This week is a real test. On the road. Playing the #1 defense. When we win, does this catapult us to "legitimate" contender status?
At this stage I think we are .The caveat is that perhaps the team has taken too long to gell and there may not be enough games left to get into the playoffs.If somehow we do get into the playoffs I think this team will surprise.
we are already contenders to make the playoffs, no one doubts that. Beating Detroit on the road is the kind of win that gives me confidence that we can win a wildcard game vs either Indy, Cincy, Pitts or KC - our likely opponent if we get a wild card spot.
A win in Detroit will be huge, no question about it. Them coming off a bye and getting their weapons back it wont be easy but its a game that upper echelon teams find a way to win. Are we in that category yet ? No one knows for sure and it would certainly be another step forward for this team to beat the Lions. IF we lose this game then next Thursday at home against the Bills is a must win, no way around it. And I dont need anyone telling me its not a must win just because its not a playoff game or a game that knocks us out, but a loss and we're pretty much back where we started. But, one game at a time just lets win Sunday and continue to get the respect we're starting to garner. And, to answer the question about being a playoff team I need two more games to determine that.
Well any team that makes the playoffs is a real playoff team. So if we make it we are. If we don't...we aren't.
Im excited for Sunday,..but I'm telling you now...if we lose to the Bills next Thursday..I will blow a mother ****ing gasket.
If we end up 7-3...which should be 8-2...I'll be a happy boy. Have to think of us as a legit playoff team.
Barring injury, I don't see why not either, Crunch. I think the biggest obstacle could be the team's own mentality. Right now they appear to be playing with a similar swagger that we saw from Seattle last year and the Giants a few years ago. I just hope that, if they do happen to have a couple down games, they have a short memory and don't lose track of that confident butt-kicking mentality. I hope this newfound success and realization that they legitimately are a playoff caliber team motivates them to work even harder during weekly preparations to fight for what's within reach, as opposed to the mediocre teams of recent years past that seemed to feel like they had little reason to give more than the standard amount of effort required.
Realistically? I say no.. Hope Im wrong I just really have a hard time believing in this team. I will say since week 1 the offense has been improving. Ryan has look comfortable and that's a great sign of growth, but were still in a division with New England so were always going to be wildcard hunting. I just think we will fall short again this year..
I agree, however, I think a game like this would determine whether or not we would be able to make it far in the playoffs once we get there.
We are the #1 Defense in the AFC and the Lions are the #1 defense in the NFL.We are #3 overall but we are still going to win!!
I've thought about this too. At least we will be when we put up more yards and points against their defense after we beat them. Right now, the Lions have the edge on defense but a good way to think about this game is the battle for the title of the #1 defense. It's a challenge I am excited to see and if I had money, i would put it on the Dolphins defense.
I agree to disagree with you. I would argue my point but you have already made up your mind. Are you like that with all games? What if we beat Denver, will that tell you anything other than "can we beat the Broncos" ?
No, I take exception to the notion that X game will somehow tell us the future of Y game or Z season. There are too many variables in football. And all of this is false benchmarks people are literally creating out of thin air, emotion and pixie farts. I was told if we beat the Bills, we're a playoff team. We didn't beat them, but yet.... I was told if we beat the Chiefs, we're a a playoff team. We didn't beat them, but yet.... I was told if we beat the Packers, we're a playoff team. We didn't beat them, but yet.... I was told if we beat the Bears, we're a playoff team. We did beat them, but yet.... I was told if we beat the Chargers, we're a playoff team. We did beat them, but yet.... I'm now being told if we beat the Lions, we're a playoff team.....sigh.... If these false benchmarks were true, this conversation wouldn't be happening because we aren't a playoff team based on the Bills game.
What are the true benchmarks then if it isn't beating one of the division leaders, hell NFL leaders, and a #1 ranked defense on the road? I would call that a benchmark game. They will also be at full strength on offense with the addition of Johnson and their TE corps. I have to say even if we lose this game, if the game is tight all the way to the end that give you a barometer as to where the team is.
