Dolphins lack ability, stability

[Landshark]

Isn't that why you bring in a new coach? To change things? What's the point of bringing in a new coach that's gonna do things the same way you have been doing them. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. If you want to change things you have to make changes.

The problem is, the people in charge of the change have made the wrong decisions EVERY TIME.

[Pappy13]

The problem is, the people in charge of the change have made the wrong decisions EVERY TIME.

Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

[Landshark]

Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

That may be true, but part of this team's past is STILL making future decisions.  And in case anyone is curious about this piece my friend wrote, here it is.  He wrote it after the Denver loss:


The Future Looked Bright


1996

We hired a proven winner. Three time champion. The best guy available. Jimmy Johnson would reverse the stagnant direction (remember when multiple playoff appearances and ten victories was considered “stagnant?”) the last few Shula years left us. He would do what he did in Dallas. No, this would be easier: he already had Dan Marino on this team. All he had to do was build us a defense and a running game. Jimmy would know how to do it.  After all, he had done it before. In fact, he wouldn’t have a meddlesome owner pushing him out of town either. He would be here for quite a while. In his first year here, we finally had a running back who rushed for a 1,000 yards. We had some exciting defensive prospects.

The future looked bright......

At the time, no Miami fan would want to believe that the Jimmy Johnson era would fail to produce a Super Bowl appearance let alone a victory, or even fail to advance to the conference championship. Only one 1,000 yard season. Fewer wins than Don Shula's last few years.  Not even a division title.  Yet, somehow it happened.


2000

No one was really excited for Dave Wannstedt. Dan Marino had just retired; we signed a no name backup from Jacksonville and some no name running back from Carolina as starters.  Sure, we had a defense that showed up (mostly), but with all of the questions on offense, we did not have the makings of an exciting season. Somehow, we won the division for the first time in six years. We won 11 games, the most since 1992. We had an amazing come from behind victory in the Wild Card round. We were one of the last 8 teams standing. Future years would plug up our holes and we would go further.

The future looked bright.......

At the time, no Miami fan would have believed that the overtime thriller against the Colts would be the only playoff victory of the Wannstedt era.  Or that the team that was built to contend for a Super Bowl in 2002 would totally implode, or that the star running back of that team would quit on the team two years later to go travel the world and smoke marijuana.  Yet, somehow it happened.


2005

We hire Nick Saban, the hottest coach in the land. Surely, he would be the one who would return Miami to its former glory. We had optimism. We had hope. In his first year, with Gus freaking Frerotte at quarterback, we go 9-7 and just miss the playoffs.  We managed a dramatic come from behind win against Buffalo to spark that record. In the offseason, we signed Daunte Culpepper, one of the most desired free agents that year. SI picked us to go to the Super Bowl.

The future looked bright.......

At the time, no Miami fan would have believed that the Nick Saban era would fail to produce a playoff appearance. No Miami fan would have believed that the 2006 team would grossly underachieve, and that Nick Saban would take another head coaching job BEFORE THE SEASON WAS EVEN FINISHED. Yet, somehow it happened.


2007.

Cam Cameron gets hired…… Okay, this time the future looked ... ?

Even then, at the time no one would believe that we would draft a kick returner with a top ten pick. No Miami fan would imagine a coach touting the guy’s family as an incentive for drafting him.  No Miami fan would have believed that the coach would lose the respect and control of the team en route to a 1-15 record. Yet, somehow it happened.


2008

Bill Parcells. He was the answer. Surely, he would lead this team back to its former glory. We go 11-5, set a record for the best turnaround season ever, win the division, and go to the playoffs. Tony Sparano wins coach of the year (Pro Football Weekly) and barely misses out on the same honor from other agencies.

The future looked bright......

At the time, no Miami fan would have thought that this would be the lone playoff appearance and we would go back to being sub-.500 for the rest of the era. Yet, somehow it happened.


2009

After we lost Pennington in week 3 of the 2009 season, we had the hope that Chad Henne would be our answer at quarterback. And he certainly looked like the answer. Did you all remember that with just three weeks left in that season, Miami was 7-6 and on the doorstep of another playoff berth? Chad Henne was 7-3 as a starter! They only needed to win 2 games out of the 3 left and 2 were at home. Their remaining opponents were all below .500 at 6-7.

The future looked bright....

No Miami fan would have believed that from that moment to the present, Miami would only win a single home game. Yet, somehow it happened.

***

I stare at the television after the loss to Denver and shake my head. Here is another regime to come and go. Here is another round of false hope to be shattered by reality. It’s frustrating. It’s maddening. It’s pathetic.

There is nothing left for this year. Miami has stage four cancer. There’s nothing to do now except hope that the Patriots or the Jets fail to win the Super Bowl. At least we can take solace in that event, if it happens.

***

2012.

Miami hires _____________________________ _____.

We have a sense of optimism that this time will be different.

We draft one of the hottest QB prospects _____________________________ ___.

The future will look bright….

[miamiwestchester]

That was a good analysis of the upcoming season. However, LeBatard's article spoke of the core problem. That problem is the failure in building a team. Team building comes from a core philosophy. They changed the window dressing in that instead of a good running game, they now have an unproven short passing game. A hurry up at that. They're still going to have to rely on their defense to keep them in games. As opposed to the offense going out to win a game. The main similarity in both is the inability to "stretch the field".  The next glaring similarity will be a tired defense, from the numerous 3 & outs that are coming. Its easy to point at "character" as a hihndrance. The problem is the talent went away with it. If you're going to get rid of talent, you can't   hope that people step up, youve got to know. Or have talent on standby. That's part of teambuilding.

