Have we ever had a season like this?

[dolphins4life]

Where the fish have lost so many games that they have held a lead in the fourth quarter?

[EKnight]

They've been doing this for years. Multiple second half and fourth quarter blown leads almost every year for a while now. -EK

[masterfins]

They've been doing this for years. Multiple second half and fourth quarter blown leads almost every year for a while now. -EK

Unfortunately, True.

[EKnight]

Unfortunately, True.

2011 they blew 4th quarter leads to Cleveland, Denver, NYG, Dallas, and NE.
Last year against the Jets, Cards, Colts, and 49ers, they were either ahead or tied in the fourth, and blew it. Those weren't including games they led at the half. The team has no killer instinct, and hasn't for a few years. I don't know if it's personnel or coaching, but they either lack the talent or aren't being instructed to make the necessary adjustments after the half to win games late. -EK 

[MikeO]

2011 they blew 4th quarter leads to Cleveland, Denver, NYG, Dallas, and NE.
Last year against the Jets, Cards, Colts, and 49ers, they were either ahead or tied in the fourth, and blew it. Those weren't including games they led at the half. The team has no killer instinct, and hasn't for a few years. I don't know if it's personnel or coaching, but they either lack the talent or aren't being instructed to make the necessary adjustments after the half to win games late. -EK 

If you start breaking down NFL games where a team is tied or has a small lead in the 4th quarter and lose, then this notion that Miami blows leads like that time and time again, christ thats damn near 3/4 of the league! It's not a Miami problem, every middle of the road to bad team can say that.

For example, Carolina has blown 4th quarter leads to Seattle and Buffalo this year. Last year to Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, and Tampa (and the Chicago and TB ones were epic meltdowns). Go back to 2011 the Panthers choked away a 4th quarter lead vs the Vikings, Arizona, and Atlanta. I guess they choke away big leads too and have an issue with that. And I am NOT picking on the Panthers....my point is pick ANY middle of the road NFL team and you will find a team that has multiple blown hafltime leads and blown 4th quarter leads. That's today's NFL!!!!!

The examples week in and week out are endless. The Broncos were up 24-0 the other night and spit it up, want to go back to the Ravens-Broncos playoff game...how did that end for Denver?  They choked away a lead there. And Denver has far better players than Miami, do the Broncos have a problem closing out games?. Some of you guys gotta watch more games around the league, this is today's NFL. Big offenses and crazy comebacks week in and week out. Very few blowouts and all tight games.

This notion that if you have a lead at the half and lose that you "blew it" is beyond silly. It's only half the game that's been played!! And if you have a 3pt lead or less or 7pt lead in the 4th quarter and lose that you "choke" away leads is also silly. If you are up by 3 TD's  in the 4th quarter and lose that is one thing, but being tied or up by 3 or 7 in the 4th quarter and losing isn't "choking". Cause as I just did, pick any middle of the road NFL team and for the most part they all lose in similar fashion.

[Pappy13]

2011 they blew 4th quarter leads to Cleveland, Denver, NYG, Dallas, and NE.
Last year against the Jets, Cards, Colts, and 49ers, they were either ahead or tied in the fourth, and blew it. Those weren't including games they led at the half. The team has no killer instinct, and hasn't for a few years. I don't know if it's personnel or coaching, but they either lack the talent or aren't being instructed to make the necessary adjustments after the half to win games late. -EK 

In my opinion this is largely about confidence. Win a few 4th quarter games back to back and you believe you can do it all the time. Lose a couple and you don't believe you can, which almost becomes self fulfilling.

It also comes down to guys in the huddle. When you have a guy like Brady in the huddle, the rest of the team believes that they will win because he's done it. When you have a guy like (insert name of laundry list of Miami QB's that aren't named Dan Marino or Bob Griese) you don't have much confidence. We can only hope that one day we can add Tannehill's name to the short list.

[MikeO]

In my opinion this is largely about confidence. Win a few 4th quarter games back to back and you believe you can do it all the time. Lose a couple and you don't believe you can. It also comes down to guys in the huddle. When you have a guy like Brady in the huddle, the rest of the team believes that they will win. When you have a guy like (insert name of laundry list of Miami QB's that aren't named Dan Marino or Bob Griese) and you don't have much confidence. We can only hope that one day we can add Tannehill's name to the short list.

So you are saying teams with a future Hall of Fame QB and maybe one of the Top 5-10 QB's of all time are better than teams that don't have that caliber of QB on their roster....lol. I agree!

[Pappy13]

So you are saying teams with a future Hall of Fame QB and maybe one of the Top 5-10 QB's of all time are better than teams that don't have that caliber of QB on their roster....lol. I agree!

Yep, it usually comes down to who has the better team, but it's not just because they are better physically, it's because they also believe they are better. Confidence plays a much larger role in sports then most people realize. Marino was fearless. He never believed that anyone could stop him regardless of the situation. That's not something you can teach someone, you either have that or you don't.

[Spider-Dan]

2011 they blew 4th quarter leads to Cleveland, Denver, NYG, Dallas, and NE.
Last year against the Jets, Cards, Colts, and 49ers, they were either ahead or tied in the fourth, and blew it. Those weren't including games they led at the half.

In 2011, MIA was down to IND at the start of the 4th, and came back to tie.  MIA's only ties against SF were at 0-0 and 3-3, so I don't know what you're talking about there.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I agree with some of Pappy's analysis. 

But it goes beyond just who is behind center.  The Patriots have a culture that says "we don't give up." Even if the League MVP is injured during the first quarter of week 1 and you need to rely on a 7th round pick to take you 11-5 and the 5th tiebreaker from winning the division.  Nor if you have turned over the ball 3 times, are down 17-0, and the opposing QB is Peyton. 

The QB is a factor but the other team captains and coaches are too.

It isn't just that Brady is better than Tannehill, I don't think Pouncy nor Incognito have the leadership skills of Wilfork.  Nor Philban that of Belichick. 

[Landshark]

But it goes beyond just who is behind center.  The Patriots have a culture that says "we don't give up." Even if the League MVP is injured during the first quarter of week 1 and you need to rely on a 7th round pick to take you 11-5 and the 5th tiebreaker from winning the division. 

Spot on there, Hoodie.  A perfect example was in the last game against the Dolphins in 2002 when the Dolphins got knocked out of the playoffs.  Dolphins held a 24-13 lead in the 4th quarter and the Patriots players were on the sidelines saying "Hang in there.  They'll fold"

[fyo]

It isn't just that Brady is better than Tannehill, I don't think Pouncy nor Incognito have the leadership skills of Wilfork.  Nor Philban that of Belichick. 

Did Belichick develop those leadership skills over the years in New England, or did he have them in the first half of the 90s as well, where he was coaching in Cleveland until he got fired?