Season mid-point

[Duper85]

Personally despite being sat at 3-5, I am happy with how we're progressing. We are not a playoff calibre side at the moment, but there is plenty still to be optimistic about.

We must have had the toughest schedule in the NFL for our first 8 games, the 2 unbeaten sides both at home, the Pats, plus Atl and SD on the road who are all excellent sides. You could consider us unlucky to lose to the Colts and the Saints, on the flip side we were possibly not the best team in the Jets road game, but came through with the win. Personally after that start, I think 3-5 is a reasonable position and reflects the standard of our opposition and ourselves.

We're a long way from that 1-15 team and we have broken the back of our really tough schedule. Now we have to go forward into the supposedly easier part of the schedule

To put things in perspective.
Teams faced so far combined record (including the Jets twice): 43-21
Teams still to play combined record: 29-35

BUT the important thing is to now DELIVER in the 2nd half of the schedule. We need to be aiming as a potential wild card spot - even if that is over-optimistic we need to believe we can get to 10-6. If we end up 8-8 we will have done pretty well IMO.

We have roster holes but many many less than we had 2 years ago. We all know about the probs at WR and this is a problem which simply must be solved somehow. I fully expect us to draft a WR in the first 2 rounds in this season's draft.

The D can be excellent, but I'd love to see better pass rush and we must admit that our secondary is a work in progress. The DL has been the outstanding unit this year across the entire team for me, and my 2 players of the year so far are Kendall Langford and Randy Starks. The only other concern here is NT depth - Soliai has shown he has potential but he needs to play at a consistent level.

All in all I'm not a disappointed Fin right now and I like the way this team is heading.

[Cornishman32]

Nice post. Completely agree with everything there Dupes. Obviously this team still has a ways to go before we're serious contenders, and we definatley have a number of flaws, but I love what the coaching staff is doing, and I love how they are slowly building this team.

1.5 seasons into the rebuild, we should be completely thrilled given that this rebuild is coming off that 1-15 season. We've got loads to be optimistic about. With the offensive and defensive lines, we've really built the foundations of a very good team. We just need another offseason or two to flesh out some of the skilled positions, and put a few more pieces in place. I truly believe we're not too far away, and I'll be disappointed if we're not serious playoff condenders in 2010 - maybe not Super Bowl condenders but serious playoff condenders.

We're better than 3-5, but that schedule is brutal... although I love the fact that the coaching staff has the Dolphins playing hard. disciplined football every game, and we're giving the elite teams all they can handle for sure. We're well on the way, and if you'd told me last year that we'd be this good, I'd have been thrilled. It's all been a bit of an anticlimax after last years surprise playoff run, but I still think this team is just as good as last years.

I'm just preying that Chad Henne is the answer at QB, because if he does not turn out to be the real deal, no matter how good the rest of the team is, it could set us back in the rebuild.

[Ramsio777]

At the midpoint I am relatively optimistic. Apart from the Atlanta no-show we have been competitive in each game and our young players continue to develop.

Work is still to be done in the off season. The glaring lack of quality at WR is there for all to see and desperately need a quality MLB.
Vitally, the 2 lines are almost set. The OL is one of the better in the league and as Duper says we do need a NT, but our DE's have been superb this year. The CB's are very much on a learning curve and the 2 safeties have shown improvement in recent weeks.

The schedule gets easier from here on in it seems so will be interesting to see how Miami kick on. I would hope that at the current rate of progress Miami are nailed on SB contenders by 2011, but the ambiguity of the situation regarding the CBA could damage a number of teams slowly building for the future, including Miami

[bryanod]

It has been satisfactory, but at the same time can't help but think we could have been even better.

WR was my major concern all pre-season and has come back to haunt us, never trusted who we had/drafted, and sadly seem to have been proven right.

Combined with our LB corp, the biggest problems we have.

8-8 would be very good from here.

[Cornishman32]

I'd be pretty happy with 8-8 TBH... and with 6 pretty winnable games against TB, JAX, BUF, HOU, CAR & TEN still to come, i'd almost be disappointed if we didn't finish 8-8.

[Duper85]

never trusted who we had/drafted, and sadly seem to have been proven right.
Can't argue with that, the lack of a Patrick Turner sighting is a disappointment.

