Poll

Have you given up on this team making the playoffs?

Only registered users are allowed to vote for this poll.
24 votes were received.

Yes	7		29%
No	17		71%

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...is faith. Many of the people on this board have lost faith in this football team, and it shows in your negative attitudes. I think many people got over zealous in their expectations of this football team considering where we truly stand when it comes to talent in all positions.

I see people bitching about Henne, Henning, Sparano, etc. It's easy to cheer when you're winning. It's easy to call for heads when you're not. What's challenging is finding hope and having faith in the people you are supposedly a 'fan' of when things don't pan out the way you expect.

What's interesting is I think that if we go 4-4, but do it by winning our games against NE and NY and Buffalo, people on this board would be singing a different tune. But as it is, we aren't taking it to anyone in our conference except Buffalo.

Is 4-4 acceptable? For some experts and fans, the answer was yes before the season started. What's interesting is some of the very people that seem to have a problem with our record right now had a different opinion before the season started. Ross shot off at the mouth, claimed Super Bowl bound, and all of us Dolphin fans started to get as I like to say "mentally erect" with the possibility of seeing our team in the big game. Reality check people: We're young, and an incomplete product. Our coaches aren't elite. Our interior line is having a HUGE effect on our ability to execute the usual game plan. Our secondary is full of holes, and our pass rush is inconsistent. Couple that with Henning running this offense like it's the 70's, and yes, 4-4 is expected.

I'm going to rant a little about Henning. He really does either need to be fired or sat down and told this is not 2008. We don't have a dip and dunk QB with a destructive ground game. Fact is our interior O-line is a mess, which means we're not going to run the ball consistently into anyone's gut. That means our ability to dominate anyone on the ground is gone. They'll play contain on the edge during run downs, hold you to minimal gains when you go in between the tackles, and press coverage because they know you'll get behind and go to the pass. For some reason, me as a fan, can see things that a pro like Henning can't see from his seat in the booth. The fact is, I hate to say it, but he's a loser. He's a cancer to this offense, and he needs to be replaced. Period. I look at the talent we have on offense, and while I see gaps, I know that if Cleveland can go off for over 400 yards on NE, we should be able to go off for 500. It's just reality.

Do I believe benching our starting QB is an acceptable solution? When have you ever seen a QB benched on a team, and the person that replaces them goes off and takes them to the playoffs? It's just not viable guys. Pennington is a dip and dunker. Teams will put 8 in the box and we're not going to be running on anyone with the O-line we have right now. Thigpen? Well, there is a reason we acquired him for a 5th. You guys think Henne lacks accuracy? I'm telling you, we put Thigpen in as our "solution" at QB, and give it 2 weeks, people on this board will be shouting for us to draft a QB.

I think we need to get Henne surrounded with the right people. He's been over coached. He's predictable because of it. Last year I saw more promise from him simply because I think he let himself rely on his god given talents and just played ball. Right now the coaches have him so robo'd out, he has no spontaneity. Some people like to call it the 'it factor'. Let Henne play, and stop coaching him like he's going to destroy the offense if he's allowed to just use his instincts, and I think we'd see a much more acceptable product at the position.

But I digress. As important as the QB position is, the positions around it have this really neat trick of being able to make a crappy QB look decent, or make a great QB look horrid. When you can't run the ball, control the clock, you lose all positive momentum. You're forced to go to the air, and lets face it: Henning's playbook when it comes to the air isn't complex, nor is it pro level. You want to be a respected passing team, you can't have fear of spreading the offense. When you line up 2 receiver sets when you're down 14 points, I see a problem in your mentality. Go watch a Colts game. That's how you run a pass offense. 4 receiver sets, then you @#$%& with them and run it out of that set. THATS what we lack. We don't surprise anyone. We don't have anything that scares teams. Just like Cleveland did to NE, ppl can gameplan against us to the point where it doesn't matter who we have, we aren't going to be able to do much.

