Are the Miami Dolphins better without Joe Philbin?

To say the Miami Dolphins are disappointing is an understatement and the question of Joe Philbin’s future is a current hot topic. The question is would these Miami Dolphins be better without him as the head coach? It’s a touch question to ask in only the third week of the season.

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On the surface, one would immediately answer that question with a yes but that could be as much of a knee jerk reaction as anyone who said no as well. The reality is there is now way of knowing completely unless Stephen Ross opts to take this route.

There are pro’s and con’s to firing the head coach should the Dolphins lose this week to the New York Jets. First they would have to lose in a similar fashion to the way they lost to Buffalo. A close well played game that is coupled with a loss will not get the coach fired. It needs to be an ugly loss and while it’s hard to fathom the Dolphins putting up another poor game for the fourth week in a row, it’s still entirely possible. Given the way the team has played at least.

To answer that question we would need to look at all the dominos that would fall along with him. That gets tricky but it’s time we give it a good look.

The first question is who would replace him. Fans would want to see the up and coming Bill Lazor take over the team but Lazor has little to stand on in terms of his experience. The likely candidate would be Kevin Coyle the much maligned defensive coordinator. Coyle’s defense has been shredded so it won’t excite fans if he were promoted to interim head coach and it surely wouldn’t give fans a feeling that this team could turn the season around.

The pro’s for advancing Coyle would mean a change at DC. Likely one of the assistant coaches but most of the assistants are not close to being ready for that gig. Where is Kacey Rodgers when you need him? If Coyle were to take over the team the defense would likely fall out of his hands for the most part as Coyle would take on a bigger overall role obviously. The pro’s really end there. Last season after the death of his father, Philbin missed a week of practice and it was thought he might miss the San Diego game.

Coyle was the coach who was designated as the fill in HC. The Dolphins that week posted a 37-0 win at home over the Chargers. Was this due to Coyle changing the game plan up or an emotional rise in solidarity of the team to show support for Philbin? The Dolphins haven’t looked that prepared or driven since.

On the other hand, Coyle seems lost as a defensive coordinator. His side of the ball is unmotivated to play and the schemes and game planning simply don’t work. In addition, Coyle has struggled in his three seasons to make proper half-time and in-game adjustments. Not exactly an electrifying endorsement.

Bill Lazor could be appointed as the interim head coach and would like assume both duties as OC and HC. It’s entirely possible that the offense would open up a lot more with Lazor in charge of the team but the same could be said if Coyle took the reigns, giving Lazor full control of the offense and keeping his nose out of it.

Lazor is the better choice because of the two coaches, Lazor is the only one who really would be a consideration for the full time job and what would amount to almost a full season of “prove it” coaching could give the Dolphins management a clearer idea of what Lazor could do in the position.

What makes this sad is the fact that those are the only two options Miami has at their disposal. So again, are the Miami Dolphins better off without Philbin?

Teams do tend to play better after a head coach has been fired. Either to prove a point or because of changes within the system. Players don’t always mesh with their coaching staff and if a coach is unable to motivate his team new blood can sometimes breathe new life into a team that has talent but not directed properly.

To me, the question is more or less answered by another question. Would the Dolphins be worse without him? The answer to that question is a resounding no. At this point the Dolphins can’t play any worse than they are right now. This could be the teams rallying point for week four. Play to save Philbin’s job. The players have heard the talk and if they can’t step up this week there really is no reason to believe they can with Philbin at the helm. At which point a change is needed.

The Dolphins still have 13 games left to play and while it’s inconceivable that they can win enough games to make the playoffs it’s not out of the question that they can win enough games to be entertaining and even relevant. This Sunday mornings game will go a long way in determining what should or shouldn’t happen.

When Sunday ends we will know how the Dolphins prepared for this game and whether or not Philbin should be let go. If the team plays hard and wins, then they have proven they can but if they lose and lose bad, there is no reason to maintain the status quo for the rest of the season.

Mike Pouncey said this is a must win for the team but it’s also a must win for Joe Philbin and it should be a must win for Stephen Ross.

Whether or not this team will be better or worse without the coach really doesn’t matter. If the team can’t elevate their game when their backs are against the wall then it’s a clear sign that this team doesn’t wan to play for the current man in charge and change should be made.

The Dolphins may not be a better team without Joe Philbin but they are not a very good team with Joe Philbin and when you ask who gives you the best chance to win, one of those answer boxes is taken away. If the Dolphins lose on Sunday, there is no reason for Stephen Ross to believe that this team would be better off continuing this season with Philbin. The team may not get any better without him but they wouldn’t be any worse.

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