Shame of the Year 2019

[Spider-Dan]

I could be wrong, but I think we had a ridiculous record in games decided by 7 points or less too. So, that just corrected itself the next season.

MIA has had something like 3 victories by two scores or more in the last 3 years.  And of their 11 losses this year, only two were by one score.  So there hasn't really been a correction, as MIA was 5-2 in one-score games this year.

[dolphins4life]

Christ.

You do know Miami made the playoffs that year, right?  They didn't "push" for a playoff spot, they got in.  And got their teeth kicked in. 

And if we did some grave digging you probably gave away shame of the game awards to the front office back then as well.

Mine still goes to you.  Congrats.

You could not be more wrong about me.

That year I was rooting hard for them to make the playoffs because I know this "upswing" thing is garbage.  2008 proved it. 

Several threads were started that said, enjoy the ride, don't worry about the playoffs, I disagreed.

I was so happy they made the playoffs because I knew that you can't ever know when you'll be back.

[dolphins4life]

If being objective and factual makes me a troll, then I will keep trolling.

[Spider-Dan]

I know this is going to be unpopular, but my choice is Brian Flores.

While I recognize that the team won a few games in the last couple of weeks, let's not lose sight of the big picture:

- MIA finished two games worse than last year, under the bumbling and incompetent Adam Gase
- The 2019 Dolphins were on track to be the worst team in the history of pro football, before a course correction to become merely a very bad team
- MIA still finished with the worst point differential in the league by a sizable margin

Flores has not corrected the major problem of the Gase era, where the Dolphins would win in a squeaker or lose in a blowout.  In fact, he has made the problem worse: MIA won all 5 victories by one score and lost 9 of 11 defeats by at least two scores.  Furthermore, by playing Ryan Fitzpatrick to earn the kind of accolades many of you have given the head coach, what have the Dolphins accomplished?  Is Rosen done, or are they going to burn more games trying to figure that out next year?  MIA did not finish in a position to draft a top QB and is now looking to draft another Ryan Tannehill.

I also hold Flores exclusively responsible for the entirely-avoidable loss of Minkah Fitzpatrick.  If MIA winds up spending a first-round pick on a DB, this entire season was a waste of time.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

^^^^Your shame of the year was many peoples game ball recipient.

[Spider-Dan]

I am aware.

The difference, I suppose, is in expectations.  The 2019 Dolphins team did worse, in nearly every respect, than the 2017 Dolphins team helmed by Adam Gase and the corpse of Jay Cutler, yet for some reason many posters here think Flores deserves applause for only partially running the team into the ground.  Jay Cutler also beat the Patriots, and no one cared.

[dolphins4life]

I am aware.

The difference, I suppose, is in expectations.  The 2019 Dolphins team did worse, in nearly every respect, than the 2017 Dolphins team helmed by Adam Gase and the corpse of Jay Cutler, yet for some reason many posters here think Flores deserves applause for only partially running the team into the ground.  Jay Cutler also beat the Patriots, and no one cared.

To compare the talent levels of those two teams is absurd.

Also, the Dolphins victory over the Patriots didn't hurt their playoff seeding.

It should be pointed out that the 2017 were in playoff contention until the second to last week of the season. 

[Spider-Dan]

Also, the Dolphins victory over the Patriots didn't hurt their playoff seeding.

Well, it was in week 14, not week 17.  But in point of fact, after that loss NE dropped out of a tie for #1 seed to sole possession of the #2 seed.  They were forced to win all three games left on their schedule in order to clinch homefield.   Games played ahead of week 17 still matter.

It would be just as valid to claim that the Miami Miracle didn't affect the Patriots because, even though that loss ended up dropping them from #1 to #2 seed, they ultimately won the SB anyway.  But that's a ridiculous way to view games in hindsight.

[dolphins4life]

My point was that is why nobody outside of Miami made such a big deal about the victory over the Patriots in 2017.  Inside Miami, people were focused on the playoffs that year. 

Also, what does this obsession with Margin of Victory come from?  What does it matter how much you win by?  Or how much you lose by?  Do you know how many times the point differential tiebreaker has come into the play in the NFL?  Once, in 1999.  (You can youtube it, it's actually very funny).   

The Patriots have won six Superbowls by 3 3 3 4 6 and 10 points.  That's an average of less than 5 points per victory. 

Also, it's ironic how you say draft another Tannehill.  News flash:  It's not so much the quarterback as the players around him.  Have you seen how good Tannehill has done for Tennessee this year?

Here's something else that is ironic.  In 2016 after the 0-2 start Gase said that Tannehill was not the problem, others were not pulling their weight.  Turns out he was right.

[CF DolFan]

I give it to the IR. I can't remember so many players being claimed by the IR in one season. It's as if we were storing them away or something. 

[Pappy13]

I give it to the IR. I can't remember so many players being claimed by the IR in one season. It's as if we were storing them away or something. 

I swore at one point that Flores was hiding players on the IR so that he could bring them back next year.

[CF DolFan]

^^^^ it sure seems like it

[Spider-Dan]

Also, what does this obsession with Margin of Victory come from?  What does it matter how much you win by?  Or how much you lose by?

If you are losing many games by a small margin, it shows that you are suffering some bad breaks and can show significant improvement with some small, key changes.  But when you are losing games by 2+ TDs and winning by a FG, it shows the opposite: you are a really bad team that is only a couple of good breaks from being historically terrible.

Also, it's ironic how you say draft another Tannehill.  News flash:  It's not so much the quarterback as the players around him.

You can substitute "the next Josh Rosen," if you like.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Christ.

You are giving the shame of the year to Jesus

[stinkfish]

I'm used to a lot of unanswered prayers concerning the Dolphins