From 1960 On: Miami Dolphins (Yet Again!)

[Izulde]

Preseason

New Orleans 6 Miami 31
Great start to the preseason, as both QBs look good and Lynn Swann returns a fumble two yards for a TD. Big story out of this game was rookie Rulon Jones, who made an immediate impact in winning Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, a block and a hurry. That's very promising to see. Oh yeah, Ken Stabler and Joe Montana both looked awful this game. :D

TE John Spagnola is ready to come back after this game, so we get him in the lineup and put Mike Cobb on the inactive list. Cobb's a great ST guy, so we'll keep him around.

Miami 21 Philadelphia 14
Real close game that wasn't decided until Walter Payton ran one in from 4 yards out. Lenny Dunlap had a 75 yard interception return for a TD as well. Rulon Jones was Player of the Game for the second time in a row with a tackle, 2 assists, 2 sacks and 2 hurries. If he can keep improving in the regular season, we might have our first ever Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.

Tampa Bay 30 Miami 21
Credit this defeat to Ron Jaworski's 4 INTs. It makes me glad that I didn't bite on the Titans' offer for the #9 overall pick for Danny White. Nothing more to report outside of that.

Miami 28 Washington 33
Don Milan did his heroic best to rally the troops late in the 4th, but his 2 TDs wasn't enough as we fall to the Redskins. Steve Largent had 8 catches for 137 yards and Cliff Odom recorded 8 tackles, 2 assists and 1.5 sacks.

DT Bob Maddox separates his shoulder and is out 6 weeks, forcing us to use Mikeli Ieremia as the backup DT and give John Medenhall complete RDT duties.

I hit recommend and it's on to the regular season!

Regular Season

Miami 27 New England 7
Walter Payton rushes 31 times for 195 yards on his way to Player of the Game and Danny White throws 3 TDs to 1 INT to ensure the Patsies forget their upset dreams. Lenny Dunlap picked off 2 passes, Rod Shoate had 10 tackles and Vern Den Herder showed there's still life in his old legs, with 2 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

The victory's not without cost, though, as SE Reggie Garrett tears his calf muscle and is gone for 9 weeks. Jim Lash takes over as the backup SE and on gunner duties, Walter Tullis moves to 5th WR.

San Francisco 21 Miami 34
We win this shootout handily thanks to PotG Danny White's 25/39 for 306 yards and 3 TD performance. Steve Largent was the main target, with 8 catches for 127 yards and a TD. Walter Payton ran 30 times for 141 yards and a TD and caught 5 passes for 39 yards and another TD. Johnnie Gray showed why he's deserving of being the new SS with 5 tackles, an assist, a pass defense and 2 interceptions and Vern Den Herder continued his fiery play, with 3 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 blocks, 4 hurries and 3 knockdowns.

Our receiving corps takes yet another hit when FL Steve Watson tears out his knee ligament and is gone for 16 weeks. He's got a miniscule chance of coming back sometime in the playoffs, so I don't want to IR him, so I cut TE Mike Cobb and sign 4th year FL Bill Waddy, who was just released by the Colts, to take over as the backup flanker.

Miami 34 Houston 13
In spite of our receiving damage, we clobber the Oilers behind two long TD runs from Walter Payton, who rushed 21 times for 111 yards and 2 TDs, Lynn Swann, who stepped up with 6 catches for 130 yards and one thing I just have to mention: Curtis Brown, who had an incredible 59 yard TD reception that remains one of my favorite plays in this universe. The defense was highlighted by Player of the Game Rolland Lawrence, who had 4 tackles, 2 assists, 3 pass defenses and 2 interceptions.

Miami 7 Cincinnati 30
We were bound to get beat at some point with all the injuries we have and we got clobbered here by the Bengals. Johnnie Gray had 10 tackles and an assist, John Medenhall picked up 7 tackles, 4 assists and 1.5 sacks and Vern Den Herder got 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, 4 hurries and 4 knockdowns, but this was just an out and out pummeling.

The good news is DT Bob Maddox is back up to Probable, giving us a major boost in our defensive line depth.

Buffalo 20 Miami 10
It's not as close as the final score looks. A last-minute junk TD pass from Danny White to Bill Waddy is all that makes this look respectable. We're really struggling right now with the injuries to our WR corps.

Rookie DE Curtis Greer pulls a calf muscle and is out 4 weeks, resulting in the activation of L.C. Greenwood to suit up and play back up DE for a few more games.

Miami 36 Cleveland 10
We needed this win in a big, big way. Danny White was 22/35 for 279 yards and 3 TDs and Tim Webster was 3/3 on FGs, but the real story of the game was defense, where our two highest drafted rookies made a major impact. Cliff Odom had 6 tackles, an assist and 2 sacks and Rulon Jones took home Player of the Game with 5 tackles, 4 sacks, a block, 2 hurries and a knockdown.

Pittsburgh 13 Miami 19
This one came about as a result of a comeback engineered by the backups. Ron Jaworski threw a 14 yard TD pass to backup TE Charle Young on the first play of the 4th quarter and 2nd string RB Doug Kotar ran it in from 10 yards out midway through the final quarter to give us the win. Lynn Swann had 5 catches for 103 yards, but it was Chuck Crist who was Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 pass defenses and an all-important interception to snuff out the Steelers' reversal hopes.

The bye week can't have come at a more opportune time, for QB Danny White is out 3 weeks with a strained calf muscle and TE John Spagnola is out the same amount of time with a hyperextended elbow. Two of our other big injuries should be healed up with the bye week as well.

Unfortunately, neither one is back to Probable after the bye week, though SE Reggie Garrett is and we hastily insert him as the backup flanker, moving Bill Waddy to 5th WR. QB Ron Jaworski is pressed into service as the starting QB in what's arguably the biggest game of the season, given how tight the AFC East race is (more on that later).

New England 17 Miami 10
...I want to throw up. Hell, I want to fucking cry. 10-10 at halftime and we lose 17-10 on a last minute TD run by the fucking Patriots. No highlights to speak of.

You want to know how bad that loss screwed us?

We're 5-3.

We're in last place in the AFC East with that 5-3 record. The damned Jets are on top at 7-2, the Bills and Patriots are both 6-3 and we're 5-3. But then again, AFC darkhorses Baltimore and Oakland are 2-6 and 1-7 respectively, so it's been that kind of year.

The halfway tale of the tape:



Record 5-3
Winning Pct. .625
All-Time 214-114
Winning Pct. .652
Playoffs 23-11
Playoff Visits 15
Bowl Wins 4
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 85-31
Winning Pct. .732
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.1 16
Rushing Yards 127.1 7
Yards Per Carry 4.69 2
Pass Attempts 38.3 7
Completions 20.1 14 (T)
Completion Pct. 52.6 29 (T)
Passing Yards 242.5 7
Yards Per Attempt 6.34 19
Yards Per Catch 12.05 5
Total Yardage Gained 357.1 3
3rd Down Conversions 36.4 18
Points Per Game 22.1 14
Pass Rush Pct. 26.8 2
Pass Defense Pct. 64.1 8
Turnovers 8 3
Turnover Margin +7 2 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 24.4 8
Rushing Yards 111.6 22
Yards Per Carry 4.58 32
Pass Attempts 36.9 28
Completions 19.6 12
Completion Pct. 53.2 5
Passing Yards 203.3 9
Yards Per Attempt 5.51 1
Yards Per Catch 10.36 12
Total Yardage Gained 296.0 13
3rd Down Conversions 31.4 4
Points Per Game 16.4 6
Pass Rush Pct. 25.6 29 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 60.4 24
Turnovers 15 11 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 27 at NED 7
2 34 SFO 21
3 34 at HOU 13
4 7 at CIN 30
5 10 BUF 20
6 36 at CLE 10
7 19 PIT 13
9 10 NED 17
10 BAL
11 at NJY
12 at STL
13 DEN
14 LAS
15 NJY
16 at SEA
17 at BUF

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 263 139 1716 6.52 11 6 77.7
4 R. Jaworski QB 43 22 224 5.21 2 0 81.9
**Team --- 306 161 1940 6.34 13 6 78.3
$$Opp --- 295 157 1626 5.51 11 11 66.3

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 147 797 5.42 5 1
41 D. Kotar RB 47 180 3.83 2 0
**Team --- 217 1017 4.69 7 5
$$Opp --- 195 893 4.58 3 15

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
80 S. Largent WR 54 30 426 14.20 7.89 5 2
81 L. Swann WR 80 29 445 15.34 5.56 11 3
27 W. Payton RB 38 28 183 6.54 4.82 0 2
87 J. Lash WR 33 16 218 13.63 6.61 4 0
41 D. Kotar RB 18 13 60 4.62 3.33 0 1
88 B. Waddy WR 30 13 220 16.92 7.33 3 2
86 C. Young TE 14 11 106 9.64 7.57 1 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
36 J. Gray S 50 11 2.0 0 3 4 82.7
55 C. Odom ILB 45 13 3.0 0 1 3 76.9
54 R. Shoate OLB 39 13 0.0 3 0 3 74.9
98 B. Line DT 32 13 2.5 10 0 0 81.2
31 C. Crist S 30 10 0.0 0 1 5 80.1
23 C. Allen CB 30 11 0.0 0 1 2 76.2
24 R. Lawrence CB 22 8 1.0 0 2 7 83.4
92 V. Den Herder DE 21 4 8.0 25 0 0 82.1
99 J. Mendenhall DT 18 8 1.5 3 0 0 80.7
49 L. Dunlap CB 16 5 0.0 0 3 2 82.1
79 R. Jones DE 13 3 6.5 11 0 1 82.5
59 M. McDonald OLB 8 1 0.0 0 0 0 70.4

It's been a very peculiar year in terms of how things are shaking out right now, with the injuries, the strength of the AFC East, etc. All I have to say is, thank goodness for Walter Payton, Johnnie Gray, Cliff Odom and Vern Den Herder.

My guess is that we'll see more improvement over the second half of the season and things should start coming down to earth for the rest of the teams in our division, netting us at least a playoff spot.

[Izulde]

QB Danny White, DE Curtis Greer and TE John Spagnola are all either back to 100% health or probable, giving us some critical players for the second half of the season.

MLB Merv Krakau is unhappy and WLB Tim Black is disgruntled, but they'll just have to deal with it.

Baltimore 14 Miami 38
Walter Payton rushed 30 times for 120 yards and had 4 catches for 43 yards and 2 TDs, but it was Danny White who was Player of the Game with one of the most amazing performances in franchise history: 23/29 for 306 yards and 5 TDs to 1 INT.

SS Glen Edwards strains his calf muscle and will miss the next game, but we just double-duty S Dennis Bragonier as a backup and insert CB Wade Manning as the dime back.

Miami 21 New Jersey 24
This is a game we really needed to win and of course we freaking lose it. :mad: Danny White wins Player of the Game for throwing 3 TD passes, but that's just making it even more insulting. Tim Webster really cost us this game with 2 missed FGs, including a chip shot.

So here we are, back in the cellar again at 6-4 and RDT John Medenhall separates his shoulder, with a prognosis of out 6 weeks. :rolleyes: Bob Maddox as the starter, Mikeli Ieremia as the backup DT.

Miami 34 St. Louis 14
We make ourselves feel better by beating up on the Cardinals. Walter Payton rushes 19 times for 107 yards and a TD and has 5 catches for 34 yards and another TD, but it was Vern Den Herder who was Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 hurries and 7 knockdowns. Rulon Jones contributed a tackle, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

We're still at the bottom with 7-4, but the race is a lot tighter now, with the Jets and Patriots at 8-3, us and the Bills at 7-4. Glen Edwards is back up to Probable, so I hustle him back in.

Denver 16 Miami 20
The score isn't really as close as it looks. The Broncos never really had much of a chance in this one, especially not after Danny White completed an 83 yard TD pass to Reggie Garrett midway through the first quarter to seize momentum for the rest of the game. Walter Payton rushed 22 times for 109 yards, but Danny White was Player of the Game with a 23/38 for 346 yards and 2 TD line. Reggie Garrett was his main target, with 4 catches for 118 yards and that monster TD.

So now that we're 8-4 and knocking on the door to second place and a playoff spot, things are all good, right?

Wrong! FL Lynn Swann strains a foot ligament and is out 4 weeks. This is just absolutely unbelievable. Steve Watson is questionable yet, so do I really want to risk rushing him back and re-injuring him?

I decide yes, as every game counts here. Reggie Garrett becomes the starting flanker, with Steve Watson put in as his backup.

Los Angeles 32 Miami 17
Well, there goes the neighborhood. Rulon Jones had 5 tackles, an assist and 2 sacks for the lone highlight in a game we got our asses handed to us.

8-5 and back to the bottom of the division AGAIN. What pisses me off is that if we were in the AFC South or the AFC North, we'd hold a pretty damn solid lead for the division.

New Jersey 7 Miami 24
Had we lost here, our season would've been over, no doubt about it. But Walter Payton saves our asses with 37 rushes for 130 yards and a TD and Danny White threw no picks. We're still alive.

And we're still at the bottom of the division.

The Jets are 10-4 and every other team is 9-5. My gut feeling says that both wild cards are coming out of the AFC East this year, so all we need to do is to not finish last.

DT John Medenhall and FL Lynn Swann come through as the cavalry, both up to Probable. It's the first time all season we've been at full strength in our receiving corps.

Miami 28 Seattle 7
Danny White takes care of business against the Seahawks with a 17/34 for 241 yard, 3 TD, 1 INT line, the bulk of his yardage going to Steve Watson, who had 3 catches for 117 yards and a TD. But it was old man Vern Den Herder who was Player of the Game with 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, 3 hurries and 5 knockdowns.

We're now #3 in the division. The Jets are 11-4, we and the Bills are 10-5 and the Patriots are 9-6. The Kansas City Chiefs are the only other team in playoff contention with a 9-5-1 mark.

We play the Bills. The Jets play the Patriots.

Steve Watson re-tears his knee ligament and is definitively out for the playoffs, so we put him on the IR and sign FL Eddie Foster to be the 5th WR, as he was just cut in Week 14 by San Francisco.

Our entire season hinges on this last game against Buffalo. Win and w're in. Lose and it'll take some divine help to go back to the playoffs.

Miami 31 Buffalo 7
Walter Payton was going to be damned if he'd be denied the chance to go to a third straight Super Bowl. He rushed 22 times for 140 yards and 3 TDs in taking Player of the Game and Vern Den Herder continued to defy age with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

We're going back to the playoffs!

It's as the #1 wildcard, though, because even though the Patriots upset the Jets 20-7, New Jersey wins the tiebreaker against us, though I don't exactly know why.

In any case, New England's victory propels them to the playoffs, as they win the tiebreaker over the 10-6 Bills.

I almost feel sorry for Buffalo.

Almost.

What a wild regular season it's been. We've been hit harder by injuries this year than in any other season in this universe, but fortunately we had the depth to overcome the adversity.

And now it's on to defend our two-time AFC Championship crown.

[Izulde]

It was a crazy year in the AFC North where 3 teams finished with an 8-8 record: Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The Ravens won the tiebreakers and the division, thus earning the right to face us in the Wild Card Round.

QB Gary Danielson is interception-prone, to say the least, with 20+ interceptions his last two seasons. RB Stan Fritts is starting because star second year RB Tony Nathan is out with a head injury, which really gives us a big-time advantage.

TE Kellen Winslow is the best in the game and the Ravens' best receiver by far, though FL Danny Buggs isn't too terrible like the rest of the group is.

C Larry McCarren is a terrific pass blocker, but we get another break as starting LG Charley Hannah is out with an injury as well. LT Steve August is better suited to RT and RT Jim Cooper is a better for LT, though they're both solid tackles over all.

P Herman Weaver is average, K Steve Mike-Mayer very good. LDE Art Still fell off a cliff this year after a good first two seasons and RDE Mat Mendenhall has been surprisingly sufficient as a rookie. LDT Wally Chambers is still one of the top 3-5 DTs in the game although RDT Mike Regel has clearly seen better days.

MLB Harry Carson is dominant in the way Willie Lanier used to be and SLB Reggie Williams is a significant pass-rush threat. WLB Gary Cobb still has to grow into his potential, though.

LCB J.C. Wilson is a ballhawk as is RCB Mike McCoy and FS Neal Craig is a fantastic overachieving safety who plays smart.

All told, this game should be winnable for us, especially with Nathan out, but that's one scary defense, one that's going to test us pretty hard.

Our offensive firepower is what has us favored by 3.

This was as brutal a knock-down, balls out defensive game as you could've expected. Walter Payton keyed us on offense with 26 carries for 106 yards, but it was MLB Cliff Odom who was Player of the Game with 2 crucial interceptions to secure us the win.

We'd have won this even without Tim Webster's 2 FGs, because our defense played awesomely against this weak offense, limiting them to two FGs, so Danny White's 10 yard TD pass to Reggie Garrett in the 3rd quarter would've been enough.

On to the divisional round and a much tougher matchup.

Miami 13 Baltimore 6

[Izulde]

I've said this before, but it bears repeating--The New Jersey Jets are our archrivals in this universe and we've had some titanic battles over the years, both in the regular season and in the postseason.

It bears repeating because that's who we've got in the divisional round.

A quick look at Dolphins-Jets playoff history:

1976 Wild Card: New Jersey 14 Miami 17
1973 Divisional: Miami 13 New Jersey 30
1968 Wild Card: New Jersey 3 Miami 31

So 3 out of the 10 times the Jets have been to the playoffs, they've faced against us along the way. What's worth noting in that all cases, the home team has come out on top.

Guess who the home team is this go-round? Yep, the Jets.

QB Greg Cook is a 12th year vet and has been hit and miss his 3 years as a starter with the Jets (also the only 3 years he's been a starter in his career, incidentally), but he was definitely on this year: 4,086 yards with 25 TDs vs 20 INTs. That 4,086 yard is a franchise record and the first time a Jets QB has broken the 4,000 yard mark. Legendary Jets QB Al Dorow came close with 3 season of 3,900+ yards, but never could make it.

RB Lydell Mitchell is on his last legs and had 9 fumbles this year, a career high in his first season in a Jets uniform after spending his first 8 years with the Bengals. TE Earl Cooper, whom the Jets traded up to get late in the 1st round this draft, has shown flashes of promise, but is still raw. FL J.D. Hill is still, even at 10 seasons, one of the most feared WRs in the game and has 8 consecutive seasons of at least 1,100 yards receiving. 13th year vet SE Marlin Briscoe, obtained in free agency this past offseason, has shown a nose for the endzone with 8 TD catches.

C Ted Fritsch is a superb pass blocker and adequate run blocker. RG Ken Long is one of the most underrated guards in the league. We don't have to face super-rookie LT Tunch Ilkin, but second year LT Keith Dorney isn't much of a drop. RT Doug Crusan and LG Bob Simmons are the line's weak links, horrible run-blockers.

P Luke Prestridge is greatly improved from his rookie season and K Mark Moseley needs no introduction, having been our bane many times in the past.

The Jets' defensive front 3 holds no pass-rush threats to speak of, ceding that role to SLB John Skorupan, still one of the deadliest OLBs in the NFL and WLB John Bunting is another threat to consider in the pass-rush game. The ILBs are, like the defensive front, forgettable.

LCB Mike Dennis lit up the league in his rookie season with 4 interceptions and an 80.8 PD% and RCB Terry Schmidt is one of the league's biggest overachievers and another concern. We don't have to face SS Thom Darden, but SS Mike Reinfeldt is even more dangerous: 7 interceptions and an 85.8 PD% this regular season, which is no fluke, judging by his previous years in the league. FS Tom Moriarity, a 4th year player, is finally starting to blossom into his potential.

All told, this one's going to be an interesting game. We're going to have to slow down the pace of the game and go for long drives, because that is one damned scary secondary. The weakness of the front 7 should mean an explosive day for Walter Payton, though.

This is really a contest that can go either way and the bookies agree, favoring us by a single point.

Will we finally beat the automatic home team win?

It's scoreless for the first quarter and then Tim Webster boots a 49 yarder, his first of 3 FGs on the day. The Jets get on the board midway through the second quarter with a TD, but then with 49 seconds left in the half, Reggie Garrett comes through like he has so many times this year for us, with a 29 yard TD pass from Danny White to give us a 10-7 lead at halftime that we never relinquish as we shut them out in the second half.

Danny White won Player of the Game with his 21/30 for 247 yard, 1 TD, 1 INT performance, but credit has to be given to Doug Kotar, who rushed 8 times for 73 yards, an astounding 9.13 average and 3 of those 8 runs were for 10+ yards. Great, great change of pace there.

All in all, just a solid, workmanlike victory to finally end the home team's perfection in the Jets-Dolphins playoff rivalry and luckily it's the good guys who break it.

Miami 23 New Jersey 7

On to the AFC Championship, where we'll go for 3 in a row!

[Izulde]

We square off against the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship.

They're led in part by 9th year QB Mike Ernst, who since becoming the Chargers' full-time starter in 1977 has thrown for at least 3,000 yards each year and came close to 4,000 this year with 3,937. He doesn't throw many picks, either, with 19 being his high.

RB Ricky Bell just keeps getting better and better and he's rushed for 1,000+ yards his last two seasons. In fact, last year, he hit 1,000 on the nose, which is kind of cool. That being said, he's fumble-prone.

San Diego may be the only team in the league who can match us in WRs, as 3rd year FL James Lofton is terrific, and 2nd year SE Steve Kreidel is pretty good.

C David Carter is the latest in a long line of great pass-protecting, mediocre-run blocking centers we've seen. LG Paul Howard may have to sit out this game and if he does, that'd be fantastic, as he's a dynamite, strong guard and they have no depth behind him. RG John Hicks is very good, but the tackles are both pretty weak.

P Spike Jones is an old balls version of Neil Clabo and K Frank Corral exploded this season with 82.1%, 71.4% from 40+ and 75% from 50+ on 6/8 kicking.

LDE Wilbur Young has never really lived up to his massive talent, showing why he was a 3rd round pick. 2nd year NT Don Smith is better suited to a 4-3. SILB Bill Bergey, a San Diego institution, has only missed 100 tackles once in his 12 year career. SLB Bruce Heather became a significant pass-rush threat this season, his first as a full-time starter and WLB Tom Toner is pretty darn good.

LCB Dwayne Woodruff was sensational in his sophomore season with 6 interceptions and an 84.4 PD%. RCB Perry Smith is another dynamic overachiever, with three straight seasons of 80.0+ PD%, despite not being physically talent. He also got 5 INTs this year. SS Gary Barbaro is fantastic and FS Mike Davis quite good.

This is going to be another game where we'll have to drag out the pace of this game as much as possible. I'm honestly worried about this game. The Chargers have the firepower to match us on offense and their secondary is a damned sight better than ours.

It's going to be close, very close by my lights. Vegas sees it in that vein as well, siding with the home team Chargers by 2.

San Diego jumps out to a 10-0 lead before we strike back with a TD to cut to 10-7 with 3:22 left in the half. They answer right back with a TD with just over a minute left and go up 17-7. The lead holds as we can only come within 3.

CB Carl Allen had 10 tackles and 5 assists, but a large part of that was him getting burnt 4 times.

What a god damned heart breaking loss. We could've been the first team in this universe to go to 3 straight Super Bowls.... After all the injuries, all the adversity, having to fight on the road the whole way through... and it comes down to this.

Mike Ernst shredded our secondary with a 25/29 for 236 yards and 2 TD performance and Dwayne Woodruff defended 3 passes.

This one's going to hurt for quite a while.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XXI
The Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers play an absolutely thrilling Super Bowl, with 3 TDs in the last 5 minutes of the game. The Bears came out on top as QB Dan Fouts hit WR Charlie Joiner from 18 yards out with 1:33 left in the game. QB Dan Fouts was Game MVP with a 21/48 for 296 yard, 2 TD line, but QB Mike Ernst was awesome too: 32/44 for 346 yards and a TD. WR Charlie Joiner had 10 catches for 124 yards and the game-winning TD, while WR James Lofton had 7 catches for 118 yards in this shootout.

