If that happens, I'd expect Joe Philbin to be in the unemployment line.

 

So much has changed that this team is very hard to read. 11-5 wouldn't completely shock me... neither would 5-11. 8-8 is a safe prediction.

 

If they can make that up tempo offense of Bill Lazor's work for them early, teams will wilt in the South Florida heat like never before. I'm hoping they just didn't show it in the preseason and that it does exist.

 

This guy is the only national guy who has spent all offseason with us.

I think he is underestimating our team.

I will do what I always do, and that's try to be as honest about my team as possible even though I'm passionate about them having success.

Were a better team, I don't have doubts of that, my questions remain can we win a playoff game.

I think the two things I'd like to see would give me increased confidence, these are two things that I haven't seen since the coach and Qb came to our team, two things that will determine our playoff fate.

Philbin, while I believe he's growing as a coach compared to where I had him, I need to see a certain toughness and intensity at home..I'm talking juice, and I need to see him be able to motivate his team at home to an emotional level that we can see and feel even though it's the hardest part of being a Miami dolphin football coach..he's got to push the right buttons because that's part of being a good coach.

Tannehill, can he take this scheme that will utilize his skillset better and play fast in it, literally, physically, he has to play and move faster, all the way down to his mechanics, set up, pump fakes, shoulder deeks, I'm looking for quicker position specific Qb movement, I've see some improvement thus far, but I have yet to see that play where if the route reads aren't there, that he knows what to do with his playmaking/scrambling/running acumen..it is imperative imo that he makes a few plays a game with those things, and I'm not just talking about read option stuff..if he can't show the consciousness to do that with some resemblance of consistency I'm afraid we will not be able to win championships, if he can do it, it opens up a whole new dimension, combined with his arm talent ( even though there are some real touch issues) it could be good enough..

There's one missing dimension that could open up so much for this scheme..playmaking ability...need to see it buddy..this scheme can frustrate a defense, when the defense does cover it for a play, and the Qb sees that and does his own thing to get his own yards, instead of the scheme doing it, it's a killer to the defense..then get right back up quickly to the Los, they will be deflated to complete..

 

I think it could be a smokescreen..

 

The whole season ultimately falls on Tannehill's shoulders. The defensive will be good enough to limit opponents from scoring much, so we're in the exact same situation we were in last year- 25 points and we will usually win the ballgame. So someone could make the argument that Tannehill is a bust and we will win 4 games, or he can make the argument that Tannehill is an All-Pro and we will win 12. Very rarely does a season outlook hinge so completely on one player though, but it all comes down to Tannehill and his offensive line.

 

Yup...rarely do you have a team that sits at the precipice like this....

I can definitely see us going 11-5. I can definitely see us going 8-8. That latter because of our schedule...but...soooo many questions.

First two weeks are huge...if we can go 2-0 in the division the first two weeks of the season...man...that would be soooo huge from a confidence view point

 

Until proven otherwise, sounds about right.

 

I see us being in a lot of close games again in the 4th quarter. This to me will determine if we take the next step forward.
Creating turnovers, Oline play, clock management, better play calling will determine the difference between making the playoffs or not.
Sounds awfully similar compared to last season.

 

In watching Tannehill I don't see arm adjustments made during the reads.

 

Can we please stop pretending last year's schedule was easy and this years is brutal?

 

I don't know that they can win a playoff game, but I fully expect them to be solidly in the mix for the playoffs. Started 8-6 last season, and this year's team is better all over the place.

 

Maybe it seemed easy because we are becoming a better team...

 

It's year three, the evaluation that's left for me is the coach and Qb and whether they are good enough to be cornerstones..cornerstones means sure they can win playoff games..I believe they both have to prove that no?, simply because we haven't seen the level we would expect, a level that's enough to win in playoff atmoshere.

 

although i take a win either way, it would be nice if we could seperate ourselves a little from these close games this year, it will show improvement first and also would be nice for my nerves, i don't know if i can take another season like last year

 

8-8 is basically the consensus prediction for this team around the nation. Even the odds makers in Vegas think this is an 8-8 team.

While my prediction has been 8-8 also. I remember going into the 2008 season, most predictions were that the 1-15 Dolphins of 2007 would likely win 4-6 games in 2008. They went on to win the division and 11 games in 2008.

I would love to be completely wrong about this team having another mediocre season, but I also certainly wouldn't be willing to bet the house that the Dolphins will win more than 8 games this year.
I just think they still have too many questions marks with the OL, LB's, secondary, and Tannehill.

Fortunately the Dolphins have 16 games in the regular season to prove that these question marks are good enough to get this team into the playoffs.

 

Whats that? Lets get there first.

 

If you make the playoffs yet lose your still Left with questions, What good is making the playoffs if you can't win one?

The reason why we have to hold them to that standard is because you can make the playoffs by other teams faults.

 

We cut out the whining and we're 10-6...

 

Exactly and not only that, our schedule last year was faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from easy. It was something like 11 of our 16 games were against teams .500 or better with around 6 playoff teams.

I just looked it up, AFTER the season was over, it turns out we had the 6th Hardest Schedule last year. In fact, the only team from the Top 10 hardest schedules to make the playoffs last year was NO at 10. Only the Cardinals with 10 and the Saints with 11 won more games than we did with a Top 10 hard schedule.

Take it a step further and only 5 of the 12 playoff teams came out of the Top 20 hardest schedule teams.

This is a solid argument that not only was our schedule brutal last year, but it may have been a major factor in our record.