Let’s start at the top.  One could argue that the first round selection, QB Ryan Tannehill, was a smart choice.  After all he ran what figures to be a similar offense at Texas A & M under Mike Sherman who is now in charge of the Fins’ offense.   And he completed 61.6% of his passes in 2011 even though his receivers had 79 drops which comes out to 14.9% of his 531 attempts.  That means that Tannehill was only responsible for only 23.5% of his passes being incomplete which no doubt includes some balls being thrown away when he did not have an open receiver and others going astray because he was under too much pressure.  His 76% completion mark for passes traveling no more than 10 yards reflects that he is quite accurate in the shorter West Coast type throws.  On those shorter throws he amassed 13 TDs and only 1 pick.  But there are some other numbers which don’t look so pretty.  His 7.1 yards per attempt is not spectacular by any means, in fact, it placed him 67^th in the nation in that category.  And on passes traveling 11-20 yards, his TD to INT ratio was a very poor 5-6.  On deep patterns, passes thrown at least 30 yards, he completed only 27.6%. 

While we are told that Tannehill has a strong arm and quick feet to go with his football smarts, we know that he started only 19 games as a college quarterback.  He clearly needs more seasoning.  But one has to wonder if additional seasoning will reveal him to be a franchise quarterback or simply the next non-franchise QB since the retirement of Dan Marino.  Talk of his strong arm and football smarts may conjure up optimism about his future . . . or simply give that déjà vu feeling as you remember what was said about Chad Henne on the way in. Hopefully, the number 17 jersey that Tannehill was given by Stephen Ross  (the number he wore at Texas A & M) will not come to stand for the fact that there have been 16 others before him who unsuccessfully tried to fill the shoes of Dan Marino.  Let’s hope he is not quite such a marked man. 

The talk before the draft was that the Fins were lucky that wide receiver was a deep position in this draft, given the fact that they had unloaded their most prolific receiver in an off-season trade and were converting to a West Coast offensive scheme.  But after unloading Brandon Marshall in free agency, Jeff Ireland watched the other NFL teams signed 25 free agent receivers as he signed no-name receiver Legedu Naanee (20 starts and 107 receptions in his 5-year NFL career).  When the debate in Davie is whether Davone Bess or Brian Hartline is the Fins’ best receiver, there is no debate that receiver is a position of serious need.  So how do you explain what Jeff Ireland did in this draft?  After selecting Tannehill in the first round, did he pick a wide receiver in the second or third rounds?  No.  In fact, the rest of the NFL GMs were busy selecting 24 wide receivers in the first 5 rounds before Ireland picked B.J. Cunningham in the sixth round.  Then he got Reshard Mathews in the seventh round.  Neither is a speedster and the bottom line is that at summer’s end there are typically more 6^th and 7^th round picks on the waiver wire than on NFL rosters.  In the third round (78^th overall selection) Ireland took TE Michael Egnew.  Although he has good hands and an impressive vertical leap, he lacks physical strength and his selection has been criticized by more than one NFL insider.  Even if Ryan Tannehill can develop into a franchise QB, just who is he going to get the ball to on this Fins’ roster?  So what was the plan? 

In the second round the Fins went for yet another offensive lineman.  Hopefully, Jonathan Martin helps shore up an O-line which despite receiving a lot of draft and free agent attention the last 4 years, performed very poorly in 2011.  Given the money Ireland spent on the line since he came to the Fins in 2008, that should be a position of strength.  The fact that it hasn’t been a position of strength gives one reason to question Ireland’s ability to size up talent and, with that, the wisdoom of selecting Martin.   NFL commentators have certainly raised questions about him, too, most notably raising questions about his lack of power and speed. 

Miami Hurricane fans will no doubt be happy with the selection of Olivier Vernon (third round, 72^nd overall selection) and Lamar Miller (fourth round, 97^th overall selection).  Vernon may turn out to be a great NFL player, but he is going to have to prove himself coming off a suspension-shortened season last year.  And as good as Lamar Miller has shown himself to be with blinding speed that can turn any carry into a touchdown, one has to wonder why Ireland devoted the 97^th overall pick on a running back when just last year he signed Reggie Bush as a free agent and drafted Daniel Thomas.  Has he lost faith in Thomas who started strong in his rookie season but seemingly disappeared after the first couple of games (and averaged only 3.5 per carry)?  Why did the running back position get priority over the wide receiving position which was an obvious need that seemingly could have been well filled in the earlier rounds of the draft? 

In the final analysis, just what did Jeff Ireland do to tailor this draft to the team’s new West Coast Offense?  Frankly, it doesn’t seem too much.  Instead, it just seems to be offensive.

