Dolphins Receiving Contributions From All Players - All Units of Team

Half way through the season, the Miami Dolphins are officially in the post-season hunt. Despite the emergence of rookie Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who they believe will be the franchise QB for 15 years, it hasn't been a Herculean effort from their gun-slinging passer that has allowed them to get to a 4-3 record.

Despite their stout run defense, this Dolphins defense won't at any time this season resemble the '85 Bears D or '00 Ravens D. 

For the 2012 Miami Dolphins, it isn't one player or one unit of the team that is guiding the team to a post-season push. They've had early season success because they've received significant contributions from all players and units of the team. The Dolphins are obviously buying into the Joe Philbin program.

Last Sunday, in their 30-9 victory over the Jets, it was the Special Teams unit that played a key role. Jimmy Wilson blocked a punt leading to an Olivier Vernon Touchdown. When the Jets finally had a decent offensive drive near the end of the first half, leading to a possible momentum-building Field Goal, it was Olivier Vernon that blocked said Field Goal, killing any chance of gaining momentum.

In their first win of the season, it was the running game led by Reggie Bush and the offensive line that propelled the Dolphins to an impressive victory. In other victories it was efficient play from Ryan Tannehill and overall stout defensive efforts that led them to victory. 

If the Dolphins were to make the playoffs in 2012, it would be because they continued to receive contributions from all players and units. These are the players and units I've been most impressed with:

Quarterbacks: You can't just point to Ryan Tannehill as the one to lead the team at the most-important position. Matt Moore was efficient and instrumental in the Dolphins victory over the Jets after Tannehill left the game in the first quarter with a leg injury. Both quarterbacks have played exceedingly well and have provided the Dolphins stability at a position that has been devoid of stability for over a decade.

Special Teams: Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi has done an incredible job with a unit that has converted a fake punt, blocked a punt for a TD and blocked an attempted Field Goal. 

Safeties: While there is still a lot of room for improvement both Reshad Jones & Chris Clemons, the much-maligned Safeties have been key contributors in the run defense and have contributed two turnovers a piece with key interceptions, one by Jones to end the game and one by Clemons near the goal line to stop a key drive by the Jets.

Jones & Clemons have improved their respective games immensely

Rookie Class: For all the flak Jeff Ireland receives, much of it is deserved, he's also acquired some great talent over his five-year tenure, this is no more evident than with his 2012 rookie class. Obviously, the gem of the class is Quarterback Ryan Tannehill but Oliver Vernon is starting to establish himself as a playmaking pass rusher and Special Teams player. Jonathan Martin has been solid on the right-side of the offensive line all season. Once Lamar Miller can fully absorb the playbook and learn to pass-protect, he'll be one of the real steals of the draft. He's shown flashes of playmaking ability, scoring a game-sealing Touchdown v. Oakland in Week 2.

This isn't a Peyton Manning-led Colts team where he practically carries the team to the playoffs, the Dolphins are playing like the cliched "well-oiled machine". If they continue to all contribute in the fashion they currently doing, the Dolphins have a great shot at the post-season!

Finally, for professional coverage of the Miami Dolphins there's no better writer than Ben Volin from the Palm Beach Post. His writing and knowledge of the team is excellent!

A Week's Worth of What I love - WWE, Dolphins, Kings, more

Upadate***Thursday, March 15th

It's a great time of year to love the things I love. The NHL is wrapping up its regular season and heading into the playoffs, the NFL free agency, draft and MLB season are just around the corner and most importantly Wrestlemania 28, "the Grand-Daddy of them all" is mere days away. Here's a look into a week's worth of happenings.

WWE: The Road to Wrestlemania

- The Rock v. John Cena is heating up on our television screens and on our social platforms. Bringing their feud into the social space has added an entirely new dimension to their program. While Cena has got the "one-up" on The Rock on back to back episodes of Monday Night Raw Supershow, I expect the Rock to "bring it" for tonight's Rock Concert v. Cena's Battle Rap. As far as the in-ring product is concerned, from what we saw of  "The Great One" back at the Survivor Series, I feel they will deliver a Wrestlemania Moment. 


***Aside from the "We Will Rock You" finale of the Rock Concert, I was thoroughly amused from both Cena & Rock's outings. I'm under the impression, the Rock won't be on Raw this coming week, so we'll see where the war of words leads us on the go home episode of Raw leading into 'Mania.

