Miami Dolphins Midseason Analysis

After a head coaching fiasco, an 18 week NFL lockout, and a limited training camp, it was time for football. Sure there was some optimism for the 2011 Dolphins campaign. QB Chad Henne and WR Brandon Marshall's hopefull progression, the newly acquired Reggie Bush, and a young and stingy defense. There was also a lot of skepticism too. Coach Sparano and his difficult offseason, the losses of long time running backs Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, and of course another season of playing in the always competitive AFC East division. The season began with a wild opening Monday Night game against the arch-rival Patriots. QB Tom Brady did his usual routine and then some, picking apart the Dolphins D for 516 yards and 4 TD's. However, Chad Henne had a game for the ages as well, throwing for 416 yards and 2 TD's. It was not enough though as Brady and the Pats dissected Miami's D en route to a 38-24 win. Yes, the defense was a huge dissappointment but Dolphins fans had to be pleased with Henne's performance. Over the next two weeks though, the Dolphins dropped a home game to Houston and lost a heartbreaker in Cleveland in the final seconds. After a visit to the Chargers in week 4, Chad Henne went down with a shoulder injury, ultimately ending his season and possibly his career as a Dolphin. And in stepped backup Matt Moore. Now with a newly acquired, albeit inexperienced QB, the Dolphins season seems all but lost as they now sit at 0-7 with a brutal schedule to finish the season. The lone bright spot thus far has been rookie RB Daniel Thomas from Kansas State. Although he has only played in 4 games due to a nagging hamstring injury he has rushed for 302 yards and is averaging 4.0 yards per carry, a Dolphins rookie record. Yes, the team is winless and making the playoffs is not a possibility but the team has been competitive in every game. It is merely a problem of finishing games as they have been outscored 28-9 in the fourth quarter and overtime the past two weeks. Most of the buzz surrounding the Dolphins now deals with the "Suck for Luck" campaign. With Stanford QB Andrew Luck entering the NFL Draft next year, many Dolphins fans are rooting for the team to lose in order to secure the first pick in next years draft in hopes of landing the best QB prospect since Peyton Manning.