Chicago 31 San Diego 27

Our final stats:


Record 13-6
Winning Pct. .684
All-Time 220-116
Winning Pct. .654
Playoffs 25-12
Playoff Visits 16
Bowl Wins 4
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 93-34
Winning Pct. .732
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.9 6
Rushing Yards 137.4 1
Yards Per Carry 4.59 1
Pass Attempts 35.3 11
Completions 19.8 17 (T)
Completion Pct. 56.0 23 (T)
Passing Yards 246.4 6
Yards Per Attempt 6.99 5
Yards Per Catch 12.47 2
Total Yardage Gained 374.3 1
3rd Down Conversions 39.4 11
Points Per Game 24.4 5
Pass Rush Pct. 26.5 1
Pass Defense Pct. 62.6 6
Turnovers 18 3
Turnover Margin +13 4

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 21.7 3
Rushing Yards 96.6 8
Yards Per Carry 4.46 32
Pass Attempts 38.2 30
Completions 20.4 19 (T)
Completion Pct. 53.5 1
Passing Yards 211.9 9
Yards Per Attempt 5.55 2 (T)
Yards Per Catch 10.37 5
Total Yardage Gained 289.9 5
3rd Down Conversions 33.0 4
Points Per Game 15.8 3
Pass Rush Pct. 22.1 20
Pass Defense Pct. 58.3 21
Turnovers 31 6 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 27 at NED 7
2 34 SFO 21
3 34 at HOU 13
4 7 at CIN 30
5 10 BUF 20
6 36 at CLE 10
7 19 PIT 13
9 10 NED 17
10 38 BAL 14
11 21 at NJY 24
12 34 at STL 14
13 20 DEN 16
14 17 LAS 32
15 24 NJY 7
16 28 at SEA 7
17 31 at BUF 7
$$WC 13 at BAL 6
$$CS 23 at NJY 7
$$CF 14 at SDO 17

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 521 294 3718 7.14 31 12 89.1
4 R. Jaworski QB 43 22 224 5.21 2 0 81.9
**Team --- 564 316 3942 6.99 33 12 88.5
$$Opp --- 611 327 3391 5.55 24 22 67.8

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 337 1645 4.88 10 2
41 D. Kotar RB 105 497 4.73 4 1
**Team --- 479 2198 4.59 14 13
$$Opp --- 347 1546 4.46 3 27

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
80 S. Largent WR 102 56 791 14.13 7.75 7 6
81 L. Swann WR 117 49 754 15.39 6.44 14 7
27 W. Payton RB 63 49 363 7.41 5.76 1 7
41 D. Kotar RB 42 33 211 6.39 5.02 2 2
87 J. Lash WR 65 29 432 14.90 6.65 6 0
84 R. Garrett WR 51 24 450 18.75 8.82 3 3
86 C. Young TE 21 17 164 9.65 7.81 2 2

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
36 J. Gray S 89 25 3.0 0 5 12 84.4
55 C. Odom ILB 86 21 4.0 0 2 8 77.7
54 R. Shoate OLB 73 26 1.0 6 2 6 77.4
31 C. Crist S 60 11 1.0 2 1 9 77.7
23 C. Allen CB 58 26 0.0 0 1 6 77.4
98 B. Line DT 53 25 5.0 18 0 0 81.5
24 R. Lawrence CB 49 13 2.0 0 3 12 81.6
92 V. Den Herder DE 41 13 16.5 45 0 0 81.7
49 L. Dunlap CB 39 11 0.0 0 5 5 79.5
99 J. Mendenhall DT 24 8 2.5 6 0 0 81.1
79 R. Jones DE 23 13 12.5 23 0 1 81.9
57 T. Black OLB 16 6 0.0 0 0 0 71.0

I'm at a loss to explain why we were so terrible against the run this year statistically. What do I know is that Danny White and Walter Payton had their usual fantastic years and Doug Kotar was a great fit for our offense. Our WR situation continues to puzzle me... We've supposedly got a ton of talent there, but nobody's producing like they should. Granted, the backs eat a lot of catches, but 14 drops from Lynn Swann?

Johnnie Gray was a lifesaver on defense and Cliff Odom gives us a rare thing: a pass-rush threat from the LB spot. Chuck Crist's age is starting to catch up with him. Rulon Jones had an okay rookie campaign, but not like you'd expect from the #7 pick in the draft. Then again, he may have been drawing a lot of double-teams that allowed Vern Den Herder to rampage again.

We're going to be looking heavily at defense again this offseason, again trying to improve the secondary and the OLB spots. On the offensive side of the ball, I'm seriously considering trading Steve Largent and looking for another playmaker at WR. I also wouldn't mind a good, young T or somebody I can groom to be Walter Payton's heir apparent.

1980 Dolphins Season Awards

RB Walter Payton - MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Pro RB
What can you say about him that hasn't been already? He's the single greatest player the Dolphins have ever drafted and although everybody thought we were absolutely insane for trading away multiple 1st round picks and QB Ken Stabler/b] to get the pick that drafted him, it's safe to say that it worked out. This is his [b]3rd straight Offensive Player of the Year award and 2nd consecutive MVP award. That says a lot.

RDE Vern Den Herder - 1st Team All-Pro DE
An absolute legend and a surefire 1st ballot Hall of Famer. He defies age like no other player I've ever seen, except for maybe Paul Warfield. Hell, he set a career high in QB hurries with 45 in his 10th season. We're truly blessed that this great warrior stayed in Florida after the Jaguars released him, though it remains to be seen which cap he'll wear in the Hall when he gets there.

SS Johnnie Gray - 2nd Team All-Pro S
Gray's a cool story. Went to some tiny college nobody's heard of and as a result, didn't get drafted until the 7th round (7.21) by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1975 draft. Made the team as a backup with the Colts, was mediocre for 3 years, got signed by the Jets and looked even worse there as a reserve. Then the Chargers signed him to a one year contract and he just exploded with a fantastic season, good enough that we gambled on him with a 4 year, $1.6 mill. contract last offseason, intending him to replace Glen Edwards in a year or two.

What happens? He comes into camp, beats Edwards out for the starting spot and goes on to have an absolutely incredible season, the stats of which you can see above. I think it's safe to say that if we don't have Gray, we don't go back to the AFC Championship this past year and get a shot at going to 3 Super Bowls in a row.

And now he's an All-Pro safety. Just goes to show you how crazy football and life in general can be sometimes.

Other Major Awards
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Bubba Baker - Philadelphia Eagles
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Frank Pollard - Atlanta Falcons
Defensive Rookie of the Year
DT Steve McMichael - San Francisco 49ers - Transitioned perfectly into the 3-4.

And now it's time to bid a fond farewell to another one of the Dolphin greats, as we've done repeatedly these last few years.

DE L.C. Greenwood (1969-1980)
L.C. took a pretty huge drop in the draft. Originally pegged as a late 1st round-early 2nd round pick, he fell all the way to 2.25, where we quite happily snatched him up. When he started off with just 4 sacks his rookie season, I thought maybe there was a reason he dropped. The next year, he had 14 sacks and went on to have 7 straight seasons of 10+ sacks, teaming up with Aaron Brown for most of the years to form the most feared DE duo in the league. In the twilight of his career, he deemed up with another old man, Vern Den Herder, to continue as a terror. But then, he just didn't look the same in training camp in 1979. Age had caught up to him and though I started him out of loyalty, by mid-season, it was clear he was done. Still, L.C. gamely played on and didn't complain this past year, when he was supplanted by rookies Rulon Jones and Curtis Greer. In fact, he helped them learn the game as best as he could. The one great tragedy of his career, to my mind, is that he only ever received one All-Pro award, when he was worth so many more.

His card:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/greenwood.jpg

Super Bowl Rings
1972, 1978

All-Pro Awards
2nd Team - 1976

Miami Dolphins All-Time Records
6th - Tackles
6th - Assists
1st - Sacks
1st - Hurries
1st - Bocked Passes
3rd - Games Started

All-Time Records
9th - Sacks
8th - Hurries
2nd - Blocked Passes

Yet another borderline candidate for the Hall. It's ironic, we're the most successful team in league history, yet we don't have a single player in aqua and orange in the Hall of Fame.

That'll change though, when Walter Payton retires.


Staff Hiring

Lead Scout Grady Coffey
LB: Average to Fair

We'll have a new head coach as Harris Wilcox becomes the first Dolphins head coach to retire. In 7 seasons, he had a 93-34 record, with 5 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl championship. He'll be missed.

I'm definitely looking for a new Lead Scout in addition to needing a new head coach.

We get them both.

Lead Scout Oscar James (54) 4 years, $80,000
QB: Good
RB: Average
WR: Average
OL: Excellent
KP: Good
DL: Good
LB: VG
DB: Average
YT: Good

Not the most exceptional lead scout, but the rookie pickings were slim.

Head Coach Michael Swift (39) 5 years, $600k
MT: VG
DI: Good
OC: Good
DC: Average
IA: Good

We're hoping that he'll grow and blossom like Tyrus Treftz and Dave Hanner did, even though he'll probably be like the previous two and bolt for somewhere new once he's gone through a couple contracts with us. :rolleyes:

Still, I don't envy Swift. He's a young guy, stepping on to the most successful team in NFL history, with the 3 head coaches before him all having Super Bowl rings.

That's a tough tradition to live up to.

DE Curtis Greer is the lucky winner of a trip to France to play football and bang hot French chicks.

Free Agency

By the Numbers
QB, RB, FB, WR x 2, C, G, T, K, DT, OLB, CB, FS (14 new bodies total)

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
FB Russell Davis - 1 year, $50k
C Fred Quillan - 3 years, $260k
MLB Mike Hunt - 3 years, $260k
QB Danny White - 3 years, $2.1 mill. (I think you know what I'm hoping will happen when his contract's up :D)
DE Vern Den Herder - 2 years, $620k
C Tom Banks - 2 years, $340k
FS Chuck Crist - 3 years, $550k
LDT Bill Line - 3 years, $1.25 mill.
RCB Rolland Lawrence - 3 years, $730k
RG Noah Jackson - 3 years, $620k
LG Jim Hough - 4 years, $780k

I'm playing it risky with quite a few of these guys, since they're pretty old, but quite a few of them have either been long-term Dolphins or they look good to hold up for the length of their contract. Hunt I re-signed strictly to finally give him the PT he's sought for so many years once Merv Krakau's waste of a contract expires.

Week 2 Signings
K Tim Webster - 1 year, $110k* (Re-signing)
-Last season was his absolute worst, both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Consider this year Wonder's chance to redeem himself or he'll be looking for a new team, sad to say.

WLB Ray Preston - 1 year, $80k* (New Orleans)
-Tim Black was pissed about losing his starting spot last season, so he wouldn't talk to us about re-signing. Thus, enter in Preston, who's a lot like Black without the ST talent.

FS Dennis Bragonier - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-There's no better safety net at FS than Bragonier, so we keep on bringing him back.

Week 3 Signings
P Neil Clabo - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-I couldn't help myself. His 96 Kickholding is too vital to Wonder's success. If that ever vanishes though, or if we find an acceptable kickholder at QB, out he goes.

DT Gary Dunn - 4 years, $1.37 mill. (Detroit)
-A bit of a gamble, since he was only league average in his first season as a starter last year, but we needed somebody to fill the hole because Bob Maddox is getting old and there was no way I was re-signing John Mendenhall, who by the way has an offer on the table from someone else.

Week 4 Signings
T Ron Mikolajcyzk - 1 year, $130k (Re-signing)
-He always wants more than a min-sal deal, but he deserves it, year in and year out. One of the most surprisingly tough players I've had in this universe. He keeps doing just enough to hang in there.

Week 4 Losses
WR J.D. Hill - 2 years, $980k (Green Bay - New Jersey)
-Remember how I said the Jets/Dolphins rivalry was one of the biggest in this universe? We offered Hill almost $1.2 mill. to come play with us for those two years. He spit on the contract and said he'd die before he signed with the Dolphins. I have to admire the man's principles, though it does seriously screw with my big offseason move I had planned.

OLB Tim Black - 1 year, $80k* (Green Bay)
-Okay, evidently the Packers are going to do their best to piss me off this offseason. Fair enough. Not that Black was coming back anyway, but still.

Week 5 Signings
QB Don Milan - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-After all the miracles he's performed for us, I'll be damned if I ever let him suit up in another uniform. He'll be our #3 QB until he decides to retire.

WR Reggie Garrett - 1 year, $130k (Re-signing)
-Not really an overpay when you consider just what this guy's meant to us over the 3 years he's been in a Dolphins uniform. There was a lot of competition for him.

Week 6 Signings
RB Doug Kotar - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-This was a calculated gamble, since the Browns had more money on the table and Kotar isn't known for his loyalty. But #2 RBs who fit our system are literally a dime a dozen, so I wasn't worried if we lost him. I'm happy we got him back, though.

WR Danny Buggs - 1 year, $130k (Baltimore)
-He still hadn't signed anywhere, so I swooped in and got him. Now, you might be asking what in the hell we're going to do with this guy when we've got Reggie Garrett and Steve Watson already on the team. ...I think you know what's coming.

Unfortunately, nobody's willing to take on Steve Largent's salary. It's understandable, I suppose. I mean, he -is- commanding $550,000 a year, but come on... it's only a two-year deal! He's a top quality WR, the kind that can really light up an offense!

Oh, those drops? Ahh, they don't -really- matter, do they? I mean, hey Tucson, you want to be like us! Here's a Dolphins player!

...Dude, what the hell is this? Two years ago I had people banging down my door to trade for him. Now, NOBODY wants him?

Well, damn.

Oh well, at least we've got our 5 WRs for next season and it'll be a pretty good crop unless injuries hit us again.

Week 6 Losses
DE Dave Linstrom - 1 year, $80k* (Houston)
-Didn't play a single down for us last year as he became expendable with the drafting of Rulon Jones and Curtis Greer. I honestly forgot he was even on the roster, so good luck with the Oilers, Dave.

CB Mike Washington - 1 year, $80k* (Tampa Bay)
-Best corner on the market, which wasn't saying much. Honestly, I didn't care all that much if we got him or not, but the fact that we didn't means that we'll almost certainly look to go CB in the 1st round this upcoming draft.

CB Carl Allen - 1 year, $80k* (Tampa Bay)
-The very definition of mediocre. Like I said, only ensures we'll be looking to take a corner come draft time.

Oh yeah, the Oakland Raiders opted not to re-sign QB Joe Theismann, who, despite finally getting the chance to start in his 7th season, did not impress in the least. Despite his poor showing on the field, teams fought to get him and he finally chose the Houston Oilers for 4 years, $2.58 mill.... where he'll get to sit behind Archie Manning. Haha, I love it!

Week 7 Losses
OLB Mike McDonald - 1 year, $80k* (Houston)
Let's see... he cost us a drafted Dolphin re-signing with us and played like absolute shit. Yeah, he can go play with Archie and Joe.

Week 9 Losses
DT John Mendenhall - 1 year, $120k (Tampa Bay)
-He hung around with this offer for a long time, like somebody else was going to offer him higher than a min-sal deal. Eventually he got smart and accepted the Bucs offer to stay in Florida. No harm done.

I'll do the draft either later tonight or some time tomorrow.

All I gotta say is, this is going to be one absolutely sick draft class on the defensive side of the ball. I'm so tempted to do some moving up, it's not even funny.

But more on that later.

[Izulde]

We lose WR Jim Lash on the very last stage of free agency as he signs a 1 year, $100k* deal with the Seahawks. He dropped too many passes last year for me to want him back, so it's no biggie.

The draft is big on defensive talent, though the top 5 seems to be DE Howie Long as the consensus #1 with T Keith Van Horne, RB Joe Delaney and RB Stump Mitchell, along with CB Bobby Butler as the top 5 most talented draftees.

I'm going to have a real temptation to move up and take one of these defensive stars in the making, but we'll see how it goes down.

1981 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. DE Howie Long - St. Louis Cardinals
2. RB Joe Delaney - Oakland Raiders
3. CB Bobby Butler - New York Giants
4. S Deron Cherry - New Orleans Saints
5. T Keith Van Horne - Minnesota Vikings
6. CB Eric Wright - Atlanta Falcons
7. RB Stump Mitchell - Green Bay Packers
8. DE Dexter Manley - St. Louis Cardinals
9. OLB Mel Kaufman - Philadelphia Eagles
10. S Kenny Easley - San Francisco 49ers
11. CB Everson Walls - Seattle Seahawks
12. RB Freeman McNeil - San Francisco 49ers
13. OLB Lawrence Taylor - Chicago Bears through Denver Broncos

The defending Super Bowl champs just got a big-time addition and at a bargain price: their 1983 1st, 4th, and 7th round picks. Stupid move for the Broncos in my opinion, considering how talent rich this draft is on D.

14. S Todd Bell - Houston Oilers
15. T Brian Halloway - Cincinnati Bengals
16. CB Gregg Johnson - Pittsburgh Steelers
17. DE Greg Brown - Indianapolis Colts
18. RB James Brooks - Jacksonville Jaguars
19. OLB Rickey Jackson - St. Louis Cardinals

Yeesh! This is one scary looking young defense for the Cardinals.

20. RB Amos Lawrence - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
21. S Darrol Ray - Washington Redskins
22. CB Johnnie Poe - Los Angeles Rams
23. CB John Swain - Detroit Lions
24. RB David Overstreet - Kansas City Chiefs

This is where I screwed up. I wanted to move up here and take someone specific, but the Bills aren't having it without me overpaying to the degree that I'm not willing to, so it's with much annoyance that I'm forced to watch..

25. S Ronnie Lott - Buffalo Bills
26. T Mark May - Tucson Titans
27. S Dennis Smith - Houston Oilers
28. G Edwin Bailey - New Jersey Jets

So what do we have when our pick comes up? CB has been stripped completely bare and everyone else is either Very Overrated with a high Vol tag or they look extremely raw.

In the end, I decide we're too weak at CB to have any other choice and at least the guy in question has a low Vol score, so he shouldn't bust too badly.

29. CB Johnny Smith - Miami Dolphins
30. DE Don Smerek - Carolina Panthers
31. DT Darryl Grant - San Diego Chargers
32. RB Tony Collins - Chicago Bears

In the 2nd round, I decide I like the looks of S Lloyd Burrus enough to draft him as a potential replacement for Chuck Crist somewhere down the road. If I hadn't taken Cliff Odom last year, I'd have picked ILB Mike Singletary but he went at 2.32 to... the Chicago Bears. Neat trick, no?

There's still some guys worth eyeballing when our 3rd round selection comes up and DT Jim Burt is the call as a possible breakout candidate, much in the same way that Bob Maddox was some years ago.

I have to be careful with our 4th round pick, as we don't get anybody in the 5th round. I take a flyer on T Roger Taylor, who'll probably bust, but we need a new backup T and he could be serviceable in that role.

We sit out the 5th and miss out on a WR I wanted when he goes early in the 6th, so I wound up taking a flyer on WR Leo Lewis instead, simply because he looks like a special teams ace.

And that's the end of our draft, because I traded our 7th rounder away in an earlier year.

Late Free Agency

Week 1 Signings
CB Gary Green - 6 years, $2.54 mill. (San Francisco)
-Yeah, I overpaid for him and he's not a shutdown corner by any stretch of the imagine. He'll also be in his 11th season by the time this contract runs out. But we're really, really hurting at CB, so I had to do something.

Week 1 Losses
T Ron Hunt - 1 year, $80k* (San Francisco)
-Was great for us last year and I should've re-signed him, but I didn't and I'll end up paying for that I'm sure. It's not been a good offseason by any means this year.


LCB Johnny Smith 1.29 32/67 33/59 +1/-8
SS Lloyd Burrus 2.28 20/34 25/40 +5/+6
RDT Jim Burt 3.29 20/35 23/38 +3/+3
RT Roger Taylor 4.26 18/42 31/47 +11/+5
SE Leo Lewis 6.19 16/36 19/36 +3/+0

Draft Grade: B+

Smith is a major disappointment. Burrus was expected to boom with those low ratings and he did, though it remains to be seen whether he was a stupid pick or not. Burt got a decent uptick, but I still don't expect much out of him or Lewis.

The real shock was Taylor, who busted his ass in training camp and goes from being afterthought to Ron Mikolajcyzk's heir apparent. Nice way to recover what's otherwise been a wonky offseason.

[Izulde]

Jaworski, Ron 4 QB 9 46 67 2 yrs
White, Danny 17 QB 8 62 62 3 yrs
Milan, Don 19 QB 7 19 20 1 yr.

We're perfectly set here. Nice to see Jaws get some improvement. White-Jaws-Milan, obviously


Kotar, Doug 41 RB 8 51 51 1 yr.
Payton, Walter 27 RB 7 79 79 3 yrs
Brown, Curtis 40 FB 5 36 36 2 yrs
Davis, Russell 38 FB 3 33 38 1 yr.

Payton-Brown with Kotar and Davis the reserves. Eventually we'll want to get younger at RB, but for now, this'll do.


Young, Charle 86 TE 9 49 49 1 yr.
Spagnola, John 82 TE 3 55 55 1 yr.
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 8 60 60 3 yrs
Buggs, Danny 1 FL 7 45 45 1 yr.
Watson, Steve 89 FL 3 45 45 1 yr.
Garrett, Reggie 84 SE 8 36 36 1 yr.
Largent, Steve 80 SE 6 58 58 2 yrs
Lewis, Leo 87 SE 1 19 36 3 yrs

Spagnola-Swann-Watson are the obvious 3 starters, but then things get awfully confusing. My instinct, however, says to go with Buggs as the #3 WR, shift Watson over to SE and have Garrett as the 5th WR. Doing so makes Watson 41/42, but I'm sure he'll catch that up. Lewis will try and be on the active team as a KR and ST guy and Young will be the backup TE.


Banks, Tom 51 C 12 51 51 2 yrs
Quillan, Fred 50 C 4 42 42 3 yrs
Hough, Jim 78 LG 4 49 49 4 yrs
Jackson, Noah 77 RG 8 50 50 3 yrs
Towns, Morris 72 LT 5 38 38 2 yrs
Mikolajczyk, Ron 67 RT 9 43 43 1 yr.
Essink, Ron 65 RT 2 15 39 2 yrs
Taylor, Roger 60 RT 1 31 47 3 yrs

Towns-Hough-Banks-Jackson-Mikolajczyk will return as our starting o-line. Taylor's strictly a run-blocker at this point, so I want to see him prove himself in pass-protection. That said, we'll have Taylor, Quillan and... oh fudge, I forgot to sign a reserve G. We move Essink inside to G, where he goes to 14/40. It's the only chance he has of ever contributing anything to this team, so it's a good move for him.


Clabo, Neil 13 P 7 46 46 1 yr.
Miller, Jim 5 P 2 33 40 2 yrs
Webster, Tim 16 K 11 45 45 1 yr.

Clabo and Webster's last years, maybe. Miller's inactive.


Jones, Rulon 79 LDE 2 81 81 4 yrs
Den Herder, Vern 92 RDE 11 32 32 2 yrs
Greer, Curtis 73 RDE 2 46 59 2 yrs
Line, Bill 98 LDT 10 57 57 3 yrs
Maddox, Bob 76 RDT 9 24 24 1 yr.
Dunn, Gary 96 RDT 6 48 48 4 yrs
Burt, Jim 97 RDT 1 23 38 3 yrs

:eek: Greer just absolutely exploded out of nowhere after his summer overseas and Jones looks incredible. So our front four will be Jones-Line-Dunn-Greer. I'm leaning towards Burt as our reserve as he has upside and Maddox looked like he didn't have it any more last year.


Krakau, Merv 94 MLB 9 58 58 2 yrs
Hunt, Mike 52 MLB 4 43 43 3 yrs
Odom, Cliff 55 MLB 2 56 56 3 yrs
Shoate, Rod 54 SLB 7 42 42 1 yr.
Rennaker, Terry 58 SLB 2 32 52 2 yrs
Preston, Ray 53 WLB 6 45 45 1 yr.

Shoate-Odom-Preston, with Krakau and Rennaker the reserves, Hunt on the inactive list. Rennaker could concievably pass Shoate up by midseason if he develops enough. We really need to get a better SLB.


Dunlap, Lenny 49 LCB 11 47 47 1 yr.
Green, Gary 35 LCB 5 50 50 6 yrs
Lawrence, Rolland 24 RCB 9 37 37 3 yrs
Manning, Wade 22 RCB 3 36 36 1 yr.
Smith, Johnny 44 RCB 1 33 59 4 yrs
Edwards, Glen 20 SS 11 41 41 2 yrs
Gray, Johnnie 36 SS 7 49 49 3 yrs
Burrus, Lloyd 25 SS 1 25 40 3 yrs
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 10 46 46 3 yrs
Bragonier, Dennis 33 FS 8 39 39 1 yr.

Dunlap got focused in the offseason and comes ready to play. So I do some flip-flopping around, originally moving Lawrence to LCB, then back to RCB when I switch Smith to LCB. Green moves to RCB and stays there. It'll be Dunlap and Green as the starting CBs, Gray and Crist the starting safeties, with Smith the tenative nickel back, Lawrence the dime back. Edwards and Bragonier will be the reserves, though Edwards is disgruntled. One thing we may be able to do is make him a PR.

Because of our concentrated effrots to improve our defense in the offseason, especially our secondary, we're again considered Super Bowl favorites, with the Bill and Ravens darkhorses. The NFC is deemed too close to call between the Panthers, Packers, Redskins and newly scary Cardinals.

I feel like we've gotten better, but whether it's enough to be labeled Super Bowl contender worthy... I don't know.

Should be a fun season, though.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Detroit 13 Miami 28
Walter Payton rushes 21 times for 109 yards and a TD to give us an easy victory in our preseason opener. Props to Johnnie Gray too, for his pass defense and interception while only getting caught once.

Miami 41 San Francisco 10
Dolphins looking pimp in preseason. Johnny Smith returned an interception 13 yards for a TD and Lenny Dunlap bettered him on the next score with 45 yard interception return for a TD. Wade Manning put the crowning insult on when he returned a fumble 19 yards for a TD with 18 seconds left. Cliff Odom had 10 tackles, an assist, a sack and a knockdown and Curtis Greer put on the pressure with 4 tackles, an assist and 2 sacks.

Backup FB Russell Davis strains his deltoid muscle and is out 4 weeks. He goes on inactive and we sign 3rd year FB Bob Torrey to fill the gap.

Miami 41 Minnesota 15
Second straight game we score 41 as Danny White is 16/17 for 227 yards and 2 TDs. Steve Largent grabbed 5 passes for 100 yards and Gary Dunn had 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks a knockdown. Bill Line abused them too, with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown. Interestingly enough, the Vikes scored all 15 points in the 3rd quarter.

Of course this preseason pwning leads to more injuries: TE Charle Young is out 3 weeks with a hyperxtended elbow and G Ron Essink has a high ankle sprain that will put him out of comission for 17 weeks, meaning if he comes back at all, it'll be in the postseason.