The benchmarks are the quality of the play and the circumstances behind that play level. Case in point, the GB game vs the Jax game. One game showed our level of play better than the other...... GB showed we can be contenders even though we lost and Jax made us look like we were regressing even though we won.
You know I have been thinking about it and I bet that is exactly what Aqua was really saying..We will be #1 Defense in NFL after Sunday's games.
I think this game will decide a lot about how everyone else views Miami. The San Diego game raised eye brows but was it one game or is Miami stronger than they thought? Following the Chargers game with a win in Detroit and a lot of the skeptics will turn. Not that that stuff really matters but I think on a national level a win here changes how Miami is viewed. I think it's similar to Pittsburgh, a team that was ok, had some struggles early and then beat one of the hottest teams in the AFC in the Colts. They followed that up beating another quality team and now the Steelers are viewed as more than just a team who will be poring over "what if" scenarios week 17.
I'm positive we're already a playoff contender and one of the better teams in the league. We have the talent and coaching to beat anyone convincingly. I've literally seen that level of play with my own two eyes. Our only problem going forward is consistency. The Detroit game won't answer the question of consistency one way or the other.
Not entirely true, it will also tell us if we deserve to be 6-3 . If we get blown out it will tell us that were probably not there yet, if we win it means were still making great strides. If we`re at least competitive it means we`re capable of competing at a high level regardless of who and where the game is played. I see no reason to down play the significance of an important game, because in my eyes they`re all important. So, to say this game will tell us "nothing" doesn't seem too logical a statement.
I've said in this thread that our level of play is the benchmark. However, we've seen in our division how the Pats on occasion get murdered in a game, and yet are still always in the top of power lists come the end of year. The results of any single game taken on its own, can be used to indicate whatever someone wants them too.
It's too early, out of conf on the road game 9 is almost meaningless. We really need the Bills game. I think we are as good if not better than any team in the league, the issues are consistency, health.
Maybe to the AFC but not entirely meaningless. If we don't win this game it only get harder to win the division.
No doubt...the team said they treated last game like a playoff game...they need to keep that up. EVERY win is important to even steal a wildcard...10-6 may not cut it.
Lose to bills and stick a fork in us.We already lost to kc and can't afford to lose against another wildcard contender.
The Bills are headed into implosion mode...it's past halfway in the season. They've lost some key players recently...that without, I don't think they have a prayer against us, at home, on Thursday night under the lights. We're going to freaking DESTROY the Bills. Really believe we'll be up 14-0 in the first quarter.
The Don has spoketh: Adam Beasley @AdamHBeasley 2m2 minutes ago I asked Don Shula if the '14 Dolphins are a playoff team: "Yeah, I don’t see why [not]. They look good." http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article3607645.html#storylink=cpy …
Youre a logical thinker in a sea of emotional guys. This week we are awesome but a loss or two and Philbin will be an idiot once again, we'll also need a new GM and QB, if Ross has the balls to do it rah rah rah, that's the way it goes in fandom.
Why not? Because we have 5-6 tough games remaining and can't afford to lose more than 2 maybe 3 times. We have no depth at RB, LB or safety. I'm amazed at how quickly we seem to have gone from 8-8 also ran to playoff shoe in. I hope the Pats, Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens, Bengals etc got the memo lol.
Oh yeah, the Bills have no chance. I'm almost hoping they win this week so that I can get a better line to wager on Thursday
Hey..I am PRO MIAMI all the way!! Please do not misunderstand that...like I stated several times..we keep up how we have been playing of recent and we can run the table.
I'm looking at the tape not the numbers. Their DL/pass rush isn't as good, they don't ha e the depth to keep their guys fresh like we do, especially with Fairley out. Our OL will at least play them to a draw. OTOH our DL is going to dominate their front, they won't be able to run it and Stafford will feel the heat. The biggest difference is in the secondary, they are BAD back there. If the Rush isn't getting there they tend to get shredded. They are mostly a zone team Bc their CBs can't cover man to man, the more I watch them the more confident I get.