Rams at Dolphins: Jeff Fisher Heading to Miami, No Helicopter Ride This Time

The Miami Dolphins were looking to make a splashy head coaching move this offseason. The team had just come off their third straight losing season, ending with the firing of head coach Tony Sparano. Owner Stephen Ross had promised a change to the Dolphins that would bring the fans, and excitement, back to the team.

And, suddenly, former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher was "The Man." The problem was, he was the only "The Man." Other former coaches, like Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher, who could have been "The Man" were not interested in leaving their television jobs. So Fisher became "The Man" for multiple teams.

Ultimately, the Fisher Sweepstakes came down to the Dolphins and the St. Louis Rams. Would Fisher go to the team in the bustling, distraction filled South Beach area, or would he prefer to return to his mid-western style roots? Would he rather come to Miami and work for Ross and with general manager Jeff Ireland, or would he want to go to the Rams, where team President Kevin Demoff's father is Fisher's agent?

After a seemingly incessant day-after-day flipping of which team was the "favorite" to land Fisher, the Rams won the sweepstakes, and the Dolphins moved on, ultimately signing Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin to be the team's tenth head coach.

Now, as the two teams prepare to match up tomorrow afternoon, Fisher is heading to Miami to face the team he rejected. Fisher held a conference call with the Miami media earlier this week, where he talked about the process of him going to Miami, and about the decision the Dolphins made to hire Philbin.

"I went through that before. I don't think it's necessary to go through it again. I think they made the right decision. They've got things going. Coach Philbin is doing an excellent job there.

"Really, I had a great time there," he continued. "I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Ross and for Jeff [Ireland] and I just felt like this was a better opportunity for me."

This weekend, the Dolphins are looking to climb back to .500 and remain in the AFC's playoff picture. The Rams, meanwhile, are hoping to improve to two games over .500 and remain in the hunt for the NFC West division title. Both teams seem to have found the right coach for their situation.

As Dolphins fans, this weekend will give us a chance to compare what we could have had with what we do have. I think what we do have will come out on top.