The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

With 2 games in a 5 day stretch, Phins season likely hinges on the next 10 days. 4 1/1 point fav against Tennessee Sunday, and likely to be favored against the Bills, if they win both, a Wild Card is still possible. If they lose either or both, I doubt it will happen. Despite outscoring opponents 170-149, Miami still gets killed in the fourth, being outscored 60-31. Seems like a broken record there. If the Phins can fix this issue, they have hope. As of right now, they'd have to jump the Colts and Steelers to get in, with tough games against Seattle, New England and SF up next. IMO, 8-8 isn't going to get a WC, and 6-4 heading into the rough 3 game stretch could still keep Miami above .500 coming out of it. Losing either of the next two games likely doesn't have that happen, and I don't believe 6-7 with three remaining gets it done. -EK

I'd say the next three weeks and throw the Seattle game in there too.  I expect Miami to win all three of those games.  If they don't, the outlook become dismal.

Seattle's tough. They've obviously gotten some lucky breaks, but their defense is tough and I feel like they're a better 5-4 than Indy is. I'm not sure that's a "gimme." -EK

Agreed. Miami HAS to win the next 2 because they should win them. No excuse not to win them.

If you extrapolate out the season from here, Miami has very 4 winnable games left of their 8 game schedule. Buffalo twice, Jacksonville and Tennessee. They *should* win all 4 of those games.

That means they likely have to win at least 1 of the other 4 games to have a shot at the playoffs, New England twice, Seattle at home and SF away. Probably not going to win at SF. Going from East coast to West coast is never an easy trip and SF is a REALLY good team that matches up well with Miami.  I think we have a chance of taking 1 of 2 against New England just because we usually end up playing them tough at least once every year. I like our chances against Seattle at home because that's a tough West Coast to East Coast trip for them.

My guess is that we take the game with Seattle, but lose one of the 4 games we should win. That means those games with New England are probably going to determine the Dolphins playoff chances. They are probably going to need to win one of them to have a shot at the playoffs and since the last game is in New England, it'd be better for them to win the one at home.

Part of me hopes we lose early in that stretch, so I can cut loose my desperate hopes for a 10-6 finish followed by a divisional playoff loss.  I think this team is seriously flawed and doesn't stand much of a chance against the good teams.

That being said, if the '01 Patriots can run the table (beating the '01 Rams in the process), I guess anything's possible.  Why Not Us?

I completely agree, but watching a playoff game would still be a hoot. I knew Miami was gonna be demolished in 2008 against Bal but I still had 1 game to watch after the end of the regular season which is a win in my book no matter what happens.

Dat is true. 

I would also dare say the '12 Dolphins beating the '12 Patriots in the playoffs would be a hell of a lot less shocking than the '85 Patriots beating the '85 Dolphins in the playoffs. 

The bar was set so low going into the season that i am not even thinking playoffs and honestly don't care. Win between 6- 9 games. Have Tannehill play well. And this season is a success to me. Year 1. Rookie head coach. Rookie QB. I would be happy with that.

For me, I just want to grow out of the "league laughing stock" role.  Give it back to Cleveland or Cincinnati.  We want to be respected and relevant.

^^^ I don't know if it's a big deal or not, but I'm guessing we've moved out of that role this year. http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-11-06/worst-team-organization-browns-jaguars-raiders-sn-midseason-players-poll

I think Jacksonville owns that title for the near future! When they start playing "half" their home games overseas they will own it forever!!

But seriously this notion that " the next 2 weeks make or break the season" is silly. EVERY GAME is important. So its ok if we win the next 2 but then lose the first game after that? But if we lose to Tenn this Sunday then win the following two games that's not OK? The whole notion is downright silly. EVERY GAME IS IMPORATANT! There are no "make or break" games the 2nd week in November. The NY Giants were 6-6 on Dec 4th last year won the rest of their games (except for a HOME loss vs a bad Skins team) and still won it all! This notion that there are make or break games the 2nd week of November when the Dolphins are at .500 is downright laughable! Every game is important....period!

I think the Dolphins no longer have that label. 

You are not even the laughing stock of the AFCE anymore -- the Jest have that title. 

While every game is important, I think what's trying to be said is that if we win the next two and go 6-4, we are in a good position for the playoffs. Odds in our favor, whereas if we lose the next two we go 4-6 and odds heavily against us. What happens in the games that follow ultimately decide our fate, but the next 2 games will be a great indicator.

every game is important. To put extra importance on the Week 10 game over the Week 11 or 12 game is silly

I don't think it's putting extra importance, just that the next 2 games are very winnable. So, if we drop them or split them, odds are we don't make the playoffs. They still count equal, but the timing of year and quality of teams makes it crucial. After all, if we drop these 2 and then the 3 after, who cares if we win the final 3?

