Miami went through the meat grinder the first 4 weeks. They also beat Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and beat SD before Rivers imploded and they were actually playing well.It is amazing the Phins are going to be in the playoffs. +1 point differential but the schedule over the past 9 weeks was set by a benevolent God who loves Miami, the sun, oranges, Versace, and the Rock.
Kind of feel like losing to Cinncy and Tennessee should have ended the season at 1-4 but then I'm sure the team looked at the coming games and thought, "We might not lose two of these."
Pats have had an easy schedule, too. But this isn't about the Pats. It's about the Dolphins. I'm not saying the Phins shouldn't be 9-5, I'm just impressed they didn't throw in the towel at 1-4.Miami went through the meat grinder the first 4 weeks. They also beat Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and beat SD before Rivers imploded and they were actually playing well.
Obviously they had a soft middle portion, but the Jets and Bills weren't supposed to implode. Pats also feasted on the same schedule, so the whole "Miami has a soft schedule" is pretty moot.
Large amount of credit goes to Gase. At 1-4 and a games against Pittsburgh and Buffalo, they could have easily went into the tank and ended up 1-6. Winners of 8 of their last 9 instead.Pats have had an easy schedule, too. But this isn't about the Pats. It's about the Dolphins. I'm not saying the Phins shouldn't be 9-5, I'm just impressed they didn't throw in the towel at 1-4.
I'm a believer in the Matt Moore era.Large amount of credit goes to Gase. At 1-4 and a games against Pittsburgh and Buffalo, they could have easily went into the tank and ended up 1-6. Winners of 8 of their last 9 instead.
Again, no one is saying Miami is the Patriots. Or on the same plane as the Patriots. Every fan likes to mention that. No one here has said Miami is as good or better than New England. Not once. Everyone can stop pointing that out. We get it. New England is a better team.edit - although to note, the Pats are +119 in point differential, with untested starting QBs for their first 4 games. So, yes, they've played the same schedule and the Pats have gone through it with much more effectiveness.
You brought the Pats, and their schedule, into the discussion, not me.Again, no one is saying Miami is the Patriots. Or on the same plane as the Patriots. Every fan likes to mention that. No one here has said Miami is as good or better than New England. Not once. Everyone can stop pointing that out. We get it. New England is a better team.
Miami was a six win team last season. They're at least three wins better this year and possibly a playoff team while changing head coaches and missing major contributors which in the past would have derailed a season. For Miami fans, that's a big deal. Obviously for a team with a sustained run of success, simply making the playoffs seems trivial. We get it.
Because everyone wants to dismiss Miami's record as the product of a weak schedule.You brought the Pats, and their schedule, into the discussion, not me.
It is the product of a weak schedule. The Pats have been helped by this too, but it's really difficult to ignore the point differential.Because everyone wants to dismiss Miami's record as the product of a weak schedule.
Also, aside from NE, and maybe Oakland and KC, how many teams are truly really good that have strong victories against consistently tough competition? There's a shitload of mediocrity in 2016. If being just good enough to rise above most of the other mediocre teams gets Miami in, so be it.That Pittsburgh game was really an amazing pivot point for the Dolphins. Going in 1 - 4 against an upper tier team--the only win at that point being in OT v. Cleveland, for cripes sake--with all the baggage that went with it, led to many of us throwing in the towel, if we hadn't already. Instead, they got healthy at the right time, drew up an excellent game plan, executed it well, and dominated.
The streak since then has been anything but pretty. Scratching and clawing against mostly mediocre competition, relying on a few defensive and ST miracles, giving up big leads, etc. But 8 out of 9 is an impressive run by any account, and as several folks have mentioned, this season has been a win for Miami and its fans. This territory has rarely been charted in 15 years, and the future looks fairly bright.
As for NE and its point differential and general superiority across the borrd......duhh? Shit, I'd love to say the Dolphins are knocking on your door, so watch out, but we fans are just happy they're finally on the same block. Meanwhile, we've been so busy watching our guys win ugly and desperately jockey for a "lously" 6 seed, the Patriots have been about as irrelevant to us as the Dolphins are to you.
That is, until today. Go kick some ass, Patriots.
Not very. Obviously the running attack has not been as successful since Pouncey left the lineup. However Ajayi is still running hard and churning out YAC. That's all Miami really needs to be successful.How concerned should we be about how they're running the ball? The Dolphins had a 6th lineman blocking on almost a third of their plays, and ran 2 TE sets on over half. All of that amounted to 67 yds/2.5 per carry, continuing a 4-game trend that started v. SF.
Yup. As a Pats fan I'm rooting for this too.Miami should be rooting for the Colts and Pat's this week. A raiders loss to Indy and a pats win vs the Jets means then Pats have nothing to play for in week 17. I don't think Bill would mind dropping that game to see Denver miss the playoffs.
