Various Dolphin Nuggets
Still basking in the afterglow of winning the AFC East? Yeah, me too. But there's more work to be done - and surly Tony & company will have his boys ready to compete.
Below are just some more things to talk about as we wrap up the regular season and begin to look towards the post-season.
CHAD WON'T BRAG - SO OTHERS DO IT FOR HIM
Need another reason to love Chad Pennington? Probably not. But I'm going to give you one more. The dude is insanely classy. On a day where he could have finally spoken his mind, pounded his chest, and talked about how much he enjoyed knocking off his former team in a game that clinched the division for Miami in front of fans who cheered him when he got hurt last year, Chad simply decided to say, "It's not a revenge factor. It's really not."
Luckily, some of his more "outspoken" teammates love Chad enough to do his talking for him. Said Joey Porter:
"I told you, man. He was our savior. They talk about everybody else being the MVP and just overlooking him. They overlooked him in the Pro Bowl, too. But if you look at what this guy did, he changed this whole team. Look at today. He totally outplayed Brett Favre. He did it all year."
"He's not the one that's going to brag about it. That's not him. But I'm going to brag for him because he's not going to say nothing. He's just an old, humble country boy, so I'm going to brag for him."
Channing Crowder added:
"Chad beat the hell out of the Jets - the team that let him go and brought in someone else. He would never say it, but that's how he feels."
"He was coming out yelling at the defense the entire game. He wanted to beat these guys. It was a division game. It was for the playoffs. And it was a team that released him to bring in somebody else...And now Chad came back and beat the hell out of them and all of the people who were booing him at home. Chad's not going to say it, but he can tell them to kiss his ass."
It says a lot about a person when people he's only been around for 4+ months defend you the way Porter and Crowder are defending Chad. There's no doubt about it - Pennington was a Godsend. He's the leader of not only the offense, but of the team. He just goes about it differently than other typical leaders do. For Chad, though, it works.
Perhaps the soft-spoken Ted Ginn said it best. "Chad made our season," said Ginn. "He's a blessing."
DISRESPECT? WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
This team has been disrespected all season. And even though the Dolphins have won their division, the disrespect continues.
Jim Mora, on NFL Total Access on Monday night, said that the #1 reason for the Dolphins' success this season has been their easy schedule.
But I got news for Mr. Mora, and anyone else who wants to say Miami's schedule is the reason they won the division. They only play 2 different opponents than the 3 other teams in their division play. And the Dolphins lost both of those.
Look at it this way. The Dolphins won the games that they should have won. The 2 other AFC East contenders did not. The Dolphins beat the Seahawks, 49ers, Broncos, Chargers, and Raiders. The Jets, however, lost to all 5 of those teams.
The Patriots, on the other hand, did just as well as the Dolphins against those "under .500" teams. But if any of the Patriots want to know how they could win 11 games and not make the playoffs, here's what they need to know. The Dolphins and Patriots played 2 games against uncommon opponents. Both teams were 0-2 in those games. Inside the AFC East, both teams were 4-2. So where's the difference in those 8 other games? The Chargers. The Dolphins knocked off San Diego. The Patriots lost by 20.
So was Miami's schedule the reason for their quick turnaround? It helped, for sure. But it isn't their fault that the AFC East was slotted to play the AFC West and NFC West this season. The bottom line, though, is that the Dolphins won the games they had to. Their division rivals did not.
Hence the Miami Dolphins as 2008 AFC East Champions.
NO BIG MEN LAST TIME
We're going to look at this game in the coming days, but here's just a quick nugget to digest. When the Ravens knocked off the Dolphins earlier this year, the Fins were without their top 2 nose tackles for most of the game. Jason Ferguson left the game in the 1st quarter with an injury and did not return. Paul Soliai, the team's #2 NT, was suspended for the game and didn't dress. So the Fins had to play Randy Starks at nose tackle - a player who had never previously played the nose.
Maybe that's a major reason why the Ravens ran for 139 yards in that game.
That's all for now. Thoughts?
