With Ajayi gone, are the Dolphins tanking?
In the midst of the trade deadline Tuesday, the Dolphins traded starting running back Jay Ajayi. After the Ajayi trade, I saw many comments about Miami giving up on their season.
First, here’s how the AFC standings look heading into week 9:
- Pittsburgh: 6-2 (NORTH)
- Kansas City: 6-2 (WEST)
- New England: 6-2 (EAST)
- Tennessee: 4-3 (SOUTH)
- Buffalo: 5-2 (Wild Card)
- Jacksonville: 4-3 (Wild Card)
- Miami: 4-3
- Baltimore: 4-4
- Houston: 3-4
- Cincinnati: 3-4
- Denver: 3-4
- NY Jets: 3-5
- LA Chargers: 3-5
- Oakland: 3-5
- Indianapolis: 3-5
- Cleveland: 0-8
I write this out so people can see the Dolphins are not only tied with Jacksonville for the last playoff spot at the halfway point of the season. But, the middle of the AFC is filled with mediocracy.
Ten teams either have three or four wins, which is why a 3-5 team such as Oakland, who Miami plays Sunday night, is still in the hunt for a playoff spot.
I get some folks think that Miami is not as good as their 4-3 record, and the offensive statistics prove that. The whole country saw it Thursday night against Baltimore.
However, why would a team with a 4-3 record, tied for the last playoff spot, give up on their season so fast? It makes no sense.
Dolphins’ fans should know Adam Gase by now. He does not deal with big egos or people that do not buy in to what he’s preaching. He showed us that last year by benching Ajayi and cutting two offensive lineman, and earlier this year by releasing Byron Maxwell.
Now, he trades Ajayi for those exact reasons. According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Ajayi was complaining to other coaches behind Gase’s back, and was upset about his touches even after a Miami victory.
If you’re not going to be a team player, you are going to be cut or traded. That’s the message that Gase has sent to his team since day one.
This is not about tanking or giving up on the season. Gase wanted something to change on offense, and this is what he decided to do.
Getting rid of Ajayi probably won’t make the offense better, and it certainly won’t make the offensive line play better.
But, the Dolphins are not tanking. That’s not who Adam Gase is.