Right off the bat this free agency season the Fins announced that they were concentrating their efforts on luring Peyton Manning.  In hot pursuit of Manning, the Fins resisted signing any other big name free agents so they could leave enough cap space to land Peyton.  The Fins even opened up more cap space by curiously trading away Brandon Marshall (who one might have thought would be a target they would have liked to dangle in front of Manning to lure him in) for two draft picks, both of which were lower than the draft picks used to obtain Marshall from the Broncos 2 years ago.  Meanwhile, Manning didn’t even see fit to meet the Dolphins in Miami, even though he himself came to Miami to spend time in his Miami Beach condo immediately following his parting news conference with the Colts.  When he met with the Fins’ brass, it was in Indianapolis.  Every other team he has met with had him at their own facility.  And the Dolphins are the only team he said “thanks, but no thanks” to thus far.  He may not have yet decided where he would go, but he quickly decided he would not go to Miami. 

Upon receiving the brush-off from Manning, the Dolphins next set their sights on Matt Flynn.  Flynn garnered interest only from one other team, the Seahawks, and the Dolphins appeared to have the inside track since new head coach Joe Philbin had been his coordinator in Green Bay.  It seemed like a natural fit.  All the Fins had to do was reel him in and hope that his 2 exceptional career starts would be truly indicative of his ability to be an NFL starting quarterback.  Then, finally, the search for the next franchise quarterback would finally be over and the Fins would be back on track.  But Flynn unexpectedly also said “thanks, but no thanks” and signed with the Seahawks. 

With the Fins now having a QB rejection streak of 2 going, one cannot cast off the similar ongoing rejection streak in the head coaching category as being unrelated.  Jim Harbaugh and Jeff Fisher are the two head coaches who have gotten away in the last 14 months.  One has to wonder if this streak of rejections has a common thread.  Is there at least an overlap of some kind with respect to these 4 highly sought people all saying “thanks, but no thanks?”  A very sound argument can be made that none of these 4 individuals wanted to take their chance on a Dolphins franchise that is clearly in a state of disarray. 

Peyton Manning did not want to gamble the last few years of his illustrious career on the Dolphins’ roster.  Why should he put his precious few remaining eggs in the basket of a team whose most productive remaining wide receiver is really a slot receiver?  Why should he gamble his remaining time on a team that spent millions to supposedly upgrade its offensive line over the last few years, yet had Marc Colombo as its starting right guard last season?  If you want the real reason why Manning didn’t take the Dolphins seriously even though he and his wife like South Florida and have a residence here, stop your wondering:  It’s the roster, stupid! 

Matt Flynn is another interesting case.  Why would he not want to play for his former coordinator at Green Bay?  Why would he turn away from a chance at playing in the same offensive system he thrived at in his limited starting opportunities at Green Bay?  Once again, stop your wondering:  It’s the roster, stupid! 

Then there is Jeff Fisher, the head coaching candidate that was heavily recruited this year after he was dismissed from his long-held position in Tennessee.  Surely he was flattered by how aggressively he was courted by the Dolphins.  But that didn’t stop him from saying “thanks, but no thanks” before he went off to become the head coach of the Rams.  Do you really think St. Louis is that much better of a place to live in than South Florida?  With Fisher, who presumably was looking for the long term, it wasn’t as much the present roster that was the main issue as it was who would be making the roster decisions going forward.  You can bet that his “thanks, but no thanks” was directly related to the fact that he was told that Jeff Ireland would still be making those decisions in the future. 

And why would Jim Harbaugh, who was seeking his first NFL head coaching position last year have wanted to risk that opportunity (which might not come again if he failed) on the Fins’ roster.  Surely, the team he chose last year, the 49ERS, had a lot more talent running throughout its roster than the Fins, as evidenced by the fact he took them to the NFC Championship Game. 

In the final analysis, the common thread to this string of rejections is the Fins’ deficient roster.  Of course, their deficient roster is the work product of GM Jeff Ireland.   Thus, what makes the future so bleak for Dolfans is that team owner Stephen Ross elected to retain Ireland.  With Ireland firmly in place, the Fins should get used to their current pattern of rejection, a pattern which will likely be continued with season ticket holders telling the Fins “thanks, but no thanks.”

Now that the current coaching search has ended with the hiring of lifetime assistant coach Joe Philbin, let’s give Fins’ owner Stephen Ross all the “credit” he deserves for his effort.  When he fired Tony Sparano last month he promised that he would bring in a big-name established head coach that would bring the Fins back to the playoffs.  While all those with a brain realized this would not be possible with GM Jeff Ireland still sitting in the GM’s office, Ross kept Ireland in place.  When Bill Cower and Jon Gruden both said thanks, but I’d rather remain in the TV studio than return to the sideline, he pursued Jeff Fisher (and chose to ignore Brian Billick).  In short, in terms of trying to land a proven head coach, he put all his eggs in one basket.  Unfortunately, Jeff Fisher determined that the Dolphins’ basket was not big enough for both him and Jeff Ireland, so he decided that St. Louis wasn’t a bad place to live after all.  From what you read and hear, Jeff Ireland was the sole deal breaker for the Fins’ attempt tp reel in Fisher. 