Ok I'm done ranting. I'll end this nonsensical post with a plea to all of you: HAVE FAITH IN YOUR TEAM. Yea, you might be dissappointed, yea you might have faith in something that turns out to break your heart, but ask yourself, if you're already talking about flushing this team and starting over, what kind of a fan are you?

Never give up! Never surrender!!

montequi Wrote:
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> Never give up! Never surrender!!


That's the attitude we had back when I played ball in school. I remember my junior year, we made it to the conference finals but our opponent was a private school that basically could recruit from public schools via scholarships(not fair, but real competitors don't claim no fair, they cowboy up and play ball). The result was a high school team full of regular kids playing this giant football team full of college level talent. We didn't give two shits. Did we pack it in because we knew the chances of us winning were 500:1? Hell no. We lost that game 14-6. Every newspaper in the state had us losing that game by 30 points or more. It SHOCKED people that we barely lost. They went on to the state game and lost. We liked to think that we made them lose that game because we shook their confidence.

Point: Doesn't matter what you're playing for, or how you do it, but you don't roll over and die. You fight till they carry you off the field.

I havnt given up on the season not untill we lost at least 6 games then it depends on other teams records, but 7 games again unless there are alot of 9-7 teams then yeah that should wrap up the season, but with 4 loss's we can pull it out, doughtfull, but who knows thats why they play the game!!

Well, I know the Penny4Henne switch has been made, but I agree with everything you wrote (and I just now read), Odenn.

Henning literally seemed to sabotage his own offense with his playcalling, philosophy, etc. I think one of the reasons I have been such a Henne supporter is because I remember what it looked like when he was firing passes into tight windows and chucking long bombs against the jests last year.

I honestly believe - and clearly differently than our coaches - that the something that happened to his development, productivity, etc. was more a result of philosophy, coaching and playcalling than talent, learning and maturity.

Odenn You make some positive post, but well your hating on Thigpen, and bash other posters on here about hatin on our coachs and stuff, is being hypocritical.

Look you can root for your our team however you want, but everyone person in this world is a tad differant.

I will cheer how I want, just like you will cheer how you want about your team.

We are rooting for a professional team to bring us joy by being the best team in the league.

Year end and year out thats why we watch this game.

You should take a look at yourself about why you still watch this team play week in and week out, if your content with average play then just keep sitting there in neutral.

I will complain and praise and cheer, and jeer when I feel its necessary, its my god given right, and 4 years of sacrafice of alot of freedoms to cheer how I want for the team I choosed as a little boy to root for and look up against.

Have I lost faith never fully untill we are officialy out.

I wait 6 months of the year to look forward to a SB win, and every year it doesnt happen, yet every year I keep comming back, you tell me and every other poster who isnt affraid to take ridicule by expressing there feelings on a board where we can have we lost faith?

I love when other people tell me if I am a fan or not... LOL I buy season tickets every year, in my book that makes me a fan and gives me the right to complain... I do think this team can get it done, but they need to do thing differently then they have so far..

It will be a different coach and staff net year and a total cleaning out you watch.

LoL Mia1. I love how you've become the board police. It's amusing. Keep it up, I'm entertained by your attempt.

well i voted that i think we will make the post season before i heard that henne was benched, knowing that i must regrettingly change my answer to no, we will not make postseason.

"It's been fun to get the reaction of visiting coaches to the color of their locker room. Most don't notice it, but those that do are in trouble. . . . When I talk to an opposing coach before a game and he mentions the pink walls, I know I've got him. I can't recall a coach who has stirred up a fuss about the color and then beat us.” Hayden Fry

Just to clarify people: I understand a negative comment when you aren't happy with X subject. But when all I read from certain posters is complaint after complaint, with absolutely ZERO positive comments, yes I'm going to call you out. As Mia1 would say, "it's my right".

Odenn Wrote:
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> LoL Mia1. I love how you've become the board
> police. It's amusing. Keep it up, I'm entertained
> by your attempt.

Agree.

Also agree that Henning has caused most of the problems with our offense. He really does have to go. Question is, when will we see this and will the rest go after the season as well.

Either way, GO PHINS!!