[Cornishman32]

I was saying right from draft day that I didn't like the selections of White and Turner. ...There is still time for them though. Mario Manningham was another 3rd round pick who did nothing as a rookie, but is really breaking out in his 2nd year.

Back on draft day, I also wasn't too sure we should have taken 2 CBs in our top 3 picks. I'm still not sure I agree with that strategy... but thankfully, those are both looking like nice draft picks, so it doesn't matter too much. :)

[dolphin_tom]

Before the season started and i had a look at the schedule i thought a losing season was certain, well like winning only 4 games. But it's gone better then i thought. Wins against Jets, twice! We have Bucs next which i think we will win. We also have Carolina, Bills, Jags and Tennesse which could be wins, aswell as Texans. 8-8 will be respectible. I'll be happy with 9-7. Maybe there will be a win against NE!! I've just realised i have just repeated what cornishman said, sorry lol.

Turner dosen't seem like a good pick but there is time for him to do well, it is only his rookie season though. I'd did like the pick of White though, he adds something differant to the team. I quite like the team, it's quite young so it will get better with time. It's not even that bad at the moment i don't think.

[Cornishman32]

Before the season started and i had a look at the schedule i thought a losing season was certain, well like winning only 4 games. But it's gone better then i thought. Wins against Jets, twice! We have Bucs next which i think we will win. We also have Carolina, Bills, Jags and Tennesse which could be wins, aswell as Texans. 8-8 will be respectible. I'll be happy with 9-7. Maybe there will be a win against NE!! I've just realised i have just repeated what cornishman said, sorry lol.

Turner dosen't seem like a good pick but there is time for him to do well, it is only his rookie season though. I'd did like the pick of White though, he adds something differant to the team. I quite like the team, it's quite young so it will get better with time. It's not even that bad at the moment i don't think.

Haha... great minds think alike! Yeah, bascially there are 6 games which are well within the Dolphins capability of winning. Not saying we will win all 6... but it's well within their abilities to win at least 5 out of 6 and finish at least 8-8, so at this stage I think it would be a disapointment not to finish at least .500. ...And although it might be a bit of a long shot to beat the Steelers and Pats, wins against those teams are not beyond the realms of possibility. The Dolphins might not be the greatest team in the league, but on their day, I believe they have it in them to beat anyone in the league.

[Crowder#52]

I would take a final record of 8-8 right now. Bearing in mind that we are a young team facing the game's toughest schedule for this season, a .500 season is probably about right for where we are.

Still big concerns with the WR position. At best, we have a bunch of solid players, number 2 wideouts at best. For me, its the weakest spot on the roster and the failings of the offense can be put down to the lack of production from the players at this spot. TE has been a major disappointment also. Soliai seems to be stepping up at NT and could prove to be Jason Ferguson's successor.

Going into the next offseason, IMO, Miami need to get reciever and TE help followed by a playmaking ILB. Crowder is set as the D QB but a playmaking ILB buddy would help take us to the next level.

[Crowder#52]

This is what the PFW says about the mid-season point for Miami

Biggest surprise: Few expected the Dolphins' ground game to improve as much as it has in 2009. Miami's offense leans heavily on its running backs to keep the chains moving, and Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams delivered in the first half of the season. The team's offensive line deserves more credit than it gets.

Biggest disappointment: After a 17½-sack season, expectations were high for Joey Porter to be the top playmaker on defense, but he hasn't reached the high bar set for him and has been outplayed by fellow OLB Jason Taylor. Porter is still a big talker, but he hasn't backed it up with his play yet this season, and that has made the defense less imposing.

Fantasy MVP: Brown has been one of the more productive backs in the league. He's an every-week starter, and his seven TDs make him a particularly valuable fantasy player. It's true that he's had some bad games, including an 11-carry, 27-yard showing vs. the Jets in Week Eight, but he has balanced those kinds of games with a couple of great ones.

Assistant coach on the rise: Assistant head coach/secondary Todd Bowles is already on the head-coaching radar. He interviewed with the Lions and Broncos for their head-coaching vacancies last offseason and could strengthen his credentials this season if he finds a way to get the most out of the team's two rookie cornerbacks, Sean Smith and Vontae Davis, who will be starting the rest of the way.

Fearless prediction: Injuries to key players in the first half of the season on defense will take their toll in the final eight games, and the Dolphins will miss the playoffs, although they will finish a respectable second in the AFC East.