Getty ImagesFor the three teams in the AFC East not named the Patriots, a vague sense existed at the outset of the season that failure to make the playoffs could result in a new head coach.
By failing to beat the Patriots in New England on Sunday, the Dolphins joined the Jets as AFC East non-playoff teams. And Joe Philbin could be joining Rex Ryan as non-head coaches as of December 29.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald explains in the aftermath of a loss that saw the Dolphins slide to 7-7 that Philbin’s time could indeed be up.
“Sunday felt like the end for Philbin, folks,” Salguero writes. “It felt over. More importantly, it felt like it should be over.”
Owner Stephen Ross, who tried to hire Jim Harbaugh when Tony Sparano was still Miami’s head coach, could make another run at Harbaugh. And it would be foolish to assume Ross hasn’t already gauged whether Harbaugh would be interested in the Dolphins. If Ross has determined that Harbaugh: (1) is interested; and (2) could be gotten via trade with the 49ers, then look for the Dolphins to fire Philbin on Black Monday, to comply with the Rooney Rule quickly, and to swing a deal for Harbaugh. If Harbaugh doesn’t want the job or if the 49ers and Dolphins can’t work out a deal, the question becomes whether Ross can find someone else who would constitute an upgrade over Philbin.
That’s where it gets risky for Ross. The devil he knows could be better than the devil he doesn’t. Then again, Ross may believe that new is far more important than immediately better.
New could be far more interesting than immediately better if the Dolphins decide to make a run at someone like Rex Ryan, who could give the franchise a kick in the ass, who knows the division well, and who would have a built-in incentive to try to take down the Jets twice per year, every year.
You know when they say nearly man ? That’s the expression Philbin’s Dolphins remind me of. He might have taken them as far as he could.
Rex Ryan? That’s hilarious. The Dolphins don’t need a coach that talks about what he’s going to do, they need a guy that will do it. Rex Ryan is a talker, plain and simple.
PhilBUM needs to go!
Miami’s offensive line still sucks.. but.. improved after ridding themselves of richie incognito.
As an exhausted Dolphins fan who’s watched her team look exactly the same for the duration of Philbin’s tenure, I hope this is accurate. Joe’s a nice guy but the team is stagnant and this way it’ll give management an excuse if they want to look for a new QB, too.
It’s not as if they were going to win in Foxboro in any case. One of the problems in the AFC East in the Brady era is that these other teams get desperate and try to get too good too fast. Philbin has built a nice defense and needs to tweak the roster to get receivers who can actually catch the ball. Those receivers leave too many points on the field.
Given the train wreck of controversy last year, the Dolphins and their fans have nothing to hang their heads about this year. They kicked our rears in week 1 and played tall and proud all year. Very good chance to make the playoffs next year – unless Ross does something dumb like hiring Rex.
Coaches who should/will he fired come Black Monday:
Joe Philbin
Rex Ryan
Jay Gruden
Tom Coughlin
Ron Rivera
Mike Smith
Probably should be fired but won’t be:
Doug Marrone
Ken Whisenhunt
Gus Bradley
Jeff Fisher
Lovie Smith
Have no freaking idea what will happen:
Jim Harbaugh
21st ranked Offense in the NFL
Crappy offensive lines and mediocre receiving corps are the main ingredients of a terrible modern NFL offense.
No way Tannehill should be gone, he has improved dramatically and if the OL was solid he would do better. I still say we need a LG and RT. And if BA comes back healthy then just a LG. Some LB help and DB help and that would help considerably.
Keep Lazor and maybe even The DC. But passive Philbin has to go.
Given the choice of one devil versus another, I’d go with an outside-of-the-supernatural-box option. Let logic light the lane.
I’ve been a Dolphins fan for about 20 years, and the recent spate of mediocrity is painful because just when it looks like the team is ready to get over the hump and be a decent team, or even a good team…they fail in a spectacular fashion and prove me and others utterly wrong.
The team that decimated the Chargers in a Madden-style, 37-0 rout? A+ effort. Dominated every phase of the ball. It was a sight to behold if you were a Dolphins fan.
Games like today? Where the bottom just falls right out, and pretty much nobody on either side of the ball can make any positive plays? F- effort. The Dolphins today had about 3 or 4 “good” plays, and the rest were awful.
