The other side is that while I see it as completely possible to start the season 6-0, I also see 1-5 over the next 6 games as a possibility. At Pats, at Bills, Eagles, Cowboys, at Jets, Ravens.
I'd be extremely happy if we managed to go 3-3 in that span. Three wins versus Eagles, Jets and Ravens. Three losses versus Pats, Bills and Cowboys.
If somebody gave me the option, I'd take 9-3 right now going into our stretch run. I like our odds against the Cowboys in Miami. I'm more worried the Ravens even though I see us as more talented. I'm hopeful we can get some pay back against a team that usually bullies us.
Seriously....especially when you see statements like the Bills are the only possible loss....I mean really?
1. @Redskins-I expect us to get a blowout W here 2. JAGUARS-W 3. BILLS-L 4. JETS-W convincingly too, we seem to like London almost glad we aren't actually playing the Jets in Miami after the way the last 2 seasons ended 5. @Titans-W 6. TEXANS-W no Foster and I will be going to my first Dolphins home game and we get the monkey off our back!
At least you know you are lying to yourself? Good for you I guess. Or, you know, expect results based on what has been demonstrated previously in a similar situation aka being realistic. Or cautiously optimistic, as I mentioned. Good talk tho.
Anything less than 5-1 over their first six games would be a huge disappointment. I see them going 5-5 over their last 10 games. So winning at least 5 of their first 6 games is imperative if they are to have a chance of making the playoffs or possible even having a winning record this season.
It was supposed to say "If we go 6-0 a cat won't be able to scratch it." In other words, I'd be very happy.
My view is that it will take at least 10 wins to make the playoffs in the AFC this coming season. Looking at the last 10 games, I think going 5-5 is probably a legitimate expectation for the Dolphins. So if they only go 4-2 over the their first six games, I don't see them making the playoffs this year. To me, that would be a huge disappoint based on the talent they have have their roster.
I agree they could go 6-4 or 7-3, but they could also go 4-6 or 3-7 over those last ten games. As you state, injuries could be a determining factor over the latter part of the season. So that is why I think winning at least 5 of their first six games is so important. When I look at those last 10 games right now, I just don't see them winning more than 5 of them. Unless of course the Colts and Patriots already have their divisions wrapped up by the time they meet in the last two regular season games. Unless they are still playing for home field advantage in the playoffs, this could mean one or both of these teams may decide to rest their starters for the majority of the game, therefore making them much more winnable games for the Dolphins.
Yeah, I'm about as optimistic as anyone here, but we need to slow down. Some of these games may be easy on paper, but we have no idea who is going to be what this year. Some of them are on the road too, which is never easy. Bills and Jets are two division teams with a lot of talent and we have never beaten Houston. I'm optimistic and I believe in this team, but let's take it a game at a time here.
Not one bit worried about games 15 and 16...not one bit. Edit: I don't understand the fear of the Cheatriots and Dolts...we've beaten the Cheaters twice in the past 2 years, and the Dolts the last time we played, at THEIR house, with a much weaker team. I just think we match up well with them, for some odd reason, like we don't match up well with Baltimore.
I'm not worried about it. I ain't scared of no team! I'm just saying, we don't know what's going to happen. Injuries, cold streaks, who knows. And historically road games are harder to win, regardless of whether it's Green Bay or Jacksonville. I think we will be very good this season. But starting 6-0? Slooooow down.
Couldnt agree more. Tell me how we're going to beat Washington before you start talking about 6-0. Fans get themselves pumped with arbitrary expectations and invariably want someone fired if the expectations aren't met. It's a self created cycle. But I have to admit it beats hearing about whether the coach could be canned if we start the season 0 for whatever.
All these predictions are ridiculous, we need to be patient and just wait till the regular season so Predictably Drunk, the only true indicator of Dolphins success and failure, returns in all its drunken glory.