Henning is done after the season my source tonight says. He will be fired the week after the season ends.

I just hope Sparano doesn't have any problem getting rid of Henning. He didn't seem to have much attachment to the ST coach, and I'm actually fond of Sparano's coaching style. It would be a shame if he had to go down because of loyalty to a failing OC.

dolfan1 Wrote:
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> Henning is done after the season my source tonight
> says. He will be fired the week after the season
> ends.


LoL what you meeting dudes in a parking garage? Deepthroat?

Nope, my source says henning his history after the season ends.

why not get rid of him now, maybe that will spark the offense, not that it totally matters.

The benching of Henne is merely a Publicity move, bench him and put in Pennington of who no one expects much, and scapegoat Henne in the process.

The idea being Ross declared super bowl this year, so knowing that even making the playoffs right now is a stretch, Sparano was likely to be fired, so he puts in Pennington to spark the offense, if it works out and we win, he looks like a genius and keeps his job next year, but if it fails and we still lose, he was about to be fired anyways, so no big news.

Sadly he basically ruined Hennes career to save his, now Henne's confidence is rattled, he will be even less confident in himself, and never amount to anything. Or we will trade him to say Minnesota next year where whoever there coach is next year will coddle him and nurture him and actually play to his strengths instead of tightening the reins and inhibiting him.

No matter the case i hope we got a top ten pick next year so we can draft one of the top Qb's

"It's been fun to get the reaction of visiting coaches to the color of their locker room. Most don't notice it, but those that do are in trouble. . . . When I talk to an opposing coach before a game and he mentions the pink walls, I know I've got him. I can't recall a coach who has stirred up a fuss about the color and then beat us.” Hayden Fry

You know how ridiculous that claim is right? Obviously if we don't make the playoffs, the entire coaching staff is probably gone. And if we do, then winning solves all problems short of genital warts. It's kind of like saying the sky is blue. I just hope they fire him before you're 'source' says. As in like, now.

I have not given up at all, that being said, reality is reality and Pennington was 0-3 as a starter last year.

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"When you suck long enough, you get a Hickey"

Odenn Wrote:
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> dolfan1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Henning is done after the season my source
> tonight
> > says. He will be fired the week after the
> season
> > ends.
>
>
> LoL what you meeting dudes in a parking garage?

Over the phone. He obviously lives in Florida and I'm in the NE
> Deepthroat?

Hey Im here to entertain and be entertained.

Sorry but I just want to keep all of us on a tollerable state of mind so that we can continue to keep having civilized disscusions.

...is insanity.

Wanting it not to suck and knowing it's gonna suck is where I'm at.

Now that Henning has scapegoated Henne, we should see more of his lunacy on Sunday. Next scapegoat, Chad Pennington.

That fact is the agressive teams are the winners in the NFL...the conservative teams are the losers. Even teams like Pittsburgh and Baltimore are agressive when they need to be.

The 3 yards and a cloud of dust philosophy does not work in todays NFL.

Lets review our history...

Shula...had the ability to make either philosophy work. That does not happen very often.

Johnson...conservative offense, and we lost.

Wannstedt...Conservative offense and we lost.

Saban...Conservative offense and we lost.

Cameron...wanted tto be agressive but lacked the talent and didn't get the time to aquire it...result, we lost.

Sparano...Conservative...result, we are currently losing.

If, and I say IF, Sparano and others believe that play calling is poor, Sparano as head coach must communicate that it is poor to Henning. Henning then has the choice of opening up play or sticking to his approach. When it is resulted oriented, and I believe it is, and the conservative play calling is not working and Henning is not capable of making things happen, he must be relieved of his job (fired). Holding off a firing is BS. There is too much at stake to simply hope and wait for good things to happen. You can put money on it that there's is somebody waiting in the wings to become the new OC. It could be somebody already in another position on the team. It may be someone who can't wait to turn things around. Contracts probably have a performance clause in them that allows the team to sever the employment. So, I seriously doubt that a firing is being held off because of contract issues or fears of being sued. Not firing Henning now versus after the season, is total nonsense, IMO.