How do you explain going from having one of the outstanding defenses in the league and the most prolific offenses to losing on both sides of the ball to perhaps the worst team in the league, all in one season?
There may be several reasons, but among them near the top of the list is coaching. The team has shown a lack of discipline with an uncharacteristic number of penalties, appearing surprised by the tactics used by the opposition to attack the Dolphin defense, and seemingly caught napping by the defenses thrown at the offense.They often seemed at a loss to understand how to react to whatever the other team was doing. That’s a failure in preparation.
There are also personnel issues that need to be addressed and resolved. First, there needs to be a quarterback who is not within one hard tackle from being back in concussion protocol. And Huntley is not the answer. He has shown some talent but lacks consistency. There are also one or two players who become recalcitrant when they are not the center of attention. That affects their colleagues, and not in a positive way. If they don’t want to run the plays called, opt for another team.
Proof of this situation can be found in the team’s resorting to “trick plays” when the scripted offense or defense is not producing the desired results. Sooner or later those fancy fakes and flips result in fumbles or significant yardage lost.
All is not lost. Despite the adversity often brought on by confusion, the team showed tremendous grit when faced with these situations numerous times in games. Also, the running backs are talented and, when provided with opportunity, demonstrated their quickness and toughness in breaching the defensive lines for long gains. Several receivers also demonstrated remarkable talent in breaking free and hauling in passes in their general directions. Finally, we can only wish that all team members would display the effort and attitude exhibited on every play by 38-year-old defensive tackle Calais Campbell. May his attitude infect every friend he leaves behind when he hangs up his cleats. They are fortunate to know a man with his qualities.
Postscript: Only a few short days into the off-season, the rumors surfaced about there being trouble in the locker room causing some of the difficulties experienced during the season. It’s hard to believe that this is the first management has heard of this and, by the way, whose responsibility is it to oversee the area that houses the team when they are not on the field?