FanPost

The Forest and The Trees....

What a fantastic month! Four of the last five weeks, this team has gone out and pummeled the poor collection of slobs that dared to oppose it. The offense has looked confident. They have been dominant, and efficient, and dare I say aggressive at times. They have protected the football. They have converted third downs. They have picked up yardage in chunks, and they have been able to put their heads down and fight for short yardage when the situation dictates.

The defense has been stifling. They have played hungry. They have created turnovers. They have gotten off the field on third downs and have not given up the big play, really at all. They have also delivered more bone-jarring hits in the last month than I have seen in the past few years.

And lets not forget those oft-maligned special teams. We have seen nice returns, and we have not seen any mistakes. We have limited the oppositions return game and even (Gasp!) blocked a punt a few games back. Our punter has been great and our field goal kickers have been consistently reliable, even with an injury to our starter.

It has been refreshing, and fun and entertaining. And you know what all this means in the big picture? Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all. The head coach MUST be fired at seasons end, and a QB MUST be taken in the first ten or so picks, regardless of how many spots we need to trade up to do it.

Below .500 in 2009. Below .500 in 2010. An 0-7 disaster of a start to 2011, and at best a .500 record. This is acceptable to you? When was the last time this team won a game that actually mattered? And in this little run over the last month, can any of the teams we beat possibly be mistaken for super bowl contenders? And please don't tell me the Raiders are a contender because of their standing in the AFC West. We could put together an "All-Phinsider" team that could compete in the AFC West. The Raiders are average at best, and still miles ahead of the other three teams that we have beaten in the last month.

Don't get me wrong, late season victories are fun. But yannow what would be alot more fun? Late season victories in a year where they actually mean something, like a playoff berth, or, god-forbid, a first round bye. We had opportunites for those kind of wins in 2009 and again in 2010, and in both instances, the team folded like a tent and went home early. Under this same head coach, by the way, that some of you want to shower with confidence and contract extensions now.

And as fun as a late season string of victories can be, they can also be dangerous. They can cloud the issue. They can mislead the front office of a team (And it's fanbase, apparently) into thinking that everything is fine, when it is not, and it hasn't been in quite a while.

Despite the last five weeks, Tony Sparano has shown no capacity to take this team to the next level, out of the medoicritic muck. (Mediocritic? I know, but I liked the alliteration, so get over it.) And as far as this obvious " new aggressive coaching style"? Well you can read my post last week (The Song Remains the Same) to have a picture painted for you on what bullshit I think that is.

As far as Matt Moore, I do believe he has earned a roster spot next year, no doubt. He has playd well, and with energy. He reminds me alot of Jay fiedler, with a better arm. (Off topic, but I hated Feidler during his time, but have since realized that in the parade of losers we have had since then, he wasn't a bad guy to have around.) However, please, please, PLEASE, do not be led astray, off the direct path to a top-ten QB in the 2012 draft. We have been chasing mirages for too long to once again ignore the position in the first round and be left drinking in the sand this time next year. Moore deserves to be here in 2012, but as nothing more than a seat warmer to our eventual starter, who, god-willing, will be drafted in April.

I know, I know. I'm a Debbie Downer. A Buzz Killington, even. But I would not have found this post worth writing had I not read more than one post/fanshot last night calling for the current regime to be given one more chance next year. ANd I really do not want to see that happen. You do all know what the definition of insanity is, don't you?

I enjoy wins. I don't bathe in the glory of losing, as I sure some will suggest in the comments that follow this post. I also don't feel good calling for the firing of a man that, by all accounts, is a good man. But you have to keep some perspective on things. So when evaluating the state of the franchise, use the whole body of work, not just the last month. We jump all over the "Chicken Little" guy who finds the nearest tall building to plummet off of after one or two early losses. Let's not go too far the other away, proclaiming glory after just a few meaningless late-season wins.....

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Phinsider's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of The Phinsider writers or editors.