The Aftermath...

by Matty I on Oct 23, 2007 12:01 AM EDT in News Comment 28 comments

Well this has been possibly the worst 36 hours I can remember as a Dolphin fan. We get embarrassed by the hated Patriots, we lose Ronnie Brown to a torn ACL, we lose Renaldo Hill to a torn ACL (the 3rd safety to go down this year), Zach Thomas gets in a car accident (luckily nobody was hurt), and now this team gets to travel to London. Awesome!

Let's see what others are saying about our favorite floundering fish.

THINGS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE
The always pessimistic Armando Salguero tells us that things will get worse. That's exciting, isn't it? Let's see what he has to say:

If only we could be confident these Dolphins have reached the bottom, that it could get no worse than the awful state the franchise now is in. And yet each game, each quarter, practically every play brings a new ground floor that, sadly, is not very sturdy and only promises to crumble under further pressure.

Things are bad with these Dolphins now. They are winless. They have no defense. The offense still is searching for its quarterback. And the tough part of the schedule has arrived.

But if you think 49-28 against New England on Sunday was bad, wait until this team falls through the next cracked, creaking level of dreadful.

Wait until that really is Cameron Worrell and Jason Allen as your starting safeties. Wait until the Dolphins lose their confidence. Wait until other teams mock the Dolphins, and worse, they begin mocking themselves.

Wait until the Dolphins realize it is not about play-calling or schemes, but rather this lost, misbegotten season is about them not being good enough.

That time is fast approaching. One can tell because that rock bottom they've already hit is about ready to give again.

Hold up. The Dolphins haven't lost their confidence yet? Then kudos to them for sure! But this article is reassuring, isn't it? The sad part here is that, for once, Armando isn't being a pessimist. No no, he's being a realist. Scary thought, huh? I'll tell you one thing, though. I never thought I'd see the day in which ESPN is debating which is more likely: the Pats going 16-0 or the Dolphins going 0-16. Painful it sure is.

LONDON THE REMEDY FOR FINS?
Edwin Pope, of the Miami Herald, seems to think that the best thing for the Dolphins right now might be to get out of the state. Better yet, out of the country:

Leaving the country is the Dolphins' best idea yet. Not that anyone wants them to stay away, not even the reddest-necked of fans after Sunday's 49-28 hammering by the Patriots. But hitting the road, even in a real big plane, hey, now's the time for the Dolphins.

And the farther, the better.

As in London town, next Sunday.

''We can't win in America'' Jason Taylor said. ``Maybe we can win overseas.''

It will be a change, anyway. Maybe not so much the London air as the New York Giants instead of the Patriots as opponents.

I get the impression you could play these Pats in heaven and it would seem like hell. They are out of the Dolphins' class.

That's the spirit, Jason!! You know, many people think that the Fins going to London right now probably isn't the best thing for them, but I disagree. I think Pope is right. I think that getting out of south Florida and away from people who are jaded and who quickly jump on the Dolphins at the first sign of trouble is probably a good thing. Now they are headed to London, a place where the fans will just be happy to see them play. They won't care what their record is or how they are missing some key players. They will all just be happy to be able to watch a professional football game. I'm sure that will be a refreshing change for these Dolphin players.

CAMERON QUOTES
I'll close out this post by posting some of what Cam Cameron said about the state of the team:

(On how bad things are)
"It's not just in football. We're all tested. Someone says, 'Well, what do you say to your team now? How do you approach your team?' The bottom line is you take it day to day. You take it one game at a time, try to get better. You can't go down that other road. Life's a test. The National Football League is a test. Your business is a test. Our business is a test. You find out what you're made of," Cameron added. "It's not something you want to go through, but when you are forced to go through it at any level you better take it one day at a time."

(On the Zach Thomas car accident)
"I was pulling by and my son said, 'Dad, that's Zach.' And I pulled over and saw that he and Maritza, they were fine. I thought I recognized his black truck and thought he had stopped for someone else. When I walked up to Zach, we just both looked at each other and he said, 'Coach, this is kind of the way this day's going.' And that's the way it is."