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21 comments
Comments
"HE IS JUST AND OLD, HUMBLE COUNTRY BOY"
hahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahah
by MauMontaV5 on Dec 30, 2008 12:31 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Just let them talk... I am only going to say this:
All these people talk with their heads, we play with our hearts, thats the difference. And thats why this season has been so important in a difficult year for me, because our team has taught us that dreams can come, dreams can come true.
by MauMontaV5 on Dec 30, 2008 12:39 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Let's enjoy it guys!
Yes, dreams can come true! It’s been a long season (calendar year) and it was punctuated by an incredible finish.. let’s enjoy this for a few days…regarless of what may happen on Sunday.. and then enjoy this for months, years to come.. I know I will, even if this doesn’t end in the improbably Super Bowl victory (can you even imagine!)..
and as for idiots like Mora, who cares.. schedule this, schedule that.. whatever pal! you and all the rest! Guess what, EVERYONE in the AFC EAST basically had the SAME SCHEDULE….only 2 games difference…and out of that, who prevailed and was ON TOP when all was said and done!! NOT the bills…NOT the JETS…and CERTAINLY NOT THE INDESTRUCTIBLE PATRIOTS!…so how do you sum up your schedule (bs) with all that? yeah, that’s what I thought..
see u on Sunday!
by dolphinsfan4life on Dec 30, 2008 1:44 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Dont Forget...
The Dolphins won all their division road games this year. Anybody can give reasons (NE in September, Buffalo in a dome) but the bottom line, as you said Matty, is that the Fins won their games. You can use the excuse machine as much as you want…it doesnt change the 11 wins or the division crown.
boo frickin hoo, ill take this every year. Talk to the non-playoff teams who had ‘more difficult’ schedules and see which they would prefer.
"South Florida Sports Are My Life."
by DolPhanDave on Dec 30, 2008 1:51 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Let Mora talk
As I’ve said before, let’s be underdogs. Bottom line is we won. Remember 2002, when we had to beat the (at the time) lowly Vikings and struggling Patriots for homefield, lost against both and missed the playoffs? Well we aren’t that team anymore. We win the games we are supposed to and we are growing as a team.
by mikey2380 on Dec 30, 2008 2:06 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Ferguson
was a huge factor why we lost that game. After the Pick6, Baltimore was able to run up the middle on us with no problem. Lets see McClain try to run up the middle on us, which is our strength. Sparano & Coach P’s philosophy is to funnel everything inside thats why they have Matt Roth at LB so that he can “set the edge” and force the running backs to go back inside. Teams that have been able to run the ball on us have done it on the edges, running away from Roth.
by YatilGinnJr on Dec 30, 2008 2:44 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Mora
is just another old, bitter, out-of-football coach. I guarantee that if BP called him last year he would have jumped to coach the Fins. Instead, a rookie head coach took advantage of his opportunity and made history. Mora is out of the NFL and bitter. The only thing that he has going is the 10 year old “playoffs, playoffs” quote.
by phatfinfan on Dec 30, 2008 5:42 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Playoffs, playoffs, are you kidding me?
No Jimmy boy, we’re in! And when were you? You would just be happy to win a game you schmuck!
"Chad Pennington should be MVP"-Woody Paige, Around the Horn 12-18-08
by rangerjae on Dec 30, 2008 6:38 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Mora is an IDIOT !!!!
He needs to stick to something he knows a little more about like spoof Coors light commercials…. I even hate to hear him on those !
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=5854602
Jimbo
by Dolphinator on Dec 30, 2008 7:45 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
PENNINGTON ALSO THANKED
The Jets organization, for the opportunity and just releasing him. They could have held on to him and traded him outside the AFC East. This would have killed Chad’s chance of starting day one. Yah they probably didn’t respect him enough but it still shows what a class act CP10 is.
by ATS16 on Dec 30, 2008 8:23 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
A Letter to Favre
Dear Brett,
Tell me how my a$$ tastes.