If you are just going by what happened the last time the Dolphins played the Patriots and Colts, I guess that means you expect the Dolphins to lose to the Jets in England and the Texans. Because the Jets handled the Dolphins rather easily the last time the two teams met and the Dolphins have never beaten the Texans. Besides, I never stated the Dolphins couldn't beat the Colts and Patriots in those last two games. I merely pointed out that the games would be easier to win if those teams had already clinched a playoff spot and they played a lot of backup players in the game. I started the off season believing the Dolphins would be 8-8 again in 2015. With the talent they have added during the off season, I can envision them winning 10 games this season if they can get just decent play our of their starting guards and Albert is able to come back and play anywhere close to the level he played at prior to being severely injured. My biggest concern going into the season is as it has been the past three years, the head coach. I just don't have a lot of confident in his ability to get the best out of his players, week in and week out. With a solid head coach at the helm, I can easily see the Dolphins as a playoff team this year. With Philbin as the head coach, the teams playoff chances make me feel a bit, "queasy".
Oh lord. If the fans can't get amped up and look ahead and dream big and have fun, what's the point? And don't tell me that high expectations will cause heavy criticism if those expectations aren't met. Who cares about criticism. If the team pays attention to the fans, they're stupid. Whoo-hoo-hoo! We're gonna go 6-0 and its gonna be a blast. You clearly don't "get it".
I have no problem with people doing that, but I only look at week 1, you never know if a team is going to be good or bad, who gets hurt etc... I'll settle for 1-0 going into week two.
We all get it...everybody just has their own level of excitement and expectation. And this isn't necessarily directed at anybody personally, but when folks use statements like, "we need to step back," "let's temper our enthusiasm," it gets on my damn nerves. Don't friggin' tell me how to have my own hopes and expectations for my team...if you need to temper, have at it, but don't include me in the "we" and "let's." You won't change me. I expected playoffs for the past two years, and didn't get it, and was disappointed, so what? Didn't impact my life at all. I'm still hopeful and expect great things this year. If I don't get my expectations, neither did 53 guys that put a LOT more sweat into it than I do, so I'm good.
This is always a go to rebuttal to the "take it one game at a time" theory. I get it. We're fans, so what we predict or expect has no bearing on the actual game, but that doesn't mean I'm going to sit here and worry about going to New England at 6-0. It's a bit ridiculous IMO. I'm worried about the preseason right now, and after that, I'm worrying about Washington and only Washington. You guys can do what you want, I'm not saying you have to follow my mindset. Go your own way. And again, I think we will be very good this year, but I'm not thinking about 6-0. If it happens then that would be ****ing AWESOME. All I want at this moment is 1-0, and even that is still a long way away.
I think many of you are vastly over-estimating the Houston Texans. Let me make my case as to why this year is going to be different and this really isn't the nightmare so many of you claim. It's actually one of the games in which Miami seems to have obvious advantages. While Miami has gotten markedly better in the recent past, the Houston has gotten worse. They have a good front-7 that includes JJ Watt and it's a big reason why they rank as high as top-10 in certain categories. For example, Houston's defense was #7 in points last year. But in others they are very average. Miami's defense (as bad as it was toward the end) yielded fewer yards in 2014 than did Houston's. And while Miami's defense was #6 overall in limiting pass yardage, Houston's was #21. Things were basically reversed when it came to the running game. Houston was #10 in shutting down the run, while Miami was #23. So to me the defenses are really a wash...and then you add the fact that we just added Ndamukong Suh, CJ Mosley and Jordan Philips while getting rid of at least one obvious weakness in Cortland Finnegan and two guys who were quite average in Odrick and Starks. So what about the offenses? Matt Schuab is long gone. We’re talking about facing Brian Hoyer who’s currently beating out Ryan Mallett. That about says it all right there. I'll take Tannehill and his weapons with the running game we had in 2014 over Houston's offense for sure. We’re hardly at a disadvantage going in. Furthermore, Andre Johnson has been traded. Even if you were worried about a Grimes-vs-Johnson match-up (which I’m not), that has been removed from the equation in Houston. And as we're all now aware, Arian Foster won’t be healthy for the game. The guy just injured his groin and will have surgery Friday. At the very least, he’ll be gimpy and slow if he's playing at all. Even as a Clemson fan who loved Deandre Hopkins coming out, the #1 WR in the draft as of 2 years ago is about the only positive thing on that offense right now. Containing him, or at least limiting the damage, shouldn't be an issue. What are you guys so scared of? Maybe the fact that bad Dolphins teams of the past have lost to slightly better Texans teams? Ok, but none of that factors into this game—which btw, the Dolphins will probably be favored to win.
