Sad but true: Dolphins must climb out of AFC East cellar

By Hugo Guzman  |   Thursday, July 26, 2007  |  Comments( 23 )

Miami Dolphins
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Most fans of the Miami Dolphins always go into the season expecting big things from their franchise. If not a Super Bowl ring, they are definitely looking for a winning season and shot at the playoffs.

Sadly for Miami's fans, coming off a 6-10 record and five straight years of postseason exclusion, that type of outlook is looking frighteningly unrealistic.

Somehow, though, fans and media alike are seemingly convinced that the Dolphins can compete for a postseason berth in 2007. Never mind the fact that New England has upgraded both its offense and defense and is the odds-on favorite to win it all. Forget about the fact that the New York Jets made the playoffs a year ago and seem to be one of the few teams capable of confounding the juggernaut Patriots. Overlook the fact that Buffalo swept Miami last year and seems to have had the Dolphins' number for quite a few seasons now.

How can this be? How is it that the South Florida faithful can be so blindly optimistic about a franchise that is now arguably the laughingstock of the AFC East?

Well, for starters, Miami is used to winning. The franchise is one of the most successful in the modern NFL era, appearing in five Super Bowls and winning two. In addition, before their recent postseason downswing, which began in 2001, the Dolphins had reached the playoffs in nine of the prior 12 seasons, dating all the way back to 1990. Obviously, then, everyone just assumes that the team will be back in the thick of the playoff race any time now.

Fortunately, in one sense, everyone is right. The Dolphins are more or less due for a postseason appearance, especially when you consider that league parity has made it commonplace for teams with losing records to immediately bounce back into contention. Heck, just last year the New Orleans Saints went from 3-13 to 10-6, reaching the NFC Championship game and falling just short of a Super Bowl berth.

However, one must recognize two things: 1. The Saints play in a much weaker division than the Dolphins; 2. Miami does not have the emotional benefit of rallying around a comeback from a major catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina (although, interestingly enough, Katrina did strike South Florida before intensifying and racking the Gulf Coast).

Still, there are reasons to believe that Miami could pull off a Saints-like turnaround.

Like New Orleans, Miami brought in a proven veteran quarterback, Trent Green, who could prove to be a major upgrade if healthy.

The Dolphins also added the poor man's Reggie Bush in former Florida State standout Lorenzo Booker, a fourth-round pick and perfect complement to bruising the Deuce McAllister-esque Ronnie Brown.

Lastly, although he is not in camp yet, first-round receiver Ted Ginn Jr., similar to Marques Colston, could provide some offensive punch on the outside.

Miami already possesses a defense that is equal to or better than New Orleans', so it really isn't a complete stretch to believe that the Dolphins could somehow return to NFL relevance in 2007.

For now, though, just getting out of the AFC East cellar would likely suffice for fans.

Get daily Miami Dolphins coverage at RealFootball365.com
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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