This is the scary part. Just how bad will the offense be, and by the 4th qtr will the defense be so gassed we get blown out in games. I am just praying its not as bad as I suspect it will be.

How unfair to Tannehill. Shame on you Ireland. Seems like he is being set up to fail in a "David Carr-esque" way.

[el diablo]

Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

Then, how do you justify firing anybody?
Why doesn't every politician run on that?

Past performance may not be a definition. But it is an indicator.

[el diablo]

This is the scary part. Just how bad will the offense be, and by the 4th qtr will the defense be so gassed we get blown out in games. I am just praying its not as bad as I suspect it will be.

How unfair to Tannehill. Shame on you Ireland. Seems like he is being set up to fail in a "David Carr-esque" way.

The scary part is who ends up getting the blame when this does blow up.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

The only thing that nobody knows is in the time Parcells was in Miami who was making calls on draft choices. IF it was all Parcells, then yes Ireland gets a bit of a pass. I don't know IF it was all Parcells, and none of us probably will ever know. I am sure only Ireland, Parcells, and the people in those draft rooms know. It doesn't give Ireland a free pass forever but it does explain MAYBE why Ross is sticking with Ireland. Give him a few years to do it "his way" without Parcells pulling rank.

Only logical explanation really.

It is even concieveable, that Ireland was OPPOSED to the draft choices that busted and was lobbing for players that other teams drafted that went all-pro but didn't get drafted by Miami b/c Parcells overruled. 

Here is what *I* would have done if I was Ross.  Take careful notes of who was pushing for whom at the draft.  The go back and see who was right. Than give the people making the right choices more power and either fire or give less power to those making bad choices.

[MikeO]

It is even concieveable, that Ireland was OPPOSED to the draft choices that busted and was lobbing for players that other teams drafted that went all-pro but didn't get drafted by Miami b/c Parcells overruled. 

Here is what *I* would have done if I was Ross.  Take careful notes of who was pushing for whom at the draft.  The go back and see who was right. Than give the people making the right choices more power and either fire or give less power to those making bad choices.

And for all we know he may have done that by keeping Ireland around. And remember Ross wasn't around for the first draft he didn't get control till after that year.

The only one we know for sure was Pat White was 100% Parcells call. So, Ireland can't have that pinned on him.  We strongly believe Long over Ryan was also a Parcells call as well. So those 2 mistakes Ireland gets off from, the rest we really don't know for sure.

[Fins4ever]

And for all we know he may have done that by keeping Ireland around. And remember Ross wasn't around for the first draft he didn't get control till after that year.

The only one we know for sure was Pat White was 100% Parcells call. So, Ireland can't have that pinned on him.  We strongly believe Long over Ryan was also a Parcells call as well. So those 2 mistakes Ireland gets off from, the rest we really don't know for sure.

Anyone stupid enough to draft Pat White of  ANY ROUND knows no end to ignorance. I don't follow college prospects very closely and even I said WTF with that pick. 

[Pappy13]

^^Don't underestimate Sparano's input on that pick as well. He's OBSESSED with QB's who can run. see Tim Tebow in NY.

[MikeO]

^^And David Lee who was our coach who brought the wildcat to life at Arkansas!

[Pappy13]

Well actually no, it's not. I'd like to see this team actually get out to a 3 TD lead in the 4th quarter and coast to a win for once.

HOLY SHIT! And the 2nd game of the year. Imagine that.

[Fins4ever]

The only thing that nobody knows is in the time Parcells was in Miami who was making calls on draft choices. IF it was all Parcells, then yes Ireland gets a bit of a pass. I don't know IF it was all Parcells, and none of us probably will ever know. I am sure only Ireland, Parcells, and the people in those draft rooms know. It doesn't give Ireland a free pass forever but it does explain MAYBE why Ross is sticking with Ireland. Give him a few years to do it "his way" without Parcells pulling rank.

Only logical explanation really.

That is my theory as well. Parcells has DEMANDED total control everywhere he has been so there is no reason to believe it was different in Miami. Ireland was just grateful for the job and Jeff knew once BP left he would get his chance.

Sparano had no business being a HC. Reminds me of Wanny being in charge after Jimmy Johnson took his ball and went home. I don't agree with everything Ireland has done, but as long as there is continual improvement, I will hang in there. I think he probably deserves at least 1 more draft with Joe.

[Pappy13]

Perhaps even better, I'd like to see them be down by a TD in the 4th quarter only to watch them rally with 10 points in the last 3 minutes to steal a win. Wouldn't that be FUN to watch for a change. YES! Yes it would be FUN to watch.

It wasn't exactly the last 3 minutes, but hey I'm not gonna be picky. Congrats Dolphins. Seven years is a LOOOOOONG time to wait. Hopefully it will happen a little more often around here again and YES, it was FUN to watch.

[MikeO]

It wasn't exactly the last 3 minutes, but hey I'm not gonna be picky. Congrats Dolphins. Seven years is a LOOOOOONG time to wait. Hopefully it will happen a little more often around here again.