The miraculous turnaround the Miami Dolphins made this season won’t soon be forgotten. It is hard to see that now through the angst of a tough loss today to the Baltimore Ravens, but with time fans will look back and remember fondly the Miami Dolphins’ 2008 season. True, we all would have preferred to see the Dolphins advance beyond the Wild Card round but it just didn’t turn out that way.

The Miami Dolphins looked more like the team of 2007 today as they fell 27-9 to the Baltimore Ravens. The Dolphins’ problems were almost too many to list, but we’ll try and hit them all. Chad Pennington, usually so careful with the football, threw 4 interceptions, the defense put almost NO pressure on Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco, and the offense just couldn’t breakdown the Raven defense.

In the 1st half it appeared the game would be a defensive stalemate throughout. The teams traded FGs in the 1st quarter, and no TDs were scored until Ravens’ safety Ed Reed picked off Pennington and returned it 57 yds for a TD. A Baltimore FG with 16 seconds left would send Baltimore into halftime with a 13-3 lead.

In the 2nd half Miami’s turnover problems would get worse, and so would the score. Baltimore would get a TD in the 3rd quarter to stretch their lead to 20-3, and after Miami got back to 20-9 on a Pennington TD pass (Carpenter would miss the PAT), Flacco scrambled into the endzone with 3:53 to play giving Baltimore the 27-9 victory.

The biggest problem for the Dolphins was their uncharacteristic amount of turnovers. After turning the ball over only 13 times this season, tied with the New York Giants for the lowest in the NFL, the Dolphins turned the ball over 5 times today. Chad Pennington, who threw only 7 INTs all season, threw 4 today. Another major problem for the Dolphins was the defensive line. Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco had all day in the pocket to make decisions as the Dline was getting NO pressure. Despite that, Flacco was unable however to really burn the Dolphins on a consistent basis.

In the end, the Dolphins inability on offense cost them today against a superior Ravens’ defense. The Dolphins struggled to move the ball, almost completely lacking a run game, and turned the ball over too much to survive their encounter with the Ravens.

The Dolphins are now left to ponder a season that was, look back on the good and bad, and try to build off of their successes in the 2009 season. Make no mistake, the Dolphins meager effort today doesn’t take away from their amazing season. Tony Sparano, Bill Parcells, and the Dolphins’ players were able to prove their detractors wrong and win the AFC East when no one gave them a chance. Next season, it will be time to build off their successes this year and see if they can return to the playoffs and get a better result.

As we close in on the Miami Dolphins’ first playoff game since early in 2002, a familiar foe will enter Dolphins Stadium on Sunday and attempt to rain on the parade in South Florida. Tomorrow the Dolphins (AFC East Champions) face the Baltimore Ravens, an AFC Wild Card team.

The Dolphins have a good deal of recent history against the Ravens. The last time the Dolphins made the playoffs, they faced the Ravens and were booted from the playoffs in bad fashion after a 20-3 loss. Last season, as the Dolphins struggled, it was the Ravens they defeated 22-16 to get their lone win of the season. And earlier this season as the Dolphins struggled to a 2-4 start, it was the loss against the Ravens 27-14 that lit a fire under the Dolphins. After that loss the Dolphins went on to finish the season 9-1, win the AFC East, and find themselves hosting an opening round playoff game.

If the Dolphins hope to keep their magical season afloat, they should pay close attention to the lessons learned in their past two encounters with the Ravens. Within those games the Dolphins can find the gameplan to beat the Ravens again this Sunday. The Dolphins lived much of this season taking advantage of the “wildcat” formation, using its surprise and versatility to take advantage of their opponents confusion. The Ravens however are one of the BEST defenses in the NFL and in the Dolphins’ loss to the Ravens earlier this season, Baltimore was more than ready for the wildcat formations.

The Dolphins need only look to last seasons victory over Baltimore to find the way to beat them. The best way to beat Baltimore is a balanced attack and the ability to exploit a weakness if/when it is found. Baltimore will no doubt be ready for the wildcat, so the Dolphins need to employ a more conventional game plan and save the wildcat for surprise opportunities.

Win, lose, or draw tomorrow the Miami Dolphins are by far THE story of the NFL this season. Their meteoric rise from 1-15, to 11-5, division winner, and playoff participant is almost unprecedented. The Dolphins are just the 2nd team in NFL history to make a 10 game improvement on their record and make the playoffs. A huge amount of kudos are due to Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano for tearing down a system that wasn’t working and build it from the ground up. No one in their wildest imagination could have forseen such a rapid turnaround, but while it lasts, enjoy the ride! GO FINS!