So what else did Stephen Ross say about the coaching search?  He also said (especially after he lost out on the big names) that he would like to find the next young Don Shula.  What he found was 50-year old Joe Philbin, hardly a “young” Shula, unless he really meant compared to Shula’s current age. 

As a result, Stephen Ross—owner of a team that has not won a playoff game in over a decade—has his own streak going.  Two years in a row he has failed to land the big one.  Last year’s big one, Jim Harbaugh, currently stands one game away from taking the Niners to the Super Bowl in his first year as their head coach.  You remember last year’s fiasco when Ross and Ireland went to the West Coast to try to reel in Harbaugh, with Ireland publicly humiliating his friend Tony Sparano  in the process.  When they could not land Harbaugh, Ross not only gave Sparano a vote of confidence, but he also gave him a contract extension.  Of course, 11 months later, they gave him the boot.  Ross let this year’s big one, Jeff Fisher, after (and because of) the vote of confidence he foolishly gave to Jeff Ireland.  Hopefully, Ross gives Ireland a contract extension soon so we’ll at least be left with the comfort of knowing he’ll be gone by Inauguration Day! 

The reality is that the hiring of a big name does not assure a team’s success.  Neither Jimmy Johnson nor Nick Saban took the Fins deep into the playoffs.  By the same token, the hiring of neophytes Dave Wannstedt, Cam Cameron or Tony Sparano didn’t turn out so well either.  As we sit here today, we do not know if Jeff Fisher would have been able to restore the Fins to a position of NFL prominence (and thanks to Ross’ loyalty to Ireland we won’t have that opportunity).  We will now have to wait and see if Joe Philbin can do so.  Most regretfully, the odds just don’t look good from this perspective. 

As you are aware, Joe Philbin was hired away from the Green Bay Packers where he was their offensive coordinator.  No doubt, the success the Packers’ offense has enjoyed is what opened the door for Philbin in Miami.  What Philbin won’t have in Miami, of course, is Aaron Rodgers.  Or to rip off an old campaign line: “It’s the quarterback, stupid!”  The question is not necessarily was Philbin that good, but would he have been able to be that good without Aaron Rodgers (and Green Bay’s other offensive talent)?  A top-notch QB may not always get you the trophy, but he sure will lead you to a lot of playoff appearances.  And while Philbin certainly had a top-notch QB in Green Bay, he won’t have that luxury in Miami.  Of course, the reason he won’t is the same reason Miami won’t have Jeff Fisher.  That reason is spelled:   J-E-F-F   I-R-E-L-A-N-D! 

For all the success Green Bay has had on offense, it cannot be overlooked that Joe Philbin did not call the plays on game day.  To his credit, he did formulate the offensive game plans. But as head coach of the Dolphins he will have to make a lot of important in-game decisions.  And since he did not call the plays in Green Bay, making in-game decisions is one area in which Philbin appears somewhat lacking.  Sitting up in the coach’s booth is a far cry from than standing on the sideline with final say on a great number of decisions, all of which need to be made under the gun.  All of which will require a great deal of focus. 

Which brings us to the white elephant standing in the room which, at the risk of great political incorrectness, nevertheless cannot be ignored in light of the selection of Philbin as the team’s new head coach.  Quite sadly, Joe Philbin is a man who suffered every parent’s worst nightmare just as he was beginning his head coaching interviews.  The weekend before last, his 21-year old son drowned.  But it did not stop Joe who had his agent let the Fins know that he was keeping his hat in the ring (and tossed his hat into another team’s ring as well) barely before the ink was dry on his son’s death certificate.  Rather than remain at his family’s side at such a horrendous time (Joe and his wife have 5 other children), he flew off to attend some more coaching interviews.  While his family was dealing with their unspeakable loss, Joe was dealing with his career aspirations. 

To give the counter-argument, maybe that is precisely the kind of person that a football team needs as its head coach.  For at least half the year a head coach works 7 days a week, typically leaving the house before his family awakens and returning home only after all are asleep.  Maybe the Fins need that kind of detached human being at the helm.  If so, the Fins may well have found their man.  But if that is what Stephen Ross and Jeff Ireland are banking on, they better hope that 3, 6 or 9 months down the road that Joe Philbin does not drown in a sea of guilt. 

One has to wonder why Joe Philbin chose to leave the Packers, an organization in which he was comfortable, and Green Bay, a city which he called home, at such a personally difficult time when one might naturally crave some sense of normalcy and security.  One may also question why he chose to move his family so far (or be removed from his family so far if they stay behind) at such a trying time in their lives.  Having chosen to do so, one can certainly question his personal judgment.  And a football team is nowhere if its leader lacks judgment.  So much for the white elephant in the room. 

