Is the Phins Season Half-Full or Half-Empty?

Jimmy Bourbon

5 years ago

Fans see the Phins as half empty or half full based on their expectations for this season

So, the Phins went from being labeled one of the worst teams in NFL history to sucky but spunky. How quickly things can change in the NFL. Depending on your expectations heading into the season, this two-game win streak is good and bad.

Let’s start with the good things.

This Brian Flores is showing he might have what it takes to stay in town longer than the usual three years. That type of longevity has been rare in Miami over the last two decades.

The biggest and most obvious positive change is the limited amount of penalties. Miami is currently the least penalized team in the league. Miami hasn’t been this disciplined since the years of Coach Shula.

Fewer penalties are a direct result of good coaching and players knowing their roles and being responsible for them. This means the relationship between players and coaches is strong.

Coach Flores has shown himself to be aggressive.

How many times over the years have the Dolphins had a late lead, went to prevent defense, and let the opposing team walk down the field and score in the final seconds of the game to steal the win? The answer is countless times. However, this past Sunday, the Dolphins stuck to the aggressive defense and continued to bring pressure right to the last play of the game. This aggressiveness let them seal the win with a defensive stand.

It’s easy to be aggressive with nothing on the line. I hope Flores isn’t being aggressive because he has nothing to lose. Hopefully, once this team stocks up on talent he’ll continue the aggressive play calling.

The other good thing is despite Miami being the least talented teams in the NFL, they continue to improve on the field. In contrast, plenty of more talented teams are just imploding. This is another telltale sign of good coaching.

Many pinned their hopes on getting the #1 overall pick

Now to the obvious bad thing about starting to win this late: Miami’s playoff chances are slim to none and their draft position is dropping farther from the top quarterbacks.

The saving grace for those who want Tua or Burrows is both QBs appear to have the goods to both be franchise quarterbacks. Burrow has a bit of ‘Tom Brady’ in him but is even more mobile. Tua has a bit of that ‘Russell Wilson’ in him with his height, mobility, and accuracy. Drafting either would offer hope.

It would be nice if the Phins can still land one of these players without having to trade up and give away valuable draft picks. Missing out on both of them because we have 4 or 5 wins would be very disappointing.

Will Minkah haunt the Phins for years to come

The other negative note is the Minkah trade keeps getting worse. This guy has been unbelievable for the Steelers. Minkah had another interception last week and a fumble recovery that he ran back for a touchdown. He is also tied for first in the entire NFL with 5 interceptions. He has been a key reason for the Steelers turnaround. They are 5-3 since acquiring him.

Lastly, Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season. The Steelers are 5-5, and you can bet with the best pay per head bookie service (AcePerHead.com)that their first-round draft pick we acquired won’t be as high as originally thought when Roethlisberger went down.

Personally, I can’t wait for this season to end. The real excitement will begin in the offseason. Flush with cash to spend in free agency and draft picks, I want to see us solidify the trenches on both sides of the ball. Then we can really see what this coaching staff can do with an upgraded roster for 2020.

What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans’ thoughts?