Miami Dolphins vs. Detroit Lions: Late Game Collapse Sums Up the Season
How did everyone enjoy their Christmas?
If you're a Heat fan, I know you had one of the best ever.
The Miami Heat demolished the Los Angeles Lakers 96-80 to win in Los Angeles for the first time since 2004. They also won their 14th out of the last 15 and their seventh straight on the road.
They also made a statement on Saturday by beating the defending champions, thus giving Miami a taste of what's to come, Heat fans everywhere are ecstatic about—
Oh, yeah this is about the Dolphins, sorry, I wanted to write something happy for a change.
Oh well, let's take a look at another Dolphins loss at home as I show how this game was a microcosm of a disaster of a season.
Miami Dolphins Running Game
1 of 10
They ran the ball well.
The Dolphins rushed the ball 37 times for 154 yards, getting two TD's, one from Ronnie Brown and the other from Lousaka Polite.
However, Ricky Williams was the workhorse. In 14 carries, Williams gained 71 yards.
As crazy as this sounds, Williams is more likely to be back with the Dolphins than Brown is.
Brown, who rushed the ball 12 times for only 37 yards, is a free agent at the end of the year. Who he signs with could depend on who's coaching the Dolphins next year.
Oh, we'll get to the coaching later.
Miami Dolphins Passing Game
2 of 10
Why waste about 150 words summing up how I feel when this gentleman holding up the sign only used four?
Oh, because I like using statistics. Alright, here they are.
Chad Henne has become the master of putting up stats that make you think "hey, he's not too bad" while in reality doing completely terrible.
His stats today: 29/44 for 278 yards and a touchdown.
"Hey that's not that bad, you know with the right amount of weapons around him, this guy could be great!"
If you work for any of the other 31 NFL teams and you're saying that to yourself, feel free to move onto the next slide, for he's worth at least a fifth-round pick.
Now back to reality: he also had two picks, both of them in the last five minutes of a game where his team was up by two scores.
Any quarterback can put up those types of numbers, but it takes a special quarterback to find a way to choke in situations like that.
Henne has that "it" factor.
Now I used to believe in him, however after seeing how he's played, its not just the coaching staff. Some of it is him.
Miami Dolphins Defense
3 of 10
Detroit's offense is pretty good, not great, but decent.
Holding Calvin Johnson to four catches and 52 yards and no touchdowns is good.
Giving up a 53-yard touchdown reception to Jahvid Best isn't so good.
But while the defense did play the worst they played all season, just remember this.
The Lions game-tying field goal was a result of a Henne interception at the Dolphins 36. Other than that, it was a 3-and-out. However, a 3-and-out in field goal range sometimes results in a field goal.
The game-winning touchdown was a pick-six.
So the Dolphins defense really gave up 24 points, Henne gave up 10. The Dolphins lost by seven.
Sums up the Dolphins season if you ask me.
The Dolphins have to do anything in the power to get Mike Nolan to stay in Miami. He has been their best coach, and at times, I've felt that they should just say screw it and fire Sparano and promote Nolan.
Again, I'll talk about the rest of the coaching later.
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Miami Dolphins Special Teams
4 of 10
That's Tony Sparano pre-field goal fist pump.
Ugh.
After a bad game against the Bills, Dan Carpenter hit both of his field goals from 28 and 40 yards.
So he's back to normal.
Then you have Brandon Fields, who punted four times, got two of them inside the 20 (including one that was inside the five) and averaged 41.3 yards per punt.
Returning punts though was a different story.
Bess fumbled to set up the first score by the Lions, which again was in essense a glorified 3-and-out.
By the way, if you're keeping track, that's 13 points by the Lions from Dolphins turnovers. The Dolphins lost by seven.
Dan Henning
5 of 10
Gosh, I mean I know he's old, but every time I see his face, I want to punch it.
It's that stupid grin of his that you know is showing you that he's going to do the wrong thing at the wrong time.
With 4:37 left and the Dolphins up by three, the first play he called was a pass.
WHAT?
It was incomplete, which of course means the clock stopped.
The second play was another pass, again, incomplete.
Then, the Dolphins use a time out.
Third down, Henne throws an interception.
Tell me, please, why go for passes when you have the lead and four minutes left in the game?
Can someone give me an explanation or am I to just assume that Henning doesn't really know what the heck he's doing.
Mike Nolan
6 of 10
So the defense played their worst game.
But how bad was it?
Take out that 53-yard Jahvid Best TD reception, you'll see a team that only allowed a total of 275 yards got two sacks.
The secondary kept dropping interceptions, but the coverage schemes that put them in position for them was great.
All instilled by this man, who very well could be on a shortlist of candidates to become head coach of the Dolphins next year.
Tony Sparano
7 of 10
"Embarassed, Disappointed, Frustrating, you know."
I do know Tony. That's how I feel when I watch your stupid Field Goal fist pumps.
That's how I feel as you allow Henning to call for passes when you should run out the clock.
That's how I feel when the wildcat gets busted out when there's actually some momentum on offense.
Embarrassed, disappointed, frustrating. Three words to describe what it's like to be a Dolphins fan right now.
But is there light at the end of the tunnel?
Bill Cowher?
8 of 10
Could he be the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins?
Well, that was the thinking when that story about him preferring to come back to coaching with either the Texans, Dolphins or Giants came out.
But the Giants right now is the better job, not too much to build up and will probably be available after their performances the last two weeks.
So I'm assuming that Cowher will be the Giants head coach this season.
Jon Gruden?
9 of 10
I'm sure you've seen the article I wrote, if not, click here, then return to this one.
Did you see the date that I wrote it?
Now since then, we had Gruden to Miami become a "done deal" only it was the Hurricanes.
For a done deal, nothing came out of it, but I sure hope the Canes came up Golden in their search.
All bad puns aside, Gruden seems to be either everyone's top choice or at the very least consolation prize to Cowher.
Including in Miami.
Also high on Gruden: Carl Petersen, the man who Stephen Ross is likely to instill as Director of Football Operations once this putrid season ends.
We'll find out what happens from here, however, I just don't want Sparano coaching this team anymore, nothing personal, but he's proven himself to be mediocre at best.
Conclusion
10 of 10"Wait up Thomas, I thought this slideshow was about how this game summed up the season, when are you going to show that?"
I thought I did, but I'll sum it up.
This game featured the promise of a Dolphins win, the same way the season showed the promise of the Dolphins in the playoffs.
The running game was good, much like we expected it to be, and Henne started out well, much like he made us think for a second that he was the future.
The defense wasn't at its best, but then improved, then only allowed points because of turnovers, which has been their season.
Henning called the wrong plays at the wrong time, Sparano fist pumped for every field goal made by Carpenter, and in the end, we were bitter, disappointed and looking forward to the future of either Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden.
Oh, and they lost at home, again, a place where they went 1-7.
Does that sum up the game, the season, or both?
Yup, both.
Of course, there's one more game left.
But knowing these Dolphins, they'll somehow win it. It's on the road you know.
A Dolfan Diaries entry. Thomas Galicia is a Miami Dolphins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He has no idea what to write about after next Sunday. For more of his opinions, follow him on twitter, @thomasgalicia and visit his tumblr.
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