Many are getting after the Rock, most notably Arda Ocal of Aftermath on The Score, for reading lyric sheets on paper and on the TitanTron. Ocal has mentioned how the Rock is "phoning it in". I don't think that's the case at all. Although I do concede the "We Will Rock You" finale was awfully cheesy and unnecessary, I would say whether he's reading lyrics on a music sheet and potentially not even writing his own material, it doesn't matter. The Rock's performance on Monday was fantastic and the delivery of the "Cleveland Rocks" song was indication why the WWE has lacked the type of performer The Rock is. Cena is a legit star but no one on the current roster can have fans eating out of their palms like "Dwayne" can. 

- Speaking of the Rock and John Cena. Who could have ever imagined when the Rock called Cena "Fruity Pebbles" last year, that it would lead to a cereal endorsement for Cena. I doubt it would have ever happened if they didn't integrate social media into the drawn out program of two wrestling mega-stars. Engaging the fans into their program on the social space certainly was a big factor in getting Cena that endorsement; it's a really cool story.

- Looking elsewhere into the Wrestlemania 28 card, while nothing will receive the hype as the year-long program between the Rock v. John Cena, CM Punk and Chris Jericho will be escalating their war of words in the go-home episodes of the Raw Supershow. While I think and hope the Rock v. John Cena will translate into a great match at the "showcase of the immortals", I know Punk and Jericho will deliver a 5-star classic if given a good amount of time, which I think it will. Jericho's return shows his presence isn't replaceable. He's been a breath of fresh air onto the Raw Supershow over the last eight weeks. He's a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer

Miami Dolphins: Live and Die by Peyton Manning

- A few weeks back, I wrote about a growing optimism for Miami Dolphins fans. With the hiring of Packers offensive guru, Joe Philbin, as the team's new Head Coach and the search for a true franchise Quarterback, things were looking sunny for the team from the, "Sunshine State".

Particular to the QB search, I detailed three viable solutions to the decade-long plague that has tortured Dolphins fans alike. Whether it be the newly-minted free-agent, Peyton Manning the jaw-dropping and Heisman-winning prospect, Robert Griffin III or the up-and-comer, Matt Flynn, the Dolphins had several options to solve their QB problem. In a span of three days, all three options may have vanished.

On Saturday, March 10, the Washington Redskins traded a boat-load of draft picks to the St. Louis Rams to move up two spots and secure the ability to land Griffin III. A day later, despite being heavy favourites by many analysts and fans, the Miami Dolphins seemed to have fallen out of the Manning sweepstakes.

So what about Flynn? While as of writing free-agency has yet to start and Flynn is still available, I just don't see how they can sell fans on Flynn after a public pursuit of Manning. Holy consolation prize Batman! I was a Flynn booster; despite his low ceiling for potential, I really thought Philbin and staff could mold him to be this decade's Matt Hasselbeck (also a former Packer and West Coast Offense disciple). However, if the Dolphins do swing and miss the home-run  opportunity to sign one of the greatest QBs of all-time, I cannot fathom how Dolphins front-office turn around and try to sell to Dolphin fans the "seeing-eye single" that is Matt Flynn.

Dolphins will do anything they can to "bring his talents to South Beach"

I'm a solutions guy though and have come up with a FOURTH solution to the QB conundrum. Ryan Tannehill. The Texas A & M product is bolting up draft boards and has the potential to be a true franchise QB in the league. His ceiling is higher than Flynn's. He is a raw QB product, a converted wide-receiver with only 30 starts on his belt. I'd advise the Dolphins live with incumbant Matt Moore for another season and groom Tannehill to take over in 2013. Certainly not what Fin fans want to hear, but it's a better solution than the band-aid option of Matt Flynn.

 ***It looks like the Miami Dolphins are a dead horse in the Manning sweepstakes. That leaves two pivotal pieces and three teams in the QB carousel. The Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins will be jockeying for the rights to sign Matt Flynn or draft Ryan Tannehill. Dolphins fans, be prepared to enter the 2012 with Matt Moore as the starting QB for the Miami Dolphins. 2013 may end up being the year they make a legitimate push to land their franchise QB. With that said, I'm absolutely shocked GM Jeff Ireland has been rewarded the opportunity to rebuild the Dolphins. He's had 4 years at his first attempt and failed completely. Ireland should have been shown the door with Coach Sparano.