A+ to F- evens out to a C average. Right down the middle. Exhausting, because the highs are often really high (See the demolition of New England Week 1, dominating the Chargers and Raiders, and even the come-from-behind win against the Jets felt great) and the lows are really, really low (the KC and Buffalo 1 losses, the Ravens loss, this loss today)
If these Dolphins had gone 9-7 and won tough games, and lost a few close ones…we could probably accept that. If they went 10-6, we could have accepted that. We didn’t expect them to go from 8-8 to 12-4 and #1 or #2 seed in the playoffs.
But good coaches get the best out of their teams more often than not. And while Joe Philbin does seem like a genuinely nice guy, he doesn’t seem like the kind of fire-in-the-hole motivator that a team really needs.
Tannehill has progressed, and Bill Lazor seems like the right OC.
Jarvis Landry? Exciting rookie receiver. Ju’Wuan James? Solid RT. I like Hickey as GM.
But Philbin has said all year that “It starts with me”. Well, when your team gags like they’ve done for 3 years straight…it may have to end with you too, Coach.
Armando was right. It did feel funeral-like today.
Yes, there is a lot to be hopeful for this year. Tannehill, I believe, has shown he canbe the QB they hoped he would, an entirely new offensive line, which is unheard of, played way above expectations, and basically 10:32 away from being 10-3. However, at the end of the day it’s the same old Dolphins with same old results. Generally, when a team beats teams in the first half (and most of them for the first 3 quarters) and loses…that’s on your coaches.
Hugs fellow Dolphin Fans, you see next year… 😦
Another disappointing season. Need some serious elite players on offense and fill out that offensive line better. Tannehill looks like he has what it takes, but I wouldn’t rule out drafting a QB late. Defense has no identity, lacks a consistent pass rush, tackling, and the linebackers are below average.
Team’s a mess and someone needs to clean it up this spring and summer.
Miami’s play on the field seems to be a direct reflection of Joe Philbin’s personality. No emotion, no heart, no fight and certainly no killer instinct to close out a game. Is one thing to keep it professional on the sideline, it’s something else entirely to show no passion for the game win, lose or draw.
on hard knocks I saw a guy who would have a hard time as a HC connecting with his players.
wouldn’t surprise me.
I’d be more than elated to swap Miami’s “weak” WRs for the ones we trot out here in KC
The quintessential good coordinator bad head coach.
As a packers fan i wouldn’t mind him coming back to call the offensive plays….
Coach Highway is not going down without a fight.
I can’t stand Philbin but don’t understand getting rid of him..the team has gotten better ..they have a young qb who has been getting better…why derail that…maybe that’s why Miami always caps out..
All the Dolphins fans seem to agree:
Tannehill should stay. Hickey is making good moves. The O-Line needs revamping. Lazor was a value add at OC.
I wouldn’t be upset if Lazor is promoted to head coach.
Harbaugh seems like a mistake, and who else out there is appealing?
Lazor will be a head coach in the NFL soon… the Dolphins shouldn’t let that happen on another team.
Albert at his age can’t be trusted at LT. We need to find a compliment to James in the draft. He was such a good draft pick. If we can repeat that value in the first round next year we will be money.
Lastly, we need a new DC… somebody who can get the best out of Vernon, Wake, and Jordan.
I was really really hoping the game I’m flying to Florida to see next week would have more meaning…. should have got it done against the Ravens. Ugh.
See ya, Philbin.
@coltzfan166
Marrone should be fired? The Bills are 8-6, guaranteed their first non-losing season since 2004.
Oh PLEASE hire Wrecks Ryan!!!!!! PLEEEEAAAASEE!!!!!
The fans in Miami will most assuredly be ecstatic!
Ross needs to Make Marino President of football operations, and let him handle the next coaching search.
No Marino doesn’t have experience at this, but at least he is a football guy who has connections with football minds and would be better suited for selecting the next person to lead the franchise going forward.
Ross might mean well, but he doesn’t have a clue and has failed unbelievably his last 2 coaching/GM searches.
No more Amature hour please.
Rex Ryan actually wouldn’t be horrible considering the pieces in place already.
He would have guided the Jets to the Super Bowl if he had had a better QB than Mark Sanchez. I don’t LIKE him per say, but he’s had absolutely nothing to work with talent wise the last 3 years and his coaching job last year, taking 4 win talent and squeezing 8 wins out of them, was hugely impressive.
The wheels just fell off this season. The Jets are God awful and will be for a while it seems.
Another offensive coordinator who does not appear to be head coaching material. See Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins.
