What do you say when week 9 rolls around and you’re still a winless team in the NFL–one of only two teams, along with the Colts, yet to notch an elusive mark in the W column? Well, that all depends on who’s talking.
If you’re the fans, you could be saying any number of things. You could be demanding a refund for your little-better-than-worthless season tickets. Or you might be praying the losing streak holds up as you mount the Suck For Luck bandwagon. Hey, you might even be calling for your coach’s head, and speculating on the possibility of more proven leaders, like Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden.
If you’re the head coach in question, the head coach on the hot seat – namely one Tony Sparano – in the wake of last week’s brutal loss to the New York Giants, you might try to look on the bright side, like when he said in Monday’s press conference, “Offensive line did some good things during the course of that game. Some hard stuff thrown at them, they were moving the front quite a bit. Some run game pressures that they had to block.”
You might also suffer from a streak of reality, which he displayed when he said, “We’re 0-7 right now. Nobody likes it, it stinks.”
And of course, you might try to do all a coach in this situation can do, and move on. “We’re worrying about winning one and that’s the Kansas City Chiefs. We’re going to put this game to bed and get moving towards Kansas City,” Sparano said.
Unfortunately, what early in the season may have seemed like one of the more winnable games in the second half of the season, it isn’t looking as promising as it once did. That second half includes the Dolphins having to face the Redskins’ stout D; Darren McFadden and the Oakland Raiders; Vick, Shady McCoy and the rest of the Eagles; not to mention twice meeting the Bills’ potent offense, courtesy of Fred “Action” Jackson; and the Patriots and Jets in the final two weeks. That’s a scary list, especially when you are 0-7.
The Chiefs, by all accounts, have righted the ship after a rocky start where they lost stud running back Jamaal Charles, who paced the team with 1,467 yards and another 272 receiving, and eight TDs last year. They’re coming off a huge Monday Night victory against the San Diego Chargers. To make matters worse, they won the last three games before that. After starting the season 0-3, the Chiefs have yet to lose a game.
Truth be told, though, quarterback Matt Cassel is doing little better than managing his offense, and at times, not even that. Running back backup-come-starter Jackie Battle is doing a serviceable, if unspectacular, job, and though he couldn’t possibly live up to last year’s production, WR Dwayne Bowe is playing well. But you can’t overlook the fact that Kansas City’s victories came against the struggling Minnesota Vikings; that other winless team, the Colts; an Oakland Football Raiders team helmed by veteran QB Carson Palmer, who only signed with the team that week; and of course, the flailing Chargers, who’s starting lineup has seen more walking boots and casts than Evel Knievel.
The Dolphins, for their part, have had bright spots, though those have generally come few and far between. RB Daniel Thomas rumbled past the century mark back in week 2 and came five shy in week 3. Then he was out week 4 and again last week. Despite his claims earlier this week that he’d play, he remains questionable on the injury report.
The other RB in the Fins’ tandem, Reggie Bush, surpassed 100 yards last week versus the Giants, providing the standout performance spot in that matchup. But it’s only the second time he’s done that in his entire pro career (the other was with the Saints), and durability hasn’t been one of his defining traits. WR Brandon Marshall eclipsed the 100-yard mark twice, but other games have seen less production – considerably less, at times – and he’s only got one TD reception on the year.
Still, the Dolphins have been scrappy, never going down easily. They led the Giants until late in the second half, and only lost to the Broncos at the hands of Tim Tebow’s rally in the final minutes of that game. Second year QB Matt Moore, who the Dolphins acquired from the Carolina Panthers in the offseason, has stepped up, replacing starter Chad Henne who was lost for the season in week 4, and he’s looking more comfortable each week. If his line can keep him off upright a bit more, he might even crack 200 yards passing for the second time, or throw his second TD of the season.
So one could say this game is the Miami Dolphins’ to lose. Then again, one could say a lot of things.