The Miami Dolphins have risen from the ashes of a 1-15 season, in a matter of 1 year, to finish the 2008 season 11-5 and win the AFC East. The Dolphins took care of business against the Jets yesterday winning 24-17, sending the Dolphins to the playoffs for the first time in 7 seasons.

After a scoreless 1st quarter, the Jets struck first going up 6-0 on a Brett Favre TD pass, but failed a 2pt conversion. The Dolphins would answer back as Chad Pennington connected with Ted Ginn Jr on a 27yd TD pass to go ahead 7-6. 15 seconds later Philip Merling would intercept a Favre pass and take it to the house to extend the Dolphins’ lead to 14-6. A Jets FG at the end of the half made the Dolphins’ halftime lead 14-9.

The Jets would briefly take the lead in the 3rd quarter on a 10yd TD rush to go up 17-14. Pennington would put the Dolphins ahead for good when he hooked up with TE Anthony Fasano for a 20yd TD pass, giving the Dolphins a 21-17 lead. A Dan Carpenter FG in the 4th would give the Dolphins a 24-17 lead.

The Dolphins’ victory on Sunday was sweet in so many ways, it is nearly impossible to list them all. The Dolphins joined the 1999 Indianapolis Colts as the only teams in NFL history to see a 10 game improvement in their record and make the playoffs one season after a dismal record. Chad Pennington, who was dumped by the New York Jets in August when Favre arrived, led his new team into his old team’s stadium and took the AFC East crown (and a playoff spot) away from them.

A huge congratulations has to go out to coach Tony Sparano and his staff, Parcells, and the players for doing what no one thought they could possibly do this season. The Dolphins will host the 11-5 Baltimore Ravens next Sunday.

Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens was hopefully a wake up call to Tony Sparano and his offensive coaches, it is time for the Miami Dolphins to change their scheme and find an offensive style that fits this team and can be implemented game after game.

Since defeating the New England Patriots in week 3, the Dolphins have become very fond of using their single wing (wild cat) offense. Unconventional and possesing many wrinkles, it kept Miami’s opponents off balance and gave the Dolphins a chance to win each week. But what would happen when the Dolphins welcomed the leagues best defense to town on Sunday in the form of the Baltimore Ravens? The results were not good and the Dolphins slugged through for a 27-13 loss to the Ravens.

The Dolphins used the single wing 5 times and gained 4 yards. Ronnie Brown, who promised to show the Ravens and former coach Cam Cameron what he could do, ran for 27 yards on 13 carries and had NO TDs. Chad Pennington was effective as usual going 24-35 for 295 yards, tossing 1 TD and 1 INT. That 1 INT however would prove costly in the end. The game was tied at 3 and as the pocket collapsed around Pennington instead of going down and taking the sack, Pennington desperately tried to unload the ball to a short man, the result however was an INT that was returned 44 yards for a TD by Terrell Suggs. The score put the Ravens ahead for good.

The Dolphins’ defense was also thrown for a loop on Sunday as the Ravens often employed the no huddle offense which allowed rookie QB Joe Flacco to go pressure free for the majority of the game and move his team downfield for two FGs and two TDs, including a TD drive with 30 seconds left before halftime.

The Dolphins have been more impressive than most would have anticipated this season, but lately have been living on borrowed time, so to speak. The offense has been relying a little too heavily on the gimmicks, the wildcat offense in particular, to spark scoring drives and win or stay in games. If the Dolphins want to win more games this season they are still going to have to address their deficiencies. The passing game is impotent, Ginn Jr, Camarillo, and Hagan are terrible and without a passing game Brown and Ricky Williams are going to be useless. The more the offense struggles, the less time they spend on the field and the more time the defense spends on the field. The coaching staff needs to come up with a new scheme because teams have clearly caught onto the wildcat, meaning its effective days are numbered.

Baltimore Raven’s head coach John Harbaugh is new to the NFL head coaching gig, so maybe a pass is warranted on this occassion. In an attempt to defend his offensive coordinator, former Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron, Harbaugh told a local radio reporter that Cameron “was an effective coach down in Miami last year, even though the results weren’t what people were hoping for. He did a great job there with what he had to work with.” Is he serious? Do you really consider 1-15 a good job?!