Having decided that Philbin was the “right man” for the job as Stephen Ross said in the statement sent to season ticket holders on Friday announcing the new hire, one has to once again question Ross’ personal judgment.  It’s not that the other candidates interviewed—Mike Zimmer of Cincinnati, Dan Toub of Chicago, Mike McCoy of Denver and the Fins’ own Todd Bowles—are sure to become anything but forgettable head coaches, but none of them have the present personal distraction which faces Joe Philbin (and his family).  He may have had a better quarterback to coach then those other candidates (especially Mike McCoy who had to try to teach Tim Tebow to throw a football), but is he really that much better than any of those others?  And this coaching hire only adds to the questions about the judgment of the Dolphins’ owner given the fiasco of last January when he callously undermined Tony Sparano and then in an embarrassing turnabout sang his praises and gave him a ludicrous contract extension.  Of course, if one is looking for reasons to doubt Ross’ judgment, one need not look any further than his unexplainable allegiance to Jeff Ireland (which cost him the opportunity to hire the coveted coach, Jeff Fisher, only days earlier). 

No one is saying that Mike Zimmer, Dan Toub, Todd Bowles or Mike McCoy are destined to become successful head coaches.  No one is saying that any of these other coaching candidates would have been the Fins’ savior.  It’s just that there is nothing about the candidate who was hired that makes him look like The Real McCoy.

What is a surprise is just why Stephen Ross believes in Jeff Ireland.  One would expect the GM to be the fall-guy when the team follows consecutive losing seasons with an 0-7 start on its way to a third consecutive losing season.   The only season during Ireland’s tenure in which the Fins actually had a winning record was his first year when the Fins’ lack of a quarterback was solved during training camp when the Jets cut Chad Pennington.  The Fins’ last-minute signing of Chad Pennington was not a stroke of genius by the GM; it was merely a stroke of luck that helped cover up a serious lack of planning.   And it is widely believed that the strings were being pulled by Czarcells rather than Ireland at that time.  Which brings us to the next point. 

After losing out on Jeff Fisher because of his faith in Jeff Ireland, Fins’ owner Stephen Ross said that Ireland has done a very good job.  Really?  That is puzzling since the reality is either than Ross is showing support for Ireland because he was not responsible for pulling the strings while Czarcells was around (2008-2010), or Ross actually believes that the Fins’ 20-28 record over the last 3 seasons is something worthwhile to build upon.  If it is the former, then why let Ireland stand in the way of getting Fisher?  After all, that would just mean that Ireland was an innocent on-looker; it would not mean that he was a capable GM.   If it is the latter, then . . . really?   If Ross himself hasn’t seen the many holes which exist in the Fins’ roster, then hasn’t his good buddy Carl Peterson pointed those out to him? 

Letting a coaching candidate that Ross coveted fall through his fingers because of the belief that he has the right GM in place is an act of foolishness.  While one could debate whether Jeff Fisher—who had more losing seasons than winning seasons during his lengthy tenure as the Titan’s head coach—would have been the best coaching choice for the Fins’, the notion that Jeff Ireland is so untouchable that it would be better to lose Fisher than to get rid of Ireland is absurd.  Although had Ireland been fired by Stephen Ross, it seems obvious that he would have been untouched by the 31 other teams, so in that sense he could easily be considered untouchable! 

And so the Fins’ revolving-door head coaching position remains open; and the search goes on for the next head coach who will inevitably be the Fins’ next ex-coach in the next couple of years.  That inevitability has been insured by Ross’ blind loyalty to Ireland.  That loyalty is utterly defies explanation for no matter what embarrassing photographs of Stephen Ross that Ireland could possibly possess, Ross surely has enough money to buy them for cash rather than for continued employment. 

No one should ever question Jeff Fisher about why he chose not to work with Jeff Ireland.  Why would he—who was possessed with an option—ever want to work under Jeff Ireland?  The real question for Dolfans is why won’t Stephen Ross cut bait on Jeff Ireland?

Jason Taylor has certainly been universally respected for his talent on the football field.  When it came to football, JT always gave 100% both as a player, as a team leader and as a teammate.  The respect he has earned and enjoyed went beyond the football arena.  He not only played the game the right way, but he lived the right way, too.  He carried himself with class and dignity. 

He not only treated his teammates and fans right, he treated the community right, too.  He put his time and his money into the Jason Taylor Foundation, which e still actively maintains, to help children.

The closest thing he came to controversy was his professed dislike for Dolphins’ Divisional rivals, most particularly the New York Jets.  And when the Dolphins would not re-sign him in 2010, he signed with the Jets (knowing he would have to eat some serious crow), and he handled that with class, too. 

