1. When he brought the team back at the half and the end of the game in those wins, I thought Tannehill was maybe really "IT'. These last two games have have rekindled my doubts. He can't throw without someone in his face. Give him time (which the o-line did today) and the only thing he can hit is the ground. He overthrew a wide-open Wallace AGAIN. Does he understand the concept of the QB slide? if you need 21 yards, and you have maybe 24 or 25 yards open, you don't slide at 20 yards.

2. These hand-picked linebackers are TERRIBLE. Ellerbe doesn't fill and Wheeler can't tackle. Nobody can get off a block. The run defense is TERRIBLE. The defense seemed to do all they could to give the game away.

3. The D-backs are giving waay to much cushion. If the other team needs 8 yards, you don't give a receiver a 10 yard cushion. Everybody was awful.Rashad Jones should give some of that big raise back.

4. When Hartline, who has been Tannehill's security blanket, got hurt why didn't Clay become more a part of the offense? He's been playing so well I couldn't understand that.

5. How can a professional football team come out for two games against interdivisional opponents with so much on the line so flat
that they didn't even show up in either game? I think we need both coordinators, though I like the way Philbin kept the team together after the mi-season problems. I guess we'll see.

This has been a frustrating season, but I do see some flashes.
Maybe I'll feel differently after I let it percolate a little bit.

Rick

The last 2 games were "win these and you're in" but Philbin couldn't even get his team motivated to play for a playoff berth.

Clean house.

Agree with all that except I don't see any flashes.

A coach would not have to get me motivated for a playoff game, with that being said if the players are not motivated themselves, we need new players.

Dolphin--one's motivation fluctuates. A leader tries to build a corps of people around him (or her) that are naturally motivated to succeed. Yet, among them, the level of motivation is not constant. Ray Lewis tried to psych up his teammates for every game...to put their war paint on, so to speak. His teammates already had motivation, he just added more energy to that motivation. He fueled the fire.

What I don't see with the Dolphins is anyone on the team or at the coaching level that adds that special energy at game time.

From what I've seen of Coach Philbin--he doesn't add energy, doesn't fuel the fire, to get that little extra out of his players.

Lombardi was motivational. He energized his team to perform at a higher level than the players on many opposing teams. Coach Philbin doesn't exude that kind of persona or energy. The team is motivationally flat most of the time, IMO.

In the past, I've worked with enough people who were motivated, yet, bringing them together to become a unit of highly motivated personnel is an art. Again from what I've seen, and I would like to be proven wrong, is that Coach Philbin doesn't have that skill mastered.

I completely agree. As much as the coaches are being blamed, and they should be, I can't understand professional football players that need to be motivated for such important games.

Rick

Didn't someone say in another post that they got rid of all the players who were considered strong personalities?

Not just the head cases but the strong personalities and that means potential leaders.

That again shows the same stubborness that has us PERSISTING in having Tanny run back five yards and give the ball to the RB on 4th and inches like the other team are damn fools and think he might pass the ball.