Signed,
Chad
by smirish on Dec 30, 2008 10:29 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
mora
i am tired of that argument. that the fins schedule was easy? what does that mean? the schedule was easy becasue the Dolphins were better than those teams. that’s what that means. that is who belongs in the playoffs, the teams that are better than the other teams.
Mora is just bitter. you know his famous, “playoffs? playoffs? PLAYOFFS??!!” sound quip. that came after a beatdown by Miami.
by smirish on Dec 30, 2008 10:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
TD's response to Mora was-
that Miami beat “Professional football teams.” That is the difference between a player that knows how hard the game is and a guy that is out of touch with football.
by phatfinfan on Dec 30, 2008 4:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Matty, i know about Ferguson and Soliai
i have been posting that in response to people trying to use the first Ravens game as a reason the Fins will lose the second. I agree that this is a critical difference.
The schedule comparison is genius! I love it. I am sick of people saying that our schedule was the reason we made it, and your analysis is awesome! The only other excuse would be WHERE we played this teams, since the Jets @ Seattle was miserable and in a snow storm. But at the end of the day, good teams win regardless of their circumstances, and fate it part of the game. This Fins won because the firggin EARNED it.
nice post!
-LCFF
by LeftCoastFinFan on Dec 30, 2008 12:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
You know what else is funny?
the Ravens stopping the Wildcat.
When we played them the first time, we had, what? half a dozen plays or so out of that formation? And rotating linemen? And Satele and Long trying to pick up their games?
So what’s different this time around? The Fins have a whole season of practice with it, and maybe 20 unique plays that we have seen (not counting what they haven’t shown). Satele, Carey, and Long have all really stepped up… you see ALL three of these guys playing all the way through the whistle and way down field. And in spite of the two penalties, Allemen is looking pretty solid, and EK is solid. So all the media clowns and less informed Ravens fans talk about “ohhh.. the Ravens stopped the WC”… like you won’t see it in the game, and like the Fins won’t find a way to make it successful. “Oooo, the Ravens Defense is just too quick”… ya, how is that reverse looking, or that flea flicker… or that naked boot?
I think the Dolphins offense is going to be able to move the ball pretty well against this Ravens D, and the critical factor in deciding the outcome of this game is how well we shut down the Ravens running game.
-LCFF
by LeftCoastFinFan on Dec 30, 2008 3:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
"Easy schedule"
That soooooo makes me laugh. When the Patriots or Colts make the playoffs as they have in the last few years past, do people discuss how they both played in weak divisions?
What’s Miami supposed to do? Lose to the scrub teams that the schedule dictates they have to play? Are they supposed to conduct a sit-out on the Bills game because it’s in a dome and not in a blizzard?
Am I missing something? Did Miami play professional football teams, ot did they play 16 games against opponents who simply rolled over?
I wish these so-called experts backed up their claims with some facts. Miami didn’t play 16 in a row against Detroit….do the Vikings have 2 games removed from their win/loss column since the Lions suck? No they don’t. They don’t get disrespected either.
It must be nice to be on TV and make the most generic, unoriginal statements ever. It’s too bad people with educated opinions dont get hired and instead we’re stuck having to watch losers like Jim Mora trot out bland, ignorant cliche after cliche.
There. Now I feel better.
"That's never going to heal if you don't stop picking"
by mikem1224 on Dec 30, 2008 5:56 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
Click, click...
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"The dolphin is one of the fastest and smartest creatures of the sea. Dolphins can attack and kill a shark or whale. Sailors say bad luck will come to anyone who harms one of them." - Joe Robbie, Oct 8, 1965 upon announcing the name of the new AFL Miami football team.
****Keeper of the Phinsider Comment Goo-ing Plasma Cannon****
by Mosul_DolFan on Dec 31, 2008 1:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Fire Cannon 2!
"Are we doing this? Is this happening?"
by Little Nicky 21 on Dec 31, 2008 1:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Easy Schedule
So you know what we’ll hear next week, “well the Dolphins played the 6th seed, that’s why they won. That is the worst team in the AFC playoff picture and one of the two worst teams in the whole playoff field”. Ha ha!
by ATS16 on Dec 30, 2008 7:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

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