And when JT and his wife—the perfect looking couple—had some marital issues a few years back, he handled that with class and dignity, too, refusing to go public with details, refusing to use (or abuse) his celebrity to stand before the media and throw his then estranged wife under the bus.  He took the classy road, the road that would protect his children, the road that would not demean their mother.  In short he took the high road.  That was not only an impressive showing of class and dignity at a time when it would have been all too easy to lower himself (as so many do in such situations, but fittingly, it was that impressive display that ultimately enabled JT and Katina to reconcile.  Had he not taken the high road, it is reasonable to assume that the outcome would have been different for him and his family. 

When the Dolphins twice showed JT a bit of disrespect by not resigning him in the later years of his career, he handled that with class, too.  Once again, it was that class that enabled him to cross that bridge again and come home.  It was that class which enabled him to fittingly end his career in aqua and orange with Dolfans chanting “JT, JT, JT” as he was carried off the field by appreciative teammates at the end of his last game. 

JT has been recognized by the NFL for the way he has lived his life and given of himself both on and off the field.  In 2007 he was voted the NFL’s Man of the Year.  That award was not for simply being the most valuable player, it was for being a most valuable person. 

In this day and age where so many jerk athletes capture headlines for all the wrong reasons, JT is a refreshing breath of fresh air.  He never made headlines with arrests, suspensions or any number of other nefarious activities.  He made headlines for only the right reasons.  He is, quite simply, a good egg. 

JT’s football qualifications need not be restated here any more than they will need to be restated for those holding Hall of Fame ballots in a few years when he is first eligible for induction.  He will truly deserve to get into Canton based solely on the merits of his exceptional career and he will get into the Hall of Fame based on merit.  However, even great players frequently do not get into the Hall in their first year of eligibility.  But JT should.  He should get selected in his first year of eligibility because the voters will know the kind of man JT has always proven himself to be.  You see, it’s easy to vote for a truly good guy, and after further review, you just can’t take away from the fact that Jason Taylor is one very special person.

Not only did the Fins do what they could to shut up loud-mouth Jets’ Coach Cryin’ Ryan, but given his hollow promises of a Super Bowl season, who knows if his tiresome act may have run its course in the Big Apple. Perhaps he may soon join Tony Sparano among the ranks of the unemployed. 

And so starts what will hopefully be a busy off-season for the Miami Dolphins, an offseason which should (but unfortunately probably won’t) start with the firing of GM Jeff Ireland.  Unfortunately, Fins’ Owner Stephen Ross seems to listen more to Carl Peterson (who may end up the team’s next football czar) than to Dez Bryant in deciding Ireland’s future.  Without a new GM, there is no question the Fins are stuck in Direland. 

Retaining Direland isn’t a mistake just because of his poor track record during his 4-year tenure.  Keeping him ensures that the all-important head coach search will be limited to those candidates who would be willing to work with him.  It eliminates any of the top-flight proven coaches who would demand final say on roster moves.  For example, Bill Cower would never agree to work under Ireland.  Neither would a host of others.  Even hot college coaches looking to enter the coaching ranks of the NFL have been known to demand final say on roster moves.  Therein lays the problem with retaining the Fins current GM.  A third-rate GM will never be able to land a first-rate head coach.  What’s worse, this third-rate GM will not want to land anyone who would present a serious threat to his own job security.  So unless Stephen Ross wakes up to this reality, don’t expect that the Fins’ next head coach will be a top echelon coach.  Rather, the next head coach will likely be a weak puppet of the team’s next ex-GM, because Direland will not be able to survive the losing seasons that are sure to follow the hiring of an inferior head coach. 

Of course, there is a lot of work to do even after a new coach is hired.  The QB position requires major attention if this team is to get into the playoffs before this decade is out.  Chad Pennington would be better in a coaching role than in the QB mix.  Chad Henne would make a great third-string QB (but look for him to try to land a job elsewhere).  Matt Moore, who had a mere 135 yards passing and a 61.3 QB Rating against the Jets, still looks like nothing more than a worthy back-up. 

The last time the Fins’ drafted high enough to draft a franchise QB, they selected left tackle Jake Long, the theory being that you must do what you can to protect the QB’s blind side.  But when Long was drafted the Fins’ brain-trust overlooked one slight detail . . . there was no QB on the roster worth protecting!  And now left tackle is beginning to look like another position of need as Jake Long has had a difficult time staying on the field the last couple of seasons due to his shoulder, his back and now his arm. 