Your thoughts below...

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Zach

I watched this guy after the Patriot game in an interview. He wants to win so bad, it actually hurts to hear him talk. He still goes out every sunday giving his all. He never gives up. I think if he can stay around for just 2 more years he will be rewarded with a lombardy trophy..

by Spacefish on Oct 23, 2007 12:34 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sure...

...if he gets traded to New England or Indianapolis.

by tenaciouslee on Oct 23, 2007 6:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ha!

All too true, Lee.

I don't think Zach Thomas will play in a superbowl, at least not wearing dolphin colors. Sad but that's how it is...

by Natalya on Oct 23, 2007 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

sad to say to say it... but true..

by NumberSeven on Oct 23, 2007 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Look!!

Guys!!! the team, right now, is more than strogling, is surrounded with a bad karma or whatever you want to called. From a fallen tree everybody made shipwood. Lets try not to critized our team anymore. We are hurting ourself, if you think you are a TRUE DOLPHIN FAN. This season is over and you know it, but went player and even fans star raying that it would be better to play in another country, that is bad, really bad. Now our beloved Dolphins don't have a house, cause they are hatted in there own house. We are in our knees and what we need is to support each other. Everybody else will take a shoot at us, we don't need to take a shoot to ourself. GO DOLPHINS!! In the good times and in the bad times too.

Ps Caper has to go(Caper is not a player, he is a REALLY BAD D COORDINATOR), bring Ron Rivera

I will see the Dolphins win a SUPER BOWL before i die(20 years and counting)

by Aleta on Oct 23, 2007 8:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I second that...

The team knows they're not very good, and we know it too, so we don't need to keep saying it. Let's make ourselves useful and (as much as I hate when people say this) look for the positives. We'll just make ourselves even more sick and miserable looking at the faults.

and I've definitely hopped on the Rivera bandwagon

by bassman on Oct 23, 2007 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

the fins are heading toward

a very high draft pick.. and since they don't need QB in the draft (although we'll see down the stretch if beck gets a chance to prove that), perhaps trading down for a package of picks might be an option.. and with some other moves they could walk away with mabye four or more picks in the first couple rounds.. getting younger and younger.. that's what they need to do.. it actually gives me hope for the future.

going into the season, i thought the worst thing that could happen would be for this team to go 8-8 or 7-9, or even 9-7, and wind up with a bunch of mid-round picks.. this awful season is maybe just what they needed. get the young guys some experience, and then add more youth in the off-season. after that, they need to show some improvement or heads will start to roll.

by NumberSeven on Oct 23, 2007 11:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Go Dolphins.

I'm 42, born and raised in Coral Gables, a season ticket holder from '66-'96, now living in the Midwest and devoted to DirecTV and Sunday Ticket. If anything, I'm even more invested in this team than ever before. This season is the delayed version of the inevitable post-Marino hangover that never came because JJ and Wanstedt never embraced the true need for a measured rebuilding era. Instead, they sold out for quick fixes, draft projects, and bad trades. Blame Wanny (and Spielman) all you want, but he never would have been here if it hadn't been for JJ's insecurity and whining. This bottoming-out period should have occurred years ago and it wouldn't have been nearly as severe. As classless as he is, you can't even blame Saban. It all rounds back to Huizenga and his good intentions, but very poor execution.

So where to now? If anything, Huizenga may have done his best job this past off-season by finally listening to football-people and retaining Mueller and hiring Cameron. There can be no judgements made based on this season (or the next, for that matter). A new GM and head coach deserve three years together to bring in their own people and implement their own schemes. Until then there is no way to gauge true progress. Make no mistake about it: Mueller is a new GM. He was powerless under Saban.

The same patience is required of Capers. You don't just become a crappy coach overnight. He had this defense overperforming last year. This year, age and injuries have caught up. Be thankful that both sides of the ball are needing overhauls, because otherwise the rebuilding would be unbalanced -- a problem that has plagued this team since the last 5 years of Shula's mighty tenure.

