Guys....Look at our Schedule....LOOK

That's the thing about the NFL though. Teams like the Browns can beat the Saints. The Bills can take the Ravens down to the wire. etc.etc.etc.

The way to be successful in the NFL is you must win the close ones and you can't beat yourself. Now, the Steelers game we won, but the Jets and Pats we beat ourselves with bad play by the ST's. If not for the ST's play (our fault) and the refs (NFL's fault) we would most likely be 5-1 and possibly 6-0.

Well, we still have 5 games at home...

So that is 5 losses right there. :(

Even if we get the fumble recovery.......Pitt has 3 time outs. We try to run the ball with Ronnie Brown three times. He nets 2 yards. we punt. Pitt then gets a good return, needs 30 yards for a winning FG. 1st and 10, they throw deep for a TD. Same end result....they win.

"gunn34 wrote:

Even if we get the fumble recovery.......Pitt has 3 time outs. We try to run the ball with Ronnie Brown three times. He nets 2 yards. we punt. Pitt then gets a good return, needs 30 yards for a winning FG. 1st and 10, they throw deep for a TD. Same end result....they win.

No, that wouldn't have happened. You see, I too have special see-into-the-future-even-if-that-future-never-happened powers.

What really happened is Ben throwns a pick-six to Misi who outruns the entire Steeler offense and thus wins the game for the Dolphins 29-23.

Well I like yours better. You need to become a ref. Maybe for the next home game. Lets start the paperwork for Goodell. This crew blew it badly.

This team is no better than 8-8 and most likely 7-9. Stop kidding yourself bro, and just accept reality. And next year is a washout with the labor problems looming. So start planning for 2012 and that could be our year. We can only hope that Brady & Manning are washed up by then and Sanchez fails. Then we are there in the promised land.

In what universe are we clearly better than Tennesse or Cincy?

Who said 10-6 makes the playoffs anyway? Either the Jets or Pats will be one wild card, the Steelers or Ravens the other.

Phins have already gone 0-3 vs these teams and have the Ravens in BALT in 2 weeks. It isn't going to happen

"schmolioot wrote:

In what universe are we clearly better than Tennesse or Cincy?

Exactly, must be Munchkinland, where the Lollipop Guild and Glenda the Good Witch of the North will save us.

"gunn34 wrote:

Even if we get the fumble recovery.......Pitt has 3 time outs. We try to run the ball with Ronnie Brown three times. He nets 2 yards. we punt. Pitt then gets a good return, needs 30 yards for a winning FG. 1st and 10, they throw deep for a TD. Same end result....they win.

I assume that's what would happen too only because it seems that's how our lives as Dolphins fans are meant to be led.

"AbideN703 wrote:

Who said 10-6 makes the playoffs anyway? Either the Jets or Pats will be one wild card, the Steelers or Ravens the other.

Phins have already gone 0-3 vs these teams and have the Ravens in BALT in 2 weeks. It isn't going to happen

Yep, this season needs to be all about getting ready for 2012 (because 2011 most likely won't happen because of an owners lockout).

"DolfanJake wrote:

Yep, this season needs to be all about getting ready for 2012 (because 2011 most likely won't happen because of an owners lockout).

Isn't it awesome? 10 ****ing games to go and this is already our mentality.

:pity:

Every game on that schedule is winnable. If we could do what we did against the Steelers D, which is considered the best in the league, then I'm confident this team can do that against any other team in the league. Cincy is'nt going to be a pushover like everyone expects. We have trouble covering guys deep, they have TO, and Chad Johnson. We know Vontae will lock up one of them, its the other we need to worry about. However, I know we lost yesterday, and it sucks, but we put up better numbers against the leagues best D than any team has all year. Thats progress. We still didn't get enough done to win the game at times, but lets face it, this wasnt a game this team was supposed to win anyways, and they almost did despite our own mistakes. That being said, I just wish we could get through one game without boneheaded mistakes and shooting ourselves in the foot.

"schmolioot wrote:

In what universe are we clearly better than Tennesse or Cincy?

Yep, this exactly.
Oakland put up 59 F-in points yesterday, the Browns beat the Saints and we haven't even played the toughest team we will face yet.
That will be in 2 weeks on the road.
We still have both NE and the Jests both on the road in Winter.
Our winning percentage right now is exactly what we see at the end of the season.

"schmolioot wrote:

In what universe are we clearly better than Tennesse or Cincy?

Tennessee is debatable. Cincy is a bad team right now though.

"Stringer Bell wrote:

Tennessee is debatable. Cincy is a bad team right now though.

Tennesse is 5-2 and looks rock solid. I'm not saying that we can't beat them, but to say that we are clearly better is assinine. Not to mention that we will be playing them off a bye.