The remainder of the offensive line presents a number of questions.  There is no doubt that the Fins will pave over the Colombo Freeway to make room for a more competent right tackle.  Vernon Carey’s career is certainly dwindling and he may well find himself priced out of a job in his home town.  Rookie Mike Pouncey showed some promise at center this season, but someone needs to teach him how to snap the ball, particularly when the QB de jour is in the shotgun formation.  The only truly reliable lineman heading toward next season is left guard, Mr. Nasty, Rich Incognito. 

Wide receiver remains a position of need.  Brandon Marshall sure catches a bunch of passes, although he drops more than his share, too, particularly in the end zone.  Brian Hartline and Davone Bess both make some good plays, but neither strikes fear in the minds of opposing defensive backs.  The balance of the crew is comprised of young and untested players.  One assumes that if they were really good, they would already be playing and contributing regularly. 

The running back position is interesting with Reggie Bush coming off his best season.  Although he managed his first career thousand-yard season, he still didn’t remove the question marks about his durability as a knee injury ended his season in the next-to-last game. So even with his success there are still questions if the Fins can depend upon him.  Rookie Daniel Thomas (who showed flashes of brilliance early and a lot of mediocrity thereafter) also remains a question mark.  So as far as running backs are concerned, questions persist about who will carry the workload in 2012 (and beyond)? 

The defense is somewhat of an enigma.  Going into the 2011 season it figured to be the strength that carried the team.  Then came opening day when the offense put up some points, but the defense surrendered a whopping 622 total yards and 505 yards passing to the Brady Bunch.  The outlook remained poor for the first 2 months of the season until the defense finally decided to show up.  But after some strong performances including the first-half of the second Patriots game, the defense imploded (with a little help from Matt Moore turnovers) and surrendered 27 second-half points to the Patriots in week 16.  With the help of JT, the defense did bounce back in the season finale against the Jets. 

The biggest defensive question marks remain in the backfield.  Vontae Davis seemed to get jump-started by his mid-season suspension.  Sean Smith has still not lived up to his billing as a potential NFL star.  And the Fins’ have never really found the right person to complement Yeremiah Bell at safety. 

Nose tackle will be an interesting position to watch this off-season.  Last year Paul Soliai was deemed important enough to justify a franchise tag, which put $12 million in his pocket.  The Fins do not seem likely to want to go that route again.  Last year’s move may have been to buy another year to gauge whether or not Soliai could be trusted with a long-term contract.  Either they will have to sign him to a contract (which will require a significant amount of money) or they will have to find another nose tackle to take his place.  And at last look, nose tackles are not easy to come by (which is why they spent the $12 million on him last year). 

The kicking game was a real strength in 2011.  Many people thought that punter Brandon Fields was the team’s MVP.  Dan Carpenter continually proves he is a top-notch placekicker as further evidenced by his 58-yarder to end the first half and his clutch 45-yarder which proved to be the winner against the Jets.  However, it is crucial for the kicking game to come up big in the off-season, too, as the Fins must give their GM the boot! 

Meanwhile, the Fins don’t have much to show for 2011.  Ten losses and another year of being home for the playoffs have made a lot of ticketholders stay home on game days this season.   Having another inferior head coach next season won’t put their bottoms back in the seats either.  But at least for this week, Dolfans can be happy that Ryan is Cryin’ because Jason Ended Their Season.   And it was a lovely sight as the crowd chanted “J.T.” and his teammates carried him off the field.

Matt Moore did have a good first half, buoyed by the strength of the defense which got in Tom Brady’s face and held him to a QB Rating of 51.3 in that first half.  Moore himself had an impressive 120.3 QB rating in the first half.  But while the Brady Bunch were scoring 27 unanswered points in the second half to take control of the game, Moore managed only 35 yards passing during that time, enabling the Patriots to take control of the game.  His interception and 2 fumbles (only 1 of which was lost) only fueled the Patriots’ fire. 

Of course, the defense did not help the Fins’ cause in the second half as Brady went from being 7 of 19 for 87 yards in the first half to being 20 of 27 for 217 yards in the second half.  It sure did not help that a Matt Moore fumbled exchange gave the Patriots the ball at the Fins’ 38-yard line, enabling them to get the TD that would leave them only one score behind midway into the third quarter.  By that time, momentum was solidly with the Patriots.  And the defense, which forced punts on every Patriot possession of the first half except for their final possession which ended with an unsuccessful long field goal attempt, couldn’t get New England off the field in the second half, thus allowing the Patriots to convert 50% (9 of 18) of their third and fourth downs for the day. 

Dolfans may not have Tony Sparano to kick around anymore, but that doesn’t mean the day was without a peculiar coaching decision.  After the Fins scored a TD to close the gap to 27-24 with 1:48 remaining on the game clock, Interim Head Coach Todd Bowles elected to eschew the expected on-sides kick.   That would mean the Patriots would be able to run out the clock by getting a single first down.  This strategy was much too risky given the way the Patriots had moved the ball against the Fins after halftime.  The Patriots in fact got their first down and the game ended without the Fins touching the ball again.  No doubt, successful on-sides kicks are a low-percentage shot, but if the Fins were successful (as the Broncos were earlier this season) they would have had pretty good field position and (at least) 1:40 remaining on the clock.  On the other hand, even if the Fins had held New England without surrendering a first down, they would likely have gotten mediocre field position and (at most) about 1:20 to try to get into field goal position. 