Street free agent TE Al Dixon signs to be the backup and another bum cut before the end of last season, 4th year G Tom Randall signs on as the reserve guard. C Fred Quillan takes over long snapper duties.

St. Louis 7 Miami 34
What happened to that scary rookie defense? It went nowhere in the final preseason game as Doug Kotar rushes 20 times for 102 yards and Cliff Odom hits the Cards for 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and a pass defense. Rulon Jones picked up 3 tackles, an assist, a sack, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns. Lenny Dunlap had 4 pass defenses.

Remember the problems we had with our receiving corps last year? The injuries hit again as starting FL Lynn Swann is out 4 weeks with a strained elbow tendon. We sign 5th year WR Kenny Harrison, but he's not the 5th receiver. That role goes to Leo Lewis. I signed Harrison because I think he can play a role on ST and step in when we get yet another WR injury, heh. Oh yeah, FL Danny Buggs takes over as the starting flanker, with Reggie Garrett his backup.

Regular Season

Miami 40 New Jersey 17
We make a statement right in Week 1 that injuries be damned, we're still a forced to be reckoned with. Or rather, our ST is to be reckoned with, as Tim Webster cooly kicks 4/4 FGs, 2/2 from 40+ range and Rolland Lawrence gets a 52 yard KR. Not a TD, but still impressive. But not as impressive as Johnnie Gray who shows his All-Pro nomination wasn't a fluke, taking home Player of the Game with 4 tackles, an assist, a sack, 3 pass defenses and 2 interceptions. Now that's a game!

Backup TE Al Dixon strains a foot ligament and is out 3 weeks but that's okay because Charle Young is ready to come back, as is Russell Davis.

It's then that I realize that I forgot to hit Recommend. Oops! I do that now.

Miami 37 Tampa Bay 10
We beat one of our state rivals handily, thanks to Walter Payton carting the ball 21 times for 153 yards and catching 4 passes for 61 yards and a TD on his way to Playyer of the Game. Johnnie Gray led the defense with 10 tackles and 2 assists. What an amazing dude.

Lynn Swann is ready to return, hooray!

Miami 17 Cincinnati 10
A tough battle, but we come out on top, despite turning the ball over 3 times (2 Walter Payton fumbles and a Ron Jaworski INT) by picking off Randy Hedberg twice. Gary Green had 3 pass defenses and an INT to be the real difference maker and Player of the Game.

Thankfully the Danny White injury was just a game one. On the other hand starting SLB Rod Shoate breaks his jaw and is out 3 weeks and starting C Tom Banks breaks his wrist and is gone for 6 weeks.

G Ron Essink gets put on the IR beause postseason is no time to allow a raw guard back in the offensive line rotation. SLB Jim Merlo and C Willie Parker are signed. WR Kenny Harrison gets his pink slip. C Fred Quillan finally gets his first NFL start, Parker his backup, and Jim Merlo, who was quite the pass-rush threat a couple years ago with the Browns, gets the nod at SLB.

Buffalo 28 Miami 18
Our perfect season goes up in smoke as our running gam gets stuffed and Danny White and Ron Jaworski combine for 3 interceptions and a fumble. Rough going, especially against a division rival.

Backup G Tom Randall tears knee cartilage and is out 4 weeks. Yeesh, can we please not get injured so much here guys? FB Bob Torrey is cut, even though I like him because of his name and we sign G Glenn Hyde to be our reserve G. He actually might be good enough to stay there for the rest of the season even when Randall comes back.

Miami 38 San Diego 10
We bounce back with a beatdown of the Chargers, avenging last year's AFC Championship loss somewhat. Walter Payton rushes 17 times for 112 yards and a TD and Danny White wins Player of the Game with a 21/29 for 308 yards and 3 TD performance.

Denver 17 Miami 31
The score wasn't even this close, as the Broncos strung on 14 points in the 4th quarter to take it from 31-3 to the final score. Walter Payton ran 22 times for 129 yards and a TD, but Danny White was on fire again, 25/29 for 321 yards and 3 TDs for his second 300+ yard game and Player of the Game award. Curtis Greer had 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks and a hurry.

The bye week has G Tom Randall back to Probable, but I'm not about to mess with the success we've had since signing Glenn Hyde so Randall can sit there.

Kansas City 13 Miami 27
A relatively comfortable win keyed by Danny White with his 20/28 for 260 yards and 2 TD line, his third straight Player of the Game nod. And that's really the only highlight to report.

C Tom Banks is probable, but we're playing well enough that we don't need to rush him back and can afford to let him fully heal his wrist.

Miami 14 Oakland 26
Me and my big mouth. :rolleyes: Danny White threw 3 INTs and Joe Gilliam was 31/46 for 305 yards and 2 TDs. That's basically the differencemaker in this game, though Danny Buggs had 5 catches for 121 yards and Bill Line 10 tackles, an assist, a block, a hurry and a knockdown.

The loss drops us to 6-2 and into 3rd place in the AFC East. :rolleyes: But it's not as bad as last year, because 6-2 is a 3-way tie for the division lead with the Bills and the Patriots. The Jets are going nowhere with a 1-7 record.

The AFC West has an exciting 3-way division title race of its own going, as everyone but the Broncos (2-6) are 4-4.

Halfway tape:


Record 6-2
Winning Pct. .750
All-Time 226-118
Winning Pct. .656
Playoffs 25-12
Playoff Visits 16
Bowl Wins 4
Head Coach Michael Swift
Record 6-2
Winning Pct. .750
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.0 12 (T)
Rushing Yards 130.5 5
Yards Per Carry 4.50 5
Pass Attempts 32.4 22
Completions 20.1 17 (T)
Completion Pct. 62.2 13 (T)
Passing Yards 263.8 5
Yards Per Attempt 8.15 2
Yards Per Catch 13.11 2
Total Yardage Gained 379.3 3
3rd Down Conversions 48.6 2
Points Per Game 27.8 1
Pass Rush Pct. 22.3 9
Pass Defense Pct. 50.3 17
Turnovers 16 24 (T)
Turnover Margin -6 28

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 23.3 3 (T)
Rushing Yards 93.3 5
Yards Per Carry 4.01 16
Pass Attempts 38.3 32
Completions 22.0 28
Completion Pct. 57.5 8
Passing Yards 231.8 20
Yards Per Attempt 6.06 7
Yards Per Catch 10.53 12 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 315.5 14 (T)
3rd Down Conversions 35.5 11
Points Per Game 16.4 7 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 23.3 25
Pass Defense Pct. 56.5 21
Turnovers 10 28 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 40 at NJY 17
2 37 at TBY 10
3 17 at CIN 10
4 18 BUF 28
5 38 at SDO 10
6 31 DEN 17
8 27 KCY 13
9 14 at OAK 26
10 at NED
11 NJY
12 CAR
13 IND
14 ATL
15 at BUF
16 at NOS
17 NED

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 224 142 1862 8.31 16 9 96.6
4 R. Jaworski QB 35 19 248 7.09 1 2 62.5
**Team --- 259 161 2110 8.15 17 11 92.0
$$Opp --- 306 176 1854 6.06 10 6 77.9

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 141 729 5.17 5 4
41 D. Kotar RB 80 299 3.74 5 1
**Team --- 232 1044 4.50 10 12
$$Opp --- 186 746 4.01 4 14

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
27 W. Payton RB 41 32 242 7.56 5.90 0 3
1 D. Buggs WR 48 25 492 19.68 10.25 3 1
80 S. Largent WR 48 25 282 11.28 5.88 1 3
89 S. Watson WR 26 20 332 16.60 12.77 1 0
81 L. Swann WR 31 17 319 18.76 10.29 1 6
82 J. Spagnola TE 16 10 127 12.70 7.94 1 0
86 C. Young TE 11 8 89 11.13 8.09 0 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
36 J. Gray S 45 10 1.0 0 2 4 79.3
98 B. Line DT 33 9 1.0 10 0 0 78.7
55 C. Odom ILB 33 13 2.5 3 0 2 78.5
49 L. Dunlap CB 31 5 0.0 0 1 4 75.1
44 J. Smith CB 30 9 0.0 0 0 3 78.6
35 G. Green CB 28 8 1.0 0 1 10 82.5
31 C. Crist S 23 9 0.0 1 1 3 80.3
79 R. Jones DE 23 4 1.0 16 0 0 81.2
59 J. Merlo OLB 20 4 0.0 0 0 1 70.2
96 G. Dunn DT 14 5 0.0 1 0 0 81.9
73 C. Greer DE 14 11 2.5 17 0 0 81.3
24 R. Lawrence CB 13 2 0.0 0 0 1 71.8
58 T. Rennaker OLB 10 1 1.0 0 0 0 75.0
94 M. Krakau ILB 9 6 0.0 0 1 1 88.3
97 J. Burt DT 9 0 0.0 0 0 0 64.9

White's interceptions honestly aren't that horrible. 6 of those interceptions came in 2 games and 2 of Payton's fumbles came in the same game. One thing I like about White is that he's not afraid to use the full range of his receivers. Makes the offense that much more effective, I think.

Green is looking a lot like Johnny Sample in the old days. What an absolutely quality pickup for us. One concern, though: We aren't generating sacks and we aren't making turnovers happen. That's worrisome.

It's going to be a tight race down the second half of the season again, with a high probability that both wild cards will come from our division and if that happens, there's no reason to say we can't be one of them or even take back the crown.

But of course, what we're really dreaming of is the Super Bowl.

[Izulde]

Because the guy next to me is riding a bicycle at 3:30 in the morning and she's squeaking loudly enough to wake me up as she gets her tires oiled, you guys get another update ahead of schedule. :)

SS Glen Edwards, TE Charle Young and RB Doug Kotar are all Disgruntled. MLB Merv Krakau is, of course, demanding a trade. Young I put back in the LS spot, as I forgot to do that, but everyone else is just gonna have to sit there.

Since our next game is critical, I bring back C Tom Banks.

Miami 24 New England 27
Ugh!!!!!!! The Patriots come back in the second half to steal one from us, despite Danny White's 21/30 for 291 yards and 2 TDs. Wade Manning's a culprit, as he fumbled twice.

TE John Spagnola is out 4 weeks with a hyperextend knee. We go back to TE Charle Young as the starter, Al Dixon as the reserve. SS Glen Edwards is the new PR after Manning's two idiot fumbles.

New Jersey 10 Miami 34
Nothing like a diet of the Jets to make us feel better. This one was all the defense as Cliff Odom had a great all-around game with 9 tackles, 2 assists and a sack, while Rulon Jones was Player of the Game with 4 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 4 hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Rookie Johnny Smith had 4 pass defenses as he shows glimmers of promise every now and again.

Carolina 3 Miami 27
We lock up .500 for sure with this coasting win as Walter Payton rushes 24 times for 106 yards and Danny White wins Player of the Game with a 22/29 for 287 yards and 3 TDs line. Bill Line had 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown to lead the D.

TE John Spagnola is back to probable, but DE Curtis Greer is out with a strained foot ligament. DE Reggie Lewis is signed as the backup while old man Vern Den Herder takes over as the starting RDE.

I just noticed that SLB Jim Merlo is tired and I never brought SLB Rod Shoate back. I rectify that problem by cutting Merlo and promoting Shoate to his proper spot.

Indianapolis 25 Miami 27
We eke one out against the Colts by the skin of our teeth behind Walter Payton's 19 rushes for 100 yards and 4 catches for 25 yards and a TD, along with Danny White's 23/34 for 328 yards and 3 TDs vs 1 INT Player of the Game performance. Most of the passing yardage went to Steve Largent, who had 8 catches for 130 yards and a TD. Side note: Rod Shoate had an INT his first game back.

DE Curtis Greer is back up to Probable so we happily bring him back.

Atlanta 24 Miami 27
Another game that's far, far too close for comfort. Walter Payton wins Player of the Game, thanks to 28 rushes for 122 yards and 5 catches for 77 yards and a TD. Big defensive play was Gary Green returning a fumble back 52 yards for the TD.

We guarantee 10 wins with the victory and are tied with the Bills atop the division at 10-3. The Patriots are a game back at 9-4. QB Danny White and QB Ron Jaworski are both Questionable and the biggest game of the year is up next against the Bills.

So what do we do?

Easy. We turn to the man, the myth, the legend, the Milan. QB Don Milan, that is.

Some people may think we're nuts and we probably are, but we're still living on what he's done for us in the past.

Miami 34 Buffalo 21
And sometimes the past is just what you need. It doesn't really surprise me that Don Milan steps up and wins Player of the Game here at 20/32 for 241 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT. He had a couple of beautiful passes: 38 yards to Danny Buggs for a TD and the big one: a 61 yard TD pass to John Spagnola. Don just always comes through for us when we need him to. Bill Line had 2 tackles and 1.5 sacks and Glen Edwards ran back a punt 58 yards for a TD and got an interception besides. Quality win all the way around.

Danny White is back up to Probable, so he'll get the start. Ron Jaworski is still Questionable, so he'll sit as the 3rd string guy.

Miami 48 New Orleans 14
It feels so damned good to rain this hard on the Saints. Danny White had his finest game in a Dolphins uniform: 25/35 for 365 yards and 4 TDs. He's really taken it to the next level in quite a few contests this year. Steve Watson was his favorite target at 5 catches for 132 yards. Our oft-maligned pass rush really came to the forefront this game: Curtis Greer had 4 tackles, 2 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns and Rulon Jones was maybe even better at 3 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and 5 knockdowns. Gary Green had 3 pass defenses as I continue to be amazed by him.

With that crushing of Joe Montana and the Saints coupled by the Bills 35-13 implosion agains the same Atlanta Falcons team we beat 27-24 earlier in the year....

The Miami Dolphins are the 1981 AFC East Champions!!!! :) :) :)

It's been quite a few years since we've had the division crown to our names and this one feels oh so sweet.

We don't rest anyone, though, because the Houston Oilers are also 12-3 and we want that #1 seed. Besides, if we beat the Patriots, we have a chance at knocking them out of the playoffs, which I'd love to do as I hate playing division foes.

New England 28 Miami 35
We get it done. Two terrific plays to watch in this game, Mike Holmes with his 99 yard kickoff return for a TD that was just beautiful to see, even though a Patriot did it, and a 74 yard TD pass from Danny White to Lynn Swann. Danny White won Player of the Game with a Johnny Unitas-like performance: 31/45 for 402 yards and 4 TDs. It was the greatest game by a Dolphins QB we'd seen since the Unitas days, in fact. Lynn Swann had 4 catches for 100 yards on the nose and that TD and Curtis Greer was the main man on D, with 3 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, 2 hurries, a knockdown and a forced fumble.

The Oilers won, so I think they won the tiebreaker. Not only does that mean we may not be playing at home, but we sustain a terrible blow.

CB Gary Green, who's been the backbone of our rejuvenated secondary, pulls his hamstring so severely he's gone for the season, with no chance of coming back in the playoffs.

Our chances at the Super Bowl just got a lot smaller.

[Izulde]

So CB Gary Green goes on the IR. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention about the Saints game: rookie S Lloyd Burrus returned a fumble 20 yards for a TD, which I thought was pretty cool.

Anyway, we sign CB Bivian Lee, a Week 17 cut from the Kansas City Chiefs on the squad and move Johnny Smith over to RCB, where he takes a hit because I forgot to look at the experience ratings. :(

Nonetheless, Smith'll start at RCB and Lee will take over as the backup LCB and take over in goal-line packages as well as play ST.

We draw Buffalo in the divisional round and the Bills are eager to win as they did in the first game of the season.

QB Bert Jones has really turned the corner the last two seasons and was brilliant this year: 4,217 yards and 24 TDs vs just 10 INTs. He'll be a threat. Starting RB Wilbert Montgomery is Out, so they'll be turning to speedster RB Gerry Ellis, a 2nd year pro that's going to have a very short career, I suspect. That said, he's pretty good.

TE Gary Shirk is a good all-around player, but FL Roy Green is the real weapon in the passing game. He had 98 catches for 1,702 yards this season and the scary part is, he's only in his 3rd year. Not having Gary Green is going to cause real matchup problems against this guy.

It's amazing that Jones does so well, because the offensive line is simply awful in pass protection with the exception of RG Dave Lafary, who's a guard version of Ron Mikolajcyz: not rated very highly by a lot of scouts, but gets the job done.

P Mike Patrick is a better version of Neil Clabo and K Jim Breech is a lot like Tim Webster in his prime.

LDE Jack Youngblood has had a long, illustrious career in his 11 seasons, but the gas is just about gone from the tank. He recorded only 4 sacks this season, a career low and didn't get much pressure on the QB. The light came on for RDE Ross Browner, though, who exploded with 12 sacks, as he took advantage of Youngblood's tutelage. LDT Don Latimer is a solid space-eater.

MLB Randy Gradishear is the most underrated MLB in the entire league, a terrific all-around LB in much the same way that SLB Steve King is.

LCB Louis Wright is phenomenal, RCB Tim Collier a significant overachiever. I don't think I need to mention that rookie SS Ronnie Lott was brilliant in his rookie campaign :mad: and FS Scott Perry is very solid.

This is a tough, tough matchup. It's probably going to be a low-scoring affair and we're going to have minimize our mistakes if we want to win. We'll also have to generate a pass-rush and take advantage of the Bills' weakness on the offensive line.

Vegas doesn't see it that way, though, favoring us by a full touchdown.

And it turns out neither I nor the bookies were right.

Walter Payton rushed 27 times for 153 yards and Danny White made up for 2 interceptions with 4 TDs. We pick off the Bills' QBs 3 times, as it was our defense that dominated the game.

I was right about one thing, though. Our pass rush would be critical.

Gary Dunn won Player of the Game with 5 tackles, an assist, and 3 sacks, though it should've gone to Curtis Greer, who had 2 tackles, 3 assists, 2.5 sacks, 4 hurries, 6 knockdowns, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Just a terrific showing by our front 4 on the D-line and Don Bruce should be proud of his boys.

Buffalo 7 Miami 31

It's on to the AFC Championship for the 4th year in a row!

[Izulde]

We're up against the Houston Oilers in the AFC Championship. They're still one of the elite franchises in universe history, with a .613 win percentage, 16 playoff appearances (2nd to only us) and 2 Super Bowl Championships in as many tries, in 1964 and 1975 respectively.

QB Archie Manning is one of the best in the game and QB Joe Theismann has talent as the #2 QB, but it's never materialized. In fact, Theismann was just 2/12 in 3 mopup appearances this year.

The run game is evenly split between RB Herb Lusk and RB Lynn Cain. They're both the slippery type of back, though Lusk has great acceleration to the outside that Cain doesn't, while Cain is the vastly superior receiver out of the backfield.

Rookie FL Chris Collinsworth had a respectable season and SE Duriel Harris is surehanded, but overall, this is not really an overwhelming group of receivers.

The offensive line is pretty ghastly, mediocre to bad at pass protection and absolutely horrible at run-blocking. P Dan Melville is average, whereas K Bill Bell is a fine kicker, with no signs of declining, even in his 12th season. As a fun side note, K David Trout, rookie, is Bell's heir. Go Trout!

LDE John Dutton is a player to watch for, a terrific all-around player who had an incredible 17 sacks in the regular season. Fellow RDE Horace Jones bounced back after two sub-par seasons to return to double-digit sack form as well. DT Rubin Carter and DT Bill Sandifer are great space-eaters. The scary part is, the Oilers have real depth on the defensive line, with their reserves almost as good as the starters.

MLB Jim LeClair is a topnotch player, although the OLBs are nothing to be afraid of.

RCB Raymond Clayborn is a ballhawk and FS Tim Fox is a warrior to be feared, but we've caught a huge break because SS Tom Pridemore and promising rookie SS Todd Bell are both inactive for today's game. Honestly, why they don't have Bell starting with Pridemore out is beyond me. They're wasting the kid's chances to reach his potential.

I'm expecting to see a shootout here. Archie Manning is an amazing QB and the Oilers' secondary is a potential weak point. That and I don't really see us generating much of a run against that incredible Houston D-line.

It'll be fairly close, I imagine, though I like our chances.

Vegas has the Oilers by 1, the first time in quite a while we haven't been favored.

Things are close for the first half, with Houston going into the locker room with a 10-6 lead, but it's all Dolphins in the second half, the final score an emphatic safety with 36 seconds left in the game by Player of the Game Curtis Greer, who blistered the Oilers with 8 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns. Rulon Jones was a force as well, with 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

Rod Shoate was a machine, with 11 tackles, an assist, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

All in all, this game was won by our defense, which corralled the Oilers run game and didn't allow Archie Manning to get untracked. Our offensive line deserves credit too, for the finest job of pass protection they've done all year, as Danny White was barely touched all game and never sacked.

Miami 29 Houston 10

We're going back to the Super Bowl for the 3rd time in 4 years!!

[SFL Cat]

Who do you think you are? The New England Patriots? ;)

[Izulde]

Who do you think you are? The New England Patriots? ;)

:D We're definitely -the- team in this universe. Nobody else even comes close to our Super Bowl appearances and championship totals... and in fact, we've taken over the #1 spot in all-time win % as well.

The only thing we don't have is a Hall of Famer, but like I said, that'll change after Payton retires.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XXII Preview

Miami Dolphins Out
G Ron Essink
CB Gary Green

Washington Redskins Out
None

Quarterback
Danny White had the greatest season of his career this year: 3,928 yards and 37 TDs against 13 INTs. He's been a little interception-prone in the playoffs, but then, that's always been a knock against him. It still doesn't stop him from being a very good QB. Ron Jaworski has shown occassional flashes of something, but it's believed that the Dolphins are going to go with miracle man Don Milan as their #2 QB for this all-important Super Bowl matchup, as he's proven himself key time and time again.

The Redskins counter with Steve Bartkowski, who, though something of an underachiever compared to his massive talent, still gets the job done and finally has his Washington team in the Super Bowl after years of being NFC favorites. Backup Steve Fuller hasn't seen non-preseason action since 1979, a concern should Bartkowski go down.

Advantage: Draw

Running Back
Miami's Walter Payton had the lowest rushing total of his career this year, with 1,400 yards, but that still doesn't stop him from being the greatest RB in the league today. In counterpoint to his rushing yardage, he had 516 receiving yards and 7 TDs with 0 drops on a career high 62 catches. He's a vintage two-way threat. #2 man Doug Kotar is an excellent fit for the Dolphins scheme.

Eddie Lee Ivery finally got to be a full-time starter this year, but he failed to break even 1,000 yards and fumbled 8 times besides, along with 2 fumbles in 2 games this postseason. Wille McClendon is a great change of pace back, who rushed for 847 yards and was virtually fumble-free, leading some to call for McClendon as the starter.

Advantage: Dolphins

Wide Receiver
Miami's so rich in talent at WR that neither Lynn Swann nor Steve Largent, arguably the most gifted pair of starting receivers in the NFL, have never broken 1,000 yards receiving. Danny Buggs was a terrific find in free agency and actually led the Dolphins in receiving yards with 809 as the 3rd receiver. Steve Watson is one of Danny White's most trusted targets and Reggie Garrett is the best 5th WR in the league. The wealth is so great that TE John Spagnola and his brilliant backup, Charle Young aren't as involved in the passing game as they would be on other teams. It's just amazing the amount of options White has.

Washington's top receiver is 11th year vet Harold Carmichael, a 3-time All-Pro who missed half the season with injuries. He's still a dangerous receiver though, and has been on absolute fire this postseason, with 211 yards in 2 games. Jesse Thompson is notoriously drop-prone, as are Don Westbrook, Al Marshall, and Eddie Bell, the reserves. TE Phil McKinnely should be used more in the passing attack than he is, even though he's primarily a blocker. Rookie Dave Young showed considerable promise this season, though he's still raw.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
C Tom Banks is a pass-protecting rock in the middle of the Dolphins' line and the elder statesman. LG Jim Hough is sensational at both the run and the pass, as is RG Noah Jackson. LT Morris Towns is a fantastic run-blocker, but is subpar in pass-blocking, while RT Ron Mikolajcyzk is a phenomenal run-blocker who keeps getting better with pass-blocking as he gets older. Rookie T Roger Taylor, a 4th round steal, shows signs of becoming the next Mikolajcyzk, C Fred Quillan a good, young heir for Banks, as both are solid reserves at their positions. G Glenn Hyde, a free agent pickup after Ron Essink was lost for the year late in preseason, is a pass-blocker who shows no run-blocking skills.

C Joe Fields is a terrific all-around center. LG Leotis Harris is a dynamite run-blocker, but struggles at times in pass protection. RG J.T. Turner is a strong blocker, a fierce run-blocker who's improving in all areas of the game as he gets more experience. LT Fred Dean is a hard-working, overachieving young tackle who appeared to turn the corner in the regular season, but has been exposed in the playoffs. RT Ken Jones is a much better pass blocker than run blocker. G John Choma and G Petey Perot are solid young backups, while backup C Blake Moore is a major overachiever. T Irv Pankey is still adjusting to the NFL game.

Advantage: Dolphins

Kickers
P Neil Clabo is medicore and K Tim Webster seems to have lost the touch that once earned him the nickname of Wonder.

P Zenon Andrusyshyn majorly underachieves, but is still much better than Clabo, while K John Roveto had a good rookie season. Roveto's shown first year nerves in the playoffs, though, as he's hit just 2/5 FGs, including 0/3 from 40+ range. Webster's experience gives Miami an edge there.