L.A. Kings: Disappointment is only the start

2011-2012 was supposed to be the year the L.A. Kings made the "big jump" into the elite of Western Conference teams of the NHL. Suffice to say, that hasn't happened, AT ALL! If it wasn't for the over-hyped Washington Capitals and the all-of-a-sudden stumbling San Jose Sharks, the Los Angeles Kings would be the NHL's most disappointing team.

The Kings currently sit tied for 8th place in the Western Conference; if the playoffs were to start today, The Kings would be hitting the golf courses early. Scoring has plagued the team all year; they currently sit 29th in the league in goals for. If the Kings can't pull it together over the last 13 games, it may and SHOULD spell the end of GM Dean Lombardi's impressive run with the franchise.

Despite the MVP season Quick is having, the Kings are a  massive disappointment

Lombardi is one of the reason's why this franchise has rebounded to respectability after a decade of bottom-feeding. The drafting of Drew Doughty and the trade for Mike Richards are at the hands of Lombardi. However, when the team struggled to score goals early in the season and went on a hideous losing streak, he fired former Head Coach Terry Murray. Who did he hire as Murray's successor? Darryl Sutter. Those of you in the NHL circles would know that explosive and high-scoring offenses aren't the first things to come to mind when you think of Darryl Sutter. Suffice to say, the team has yet to find any scoring touch. That is on Lombardi. He HAS to live and die with Sutter.

If the Kings can't scramble to make the playoffs, I don't see how they retain Sutter as Head Coach. Subsequently, that would end the Lombardi experiment. For your sake Dean, I hope the Kings can turn it around. However, you may want to peak at the schedule, it doesn't look likely.

Optimism rearing it's Aqua & Orange Head

Usually, I write this blog to add PR perspective to an intriguing sports story. However, sometimes I need to embrace the Miami Dolphins superfan in me. It was yet another pivotal moment in the history of the franchise on Friday with the announcement of the hiring of their new Head Coach, former Green Bay Packers Offensive Coordinator, Joe Philbin. Philbin becomes the sixth Dolphins Coach in seven years; I'm not too sure how "pivotal" these moments truly are anymore. Since Don Shula ended his 25 plus years coaching tenure with the Dolphins in 1996, the Dolphins have employed eight coaches to become the, "next Don Shula".

Is Joe Philbin the Man to Finally Lead the Dolphins Back to the Superbowl?

Coincidentally, since former Dolphin great, Quarterback and Hall-of-Famer Dan Marino retired in 1999, the Dolphins have employed 17 Quarterbacks to become the, "next Dan Marino". 

The new Head Coach and QB combo for the Dolphins is a road WELL-travelled. So why should Dolphin fans feel optimistic about the latest hiring in the 15-year journey to find stability at Head Coach and Quarterback?

Philbin's hiring may not have come with the hoopla the hiring of an experienced and successful coach like Jeff Fisher would have created, but I feel it's a smart move regardless of the hype. Already a likable individual, Philbin will be rooted for thoroughly in Miami. 

During Philbin's first week of interviewing for head coaching jobs, tragedy struck his family when his 21-year-old son's body was discovered in the Wisconsin River. The week that started a new and prosperous journey in his life ended in unthinkable heartache. A week afterwards, Philbin returned to the Packers sideline to coach the offense in a divisional playoff game against the New York Giants. From opening kick-off the Packers looked like a lifeless team still grieving alongside their respected coach. The Packers were upset by the Giants and were eliminated from the chance to repeat as Superbowl Champions, a mountain Philbin stood atop of, last year. 

Philbin will have the support of Phin Nation but coaches fighting adversity doesn't automatically equate to winning Superbowls. Here is how Joe Philbin can lead the Miami Dolphins back into the playoffs and perhaps back to the mountaintop Philbin stood with his former team. 

West Coast Offense

As long as I've been a fan of the Miami Dolphins (since 1990), I can't ever remember them employing the West Coast Offense (WCO). Someone please correct me if I"m wrong. I suppose they never had the personnel to do so. As we stand right now, they most certainly have the personnel to switch to Bill Walsh's iconic offensive scheme. Their most oft-used weapons will fourish in the WCO. Brandon Marshall, their large-bodied and multi-talented Wide Receiver will benefit from the WCO's principles of employing big, sure-handed receivers (though, admittedly, not always the case with Marshall) with quarterbacks that get them the ball quickly and let them do their most significant damage when the ball is in their hands. There are not many receivers currently in the league that are better or more physical than Marshall after the catch. 

