In essence, Dolphins start their playoffs in Oakland

[hordman]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-dolphins-playoff-chances-1122-20101121,0,4568765.story

story By Steve Svekis, Sun Sentinel
November 21. 2010

are u shittin' me Steve?  I wish the media and Miami would stop talking about playoffs (insert your Jim Mora youtube video here)

this team is in disarray, injury riddled and all-around in a funk.  first and foremost, the Phins have too many injuries at key positions to entertain playoffs ideas.  I think also there are too many teams ahead of Miami that are just BETTER teams then them, pure and simple.

I think this team is also in disarray, from the firing of ST coaches, to benching Henne, to the OFF playcalling, to the mishandling of Marshall, etc, this team has alot of internal problems that need to be addressed before they can move forward.

Sparano seems like a good guy, a players' coach so to speak.  but after this year, he's gonna have to fire his OC, which will be his 3rd coach he's canned.  and like so many of you have said on this board, who's gonna want to play for a HC if he keeps firing guys that are below him and doesnt place the blame on himself.

I believe if the team tanks even further this season and we go 5-11 or 6-10, you have to really consider canning Sparano and starting over.  we have gone downhill since 2008.  you can only use the Injury excuse for so long (other teams deal with it) and I don't see any progress from the team as a whole.

one more thing about Sparano, even though I think the players like him, he should have dealt with Marshall more abruptly than he has.  after the taunting call thursday nite, I would have yanked his a$$ to the sideline and sat him down.  pretty much he is giving the rest of the players a free pass to do whatever they want.  I think he lost some respect with the other players.  this is 2 weeks in a row that Marshall has shown his true colors and I think this an issue.  Marshall is talented no doubt, but no one is above the rest of the team.

[fyo]

I don't think "disarray" is a reasonable description of the current state of the team.

They are injured and have several significant injuries -- and a coaching staff that, for one reason or another, doesn't appear to be quite up to the task (NO, I'm not saying Sparano should be fired, neither now nor after the season, but that's not the topic of this thread).

Players are working well together, however, and with one notable exception, everyone appears on the same page. They just aren't good enough to win a lot of games.

All talk of playoffs should have died out already, clearly.

[Pappy13]

The reality is that Miami was in "must win" mode this passed Thursday and played their worst game of the year in my opinion.  That pretty much tells you all you need to know.

Only thing left to do now is find out what you have.  I'm hoping that Henne can still play a few games and if he gets in there, he needs to be given an ultra-aggressive game plan and see if can pull it off.  No more taking what the defense is giving you approach BS, let's see a "do what we do best and see if they can stop it" mentality.

I'd like to see the same kinda thing on the defensive side of the ball.  Put the corners on an island and blitz every down.  See who has skills and who doesn't.  I'd rather see us lose by 30 than win by 3 the last 6 games.

[Phishfan]

I'd rather see us lose by 30 than win by 3 the last 6 games.

This is a perfect example of carrying a post one sentence too far.

[Pappy13]

This is a perfect example of carrying a post one sentence too far.

Seriously?  You WANT to see us win games?  Why?

Let's suppose the impossible happens.  Let's suppose we actually make the playoffs with a conservative gameplan.  Then what?  Once the playoffs start, you aint winning with that gameplan, pure and simple.  So we have accomplished what exactly?  Nothing.  Zero.  Zip. Nada.

When do we actually start caring about not making the playoffs, but putting together a contender?  When does that start?  In my opinion if you start once you've made the playoffs you've already lost.

[masterfins]

When do we actually start caring about not making the playoffs, but putting together a contender?  When does that start? 

For me it started sometime back in the 90's, still waiting.....but I really enjoyed that kool-aid Saban poured for me.

[bsmooth]

What are the realistic odds we can win enough games to make the wildcard? This is not the pathetic NVC where 8-8 will get you in.

[Sunstroke]

Like it says on the back of my favorite TDMMC t-shirt...

"Almost there...since 1974."

[masterfins]

Seriously?  You WANT to see us win games?  Why?

Well from the pyschological aspect of the players I do want to see us win games, or at least keep it close.  Losing breeds losing, just look at the Lions (all though they are playing with a little heart this year).  I agree the Fins should change things up and take some risks to see what works and what doesn't, but if you just go totally crazy you really don't learn anything.

[masterfins]

Like it says on the back of my favorite TDMMC t-shirt...

"Almost there...since 1974."

Nice! Where do I get one of those??

[bsfins]

Seriously?  You WANT to see us win games?  Why?

Selfishly, because I feel just tad happier when we win!   people on the board seem to be less grumpy......

[Phishfan]

Seriously?  You WANT to see us win games?  Why?

Because I never root for my team to lose and seriously doubt any "fan" that does.

[Pappy13]

I agree the Fins should change things up and take some risks to see what works and what doesn't, but if you just go totally crazy you really don't learn anything.

Unless of course...it works and we start winning by 30.  I wouldn't mind seeing that just once.

[Spider-Dan]

To those who want us to lose games for a better pick:

When has that ever worked?  God knows there have been plenty of pathetic Bengals, Lions, Raiders, Cardinals, etc. teams that have gone out there and furiously laid down.  What did that do for them, besides result in more losing?

Let's suppose we run the table and lose every remaining game.  That would put us at 5-11, which (last year) was good for roughly a #7 pick.  Will picking 7th instead of, say, 14th make a huge difference in the quality of our team for years to come?  Of course not.

To quote that coach of that other team, You Play To Win The Game.  This "I hope we lose" sh*t is dumb.  It doesn't do anything.  This isn't like basketball, where one high draft pick can turn you into a champion.  Football picks miss way too often to be worth tanking a season.

[Sunstroke]

Nice! Where do I get one of those??

You have to mercilessly hound the moderators of this site until they agree to do another batch.