@ tigersfandan
I’m not saying I agree with it. That team definitely is better than last year. But given the ownership change and the Bills’ failure to make the playoffs yet again, I’d be surprised if he’s back next year.
Probably for the best. I like the guy, but this is the second time that they’ve fumbled their playoff chances away.
The team hasn’t really won big games.
The Dolphins are performing almost exactly to level of their talent this year.
To me, the only reason you fire a coach is because you believe the talent on the roster is better than their record.
I don’t know how anyone can think that about the Dolphins.
It’s the PLAYERS, stupid.
I can’t decide whether I want Philbin fired or not. This team seems to be better than they’ve been in years but they’re still stuck in a state of perpetual mediocrity, always good enough to miss the playoffs by one or two games. But there is one thing I know for sure…
The worst mistake we could make would be hiring the psycho Jim Harbaugh or the diarrhea-mouthed Rex Ryan. Both are currently on the outs on their own teams because they are leading dysfunctional organizations. Neither have been able to develop players, and neither is currently winning. One has alienated everyone who once supported him and the other is so blindly loyal to his players that his teams always lack discipline.
We don’t need that nonsense in a time when the team is so close to being a contender, but the bottom can fall out at any moment if they’re not careful. Hickey has done a good job in his first year as GM and he needs to be allowed to bring in someone he is comfortable with. If Philbin is fired, there are way better candidates out there…
Bill Lazor
Pep Hamilton
Darrell Bevell
John Pagano
Todd Bowles
Gary Kubiak
Tom Clements
Adam Gase
Brian Kelly (unlikely but who knows)
Has anyone seen Tannehill throw the deep ball?
He’s awful.
Among their many needs, the Dolphins need a top-tier quarterback. Tannehill is just a guy. When you look at the truly elite QB’s in the league (and there’s really not that many), he’s a million miles away from that level.
Not sure how I feel about this one. Yes, the team has not finished regular seasons well over the past few years, but what good does it do for the QB drafted and developed to the point where he will have to be paid starting QB market money? He is going to be thrust into the age old inconsistent QB bin where he is saddled with three different offensive systems in three years. In what world, when the team pays him cap killing money, is this a good investment? How in the world can one organization expect to overtake another organization, which is the model of consistency by constantly being inconsistent? That is the problem in the AFC East and why the Patriots are finishing where they are year after year.
My take is to give Philbin one more year to make the playoffs; this way Tannehill can develop in the system further, the team can address the o-line issues, shed Wallace’s contract and fortify the defense. Knee jerk decisions always result in sitting at the top of the draft, desperately searching for 50/50 crap shoot saviors. Stay the course and load up on talent…go with the devil you know and give him an arsenal that will challenge the league. Firing the coach means starting all over again and another division title for the team that’s been rolling the Dolphins and smoking them often since 2002.
It’s so funny to me how the same teams keep repeating the same cycles. How many coaching changes have the other AFC East teams had since Brady/Belichick? When will one of these teams realize the Patriots success is partly due to consistency? I enjoy all the change because it ensures my team keeps winning. The Dolphins are not a bad team and maybe with some consistency they would get over the hump. Lots of talented players. Firing the coach will start it all over and quite frankly I don’t believe Harbaugh is a good coach… He inherited a great defense from the previous regime and won with it. After lots of injuries this year he has shown he’s not a good coach, good coaches adapt and get the most from the players they have ( like Belichick). In my opinion the fins should keep philbin and continue the team building. If they fire him it only ensures more wins for my pats.
From an outsider’s POV, the Dolphins have improved under Joe Philbin, especially considering the time and energy spent on the Incognito/Martin controversy. He deserves to finish his contract and be fairly evaluated at that time IMO.
Like players, HCs and GMs need to grow and develop too. I think JPs learning curve is behind him and the GM is bringing in some good players. Getting rid of either right now is a Redskins type of move.
Bring in Rex Ryan? You must be kidding. Why not bring in Jets GM Idzik too? They can do for the Dolphins what they’ve done for the Jets.
It’s 2014, time to dump the Rooney Rule. It’s beyond racist.