There are no quick fixes here. The offense probably needs a little less work than people realize, but the defense probably needs more work than people will accept. I'm not going to start lecturing other contributors about who the real fans are and all that nonsense, but I am sticking with this team and I am willing to trust Mueller and Cameron with my support for at least three full seasons. They deserve it.

Go Dolphins.

by lancelotlink on Oct 23, 2007 12:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Great post!!

by Matty I on Oct 23, 2007 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

AMEN, BROTHER MONKEYBOY!

I thought I was the only 40-plus fan here, and one who can actually see what has happened with this team the last 10 years.
THANK GOD I know now that I'm not alone. I've beat my head against a wall saying I'm tired of quick fixes & band aids. I've handed Cam/Ran my full support. They've made a TON of tough choices that are not popular today, but make sense to anyone with footbal smarts. I truly think that in 3 or 4 years, the world will be calling them geniuses for doing what they knew was right, and not what every arm chair QB & commontator say they should.
And, I can't wait until John Beck is winning Super Bowls & Brady Quinn is working at the car wash with Tim Couch. Then, Dolphins SUPPORTERS from the '07 draft day can say, "How do you like me now, Mel Kiper?"

GO DOLPHINS! DO IT RIGHT, TAKE YOUR TIME, AND BUILD THE NEXT DYNASTY!

Dave

by davehowardcustom on Oct 23, 2007 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Monkeyboy,

Please post this on as many Dolphins sites as you can. And then forward to to as many Dolphins fans that you know. Then keep doing it.

What's making this season worse is not people taking shots at the Dolphins -- we need humor in times of crap like these -- it's the idiots who keep harping on wanting to fire Cameron or Mueller or Capers or some combination of all three.

People, this team being this bad is a result of horrible mis-management by the PREVIOUS leadership. JJ, Wandstache, Speilman and Saban. They're the ones that refused to address the QB situation in the draft. They're the ones that kept bringing in older players, they're the ones that traded away draft picks for garbage. They're the ones that made horrible personnel decisions during the draft.

This was Mueller's first draft as Dolphins GM. And by all accounts, it was the best draft this team has seen in 8 or 9 years. Cam was brought here to fix the offense. He's done just that. Capers is working with an old, injury riddled defense.

That's why this team stinks right now. IT'S NOT CAM, RANDY, DOM OR WAYNE'S FAULT!!!!!

by The Dude on Oct 23, 2007 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

absolutely

Great post. This can be turned around. Its not even about wins and losses now this season. This crappy record in a weird way may provide them some breathing room to get some things accomplished that they couldn't if they still were technically within an outside shot of the playoffs. I look forward to the 2nd half of the season to see what some of the young guys can do.

And great point about the unbalanced rebuilding effort. I don't blame a guy like Jason Taylor for getting frustrated given the stage of his career he's entering, but an all out rebuilding effort is long overdue.

by DCDolphin on Oct 23, 2007 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed!

Matt

by Matt27 on Oct 23, 2007 1:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I hate to say this...

But I am pretty sure that Saban would have won at least 2 games by now. Saban did have a bad season last year, but the defense was rock solid. I didn't like the trade of Welker, who is just Ted Ginn Jr, but can be a receiver.

by Beck4Mercy on Oct 23, 2007 1:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yup

Saban didn't get enough credit for how he had our defense humming.

by tenaciouslee on Oct 23, 2007 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Saban

As much as I hate Saban now, I agree. This defense was great when he was in charge and running it.

Matt

by Matt27 on Oct 23, 2007 2:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The Draft

It's crazy when you start hearing people say how they hope the Dolphins will get the No. 1 pick in the draft. Last I checked, the best teams in the league haven't drafted anywhere near the top spots in a long while. Like a guy said, there are good players throughout the draft. The point is you have to get them.

Here's hoping the Fins right the ship and win at least 50% of their remaining games, and still get some really good players in the draft next year.

by icerob on Oct 23, 2007 2:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

yeah but..

