Playoffs, The Final Frontier: An Overview of the 2008-2009 Miami Dolphins

"Beam us up, Scotty..."

Captain Kirk made that line famous during the early years of Star Trek. It also applies to the Miami Dolphins this year, so I propose a new line:

"Beam us up, Bill..."

And that he has. Parcells has taken last year's one-win Dolphins, and rebuilt them into playoff contenders.

Who would have thought so much change was possible during the span of two seasons?

When Parcells came to Miami last December, they were a beaten team who many people thought would take years to rebuild.

That wouldn't be the case in South Florida.

In January, Miami signed Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach Tony Sparano as Miami's head coach. Parcells had been with Sparano at Dallas before, so you can be certain that he was a big part of the decision.

Then, during the 2008 NFL Draft, the Dolphins drafted offensive tackle Jake Long with the first pick of the Draft.

Most of the time, you don't picture an offensive lineman as being the first pick in the draft. Obviously, Parcells didn't care what usually happens, because picking Long turned out to be perfect for Miami.

In August, Miami signed quarterback Chad Pennington to lead Miami's offense. Miami hadn't had a consistent quarterback in years, and Parcells obviously saw something in Pennington, after being somewhat of a disappointment with the Jets for eight seasons, that he was a perfect fit for the Dolphins.

On the first of September, the Dolphins signed controversial running back Ricky Williams. Without going into details, Williams had been with Miami a couple of years earlier, before he, all of the sudden, left them so he could live in a tent and "find himself," as he said it.

As a fan of Miami, I wasn't to sure about them signing Williams, but it turned out to be a great move. So basically, Parcells proved me, and millions of other football fans, wrong by signing Williams.

Usually, when the crew of Star Trek are in trouble, Kirk's ingenuity almost always saves the day. The same thing might happen to Miami this year. Even though we're behind both New England and New York, there is still hope because you know Parcells will be working extra hard to save the day.

Time and time again, Parcells has helped Miami "beam up" new talented players and knowledgeable staff members who fit perfectly with the Dolphins. Hopefully, he can "beam" the Dolphins into the playoffs this year.

"Make it so..."

Jean-Luc Picard made that line famous during the more recent years of Star Trek: The Next Generation. That quote definitely applies to Miami's star players this year.

Last year, we lacked big-time players that could stand up and "make it so" when we needed it most. This year, we're full of them.

A huge example is Chad Pennington. He is the quarterback that Miami has desperately needed for years now. Pennington is extremely efficient, and rarely makes mistakes. He has a 90+ passer rating for the season, and is one of the top quarterbacks in terms of completion percentage.

Pennington is also really good at starting games off with a bang. This is perfect for Miami, because he can run up the score in the first half, and let the running backs finish the defense off in the second Half.

The Dolphins also have a great running back combination this year. Running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are "making it so" when they are needed most. They have already combined for loads of rushing yards so far, and look promising for the future.

Ronnie Brown really stepped up against New England in Week 3. He ran for four touchdowns and threw for a fifth to help the Dolphins upset New England in the Patriots first regular season loss in a long time.

If Brown hadn't been able to do so well against New England, then the Dolphins might still be stuck with only a few wins so far this season, because when Miami beat New England, the Dolphins finally gained confidence in their ability to win.

So in a way, Ronnie Brown saved our entire season in just the third week.

Miami's receiving corps as a whole has been life-saving this year. No one player stands out much from another. Ted Ginn Jr. would currently be considered the Dolphins best receiver because of Greg Camarillo's season ending injury.

But, Ginn still isn't the only player standing out. Miami has as many as seven different receiving threats on offense. That almost always means that there will be someone ready to step up. So, whenever we need a big play, you can be certain that there will always be a receiver that will "make it so."

On defense, line backer Joey Porter really stands out. Porter leads the league in sacks this year, and is, without question, a verbal leader for the team. Even though he sometimes will get carried away when the media is around him, he never fails to please in his performance this year.

He is a tough, intimidating player who is feared around the league. He is very good at firing up the team, and he can make big-time tackles when they're needed most.

The Dolphins are full of play-makers who will "make it so." As long as that continues, Miami has a legitimate shot at the playoffs this year.

And who knows...

Maybe the Super Bowl?