The season, like every year as I get older, goes by faster and faster. This year was no exception, it felt like last week I was watching week 1 against the Titans. The longest game in NFL history. A fast 3-0 start to the season and everyone was buzzing. A blowout loss to New England and an injured Ryan Tannehill. It seemed like a quick eternity of Brock Osweiler and bam a 7-7 record. The season is over. Again, another mediocre season with an off-season full of questions. Do the Dolphins keep Gase? Tannehill? Does Wake retire? Who will run the Defense? Does the GM stay? Harbaugh?
All I want for Christmas is a new direction for the Miami Dolphins. Constantly switching coaches, players, personnel, it’s just never ideal for any team. However, finding a combination that works is the key to success. My opinion, in today’s NFL, the most successful and deep teams have young Quarterbacks on rookie deals. When Jared Goff and Pat Maholmes are making a few million dollars, compared to Tannehill (26 million for 2019) and Matthew Stafford, the team can spend elsewhere. When you invest all the money into a Quarterback then other positions and depths will falter. It’s robbing Peter to pay Paul, but that’s business. The going rate for stop gate veteran Quarterbacks is outrageous. Case Keenum 20 million per year, Free agent Sam Bradford got 15 million for 3 games. Tyrod Taylor 16 million. Draft someone and pay him little money and build a team around him. Santa, please bring me a new Quarterback in April’s Draft.
All I want for Christmas is to know if Kenyan Drake or Kalen Ballage will be Lead Back in 2019! I’m upset Frank Gore is going to miss the rest of the season. He was the ultimate warrior and brought more to the game then I thought he would this year. A real throwback player, nothing but respect. It was refreshing to see Kalen Ballage break through the line for 75-yards. He reminds me of a faster Brandon Jacobs. He looks like a Free Safety. He is built like a brick house, I like that. I still wonder why no Drake this year? I hope owner, Stephen Ross, asks Adam Gase at the end of the year… “Why didn’t you give Kenyan Drake the ball more”? Put him with an average Offense and he would get 1,500 total yards and 13 touchdowns. Last week he got 4 total touches. Most games he doesn’t see a touch in the 1st quarter. If Gase doesn’t like Drake, then trade him. He could net a mid-round pick in return. Santa, can you please bring me a coach that will utilize Drake and Ballage going forward?
This season is the typical Miami Dolphin season since the ladder part of the Marino years. Mediocre. Average. Good and bad. Not good enough to make any noise, won’t make the playoffs. Not bad enough to get a high draft pick and select a Quarterback. Purgatory. That’s what it’s like being a fan. Always stuck in neutral, better times ahead. Always a year away every year. I wonder what it’s like to win a playoff game? I can’t remember what it felt like to win a playoff game. Last playoff win was over 20 years ago. Lamar Smith ran for 200 plus yards. Jay Fiedler was the QB. I was 9 years old. As a kid I used to bleed Miami Dolphin colors, as a man I still do. Like anything in life, there are ups and downs. Our time has to be coming soon. We have been a poorly run franchise since Shula left. We have to catch a break of some sorts soon.
Santa, how about a little good luck going forward? Can we start with maybe Tom Brady retiring? That would be a start…. 2 games left.
As always, Phins up!