While there are some who make a case for Matt Moore being the Fins’ QB of the future, this is not a belief shared by this writer.  Those arguing in his favor have some ammunition.  After all, his QB Rating for the last 8 games (a span equal to one-half a season) is an impressive 103.9.  And that rating is enough to place Moore in the top third of the NFL during that timeframe.  But there is, forgive this word, more to the story.  For example, despite a strong first half, Matt Moore finished with a rather pedestrian completion percentage of 51.5% (17 of 33).  The problem is while Moore can throw the deep ball, strangely enough, it is that his accuracy is not what it needs to be on the shorter routes.  Moore has thrown the deep route well enough to have amassed an impressive number of the so-called chunk plays.  But he has problems with the shorter passes and, when they are completed, he often leaves a receiver (who otherwise could have gotten good yardage after the catch) in a position where he cannot turn up-field.  Typically, such accuracy problems are caused by poor footwork.  Hopefully, with some good coaching, he can conquer this problem and become more than just a serviceable back-up.  Only time will tell, but given his performance in the second half against the Pats, the Fins’ QB of the present truly presents a case of Moore being less.

With their win over Buffalo on Sunday the Fins have climbed out of the Division cellar by virtue of a head-to-head tie breaker over the Bills.  Although the Fins started this season by losing their first 7 games, the Bills have now lost their last 7.  Both teams may be 5-9 on the season, but there is no doubt which team is in a better place at this juncture of the season.  The reality, of course, is that neither team is going anywhere this year. 

Although Matt Moore only completed 10 of 20 attempts (50%), he managed to have a 122.3 QB Rating for the day thanks to his 21.7-yard average per completion and his 2 TDs (without any INTs).  He turned the ball over once on a fumble (as did Brandon Marshall). 

The defense played take-away against the Bills, intercepting Ryan Fitzpatrick 3 times.  Vontae Davis had 2 of the INTs while Rashad Jones had the other.  These helped to counteract the Dolphins’ fumbling tendency.   Although the defense held the Bills without a third down conversation (0-11 on Sunday) for the second time this season (0-23 overall), they managed to surrender 21 first downs on Sunday when it wasn’t third down.  The defense gave up 113 rushing yards and 316 passing yards so all in all it was not one of their better performances.  Still, it was enough as the Fins held on to win 30-23. 

Brandon Marshall dropped 2 balls in the end zone, but later made amends by catching a beautifully thrown over-the-shoulder pass for a 65-yard TD.   That reception took him over the 1,000-yard plateau for the second time in as many seasons with Miami.  While he has a knack getting the yardage, it would be appreciated if he would find a way to treat his seeming allergy to footballs reaching his hands in the end zone.  What separates Marshall from the all-time NFL great receivers is that too many passes thrown in his direction end up on the turf. 

But this day clearly belonged to Reggie Bush.  There aren’t too many running backs capable of eclipsing 200 yards in a game.  Reggie now belongs in that elite club.  And he picked a great time to do it as it pretty much wrapped up what will become his first 1,000 yard season.  Although he dropped the ball early in the game, Reggie spent the rest of day dropping the Bills.

When the Fins went three and out to start the second half, the writing was not just on the wall, it was all over it.  Thanks to a Dan Carpenter field goal, the Fins managed to outscore the Eagles 3-2 in the second half.   However, there are no prizes awarded for winning the second half. 

The offensive line was porous, allowing 9 sacks on the day, one coming in the end zone for a safety.  A third quarter sack knocked Matt Moore out of the game.  Not that he would be missed as he had a rather poor performance up to that point including two turnovers (a fumble and an interception).  One had to wonder if Moore was really hurt . . . . or perhaps it was the only way he thought he could escape the Eagles’ pass rush! 

After Matt Moore went down, J.P. Losman came in to face a third and 7 and he completed a first down pass to Anthony Fasano.  But it was too little too late.  There was no way the Fins were going to make up for their second quarter lapses which the Eagles turned into 24 unanswered points and a 24-7 halftime lead. 

Michael Vick showed why he is such an exciting player.  He turned a number of plays into nice gains when the Fins defense had him on the run.  He is both very difficult to wrap up and very elusive and he has a quick release which makes it even tougher to sack him.  Still, the Fins managed 4 sacks on the afternoon, 2 coming from Jason Taylor, who continues to climb on the all-time sack list.  He now has 138.5 career sacks which places him sixth all-time after climbing ahead of Richard Dent and John Randle.   He will likely be the next Dolphin great to be enshrined in Canton. 

