Fate Of Joe Philbin, Ryan Tannehill To Be Determined In Final Six Games

Throw out everything you've seen so far.

Forget the close wins, the heartbreaking losses, the shades of greatness, and the moments of agony.

Heck, for the next six weeks, put aside the bullying scandal as well, as hard as that may be.

Because from here on out, none of that matters.  It's a clean slate for the Miami Dolphins, for Joe Philbin, and for Ryan Tannehill.  Those two, a combined 12-14 together, may as well be 0-0 as of today.

Their fates, their legacies, will be determined over the final six games of this bizarre, roller coaster of a season.  Those two control their own destiny, as do, effectively, the Miami Dolphins.

Finish strong and make the playoffs.

Or stumble to the finish line, miss the dance for the fifth straight season, and all but sign the divorce papers.

Those are the ONLY two options these two have.

Last year they were given a reprieve.  Philbin was a rookie head coach.  Tannehill was a rookie QB.  And both were fighting a losing battle given the lack of talent around them.

But not this year.  The $200 milion dollar offseason spending spree made sure of that.

This year, it's playoffs, or bust.  Especially given the position they're in.

An impressive win against San Diego, coupled with a Jets implosion in upstate New York, has given the Miami Dolphins the upper hand in a mediocre, topsy-turvy AFC wild card race.

Just think about that for a second.  After all the turmoil off the field, and a four game skid on it, the Miami Dolphins control their own destiny the rest of the way.

On a ship headed towards playoff island, filled with eight other teams, Joe Philbin and Ryan Tannehill are your captains right now.

Finish 4-2 down the stretch, and you're headed to either Cincinnati or Indianapolis.

Finish 2-4 and you're the Titanic.

All Aboard!

That's what this season has boiled down to for the Miami Dolphins.  A season that started with such optimism, such anticipation, has come down to six games.

Will Ryan Tannehill seize the moment and put an end to the seemingly endless search for a franchise quarterback in Miami?

Will Joe Philbin rally the troops, after everything that's happened, and cement his place on the Miami sidelines for the foreseeable future?

Or will both crumble down the stretch, like so many QB-HC marriages of Dolphins past have?

Because, lets face it, this is it, Dol-fans.  The stage is set, the prize is ripe for Miami's taking.  If not now, this year, then when?

Too harsh?  Too dire?  Ask yourself this:

If the first two dates with somebody suck, would you go on a third?  At that point you're just forcing something that simply isn't meant to be.  They may be good people, but if it doesn't work out in the beginning, chances are it's heading towards a disastrous end.

So what awaits the Miami Dolphins at the end of this season?

Paradise, or an iceberg?

A third date, or another visit to Match.com?

It's all up to Joe Philbin, and Ryan Tannehill.  Fates will be determined, legacies, good or bad, will be written.  And it all starts Sunday.

Alright, I'm out of analogies.

Let's just play some football.

All Aboard!  (Alright, one more).