The difference is that Miami will be favored. You have to win the games you're favored in .

Also the difference is you lost your last game.  IMHO, Going into the Colts game I thought the Dolphins needed to win 2 of the next 3.  That meant the Colts game wasn't must win, but having lost it, it makes the next two must win. 

Can we stop this kind of talk now?  Let's focus on developing players and making sure that we're positioning ourselves to be a real contender in 2013.

Yep. And focus on the $60 mill in salary cap space and the 5 draft picks in the first 3 rounds we have next year!

Is Bush still injured or did he just decide to be terrible from Week 3 on out? Either way, he is making the decision to re-sign him a lot easier.

Yeah, but if they don't resign him, who's going to play RB? Miller? He's been non-existant. Thomas? He seems hurt more than healthy. Ah, if only Duke Johnson wasn't a freshman.... -EK

Miller doesn't get many snaps, you can't say he has been non-existent! Want him to run on the field and refuse to come off?! In the 27 carries he does have he averages 5.4 yards per carry! Not f'n bad!!

How much of that was in garbage time? (Honest question). I've caught roughly half of the Phins games, and don't feel like he's a "back of the future" any more than I do about Thomas. -EK

Not much, when has Miami had "Garbage time"???! He played a lot in the first Jets game in the 2nd half when Bush went out. NOT Garbage time. He played a lot in the first half yesterday when Bush was benched, NOT garbage time. He played a lot in the Raiders game as well and helped Miami win that game since Daniel Thomas was OUT that week and Miller was the #2 RB.

Miami hasn't had much Garbage time games. Aside from Houston Week 1 in which Miller wasn't active. And the 2nd Jets game every game has been tight!!!

You hated Miller when he as picked (like Tannehill) and go out of your way to bash him even admitting you haven't seen half the games! Amazing!

I didn't hate him, but I certainly didn't love him. The garbage time I was refering to was the Oakland game- you know the Miami  blowout, where Bush already had 172 and the Raiders couldn't stop anybody? That's the only game he's had significant contributions. He has absolutely great speed, but I think he's more suited as a return guy. The ypc stat is a little skewed- nearly 30% of his total came on 2 carries. You take those out (19 and 22 yards) and he's closer to 4 ypc, which isn't really bad, but let's be realistic- 4 carries total in the past four weeks tells me the coaches aren't any more sold on him than I am. -EK

Garbage time vs the Raiders? The Dolphins were LOSING at halftime of that game. Where was the garbage time? Even when he scored his TD in that game it was only a 2 possession game at the time, hardly "garbage time"!!  Why would you "take out runs"....he made them. They count! Once again you cherry picking stats.

4 carries over 4 weeks because the is the #3 RB on the depth chart!!!  ::) He isn't a starter or even the backup. In time he has played he has produced!You can try to spin this to "hate on Miller" and "bash him" but it looks silly! And the coaches are SOLD ON HIM enough to bench Reggie Bush in-game and play him instead. That says alot!!

In the limited time he has played he has shown flashes. He has a future in this league and probably a good one.

OK, so, I overspoke- up 2 possessions, late in the third against a team as bad as Oakland was playing may not be garbage time, but it's pretty close, and he got over half his carries from that point on. He isn't a starter or "even a back up," but you believe the coaches are sold enough on him to take the load from Bush? So...Bush gets benched Sunday, Miller is inserted...how'd that work out? 3 carries for 12 yards. Sorry. You must be viewing Miller through your RT1 glasses. I'm not cherry picking anything. Miller's a great speed guy, but if he was as good as you think he is, he'd at least be ahead of Thomas. -EK

Broke...

Yep.  Definitely broke.  The Dolphins face Buffalo on Thursday night.  Then they've got New England, San Fran, and Seattle coming up.  With the way this team has played as of late, you could be seeing a 4-9 or 5-8 squad at the end of that stretch.

Nobody on the team had more than 5 carries on Sunday.... ::)

Typical Jets fan, everything on Miami sucks!

What does that have to do with his place on the depth chart? YOU brought up that he was the third stringer. If he had "a good future" and all that talent you think he has, he surely would have surpassed an injury prone back who has missed 20% of his games as a pro with hamstring and concussion issues, and whose career avg is three and a half yards per carry. -EK