..the teams who need QBs in the draft might be willing to trade a package of picks to a team with an early pick.. i don't think the dolphins need the top pick, but it would put them in a great position to trade it for some real value.

http://thejayfissreport.blogspot.com/

by NumberSeven on Oct 23, 2007 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dolphins are on the clock - A shorter clock

The NFL on Tuesday cut from 15 minutes to 10 the time between picks in the first round of its draft after a 2007 record round of 6 hours and 8 minutes.

It also moved the starting time of the draft from noon ET to 3 p.m. and limited the first day to two rounds instead of three.

"We believe this will make for a more streamlined and efficient draft," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement issued during the league owners meetings.

The change also applied to the second round, which will go from 10 minutes to seven between choices for next year's draft, which will be held April 26-27 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

I like what the fins did this draft. It's a long way off but if they get another good draft and manage the salary cap (Chris Chambers) style we will be in good shape.

by Spacefish on Oct 23, 2007 3:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Saban...

knew one thing if nothing else, and that was defense and defensive game planning. There was not even a pretense of him being a guy having input on the offense. That of course brings up the obvious question of Capers and if he didn't just get credit for what was really Saban's work.

Expanding a bit more on that, what sunk Nick Saban's tenure here above everything else was the Culpepper/Brees choice and the aftermath. If we had a healthy Drew Brees at QB last season I don't think we are even having this conversation. Which goes to show how pivotal QB decisions are and how getting it wrong, sets you back for years.

by Natalya on Oct 23, 2007 3:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

which begs the question about the offense...

...should Cameron get an offensive coordinator to call the plays next year? Even when everyone has been healthy the Dolphins O has been less than stellar, and have looked unprepared. Bring in somebody to implement Cam's system- a system that has worked in the past- so he can be a head coach. It's one thing for a a veteran head coach to take over the play calling for a failing coordinator, but for a novice head coach to step in try and do it all seems foolish.

http://thejayfissreport.blogspot.com/

by NumberSeven on Oct 23, 2007 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Excellent observation...

And as Cameron is essentially wearing the hat of offensive coordinator, you wonder if he can even spend any time with the defense which sorely needs something, anything!

Good blog by the way :)

by Natalya on Oct 23, 2007 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Off, Co-ordinator

I asked Matty about this a awhile back in an E-mail.

by Spacefish on Oct 23, 2007 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

MAN, THIS IS GREAT!

We're finally getting some REAL fans with brains, intelligence, logic, and actually KNOW the Dolphins history pulling together here. This is the best I've felt all year. Matty, you need to help us build on this. Maybe paste this whole thread everywhere you can, or send it to the staff & players, so they know that the die hard true fans love & support them. I'm going to copy & past an earlier post on this thread, because it's much more suitable to what we have got going on here. Check out "Dave's Soapbox" below.

Dave

by davehowardcustom on Oct 23, 2007 3:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Dave's Soapbox

