POLL: It's Only Week 2, but Is This Game a Must Win?

We have to, and we have to be at least 2-2 at the bye. After the Jet game after the Bye, the schedule gets a little less daunting, though not easy. To take advantage of that, we can't be like 1-4 heading into that stretch.

Not to mention the psychological affect of going 0-2 at home.

Gotta win this one to shake this home funk and get one in the W column against the Texans...

I voted yes , if this season is anything more than "ok" or "mediocre" we have to seriously challenge for the playoffs. That means a minimum of 9 and more likely 10 wins.

Starting 0 and 2 and those 2 games being home losses won't facilitate that .

It's a tone setter. If we lose it will put this team, season and the fanbase in a funk that will be hard to break out of. Too many times last year we would get fired up over wins on the road to come home and lose to the Browns or the Lions or some other pitiful team or put up a pitiful performance against teams like the Bears or The Pats. We can't go through that kind of crap again, this team needs to start playing like they mean it at home and on the road.

I'm sure someone can give the 0-2 stat. We hear it every year.

Washington , Buffalo and Dallas will be tough teams and wins this year , imo . I also think Oakland will be tough and NYG away won't be easy. We MAY win 5 , I certainly doubt we will win at least 5 though.

"dolfan22 wrote:

Washington , Buffalo and Dallas will be tough teams and wins this year , imo . I also think Oakland will be tough and NYG away won't be easy. We MAY win 5 , I certainly doubt we will win at least 5 though.

What makes Washington tough?

I thinks its a hell of an important game, however, as much heat as he will get if he loses, he has a chance to redeem himself on the road, which we know this team prefers to play, I think after the jet game we will know what direction we want to go.

Until a chance at the playoffs is actually on the line, no game is really a 'must win', IMHO. This game is important... all of them are... but no season hinges on game 2.

If this team wants to receive any credibility and respect, you`re damn right its a must win.

There is no such thing as a "must win game" in Week 2...

"rdhstlr23 wrote:

I think it is. And here's why:

1. The Miami Dolphins 2011 season hinges on this game. I know we were 0-2 in 2008 and made the playoffs, but historically, it just doesn't happen much. And unless Tom Brady tears his ACL again, I don't think it happens. Not to mention we head on the road for a 3 game road stretch that sees us face 2 Super Bowl caliber teams & a team that historically gets the better of us (recent history anywho).

2. The fan base' attention/attendance is on the line. If the Dolphins suffer another home loss, making them losers of 11 of their last 12 home games, Bud Light & Stephen Ross better keep their checkbooks open. The fans will completely shut out and start talking about Andrew Luck, Bill Cowher, and the such.

3. Tony Sparano's job depends on it. If Tony Sparano loses another game, it won't be the Miami Heat he's feeling. He's going to be hearing it from the fan base, the media, and possibly his team. Another home loss would be devastating to his chances of being retained at season's end. Unless some miraculous 2008 occurrence comes along again.

4. Chad Henne's job depends on it. Although Chad played well, if the team doesn't win and they bring in another coach, there is a very good chance he drafts his guy and Chad goes on his way.

5. Jeff Ireland's job depends on it. As much as Steven Ross seems to have given Jeff Ireland his stamp of approval, if he goes out searching for Bill Cowher or another figurehead, the chances of Ireland sticking around are slim.

I think the Houston Texans are a good football team, but not New England Patriots good. Their offense could pose some problems, but I'm not yet a believer in their defense. I always feel like Miami should come away with a win against these guys, but never do. Well, they better on Sunday or else it could get worse.

You make some very good arguments for this being a must win. That said, here's my take....

1) It's early in the season. There is time to turn the train around. Back to back losses have been overcome by worse teams. The fan base has begun to drop off, but it is amazing how a couple of victories will change that. One more loss now to arguably one of the better teams in the league won't change the flow of fans.

2) The Texans are a very good offensive team, perhaps a rung lower than NE, but certainly better than most. In case anyone missed it, it was the NE offense that beat us, not their D. Also, only a freak of scheduling avoided those Brady-less pasties to miss the playoffs when he did tear his ACL...

3) Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland are at best 50-50 to keep their jobs now. One more victory won't change that. Easily speaking, 9-7 won't necessarily save this staff. If this team doesn't make some noise in the postseason, they or at least Sparano will be gone. Ross has already decided that...he's going to explore the big 3 guys out there (Gruden, Fisher, Cowher) whether we, as fans, feel it's necessary or not. He did it this year, he'll do it again... If I were him, I'd do it too. It won't be often that proven winning coaches are available during an offseason. I believe Gruden and Cowher have had just about as much hanging around as people of that caliber professional can handle...Fisher may have another year before he wants back into the fray.

4) Chad Henne was not the problem last week. He's the focal point of the team and draws the most of the criticism, but honestly, did you see what we fielded as defense last week ?? How can any football fan think of Henne as the problem last week. Is there room to improve, yes. Did we lose that game because Henne didn't come thru ?? NO... However, you're right barring a very solid year from him, a new regime probably will look elsewhere for QB, but that was already a logical deduction before this season even started.