We almost beat the Packers and almost beat the Broncos, and beat the Patriots once. We can hang with everyone. Win the games we're supposed to win, split the ones we're not, we'll be golden.
Bingo. There's a case to be made that anything less than 5-1 is a real disappointment. Besides, with the difficultly of the 2nd half of the schedule, we better damn well have a head start on our division 6-7 weeks in. Pats and Bills are the threats to us. They start hard. We start easy. People better get used to the idea that Miami's going to be winning the division for most (or all) of the first half of the season. That IS going to happen. I'm not being cocky. It's just realistic. We could start 5-1 and miss the Play-offs. Our schedule is just that lop-sided.
Yeah, that's going to be a tough game. It's Thursday so we have only days to prepare and it's in New England. The fact it's prime-time will make it a major stage but man, that's about as tough a task as any team could face. If Miami goes into NE and pulls out a win it will show that confidence from the good start has bled over into sometime real. I know I'll be impressed. The fact is we will have 3 difficult games right in a row: @NE, @ Buffalo and @ Philly. Just going 1-for-3 during that stretch would make me feel good. If we got that win early against New England the feeling would be we're playing with house money. If Miami gets to the 6-1 or 7-1 kind of area, you have to start thinking about getting home-field advantage in the Play-offs...or even a bye.
Guys, I am going to stick to my 12-4 prediction with 13-3 and home field throughout a real possibility....I think that we start out no worse than 7-1 in the first half of the season. I also see no more than 2-3 losses the rest of the way...I see a sold out hard rocking stadium for the Colts and Pats and we win both..We have beat the Pats the last 2 years at home, this year will be no different with a much more talented Miami Squad. Tannehill is 1-1 vs the Colts at Indy, but should be 2-0.....the Colts and Luck are finally coming to our house....Tannehill and the Dolphins D-Line absolutely rock the house and beat the Colts by 10 at least. We beat the Jets as our New York Dolphin's Fan Club once again takes over the Meadowlands and Cheers us to Victory...our house is rocking with Dallas in town and this game will be tight, but we finally make the big kick and win one in the final minute on a game winning(Yes,GW), Field Goal. In Philly, we have a good chance to go into their house and we come home happy. Suh and our dominant DL & LB shut down the run and Bradford does not scare me. Houston?, forget about it...someone, actually 2 posters said the most important thing here.....Andre Johnson is long gone...Miami finally gets their first victory against Houston, in an easy, and dominant win...one other thing that I would like to mention regarding Buffalo....everyone needs to get Matt Cassel out of your head...shoot, I wish it was Cassel, but I do believe that Tyrod Taylor will win the job in camp....dual threat that we should beat with not too many problems...We just have to focus, win the TO battle..and TOP battle and we should be OK in Buffalo...this just might be the year that we beat the Pats in Foxboro.....and Baltimore...WE OWE YOU!!! And we are going to finally get another victory over the Ravens as our DL dominates....and lives in the backfield. Yes, I see a great year ahead of us, and we will remain injury free for the most part(We are due), and we are going to be in the top 5 in all categories this year..Am I optimistic? Yes.....Am I Crazy?(That is up for debate..Lol, but) NO, Do I want to see the team put their nose to the grind, and play each game like it's the Super Bowl, taking it one game at a time? You Betcha. Am I really Serious? As a Heart Attack(Yes). How Long have I been a Miami Dolphins Fan? Going into my 50th year, just like the Dolphins(4Ever). We can do it y'all.
If you think the athletes aren't human beings who have highs and lows and where the media and the fans can get into their heads then you plainly have no idea what you are talking about. There is a reason why away games are tougher. But yeah, why stop at 6-0 champ? Why not straight wins all the way? We can do it, right?