Advantage: Draw

Defensive Line
LDE Rulon Jones regressed in sack totals in his sophomore season, going from 12.5 to 7.5, but he's improved in all other areas and is particularly nasty against the run. RDE Curtis Greer showed signs of being a stellar pass-rusher and led the Dolphins in sacks this season with 8. 10th year LDT Bill Line is the most consistent D-lineman on Miami's roster, while RDT Gary Dunn is a space-eater. Legendary DE Vern Den Herder fell off a cliff this season, but he's still to be respected for his pass-rushing savvy, while DT Jim Burt is still too raw as a rookie to be much good.

The Redskins got a major boost from LDE Ernest Kirk's surprise breakout season of 12.5 sacks and RDE Darrell Irvin overachieved as well. LDT Sugar Bear Hamilton is the heart and soul of Washington's defensive line, while RDT Abdul Salaam is a great all-around DT, though he was shut out of the sack department this year, suprising since he's never had fewer than 3 sacks previous to this season. The reserves, DE Elvis Franks and DT Abdul Salaam, are roster filler.

Advantage: Draw

Linebackers
MLB Cliff Odom is a fantastic pass-rusher and coverage linebacker, though don't expect him to rack up the tackles. SLB Rod Shoate never has lived up to potential and although WLB Ray Preston had his best coverage season ever, he's still a medicore OLB. MLB Merv Krakau is furious about being second string and well he should be, as he could start for virtually any team in the league. OLB Terry Rennaker is raw, but shows some glimmering promise.

For the Redskins, MLB Tom Cousineau is one of the best young players at his position in the league, a tackle machine and good pass rusher and coverage man. Rookie SLB Milt McColl is still raw yet and WLB Kim Bokamper is a solid all-around OLB. MLB Richard Wood is little-used, but good when called upon, while OLB Kervin Wyatt can tackle, but is terrible in pass coverage.

Advantage: Redskins

Secondary
Miami is really going to miss CB Gary Green, the closest thing to a shutdown corner they have on the roster. LCB Lenny Dunlap is a ballhawk who really turns it on coverage in the postseason. RCB Johnny Smith has some serious potential, but is still a little green yet. CB Rolland Lawrence is a nickel back to be feared. SS Johnnie Gray has been one of the best FA signings in Dolphins history, a dynamite all-around S, who has an interception, 3 pass defenses and a 91.8 PD % in this playoffs. FS Chuck Crist is losing a step with age, but he's still a solid player. SS Glen Edwards could still start for half the teams in the league, while FS Dennis Bragonier is by and large an afterthought in the Dolphins' defensive scheme.

LCB Mike Williams is one of those guys who looks great in the regular season every year, but then gets exposed as ordinary in the playoffs against much more elite receivers. RCB Mike Haynes is one of the most gifted CBs in the league and shows it in the regular season, but oddly melts down in the pressure of the playoffs. Rookie nickel back CB LeCharls McDaniel has looked good, both in the regular season and the playoffs. SS Ralph McGill is very good, both in the regular season and the postseason while rookie FS Darrol Roy is already one of the best free safeties in the league and he's been dominant in the playoffs.

Advantage: Redskins

Keys for the Dolphins

1. Keep a balance offense going
Although it's tempting, given the headcases that Washington's CBs have been in the playoffs, to attack them, it's simply too talented a group to attack for very long and besides, Danny White's postseason interception tendencies are too dangerous to risk against so brilliant a secondary.

2. Be aggressive and physical on defense
The Redskins offensive line isn't that great in pass protection, Eddie Lee Ivery is fumble-prone and the receivers are drop-prone. Taking an aggresive, physical stance, with lots of blitzing packages will result in sacks and a lot of forced fumbles.

3. Double-team Harold Carmichael
He's the only elite WR the Redskins have and given the butterfingers of the rest of Washington's receivers, it's safe to key in on him and take away the best weapon the Redskins have on offense.

Redskins Keys to Victory

1. Keep a man on Walter Payton at all times.
It's said every single Super Bowl that he's been in, but it still remains the #1 talking point. Neutralize Payton and you neutralize the biggest gamechanger on the entire field.

2. Play tight coverage on defense
A blitzing scheme isn't going to work against the Dolphins. Their offensive line is just too good and they have too many receiving options that Danny White can turn to and make a quick release of. Instead, focus on blanketing all the options in the passing game and work to get interceptions.

3. Use Willie McClendon as often as possible
He's the perfect change of pace back and isn't going to hurt you with fumbles, something that's going to be critical against a defense that's likely to go into killer instinct mode.

Overall Thoughts
This game is going to come down to ball security. Whichever team manages not to fumble or throw interceptions is going to come out the winner in this one.

Which means all signs point to the Dolphins having an easy win. Yes, the Redskins have the better linebacking corps and secondary, but that secondary has never played well in the postseason and they have to deal with the first Super Bowl in franchise history jitters, versus Miami, who's making their 3rd Super Bowl trip in 4 years.

The only way Washington wins is if there's a spy assignment for Walter Payton on every down, the defense blankets all the receiving assigments, and the Redskins' receivers outside of Harold Carmichael step it up.

Past history suggests none of these things are going to happen.

Final Line: Miami by 7

[Izulde]

Despite the breezy confidence from the oddsmakers, I have a feeling this is going to be a much closer game than they're predicting.

We get the ball first and their defense comes out fired up, tackling Walter Payton for a loss, forcing Danny White to scramble, and blocking a pass to force us to a 3 and out.

Eddie Lee Ivey rips off a 35 yard gain on the second play of the Redskins' 1st drive and that combined with a 26 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski to Harold Carmichael is good enough for the 32 yard FG attempt by John Roveto, which is good.

Washington 3 Miami 0 - 8:49 1st Quarter

Danny White checks down to his other options as he goes to Steve Watson for 27 yards on the first play of our next drive and executes a series of short pass plays to the running backs that get us inside the Redskins red zone.

Doug Kotar runs the ball for 2 yards on 3rd and 1 to get a key first down and then gets the call again, rushing 17 yards for the TD! John Spagnola delivered the KRB. Tim Webster makes the XP.

Miami 7 Washington 3 - 4:03 1st Quarter

We exchange 3 and outs and the Redskins finish a 3 and out to end the 1st quarter, a Curtis Greer sack and 2 Rod Shoate tackles instrumental in stopping them. Lot of blocked passes in this game so far, too. 4, by my count.

Miami 7 Washington 3 - End 1st Quarter

The second quarter opens with a 3 and out by us and then Steve Bartkowski goes on a tear, completing 5 straight passes, mostly to the RBs and Dave Young, the TE, to get the Redskins inside the 20. But then Don Westbrook drops a pass on 3rd and 5 that would've given them the 1st down and Washington settles for the 29 yard FG by John Roveto.

Miami 7 Washington 6 - 9:27 2nd Quarter

Misfortune strikes when we get called for an illegal hold on the kickoff return that puts us back to the 15, followed by a stuff of Walter Payton, a Sugar Bear Hamilton sack and a moronic call for a Walter Payton run on 3rd and 16. Worse yet, Neil Clabo flubs the punt and the Redskins fair-catch on our 42.

On the drive that follows, Willie McClendon knifes into us for 22 yards on 3 carries to get inside the red zone, but then a false start penalty preludes a Rulon Jones sack that puts the Redskins at 2nd and 20 on the 24. Washington then hands off to Willie McClendon on 3rd and 15, trying to milk the clock and get in better position for the FG and the lead. He runs for 8 yards, setting up the 28 yard chip shot attempt by John Roveto, which is good.

Washington 9 Miami 7 - 2:29 2nd Quarter

Doug Kotar continues his clutch Super Bowl performance with a 40 yard return that starts us at our own 44 and has us in very good position to take the lead back before halftime. Danny White follows that with an awesome 27 yard pass to John Spagnola that's made even better by a Redskins facemask penalty, putting us at the Washington 15 yard line at the two minute warning.

A 2 yard Walter Payton run sets up a 13 yard Danny White to Lynn Swann TD to give us the lead again! XP is good.

Miami 14 Washington 9 - 1:35 2nd Quarter

We hold Washington to a 3 and out and get the ball back on our 38. Walter Payton gets off an 11 yard run to put us near the 50 and Danny White hits Steve Largent for 27 yards, putting us in Redskins territory with 28 seconds left in the half.

A 3 yard pass to Walter Payton gives Tim Webster a shot at a 39 yard FG attempt with 12 seconds on the clock and he cooly converts to give us a critical cushion at the half.

Miami 17 Washington 9 - Halftime

The cushion's important because the Redskins get the ball to start the second half. Washington puts together a sustained drive,relying heavily on Willie McClendon runs and intermediate passes from Steve Bartkowski to Jesse Thompson. The drive ends with a 7 yard Willie McClendon run for a TD. They make the XP and we're looking at a tight ballgame.

Miami 17 Washington 16 - 9:18 3rd Quarter

Doug Kotar has another great return, 33 yards to put us on our 42 and Danny White starts ripping up the Redskins secondary, completing 4 straight passes of 10+ yards on a drive that proves quite short and ends in a 22 yard pass from Danny White to Walter Payton for the insurance TD!

Miami 24 Washington 16 - 6:18 3rd Quarter

The Redskins start to put together a drive, but they stall at midfield. It looks like we're going to be held to a 3 and out on the ensuing drive, but then Danny White converts the 3rd and 11 with a 26 yard pass to Lynn Swann that featured 15 extra yards by Swann after the catch. Unfortunately, we stall at midfield as well and have to punt, closing out the 3rd quarter.

Miami 24 Washington 16 - End 3rd Quarter

Washington again marches to midfield, but Bill Line sacks Steve Bartkowski and Don Westbrook drops his second pass of the game on a critical down at 3rd and 12, forcing the Redskins to punt.

Lynn Swann returns the favor by dropping the ball on 3rd down to force a 3 and out and the Redskins fair catch at the Dolphin 45.

A 15 yard hookup with Al Marshall and an 8 yard Willie McClendon run give Washington hope for scoring, but a Curtis Greer sack ends that notion and so the Redskins settle for a 45 yard FG attempt by John Roveto, which shocks everyone by going through the uprights.

Miami 24 Washington 19 - 10:07 4th Quarter

It's still anyone's game and this isn't over by any means, especially when the Redskins hold us to a 3 and out. The good news is, a false start penalty kills a promising Washington drive. The bad news is, the ensuing punt pins us at our own 5 yard line.

We get out of the death-trap on a trick 6 yard reverse run by Steve Largent, followed by a 7 yard screen pass to Curtis Brown. Walter Payton then finally does something on the ground for the first time this half in running for 15 yards, but then he fumbles the ball and Washington recovers, giving them beautiful field position on our 33.

Steve Bartkowski promptly completes 3 straight passes, sandwiching them around a 5 yard Willie McClendon run to get the Redskins to the 1 yard line. A screen pass to Cleo Miller gives them the TD and the lead, making me swear profusely. The good news is, the Willie McClendon two-point conversion attempt fails, thanks to Rulon Jones.

Washington 25 Miami 24 - 2:34 4th Quarter

It all comes down to this drive.

John Roveto isn't about to let Doug Kotar put us in good shape, as he nails a touchback. Danny White makes that academic with a 22 yard pass to Steve Largent, but then we get hit with a boneheaded delay of game penalty, which prevents what would've been a first down as Danny White connects with Lynn Swann for 12 yards on the ensuing play.

The two minute warning sounds.

An incomplete pass puts us at 3 and 2 and I'm getting nervous.

And then it happens.

Danny White throws a gorgeous rainbow to Lynn Swann that's caught 33 yards downfield and Swann gets another 7 yards for an even 40 yards before he's tackled. 1:47 left and we're at the Redskins 11.

All we need to do is milk the clock and we'll be in great shape for the field goal.

We turn to Walter Payton, but he gets stuffed on two consecutive downs for 1 yard and -3 yards. The Redskins have done a brilliant job of bottling him this whole game.

Our rookie head coach makes a questionable time out, apparently wanting to assess the situation as we're at 3rd and 12 on the Redskin 13 with 1:13 left in the game.

The play that follows isn't a bad choice, though: a Walter Payton draw that had the right idea and nets us 5 yards to put us on the 8 yard line with 1:02 left in the game.

Tim "Wonder" Webster trots on the field for the biggest FG attempt of his career, a 25 yard FG attempt that could well decide this Super Bowl. He makes the chip shot and we've got the lead back!

Miami 27 Washington 25 - 0:52 4th Quarter

Now we have to prevent a Redskin miracle.

We do it, as Gary Dunn blocks a pass on 1st down, Johnnie Gray defends a pass on second down, Curtis Greer hurries Steve Bartkowski on 3rd down and Al Marshall drops the pass on 4th down.

Danny White takes a knee and we win this incredibly close game, giving us our 5th Super Bowl Championship and delivering Michael Swift a Super Bowl championship in his rookie year. He becomes the 4th straight Dolphins head coach to win a Super Bowl.

Miami 27 Washington 25 - Final

I still can't believe we won the Super Bowl. While I thought we would win a Super Bowl at some point in Swift's career, never did I imagine it'd be in his first year, especially not after we lost Gary Green for the playoffs.

But it's happened and we have our NFL-leading 5th Super Bowl title. It's a sweet, sweet feeling.

Danny White won Super Bowl MVP and deservedly so: 17/31 for 290 yards and 2 TDs. Lynn Swann was his most important target with 5 catches for 103 yards and a TD. Doug Kotar deserve a mention too, thanks to his 17 yard TD run and his 32.5 kickoff return average.

On the defensive side of the ball, Bill Line was ever-present: 9 tackles, 3 assists and a sack. The DEs were important as well, as Curtis Greer had 5 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a block, 2 hurries and a knockdown, while Rulon Jones finished with 4 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks and a knockdown.

As always when we win the Super Bowl, I present the starting lineup.

1981 Miami Dolphins Super Bowl Champions
QB Danny White - 1978 FA
RB Walter Payton - 1st round 1975 Draft (1.1)
FB Curtis Brown - UDRFA 1977
TE John Spagnola - 3rd round 1979 Draft (3.6)
FL Lynn Swann - 1st round 1974 Draft (1.14)
SE Steve Largent - 2nd round 1976 Draft (2.3)
LT Morris Towns - 3rd round 1977 Draft (3.31)
LG Jim Hough - 1st round 1978 Draft (1.31)
C Tom Banks - 1974 FA
RG Noah Jackson - 1979 FA
RT Ron Mikolajcyzk - 2nd round 1973 Draft (2.32)

P Neil Clabo - 4th round 1975 Draft (4.26)
K Tim Webster - 5th round 1971 Draft (5.25)

LDE Rulon Jones - 1st round 1980 Draft (1.6)
LDT Bill Line - 1977 FA
RDT Gary Dunn - 1980 FA
RDE Curtis Greer - 3rd round 1980 Draft (3.13)
SLB Rod Shoate - 2nd round 1975 Draft (2.28)
MLB Cliff Odom - 1st round 1980 Draft (1.21)
WLB Ray Preston - 1981 FA
LCB Lenny Dunlap - 1977 FA
RCB Johnny Smith - 1st round 1981 Draft (1.29)
SS Johnnie Gray - 1980 FA
FS Chuck Crist - 1st round 1972 Draft (1.28)

This team, more than any other Super Bowl team I've ever had, testifies to just how well I've done in the draft, I think. Yes, there's some key players who came to the team via free agency, but there's an astonishing number of starters who were 2nd and 3rd round Dolphins picks.

The 1980 draft is arguably the best draft I've ever had. It netted me 3 starters on this championship squad and provided a very smooth transition at DE following the end of the L.C. Greenwood and Vern Den Herder years, something I certainly didn't anticipate, especially not with Curtis Greer.

What a terrific feeling. :)

[Izulde]

Record 16-3
Winning Pct. .842
All-Time 233-119
Winning Pct. .661
Playoffs 28-12
Playoff Visits 17
Bowl Wins 5
Head Coach Michael Swift
Record 16-3
Winning Pct. .842
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.2 6
Rushing Yards 123.8 5
Yards Per Carry 4.10 13
Pass Attempts 31.6 26
Completions 20.8 12
Completion Pct. 65.6 3
Passing Yards 277.4 1
Yards Per Attempt 8.77 1
Yards Per Catch 13.37 1
Total Yardage Gained 391.5 1
3rd Down Conversions 49.8 1
Points Per Game 29.9 1
Pass Rush Pct. 24.0 3
Pass Defense Pct. 58.0 12
Turnovers 33 26
Turnover Margin -4 26

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 22.9 2
Rushing Yards 91.5 2 (T)
Yards Per Carry 3.99 16
Pass Attempts 36.3 30
Completions 20.7 22
Completion Pct. 57.0 7
Passing Yards 220.0 12
Yards Per Attempt 6.06 7
Yards Per Catch 10.63 10
Total Yardage Gained 295.8 7
3rd Down Conversions 34.4 6
Points Per Game 17.7 8
Pass Rush Pct. 20.1 20
Pass Defense Pct. 45.5 8 (T)
Turnovers 29 10 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 40 at NJY 17
2 37 at TBY 10
3 17 at CIN 10
4 18 BUF 28
5 38 at SDO 10
6 31 DEN 17
8 27 KCY 13
9 14 at OAK 26
10 24 at NED 27
11 34 NJY 10
12 27 CAR 3
13 27 IND 25
14 27 ATL 24
15 34 at BUF 21
16 48 at NOS 14
17 35 NED 28
$$CS 31 BUF 7
$$CF 29 at HOU 10
**FB 27 vs WAS 25

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 434 289 3928 9.05 37 13 111.2
4 R. Jaworski QB 40 23 269 6.73 1 2 65.5
19 D. Milan QB 32 20 241 7.53 3 1 103.8
**Team --- 506 332 4438 8.77 41 16 107.1
$$Opp --- 581 331 3520 6.06 22 16 75.9

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 314 1400 4.46 9 8
41 D. Kotar RB 145 556 3.83 5 5
**Team --- 483 1980 4.10 14 30
$$Opp --- 367 1464 3.99 9 30

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
27 W. Payton RB 78 62 516 8.32 6.62 0 7
80 S. Largent WR 99 60 802 13.37 8.10 4 5
1 D. Buggs WR 85 46 809 17.59 9.52 5 6
89 S. Watson WR 52 36 638 17.72 12.27 3 3
81 L. Swann WR 61 35 661 18.89 10.84 2 10
86 C. Young TE 25 19 261 13.74 10.44 0 2
82 J. Spagnola TE 26 18 238 13.22 9.15 1 2
41 D. Kotar RB 24 17 125 7.35 5.21 1 3

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
36 J. Gray S 72 19 2.0 0 3 8 79.9
55 C. Odom ILB 63 27 6.0 5 1 7 79.9
49 L. Dunlap CB 60 15 1.0 0 3 8 76.0
35 G. Green CB 58 18 3.0 0 2 15 80.5
44 J. Smith CB 57 10 0.0 0 1 10 79.8
98 B. Line DT 53 16 5.0 14 0 1 80.5
31 C. Crist S 52 18 0.0 1 2 5 79.5
79 R. Jones DE 48 14 7.5 34 0 0 81.9
73 C. Greer DE 32 15 8.0 30 0 0 81.6
96 G. Dunn DT 28 15 1.5 3 0 0 81.9
54 R. Shoate OLB 25 11 1.0 0 1 3 77.5
53 R. Preston OLB 24 13 0.5 0 0 1 76.2
94 M. Krakau ILB 23 11 0.0 0 1 3 86.7
24 R. Lawrence CB 23 7 0.0 0 0 4 77.9

What an absolutely brilliant season for our offense. Danny White really has become the greatest Dolphins QB since Johnny Unitas. It doesn't hurt that his targets are so good as a group that he can distribute at will among them.

Don Milan is actually disgruntled at being demoted to 3rd string after his start where he won Player of the Game, which makes sense. I mean the guy's been phenomenal whenever we've had to call on him, so we'll definitely be shopping Ron Jaworski this offseason.

Walter Payton is really who makes our offense work, though. Just a phenomenal, phenomenal player. Even when he's neutralized to a large extent as he was in the Super Bowl, that just opens up the rest of the passing game.

Cliff Odom really gives us a dimension we've never had at LB, particularly not in the middle, and that's a linebacker who's a genuine threat in the pass rush. Willie Lanier was always more of a tackle and coverage guy, so it's fascinating seeing how Odom changes the face of our defense.

Rulon Jones and Curtis Greer may not have reached double-digit sacks, but in terms of pressure, especially hurries, they're comparable to the L.C. Greenwood and Vern Den Herder days and I fully expect that they'll continue to grow and develop and be long-term fixtures on our defensive line.

I've gushed about Gary Green, but I feel the need to do it some more. What a lifesaver for the secondary he was. Johnny Smith may not be a bust after all, but I'm still going to be looking to improve that secondary and maybe get it younger. Possibly trade Jaws for a CB, depending on the interest he draws.

Other things I plan to keep in mind are new OLBs, as we still don't have a dominant one, heirs for Johnnie Gray and Chuck Crist at S, and somebody to groom to eventually supplant Walter Payton.

I'd also like to find an upgrade at LT after Morris Towns declined this year and start thinking about possibly finding an heir for Noah Jackson at RG. The rest of the line is in very good hands, both now and for the future in C Fred Quillan, LG Jim Hough and RT Roger Taylor.

Tim Webster didn't make a complete rebound, but he improved enough for me to give him one last year unless I see the opportunity to grab somebody really dynamite in the draft. Neil Clabo will try and get replaced, if I can find a kick holder.

1981 Miami Dolphins Season Awards

QB Danny White - Super Bowl MVP, 2nd Team All-Pro QB
White's best season is awarded with his second All-Pro award and he was well deserving of it. The scary thing is, there was someone else who was an even better QB this year, one who's really taken off the last few years.

RB Walter Payton - 2nd Team All-Pro RB
It was Payton's weakest season in terms of rushing and he was just low enough that Eric Dickerson managed to sneak past him with 1,554 yards rushing and 10 TDs. Payton's still the top back in the league, though, by my lights.

Other Major Awards
MVP
QB Brian Sipe - Minnesota Vikings
Offensive Player of the Year
QB Brian Sipe - Minnesota Vikings
Defensive Player of the Year
SLB Thomas Henderson - San Francisco 49ers
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB George Rogers - Carolina Panthers
Defensive Rookie of the Year
SS Kenny Easley - San Francisco 49ers

QB Brian Sipe - Minnesota Vikings
I just want to include a note on this guy because he has 4 straight seasons of 4,000+ yards passing and just missed 5,000 yards last year with 4,944. I had my doubts when he was taken at 1.2 in the 1972 draft, but he's really blossomed for the Vikes. As a point of comparison, that 4,944 yards was the the 4th highest season total in NFL history and the highest since 1966. Only a 28 TD/22 INT ratio kept him from getting more awards last season.

The three highest single season totals in universe history?

1961: QB Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers) - 5,430
1963: QB Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers) - 5,254
1962: QB Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers) - 5,022

Yep, that's right. All 3 5,000+ yard passing seasons in this universe belong to Bart Starr and take place over 3 consective seasons. All with the Packers. And guess what hat he wears in the Hall?

The Baltimore Ravens, by virtue of his 7 seasons in Baltimore, vs. 5 in Green Bay.

It's a special year for the Miami Dolphins. Not only are we coming off a Super Bowl championship, but we get the following news to open the offseason.

Miami Dolphins WR Paul Warfield has been inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame as part of the 1982 Class. He received 82% of the vote.

Yay!!! :) :) :) We have our first Dolphins Hall of Famer!!!

Here's a snapshot of the Hall of Fame inductees to date:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/HoF.jpg

Pretty big classes in 1976, 1978, and 1980. At least one Hall of Famer has been elected in every season since Jim Brown's induction except 1973, 1974, and 1977. Fran Tarkenton *just* made the cut in 1981 or that'd have been an empty class, too.

I'm not certain if there's any surprises on that list. nilodor could say better than anyone, I'm sure. :)

A few stats about the players that were drafted:

100% (9/9) were drafted in the 1st round.
44% (4/9) were Top 10 picks, with Fran Tarkenton and Willie Brown the only #1 overall selections.
Paul Warfield is the lowest drafted player in the Hall of Fame at 1.22

It'll be interesting to see if this trend holds up over time or if we start to see some later drafted players getting into the Hall.

We say goodbye to a long time Dolphin this offseason, as one of the fixtures of our defense hangs it up.

SS Glen Edwards (1971-1981)
Drafted at 1.25 in the 1971 draft, Edwards was an immediate starter and was the starting SS for the next 9 seasons before Johnnie Gray came to town in 1980. A phenomenal player, Edwards was one of the most underrated safeties in the league and never won an All-Pro award, though he was certainly deserving of one. He was one of the best all-around safeties in the league. He was a punishing hitter who played well in coverage and had a real nose for the ball. He could've been one of the great punt returners in universe history too, if it wasn't for my long-standing policy of not letting starters return kicks, following Irv Cross's shortened career. We'll really miss him. He and Chuck Crist were the best safety tandem we've had in Miami since the days of Ross Fichtner and Don Fleming.

His player card:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/Edwards.jpg

Super Bowl Rings
1972, 1978, 1981

Miami Dolphins All-Time Records
3rd (T) - Interceptions
3rd - Tackles
3rd - Assists
3rd - Passes Defensed
10th - Punt Return Yards
2nd (T) - Punt Return TDs
7th - Games Started

Which reminds me, we've completed 22 seasons in this universe. In 3 more seasons, I'll be unveiling the 25th Anniversary Dolphins All-Time Team. There's going to be some interesting choices to make, that's for sure. :)

Staff Hiring

Lead Scout Oscar James
DL: Good to Average

Nobody's out of contract and there's no scouts that surpass James in the rookie pool, unfortunately, so we'll have to go with him for another season.

