Team Grades: Fins Fans Call For Joe Philbin's Head Following 41-14 Debacle Versus Bills
By Abraham Gutierrez
For three-plus seasons, Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin has been trying to address the same problems over and over again. One of the biggest deficiencies of this ballclub is its inability to protect and buy quarterback Ryan Tannehill more time to go through his progressions.
Philbin has failed to put together a respectable offensive line with any sort of depth, and thus, has tanked in grand fashion. Off to another slow start, most South Floridians are calling for Philbin's head sooner rather than later, in an attempt to save what now appears to be yet another losing or .500 season.
Offense: F
Offensively, it was an atrocious effort for this team, as the offensive line's woes continued to make things difficult for Ryan Tannehill and Miami's aerial attack. Shortly after setting a new franchise record for most pass attempts without an interception (160), Tannehill give it right back.
The former Texas A&M product would go on to have a game to forget, not only because of the lack of protection by the O-line, but also because of what it led to. Running for his life the majority of the ballgame, Tannehill ended up completing just 53 percent of his passes, hitting his mark on 26-of-49 attempts for 297 yards, 2 scores and 3 interceptions, including a pick-six.
As a team, Miami tallied 21 first downs, 391 yards and controlled the ball for 28 minutes and eight seconds, but lost he turnover battle 0-3. With the constant pressure generated by the Bills blitz, the Fins could only convert on 4-for-13 on third downs and Tannehill was sacked twice for a total of eight yards lost.
"I think I can make a lot more plays early in the game," Tannehill said after the game. "Obviously it takes a group effort, but it starts with me. It starts with me making good decisions, good passes, and getting us into good situations."
Defense: F
With the addition of Ndamukong Suh, Miami's defense was supposed to be one of the best in the league in 2015. However with three weeks in the books, it's clear that this unit is not on the same page. This was evident in Sunday's loss to Rex Ryan's Bills, as the Fins resistance surrendered 41 points in what was a very long afternoon.
Statistically, the Dolphins gave up 21 first downs and 428 yards of offense. The most alarming statistic, other than the three interceptions, is the fact that the Fins defense gave up 151 rushing yards, 277 yards passing, and let the opposition convert on 7-of-13 third-down attempts.
"Obviously we gotta start a little faster, eliminate big plays and go from there," Suh during his post-game presser. "Last three weeks teams have been dictating to us and obviously we've put ourselves in tough spots and we just gotta start faster."
Special Teams: D-
When NFL kickers are missing extra-points, it's time for special teams coaches to begin updating their resumes. For Miami, they didn't have any field goals attempts in this game, but rookie kicker Andrew Franks missed on a point-after attempt. The only reason this unit isn't getting a worse letter grade is because of the play of punter Matt Darr.
In his first year out of Tennessee, the Bakersfield, California, native booted four punts total, for an average of 49 yards per punt, a long of 59 yards and carefully placed three inside the opponents' 20-yard line. As far as return players are concerned, it's worth noting the play of Damien Williams, who returned a pair of kicks for 45 yards total.
Coaching: F
At the end of the day, the burden falls on the head coach and his ability to get his players prepared both mentally and physically. In the case of Philbin, he appears to be ineffective when it came to either one of those aspects of the game.
As a result, most people are calling for his head, as his inability to fix the exact same problems he's had since his arrival in Miami have remained the same – if not worsened. "I'm the head coach. It starts with me," Joe Philbin said afterward. "It was not a good performance. I take responsibility. It starts with me."
Up Next For Dolphins In Week 4
A trip to Wembley Stadium is up next for the Miami Dolphins in Week 4. However, the question is going to be: Will Philbin survive long enough to accompanied the team to London?
According to Miami's head coach, finding the guilty party in this ballclub perhaps isn't the most productive way to make use of the team's time. Opening kickoff for the Dolphins vs. Jets NFL Week 4 is scheduled for Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
"It's really simple, there's two ways to go," Philbin said after the game. "We can start saying 'you're the problem,' 'I'm the problem,' 'he's the problem,' 'we're the problem,' or work together and come up with some solutions and play better football. That's really where we are as a team. I don't think it's very complicated.
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.