Miami Dolphins’ players have been told by team management to refrain from making any negative comments regarding this statement and/or former coach Cam Cameron. That doesn’t extend to anyone else though and retaliation is warranted in this case. Every player left on that team (who was with the team last year) should be personally offended and I hope they read this quote, or better yet listen to it, multiple times before Sunday’s game. Cam Cameron may not have had an established QB like Chad Pennington last year, but he had an offense that included Ronnie Brown (albeit for half the season) and Chris Chambers. Cameron had plenty of tools to win more than 1 game. This year’s Dolphins have no better offensive attack than last years, but Sparano is able to get the most out of the players he has.

I for one believe the blame should lay with Cam Cameron, he was not only less than effective as a head coach during games but was also terrible at controlling his team off the field. The Dolphins’ locker room last season was a mess and Cameron was never able to establish himself as the leader of MEN. Perhaps like USC coach Pete Carroll, Cameron is not capable of leading men. Maybe the next time Cameron wants to be a head coach in charge of an organization on the field, he should go with work kids in the NCAA ranks.

Make no mistake, Cam Cameron did NOT do a good job last year. He was unable to control his players and establish himself as the head of the team as coach. True, Cameron didn’t have a whole ton of help. No real QB existed last season, Ronnie Brown went down injured, Chris Chambers was traded, and the OL was a mess, but he only won 1 game. Cameron was incapable of adjusting his schemes to the players he had. The Dolphins welcome Baltimore to Miami this weekend and new coach Tony Sparano and his players should show the Ravens just what they are capable of doing to opponents.

This time last year, the Dolphins were sellers when the NFL Trade Deadline came around. WR Chris Chambers was sent packing in what proved to be just the start of a purge that would see several veteran faces in Miami depart. This year however, the Dolphins could be buyers at the trade deadline, but who could they be trading for?

The Kansas City Chiefs are openly shopping Tony Gonzalez and the Detroit Lions are shopping several players. The Dolphins should quickly get involved in talks with both teams to try and get a new face in Miami. Tony Gonzalez has asked to be traded to a contender, and though the Dolphins had the longest odds at the start of the season to make the playoffs (not to mention the Super Bowl), the Dolphins aren’t out of anything yet. Lets not get carried away, I’m not guaranteeing any playoff run. That being said, the AFC East is wide open and it is not impossible the Dolphins could make the playoffs. Tony Gonzalez would be a priceless addition and would provide another option in that crazy single wing attack the Dolphins are becoming fond of.

Then there are the Detroit Lions, who are shopping several players. The Lions are done already this season sitting at 0-5. Roy Williams has commented to Detroit media he might like to leave and though the Lions have said he isn’t on the trading block, they would probably part with him given the right offer. Williams too would be a fantastic addition. Whether or not Tony Sparano and Bill Parcells admit to it, the WR corps for the Dolphins stinks, STINKS. Roy Williams is a big body, fast receiver that would immediately legitimize the Dolphins pass offense. Williams would not only be another option for the crazy single wing, but would allow the Dolphins to be much more effective with a standard offensive set as well.

At 2-3 I’m not going to call the Dolphins a playoff lock, but they do stand a chance to make the playoffs. What is the harm in making a trade for one of these guys to see if you can make waves the rest of the season. At worst, you have these quality players coming back next year to form an offense with. This should be a no brainer, DO IT!

Lets not mix words, for the better part of this decade the Miami Dolphins have been a bungling team searching for a new identity in their post Dan Marino years. To lose a player of his caliber, at arguably the most important position on the field, is tough to adjust to. It is even tougher to try and replace a player like Marino. The Dolphins are not the only team that was once prominent, riding the arm of a legendary quarterback, only to fall on hardship for years. The Dallas Cowboys were a different team for several years after Troy Aikman retired, the Denver Broncos lost their mystique when John Elway retired. For those franchises, their quarterback was the shining example of what their team stood for, he was their identity in human form.

The departure of Marino, and Don Shula a few years before, left the Dolphins without an identity. For so long under Shula they had been a no nonsense, mistake free, responsible football franchise. They new exactly what they were, and so did other teams. Early on (pre-Marino) they would grind the game out on the ground, and when Marino arrived the team shifted gears to an aerial assault. But in the time since, the franchise had become a bungling flock of loveable losers who just couldn’t seem to all get on the same page. Mistake free, solid football had been replaced with laughable quarterbacks, poor head coaches, dropped passes, and few playoff chances to speak of.