It's a tough choice between CB Johnny Smith and SS Lloyd Burrus for the summer league, but Smith dropped while Burrus improved last training camp and he's pretty much guaranteed the backup SS spot so he gets the call. Plus, I want to see if he'll shake out as a possible heir for Johnnie Gray.

Free Agency

First thing I do is call everyone up and ask about QB Ron Jaworski. The Colts are hot to get him and the Bengals and Ravens have considerable interest. All told there's 12 teams that are interested in dealing for him, but outside of the 3 mentioned franchises, it's more lukewarm.

What's the going rate for a 32 year old, 10th year QB who's never really gotten a shot and would essentially be a one-year rental?

The Colts are willing to give up a 4th round pick and I doubt I'll get more out of the Bengals or the Ravens. There's a couple OLBs that look mildly interesting, but the one they'd most likely trade me is a cap beast and the one CB I want from them, they're not giving up.

Cincinnati doesn't have anything interesting.

Baltimore has a couple CBs I'd like to get my hands on, so I put in an offer for the better, younger one. They accept!

Baltimore Ravens receive
QB Ron Jaworski

Miami Dolphins receive
CB J.C. Wilson

What this trade means for the Ravens
Baltimore has a fantastic defense and some good skill position players, so they've got many of the pieces in place to be a real force. What the Ravens lacked was a legitimate starting QB, as Gary Danielson was just not getting it done. Enter Ron Jaworski, who's shown flashes of some tantalizing potential in his stops around the league, particularly Cleveland and Miami, but has never gotten a fair shot. He'll get it with the Ravens and Baltimore won't miss J.C. Wilson too much.

What this trade means for the Dolphins
There are a lot of questions surrounding Miami's CB situation going into this offseason. Will Gary Green recover fully from the injury that kept him out of the playoffs? Is Johnny Smith the real deal? How long can 33 year old Rolland Lawrence be effective? Factor in that Lenny Dunlap is a free agent and Dolphins GM Tim Moungey has said the team will not re-sign him, Dunlap's postseason brilliances aside and you have a real concern in South Florida. J.C. Wilson does a lot to alleviate the pressure. A ballhawk with respectable coverage skills, he'll fight it out with Johnny Smith for one of the starting CB spots and gives the Dolphins a good, fairly young trio of CBs in Gary Green (6th year), Johnny Smith (2nd year) and J.C. Wilson (5th year).

Advantage: Draw
This is a trade that really benefits both teams and addresses critical need areas for them. The Ravens have to be considered a bona fide contender in the AFC next season and the Dolphins shore up one of their biggest weaknesses on defense for now and the foreseeable future. Baltimore will miss Wilson a little bit, but the rest of the defense is more than good enough to make up for it and as for Miami, Jaworski had no place on the team following front office favorite Don Milan's unhappiness at being 3rd string QB.

By the Numbers
QB x 2, RB, FB, TE x 2, WR x 2, T, K, OLB x 2, CB, FS (13 new bodies total)

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
FB Russell Davis - 3 years, $260k
CB Wade Manning - 3 years, $260k
TE John Spagnola - 4 years, $890k
WR Steve Watson - 3 years, $260k
WR Steve Largent - 4 years, $1.42 mill.

I extended Largent because he was greatly improved last season, he's a fan favorite and I was able to lock him pretty darn cheaply for the contract's length. I'm thrilled Watson came so cheap.

First thing I notice as I'm looking through the lists. St. Louis really blew up their team, but that's to be expected considering how apeshit they went during the draft last year.

Week 2 Signings
RB Doug Kotar - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-He's a great KR, Walter Payton loves him, he's a ST ace and he's a solid #2 RB. What's not to love about this guy? So we keep bringing him back.

TE Bruce Hardy - 1 year, $80k* (San Diego)
-Charle Young wanted starter money, which wasn't flying, so we pick up this blocking specialist and ST guy to be the backup. Probably should've found a better receiver, but at least he's a mentor.

P Herman Weaver - 1 year, $110k* (San Diego)
-He's old balls (13th year), but he's a terrific punter and a very good kick holder. Good enough to finally replace Neil Clabo.

Week 3 Signings
DT Joe Klecko - 4 years, $2.4 mill. (St. Louis)
-I'll have to send the Cardinals a thank-you card for letting this guy go. 6th year star player and 1980 2nd Team All-Pro who not only becomes a starter, but lets us rest easy about old man Bill Line's gray beard. Our #1 target this free agency, even though it's not a genuine area of need. It's a move for the future.

Week 3 Losses
OLB John Anderson - 1 year, $80k* (New York - Re-signing)
-I wanted to grab this guy to be my new starting WLB, but he loves it too much in the Big Apple. Too bad for us.

Week 4 Signings
RB James Jones - 1 year, $60k (St. Louis)
-Another Cardinal casulty, he's a 3rd year pro who displays great pass-catching ability, PR skills, and ST work. While I don't see him as ever being a starter, I like his skill set enough to see if I can find a place for him on the active squad and try him out for future seasons.

WR Reggie Garrett - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Best 5th WR in the league and an awesome guy to have on special teams. I love this guy.

K Tim Webster - 1 year, $110k* (Re-signing)
-May not make the team if I find a hotshot rookie I like. I'm still fond of Wonder, even if he's not as clutch as he used to be.

DE Jim Young - 1 year, $80k* (Carolina)
-Vern Den Herder is disgruntled about not starting, which is understandable... I mean hell, he came off a 1st Team All-Pro appearance and got pushed to the reserves last year.. so I have to be prepared for the possibility of letting him go if he takes another slide. Young will not only be the likely backup DE, but he could see time in our goal-line package as well.

OLB Rod Shoate - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-I keep hoping he'll revert back to the form of his first few seasons. For now, we're sticking with him because there's simply nothing better on the market.

S Dick Conn - 1 year, $100k* (Chicago)
-One year rental as a backup FS. Another ST guy. I'm finding I really like to stack my team with guys who can play special teams.

Week 5 Signings
WR Pat Tilley - 1 year, $100k (Buffalo)
-Really developed the last few seasons into a quality reserve. He'll probably be the backup FL as I'd hate to switch Steve Watson again. I didn't try to re-sign Danny Buggs and you'll see why soon.

OLB Tim Black - 1 year, $80k* (Green Bay)
-Black's forgiven us and we welcome him back to the Aqua and Orange after he had a very respectable season last year with the Packers. He'll go back to starting WLB duties.

Week 6 Signings
TE Charle Young - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-I'm honestly surprised he chose to come back to us, given that he was a little grumpy about PT, but then I look at the Browns, who also offered him, and he would've faced the same situation there. Bruce Hardy gets cut instantly so he can try and find another team. Sorry, Bruce!

Week 7 Losses
OLB Ray Preston - 1 year, $80k* (Seattle)
-The Seahawks are welcome to him.

Week 8 Signings
T Ron Mikolajczyk - 3 years, $470k (Re-signing)
-When Ron presented me with his demands, I told him he was crazy and that while I'd love to have him back, there's no way he'd get 3 years, $450k. Last week, the Browns and the Titans (who always want to be like us), offered him contracts for 3 years, $450k. I called him up and admitted he was right, I was wrong and offered him $20k more because he was right. He faxed in his signed contract 12 minutes later. :) Thank God... I would've been -pissed- if I'd lost him. Nice to see that he's finally getting recognition for being the topflight RT that he is, though it cost us a pretty penny.

Week 8 Losses
WR Danny Buggs - 4 years, $1.17 mill. (Dallas)
-Danny parlayed his sensational backup season with us last year into a nice, fat paycheck and a starting spot with the Cowboys. Nice rebound after having to migrate for two seasons when the Browns cut him in the middle of a multi-year deal. No way I was giving him that kind of money, though.

Week 9 Signings
QB Don Milan - 3 years, $330k (Re-signing)
-We sent him roses and love notes, saying we were sorry for having ever doubted him when he's done so much for us as a franchise. He made us wait for 9 weeks before finally signing the richest contract of his career, one he damned well has earned. 4-0 QB record, the 1976 AFC Championship heroics, along with the game-winning TD pass of the 1978 Super Bowl... he's a legend in Dolphins history.

One thing I don't understand, though. He got a ring for our most recent Super Bowl title, but he wasn't on the field for any plays. Ah well, he deserves it, I suppose.

G Mickey Marvin - 1 year, $120k (Green Bay)
-Fantastic guard, well worth the extra money to be a backup and a great insurance policy. Just too bad he's not a little younger (6th season), because he'd fit in great as Noah Jackson's heir otherwise.

Week 9 Losses
CB Lenny Dunlap - 1 year, $130k (Chicago)
-The Bears can have his old, underachieving ass. Sure he stepped it up in the playoffs, but he's bound to hit a wall sooner rather than later. I'm surprised Chicago got him to agree to a one year deal after all the money he's bilked out of me the past 5 seasons.

That's pretty much it for free agency.

Draft tomorrow. I already have a shortlist of players I am most definitely going to go after.

[nilodor]

I'm not certain if there's any surprises on that list. nilodor could say better than anyone, I'm sure. :)



Draft tomorrow. I already have a shortlist of players I am most definitely going to go after.

Connelly is the only real surprise on the list to me, other than that I'm pretty happy with it. It makes me happy to see names in the Hall that you feel should get there. Especially guys who were talented but didn't get a fair shake in real life. And you thought you'd have to wait until Walter retired to get a hall of famer =).


Really exciting read, makes me wish that I haven't been so bust the last couple of months so I could really finish my greatest teams dynasty. Good luck with the draft, although it appears that you don't really need any more luck.

[Izulde]

Connelly is the only real surprise on the list to me, other than that I'm pretty happy with it. It makes me happy to see names in the Hall that you feel should get there. Especially guys who were talented but didn't get a fair shake in real life. And you thought you'd have to wait until Walter retired to get a hall of famer =).

I'm on campus right now, but when I get back to my room, I'll pull up Connelly's info. As I recall, he was far and away the most dominant C in the league for an extended period of time, with several consecutive All-Pro appearances.

I'm thrilled to see Warfield make the Hall. :) I figured he was a borderline case, but he made it!


Really exciting read, makes me wish that I haven't been so bust the last couple of months so I could really finish my greatest teams dynasty. Good luck with the draft, although it appears that you don't really need any more luck.

Thanks :) Hopefully you'll find time to get the greatest teams dynasty running again.

There's two specific players I'm hoping to get this draft, but I won't find that out until later tonight or even some time tomorrow night, since I have a packed schedule today and tomorrow's extremely busy as well.

[nfg22]

how many career sacks does van der herder have? He was so good for me...

[Izulde]

C Mike Connelly

Player Card:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/Connelly.jpg

All-Pro Awards
1966 - 1st Team
1968 - 2nd Team
1969 - 1st Team
1970 - 1st Team
1971 - 1st Team
1974 - 1st Team
1975 - Legend of the Game

All-Time Career Records
1st - Key Run Blocks
1st - Pancake Blocks
4th - Games Started

Vern Den Herder currently has 156 career sacks and had a streak of 10 consecutive seasons of 10+ sacks until last year, when he had 1.5. Don't know if he'll add any more to that total or not this season, but he presently ranks 1st All-Time in career sacks and hurries and he's tied for 4th All-Time in career blocks.

[Izulde]

I'm so keyed in on my guys I want to grab that I don't spend much time looking at other people in the interview process, particularly since we don't have a 3rd round pick and I'm probably going to have to bundle picks to move up in the 2nd to grab the second player I want anyway.

In any event, the hot shots in this draft are RB Marcus Allen, RB Darrin Nelson and QB Mike Pagel. This is a pretty deep RB class overall, I'd say and Allen looks like the surefire #1. I'd expect to see a lot of RBs go in the 1st, given the depth at the position and the need for a lot of teams at RB.

1982 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. RB Marcus Allen - New Orleans Saints
2. QB Mike Pagel - Jacksonville Jaguars
3. RB Sammy Winder - Philadelphia Eagles
4. RB Darrin Nelson - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. S Fred Marion - Baltimore Ravens
6. WR Mike Quick - Tucson Titans
7. DT Tony Elliott - San Diego Chargers
8. ILB Jim Fahnhorst - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9. DT Joe Nash - Pittsburgh Steelers
10. ILB Robert Abraham - St. Louis Cardinals
11. G Roy Foster - New York Giants
12. G Dennis McKnight - St. Louis Cardinals
13. C Jay Hilgenberg - San Francisco 49ers
14. DE Keith Willis - Oakland Raiders
15. ILB Anthony Griggs - Cincinnati Bengals through Green Bay Packers

The Bengals get this pick really cheaply: their 1982 2nd and 6th round picks and their 1983 4th round pick. There's a reason why the Packers have fallen off the wagon from their glory days.

16. DT Jerome Sally - Denver Broncos
17. RB Gerald Willhite - Dallas Cowboys
18. DE Doug Barnett - Atlanta Falcons
19. ILB Eugene Marve - Indianapolis Colts
20. ILB Shelton Robinson - Kansas City Chiefs
21. DT Harvey Armstrong - New England Patriots
22. DE Kenneth Sims - Minnesota Vikings
23. RB Gerald Riggs - Detroit Lions
24. ILB Jeff Davis - Los Angeles Rams
25. T Emil Boures - Seattle Seahawks
26. DE Jeff Bryant - Chicago Bears
27. OLB Chip Banks - Carolina Panthers
28. RB Robert Weathers - Cincinnati Bengals
29. DE Todd Liebenstein - Buffalo Bills
30. OLB Chet Parlavecchio - Houston Oilers
31. T Luis Sharpe - Washington Redskins

Now, I can either draft one of the two players I'm most eyeing here or I can trade down, because it doesn't look like either of them will get picked for a while. I move down to 2.8 and pick up the Pittsburgh Steelers' 4th round pick next year.

32. TE Robb Rubick - Pittsburgh Steelers

I then sweat out the rest of the picks until 2.8, but it turns out to have been the right move, because it allows me to select WR Mark Duper. Yes, his combines aren't so hot and yes, he's actually listed as Overrated, but I don't give a damn. I'm going to make sure we've got at least one half of the Marks Brothers.

A few picks later, it's time for me to move up and grab the other guy I'm hoping to get. So I send 2.32 and my 1984 3rd round pick to the New York Giants so I can jump up to 2.15 and take OLB Andre Tippett, who is the one guy from the Patriots' D during the IRL Marino days that I actually had nightmares about. I think he's got a very good shot at becoming our starting SLB from the get-go and from his pass-rushing bars, he'll give us an actual weapon in the pass rush game there.

Yes, it was a bit pricy to pay, but the Giants wouldn't take a combination of lower picks even though I tried and he addresses one of our biggest weaknesses.

We let the 3rd round pass us by and when we finally pick again with the last pick in the 4th round, I take a flyer on S Andre Young, who looks to have some respectable KR ability, is already well-developed, and Very Underrated to boot.

QB Art Schlichter is our 5th round selection only to fulfill the 3 QBs rule.

In the 6th round, we take a flyer on T Phil Pozderac, who looks like a breakout candidate and has a beautiful Sol score of 38, with no green combines.

And finally, Mr. Irrelevant 1982, K Florian Kempf, who has my favorite German first name and who will be able to challenge Tim Webster for K duties.

Late Free Agency

Week 3 Signings
OLB Drew Mahlic - 1 year, $100k* (Philadelphia)
-Signed strictly as a mentor.

Week 3 Losses
S Dennis Bragonier - 1 year, $100k* (Carolina)
-Never saw much of the field anyway, but good when he was there. Good luck with the Panthers, Dennis.


FL Mark Duper 2.8 25/50 28/48 +3/-2
SLB Andre Tippett 2.15 18/32 23/39 +5/+7
SS Andre Young 4.32 12/24 17/28 +5/+4
QB Art Schlichter 5.32 9/40 12/40 +3/+0
T Phil Pozderac 6.32 10/20 12/22 +2/+2
K Florian Kempf 7.32 22/22 26/26 +4/+4

Draft Grade: B+

Well, the good news is, everybody except Super Duper seems to be on the uptick. The bad news is, they're all so damned raw, it's questionable whether they'll contribute right away or not.

There's going to be some very tough choices to make on this team as a result of the simulataneous rawness and enhanced promise of these rookies. I'm honestly not sure what to do about it just yet.

[SFL Cat]

Keep Schlichter away from the bookies and racetracks and I think he'll be fine. :cool:

[Izulde]

Keep Schlichter away from the bookies and racetracks and I think he'll be fine. :cool:

:D Oh, I'm not intending him to be anything more than a junky 3rd stringer until his rookie contract runs out and he can go try and hook on with someone else.

I just needed someone with lower ratings than Don Milan that wouldn't be pissed about being behind the Legend.

[Izulde]

White, Danny 17 QB 9 64 64 2 yrs
Milan, Don 19 QB 8 22 22 3 yrs
Schlichter, Art 8 QB 1 12 40 3 yrs

This'll be the first time in franchise history that Milan's opened the season as the #2 QB. I still say he deserves to be there, though. White-Milan-Schlichter, obviously.


Kotar, Doug 41 RB 9 51 51 1 yr.
Payton, Walter 27 RB 8 64 64 2 yrs
Jones, James 47 RB 3 49 49 1 yr.
Brown, Curtis 40 FB 6 37 37 1 yr.
Davis, Russell 38 FB 4 38 38 3 yrs

Uh oh. Sweetness took a 15 point drop from last year. Hopefully he can stabilize at that level, but if not, we might have to go shopping sooner than I'd anticipated. Kotar will be our #2 back, ST guy and KR. Jones becomes our passing back and a PR. Davis takes over as the starting FB, though he and Brown will split time pretty closely.


Young, Charle 86 TE 10 43 43 1 yr.
Spagnola, John 82 TE 4 54 54 4 yrs
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 9 56 56 2 yrs
Tilley, Pat 88 FL 7 37 37 1 yr.
Duper, Mark 83 FL 1 28 48 4 yrs
Garrett, Reggie 84 SE 9 28 28 1 yr.
Largent, Steve 80 SE 7 51 51 4 yrs
Watson, Steve 89 SE 4 45 45 3 yrs
Lewis, Leo 87 SE 2 26 37 2 yrs

TE is set, with Spagnola the starter and Young the backup. Similarly, Swann and Largent are set as the starting WRs, with Watson Largent's backup. It's the reserve FL spots where things start looking dicy. After a closer look at the situation, though, Tilley goes on the inactive list so Duper can be the backup FL. As for 5th WR, it's probably going to be Garrett, but I want to keep Lewis active too, if I can.


Banks, Tom 51 C 13 44 44 1 yr.
Quillan, Fred 50 C 5 43 43 2 yrs
Hough, Jim 78 LG 5 48 48 3 yrs
Jackson, Noah 77 RG 9 40 40 2 yrs
Marvin, Mickey 69 RG 6 41 41 1 yr.
Essink, Ron 65 RG 3 14 34 1 yr.
Towns, Morris 72 LT 6 37 37 1 yr.
Pozderac, Phil 62 LT 1 12 22 3 yrs
Mikolajczyk, Ron 67 RT 10 40 40 3 yrs
Taylor, Roger 60 RT 2 48 48 2 yrs

This is probably Banks's last season. He'll still start. We're going to try an inside line of Hough-Banks-Jackson. Tackle is a tough situation to know what to do with, as neither Ron nor Roger look like they'll transtition well over to the left side. So we'll go with Towns and Taylor on the outside, at least in the preseason. Quillan, Jackson, and Mikolajcyzk will all be backups. Essink goes on inactive and Pozderac get cut.


Weaver, Herman 12 P 13 50 50 1 yr.
Miller, Jim 5 P 3 31 37 1 yr.
Webster, Tim 16 K 12 45 45 1 yr.
Kempf, Florian 11 K 1 26 26 3 yrs

It'll be Weaver and Webster. Miller and Kempf are both cut.


Jones, Rulon 79 LDE 3 80 80 3 yrs
Den Herder, Vern 92 RDE 12 27 27 1 yr.
Young, Jim 93 RDE 6 42 42 1 yr.
Greer, Curtis 73 RDE 3 59 59 1 yr.
Line, Bill 98 LDT 11 49 49 2 yrs
Klecko, Joe 75 LDT 6 66 66 4 yrs
Dunn, Gary 96 RDT 7 50 50 3 yrs
Burt, Jim 97 RDT 2 30 41 2 yrs

Jones-Klecko-Line-Greer, with Young and Dunn the backups. Den Herder and Burt go on the inactive list. We'll have to look at DT in the next few years, I imagine, but for now, we're in terrific shape as far as our D-line goes.


Krakau, Merv 94 MLB 10 51 51 1 yr.
Hunt, Mike 52 MLB 5 35 35 2 yrs
Odom, Cliff 55 MLB 3 55 55 2 yrs
Shoate, Rod 54 SLB 8 41 41 1 yr.
Rennaker, Terry 58 SLB 3 35 49 1 yr.
Tippett, Andre 59 SLB 1 23 39 4 yrs
Mahalic, Drew 91 WLB 8 27 27 1 yr.
Black, Tim 57 WLB 6 43 43 1 yr.

Odom is the definite starter at MLB, Krakau is his backup. Hunt and Mahalic are surefire inactive list guys. Black will be the starting WLB and I've switched Rennaker over to the weak side as well, where he drops to 28/49 because of xp hit. Oops. I'm tempted to say hell with and just start Tippett and SLB everyone else be damned, and have Shoate as the backup for both OLB spots. Yeah, I think I'll do that. Rennaker is inactive.


Wilson, J.C. 37 LCB 5 45 45 2 yrs
Lawrence, Rolland 24 RCB 10 26 26 2 yrs
Green, Gary 35 RCB 6 50 50 5 yrs
Manning, Wade 22 RCB 4 36 36 3 yrs
Smith, Johnny 44 RCB 2 40 55 3 yrs
Gray, Johnnie 36 SS 8 46 46 2 yrs
Burrus, Lloyd 25 SS 2 36 43 2 yrs
Young, Andre 49 SS 1 17 28 4 yrs
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 11 47 47 2 yrs
Conn, Dick 21 FS 9 31 31 1 yr.

Wilson and Green the starting CBs, Gray and Crist the starting safeties. Lawrence goes on the inactive list, as does Young. Manning switches over to LCB, where he becomes 34/39. He'll back up Wilson and Smith will be Green's understudy. Burrus is really starting to look like the future at SS, though we still need someone to step in as a FS very soon.

We're the favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions, though the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions are all considered strong contenders as well.

It's going to be an interesting season, to say the least.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Miami 26 Minnesota 14
Most fun stat out of this one: Art Schlichter completes 2 of 3 passes for 20 yards. His 3rd pass and only incompletion? An INT. Lynn Swann had 7 catches for 130 yards, Joe Klecko picked up 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown, while Rulon Jones hit the Vikes for 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a hurry. Good start to the preseason.

St. Louis 17 Miami 24
That young Cardinals' D looks really good, but Doug Kotar makes sure they don't do anything, rushing 16 times for 116 yards and 2 TDs. Lynn Swann caught 7 passes for 115 yards and I'm wondering why he can't be this hot in the regular season. Joe Klecko won Player of the Game with 6 tackles, 3 sacks, a hurry, 2 knockdowns and a forced fumble. He's really made an immediate splash on our team.

Miami 15 Detroit 10
Tim Webster jacked 5/5 of FGs, including a 49 yarder to take care of all our scoring for the game. Joe Klecko continues to eat offensive linemen for breakfast, his second straight PotG award coming on 5 tackles, 2 assists, 3 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

Seattle 14 Miami 35
We close out the preseason with our most convincing win of the exhibition phase. Rulon Jones takes over Player of the Game with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, and a hurry. Something tells me our defensive line is going to be scary good this season, which bodes well for our title defense hopes.

Turns out we have to cut somebody before the regular season and G Ron Essink gets his pink slip.

Regular Season

Miami 24 Buffalo 20
We get the win, but this is not how I wanted to start the year, with a game this close. Walter Payton rushes 14 times for 116 yards and Danny White wins Player of the Game with a 20/26 for 219 yards and 3 TDs line to save our bacons.

Then I realize the problem. I forgot to hit Recommend. Whoops.

Chicago 12 Miami 23
That's more like it. The Bears had to rely on their K for all their points, which didn't exactly work. Walter Payton is named Player of the Game thanks to his 19 rushes for 101 yards and 4th quarter insurance TD run. Andre Tippett shows maybe I wasn't so crazy for starting him after all by recording 10 tackles, 2 assists and a hurry.

RDE Curtis Greer strains his deltoid muscle and is out roughly 4 weeks. Jim Young takes over as the starter and ancient Vern Den Herder comes on to be the backup DE, rather remniscient of L.C. Greenwood a few years back. Oh yeah, we're also making Vern the pass-rushing RDE in nickel and dime packages while Greer is out.

Miami 24 Kansas City 14
We pull away in the 4th quarter thanks to Walter Payton, who was Player of the Game with 19 rushes for 130 yards and that 4th quarter TD. Danny White was awful this game, misfiring on passes and throwing 3 INTs. We're honestly lucky to have won.

