The NFL Continues to Surprise in 2012 as a Dolphin Goes Belly-Up!

 

The NFL Continues to Surprise in 2012 as a Dolphin Goes Belly-Up!

 

“A Dolphin Drowns” is not exactly a fact or headline that any of us have ever read before. Yes, we’ve heard about those massive Great Whites that can rip apart a dolphin on a bad day, but a Titan from Tennessee? You’d think that – unless the Titan was from the ‘Clash of…’ where they held perhaps a golden trident with magic inside that ruled over the seas – a dolphin would have the speed to simply swim away. But…not when it comes to the NFL.

 

We’ve been speaking every week about the ‘oddities’ that are happening out on ‘them thar’ fields.’ From seeing the Atlanta Falcons become the only unbeaten team (not anymore, of course) – to seeing the Rams and the Niners go into overtime and TIE? What is that about? Not to mention watching and wondering what on earth the Manning Thanksgiving table will be like when Peyton (the one who suddenly can’t lose) sits down beside Eli (the one who is a Super Bowl defender who suddenly can’t seem to win). I would basically put that turkey carving knife on the other side of the room if I was Peyton. So, each and every Sunday we are seeing the opposite of what we believe will happen, causing this to be one of the most interesting and frustrating football seasons ever played.

 

When it comes to the “dolphin that drowned,” it was a truly strange thing to see the Miami Dolphins score only THREE points in an entire football game. Now, have they been bad all year? Not even close. Miami can actually say they had a very good October, unlike other teams. They can also hold their heads far above any Jet who is basically just heading to the field already knowing they’re going to lose the game. Heck, even if they played the refs right now in a game of flag football they’d most likely lose.

 

But one of the toughest things to do when it comes to being a football team is making the WHOLE season a success without breaking a sweat. Now gosh knows, back in the days of coach Don, the Dolphins did prove that they could go unbeaten, and having the arm of Dan Marino made them one of the most popular teams on top of that. But this is 2012, and the Dolphins are what you would call a very young team that is trying desperately to ‘move out of their father’s house’ and make it on their own. They have a history to live up to – a monumental weight on their backs – and they have a future to create so they can go into the record books side-by-side with the Miami ‘greats.’

 

37-3 – that’s the odd score that showed on your television screens as the Tennessee Titans literally mopped the floor with the Dolphins. For older fans, 1970 seems a really long way away now – the year that the Dolphins joined the NFL when the AFL-NFL merged.

 

The older fans remember fondly the team that made its first Super Bowl appearance in VI, when they lost to the Cowboys who also had a far better past than they are having a present. But it was in 1972 that the Dolphins offered the NFL the ONLY perfect season ever played ending with the ‘big win’ at Super Bowl VII, then earning it again in VIII.

 

Don Shula is the most successful head coach in professional football history in terms of total games won, and his “well-swimming” Dolphins racked up only two losing records out of twenty-six seasons when Shula was at the helm. There were tons of Hall of Famers, and then – from 1983 to the close of 1999 – Dan Marino established himself as one of the best QB’s in NFL history.

 

So, yes, today’s Dolphins are struggling to live up to – or even come close to – the past. And their egos have definitely been stroked up until now, considering that many of those ‘analysts’ we all love so much were shouting to the hilltops that the Dolphins were headed to the playoffs. And, let’s face it, the Titans were not exactly coming into Miami with any ego whatsoever, considering the Bears made them look like mice scurrying around for cheese last week.

So, like I said, when it came to this particular match-up it was already played and the Dolphins had won. BUT…the oddities keep on coming, showing the world a very red-faced Dolphin team, and making their home fans sorely miss the olden days.

Head coach, Philbin, was beyond confused. The team’s leader, Bush, actually found a seat on the bench after fumbling and sat with his own confused look, while Richie Incognito didn’t look anything like his last name when he literally ‘flipped out’ and received a penalty that seriously cost the Dolphins. The defense took a day off, and Ryan Tannehill, QB extraordinaire, proved to one and all that he is still a ‘rookie’ and needs far more time and practice before he’ll ever be everyone’s favorite. Having three interceptions, he actually looked like he was much closer to Tebow than he’ll ever be to the mighty Marino.

 

Now, Tennessee is not what you would call a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination, and their offense is not on anyone’s ‘unbeatable’ list, but with all the help the Dolphins gave them by starting and staying as confused as possible, the Titans actually looked like a different team. (Don’t worry, that won’t last).

 

For Miami this was and is a season to rebuild and begin again, and fans saw that with this game. If it helps any, rookie QB’s don’t remain rookies, and even though this game was hideous – Tannehill has shown that he has what it takes to be the next ‘big gun.’ These are a pack of young, over-achievers who simply got their come-uppance this weekend. But, don’t worry…the dolphin WILL swim again!

This Moment in Sports is Brought to By:   Be First Media Group

Until Next Time, Everybody,

Amy