Much like everything in life though, football is cyclical. Sure, it is hard to imagine some franchises as ever having been bad. It doesn’t stick out in the memory of most that the Dallas Cowboys not too long ago were awful, the Green Bay Packers had their stretches of poor play as well, but those franchises have also come out of those stretches. So to it appears, will the Miami Dolphins. It is beginning to appear as though all the moves of Bill Parcells may be paying off. The team is beginning to play as one cohesive unit, on offense and defense.

More than anything, the Dolphins want to be considered tough. They are tired of being that team that is circled on the opponents calendar as an “easy win” before the season even starts. With the recent improvement on defense and the fact that the offense is now clicking, perhaps a few more teams will think twice before they face the Dolphins. The days of them being a lock to beat might be coming to end. The road to redemption is a long one, but it would appear as though the Dolphins are headed in the right direction.

Despite all the changes and promises of change during the offseason and preseason, it appears the nightmare of 2007 has extended into 2008. A new head coach, Bill Parcells in the front office, and a new quarterback just haven’t proven enough to fix anything and all the promises of a renewed franchise seem to be spiraling downward.

Sunday afternoon the Dolphins went into Phoenix and fell flat on their faces against the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona may end up making the playoffs this season, but don’t be fooled, it will be a result of them winning the NFC Worst, er West. Their division mates, Seattle, San Francisco, and St. Louis are a combined 1-5. That being said, the Arizona Cardinals are not an All Pro team headed for the Super Bowl. You wouldn’t have known that though as the Cardinals just destroyed the Dolphins.

Former stock boy Kurt Warner dominated the Dolphins secondary going 19-24 for 361 yards and 3TDs. The Dolphins on the other hand couldn’t move the ball through the air or on the ground against the Cardinals defense. Chad Pennington was a woeful 10-20 for 112 yds and was eventually pulled in favor of Chad Henne who was 7-12 and 67 yards and led the Dolphins on their only touchdown drive, an 18 play 89 yard drive.

Again this week the Dolphins receiving corps was pitiful. Hagan caught 3 for 51 yards, Camarillo 4 for 49 yards, and Ginn Jr 1 for 9 yards. Absolutely pitiful. Arizona, realizing they didn’t have a passing game to worry about, was able to stifle Miami’s run game just as the Jets were able to in Week 1. Ricky Williams ran 11 times for 28 yards and Ronnie Brown 11 times for 25 yards and 1TD.

The Dolphins’ defense wasn’t capable of playing any better than the offense. The secondary apparently forgot they had a game to play this week as they were picked apart by the 37 year old Kurt Warner and his WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Fitzgerald caught 6 passes for 153 yards and Boldin 6 for 140 yards and 3TDs.

Two things NEED to come out of this game. The Dolphins must, MUST, address their wide receivers and do it immediately. Clearly these guys are incapable of playing at a remotely professional level. Ginn Jr is suppose to be one your top WRs and he caught 1 pass for 9 yards?! Stop thinking you have what you need, Sparano and Parcells need to admit to defeat and sign someone ASAP. Also, give Chad Henne the ball. Put the kid under center and let him take his lumps. If the Dolphins are going to lose anyway, lets at least see what Henne can do in the process, who knows maybe he can help pull out a victory here and there.

If something doesn’t change soon, the Dolphins will find themselves watching more NCAA games on Saturday instead of tapes of their opponents in preparation for April’s draft and the #1 draft pick. Dolphins fans were sold a packet of “change change change” this offseason, its about time we see some!

Head coach Tony Sparano and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells are allowing their inflated opinion of their own judgment hold back the potential performance level of the Miami Dolphins offense. Despite the week 1 performance of the Dolphins’ offense, Sparano and Parcells refuse to admit that the trio of Ginn Jr, Camarillo, and Hagan just aren’t sufficient enough talent to provide a potent passing game.

It was clear to me as I watched on Sunday, and I would imagine clear to all, that the aforementioned trio just aren’t talented enough to strike fear into an opponent’s pass defense. Pennington completed 26 passes last Sunday, and only 5 of them were to Camarillo and Ginn Jr. Hagan didn’t even see action on the field. 12 passes were caught by TEs Anthony Fasano and David Martin. RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined to catch 6 passes. The Dolphins’ offense is not going to click until they have a passing game that can be effective.

