Is the "December Demise" back once again?

[jtex316]

The month of December in the late 1990's / early 2000's used to be a great source of pain and suffering for the Miami Dolphins. Have these troubled end-of-season times returned once again?

Let's review the last few Decembers (including Week 17, which has sometimes been played within the first few days of January of the following year)

2010 December Record: 1-4
Started December: 6-5
Ended December: 7-9

2009 December Record: 2-3
Started December: 5-6
Ended December: 7-9

2008 December Record: 4-0
Started December: 7-5
Ended December: 11-5

2007 December Record: 1-4
Started December: 0-11
Ended December: 1-15

2006 December Record: 1-4
Started December: 5-6
Ended December: 6-10

2005 December Record: 5-0
Started December: 4-7
Ended December: 9-7

Total December Record from 2005-2010: 14-15

Notice how the best two final records (11-5; 9-7) correlate with strong months of December.

In 2010, the Dolphins started December 6-5, and could have finished 11-5 (possibly, obtaining a wild card spot) had they been able to perform in December. They even beat the team (Jets) that they needed to beat for a possible tie-braker, too. Too bad they gaged it against Cleveland, Buffalo, and Detriot - winning all of those winnable games could have put the Dolphins at 10-5 against the Patriots, which would have been a much different game.

[tepop84]

no. 
it is idiotic to take a 6-6 team and expect them to go 4-0 in december.  those teams when they blew december were all teams with only 2 or 3 losses throughout the year and matched that loss total or worse in december.

[jtex316]

no.

At least you answered the original question of this thread.

it is idiotic to take a 6-6 team and expect them to go 4-0 in december.

It is not "idiotic". Look at my thread - the 2 Dolphins teams that did go 4-0 and 5-0 in December finished with a winning record - the 2008 team was a paltry 7-5 entering December and wound up winning the AFC East, only one mere game in front of your 6-6 standard of measure.

those teams when they blew december were all teams with only 2 or 3 losses throughout the year and matched that loss total or worse in december.

The teams that "blew December" were all teams with only 2 or 3 losses? Did you read my post at all?:

2006 pre-December record: 5-6 (6 > 2 or 3)
2007 pre-December record: 0-11 (11 > 2 or 3)
2009 pre-December record: 5-6 (6 > 2 or 3)
2010 pre-December record: 6-5 (5 > 2 or 3)

[dolphins4life]

This year it was back.

Three of the worst teams in the league at home, and they lost.

Pathetic.

Worst collapse I've seen, even worse than 2002.   

[jtex316]

Added Poll.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

December doesn't look good for the Dolphins, but based on the pre-December records nor does September, October nor November. 

[tepop84]

The teams that "blew December" were all teams with only 2 or 3 losses? Did you read my post at all?:

2006 pre-December record: 5-6 (6 > 2 or 3)
2007 pre-December record: 0-11 (11 > 2 or 3)
2009 pre-December record: 5-6 (6 > 2 or 3)
2010 pre-December record: 6-5 (5 > 2 or 3)

the teams were the december demise originally started in the late 90s/early 2000s.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

December demise to me suggest that at the end of November you were sitting pretty "if the playoffs were today" you would be the division winner and then you blow it in December.  That was not the case in any of the years you listed. 

[Dave Gray]

I say no, because when I think of the December Demise, I think of a good team that falls apart to back into the playoffs (or just miss them), with no momentum, and fizzle out in the first round.

This team wasn't very good going in to December, and though they played even worse, the stakes weren't very high.  They were all but mathematically eliminated, anyway.

[Brian Fein]

its not a "demise" if you suck all year long.  Just cause you suck in December and also sucked in Novermber, September and October doesn't make it a "demise"

[BigDaddyFin]

agreed.  We sucked all year long the last two years.  No surprise when you crap one out down the stretch then.

[Pappy13]

I voted yes and here's why.

I think Tony Sparano is a rah-rah type of coach.  He does his best work when he can motivate his players to play their best. However he's not a particularly strong game planner or developer of talent.  He takes what he has and tries to make the most of it by avoiding mistakes and focusing on what he believes are keys to the game, like 3rd down conversion %, hidden yardage, etc.

That works best at the beginning of the year.  Expectations are high.  Rah-Rah gets guys excited.  They go out and play their best football of the year.

However that has serious problems as the year goes on especially if things aren't going your way.  If your playoff chances are diminished, it's hard for guys to buy into that Rah-Rah stuff the coach is putting forth.  If repeated trips into the redzone end in FG's, doubt creeps in despite all the Rah-Rah.  If injuries have depleted your best players and are now having to rely on their backups, you are starting to feel the pinch of a coach who has not prepared the backups.  Game planning and development start to come to the fore front of what a coach does for your team.

I don't think it's mere coincidence that Miami has gone 0-3 in the last 3 games in the last 2 seasons.  I think it's a reflection on the head coach.  The Rah-Rah stuff in the last 3 games of each year is replaced with doubt and frustration.  Injuries are mounting and back-ups are not playing up to the starters ability.  The pressure of "must win" type games makes guys play tight.  Players are afraid to make mistakes which puts a damper on their enthusiasum and excitement of just playing in a game.

I think it was pretty apparent in that last game against New England that Miami was playing different than they were at the beginning of the year, they were scared and unmotivated and New England was playing like they have all year, prepared and confident.

Yes, I think thats a reflection on the head coach.

[jtex316]

A few more people voted "Yes" and I'd invite those who did to give some reasons why.

[masterfins]

Notice how the best two final records (11-5; 9-7) correlate with strong months of December.

This type of statistic is a bit misleading.  December is 25% of the season, anytime a teams performs well during a 25% stretch of the season chances are they had an overall good record.  I'm guessing you could go back and analyse the month of October and come up with a similar finding.

To answer your original question I'd say no, I agree with Dave & Brian's comments.