5) We all knew this part of the schedule was going to be tough. This first 5 games are tough, no matter how you look at it and the fears that the Texans just might improve defensively with Phillips are well founded. NE, the jests, SD all tough. Cleveland may not be the weak sisters of the poor either.

Your logic is very sound, don't get me wrong. I think any win will be good for this team. The texans are tough, but can be beaten. I hope they take us for granted based on last week and don't expect anything from us...

If the Fins beat SD, this game is forgotten. I would say it would be very beneficial to win 2 of the next 3 games.

"Aqua4Ever04 wrote:

In the grand scheme of things, that's how I look at it as well. Divide the season into quarters, if we go 2-2 in our first quarter against three teams that are going to be division winners (no doubt in my mind New England, Houston and San Diego win their respective divisions) than it's a pretty nice luxury as we don't have a run tougher than that unti the stretch with Philly, Buffalo, New England and the Jets to end the year.

The entire season hinges on that MOnday night game in New York. If we are even 2-3 after that game, we have a pretty easy road for the next two months.

As a player for the Dolphins, would you rather your season hinge on that Jets game in NY on MNF or at home against the Houston Texans? And that's the pressure that I think these players are feeling, which holds to why I believe it's a must win. You lose on Sunday and your margin for error is so slim, that now road games have to be won, just like last year, and even then with a 6-2 record it still doesn't mean you're in.

Conference games are always must win.

I think that every game is a must win.

I would not call it a must win, although only 12% of 0-2 teams make the playoffs (4 going to the SB). I would prefer to call it a "Must Play" game. This team needs to stop the bleeding form all the negativity surrounding it, and gain some confidence to move on.

If we play well and come up short, that's something you can build off of. If the D is a disaster, Henne is running for his life, and we have no semblance of a running game, the team may well start believing that they could be as bad as most thought they would be. It's a very fine line.

"steeda wrote:

I think that every game is a must win.

This, it is gm #2, but it is everything, same with gm #3/4/5/6/7 etc.

Absolutely this is a must win game. If the Dolphins lose, they will be 0-2 at home and they will have three games on the road before they play another home game. Lose this week and they are looking at a 1-4, or possibly 0-5 start to the season. Home attendance is already at its lowest level in years. Television ratings in the South Florida market are the lowest for any home team in the NFL. So a loss this week will do nothing to improve local fan interest in the Dolphins. If the Dolphins lose this week and return home against the Broncos with a 1-4, or 0-5 record. They will have trouble getting a crowd of 40,000 for the Denver game.

"jw3102 wrote:

Absolutely this is a must win game. If the Dolphins lose, they will be 0-2 at home and they will have three games on the road before they play another home game. Lose this week and they are looking at a 1-4, or possibly 0-5 start to the season. Home attendance is already at its lowest level in years. Television ratings in the South Florida market are the lowest for any home team in the NFL. So a loss this week will do nothing to improve local fan interest in the Dolphins. If the Dolphins lose this week and return home against the Broncos with a 1-4, or 0-5 record. They will have trouble getting a crowd of 40,000 for the Denver game.

I don't think it'll be that extreme, they have 46,000 season ticket holders. Maybe 3-4,000 of those stay home, but they should have 2-3,000 weekday sales, and 2-3,000 walkup sales, so I am thinking 50,000 is about right, but how many it really is, doesn't matter.

What will matter is will Ross continue with the status-quo by Denver if we are with only 1 or 2 wins by that time. I think Sparano's seat gets hot this week if we lose, and Ross won't be able to go a whole season with Tony only winning 1 or 2 home games this year. I actually think its the home games that will do Tony in more than road games. He has to go no worse than 6-2 at home to retain his job (unless they make the playoffs with say a 5-3 or 4-4 home record, which will be near impossible).

I think its a must win just for the sake of the Dolphins restoring confidence in themselves. That was an embarrassing loss at home and they should be fired up to prove to everybody including themselves that they are better than they looked. Its not just the defense either, Henne isn't going to put up 400 yards every week, and our running game was MIA again last week.

Every AFC game is super important. What is also really important is ending the home losing streak. It's got to stop here.

I know it's early but if we lose this week it's gonna get ugly as far as the fans turning on the coaching staff and the fans looking at black outs.So for Mr Ross and the celebrity owners it may be a must win.

I think either way this team is going 1-3 to start out before the bye week. If they win this one I'm calling a loss against the Browns. If they lose, that'll be a win most likely. Either way we lose to San Diego and then regroup at the bye trying to find answers for why the defense is collapsing. There could be a change at that point, having Mike Nolan come down from the booth to the sideline to improve communication. If it's not enough to push us over the hump against the Jets on MNF from the Meadowlands...the season gets ugly.