Miami 31 New England 42
Hell of an entertaining game for the casual football fan as two 3-0 teams matched up against each other, but the Patriots win this shootout as Cliff Stoudt ate us for 361 yards and 5 TDs vs 1 INT, the worst we've ever been skunked through the air, I think. Danny White was much more modest: 24/42 for 320 yards and 2 TDs vs 1 INT. Steve Largent caught 7 passes for 105 yards and 2 TDs, while Lynn Swann made 4 catches for 124 yards in a rare game of White choosing minimal targets.

Curtis Greer is back up to Probable, so he goes back in the lineup.

Miami 10 Jacksonville 29
This thumping takes me by surprise. Our run game gets totally shut down, Danny White throws 3 INTs and yeah... this is the single worst game we've played in a very, very long time. Suddenly our hot 3-0 start and preseason promise look to be going up in smoke.

Houston 7 Miami 35
Nothing like a little home cooking to right the ship. Walter Payton runs 21 times for 104 yards and a TD and catches 4 passes for 38 yards and another TD. Danny White was Player of the Game with a 23/33 for 213 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT line. Curtis Greer had 7 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

Buffalo 10 Miami 33
An all-important game here as we sweep the Bills for the season behind PotG Walter Payton's 25 rushes for 123 yards and 2 TDs. Tim Webster's 4/5 FGs didn't hurt either, nor did Joe Klecko's 2 tackles, 2 sacks, hurry and knockdown.

Indianapolis 23 Miami 17
I don't get it. I don't get why we're struggling so damn bad. The Colts make a 4th quarter comeback to win this one and our lone highlight is Joe Klecko, with 5 tackles, 3 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown.

The loss drops us to 5-3 and we're currently not in the playoffs, as the Steelers and Jets are both 5-2. We're in 3rd place in the AFC East, with the Patriots atop our division at 6-1. It's annoying being in the league's best division, especially when San Diego's leading the AFC West with a 3-4 mark and we'd be a playoff team if we were in the NFC.

Halfway tale of tape:


Record 5-3
Winning Pct. .625
All-Time 238-122
Winning Pct. .661
Playoffs 28-12
Playoff Visits 17
Bowl Wins 5
Head Coach Michael Swift
Record 21-6
Winning Pct. .777
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 25.6 22
Rushing Yards 123.8 13
Yards Per Carry 4.83 2
Pass Attempts 32.5 22
Completions 19.4 19
Completion Pct. 59.6 15 (T)
Passing Yards 219.3 15
Yards Per Attempt 6.75 12 (T)
Yards Per Catch 11.32 15
Total Yardage Gained 328.1 13
3rd Down Conversions 39.0 17
Points Per Game 24.6 6
Pass Rush Pct. 20.0 16 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 47.2 25
Turnovers 15 23 (T)
Turnover Margin -2 20 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.1 15
Rushing Yards 124.8 24
Yards Per Carry 4.60 29
Pass Attempts 36.8 27
Completions 22.0 29
Completion Pct. 59.9 16
Passing Yards 248.0 29
Yards Per Attempt 6.75 19
Yards Per Catch 11.27 21
Total Yardage Gained 360.6 29
3rd Down Conversions 43.0 25
Points Per Game 19.6 14 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 18.5 10
Pass Defense Pct. 66.4 26
Turnovers 13 13 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 24 at BUF 20
2 23 CHI 12
3 24 at KCY 14
4 31 at NED 42
5 10 at JAX 29
6 35 HOU 7
7 33 BUF 10
8 17 IND 23
10 at TUC
11 at NJY
12 at MIN
13 CIN
14 DET
15 NED
16 at GBY
17 NJY

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 260 155 1754 6.75 16 10 84.3
**Team --- 260 155 1754 6.75 16 10 84.3
$$Opp --- 294 176 1984 6.75 10 7 81.5

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 140 768 5.49 6 2
41 D. Kotar RB 44 145 3.30 0 3
**Team --- 205 990 4.83 6 8
$$Opp --- 217 998 4.60 4 15

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
27 W. Payton RB 30 26 151 5.81 5.03 0 2
80 S. Largent WR 51 24 327 13.63 6.41 6 3
81 L. Swann WR 49 23 353 15.35 7.20 5 3
89 S. Watson WR 42 21 380 18.10 9.05 4 4
82 J. Spagnola TE 18 13 119 9.15 6.61 2 0
83 M. Duper WR 28 13 173 13.31 6.18 2 0
41 D. Kotar RB 14 12 55 4.58 3.93 1 1
38 R. Davis FB 14 12 94 7.83 6.71 0 3

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
44 J. Smith CB 46 12 0.0 0 3 1 76.3
55 C. Odom ILB 40 8 1.0 1 0 5 77.4
36 J. Gray S 39 14 0.0 1 1 4 82.5
59 A. Tippett OLB 37 6 0.0 1 0 5 75.4
35 G. Green CB 34 6 0.0 0 0 2 72.4
31 C. Crist S 29 5 0.0 0 1 8 84.4
37 J. Wilson CB 29 5 2.0 0 1 1 75.3
75 J. Klecko DT 22 8 5.5 8 0 0 82.5
94 M. Krakau ILB 20 3 0.0 0 0 0 66.2
98 B. Line DT 18 8 1.5 5 0 0 79.3
79 R. Jones DE 17 8 2.5 10 0 0 80.7
73 C. Greer DE 15 5 3.0 6 0 0 81.2
57 T. Black OLB 10 3 0.0 0 0 0 66.4

A ton of dropped passes, a lot more interceptions, lack of turnovers, lack of dynamite pass-rush, and overall really, really horrible defense. If we don't make the playoffs, I'm firing Don Bruce as DC and have to give a long, hard look to Edwin Buckley.

That's not to say we can't turn this thing around... we can, but we're really going to have to step it up in the second half.

[Izulde]

I was going to wait until tomorrow morning, but I can't. I have to find out how the second half of the season goes.

MLB Merv Krakau is Angry and OLB Rod Shoate is Livid. They'll both have to deal. QB Don Milan is Disgruntled and there have been a few fans calling for him with Danny White's erratic play, but that's not going to happen. In fact, the only change I'll make is to put Shoate in the goal-line package.

We move into second after the bye week, thanks to the Jets loss, but are still out of the playoffs because the Browns win the tiebreaker against us in terms of conference record.

Miami 24 Tucson 23
Victory = cool. Closeness against a crappy team = Not cool. Steve Dils shreds us for 349 yards and 2 TDs and I'm absolutely flabbergasted and unable to explain just why our pass defense has been so bad this year. Mark Duper had 3 catches for 112 yards and a TD, most of it coming on a beautiful 83 yard TD pass. Johnnie Gray had 11 tackles, 3 assists and a pass defense and Curtis Greer had 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a block, 4 hurries and a knockdown.

Miami 17 New Jersey 20
You don't want to hear the expletives that just shot out of my mouth. That fucker Mark Moseley stabs us again with a god damned 40 yard FG with 7 seconds left to hang a loss we couldn't afford on us. Danny White was Player of the Game at 23/40 for 275 yards and 2 TDs, Steve Watson his main target with 7 catches for 101 yards. I'm so pissed right now it's not funny.

Miami 35 Minnesota 11
We get back on the win train in this laugher powered by a 25/28 for 322 yards and 2 TDs performance by PotG Danny White, his second straight award. Curtis Greer leads the defense with a tackle, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns.

Cincinnati 10 Miami 31
You can't underestimate just how important this win is. It pulls us even with the Bengals at 8-4 in a tight, tight playoff race. Danny White once again saves us and wins Player of the Game: 19/30 for 291 yards and 3 TDs.

Even more important, the Jets and Patriots lost, so we're deadlocked with New England atop the AFC East at 8-4.

Detroit 23 Miami 26
We have our own heartstopping come from behind victory as Tim Webster nails the 30 yarder with 3 seconds left on the clock to give us the win. Walter Payton has 20 carries for 109 yards and a TD, but it's fairly clear that he's declining rapidly this season. Danny White carried us again and wins his 4th straight Player of the Game nod: 20/26 for 337 yards and 2 TDs. The bulk of the yardage went to Lynn Swann, with 7 catches for 160 yards and a TD.

The Patriots and Jets continue their skid, both of them losing to give us sole possession of first place at 9-4, with 3 games left to play. The Jaguars have the AFC South clinched at 10-3 and look a good shot to have a first round bye, while the AFC North is deadlocked between the Bengals and the Browns at 9-4. We have somebody above .500 in the AFC West finally, as the Chargers are 7-6.

Backup S Lloyd Burrus strains his elbow tendon and probably won't be back the rest of the regular season. We sign the ancient 13th year warrior Hugo Hollas to be the backup and cut MLB Mike Hunt, who never did get out of the logjam we had at MLB.

New England 30 Miami 42
The single biggest game of the season and we come through in a big, big way to get the victory the second go-round. Doug Kotar took a kickoff back 95 yards for the TD and had a 10 yard TD run besides that. Danny White was equal parts brilliant and disasterous, with 25/32 for 390 yards, 3 TDs and 3 INTs. Lynn Swann came up huge and was Player of the Game with 7 catches for 150 yards and a TD.

How important was that win? So important that it appears to have all but mathematically clinched the division for us. :) We're still locked in a dogfight for bye or play, though.

Miami 27 Green Bay 31
Ouch. That all but killed our chances for a first round bye. Danny White threw the 4th quarter INT that cost us the game, ruining an otherwise brilliant 292 yard and 3 TD performance. Joe Klecko had 4 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a hurry.

Only chance we have now is to win our last game and hope Cincinnati and Jacksonville lose and even then I'm not sure we win any tiebreakers. Hell, if we lose, the Patriots can still take the division with a win.

New Jersey 13 Miami 37
Well, we take care of business, J.C. Wilson having the final word with a 30 yard interception return for a TD. Gary Green was Player of the Game and was incredible: 5 tackles 6 pass defenses and an INT.

The Miami Dolphins are the 1982 AFC East Champions! :)

But did the Bengals and/or Jaguars lose and do we have a first round bye?

The Jaguars lost, but it wasn't enough.

We'll have to fight through the Wild Card round and go up against the Patriots to boot.

Tough row to hoe for our Super Bowl title defense, but at least we've got the chance coming to us.

[Izulde]

Our two games against the Patriots this year have combined for 73 and 72 points respectively, making a total of 145 points combined for both games. Now that's a shootout series!

QB Cliff Stoudt has gotten better and better each year he's been the starter for the Patriots. While a considerable bust in terms of being the #3 overall pick as he was in the 1977 draft, he's actually a respectable QB.

RB Earl Campbell is really who powers this offense. He had a career high 1,843 yards with 13 rushing TDs in the regular season and had 73 catches for 568 yards and 6 TDs. He's a two-way threat in the Walter Payton mold.

TE Eric Sievers is a great, young all-around TE and FL Harold Carmichael rebounded with a 1,185 yard, 13 TD season after being let go by the Redskins. I'm not happy to see him again, at all.

C Blair Bush is a solid all-around player, rookie LG Ben Utt is fantastic in pass protection and was a 3rd round steal, RG George Yarno is also a great pass protector and LT Ronnie Lee has become one of the most complete young LTs in the game. RT Ted Albrecht is solid as well. It's just a very good o-line all around.

P Craig Colquitt is very good, but K Nick Lowery is sporadic until the postseason hits. Then he turns clutch.

2nd year LDE Tyrone Keys has talent, but hasn't adjusted to the pro level yet and NT Jimmy Webb is no substitute for NT Fred Smerlas, who was lost for the season with an ACL tear.

SILB Bruce Eila is a tackle machine. SLB Dave Lewis is much better suited to a 4-3 system. WLB Rod Martin is very good, though.

They're without LCB Alan Caldwell, but LCB LeRoy Irvin is a lot better anyway. SS Ken Schroy had his best season after signing in free agency and is killer against the run, while FS Randy Logan had his worst year this season.

It looks like it's going to be another shootout, as the Patriots' D simply isn't very good. If we can contain Earl Campbell, this turns into a probable blowout for our side.

The oddsmakers favor us by 8.

It was a dominant game, a coasting game, until the 4th quarter, when one team rebounded back and it all came down to a 32 yard FG with 1 second left on the clock.

The kick was good and Nick Lowery goes home a hero.

We didn't contain Earl Campbell, who ripped us up for 148 yards on 17 carries, including a 66 yard TD run and caught 6 passes for 43 yards and another TD. Rod Perry returned an interception, Danny White's only turnover, 58 yards for a TD.

Steve Watson had 6 catches for 139 yards on our side for our only, lonely highlight.

New England 37 Miami 34

This one galls like you would not believe. We blew a 14 point 4th quarter lead, just pissed it away in the wind.

And now we have to sit and watch someone else be the AFC Champion.

I was right, though, in that it'd be a shootout. 71 points this go round.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XXIII
The Washington Redskins made it back to the Super Bowl and this time they wouldn't be denied as Eddie Lee Ivery shocked everyone with his 20 rushes for 181 yards and 3 TDs, but Steve Bartkowski took home Super Bowl MVP with a 20/28 for 244 yards and 3 TDs showing. Frankly, I think Ivery got ripped. The San Diego Chargers just had no answer all night long and got skunked.

San Diego 16 Washington 42

Here's how we looked at the end of the season:


Record 11-6
Winning Pct. .647
All-Time 244-124
Winning Pct. .663
Playoffs 28-13
Playoff Visits 18
Bowl Wins 5
Head Coach Michael Swift
Record 27-9
Winning Pct. .750
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.8 15
Rushing Yards 117.1 12
Yards Per Carry 4.22 8 (T)
Pass Attempts 31.4 25
Completions 19.7 17
Completion Pct. 62.7 7
Passing Yards 255.7 5
Yards Per Attempt 8.15 1
Yards Per Catch 12.99 1
Total Yardage Gained 362.7 2
3rd Down Conversions 41.4 9
Points Per Game 27.3 2
Pass Rush Pct. 23.0 6 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 56.7 16
Turnovers 28 20 (T)
Turnover Margin -3 23 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 25.0 8
Rushing Yards 116.3 22
Yards Per Carry 4.65 32
Pass Attempts 38.3 31
Completions 21.6 27
Completion Pct. 56.3 9
Passing Yards 236.8 27
Yards Per Attempt 6.18 7
Yards Per Catch 10.98 17
Total Yardage Gained 338.8 26
3rd Down Conversions 39.1 20
Points Per Game 19.9 15
Pass Rush Pct. 18.3 9
Pass Defense Pct. 55.3 15 (T)
Turnovers 25 20 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 24 at BUF 20
2 23 CHI 12
3 24 at KCY 14
4 31 at NED 42
5 10 at JAX 29
6 35 HOU 7
7 33 BUF 10
8 17 IND 23
10 24 at TUC 23
11 17 at NJY 20
12 35 at MIN 11
13 31 CIN 10
14 26 DET 23
15 42 NED 30
16 27 at GBY 31
17 37 NJY 13
$$WC 34 NED 37

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 502 315 4091 8.15 36 17 98.1
**Team --- 502 315 4091 8.15 36 17 98.1
$$Opp --- 613 345 3789 6.18 22 15 76.5

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 291 1398 4.80 11 3
41 D. Kotar RB 113 361 3.19 3 7
**Team --- 444 1874 4.22 14 17
$$Opp --- 400 1861 4.65 10 24

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 L. Swann WR 95 55 938 17.05 9.87 8 8
80 S. Largent WR 99 53 730 13.77 7.37 9 5
89 S. Watson WR 84 47 805 17.13 9.58 6 10
27 W. Payton RB 49 42 252 6.00 5.14 0 3
83 M. Duper WR 60 32 509 15.91 8.48 4 3
38 R. Davis FB 24 21 154 7.33 6.42 0 3
82 J. Spagnola TE 31 21 216 10.29 6.97 3 2
41 D. Kotar RB 21 16 97 6.06 4.62 1 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
44 J. Smith CB 85 24 0.0 0 3 4 74.4
36 J. Gray S 75 28 0.0 1 4 9 83.8
59 A. Tippett OLB 74 13 0.0 1 0 11 75.1
55 C. Odom ILB 73 18 2.0 5 0 8 78.0
31 C. Crist S 65 15 0.0 1 1 10 79.7
35 G. Green CB 54 7 0.0 0 1 18 82.5
75 J. Klecko DT 47 19 11.0 19 0 0 82.1
37 J. Wilson CB 47 10 2.0 0 4 8 80.8
79 R. Jones DE 38 17 6.5 22 0 0 81.2
98 B. Line DT 34 16 3.0 8 0 0 80.3
73 C. Greer DE 33 13 9.0 27 0 0 81.5
94 M. Krakau ILB 29 5 0.0 0 0 0 72.7
57 T. Black OLB 25 5 1.0 0 0 1 66.0

Way for Danny White to rebound in the 2nd half of the year! That 4,091 yards is the first 4,000 yard season since Johnny Unitas in 1966 and ranks as #3 all-time in Dolphins history and those 36 TDs ranks #2 in franchise in history, behind his own 37 TDs last year.

Walter Payton had a great YPC this year, but my general feeling is still that he's on the way down and I think Doug Kotar is finished as a Dolphins RB. He fumbles too much.

Lynn Swann keeps falling just short of the 1,000 yard mark and Steve Watson is still a great player to have. Russell Davis was a nice surprise out of the backfield and Mark Duper was respectable in his first season.

We must run the nickel a lot, because Johnny Smith, our nickel DB, led the team in tackles. Joe Klecko was great and J.C. Wilson proved himself definitely worth the trade we got him for. Curtis Greer keeps getting better and better and he should break double-digit sacks next year. Rulon Jones continues to be underwhelming. Gary Green also rebounded in the second half.

Tim Webster improved for the second straight year, but it's questionable whether I'll bring him back next season. Our line was pretty good with the exception of Morris Towns who will not be re-signed. This puts us in need of a LT, which isn't exactly a shock in franchise history. The day we get a topflight LT is the day I keel over in shock.

So, goals for the offseason: starting LT, shutdown CB, FS heir, RB heir and of course, a certain QB from the University of Pittsburgh.

Miami Dolphins Season Awards

DT Joe Klecko - 2nd Team All-Pro DT
How he wasn't a 1st Teamer I'll never know. Just an absolute brilliant, crushing force in the middle of our D-line this season. We look forward to seeing how he plays over the next few years of his contract.

Other Major Awards
MVP
QB Terry Bradshaw - St. Louis Cardinals
Offensive Player of the Year
RB Earl Campbell - New England Patriots
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Bubba Baker - Philadelphia Eagles
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Marcus Allen - New Orleans Saints
Defensive Rookie of the Year
DT Mike Perko - Denver Broncos

Staff Hiring

Lead Scout Oscar James
DL: Average to Good
DB: Average to Good

Offensive Coordinator Edwin Buckley
WR: VG to Excellent
OL: Average to Good

Defensive Coordinator Don Bruce
DB: VG to Excellent

Head Coach Michael Swift
IA: Good to VG

Nice improvements from our staff all around. Only Don Bruce is out of contract and he won't come back after last year's defensive debacle. Oscar James saved his job with those attribute improvements.

We end up re-hiring Don Bruce as our DC after the guy we targeted refused to leave the college ranks where he was a stellar head coach. Said he was 61 years old and too old to think about a pro job now. Heh. Double heh when I see Royce Womble re-ups with the Jets, traitorous bastard.

....Then the 61 year old guy goes and signs a 4 year contract as DC with the Los Angeles Rams. Guess that SoCal sunshine lured him out. What the hell's wrong with Miami's sunshine? I bet they told him, "Welcome to Hollywood!" when he signed.

Dave Hanner changed teams. Forsaking the Chiefs, he took a lucrative $730,000 a year, 5 year deal from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tyrus Treftz is still in Dallas, searching for that ring with the Cowboys and Jared Thamilrassen is with the cross-state Houston Oilers after parting ways with Treftz and the Cowboys. I may have chronicled that switch earlier in this dynasty or I may have missed it.

I send SLB Andre Tippett to the summer league, because I'm still convinced, perhaps boneheadedly so, that he'll make a Curtis Greer type leap.

It isn't until free agency that I check the retirees list and I'm blindsided.

RB Walter Payton (1975-1982)
I'm still recovering from the shock of Payton retiring as I type this. I thought sure he still had a year or two more left in him. Wow. In any event, everybody knows the story of Sweetness, when we traded Ken Stabler and multiple 1st round picks to the Saints for the #1 overall pick and Payton. He was the first franchise back we ever had and during his peak was the unquestioned #1 RB in the league. Then the last couple years, Earl Campbell overtook him as the NFL's best back and maybe that bugged Sweetness, because he decided to hang them up. It's a shame, because Sweetness was the single greatest player ever to put on a Dolphins uniform. No other player was ever as magnificent as a two-way threat as he was and we've never, ever had a gamechanger like him.

His card. I'm including his receiving numbers to show just how vital he was:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/Payton.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/Payton2.jpg

Super Bowl Rings
1978, 1981

Major Awards
1975 - Offensive Rookie of the Year
1978 - Offensive Player of the Year
1979 - MVP
1979 - Offensive Player of the Year
1979 - Mile Run Club
1980 - MVP
1981 - Offensive Player of the Year

All-Pro Teams
1977 - 2nd Team All-Pro
1978 - 1st Team All-Pro
1979 - 1st Team All-Pro
1980 - 1st Team All-Pro
1981 - 2nd Team All-Pro

Miami Dolphins All-Time Records
1st - Rushing Attempts
1st - Rushing Yards
2nd - Yards Per Carry
1st - Rushing TDs
1st - 100 Yards Rushing
4th - Receptions
7th - Receiving Yards
5th - Receiving TDs
2nd - Points Scored
1st - Yards From Scrimmage
1st - All-Purpose Yards

All-Time Records
6th - Rushing Attempts
5th - Rushing Yards
5th - Rushing TDs
3rd - 100 Yards Rushing
7th - Yards From Scrimmage

A shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. I just wish he would've hung around for another year or two and made a stronger run at the league career records, but he'll still go down as one of the greatest backs ever to play the game.

Free Agency

By the Numbers
RB x 2, FB, TE, C, G, T, P, K, DE x 2, MLB, OLB x 2, CB, FS (12 new overall)

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
RB James Jones - 3 years, $260k
DE Curtis Greer - 5 years, $3.28 mill.
C Fred Quillan - 3 years, $290k
S Chuck Crist - 2 years, $320k
WR Lynn Swann - 3 years, $1.82 mill.
CB J.C. Wilson - 3 years, $730k

Week 2 Losses
T Leon Gray - 2 years, $2.4 mill. (Denver - St. Louis)
-He's old and never has matched his potential, but he was the lone LT worth pursuing on the market and the Broncos get him. What an ugly offseason it's shaping up to be.

Week 3 Signings
FB Curtis Brown - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Solid backup FB to have around.

C Tom Banks - 1 year, $160k (Re-signing)
-Overpaid to get him, but he's just too good a central focus of our offensive line to let get away.

G Mickey Marvin - 1 year, $100k (Re-signing)
-See Banks. Really fit in well with our offensive line last year as the starting RG.

P Mike Connell - 3 years, $300k (Detroit)
-Very good punter and he's only in his 6th season so he should hopefully last a while.

Week 4 Signings
RB Ricky Bell - 1 year, $80k* (San Diego)
-Former Chargers starter who's clearly on the downside, but he should be a good #2 option.

WR Ricky Feacher - 1 year, $100k* (New England)
-ST and return guy who'll fit in nicely as our 5th WR in place of Reggie Garrett, who we've opted not to re-sign.

T Mike Wilson - 1 year, $80k* (Cincinnati)
-The best of what was left at LT. Danny White is going to be running for his life this year. Heh.

Week 5 Signings
TE Charle Young - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-Great backup TE and LS without peer. I'll keep re-signing him until he falls off or retires.

OLB Don Coleman - 1 year, $100k* (Jackonsville)
-Mentor who becomes defensive front captain with a lot of love to go around. A good fit for a new starting WLB next year.

Week 6 Signings
DE Jim Young - 1 year, $90k (Re-signing)
-Had to give a small bonus to get him back. Good backup DE and nice guy to fit in on the goal-line package.

S Tim Fox - 1 year, $100k* (Pittsburgh)
-He's been on our radar for a few years and now was our chance to swoop in and snatch him. He'll give Chuck Crist a real battle for the starting FS spot and is a quality guy to have.

Week 7 Signings
K Tim Webster - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-He looked improved enough last year to get another contract, but the clock is running out on his time.

Week 7 Losses
OLB Tim Black - 1 year, $80k* (Jacksonville)
-How cute. The Jaguars flip-flop starting WLBs with us.

Week 8 Losses
MLB Merv Krakau - 1 year, $150k (Indianapolis)
-Krakau finally escapes to a team that will let him be the starting MLB again. Good riddance, I say.

Week 9 Signings
MLB Ken Fantetti - 1 year, $110k (Los Angeles)
-Overpaid a bit to get him, but he'll be an excellent backup for Cliff Odom without bitching and he can play ST some.

Week 10 Signings
OLB Pete Cronan - 1 year, $80k* (Cleveland)
-Stopgap backup OLB who showed flashes of talent last year with the Browns and has looked decently periodically.

Week 10 Losses
DE Vern Den Herder - 1 year, $130k (Jacksonville)
-Shades of Johnny Unitas, where a legendary player who played an extended time in Miami returns to his original team for one or two last seasons. This game really does make me smile sometimes.

That's all the shopping for me. Now time to look through the draft and plot how to get the #1 overall pick.

