is in year two, which was plenty of time to assess the O line and RB's, which we were all concerned with, and did nothing to improve either. The running game has gotten worse, not better. He Chose Miller over Reggie Bush, eliminated the Fullbacks, and Fasano is gone. All of this was by design because finesse is Philbin's plan, not Sherman's, not Ireland's, it's squarely on his shoulder.
8. Philbin bragged at the beginning of the season how much in synch he was with Ireland, and how easy it was to work with him, so I don't buy for a minute that he had no influence on Ireland. Ireland picked up some nice FA's for Philbin for his finesse offense, and if Philbin needed some additions from the draft, like a top lineman, or a RB, or a blocking TE, then he should have demanded it. I believe Ireland felt comfortable going defense early in the draft because the feedback he received from Philbin was that he was satisfied.
9. Firing all the veterans so that you can have control, is a crappy reason to fire people. But that's what he did, he wanted the leadership council out of the locker room. And yet, he didn't fill the void.
10. Last but not least, losing the last two games of the season, to the Bills and Jets, and scoring 7 points in 8 quarters, and blowing a playoff chance, and embarrassing us nationally.