Reggie Bush, a rejuvenated Heisman-winning Running Back will also be a benefactor with the switch to a WCO. While Bush was brilliant running between the tackles during the second-half of the 2011 season (a feat experts said was not possible for Bush), he is still utilized best by giving him the ball in space and making tacklers miss. This is the ideal trait for a Running Back in the WCO. Bush had a 43 receptions in 2011, a far cry from his personal best of 88 in his rookie campaign. I expect him to get closer to 70 receptions and nearly 300 touches in 2012.

Stability at QB

Dolphin fans have LONGED for stability in the QB position since Marino's retirement in 1999. 17 Quarterbacks have failed to become the long-term solution, at the most important position, for the Miami Dolphins. Dolphin fans aren't necessarily looking for the next Dan Marino but a QB that they feel confident in, if last-minute heroics are needed. I believe Matt Moore (the latest horsey in the Dolphins QB carousel) played admirably after taking over for the injured Chad Henne. Moore could be the long-term solution for the Dolphins, but many fans aren't looking for that type of gamble. I believe many Dolphin fans are hoping Matt Moore to be a quality backup for the next several years.  

I think going into 2012, the Dolphins will have their answer at QB; it's going to be one of three guys:

1. Matt Flynn - Flynn will be the rumoured favourite to be under centre for the Dolphins in 2012. It makes incredible sense. Flynn has been under Philbin's tutelage in Green Bay for the past four seasons. After a six-Touchdown game in week 17 against Detroit, he'll undoubtedly be starting for a Quarterback-starving team. While Flynn's body of work is not a substantial one, it's even smaller than Moore's, he would come with a great pedigree. Flynn was a National Champion at the University of Louisiana State in 2007. While he was a late-round selection in the 2008 draft, he has fared exceedingly well in his two career starts, throwing for 10 Touchdowns and nearly 800 yards. Oh and for the past four seasons he's studied under the best QB in the league, Aaron Rodgers. Despite the small sample size, I'm a Flynn guy and feel he can be the guy to add stability to the position. Drawback: Flynn has the shortest ceiling of the three choices
2. Peyton Manning - Despite the Dolphins 6-10 record, they have a team that can certainly win NOW. Look at the Dolphins roster, there isn't a glaring hole to be found. Peyton Manning would make a lot of sense. It's still unknown what the Colts will do with Manning (we do know they are drafting the prodigal Andrew Luck with the #1 overall pick), but I suspect that Manning will either be a salary cap casualty or traded for a couple draft picks. If healthy, Manning, 35, should still have three or four great seasons left in him. If that's the case, the Dolphins should consider giving up a first and second round selection for him. Manning on the Dolphins would catapult them to favourites of not only the AFC East but the entire AFC.
   Drawback: Health remains the biggest concern for a Manning acquisition. If he passes physicals, it's a no-brainer. The only other consideration is that Manning is in the twilight of his career and certainly is not a ten-year solution but a heck of a three-year solution.
3. Robert Griffin III - Robert Griffin III, affectionately called RG3, is the 2011 Heisman winner. The swift, accurate and smart  Baylor Bear has shot up draft boards in the last few weeks of the NCAA season. It is no secret that one, maybe many teams covet his superb athleticism and will trade up to the #2 spot to draft him. Why not the Dolphins? The Dolphins are STARVING for an electric Quarterback in the style of Michael Vick. Also, because RG3 is highly accurate, he will fit the mold of a WCO Quarterback. It's also important to note, current Dolphins General Manager, Jeff Ireland, is a Baylor alumni.

1. Drawback: Despite his skills and athleticism, his transition to the pros is still largely contested and a big if. Calculate that risk by the draft picks needed to trade up to the #2 spot and it could be an unmitigated disaster. 

As a Dolphins fan, being taken down this all-too familiar road before, it would be easy to balk at the idea that Head Coach Joe Philbin would fare better than his predeccesors and the Dolphins would be hiring the next Joe Philbin by 2014. However, this time, it simply feels different.

Let's hope he has no ties to the Cowboys or University of Alabama...