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Top Three Questions Surrounding The Dolphins After 15 Games

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It's been another roller coaster of a season for the Miami Dolphins.  The peaks and valleys have been as extreme as ever in 2014, with the team showing great signs of improvement but still unable to get over the proverbial hump.

With three games left and playoff hopes dwindling, a lot of Dolphins fans are starting to wonder what's next for the team. Here are the top three questions surrounding the Dolphins after 15 games in 2014.

What does the future hold for Joe Philbin?

Baltimore Ravens v Miami Dolphins
(Source: Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

The Dolphins head coach could end up out of a job if the season continues on the path that it appears to be heading down.  Philbin has yet to have a winning season with the Dolphins (22-23 through 45 games) and needs to win the final three games in 2014 if he wants to go into the offseason with an above .500 coaching record. This season the Dolphins appeared to have enough talent to get over the hump and make the playoffs, but things haven't quite worked out that way.  With rumors already swirling (Jim Harbaugh?) Philbin could be coaching his last games with the Miami Dolphins.

Is Ryan Tannehill the answer at quarterback?

Baltimore Ravens v Miami Dolphins
(Source: Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Like with Philbin, Tannehill is wrapping up his third season in Miami.  He's definitely shown some improvements both on and off the field and seems to have earned the respect of his teammates.  Unfortunately, it's still very hit and miss with Tannehill. He has yet to show that he can complete deep passes and accuracy, while showing improvement at times, can still be an issue.  Tannehill's rookie contract will run out after 2015 so time is running out for the not-so-young QB to show that he's the guy.

What went wrong in 2014?

Miami Dolphins v Detroit Lions
(Source: Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Things seemed to be trending upwards as the 2014 NFL season began in Miami.  The Dolphins were more talented than they had been in years and new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor brought hope that the borderline-boring Miami offense could come to life.  We soon learned that while the offense was putting up points, they weren't doing a whole lot of different things and eventually teams started figuring out how to stop them. Meanwhile, injuries continued piling up and depth became a big issue.  Losing players like Branden Albert, Dannell Ellerbe and Knowshon Moreno for the season hurt, but guys like Koa Misi, Cortland Finnegan, Mike Pouncey and Dion Jordan missing extended time set the team back.  On top of all that, some very questionable coaching decisions late in games may have cost the Dolphins wins over top-tier teams like Green Bay and Detroit.

Watch Miami take on the New England Patriots this Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS4, your official Dolphins station! 

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