Miami Dolphins 2015 Success All On Philbin

The Miami Dolphins have a lot of talent on this years roster but they will not be guaranteed a playoff spot. They still need to be coached and that onus will inevitably fall on the shoulders of head coach Joe Philbin.

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Bill Lazor enters his 2nd season as the teams offensive coordinator and in his first season he led the Dolphins into the top NFL spot for trips to the red-zone. Unfortunately the team couldn’t turn those trips into enough points matter. Defensively Kevin Coyle started the season strong with a top defensive unit despite the loss of Dannell Ellerbe, Koa Misi, and Phillip Wheeler due to injury. Misi and Wheeler would later return but by the time the season sped into the playoff chase the Dolphins defense began to fall flat against the run.

The Dolphins upgraded their defensive line and are expecting big things from their new and much younger linebacking group. Offensively Bill Lazor has more weapons and a quarterback who has improved each of is pro seasons. For all the changes however Joe Philbin is the on man who stands above them all and it’s his task to get this team ready for a run at the post-season.

We know that Philbin is very capable of coaching and managing the practices. His two headed approach to the 1st and 2nd team units is incredibly smart and utilizes time exceptionally well. More plays are run during practices than at most other NFL camps and that is because Philbin is very good with his attention to small details. For all of that attention he still manages to fall flat on Sunday’s.

It will never be known why exactly Philbin has yet to become a solid game manager. Does he dabble too much into the pots of his assistants? Does he not fully understand the concept of time management? Regardless of the reason, Philbin can drive his team emotionally on game day. His post-game pep-talks after a win are identical in tone to those after a loss. His pre-game pep talks sound little different from a post game loss. There is no masking it, Joe Philbin has little emotional personality or demeanor and while no NFL player should need a pre-game talk to get them ready for a game, it still helps. It’s why you see Drew Brees screaming “Who Dat” surrounded by a throbbing, weaving hoard of teammates before a game. Players may not need it but it helps.

Philbin will enter the 2015 season with an almost critical task of making the playoffs. If he can succeed he will most assuredly receive a contract extension. Failure however does not mean change. The Dolphins have invested heavily into the systems being run by Philbin and his staff and a new head coach will bring in new assistants and new schemes yet for all that could go wrong with change, Stephen Ross can not simply turn away from mediocrity. Not with the talent on this roster.

If the Dolphins fail to make the post-season there really is only one person to point the finger at and that is Joe Philbin. Too often have players underperformed in Miami only to go elsewhere and shine. Philbin needs to get these players to shine here, in Miami, this season while he still has the chance. The right use of game time, the right personnel, the right everything. Philbin’s meticulous attention to detail must immediately begin to encompass the far bigger picture.

The Dolphins have a very good shot at making the post-season but as much as talent will drive the force on the field, the head coach will be the driving force behind those players. The 2015 season is on the head coaches shoulders from the start of training camp to January. He must instill winning in their minds early so they can win it late in the season where they have struggled the past three years.