[SFL Cat]

Sweetness retired?!!! :eek:

Bummer. Wonder if the short career will hurt his HOF chances? Not that he hasn't put up some impressive career numbers, mind you.

[Izulde]

Sweetness retired?!!! :eek:

Bummer. Wonder if the short career will hurt his HOF chances? Not that he hasn't put up some impressive career numbers, mind you.

:eek: is right. I was like "Wait, what?" when I saw it said I had no RBs on my roster.

Went to check the retirements and sure enough, he retired. I couldn't believe he only played 8 seasons. Now, that said, I have to think even with a shortened career, he's a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. He just won't have as high a percentage as he would've otherwise.

[damnMikeBrown]

This draft is just sick with talent...awesome class historicly. A couple HoF type replacements for the roster.
So many of my favorites in this draft that I'm only hitting a few high points. Could take 10 from every round.
In order of their draft originally,

QB John Elway (a horse is a horse of course)
RB Eric Dickerson (gonna stick that horseshoe somewhere)
RB Curt Warner (patience of a saint)
G Chris Hinton (meet me at the Hinton)
OL Jim Covert (Jimbo head butted Mchman, but not enough)
OG Bruce Matthews (old man river)
QB Jim Kelly (congrats Jim Harbough)
WR Willie Gault (nothing like 4.1 something on the outside)
C Dave Rimington (great in the shotgun)
QB Dan Marino (he is a fish with Isotoners)
CB Darrell Green (money man)
WR Henry Ellard (monday night history maker)
DT Leonard Marshall (he is tall)
OLB Darryl Talley (spiderman!)
RB Roger Craig (FB to HB transition)
S Dave Duerson (do it....do it)
DE Charles Mann (scarface)
G Tom Thayer (thay it isn't so)
TE Trey Junkin (junkin that trunk)
RB Larry Kinnebrew (nice brew on a sunday afternoon)
P Reggie Roby (thought it may be appropriate)
QB Babe Laufenberg (good 'ol babe)
RB Craig James (bench to backfield to booth)
QB Gary Kubiak (lock him up extremely long term as an OC)
DE Richard Dent (seiously dent the opposing OL)
G Mark Bortz (just rude)
WR Mark Clayton (never heard of em)
NT Tim Krumrie (he'll wrestle you for $1)
P Bucky Scribner (write it down)
MLB Karl Mecklenburg (muck with your linebuck)
WR Anthony Carter (all he does? score TD's)

[Balldog]

Dickerson to replace Payton!

[Izulde]

damnMikeBrown: :D You aren't kidding that this is a loaded draft class. Holy heck is it ever brimming with talent!

Balldog: That's actually quite tempting if I can manage it, but there's so many ways I could go this draft it's not funny.

I was going to do the draft today, but I'm having my worst hangover in several years today and can't find my keys or my Spanish hat :( So if I'm feeling better later tonight, I'll run the draft, though it may need to wait till tomorrow.

[Izulde]

Dolphins Acquire #1 Overall Pick

In 1975, the Miami Dolphins famously traded QB Ken Stabler and three 1st round picks to the New Orleans Saints for the #1 overall pick, which they used to take RB Walter Payton.

Now, in the very first offseason since Payton's retirement, Miami has the #1 pick again, sending DE Rulon Jones, their 1985 1st round pick and their 1984 and 1985 2nd round selections to the Oakland Raiders to secure the top selection in the draft.

The trade stunned the league and both fanbases, much as was the case with the Stabler trade.

"I don't understand it", said one AFC scout, "In Jones and Curtis Greer, Miami had the best pair of young DEs in the entire league. This swap just doesn't make any sense. Not for the Dolphins and not for the Raiders, who would've been better off taking Richard Dent at #1."

An AFC GM, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "It's a big trade, but it's one that makes a lot of sense for both sides. Jones was unpopular in the front office and (Dolphins GM) Tim Moungey was looking for an excuse to get rid of him. I predict Miami drafts Dent as Jones's replacement. Oakland picks up a dynamite young DE who's a restricted free agent after this year and they save a lot of cap room by not having to sign the #1 overall pick."

Moungey spoke at a press conference about the deal.

"Rulon Jones simply hasn't shown the type of form we expect out of the #6 overall pick and we didn't see the type of improvement from him that indicated he was getting to the level we wanted from him. He's get the chance for a fresh start in Oakland and we get an opportuniy to draft one of the best players in the richest class in NFL history."

Moungey also noted that the total draft pick cost was much less expensive than the deal that netted the Dolphins Payton and that Miami still retains the #26 pick in addition to the #1 selection in this draft.

In the Stabler deal, Saints fans were jubiliant and Dolphins fans outraged. Things were noticeably different this time around.

"I was mad when they traded Kenny (Stabler) away in '75, but Moungey's brought this team five Super Bowl championships, more than anybody else in the league. I'll trust that he's got a plan", said Fran Draybeck, an 80 year-old retired hairdresser in Coral Gables.

"You have the #1 pick in the best class ever and you trade it away for a guy that doesn't even have 10 sacks in a season? They're crazy, man, the Raiders are crazy! I'm tempted to sell my season tickets. You don't give away the #1 pick in a draft this good! Now we don't even have a 1st round pick!" lamented Harry Houser, a 34 year old Oakland banker.

The big question now becomes: Who do the Dolphins draft? The consensus among league GMs is that Miami will draft DE Richard Dent out of Tennessee State to replace Jones.

But it's a question that will only be answered for certain on draft day.

[Izulde]

This draft is just nuts with the star quality players.

Listing the 7.0+ graded players:
DE Richard Dent
DE Charles Mann
QB Dan Marino
QB John Elway
T Dave Lutz
WR Henry Ellard

There's 26 6.0+ graded players altogether, which is just insane... These are the guys that are going to determine the fate of the league for a long, long time to come. It's incredible the talent that's available here.

1983 NFL Draft 1st Round

Our pick is first, naturally. I think you know who we're taking here.

1. QB Dan Marino - Miami Dolphins

The crowd goes absolutely bonkers when the pick is read off, roars, shocks, and gasps making the whole place shake. Even the analysts are totally stunned by our selection.

But the talking heads are quick to recover, making commentary about how Danny White is in his 10th season and will be an unrestricted free agent after this year, so this is the heir apparent and how the Dolphins offense has traditionally been about the passing game, Walter Payton aside.

I'll admit it. If it wasn't for Marino, I'd have taken Richard Dent like everybody expected me to, to replace Jones. But frankly, I wanted Marino if it doesn't make total sense here. I mean, it's somewhat logical because of White's contract situation and the fact that he's in his 10th season, but this was primarily a personal thing.

I want Dan the Man to get a ring. And really, this whole dynasty has been leading up to this point.

2. DE Richard Dent - Buffalo Bills

That's going to be an interesting divisional matchup twice a year now. The Bills GM sent me a thank you card for letting Dent fall into their laps.

3. QB John Elway - Kansas City Chiefs
4. DE Charles Mann - Seattle Seahawks
5. QB Jim Kelly - Tucson Titans
6. DE Leonard Marshall - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. T Dave Lutz - St. Louis Cardinals
8. WR Henry Ellard - Baltimore Ravens
9. RB Roger Craig - Indianapolis Colts
10. DT Tim Krumrie - Denver Broncos
11. WR Willie Gault - Atlanta Falcons
12. DE Jim Jeffcoat - Denver Broncos

Good looking D-line the Broncs are putting together for the future here.

13. T Mark Tunei - San Francisco 49ers
14. ILB Karl Mecklenberg - Houston Oilers
15. DE Byron Darby - New Jersey Jets
16. ILB Riki Ellison - Detroit Lions
17. DT Mike Charles - New Orleans Saints
18. S Leonard Smith - New York Giants
19. QB Jeff Christensen - Pittsburgh Steelers
20. CB Steve Brown - Dallas Cowboys
21. S Dave Duerson - Philadelphia Eagles
22. OLB Curtis Martin - Green Bay Packers
23. QB Ken O'Brien - Carolina Panthers

Surprising fall O'Brien took. I thought sure he'd be the next QB taken after the Big 3, but it didn't turn out that way.

24. CB Ronnie Lippett - New England Patriots

We're in a brilliant pickle here with the #25 pick. Two possibilities exist for a replacement RB for Walter Payton and an underrated CB who just may qualify as a shutdown CB. It's a tough, tough choice, but in the end, I decide our need at RB is greater than our CB hole and take the RB I like best, who's also listed as Very Underrated.

25. RB Eric Dickerson - Miami Dolphins
26. CB Albert Lewis - Minnesota Vikings
27. OLB Darryl Talley - Cleveland Browns
28. OLB Dave Frye - Jacksonville Jaguars
29. CB Tim Lewis - Cincinnati Bengals
30. CB Darrell Green - Los Angeles Rams

Green was the CB who I almost took, incidentally. I think the Rams got a real steal getting him this late in the 1st round.

31. DE Reggie Camp - San Diego Chargers
32. DE Doug Reed - Washington Redskins

We get smacked by the irony stick when the Buffalo Bills take Mark Clayton with the 1st pick in the 2nd round. Wow, talk about crazy. I didn't think Clayton was going to go that soon... I was going to try and trade up to get him if he fell out of the top 5 in the 2nd round.

Another quandary visits us when our pick comes up in the 2nd round. There's a CB left who I really like the looks of and a T who just might be the answer at LT. I've got a better feeling from the CB though and so I take CB Gill Byrd. There was a FS I strongly considered here as well, but I'll try and get him in the third.

I send the lower of our 2 4th round picks to the Steelers and move up 8 spots in the 3rd to take WR Jeff Chadwick after the S and the T both get taken early in the round. We're getting a little long in the tooth at that position and I wanted to make sure we have a continuity of decent young players. Chadwick's raw and I didn't interview him, but he's got a couple nice combines and I love his bars at this stage in the draft.

I wanted P Reggie Roby in the 4th, but the Cardinals snapped him up before I could get to him. I was thinking about grabbing OLB Mike Cofer to push Andre Tippett, but the Giants took him two picks before me. So I decide it's time to address our DE situation and take DE Mike Pitts, as my hunch says he's the best of what's left.

T Irv Eatman is our choice in the 5th, a flyer type player who may or may not be a legimate LT, but at this point in the draft, he's worth a look, especially since he grades out as having 3rd round type talent.

We trade with the Steelers again in the 6th, packaging our 7th round pick to move up and snag S George Best, who intrigues as a backup FS and maybe an heir to Chuck Crist.

Late Free Agency

Week 1 Signings
CB Ricky Odom - 1 year, $80k* (New York)
-Mentor CB and ST guru. Great pickup to have and hopefully he can educate Gill Byrd.

Week 3 Signings
DE John Alexander - 1 year, $80k* (New Jersey)
-DE mentors were in short supply this offseason, so I had to sign this scrub unfortunately.

Week 3 Losses
WR Pat Tilley - 1 year, $100k* (Tucson)
-A non-entity after we drafted Mark Duper last year. No loss at all.

T Morris Towns - 1 year, $110k (Pittsburgh)
-His agent really played up the 1979 1st Team All-Pro angle and Morris's mentor status to grab a more than min-sal deal off the Steelers. Towns was a good late 3rd round pick for us, but ultimately no longer starter worthy.

Week 4 Losses
OLB Rod Shoate - 1 year, $100k* (Cleveland)
-Wouldn't re-sign with us after we insisted on starting Andre Tippett at SLB over him. Never panned out like we hoped he would, so we're not all that sorry to see him leave.


QB Dan Marino 1.1 30/76 37/77 +7/+1
RB Eric Dickerson 1.26 33/39 37/46 +4/+7
LCB Gill Byrd 2.28 29/59 33/61 +3/+2
SE Jeff Chadwick 3.20 22/57 24/50 +2/-7
LDE Mike Pitts 4.19 19/37 22/36 +3/-1
LT Irv Eatman 5.25 16/30 20/30 +4/+0
FS Greg Best 6.20 10/33 12/32 +2/-1

Draft Grade: A-

I'm surprised at Dickerson's low ratings, both before and after camp. Unfortunately, it puts me in the situation where I'm going to have two very ticked off RBs when I start him over them unless he develops very quickly. Marino will definitely be our starting QB next year, no doubt about it. He'll sit behind Danny White this year and learn.

Byrd's jump was nice and he should compete for a starting job this year. Chadwick's crash was a major disappointment. Pitts, Eatman and Best look to be what they are, late round picks and backup fodder.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how this draft went. Marino, Dickerson, and Byrd all look like immediate starters or future stars and Chadwick should at least be a contributor if nothing else.

[Izulde]

White, Danny 17 QB 10 66 66 1 yr.
Milan, Don 19 QB 9 13 13 2 yrs
Schlichter, Art 8 QB 2 17 39 2 yrs
Marino, Dan 1 QB 1 37 77 5 yrs

White'll hang around for another year and then he'll be gone to whoever wants to pick him up in free agency. Milan's a mentor too, so he can tutor Dan the Man after that. Schlichter might actually stay active for his kickholding talents, though I wouldn't count on it.


Bell, Ricky 46 RB 7 40 40 1 yr.
Jones, James 47 RB 4 48 48 3 yrs
Dickerson, Eric 42 RB 1 37 46 4 yrs
Brown, Curtis 40 FB 7 36 36 1 yr.
Davis, Russell 38 FB 5 39 39 2 yrs

Bell and Jones are both going to complain, but Dickerson's the surefire starter. I just now realized that I didn't sign a mentor and of course there's none available in the free agent pool. Stupid, stupid, stupid me. I'll just have to hope one turns up after the preseason. Bleh. Anyway, Jones the #2 and passing down back. Bell on the inactive. Davis starting FB, Brown the reserve.


Young, Charle 86 TE 11 41 41 1 yr.
Spagnola, John 82 TE 5 54 54 3 yrs
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 10 52 52 3 yrs
Duper, Mark 83 FL 2 38 47 3 yrs
Feacher, Ricky 85 SE 8 31 31 1 yr.
Largent, Steve 80 SE 8 51 51 3 yrs
Watson, Steve 89 SE 5 47 47 2 yrs
Lewis, Leo 87 SE 3 23 26 1 yr.
Chadwick, Jeff 14 SE 1 24 50 4 yrs

Spagnola-Swann-Largent are the three given starters, with Duper and Watson the reserves and Chadwick the 5th WR. Feacher and Lewis will battle it out for an active spot.


Banks, Tom 51 C 14 36 36 1 yr.
Quillan, Fred 50 C 6 43 43 3 yrs
Hough, Jim 78 LG 6 49 49 2 yrs
Jackson, Noah 77 RG 10 36 36 1 yr.
Marvin, Mickey 69 RG 7 42 42 1 yr.
Wilson, Mike 70 LT 7 36 36 1 yr.
Eatman, Irv 71 LT 1 20 30 3 yrs
Mikolajczyk, Ron 67 RT 11 41 41 2 yrs
Taylor, Roger 60 RT 3 36 36 1 yr.

Wow, Taylor really crashed and burned. It's definitely going to be a different line this year, with a starting five of Wilson-Hough-Quillan-Marvin-Mikolajcyzk. Eatman will likely get an extended look in preseason. Jackson is the backup G, Banks the reserve C.


Connell, Mike 13 P 6 57 57 3 yrs
Webster, Tim 16 K 13 39 39 1 yr.

This'll probably be Webster's last year. Connell will hold up well, I think.


Alexander, John 95 LDE 7 25 25 1 yr.
Pitts, Mike 74 LDE 1 22 36 4 yrs
Young, Jim 93 RDE 7 42 42 1 yr.
Greer, Curtis 73 RDE 4 59 59 5 yrs
Klecko, Joe 75 LDT 7 66 66 3 yrs
Line, Bill 98 RDT 12 34 34 1 yr.
Dunn, Gary 96 RDT 8 39 39 2 yrs
Burt, Jim 97 RDT 3 41 45 1 yr.

Young-Klecko-Burt-Greer for the starting defensive line. Pitts will be the backup DE, Dunn the reserve DT. Line will either be cut or sit on inactive, same with Alexander.

I make a trade as I'm going through here, shipping RB James Jones to the Minnesota Vikings for RB Deacon Turner, a mentor, and the Vikings 1985 5th round pick. That means Ricky Bell is the automatic #2 and passing down back and it'll clear up a logjam there, as Turner sits. It also means Jeff Feacher beats Leo Lewis for the active spot, because Feacher can return punts some.


Fantetti, Ken 94 MLB 5 50 50 1 yr.
Odom, Cliff 55 MLB 4 54 54 1 yr.
Cronan, Pete 90 SLB 7 32 32 1 yr.
Tippett, Andre 59 SLB 2 45 45 3 yrs
Coleman, Don 53 WLB 10 39 39 1 yr.

I'm expecting big things out of Tippett this season. He really improved in the summer program and it'll be him-Odom-Coleman as our starters, Fantetti and Cronan the respective backups.


Odom, Ricky 43 LCB 6 28 28 1 yr.
Wilson, J.C. 37 LCB 6 41 41 3 yrs
Manning, Wade 22 LCB 5 35 35 2 yrs
Byrd, Gill 34 LCB 1 33 61 4 yrs
Green, Gary 35 RCB 7 39 39 4 yrs
Smith, Johnny 44 RCB 3 43 43 2 yrs
Gray, Johnnie 36 SS 9 60 60 1 yr.
Burrus, Lloyd 25 SS 3 50 50 1 yr.
Young, Andre 49 SS 2 22 30 3 yrs
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 12 44 44 2 yrs
Fox, Tim 28 FS 8 46 46 1 yr.
Best, Greg 48 FS 1 12 32 3 yrs

It'll be Bird and Smith as the starting CBs after Green fell off. Gray busted his butt this offseason and will be the starting SS again. Fox gets the nod over Crist as the starting FS, a very odd change since we've had 11 straight seasons of Crist as the starter. Burrus and Crist then become the backups at S, Wilson and Green the reserve CBs. Best and Young will be on the inactive list, while Manning could see return work, Odom ST duties.

For the first time in several years, we're not the favorite for the Super Bowl. Instead, it's the New Orleans Saints. That being said, we're the clear-cut favorites in the AFC, followed by the New England Patriots. The NFC darkhorses are the Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins and Atlanta Falcons.

It's going to be an interesting year and a fun one.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Carolina 24 Miami 10
Danny White was near flawless at 10/11 for 110 yards, but Dan Marino and Don Milan combined for 3 interceptions and both looked absolutely ghastly. Cliff Odom had the unusual line of 6 tackles, 10 assists and a pass defense.

Miami 20 Washington 23 (OT)
Loss like that sucks, but it's preseason and the Redskins are a good team. Much better showing by Dan Marino at 20-40 for 280 yards and 2 TDs. Lynn Swann had 4 catches for 105 yards and Andre Tippett recorded 11 tackles, an assist and 3 pass defenses.

Rookie backup T Irv Eatman hyperextends his elbow and may be out the rest of the preseason. No worries, as T Roger Taylor is still better, even with the free-fall he took.

Miami 26 Atlanta 7
Finally a win, as Eric Dickerson returned a fumble 26 yards for a TD and Jim Burt got a safety. In fact, the only score for the Falcons was a garbage TD with 11 seconds left.

Dallas 0 Miami 29
A strong finish, even if it is against the weakest team in the league right now. Tim Webster hit 5/5 FGs, 2/2 from 40+ range. It'll remain to be seen if he can be that consistent in the regular season.

T Irv Eatman is Probable, but we'll stick with Roger Taylor as the backup T. We have a cut to make before we move on and it'll be QB Art Schlichter who gets the axe.

Regular Season

New England 25 Miami 35
Bang-up way to start the year as Danny White is Player of the Game at 17/26 for 230 yards and 3 TDs. No other real highlights outside of that, as this was simply just a solid team effort.

Dallas 13 Miami 30
Two weeks since we played the Cowboys and we coast to another comfortable win behind Danny White (17/25 for 264 yards and 2 TDs). Our offens may not be as explosive as it was with Walter Payton, but it's geting the job done. Cliff Odom leads the defense with 10 tackles and an assist.

SS Johnnie Gray tears his lateral knee ligament and will be out approximately 12 weeks. Good thing Lloyd Burrus has really come along in his development, as it allows him to step in as Gray's replacement with not too terrible a dropoff in the starting spot. Andre Young is an unwelcome reserve, though.

Jackonsville 13 Miami 14
We win this one by the skin of our teeth, managing to overcome 2 Danny White interceptions. Honestly, by all rights we should've lost this game and it's only by a miracle that we managed to pull it out in my opinion.

Miami 38 Cincinnati 6
The Bengals have to be wondering what hit them as Danny White lowers the boom at 20/23 for 252 yards and 3 TDs vs 1 INT. Eric Dickerson has been a real disappointment so far and our receivers haven't exploded in yardage like I thought they would after Walter Payton retired. White still keeps playing the balanced game.

Miami 21 Buffalo 23
Effing Buffalo! The Bills nip us by a FG with 4 seconds left in the game. I'd honestly rather have lost to the Jaguars and beat the Bills rather than vice versa. It's our first loss of the season. Much to my irritation, Mark Clayton leads all receivers with 8 catches for 96 yards. J.C. Wilson had 15 tackles and 3 assists, while Andre Tippett recorded 10 tackles, an assist and a forced fumble. Wilson's tackle total might be a Dolphins game record.

More obnoxious still: that was Buffalo's first win of the year.

Miami 34 Cleveland 14
Eric Dickerson breaks through finally, with 16 carries for 100 yards and a TD, but Danny White is Player of the Game thanks to a 26/33 for 350 yards and 2 TD line. Lynn Swann had 4 catches for 100 yards and 2 TDs as we thump the hell out of the Browns and give them -their- first loss of the year. The fun continued on defense, where Tim Fox had 2 interceptions and Cliff Odom posted a solid all-around game with 7 tackles, 2 assists, a sack and a block.

Pittsburgh 27 Miami 34
A thrilling game that sees us come out on top late in the 4th when Eric Dickerson punches it in from 14 yards out, his second rushing TD of the day. Danny White carried us again though, Player of the Game with his 28/42 for 352 yards and 2 TDs. Lloyd Burrus had 10 tackles and an assist.

LG Jim Hough hyperextends his knee and is estimated out 4 weeks, but we're hoping he can get back to playing shape during the bye week. He does, so we're going to ride with his injury.

Miami 34 New England 14
The most important game of the season to date and one that puts us in the driver's seat for the division. Wade Manning returned a punt 80 yards for a TD and there was a beautiful 58 yard TD pass from Danny White to Steve Watson. Lloyd Burrus had 5 tackles, 3 assists, a hurry, 2 pass defenses and 2 interceptions, but Gill Byrd did him even better and won Player of the Game with 3 tackles, an assist, 4 pass defenses and 4 interceptions.

With that victory, we're 7-1, 2 games ahead of the 5-3 Patriots in the AFC East, 4 games ahead of the Jets. Unfortunately, if the playoffs were to be held today, we'd be playing in the wild card round, because the Cleveland Browns are 8-1 and the Indianapolis Colts are undefeated at 8-0.

The Browns, incidentally, appear to have the AFC North locked up. The Bengals are the second place team at 3-5. Also, the AFC West is deadlocked between 3 4-4 teams. Only the Broncos are out of it at 1-7.

Halfway tale of tape:


Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
All-Time 251-125
Winning Pct. .667
Playoffs 28-13
Playoff Visits 18
Bowl Wins 5
Head Coach Michael Swift
Record 34-10
Winning Pct. .772
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.4 8
Rushing Yards 120.4 11
Yards Per Carry 3.96 20
Pass Attempts 28.6 29 (T)
Completions 19.6 21 (T)
Completion Pct. 68.6 3
Passing Yards 261.1 5
Yards Per Attempt 9.12 1
Yards Per Catch 13.31 1
Total Yardage Gained 363.4 2
3rd Down Conversions 45.5 5
Points Per Game 30.0 1
Pass Rush Pct. 23.1 6
Pass Defense Pct. 57.1 10
Turnovers 12 8 (T)
Turnover Margin +3 11 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 24.3 5 (T)
Rushing Yards 114.1 21
Yards Per Carry 4.71 29
Pass Attempts 37.1 28
Completions 20.3 16
Completion Pct. 54.5 5
Passing Yards 195.9 3
Yards Per Attempt 5.28 1
Yards Per Catch 9.67 2
Total Yardage Gained 298.8 6
3rd Down Conversions 34.2 4
Points Per Game 16.9 5
Pass Rush Pct. 19.4 20
Pass Defense Pct. 47.1 9
Turnovers 15 13 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 35 NED 25
2 30 DAL 13
3 14 JAX 13
4 38 at CIN 6
5 21 at BUF 23
6 34 at CLE 14
7 34 PIT 27
9 34 at NED 14
10 BAL
11 NJY
12 at PHI
13 at SDO
14 NYK
15 at NJY
16 at WAS
17 BUF

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 229 157 2089 9.12 17 5 112.9
**Team --- 229 157 2089 9.12 17 5 112.9
$$Opp --- 297 162 1567 5.28 7 9 64.7

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 136 524 3.85 10 4
46 R. Bell RB 88 410 4.66 2 0
**Team --- 243 963 3.96 12 12
$$Opp --- 194 913 4.71 7 12

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 L. Swann WR 40 28 511 18.25 12.78 2 7
46 R. Bell RB 24 21 158 7.52 6.58 1 0
42 E. Dickerson RB 25 19 152 8.00 6.08 1 1
80 S. Largent WR 37 18 238 13.22 6.43 3 1
89 S. Watson WR 27 18 369 20.50 13.67 1 3
82 J. Spagnola TE 21 16 191 11.94 9.10 1 1
83 M. Duper WR 27 16 224 14.00 8.30 2 3
38 R. Davis FB 12 11 84 7.64 7.00 0 1
86 C. Young TE 10 9 151 16.78 15.10 0 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
37 J. Wilson CB 42 12 0.0 0 0 4 75.9
59 A. Tippett OLB 39 21 1.0 1 1 4 75.9
25 L. Burrus S 37 12 1.0 2 3 3 84.9
55 C. Odom ILB 33 9 1.0 0 0 2 75.3
73 C. Greer DE 28 6 1.0 17 0 0 80.6
28 T. Fox S 25 7 3.0 1 2 1 79.8
44 J. Smith CB 23 8 0.0 0 0 3 76.4
75 J. Klecko DT 20 11 2.0 12 0 1 82.8
34 G. Byrd CB 19 8 0.0 1 3 8 88.2
93 J. Young DE 16 5 2.0 10 0 0 81.6
36 J. Gray S 13 2 1.0 0 0 1 77.1
97 J. Burt DT 11 10 2.0 4 0 1 81.8
31 C. Crist S 9 5 0.0 0 0 1 76.2
94 K. Fantetti ILB 9 2 0.0 0 0 0 66.2
53 D. Coleman OLB 8 7 1.0 0 0 0 67.3

Danny White has been absolutely amazing this year. But we're going to let him go after this season just the same to make room for Dan Marino, who's progressing steadily under White and Don Milan's tutelage.

