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The Miami Dolphins’ 41-13 humiliating blowout loss to the New England Patriots Sunday wasn’t just the last nail in the Dolphins season, it was the six-feet of dirt on Joe Philbin’s tenure as head coach. With the team’s playoff hopes on the line, the Dolphins found every way, from start-to-finish, to make sure there would be no question as to whether this season could be saved; it’s over, and so is Joe Philbin’s time in Miami.
Joe Philbin is now 22-24 in three seasons with Miami, and has no playoff appearances, much less a playoff win, to show for it.
Philbin was brought in lead this Dolphins team away from its mediocre ways, but instead has a .478 winning percentage as the Phins coach; Tony Sparano was fired at .475 percent, and Philbin has not been much of an upgrade. That’s not what the “offensive guru” from Green Bay was brought here to do, and it’s surely not what the Dolphins envisioned when they overspent on players these past few years to give him and his staff all the talent they would need to win.
The loss drops the Dolphins to 7-7, completely out of the playoff race, and losers of four of their last six. Two weeks ago the Dolphins sat in control of their own playoff destiny. Today they sit third in the AFC East behind the 8-6 Buffalo Bills. That’s not exactly what owner Stephen Ross had in mind when he said it would take “progress” for Joe Philbin and his staff to remain in Miami.
The Dolphins now limp to the finish, with two utterly meaningless games in December once again; this time against the Vikings and Jets. All at stake now is draft position and a coach trying to save face; or basically exactly the same thing that is nearly every year with this franchise come Christmas. Reports before kickoff had the Dolphins as one of the many teams interested in 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh’s services next season; but that move would require not only a record breaking contract. a trade of picks, the firing of your general manager Dennis Hickey; but Harbaugh actually choosing Miami, something Ross hasn’t been able to get high profile people to do, well, ever.
The Dolphins have many decisions to make this offseason on players, mainly whether or not to pick up the $15 million dollar option on Ryan Tannehill. It’s just unclear who will be making those decisions; you can be pretty sure Joe Philbin won’t be involved.
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