Miami Dolphins: Season at Stake Against the Baltimore Ravens

I hate the term "must win game."

It's one of the most overused phrases in sports.

With the exception of a game to get into the postseason, or an elimination game in the playoffs, there really isn't a "must win game."

But, there are certain games, especially on an NFL schedule, that determine exactly what kind of season a team will have.

The Miami Dolphins have one of those games this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

From a practical perspective, the Dolphins (4-3) will almost assuredly need to finish at least 10-6 to get into the playoffs in the AFC. If they lose their first road game of this season against the Ravens, the team will need to finish 6-2 the rest of the way to hit the 10-win mark.

With road games at New England, at the New York Jets, and at rapidly improving Oakland, and a home games against Tennessee, that might be a bit too much to ask.

Perhaps more importantly, all of the Dolphins losses will have come against contenders in the AFC. So, good luck winning tiebreakers against the Patriots, Jets, Steelers, and Ravens.

However, the importance of this Sunday's game goes far beyond the record of the team.

It's all about Miami's psychological mindset.

The Dolphins see themselves as a hard-nosed football team. Well, the Ravens are the model of a hard nosed football team with players such as Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, and Ed Reed. The offense is also full of physical, tough players such as Ray Rice, LaRon McClain and even quarterback Joe Flacco.

The Ravens are an arguably tougher football team than the Pittsburgh Steelers and the saying goes, "To be the best, you have to beat the best."  

A victory over Baltimore would go a long way to cementing a physically tough reputation for a team in search of a clear identity.

The Dolphins also want to be seen as a productive, if not dynamic, offense. Dan Carpenter has kicked 10 field goals in the last two weeks. Mentally, that has to be wearing on the confidence of the players.

Against Baltimore, Miami isn't going to get six or seven trips in the redzone to add their score up by threes. Redzone trips must end with touchdowns this week and I have three suggestions to help improve the chances of Miami getting seven points instead of three per opportunity.

1. Scrap the Wildcat. If it's on offensive coordinator Dan Henning's playsheet, then erase it or burn it. When has Miami last had a notably successful play out of the Wildcat? It hasn't been in 2010; I can tell you that much.

2. Throw on first down. I know that a lot of fans don't agree with this approach, but consider some statistics. The Dolphins have thrown for 87 first downs and run for just 44. In addition, Miami averages 3.9 yards per rush and they rarely get big chunks of yardage on first down runs.

3. At least a couple of passing attempts in the red zone should be thrown into the endzone. Last time I checked, Brandon Marshall and Roberto Wallace are 6-4. That is going to be a favorable jump ball against just about any cornerback or safety in the league.

Finally, a convincing Miami victory would also help suspend judgment about the questionable playcalling, personnel choices, and direction of this franchise.

The exact number of truly questionable playcalls is a matter of debate, but there are at least three notable head-scratchers in the Dolphins' last three games.

Against the Green Bay Packers, Miami had enough time to throw a "Hail Mary" pass from near midfield yet ran out the clock. The justification from the coaching staff for the decision was essentially that more bad things could happen then good. What bad plays occur on a Hail Mary? I don't remember a single Hail Mary being returned for a touchdown. I suppose the quarterback could get stripped of the football, but isn't that the mindset of playing to lose instead of to win?

Against Pittsburgh, early in the game with a 3-0 lead and the ball at the Steelers' 13-yard line, how can the coaching staff possibly call three straight runs to Ricky Williams? While, Williams is a good back, its not like the Dolphins had the ball at the one or two-yard line. Granted Williams gained eight yards on his second carry, but don't you want to switch up the calls just to keep the defense honest?

Perhaps the most mystifying of all of these calls came in the second half against Cincinnati. With the ball on the Bengals' 14-yard line and facing third and six, Miami was content to hand off the ball to Ronnie Brown for a one-yard gain. The Dolphins were down two points at the time and I understand that a field goal (which Carpenter made) gives Miami the lead, but there was plenty of time left in the game.

Settling for a one-point lead puts unnecessary pressure on a team's defense.

The personnel questions on this team are many. Why doesn't Miami have a second tight-end worth activating given that Anthony Fasano is maddeningly inconsistent? Is Will Allen healthy now, and if so why did the Dolphins rush to put him on injured reserve so quickly when the nickel and dime defense is suspect?

Season-ending Injuries to Jared Odrick and A.J. Edds, and limited production from the rookies make you wonder what GM Jeff Ireland truly got out of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Much was made out of Bryan Hartline's rookie season, but his sophomore season slump is starting to make Dolfans question the team's 2009 draft as well. Yes, Miami selected Vontae Davis, but Pat White and Pat Turner are no longer on the team and the jury is in endless deliberation on what the Fins have out of Hartline and Sean Smith.

Granted, Brandon Marshall and Karlos Dansby have been excellent free-agent acquisitions to this point, although one wonders if Miami shouldn't be getting more out of Marshall, especially in the red zone.

Finally, a win against Baltimore would make both the organization and fans feel much better about the direction of this franchise. A 5-3 record while only one game above 4-4 means that you had success overall at the midpoint of the season against a plethora of tough opponents. While the three home losses to your two division rivals and Pittsburgh still sting, it would be hard to argue that Miami hasn't set the stage for a playoff run.

A 4-4 record would mean that nearly three years into the rebuilding process, Miami is simply average. This might be good enough for other franchises, but Dolfans are starving for a winner and aren't satisfied with an average football team. Many are already "retiring" Henning and you can bet the next place they will look to vent their frustrations is in the direction of head coach Tony Sparano and Ireland.

With five games left on the home schedule, know that owner Stephen Ross isn't going to be happy with a half-empty stadium, even with a few celebrity guests, but that's the likely possibility for the rest of the season if Miami can't start a playoff run beginning with a win over Baltimore.