As I gazed into my chrystal ball...
Although I did think we might have had a couple of wins by now,Our season.... no our team's DEVELOPMENT is going "Just as I planned."
I don't care what ANYBODY says, Trent Green was the right move for us: NOT for this season, FOR OUR FUTURE! Having him in the huddle, in the locker room, setting an example for John Beck, and hanging with a young, developing O-line, fullback, tight end & receivers was a gift and a blessing! BECAUSE Trent is a quarterback that knows & runs Cam's offense, the young guys, the re-aligned O-line, and Ronnie Brown have blossomed into a better unit in their aspects than the Dolphins have had since BEFORE Marino was here! John Beck didn't learn from watching Dainty Coolpooper play "Duck & Run," and not only was (and still is) Trent a great mentor for Beck, he bought John time, by getting this offense off the ground and moving in the right direction.
That being said, I'm excited that Trent has stated that we will still be here to help out any way he can to help develop this team. Daunte would be off vacationing on "The Love Boat" if he were here in that position, knowing that John Beck is about to take this team over. Trent Grenn: "You are a class act, and I thank you for what you've done for our team. I wish you the best in the future (maybe on our coaching staff?)
I've been watching Tedd Ginn Highlight reels since he was in high school. How many people here REALIZE that he's only been playing wide receiver for 2 years? In high school, he played everything from quarterback to running bacl & safety. He was recruited by Ohio State as a D Back for God's sake, but Jim Tressel saw a motor in him, and switched him to WR his junior year! He is a quality person, with guts, determination, heart, and God given abilities that are off the charts. Cam is the PERFECT coach to slowly groom him into a Pro Bowl NFL wide receiver. Give this young man time to grow and he will make us proud. Also, DO NOT overlook Kerry Reed. I'm psyched as hell that he has made it onto the roster! He's another one that doesn't have much experience but has potential to be something very special.
People, we've got a rookie center that is shining, we've got the Juggernaut at FB, that is showing great promise, and Lorenzo Booker coming up, too. Did I forget anyone?
Oh yeah, John Fuckin' BECK! It's coming people. But please, do me a favor. Like Teddy, Samson, Regan & all our "youth movement," he's young & inexperienced. He's gonna show flashes of greatness, yet commit rookie mistakes. He's not going to single handedly turn what could be an 0 & 8 team into a Super Bowl team, if he comes in after the bye (which I think he will).
GET BEHIND HIM, SUPPORT HIM, LET HIM GROW & DEVELOP, AND ENJOY THE RIDE FOR THE NEXT 10 - 13 YEARS!
I am someone who has lived through the Dolphins crushing defeat by the Dallas Convicts in the Super Bowl, watched them go 16-0 the next year, Was enthralled by Dan Marino for over a decade (even though Shula or Jimmy never gave him a running game or a defense), and have suffered through Jimmy, Wanny, Bates, and Jolly old SAINT DICK!
I am a Miami Dolphins fan! Why, because this organization has always been about class, dignity, integrity, and everything I want my Son to be.
I stand behind Cam Cameron & Randy Muller. I applaud them for making tough, intelligent, and ballsy decisions, when "Fair Weather Fans" think they have all the answers.
We may be 0-6, but this is the most encouraging long term development this team has made since we had guys like Larry Czonka, Mercury Morris, Paul Warfield, Bob Grease, Jake Scott, Vern Den Herder........
The next draft is critical, and will address our aging defense for sure. I'm having a ball watching college ball this year and scouting guys for our defense next year.
I wish all the "Instant Gratification" fair weather fans would go root for the Patriots, so we could kick your ass in a couple of years, beat you with your video cameras, and walk away quietly saying to ourselves "I told you."
I'm really getting sick of the "Fire Cam & Randy crap." The old saying Rome wasn't built in a day is so true. I'll bet all you guys are "Two pump chumps," who don't give a crap if your lady is satisfied either. "It's all about what I want." I got news for ya. Go slow, take care of business the right way, get her rocks off 4 or 5 times, and she's gonna COME BACK FOR MORE, & stick around a lot longer.
Hmmmmmm......... Sex & football. They're alot alike!

A PROUD DOLPHIN FAN TILL THE DAY I DIE,
DAVE HOWARD

by davehowardcustom on Oct 23, 2007 3:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Um...

we are 0-7, not 0-6. I know, I know, after a while with so much losing you almost lose count!

by Natalya on Oct 23, 2007 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I just want to...

..take a second to thank all of you for becoming a part of this community here.

I've been looking around "other" Dolphin sites, including the "big" ones, and all I see there are negative, "the sky is falling" type posts and comments.

Here, we have some logical comments who are trying to stay positive, which is exactly what we all need. This thing is bound to be turned around at some point. and when they do, we can all say we were here going through the pain but never lost our faith in the team!!

by Matty I on Oct 23, 2007 4:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hear hear...

...this is the Dolphins... not Cleveland, or Oakland, or Detroit, or any team that doesn't have a proud history of being amongst the NFL elite. Wayne and the city of Miami won't allow this team to become a joke. They'll be back... and they will win a Superbowl...

Hopefully before Brady retires. ;)

by tenaciouslee on Oct 23, 2007 8:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs