Thank you, Dolphins

by Randy Booth on Jan 5, 2009 10:28 AM EST Comment 10 comments

Dear Miami Dolphins,

I want to personally thank you for your performance on Sunday. Thank you for representing the toughest division in football by getting absolutely embarassed by the Baltimore Ravens. You deserve it.

Does anyone else feel the Pats could have beat the Ravens on Sunday? Matt Cassel wouldn't have made those mistakes like Chad Pennington did. Bill Belichick would have created a gameplan to shut down the Ravens offense and rookie quarterback. Instead, the 11-5 Patriots are back in New England and saw the Dolphins -- who snuck in to the playoffs -- get romped.

Don't get me wrong, though. The Ravens are a very good team. I am actually rooting for them for the Super Bowl, I just feel the Pats could have beat the Ravens or at least made it a real game. The Dolphins were just flat out ugly. It's a shame the AFC East was represented this way.

It's easy to complain in hindsight, but to tell you the truth I was never impressed with the Dolphins. And, to be truthful, the Patriots weren't really impressive until the second half of the season. The Dolphins made it, the Pats didn't, we'll live and move on in 2009 where hopefully the Patriots will go back to the place they deserved to be this season.

Go Pats! (And Sox!)

The views expressed in these FanPosts are not necessarily those of the writers or SBNation.

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Ravens

Hallway chatter in the office has the Ravens looking dang hot this year. 2 weeks ago, I would’ve tagged Pitt as the heir apparent, but now I’m not so sure; Baltimore’s D is not only physical, but very, very smart. Strong defenses win in January; couple that with a very hot Flacco and you got yourself a winning combination.

Blogger at SBNation's New England Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit

by MaPatsFan on Jan 5, 2009 1:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

So they will get to the Super Bowl...

… and give up another 200 yards rushing the Giants.

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

by Daniel52 on Jan 5, 2009 2:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

*to the Giants.

by Daniel52 on Jan 5, 2009 2:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

what's this "Giants in the Super Bowl" thing you speak of?

The Eagles will beat them next week, but, ummm… how’s Brandon Jacobs feeling lately? Giants are two different teams with him and without him.

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Jan 5, 2009 2:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You don't think Jacobs will be ready to go...

… with three weeks to rest?

by Daniel52 on Jan 5, 2009 4:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

no, no, he'll be ready

I simply don’t want the Giants in the Super Bowl and want the Eagles to take care of them this weekend – but I was making another disjointed comment at the same time regarding the value of Brandon Jacobs to the Giants. If he wasn’t playing by any chance, I’d put a loss in the Giants column right now.

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Jan 6, 2009 9:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

While I agree with most of your points...

I’d hardly call what the fish did “sneaking into” the playoffs. They pulled off a title in a very tough division – and down the stretch, at least, didn’t need any help doing it.

But yeah, I think the Pats would’ve made it more competitive. Cassell was looking good by the second half of the season, and with weapons like Moss and Welker, bail-out guys like Faulk and Gaffney, and some depth at running back, not to mention that O-line, it could’ve been a different game.

To suggest that our defense would’ve found a way to shut anybody of playoff caliber down, though, is a stretch. Here’s hoping for a couple good vet pickups at safety and corner, maybe a Mayo-level draft pick back there (dare we hope?), and continued development in the ’08 defensive rookie class…

by StratSlinger on Jan 6, 2009 8:33 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

They are who we thought they were.

In the game thread, I said the Dolphins “deserved” the division title for accomplishing their record. It was a great feat. But when I was watching NYJ vs Miami the previous week, I said to myself neither of these teams belongs in the playoffs.

The Patriots on the other hand would have given the Ravens a much better game.

by CelticPride on Jan 6, 2009 3:10 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'd like to think that at least Cassel wouldn't have thrown the picks to Ed Reed

but Pennington was excellent in not throwing interceptions the whole season — proving only that Ed Reed is a beast. It’s easy to see why Belichick wanted to adopt him last year.

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Jan 6, 2009 4:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's amazing

how interceptions appear when running games are stuffed and quarterbacks are stressed.

Just ask Matt Ryan.

Miami’s Oline could not overcome Baltimore’s Dline, and the game was lost in the trenches.

Ed Reed probably studied every pass Pennington threw this year to get the timing right too, so I do agree he is a great player. But Miami’s offense hasn’t impressed me since maybe week 8. Chad’s job is basically not to lose the game, great story though he is.

They did a good job of winning games, but their defense should get 90% of the credit. Unfortunately even good D cannot overcome 4 interceptions very often.

"These players, a lot of other people didn't believe in them, but they believe in themselves. And that is all that matters."- Bill Belichick

by Mainiac on Jan 6, 2009 5:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs