It's been one week and already Jeff Ireland is right back on the hot seat, although I'm not sure he was ever really off. The Dolphins have played one game and already Joe Philbin is awful, Ryan Tannehill is a bust, and owner Stephen Ross needs to sell the team.
The season is lost. 0-16 is imminent. Break out the brown bags and the "Suck for Barkley" chants (although you're going to have to come up with something catchier than that).
Classic Dolfan reaction. I saw this coming from a mile away the minute the schedule was released, in fact, I even said so in my season predictions a few weeks ago. Remember? Go back and check it out, week two vs the Raiders.
I said it would be one of the more important games of the year for the Miami Dolphins. And guess what?
It is.
The fan base is in panic. The national media is laughing, and Vegas is saying "told ya so." I get it, I really do, Dolfans. You're frustrated. You shouldn't be, but you are. The Fins looked bad in Houston, for three quarters, the Fins looked really, really bad. With every batted ball at the line, every fluttering pass tipped in the air, the NFL exposed Ryan Tannehill's achilles heel.
With every wide open tight end, and streaking Andre Johnson, the NFL exposed the Fins secondary. But before you start circling the date of the 2013 NFL draft on your calendars, just please, take a minute, take a deep breath, and listen.
This team is young, folks, and incredibly inexperienced. From Joe Philbin, down to Ryan Tannehill, down to Reshad Jones and Chris Clemons, the youth and inexperience on this team, at some of the most important positions, is really quite astounding. Take Tannehill and Philbin, for example. Sunday was not only the duo's first regular season game together, but it was their first games period, with Tannehill making his rookie debut and Philbin, his coaching debut.
Against a Super Bowl contending team!
On the road!
What did you expect, honestly? Flawless game play on both sides of the football? Marino-esque play from Tannehill, and a Don Shula led performance on the sideline from Philbin? I've said it before, and I'll say it again, manage your expectations, because I can't deal with this all season.
Yes, the product on the field Sunday was simply not good enough. The offensive line was manhandled when Tannehill went back to pass, from the sacks to the tipped balls, it was all around disgusting. But lets not forget, when the Dolphins wanted to run the ball, they ran it with ease. The run blocking was sensational.
Yes, Ryan Tannehill was exposed en route to a 39.0 QB rating, and that will never be good enough to win football games. His eyes constantly locked onto receivers, and he needs to learn to create passing lanes for himself. But he was in control of an NFL offense, in his first career start, for the entire game. A game that never looked too big for him, I might add. That, as hard as it may be to hear, TRUMPS the final stats.
That, folks, is a heck of a lot harder to teach than anything else. Lack of composure and command will end careers, just ask Jamarcus Russell.
Tipped passes won't. Tipped passes can, and will, be fixed. You've got to give a team like this, as young and inexperienced as they are, time to respond. Heck, you've got to give them time to learn HOW to respond.
You say you don't have time for that? You're to impatient?
Why not? Why are you so hard pressed for time? This isn't a year that's going to end in New Orleans, hate to break it you, folks. We've got all the time in the world in Miami. And we need it. The Dolphins need it.
They need time to grow up. Time to grow together as a team. Time to learn how to win football games. Will that start this weekend against Oakland? Maybe, perhaps. I personally think it will, but it may not, and if it doesn't we can't start the riots up just yet.
We must give the Dolphins time to respond to adversity.
But we must first erase the negativity.
For now, at least.
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