Miami stands at 7-6, right now. By Sunday evening they will be at 7-7.

Excellent possibility Miami could split the last two games, which will equal 8-8.

Granted, they could win those last two games and end up 9-7, but on the other hand, they could also lose those last two games and end up 7-9.

Ross, before the season started, indicated he wanted to see improvement. Is 9-7 really an improvement?

IMO, the record is very important in showing whether or not a team has improved, but at the same time, their week-to-week performance also shows improvement or not.

Miami looked like an improved team, until the Denver game, when the defense fell apart (and still hasn't picked itself up, yet) and the offense is playing just well enough to win, but nothing to brag about.

Coaching is still a question mark, and Philbin is the head man. Many things have gone wrong with coaching decisions, but the one that really irks me is why has the running game been abandoned? Miller has done well this year, and is in the top 10 in rushing average. He has done that averaging 12 carries per game. What the hell is that? Could you see Shula limiting Csonka's carries?

RT is beginning to get killed back there (again). Think the running game could ease the pressure, both on RT and his OL?

Saying all that, Miami could pull it off and finish 10-6. Nah!

If we go anything but 10-6 or 9-7 (provided we make the playoffs), I'd rather have a higher draft choice.

Biggest mistakes.....

Not running the ball more when it is working, knowing that is will take pressure off the running game. This is on Lazor but Philbin should have seen this and stepped in long ago. Not a ringing endorsement for Lazor.

Not identifying the best players. Ellerbe over Jenkins, D-Thomas over anyone, Colledge over Smith. Landry over Gibson (although he did conceed after an injury).

Not stepping in to stop Coyle from bad decisions.

Stubborn!!!!

JoeFootball Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Biggest mistakes.....
>
> Not running the ball more when it is working,
> knowing that is will take pressure off the running
> game. This is on Lazor but Philbin should have
> seen this and stepped in long ago. Not a ringing
> endorsement for Lazor.

This was GLARING last game. The run was working early on then we INEXPLICABLY abandon it...EVEN with the LEAD!!

Barry Jackson ?@flasportsbuzz 57m57 minutes ago
Dolphins keep losing players. Walt Aikens was sent home with strep throat. Anthony Johnson injured leg in practice, on crutches.

If something is working that we haven't tried before, Philbin will stop it so no one can ask him, "Why haven't you done this before? Do you realize that this is probably why the team has sucked under your tenure?"

That's quite a stretch of a conspiracy theory. I think Philbin is just too stubborn to change and too meek to question/correct his coordinators.

That theory will be proven if our offense abandons the run after averaging 4.5 ypc.

It's not a conspiracy theory. If you want to label it, it's psycho-analysis. To me, Joe has spent so many jobs as an underling, he is unwilling to take advice or change when need for change is obvious. It's his way of confirming to himself that he IS and deserves to be BOSS, without regard to the won-loss record. And when he's got a buffoon like Ross who can only say when firing Ireland that he likes him personally......