Phins Still Have Mathematics…Manning Deserved Better

The Miami Dolphins have had a problem all season that not only kept them from getting into the playoffs as a wildcard team…they still are mathematically alive…but also kept them from winning their second division title in a year.  Simply put, this team couldn’t play on both sides of the ball at the same time.

We saw it recently in Tennessee then again yesterday in a must win game at home against the Houston Texans.  More disturbing than the 27 points the Phins spotted the Texans was the empty orange seats surrounding the bowl from lack of fan support.  Something needs to be done about this too.

For the second week in a row the Phins waited until the 4th quarter to try and come back from a deep hole.  This time more than 20 points.  The good news is that they almost pulled it off…again, the bad news is they didn’t.

The Dolphins lost for the 2nd time in December under Tony Sparano over two seasons, and basically knocked themselves out of the playoff chase, a win yesterday and they would control their own destiny…instead, that honor belongs to the NY Jets.  Now, Oakland must beat Baltimore, the Bengals need to beat the Jets, NE needs to knock off Houston, and the Dolphins need to beat Pittsburgh.  If all that happens….the Phins are in and travel to New England.  More than likely, they will sit at home the first round and watch on TV like the rest of us.

The Phins continued their 4th quarter shutout success that earlier this season was the bane of their existence.  While they have shut down the 4th quarter, they have traded the scoring fest for the first half.  Allowing the Texans and the Titans to take big 1st half leads.

Football has two sides of the ball and while the defense is giving up scores early, the offense isn’t getting any themselves, like the defense, they wait until they are playing from behind.  A trend that must not continue next year if the team wishes to find success.

Today, much like last week, the Dolphins have placed themselves in a hole when everything they worked for was in their grasp.  Both Baltimore and Denver lost which is exactly what needed to happen.  Of course the Phins needed to win as well.  Maybe next year.

Peyton Manning deserved so much more than what he got yesterday.  Heading into week 16 the Colts were undefeated, that is not the case today and it was not Manning’s fault.  With a lead at half-time, although small, the Colts HC decided to pull Manning in favor of a young QB who spent his short career behind Manning back-up Jim Sorgi who is on IR.  The decision left the Colts blemished, and Manning watching from the sidelines.

Everyone in Phinsland and “Perfectville” didn’t want to see another team finish undefeated but in the honor of competitive sports you want it to fail like it did in New Orleans when they lost to Dallas.  Fighting.

There was no fighting in the Colts after half-time.  The team allowed Thomas Jones of the Jets to run for 100 yards and allowed his back-up Shonne Green run for another 95.  All the while Manning sat on the sidelines and watched.

I know the argument, the Dolphins did it with back-up Earl Morral, but Morral had been an NFL starter before, he was seasoned.  Without looking it up, who was the QB yesterday behind Manning?  I have no clue.

I wanted Manning and the Colts to lose one game, but not like that.  I already can hear the media now should the Colts stream to the Super Bowl with only yesterday’s blemish…”Had Peyton Manning not been sat down”.  You know they will say it and all of the Dolphins fans and 72′ team members will say, “well they did”.

Manning is a professional.  He is also a class act.  Not one time did he yell at his coach or complain about his sideline sitting.  Not once did he yell at the guys that were on the field.  He simply pointed out things to the on-field QB.  He was, in fact, Peyton Manning.  And in my opinion…he deserved better than what he got yesterday.  He deserved at least a chance at immortality.