Maybe not a total failure but it sure had very bad ending . Hopefully lesson learned !
Why the Season was a Failure
- Thread starter Fan Since the 70s
- Start date
The team at the start of the season was perfectly capable of making the Super Bowl. The roster of healthy, available players at the end of the season was not even close to a playoff caliber team. That’s it. We had guys signed off the street playing. We lost or had severely hobbled critical players all over the field. Every NFL team has injuries and lots of them - but not like this. There’s no real reason to go much deeper than that.
Maybe could still have been salvaged by an otherworldly QB performance or two, but Tua didn’t perform at his best to bail out the sinking ship, he had a couple of his poorer games of the year at the wrong time. He had a really good year overall, but didn’t have his A or even B+ game in his first crack at playoff or playoff like games - and he’s certainly not the first young QB that’s ever been true for. Often it’s part of the process, and in his case the rest of the team was decimated around him making it that much tougher.
Maybe could still have been salvaged by an otherworldly QB performance or two, but Tua didn’t perform at his best to bail out the sinking ship, he had a couple of his poorer games of the year at the wrong time. He had a really good year overall, but didn’t have his A or even B+ game in his first crack at playoff or playoff like games - and he’s certainly not the first young QB that’s ever been true for. Often it’s part of the process, and in his case the rest of the team was decimated around him making it that much tougher.
39wildman
Active Roster
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
- Messages
- 7,186
- Reaction score
- 3,635
Let be real. Dolphins are not that good as we thought. We win 11 games. Nobody expected that. We still got lots work to do. When u compared teams that are still in playoff.
Fan Since the 70s
Active Roster
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has one glaring flaw that he will not correct
When it comes to coaching the Miami Dolphins, Mike McDaniel has plenty of flaws. He is inexperienced and some of his playcalling leaves a lot to be desired. Tha
phinphanatic.com
Fan Since the 70s
Active Roster
There is, because injuries don't explain the collapse against Tennessee in the final three minutes, nor do they adequately explain how the team played well in the first halves but not in the second halves of its late-season games.
But the crazy thing is, Flores was 19-14 his last 2 years and McDaniel is 20-16 (2 playoff losses).Yeah the Flores way produced much better results.
I get that we are far better off w McD but at the end of the day, in the regular season a MUCH better roster only netted one more win over 2 years than Flores (the scum) though we did get to the playoffs 2x - but that is more a function of how the cookie crumbled. We could have gotten in under Flores at 10-6 and 9-8 as many teams did / have done.
We need to do better than 9-8 and 11-6
Fan Since the 70s
Active Roster
Not necessarily. I don't think there is a sufficient sample size of games to rule out that the difference in their records is due to random variation. It's just as possible that Flores and McDaniel are both inadequate head coaches for different reasons, and McDaniel offers a dramatically different stylistic approach but with no significant overall improvement over Flores. It's entirely possible they're both great coordinators and were promoted to their level of incompetence as head coaches.
Fair point
FINFANFOREVER1972
Active Roster
Excellent article Ross wanted a coach to fix Tua...rebuild that which Flo almost destroyed single handedly. McDaniels did an excellent job of doing that but now we need "Mr. Rodgers" to become "Clint Eastwood "and I don't think McD has that ability.Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has one glaring flaw that he will not correct
When it comes to coaching the Miami Dolphins, Mike McDaniel has plenty of flaws. He is inexperienced and some of his playcalling leaves a lot to be desired. Tha
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2006
- Messages
- 14,419
- Reaction score
- 22,552
Im thinking this is how it all went down,
mcdaniel to Tua, ''I care about your health so lets design this offense to protect you while capitilizing on your strength which is speed of process and quick release, bottom line were gonna get rid of the ball in less than 2.5 sec's to protect you from any weaknesses in the oline.''
it looks like from seasons end thats how it went down this past offseason, now, mission accomplished you kept him healthy but your team and offense sufferered greatly because of the lack of variables and options plus the level of timeing and communication was at a all time high, all things failed on the road, lack of players practice reps, crowd noise etc.
this offseason, now its time to diversify the offense, focus on upgrading the oline and lets build in some other option routes and processes beside plays to reek and waddle.
mcdaniel to Tua, ''I care about your health so lets design this offense to protect you while capitilizing on your strength which is speed of process and quick release, bottom line were gonna get rid of the ball in less than 2.5 sec's to protect you from any weaknesses in the oline.''
it looks like from seasons end thats how it went down this past offseason, now, mission accomplished you kept him healthy but your team and offense sufferered greatly because of the lack of variables and options plus the level of timeing and communication was at a all time high, all things failed on the road, lack of players practice reps, crowd noise etc.
this offseason, now its time to diversify the offense, focus on upgrading the oline and lets build in some other option routes and processes beside plays to reek and waddle.
It's an interesting balancing act. The best way to win games week to week in the NFL is via blitzkrieg offense. The typical opponent simply can't cope. They get stuck at 20 or 24 no matter what they do. You're already beyond that, with minimal effort and hardly the requirement of playing a perfect game.
Contrast to a team like the Chiefs. I didn't watch them all season. I despise watching Mahomes. But I always understood it was totally meaningless if they were getting stuck at 19 points and losing to teams that the Dolphins had obliterated.
One team is built for the playoffs. The other rings the bell at the county fair.
The current Dolphins are like a poor man's Tommy Hearns. They can get the quick spectacular knockout. But no match against the wrong opponent. The early flailing looks ridiculous once you're wobbling all over the ring and end up on your back.
It would be preferable to forge a Marvin Hagler type team. The Steelers are always like that. Seldom spectacular but always tough, with low variance from week to week and opponent to opponent. The AFC was kind of fortunate that Pittsburgh stuck with Roethlisberger too long, and once they decided to pick a quarterback the guy who was there was tiny hands Kenny Pickett and his lack of upside.
Having watched all 4 teams who've made it to the Conference Round, it became clear what they have that we don't...
1) A mobile QB
2) Regular use of a TE, especially a reliable one on 3rd downs
We have bigger problems than just this for sure, but it was just something I noticed watching the games last weekend.
1) A mobile QB
2) Regular use of a TE, especially a reliable one on 3rd downs
We have bigger problems than just this for sure, but it was just something I noticed watching the games last weekend.
Tua all the haters
Active Roster
Yup - I couldn’t agree more. Mike needs to realize he’s not a supporting coach anymore. He’s a head coach and he needs to adjust his style. Can’t be head coach and the funny man all the time. That self deprecating funny stuff all the time is not what people are looking for or need from a head leader - whether they realize it or not. Not expecting him to change his whole personality of course, but he needs to find a better balance. If I’m Mike, one of my biggest priorities is ensuring that the dolphins are not the funnest team in the league and all that BS
Fan Since the 70s
Active Roster
Imagine the scenario in which you're facing a tough team in a late-season game in which both teams are trying to make the playoffs and get the highest seed possible. You're down on the scoreboard at the half and your head coach -- who is generally a silly goofball -- gathers the team together to try to rally the troops with a speech to the team. I'm not sure it even matters how stern or forceful he gets at that moment -- his words may just ring hollow because he can't be taken seriously. And then how does that team take the field in the second half?