Do the Miami Dolphins have a plan?
By Michael Fink
One crucial item every winning organization has is a winning plan. Do the Miami Dolphins have one?
My very first exposure to professional football took place when I was 11 years old. It was Christmas day 1971. Most of you that were alive then, or know the team’s history know that this was a very special game. It even has a title, “The Longest Game” what you may not know about that 82:40 contest was our team overcame long odds and three times the Chiefs pulled ahead, and three times Bob Griese brought them back.
A young team gained huge confidence that day. The team beat the defending World Champion Baltimore Colts the following week. They did not have the same good fortune in Super Bowl VI against the Dallas Cowboys, but the seeds were planted for the following summer.
Coach Shula made sure the players remembered the bad taste of losing that big game and insisted they’d do everything in their power to return. He worked them like they were the worst team in the league. Shula continually reminded them of their failure the previous season so they knew the goal at hand and could use that loss as fuel for perfection in 1972.
The point is the team had a plan. That was consistent throughout Shula’s tenure. They always had a plan. Shula wasn’t the type to fly by the seat of his pants and it is one of the main reasons he was so successful.
Once Don Shula retired the planning seemed to have gone with him. From the outside looking in, it appears the Dolphin management has always tried to sell us we’re not that far away, yet for decades we’ve not reached the final destination.
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Again, this offseason we have Mike Tannenbaum telling us we’re not far off. I wonder if he is seeing what I am seeing? I see a franchise that has been trying to build a suitable offensive line since 2009. I see a franchise that hasn’t fielded a top quality linebacking unit since Zach Thomas and Junior Seau played together, and as a result, we’ve had a difficult time succeeding.
I see tons of questions where I should be seeing clear answers. Who will play TE? Can Parker develop and stay healthy? Will Ryan Tannehill ever become the QB other teams don’t want to face? I could go on and on, but it seems like there are always more questions than clear answers.
Isn’t it time that we experienced the joy of watching the Dolphins play consistently solid football again? The 2017 version was embarrassing. How do professional athletes commit so many penalties at crucial times? How does the team allow it? Shula wouldn’t have tolerated it for a second. That’s one step towards getting better. Have a plan. The undisciplined play can’t be a part of that plan because it loses games.
I like Gase. I believe in Gase. But, that doesn’t mean he’s got a solid plan just yet. I fear he is trying too hard to be a players coach. Players hated playing for Shula, but they played hard for him because they knew he had a plan for success. Ultimately that is what everyone wants. That plan starts at the top. Mike Tannenbaum has to have a plan. Adam Gase has to have a plan. Chris Grier has to have a plan. Those three plans need to be in sync. They need to give us that winning edge Shula was famous for. It’s time. That’s my plea to the Miami Dolphins.