Miami Dolphins Fire Head Coach Tony Sparano

Hours after the Kansas City Chiefs said good-bye to head coach Todd Haley, the Miami Dolphins dismiss head coach Tony Sparano. The former coach joins the list of Jack Del Rio and Todd Haley for fired coaches in the 2011-12 season.

Was the firing tough luck or bad coaching from the former Dolphins’ coach? In result of many season-ending injuries including starting quarterback Chad Henne, there was thought to believe head coach Tony Sparano would receive a free pass this season, but oh boy was I wrong.

In Miami, the former head coach had some flaws with his performance numbers. He posted a 29-32 record, not making the playoffs three out of the four years under management. It is frustrating from a president’s perspective when you have talent and they don’t show weeks in and weeks out. In order for the team to stay intact you must put the blame on the man running the team.

The highly competitive and free-spirited coach was fun to watch, very classy in the locker-room, and a players’ coach at heart. Throughout every game of the season whether it be the first week or last, you would see him hyping up and appaulding his team on the sidelines for their contributions on the field.

Tony Sparano will be missed as head coach of the Miami Dolphins but it is time to move on and take a different direction for the good of the franchise. When quarterback Matt Moore went down with a head injury in week 13, I could tell their could be a rebuilding process in the making, just a matter of when.

Another note, Jeff Ireland hired former Kansas City Chiefs’ president Carl Peterson to fill in the executive vice president of football operations position, which was once managed by Bill Parcells.

Could the Miami Dolphins win out?

The Miami Dolphins lost seven straight games in the beginning of the 2011-12 season. Since then, they have won three straight games against Kansas City, Washington, and Buffalo.

Dallas, Oakland, Philadelphia, Buffalo, New England, and New York are the teams left on the Miami Dolphins remaining schedule. It’s tough to win out but I believe the Dolphins can beat all of these teams left in the season.

A battle of who can keep their streak alive sums up the game between the Cowboys and Dolphins. The Dallas Cowboys have three consecutives wins of their own going into week 12. So who gets their fourth? I have always said Tony Romo is one of the most inconsistent quarterbacks in the NFL and still believe it, despite where the Cowboys are. Romo has 2,000 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and two interceptions this season  but the question that rises is which Tony Romo will show up week in and week out. With the Cowboys standing on top of the NFC East (6-4), there is some kind of urgency to stay on top of the one of the toughest divisions in the league especially with the Eagles struggling.

The Oakland Raiders has been one of the biggest suprising teams this year leading the AFC West with six wins. The reason why they have been on a roll is their tenaisity in running the football.This year Oakland averages roughly 156 rushing yards per game. Plus with the acquistion of Carson Palmer sure gives them a more dynamic offense since the Rich Gannon days. Oakland could indefinitely lock up the AFC West with the San Diego Chargers struggling and the Denver Broncos hoping.

Philadelphia has gone from the toughest team in the NFL in the beginning of the season to becoming one of the worst teams in the league. Is it because of injuries? I think even if Vick and Jeremy Maclin were healthy it wouldn’t matter, the team has not been in sync. Vince Young had one heck of a performance down the stretch on Monday Night but it’s tough to think that Vince Young could be their starting quarterback week in and week out.

Seeing how the Dolphins dominated the Bills Sunday, there will be an essence of revenge in the air and a fight for who can keep up with the New England Patriots and  N.Y. Jets in the AFC East standings. Buffalo’s woes are becoming even worse now that Fred Jackson is out for a good while with a calf injury.

What is left in front are New England and New York. As of late New England has had troubles on the defensive side of the ball, especially with the pass rush. The Patriots are last in allowed passing yards with 300 yards. If Matt Moore can be secured he could go off and have a field day throwing to his destined targets.

New York is having conflicts across the line especially at the quarterback position. Mark Sanchez could have to hand the reign to 41-year-old Marc Brunell. The Jets average 218 passing yards per game, which is 20th in the NFL and struggling to run the ball consistently has to be in the mindset of Rex Ryan. Does he bench Sanchez for the 41-year-old?

All of these teams have some conflicts and woes in their organization thus far and could be troubling down the stretch. With the Miami Dolphins are on the rise. Change in the standings coming soon?

Miami Dolphins: First Win of the Season

The Miami Dolphins defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-3 in a tough bolstering surrounding crowd at Arrowhead Stadium. Miami improves to 1-7 and the Chiefs decrease to 4-4 on the season.

With the Miami Dolphins lacking to score points or hold leads going into the fourth quarter, they have showed their offense or defense can spark at anytime. Cameron Wake, Kevin Burnett, Yeremiah Bell, and Jimmy Wilson led the charge on the defensive side of the ball. The unstoppable defense only allowed three points against a red hot Chiefs team.  With the offensive line not giving Matt Cassel any time to settle in the pocket, the Dolphins took adavantage recording five sacks in the win.

Matt Moore tied his career high with three touchdowns. Moore contributed 244 passing yards and three touchdowns. The reason why he was so successful was the offensive line. Great protection earns great performances.

Reggie Bush finally looking like the “Reggie of the University of Southern California”. The running back earns player of the game in my mind. He was all over the place from catching passes from Matt Moore to burning the turf off the field. Reggie Bush contributed 142 all purpose yards and one touchdown.

If the Dolphins could just finish games they would be an above .500 team easily. Having the lead going into the fourth has been a problem this season but today they finished and earn themselves a fantastic win. Next week the Dolphins will take on the Washington Redskins, some say this should be an easy win but you never know what Miami team will come ready to play on Sunday.

Reggie Bush’s highlights

Miami Dolphins: Is it Tony Sparano’s fault?

Just another case of missed opportunities including missed tackles, turnovers, and simply not catching the football, you know fundamentals of football. “If they just played all three quarters, the Miami Dolphins would be well over .500,” ESPN’s Mark Schtereth said. Fourth quarter has been missing all season for the Miami Dolphins, getting outscored 43-16, which doesn’t get the job done.

Out of all their seven games thus far they have lost by 10 points or less. Who to blame? Offense, defense, or the coaching staff. I would not put all the weight on these losses on the shoulders of Tony Sparano. This team has been competing week after week.

Does the old saying “We aren’t playing good because of the injuries” come into play? I would say not. If you look at the roster on paper, they don’t have the feeling of a 0-7 team. There is plenty of depth in the runningback position with Daniel Thomas, Reggie Bush, and Steve Slaton. The quarterback situation is slowly progessing with Matt Moore under center. Jake Long and Mike Pouncey are holding the bulk on the line.

I think there should be pointing fingers at the defense. The Miami Dolphins on the defensive side (pass rush to be specific) has been horrendous. In the 2011-2012 season, they are ranked 27th in the NFL for the opppositions’ passing yards, giving up over 205 yards.

Check out the game preview when the Miami Dolphins travel to Arrowhead Stadium to play the Kansas Chiefs later on in the week.