I wanted to post this before the Bills game when everyone is hopeful and a little more level-headed. I'm not sure how this plays out....I feel it in my bones that Miami wins today...but regardless this was the season that we've been waiting for since the 90's. Even if we don't win it all or even perform well in the playoffs, Miami has been relevant this season from start to finish.
Nobody wants to play us...we are one of those teams now! No matter what happens today, I believe that we can hang with anyone and this young team will only get better with time.
Anyway, thanks for taking the ride with me this year. Now let's go blow out the Bills and really celebrate!
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Phil Hutchings, fd1972uk, Csonka Marino and 2 others like this.
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I think the main value of this season prior to the Bills game is it's answered a bunch of key questions:
1. Tua is a franchise QB
2. McDaniel is the HC we've been looking for
3. Grier has build the core of a potentially great team
I'll still consider this season a failure if we can't win a playoff game, but there's no question this year has answered key questions. And yes I think we'll only get better over the next few seasons.Csonka Marino and KeyFin like this. -
I hope you are right, but it's only a great season if Miami wins the division and a playoff game or two.
djphinfan, dolphin25, resnor and 1 other person like this. -
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Great post Key. It is a very exciting season and if not for the ton of injuries, I believe we would be serious SB contenders. Unfortunately, the players that are done for the season, and the ones that are questionable going forward, might be just too much to overcome. I just hope we can make some noise in the playoffs regardless.
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The injuries derailed a great season for me, don’t have much hope left for what’s left. Don’t know, if we’re able to assemble a complete team like the one we had this season with the cap looking the way it does already. I really think we had a real shot this year.
dolphin25, resnor, Tuanon4Life and 2 others like this. -
lose and this wasn’t a good season to me. Glad you enjoyed it but it will all be for naught and I’d counter were no better this year than last if we’re one and done in playoffs.
what’s worse is it’s all our fault. We had many games were self imploded and now if we lose to bills at home we have to go on the road in the cold and snow probably and we’re done. -
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How do you figure? We are in cap hell with a ton of injury prone players being over paid and no way to keep the good players on our team like Wilkins. Grier has messed this team up so bad trying to go all in for this season.Sceeto, dolphin25, resnor and 1 other person like this.
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Nope, this team is about the same team it’s been for years. Clearly not a contender, not the collection of talent to contend and another late season slide. Keep in mind Chris Grier landed this centuries Hershel Walker trade and built a roster that is barely a playoff caliber team
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Great start, but not season.
Injuries have played a part though in our ending though.
Fingers crossed for next game.
FDdjphinfan and Csonka Marino like this. -
When we beat the Chiefs the thinking for some will be "well the Chiefs weren't that good"? And the season is over anyway because we have to play Baltimore so see you next year.
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Again, great season everyone- keep your heads up! We won't need as many adjustments next year when compared to this season, so it was a great building block for the team.
Hopefully we can find some health next season in December and January...these late season injuries are just unbelievable!Finatik and Csonka Marino like this. -
Massive disappointment for me. All the expectations went right down the toilet in December.
djphinfan likes this. -
One and done is the same as not making the playoffs IMO.
Frauds all year long. Beat one team over 500...with 5 FG's. Meh.. sorry, not impressed.
Sure Hill and Tua put up good numbers, but to me this season has exposed that yes, Tua is a darn good QB, but this offense doesn't exist without Tyreek Hill.dolphin25, Tuanon4Life, Csonka Marino and 2 others like this. -
I think the fault lies with McDaniel's play calling more than Tua's execution. Still, who really expected an undersized Polynesian to be a good cold weather QB?
Csonka Marino, KeyFin and Dolphin Dundee like this. -
With over half the defense out, with the offensive line riddled with injuries, etc. It wasn't a shocker.Csonka Marino and jdallen1222 like this.
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I think it exposed Tua and his limitations at QB. I think most defenses have figured out how to defend the McDaniel offensive system -even with some good to great players on offense.
That said, Grier will run it back in 2024 as he has no choice since he can't admit his failure at building a winning team/picking the wrong QB to build around. The injuries were mostly on defense too, and that side of the ball played decently the last couple games, good enough with support from the offense to win. -
I don't. McDaniels playcalling didnt lead to tua drifting back in the pocket and sail one over the middle of the field off balance and off his back foot. That's a play to just tuck it and take the sack, not throw up a lob ball to the defense.StaleTacos likes this.
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Yeah this season ended in a failure. It's actually good we got to see how Tua and McD play in the playoffs because that shows where we're deficient. But you shouldn't just assume it will stay that way. Give them another year and see if they can fix it. If they can't, time to find new leadership.
djphinfan, texanphinatic, Csonka Marino and 1 other person like this. -
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Being in the same offensive system consecutive years with the same players makes a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. It's way too early to blow this up and start over. If we're 10+ wins next season, then you run it back again with the same offense...regardless of playoff outcomes.dolphin25 likes this.
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If "perennial playoff contender" was the only goal, then this was year five of Grier's five year rebuild. We came up short under two coaches, both who had one-and-out playoff appearances with multiple winning seasons. McDaniel clearly had the better of the two teams but McDaniel also inherited Geier's defense and got a top defensive coach to boot.
I don't think you can fully blame either of the head coaches at this point; it's Grier and/or Ross.
If Tua wasn't hurt last year, who knows. If we weren't missing half our defense this year, who knows. It's hard to know who to blame injuries on (players, trainers, coaches, GM/bad pick, etc). But if someone has to go, then it should be Grier. McDaniel has innovated. Tua has played to the best of his abilities in this offense. Grier's up next.
I personally see it differently- the goal should be wins and the playoff wins will soon follow. But I can certainly see the logic to can Grier; Flores was dismissed for less.Last edited: Jan 15, 2024 -
No, you have to demonstrate progress. The only acceptable measure of progress given 2 straight seasons of playoff appearances is a playoff win. Nothing less than that is acceptable. I agree you don't have to blow everything up, but you might need to remove key pieces, starting with the HC.texanphinatic likes this.
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This would be my thinking. Getting to the playoffs is fine, get some experience and all that. But in your third year with a good roster you need to win. You should also have a divisional crown in that timespan - which goes a long way toward helping win a playoff game since you get it at home. We were so close, but let it slip through our fingers, and for all that went wrong with injuries and everything, we should be able to challenge again next year. It's up to the coaches and team to bridge that gap and figure it out.
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Yeah, agree. At the end of the day, that is all. It's that simple. You aren't getting anywhere if your quarterback plays like $hit when it matters the most. Tua has $hit the bed every single time we've faced a must win situation and every single time we've been on the biggest stage. I've given him the benefit of the doubt, but it's a common theme with him at this point and you almost expect it.
I can think of three big games that he's won for us since his career began. Four if you count the Dallas game, but that was Jason Sanders imo.
Arizona during his rookie year...Game was a thriller, Cardinals were pretty good that year
Baltimore in 2022 when he led the comeback
The Chargers in week one this year
That is all. This HAS to change with him.Piston Honda and dolphin25 like this.
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