Eh, i wouldn't say we're clearly better than the titans...we need to get in the endzone and then ill feel better about the rest of our schedule

"vt_dolfan wrote:

Oct 31. at Cincinnati 1:00 PM CBS
Nov. 7 at Baltimore 1:00 PM CBS
Nov. 14 Tennessee 1:00 PM CBS
Nov. 18 Chicago 8:20 PM NFLN
Nov. 28 at Oakland 4:15 PM CBS
Dec. 5 Cleveland 1:00 PM CBS
Dec. 12 at New York Jets 4:15 PM CBS
Dec. 19 Buffalo 1:00 PM CBS
Dec. 26 Detroit 1:00 PM FOX
Jan. 2 at New England 1:00 PM CBS


Teams we should beat because we are better than them. Cinci, Tenn, Chi, Oak, Clev, Buffalo, Detroit

These aren't really even question marks or shouldn't be. We are clearly better than every team I listed above.

Teams we are as good as and can beat. Baltimore, Jets, New England.

There is no reason our record at worst, is 10-6. NO REASON. If anyone looking for reasons as to why to dog our team, lose one of those and you have every reason to dog our team.

11-5. That's looking as the most realistic record we are sitting at the end of the season. Thats January football. Once we are there, if we are healthy, there is no reason we cant do some damage in the playoffs.

I wouldnt be so quick to say Miami is better than Tenn....if you havent noticed Tenn has been kicking peoples faces in...

"DolfanJake wrote:

This team is no better than 8-8 and most likely 7-9. Stop kidding yourself bro, and just accept reality. And next year is a washout with the labor problems looming. So start planning for 2012 and that could be our year. We can only hope that Brady & Manning are washed up by then and Sanchez fails. Then we are there in the promised land.

Be more than happy to wager you on that....

"DolfanJake wrote:

Exactly, must be Munchkinland, where the Lollipop Guild and Glenda the Good Witch of the North will save us.

OK then Dorothy.....put yo money where yo mouth is.....since you seem to be so sure we are as bad as you want to believe....

And THIS is why losing those back-to-back home games within the division was such a crucial blow -- we've effectively removed all margin of error for the remainder of the season. People often complain about our playcalling that dictates we need to play perfectly to be victorious in any given week, well we can basically extrapolate that line of thinking to the remainder of our season and, by extension, our playoff hopes.

Right now, looking at our schedule, I see (at least) 4 games that are absolute must-wins (3 of which are on the road): @ BAL, BUF, @NYJ and @ NE.

Lose any one of those above games and we're all done. And no, that's not overdramatic. Yeah, the second half of our schedule appears to be significantly more manageable than the first half, but guess what? Those divisional rivals all have the same teams on their schedules as well (aside from two non-common opponents, which by the way the Patriots and Jets have already dispatched of one each).

We're quite literally running out of meaningful opportunities to make up ground on our divisional foes.

"schmolioot wrote:

Tennesse is 5-2 and looks rock solid. I'm not saying that we can't beat them, but to say that we are clearly better is assinine. Not to mention that we will be playing them off a bye.

Tennessee's strength lies in their DL. If you can protect the QB, our WRs should be able to take advantage of their defensive backs. Courtland Finnegan will be abused by Marshall. The matchups certainly are in our favor.

Thats not say to say we will beat them. We'll likely lose a game or two to teams that we should beat. Thats the NFL. You just need to make up for it somewhere else. The Pats and Jets should both beat us again, but I don't see us losing both those games.

"FaninPatsyLand wrote:

And THIS is why losing those back-to-back home games within the division was such a crucial blow -- we've effectively removed all margin of error for the remainder of the season. People often complain about our playcalling that dictates we need to play perfectly to be victorious in any given week, well we can basically extrapolate that line of thinking to the remainder of our season and, by extension, our playoff hopes.

Right now, looking at our schedule, I see (at least) 4 games that are absolute must-wins (3 of which are on the road): @ BAL, BUF, @NYJ and @ NE.

Lose any one of those above games and we're all done. And no, that's not overdramatic. Yeah, the second half of our schedule appears to be significantly more manageable than the first half, but guess what? Those divisional rivals all have the same teams on their schedules as well (aside from two non-common opponents, which by the way the Patriots and Jets have already dispatched of one each).

We're quite literally running out of meaningful opportunities to make up ground on our divisional foes.

This....and as well these games that they are dropping are tie-breaker games....games at the end of the year are going to keep them out if they dont win, because the other team with the same record beat them head to head...

Cinny, Balt, Oak and Tenn are without a doubt must win games...

"Stringer Bell wrote:

Tennessee's strength lies in their DL. If you can protect the QB, our WRs should be able to take advantage of their defensive backs. Courtland Finnegan will be abused by Marshall. The matchups certainly are in our favor.

Thats not say to say we will beat them. We'll likely lose a game or two to teams that we should beat. Thats the NFL. You just need to make up for it somewhere else. The Pats and Jets should both beat us again, but I don't see us losing both those games.

I get what you're saying, Stringer.

My question to you is, where are we making up these games - based on the schedule that's already been played? Had we won yesterday afternoon, I would have most definitely been on-board, considering both NE and NYJ travel to Pittsburgh later this season. But now? I'm not seeing it.

Also consider that NE already has a win over Baltimore in their back pocket. That game in Baltimore in two weeks is merely to keep pace with the Patriots. Aside from head-to-head matchups with these teams in December, I'm seeing very few legitimate opportunities to make up ground left on the schedule.