Agreed. Even though it's a longstanding, divisional rivalry, I can't think of any reason to hate the Dolphins. Have they or their fans ever said or done particularly crappy to the Pats? Seems like they're always fairly hard fought but clean games, and besides their undefeated team, there's not much chirping ever. So long as Suh doesn't act up, I'm cool with the baby whales.Yup. As a Pats fan I'm rooting for this too.
They are +35 in the last 9 games, but that includes a 38-6 loss to the Ravens. As someone who is more a baseball fan than football fan, is point differential as a huge a deal in the NFL as MLB? With 16 games a year, one or two bad games can skew things pretty greatly so I'm curious how it holds up. Like TB was outscored by 51 points in their first 4 games but since then are 7-3 and +42. Plus in baseball, run differential usually predicts next season's record better than this season's anyway.It is the product of a weak schedule. The Pats have been helped by this too, but it's really difficult to ignore the point differential.
Not so fast. In one of the 1972 games, the Dolphins had a 38-0 lead after 3 quarters and Shula decided two more touchdowns were needed. So, a final of Dolphins 52 Patriots 0. Sure, the memory has faded a lot, lot of great water under the bridge in the last 16 years for the Pats and us fans, but still, that game. It is only a Shula thing though, not the Dolphins.Agreed. Even though it's a longstanding, divisional rivalry, I can't think of any reason to hate the Dolphins. Have they or their fans ever said or done particularly crappy to the Pats? Seems like they're always fairly hard fought but clean games, and besides their undefeated team, there's not much chirping ever. So long as Suh doesn't act up, I'm cool with the baby whales.
Marino was Marshall Faulk in his analysis of the Pats during the early run before there was a Marshall Faulk. And they used the wildcat, which just wasn't very nice at all.Agreed. Even though it's a longstanding, divisional rivalry, I can't think of any reason to hate the Dolphins. Have they or their fans ever said or done particularly crappy to the Pats? Seems like they're always fairly hard fought but clean games, and besides their undefeated team, there's not much chirping ever. So long as Suh doesn't act up, I'm cool with the baby whales.
I've actively rooted for Suh to break Brady's legs, but beyond that, none that I know of. Lol. The reality is Miami has been a joke since Marino retired and the fan base hasn't had anything to say in 20 years. But during the Shula era, I'm pretty sure the Pats fans hated Miami more than any other team. It's just not a rivalry anymore so there's not much animosity. Plus, the Jets and Bills have had more reasons to dislike them over the past 10+ years, so the Dolphins seem benign in contrast.Agreed. Even though it's a longstanding, divisional rivalry, I can't think of any reason to hate the Dolphins. Have they or their fans ever said or done particularly crappy to the Pats? Seems like they're always fairly hard fought but clean games, and besides their undefeated team, there's not much chirping ever. So long as Suh doesn't act up, I'm cool with the baby whales.
I think it's also important to remember that while Gase might be a QB whisperer, Vance Joseph absolutely is a DB whisperer. He's worked magic with Miami's secondary this year. He's taken Maxwell, Lippett, a rookie coming off two knee surgeries this year, a guy that wasn't even on the team half way through the year in Rambo, and lost his star safety in Reshad Jones, and made them into one of the better secondaries in the league, and the team with the best third-down defense in football.Soden, I'm just as excited over the development of Lippett and immediate success of Howard. Of course, Xavien comes back and Maxwell immediately gets hurt. It's been that kind of year.
Gase is absolutely a candidate, however Garrett in Dallas is the heavy favorite. However it's a great change of pace from having your coach continuously on the hot seat.Pretty nice read on Gase, albeit too many references (one) to Saban for my taste:
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/12/20/nfl-maimi-dolphins-adam-gase
Obviously this would depend on how these last two games unfold, but is Gase a contender for coach of the year? There seems to be a lot of great candidates this year.
I'm not happy about Justin Houston missing tomorrow's game.MIAMI DOLPHINS
Miami clinches a playoff berth:
1) MIA win + DEN loss or tie
2) MIA tie + BAL loss + DEN loss + HOU loss or tie
3) MIA tie + BAL loss + DEN loss + TEN loss or tie
Indy because if the Raiders lose, NE is the 1 seed and presumably would rest or pull starters against Miami next week.P.S pdaj, why Indy? Isn't the fall back clincher if Denver wins out, KC getting swept? Unless you're talking about seeding--a place I can't bring myself to go quite yet.
Got it, thanks.Indy because if the Raiders lose, NE is the 1 seed and presumably would rest or pull starters against Miami next week.
Indy because if the Raiders lose, NE is the 1 seed and presumably would rest or pull starters against Miami next week.
Correct. I think if Denver loses tomorrow, Miami might do what you wish, Sod', and rest up the gang of beat up troops vs. NE next week. Doesn't look like an Indy win is going to happen. (Side note: Luck's having perhaps his best season statistically, but Indy's loses to Jax and Hou (sweep!), have me itching to scream, "Overrated!")Yeah, I think that's right.