To be fair, the team did make a WR move this week. Derek Hagan was moved to the #1 WR position, despite not playing next week. Is it really that hard for Sparano and Parcells to admit that perhaps they were wrong? Perhaps their faith in Ginn Jr, Camarillo, and Hagan is misplaced? It is silly to continue believing that outside help isn’t needed. There are talented WRs out there that are jobless right now. Terry Glenn, Joe Horn, Eric Moulds, Chad Jackson, and even Koren Robinson are all out there to be had, each of them (Chad Jackson aside) brings more talent to the team than any of their current WRs.

Chad Jackson would be a fabulous pick up, he’s young and extremely talented with a brighter future than Camarillo and Hagan, though he wouldn’t be adding any experience. I’ve already discussed the benefits of bringing in either Glenn or Horn, Eric Moulds would bring the same excellent ability and veteran presence to the WR corps. Robinson would be the last on my list, but in a pinch I’d give him a shot.

In the end, Sparano and Parcells need to take their heads out of the sand. Their current 3 WRs just can’t get it done well enough to help the Dolphins offense. Without a decent passing game and some WRs that are legitimate deep threats, teams will just continue to stackk 8 in the box and deny Williams and Brown the room to run. Adding legitimate talent at WR will be the key to balancing the Dolphins offense and giving it the opportunity to flourish. Sparano and Parcells, STOP WAITING! Your guys aren’t going to turn it around in the blink of an eye, outside help is needed.

Well, the first game is in the bag. The Miami Dolphins officially began their 2008 campaign against the New York Jets and lost. How will this new campaign that sees new management in the front office, a new head coach prowling the sidelines, a new QB, and a fresh look to the defense with the departures of veterans Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas do this season?

First, lets look real quick at the Dolphins schedule this year, then we’ll break it down and make a prediction as to how the Dolphins will fare this season.

Week1 - New York Jets (lost), Week2 - @ Arizona, Week3 - @ New England, Week4 - BYE, Week5 - San Diego, Week6 - @ Houston, Week7 - Baltimore, Week8 - Buffalo, Week9 - @ Denver, Week10 - Seattle, Week11 - Oakland, Week12 - New England, Week13 - @ St. Louis, Week14 - @ Buffalo, Week15 - San Francisco, Week16 - @ Kansas City, Week17 - @ New York Jets

Now, lets break this schedule down a little. The most interesting game for a number of reasons was the first game of the season. New Dolphins QB Chad Pennington faced his old team roughly 4 weeks after being cut by the Jets. The Dolphins have it tough though in their own division and will likely finish 3rd or 4th, depending on how they handle Buffalo who could be worse than the Dolphins. Even though Tom Brady went down, the Patriots are still the favorite in the AFC East with their deep roster. As for outside the division, within the AFC, the Dolphins have tough tests as they face Denver, San Diego, and Houston. However, they also face Baltimore, Kansas City, and Oakland outside their division, within the AFC, teams they are capable of beating. The Dolphins drew a tough NFC division to face as they will meet up with Seattle, Arizona, St. Louis, and San Francisco. The 49ers are the worst of that group, but Seattle is returning to the form which saw them make the Super Bowl following the 2005-2006 season. Arizona and St. Louis are not slouches either.

The biggest hurdle the Dolphins will face in their season is getting their offense moving. Despite losing Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, the defense will still be a decent one. The rushing game will be very potent, but the Dolphins continue to turn down possible free agents and stubbornly insist they are set at WR. The passing game is the biggest question mark, and in the end will probably hamper the Dolphins season, barring a change in attitude from management.

In the end, my feeling is (and you may call it a push as its not really a bold prediction) the Dolphins, assuming all stay healthy are capable of bouncing back this season from last years horrors and go 8-8. I believe they can sweep Buffalo, split with the Jets, and will likely be swept by the Patriots. The Dolphins will likely struggle against San Diego, Houston, Denver, Seattle, and St. Louis, but can certainly beat Arizona, Oakland, San Francisco, and Kansas City. 8-8 isn’t enough to make the playoffs in the AFC, not even close in fact. However, for a team coming off a 1-15 season and with a lot of change taking place, 8-8 is nothing to sneeze at. Time will tell!