Yes, we can say it: the Miami Dolphins are a mess. We can also say that winning a game this year might be much harder than anyone originally thought, but did anyone really believe that what we have seen in the first five games wasn't realistic?
Fans, and even some in the media, tend to get hyped before a season begins. They look at the standings, and everyone is even. They look at the schedule and see games they could notch in the win column.
Once the season starts, reality hits everyone, and suddenly there is no direction, no future, and it's time to blow it all up. Heads need to roll; coaches need to be held accountable. "We demand answers!" fans will post on social media. Why? What did you really expect? Five games in, there is reason to be optimistic despite being winless. Needless to say, these overreactions remain exactly that.
Miami Dolphins fans are traveling down a useless highway of unmitigated optimism
Overreaction number 1 - Jeff Hafley is a bad coach
Hafley was handed the youngest team in the NFL. With youth comes inexperience, and with inexperience come mistakes. The Dolphins are making mistakes; that's expected. Hafley told the media that it is the job of the coaches to get them fixed.
Hafley isn't building a team to win this year; he is building a culture that will hopefully become a winning culture someday. He is holding his staff and his players accountable, and he isn't placing blame on anyone but himself and the staff.
The Dolphins look a lot more organized heading into Week 7 when they face the Jets. This isn't the same team that looked clumsy and out of place against the Raiders and 49ers. Each week brings renewed positives.
Miami's first four games were against teams that had not lost a game. The Chiefs, Vikings, and 49ers are still undefeated heading into Week 7. So let that sink in: three of the Dolphins' five losses came at the expense of undefeated top-tier teams.
Overreaction number 2 - Malik Willis was a mistake
There are things that Willis needs to work on. His drive to create plays keeps the ball in his hands for too long, resulting in loss of yards and sacks. His downfield vision needs to improve; he is missing open receivers, and his timing needs to get better.
That being said, who is he throwing to? Three first-year WRs who are still learning the NFL speed? A journeyman tight end? A backup running back? Willis is going to take his lumps. He has only a handful of NFL starts, so even though he is older, he is still developing.
Willis wasn't put in an ideal situation. Had the Dolphins had more experienced WRs, we might have had something to chip away at, but we didn't, and we knew that coming into the season. Even his best receiver has missed the last three games.
Willis doesn't look anything close to being a franchise QB, but he doesn't have to be. His role isn't to lead the team to the Super Bowl; it's to lead them until they can find a franchise QB, something the previous regime failed at miserably.
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