The defeat cannot be pinned on the defense.  They limited the Eagles to a total of 51 yards rushing which is special considering the Eagles have LeSean McCoy and Michael Vick.  Although LeSean McCoy got 20 yards on 2 carries in the first minute of the game, the Fins’ defense limited him to only another 18 yards the rest of the day.  He finished with a mere 38 yards on 27 carries, well below the pace that had him second in the league (by all of 3 yards) coming into the game.  Holding him to 1.4 yards per carry was quite an achievement.  And the defense also contained Michael Vick who completed only 50% of his passes (15 of 30) for 208 yards passing and a mere 69.9 QB Rating.  The Fins’ special teams did quite a job limiting DeSean Jackson to an average of 5.6 yards on punt returns and 7.0 yards on his lone kickoff return. 

It was indeed a painful loss in more than one respect.  In addition to Matt Moore, Jake Long, Vontae Davis and Vernon Carey all went down with injuries.  The loss of both Jake Long and Vernon Carey clearly added to the Fins’ misery as Philadelphia never let up on its pass rush.  With the Fins trailing by 17 in the second quarter, the Eagles knew they could go after the QB. 

The loss not only stopped a 3-game home winning streak, but it should also stop any doubts about Tony Sparano’s future with the Dolphins.  Come January 2, 2012, he will deservedly be the Fins’ latest former head coach.  He would need wins in each of the last 3 games (against the Bills, Patriots and Jets) of this dismal season to equal the 7-9 record of each of the two last seasons.  It is clear he will get his walking papers after the Jets’ game on New Year’s Day.  Here’s hoping he is sent packing along with his buddy, GM Jeff Ireland, because their performance has unquestionably been offensive.

Was this a resurgent Miami team winning its fourth game out of their last five (while outscoring their opponents 139-54 in those games)?  Or was this about the Fins beating another average team, this time one which happened to be in first place merely because it plays in a weak division?   These are natural questions given that the Fins are still only 4-8 due to their miserable 0-7 start to this season that was essentially over before the clock struck November. 

For the fifth consecutive week the Fins’ defense played lights-out football, precisely the kind of football that was expected from that side of the ball going into this season.  What happened over the first dreadful 8 weeks of the season (which spanned 7 games and the bye week) remains a mystery.  Had the defense played as expected in September and October, Dolfans would now find themselves scoreboard watching those games of teams vying for playoff spots rather than those games of teams vying for top draft pick slots. 

There was plenty of credit to go around as the Fins were mounting their 34-point lead during the first 3 quarters of the game.  While the defense forced 8 punts in the Raiders’ first 9 possessions (the other Raiders’ possession ending with a Kevin Burnett pick-six), the Fins’ offense scored on 6 of its first 7 possessions (discounting when the Fins got the ball with 1:13 left in the first half and wisely elected to run out the clock).   Reggie Bush had another impressive game, gathering his second hundred-yard game of the season; his sidekick, Daniel Thomas, added a 73-yard performance.  As a team, the Fins amassed 209 yards rushing.  Meanwhile, against a Raiders’ team that was 4^th in the league rushing the ball, the Fins’ defense surrendered a mere 46 yards the entire afternoon.  The defense held Carson Palmer to a completion percentage of 48.8 and also sacked him twice, while repeatedly rushing his throws and intercepting him once (with a second being lost to a penalty).  Matt Moore was efficient but certainly not spectacular in leading the Dolphins, completing 52% of his passes for 162 yards with 1 TD and no INTs.  Special teams performed well, with the highlight being Clyde Gates’ 77-yard kickoff return to start the second-half.  But the bottom line is that it was the ground game and the defense that won this game for the Fins. 

The teams’ respective third down stats were rather telling.  The Raiders were a mere 2 of 11 (18%) while the Fins converted 57% (8 of 14) of their third down opportunities.  Time of possession was even more telling as the Fins held a 16:40 edge over the Raiders for the day.  In the first 3 quarters the Fins held the ball for 30:20 compared to the Raiders’ 14:40, a margin of more than 2 to 1.  What else do you need to know about Sunday’s total domination. 

This impressive win was the Fins’ third home win in a row.  Whatever illness infected the Fins’ at home in the last couple of years has mysteriously disappeared.  And so the Fins’ have begun reclaiming the home field advantage that was once a cornerstone of this franchise’s tradition. 

It was indeed fitting for the Fins to not only win, but to do so in such an impressive fashion on this day that the name of the Mad Dog went up on the Stadium’s Ring of Honor.  And when the Fins’ scored each of their 4 touchdowns you could swear you heard the Mad Dog screaming “Awwwright Miami!!!”