LOL at Rex Ryan who may know defense but let’s face it he’s clueless regarding offense and has no idea what a quarterback looks like. He dumped a serviceable Mark Sanchez who is now productive with the Eagles. Philbin has trouble identifying a QB also. Ryan Tannehill can’t beat the better teams or bad teams when it counts for the playoffs. He has improved but throws a ball that is inaccurate and difficult catch. (no arch)
Regarding the Rooney Rule and candidates; Ross decided not to go with Todd Bowles who won for him as an interim coach. Ross should have stayed with Todd who is a great defensive coach with Arizona and is one of the top candidates to become a head coach. Moreover Ross moved on from a QB in Matt Moore who he gave a good contract to be the back up QB. Ross has to start making the right decisions at QB and coach and my guess is he knows it. He did hire Dan Marino as an adviser so I would suspect that Ross might go with Todd Bowles as his head coach and would be better off doing so irrespective of the Rooney Rule.
The problem is not Rex Ryan or philbin it’s Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck.
Does anyone really think their teams are going to win the division against these two?
You should be plan to peak in 5 years when Brady retires.
NO EXCUSES! FIRE JOE PHILBIN! When players start saying in the press, “I’m not the one to talk to about the coach’s job security,” that tells me Philbin is FAILBIN! Joe Philbin has lost more than football games. JO PHILBIN LOST THE TEAM! FIRE JOE PHILBIN!
The way clears for Harbaugh…
Who’s going to be the next Dolphins coach? As Dwayne Johnson might say … It doesn’t matter who the coach is going to be. Whoever goes to that burned out shell of a great franchise is only being hired to be fired.
I’ve been a life long Dolphins fan but If Ross hires Rex Ryan I’m finished!!!!!
Rex Ryan isn’t nearly as awful as people make him seem. A players coach who had absolutely nothing to work with. Took a subpar Mark Sanchez to the AFC Championship twice. Need’s a good offensive coordinator to mess with that but Rex wouldn’t be bad. The Jets problems don’t start with the head coach, they start in the front office. Ryan has a hell lot more heart then Philbin, wouldn’t kill to see some emotion out of that guy. I thought Philbin should have been booted last year after all that crap with the bullying scandal.
“the question becomes whether Ross can find someone else who would constitute an upgrade over Philbin.”
LOL…..Coach Buttermaker of the Bad News Bears would be an upgrade.
How about Rex Ryan as D coordinator & Harbaugh as head coach…..that could be a dream or a nightmare but would at least be a show!
With the exception of a handful of games, this team has been competitive with the best teams this league has to offer this year. Personally, I liked seeing Tannehill’s growth this year. He’s far from an elite option but he’s good enough to win games.
Personally, my take is this.
If trading up for Mariota (if only to keep him away from those damned Jets) is an option, do it. Otherwise let Philbin and Tannehill play out their last year together. The injury bug hit us HARD the last 3-4 weeks.
Take another shot with the same staff next season and try to upgrade this team in some critical areas in the offseason. (pass catching TE, top tier LBers, Guard help, maybe another early CB).
This team has a lot of solid pieces to build on. And before we go calling for anyone’s head we have to think about what other options are on the table. And right now? There aren’t that many. I do however think Tannehill has hit his ceiling, talent wise. The best he can do now is improve his game managing and decision making. I think we can all agree he wont miraculously start hitting the deep ball.
I feel Philbin got better results out of his team last year than this year
No way would I pay Tannenhill top shelf QB money, serviceable maybe
There where 3 close loses that leave room for would have could have. Green Bay, Denver, and Detriot. All 3 teams 10 + wins.
Game I expected alot more out of Miami was the Baltimore game.
So fi if it wasnt for a bad break or two, they would be around 9-5.
Dallas rolled the dice with Garret and it looks like it paid off, after 3 years of around mediocre seasons
I think the Dolphins would be better next year if the kept Philbin. Sorry I dont think that Incognito Martin mess can be cleaned up in 1 year.
Hartline seems hit or miss. I think Miami needs a solid hands guy, a better o-line before they fire philbin.
Draft I would do
Oline, wide receiver, some type of safety/corner hybird to cover tight ends (gronk).
As a Pats fan I would like you to fire Philbin and replace him with Rex.
There is a list of coaches out there that should be fired I dont think Im ready to put him on that list.
Expensive wino you been sampling too much,Tannehill is a good QB he has gotten better evry year…& his deep pass has gotten much better especially when Wallace sticks both hands out to catch it.
GOOD FIRE PHILBIN NOW!!! This team has QUIT on the season & just completely forgot to show up the last 2 games & I don’t think they’re gonna even win the next 2!!! FIRE PHILBIN NOW!!!