Eric Dickerson is starting to slowly turn it on and I have to say, he has a real nose for the endzone. 10 rushing TDs at the halfway point of the season is just amazing, plus he's still on pace to break 1,00 yards rushing. Ricky Bell has proven a better #2 back than I thought he'd be.

Lynn Swann could break 1,000 yards receiving this year. I have every faith that Steve Watson and Mark Duper will prove to be very effective replacements for Swann and Steve Largent, both of whom have never really had the production we'd hoped for out of them.

Once again our nickel back is leading the team in tackles and once again our pass rush looks anemic midway through the season. Evidently Curtis Greer misses Rulon Jones more than we thought he would. That being said, Greer is still on pace for career highs in tackles, hurries and QB knockdowns, so it's not all bad.

What an absolute steal Gill Byrd is turning out to be. Taken at 2.28, he's already looking like a shutdown type of corner in his rookie season. He combines the pass defense talents of Johnny Sample with the ballhawking ability of Rolland Lawrence. Now that's high praise indeed. Another surprise is Lloyd Burrus, who, although he was a 2.28 pick himself 3 years ago, didn't look like he was going to be what we expected out of him, but a trip to the summer league and greatly increased PT last year has really helped flesh him out. The lessons he picked up from Chuck Crist didn't hurt either.

I'm starting to get really excited about this team, especially as Dickerson and Byrd continue to develop down the stretch.

[Izulde]

C Tom Banks, MLB Ken Fantetti and WLB Don Coleman are all disgruntled. Fantetti doesn't have a case, I can't do anything about Coleman.. though Banks has a point and he'll be re-installed as our starting C.

Baltimore 10 Miami 20
Danny White leads the charge yet again: 22/30 for 323 yards and 2 TDs to win PotG. Mark Duper is his main target, with 6 catches for 113 yards. Jim Young has 5 tackles, 2 sacks and a hurry and Joe Klecko/b] picks up 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and 3 knockdowns.

New Jersey 0 [b]Miami 24
A sweet shutout of the Jets thanks to Eric Dickerson's 27 carries for 127 yards, Jim Burt's 2 tackles, assist, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown and Jim Young[/b['s 2 tackles, 1.5 sacks and hurry. [b]Gill Byrd also played a key role with 6 tackles and 3 pass defenses.

Miami 30 Philadelphia 3
We hit the 10 win mark as Eric Dickerson rushes 23 times for 105 yards and a TD and catches 4 passes for 20 yards and another TD. Curtis Greer was the big time Player of the Game, though, with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2.5 sacks, 2 blocks, 3 hurries and 4 knockdowns.

Backup C Fred Quillan strains a foot ligament and will miss the next game, so we put G Noah Jackson in as the reserve C.

Oh yes, with the 10-1 record, we're currently slated to have a first round bye, as the Colts are 10-1 as well and the Browns are 9-2. Over in the AFC West, the Chargers have won 3 straight to take a commanding lead at 7-4 and we play them next.

Miami 24 San Diego 22
The game's nowhere near as close as the score indicates. San Diego got a late TD to make it look tight when it wasn't. Credit this to Player of the Game Danny White's 25/33 for 279 yards and 3 TDs performance. Andre Tippett was the defensive maestro with 10 tackles, 3 assists, a sack, a knockdown and a forced fumble.

With that win, we guarantee the Chargers that they'll be playing in the wild card round. Now we just have to avoid that fate ourselves. Fred Quillan is back up to Probable, as is Johnnie Gray. I'll bring Quillan back, but Gray can sit another week as I don't want to risk re-injuring him.

New York 13 Miami 12
Ugh, maybe I should've. We couldn't get anything done on offense, though, relying solely on Tim Webster's 4 FGs for points. Lynn Swann had 7 catches for 134 yards as our only offensive highlight. On defense, J.C. Wilson had 14 tackles and an assist, while Tim Fox picked up 10 tackles, an assist, half a sack, a knockdown and a pass defense. Curtis Greer showed a bit of pass rush flair with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown.

The good news is the Browns lost, too, so we're still on pace for a bye and are solidly #2, as the Colts won again. We've also, thanks to the Patriots losing to the Cowboys, clinched the AFC East title for the third year in a row! :)

Johnnie Gray is now fully healthy and I'm going to make him the reserve SS, as Lloyd Burrus has been fantastic. I also, in a bit of experimentation, will make Gray the nickel back to see how that works out.

Miami 13 New Jersey 19
Apparently not so well. Danny White's 21/48 for 321 yards and 1 TD vs 1 INT and Steve Watson's 4 catches for 126 yards are spoiled in this loss. Then again, I don't see Johnnie Gray in the stats sheet at all. Did he get hurt by chance?

Yep, hyperxtended elbow that has him doubtful. I'll still play him, though, because we need to win these next two games to have a shot at getting a week off to rest up.

Miami 24 Washington 23
Danny White bails our asses out with a last-second 47 yard TD pass to Lynn Swann to give us the comeback win. White was 26/43 for 320 yards and 2 TDs vs 2 INTs to be Player of the Game in this critical, critical victory.

Now, if we win the final game, we're guaranteed a bye, because the Browns lost to put us a game up on them. Let's hope we can pull this out.

Buffalo 10 Miami 37
And we do it easily! Danny White destroys the Bills with a 24/29 for 283 yards and 4 TDs performance to win Player of the Game, while our defense totally teed off on Buffalo. Cliff Odom had 10 tackles, an assist, a hurry and a knockdown, Joe Klecko got 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 4 knockdowns, Curtis Greer savaged the Bills' line for 4 tackles, 2 assists, 3.5 sacks, a block, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns, and Lloyd Burrus showed why he's deserving of the SS starting spot with a tackle, 4 assists, and 2 interceptions.

[Izulde]

We draw the Cleveland Browns for our divisional matchup and they're no doubt hot to beat us after we topped them in the regular season to give them their first loss on the year.

QB Marty Domres has been the Browns' signal-caller since 1978, a surprising security given that he was a journeyman for years before that. He's an old hand, been in the league 13 seasons and was originally a 6th round draft pick in 1969. Consistently scorned by scouts, his ability to read defenses is why he's been quite effective in Cleveland and doesn't turn the ball over much.

Age is starting to catch up with RB Joe Washington, but he's still going strong, with 8 straight season of 1,000+ yards rushing. He's also gotten smarter in his later years, acquiring much better ball security than earlier in his career.

In a normal game, the Browns' passing attack would give us fits, but starting SE Ike Harris is on IR and starting FL Wes Chandler is out with a hyperextended knee. This means, drop-prone, scrub starters at WR who have been ineffectual.

C Dave Dalby was once a pancake demon, with 3 seasons of 10+ pancake blocks, including one incredible year of 20, but that was long ago and he gives up too many sacks and isn't much in the run-blocking department. The left side of the line is quite good though, in LG John Hannah and LT Joe Devlin. RT Anthony Munoz may be the single-greatest right tackle in the history of the game and he's only in his 4th season.

P Pat McInally is pretty good, but K Mike Lansford gets jittery in the postseason.

LDE Jim Wilks is a great, young DE, unlike RDE Sam Clancy, who though young as well, is not even league average. NT Randy White is starting to get old, but he's still adequate for the 3-4.

The inside linebackers are nothing to fear, though ironically SLB Rod Shoate has revived his career in Cleveland, with 6.5 sacks in just 4 starts as sensational rookie SLB Darryl Talley was lost for the year in Week 15 with a torn rotator cuff.

LCB Mark Haynes is a pretty decent corner, who's improved each year and RCB Wayne Smith is simply terrific in coverage, if not much of a ballhawk. SS Clinton Burrell and FS Ray Ellis are tough against the run and really good safeties overall.

Cleveland's good secondary is going to be what keeps them in the game. The Browns' best hope is that their DBs can shut down our passing attack and turn this into a smashmouth game, where Joe Washington is much more experienced than Eric Dickerson, since Cleveland is missing both their starting WRs.

I don't see that happening, though, as Danny White has so many different options in the passing attack that we'll pick on the weak spot of the Browns' linebackers and run away with this game.

Vegas has us by 5 points. I think we'll win by considerably more than that.

The Browns came at us hard and played absolutely fantastic defense, forcing Danny White into 3 interceptions and a ghastly 19/51 showing only somewhat mitigated by his 244 yards and one TD. We wound up having to punt 10 times.

And yet, our defense was even better, forcing the Browns to punt 12 times. Cliff Odom led us with 12 tackles, 4 assists, a pass defense and a forced fumble. Lloyd Burrus got 10 tackles and an assist himself, but it was Joe Klecko who was Player of the Game, with 5 tackles, 3 assists, 2.5 sacks, 4 hurries and 4 knockdowns.

Still, both offenses were so horrible that it went to OT as regulation ended with the score 10-10.

Then Ricky Bell ran it in from 5 yards out at 10:39 and we escape with a game we probably should have lost.

Cleveland 10 Miami 16 (OT)

So we're on to the AFC Championship! :)

But there's a tough choice to make.

QB Danny White has a sprained thumb, which contributed to his difficulties and while he's probable for the title game, it's likely to affect him as it's on his throwing hand.

Is this now the time to unveil Dan Marino?

[Izulde]

The Dan Marino era officially begins in Miami with this, the 1983 AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. I just don't feel comfortable with Danny White's sprained thumb.

QB Matt Cavanaugh signed in free agency this offseason from the Giants and was remarkably effective in his first ever season as a starter, with 3,579 yards and 27 TDs vs 14 INTs. That said, he's struggled in the postseason and really looks uncomfortable out there.

RB Roger Craig exploded on the scene in his rookie year, with 1,339 yards rushing and 14 TDs. He also had 38 catches for 356 yards and another 2 TDs. Stopping him will be critical to our Super Bowl advancement hopes.

TE Ozzie Newsome has been named to the All-Pro 1st Team the last 3 straight seasons and FL John Stallworth, though greatly slowed by age, is still a threat to be considered.

C Kyle Davis hasn't allowed a single sack all year, and LG Dennis Harrah is a great pass protector as well. RG Glen Titensor greatly improved his pass-blocking this year, but to the detriment of his run-blocking, which also holds true for RT Cory Risien. LT Louis Bullard is the best player on the line, extremely well-rounded.

P Johnny Evans is sporadic, as is K Steve Mike-Mayer, though Double M really buckles down in the postseason.

LDE Greg Brown had a monster year, with 54 tackles, 21.5 sacks, 3 blocks, 39 hurries and 33 knockdowns and RDE Mike Bell is developing into a solid pass-rusher as well. LDT Cleveland Elam is a dynamite pass-rusher , RDT Phil Dokes respectable. This is one scary front four and it's going to be a long day for our o-line.

MLB Jack Lambert is nowhere near the powerhouse he used to be, but he's still decent. The same can't be said for the rest of the Colts' linebacker corps.

RCB Carl Lee has been absolutely sensational as a rookie, a 2nd round steal in the mold of Gill Byrd, but the other corners are awful, the safeties old and not very good anymore.

If we can protect Dan Marino against that scary Colts' front four, we've got a very good shot at winning this game, as my hunch tells me it's going to be a shootout.

If we don't protect him, we lose and lose badly.

The Colts are favored by 1 in Vegas, a fair assessment.

It was a tight, thrilling game, with 5 ties or lead changes throughout the four quarters of play.

It looked to be pretty much over when Roger Craig ran in the 1 yard TD with 3:02 left in the game, but then Dan Marino marched us down the field and Eric Dickerson ran it in from 6 yards out with 1:22 left on the clock. Andre Tippett secured the victory 2 plays later with an interception!

The Marino mystique begins, as Dan Marino won Player of the Game with a great 24/30 for 241 yards and a TD showing in a high-pressure debut. Credit also goes to our offensive line, who did an absolutely brilliant job of bottling up that fearsome Colts front four, allowing only minimal pressure on Marino.

We're going to the Super Bowl in Marino's rookie season!!!! :) :) :) :)

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XXIV Preview

Miami Dolphins Out
None

New Orleans Saints Out
FB William Andrews
G Derrel Gofourth
G Walt Downing
LDT Mike Charles

Quarterback
The Dolphins rode Danny White all season long and he posted a career high 4,326 yards with a white-hot 33 TDs to 9 INTs. That said, he's not going to be the one starting today. A sprained thumb on his throwing hand caused head coach Michael Swift to turn to the #1 overall pick in this year's draft, Dan Marino in the AFC Championship. Marino promptly went on to be the difference-maker in Miami's win over Indianapolis and he'll get the start, as White is still nursing the thumb. Cult hero Don Milan is the 3rd string.

It'll be a battle of #1 overall picks, as Joe Montana appears in his first-ever Super Bowl. The first pick in the 1979 draft, Montana struggled his first few years after replacing Ken Stabler, ironically a former Dolphins great, but appeared to turn it around this season with a 23 TD to 9 INT ratio in the regular season. More importantly, he's been on fire in the postseason, with 761 yards and 7 TDs to 1 INT. Backup Steve DeBerg started 2 games this season, but is only league average.

Advantage: Draw

Running Back
Replacing one of the best RBs in league history in Walter Payton isn't easy, especially as a rookie and Eric Dickerson struggled somewhat in the first half of the year. But he improved through the final 8 games and, most significantly, hasn't fumbled once in his last 10 games. He broke the 1,000 yard barrier in his first year and should be a pretty good back. #2 man Ricky Bell was a great pickup in free agency, posting 695 yards rushing for a 4.63 average and proved a vital receiver out of the backfield.

In just his second season, Marcus Allen has become the best RB in the league. He ran for 1,597 yards and 14 TDs in the regular season and has been blistering in the playoffs, rushing for 378 yards and 4 TDs in 3 games. He's become the heir to Sweetness in terms of league's best back. Stan Fritts is a marginal backup.

Advantage: Saints

Wide Receivers
TE John Spagnola is a nice safety valve receiver who's gotten to be a bigger and bigger part of the Miami passing game with each year. TE Charle Young is the run-blocker, but gets frequent looks as well. FL Lynn Swann once again missed the 1,000 yard receiving mark, but that's partly because of the depth of the Dolphins corps. SE Steve Largent is the most overrated WR in the league and drop-prone. Many have called for the incredibly productive Steve Watson, a Tim Moungey favorite, to take over the starting split end spot. Mark Duper is steadily improving and looks to be an excellent heir for Swann.

The tight ends don't get much play in the Saints' offense and they shouldn't, as even starter TE Lin Dawson is little more than a special teams ace. Rookie FL Mervyn Fernandez showed flashes in the regular season, but still has a long way to go and SE Tracy Porter is drop-prone. Reserves Floyd Eddings and Melvin Hoover are unremarkable 2nd years, with Eddings equally drop prone as Porter and Hoover a poor route runner.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
The last time Miami was in the Super Bowl, the Dolphins were lauded as having one of the most promising offensive lines for the future. That no longer holds true, as C Fred Quillan lost the starting spot to 14th year vet C Tom Banks midway through the season and T Roger Taylor eroded in the offseason, requiring the return of RT Ron Mikolajcyzk to the starting lineup in his 11th season. That said, Banks is still a great all-around C who didn't allow a sack until the AFC Championship and Mikolajczyk is still a fine all-around T. LT Mike Wilson is terrible in pass protection, however, but that's mitigated by LG Jim Hough's excellent all-around game. RG Mickey Marvin is another terrific talent in an overall very good Dolphins offensive line. Taylor is a revolving door as a tackle backup, but Quillan improved greatly once the stress of starting at C was removed. Backup G Noah Jackson continues to defy age, playing quietly and brilliantly as the team's reserve.

New Orleans has an old boy at C too in 12th year C Tom De Leone, a free agent pickup who, while good at pass-blocking, can't run block to save his life. The line is really going to miss LG Derrel Gofourth, one of the best run-blockers in the league and one of the best all-around guards in the NFL, as LG Brad Budde is simply awful. RG Walt Downing won't be missed, however, as RG Tom Mullen has played with veteran steadiness in his absence. LT John Giesler is far removed from his 23 sacks allowed in 1981, but he continues to be better fitted to RT, while RT Steve Young has played brilliantly. C Doug Dumler is a steady reserve, G Ken Long worthless. T Ken Burgunda is a non-descript backup.

Advantage: Dolphins

Kickers
P Mike Connell is a very good punter and a great find after the years of mediocrity under Neil Clabo, but K Tim Webster is no longer the automatic, clutch kicker that earned him the nickname of Wonder.

P Ray Guy is one of the best in the league and rookie K Raul Allegre has a powerful leg, with a magnificient 7/7 showing this postseason, 3/3 from 40+ range, along with a 54 yarder.

Advantage: Saints

Defensive Line
Many speculated that the Dolphins would sorely miss DE Rulon Jones after they traded him to the Raiders as part of a package to get the #1 pick to draft Marino, but it didn't happen. LDE Curtis Greer had a career high 11 sacks after switching to the left side and continues his steady improvement, while RDE Jim Young proved equal to Jones's output last season. (Note: Jones rebounded in Oakland, with 12 sacks this year). LDT Joe Klecko has been dynamite since he came to Miami, while RDT Jim Burt was a pleasant surprise with 5 sacks in his first year as a starter.

LDE Donnell Thompson is a mirror image of Greer, right down to the steady improvement and career high double-digit sacks this year. RDE Curtis McGriff had a breakout season with 50 tackles and 11.5 sacks. LDT Rich Dimler overacheived in a a big way after superstar rookie LDT Mike Charles was lost for the season, but the talent gulf is tremendous, while RDT Troy Archer is a hard-working achiever himself. The Saints have a gaping hole without Charles here.

Advantage: Dolphins

Linebackers
Linebacker has long been the Achilles heel in the Dolphins defense, especially after Willie Lanier finally faded. MLB Cliff Odom has changed that by being the best coverage linebacker in the game. 2nd year SLB Andre Tippett was vastly improved after spending the summer in France. WLB Don Coleman is little-used and league average at best.

MLB Larry McGrew is a pass-rush threat and a tackle machine and SLB Fred NcNeil is an older, much poorer version of Tippett. WLB Gary Cobb is good at the pass rush and in coverage.

Advantage: Draw

Defensive Backs
Rookie LCB Gill Byrd was an absolute find in the second round as he played at a prenatural level in the regular season, but he's been exposed in the playoffs. RCB Johnny Smith is mediocre. CB J.C. Wilson lost his nickel back spot to SS Johnnie Gray late in the season and has been unhappy about it, particularly after his 100% pass defense this postseason. SS Lloyd Burrus was magnificient in the regular season, but like Byrd has been exposed in the playoffs. Gray rebounded nicely from his injury that caused him to miss mot of the year and is a great nickel back. FS Tim Fox has been steady after replacing FS Chuck Crist, a Dolphins institution who can still play.

LCB Monte Jackson is ordinary and RCB Benny Barnes is too old to be a legitimate starter anymore and has been a particular target in the postseason. CB Melvin Morgan is a major overachiever who plays smart, hard and well, and should be starting over Barnes. SS Deron Cherry is the hero of this unit and easily the best strong safety in the NFL... in just his third season. FS Ivory Sully is an overachiever who plays at a level much higher than his physical gifts.

Advantage: Draw

Keys for the Miami Dolphins

1. Pick on the Saints' cornerbacks
They're absolutely atrocious, especially against the elite receiving corps that the Dolphins have. Attack the New Orleans corners but stay away from the safeties, and turn this game into a shootout, because the Saints don't have the receiving horses to win a track meet.

2. Blitz and blitz often
New Orleans' patchwork offensive line hasn't had much time to play together and there's some real weak links there, especially with Gofourth out. Hit them hard, mixing up Tippett, Odom, and the DBs in the pass-rush packages, and it'll be a long day for Joe Montana.

3. Keep a man on Marcus Allen at all times.
Allen is this game and this generation's Walter Payton, a brilliant two-way threat that always has to be accounted for or he'll burn you.

Keys for the New Orleans Saints

1. Stick with a balanced offense
The Saints have an All-World RB in Allen and will be tempted to ride him, but Montana's on a hot streak and the Dolphins' secondary has looked vulnerable in the playoffs. Mix things up and keep Miami's D guessing to give yourself some major offensive success.

2. Blanket all the receivers and the tight ends
One of the hallmarks of the Miami passing game is that they have so many options through the air, that you have to play a tight coverage scheme to seal off all the holes. Forget about the pass-rush; the Dolphins' offensive line is too good for that and Dan Marino has too quick a release. Shut off the options and get Marino to get frustrated and make rookie mistakes, trying to force something. The backs aren't much of a threat in the receiving game now that Payton's retired.

3. Respect the Dolphins running game
With all the focus on Miam's passing attack and your own Allen, it's easy to forget Dickerson and Bell. While Dickerson may not be otherworldly, he's a tough back that's hard to bring down and Bell is an effective, slippery change of pace back. Neglect them and they'll surprise you by ripping through the holes in your defense.

Overall Thoughts
Even without their starting FB, both starting Gs and their best defensive lineman, the Saints are still a damned scary team. Montana and Allen are a defensive coordinator's nightmare in tandem and the safeties are so superlatively good that they can make up for some of the CB weaknesses.

Conversely, the Dolphins have the deepest receiving corps in the league, a confident rookie QB fresh off a great game in Marino, a respectable running game and a defense that's hungry to prove all the naysayers who don't think it's very good wrong.

This game has all the makings of a classic Super Bowl and it's really too close to call. In the end, though, a healthy Dolphins squad trumps a gimped 49ers team.

Final Line: Miami by 1

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XXIV

We get the ball first and things start off promising an 11 yard Eric Dickerson run on the first play of the game, but then a false start penalty forces us to punt.

The 49ers 3 and out though, thanks largely to a Jim Young sack on 3rd down and then Dan Marino completes two long passes, a 13 yarder to Mark Duper and a 34 yard pass to Lynn Swann to put us on the New Orleans 12 yard line. A 10 yard Eric Dickerson run, followed by another 2 yard run by Dickerson nets the TD! We draw first blood!

Miami 7 New Orleans 0 - 7:47 1st Quarter

Joe Montana isn't one to take this lying down, though, as he cooly completes 5 straight passes to have the Saints knocking on the door in the red zone. But then our defense stiffens up and New Orleans has to settle for the 28 yard FG by Raul Allegre.

Miami 7 New Orleans 3 - 1:50 1st Quarter

We 3 and out the next drive, as the Saints' defense comes alive and Steve Largent drops a pass. Joe Montana opens up the second quarter well, as he completes two passes and scrambles for 4 yards to set up a 3rd and 2 that gets converted when Stan Fritts rumbles ahead for 14 yards on a counter that our whole defense got suckered into.

Things are looking good on 3rd and 11 a few plays later and then Joe Montana finds Floyd Eddings for 24 yards and another miracle conversion, setting the Saints at our 23 yard line. Our defense once again tightens up, throwing Marcus Allen back for -3 yards and forcing two incompletions. Raul Allegre's ensuing 43 yard FG is good.

Miami 7 New Orleans 6 - 11:26 2nd Quarter

We start to make some noise on the next drive, but then there's a questionable decision to call Ricky Bell's number on 3rd and 11 and he falls short by 2 yards, meaning we have to punt and touchback.

I hate to admit it, but Joe Montana's a delight to watch. He completes an 18 yard pass to Terry Porter and then runs for another 5 yards on the next play. Of course, I'm smiling when Cliff Odom drops him for a 7 yard sack on the next down. The 3rd and long that follows is incomplete and we get the ball back.

A 10 yard run by Eric Dickerson and a key Dan Marino to Mark Duper 20 yard pass help offset a stupid false start penalty and get us on the Saints side of the field, but then Monte Jackson intercepts Dan Marino's pass intended for Steve Watson and brings it back 17 yards to the Dolphin 48.

We hold the Saints to a 3 and out, but the ensuing punt has us pinned on our own 3 yard line. No problem, as Dan Marino hits Mark Duper for 17 yards and then Duper turns on the afterburners to turn it into a 35 yard gain! I knew there was a reason I drafted one of the Marks brothers!

Two minute warning. We've still got a chance to add points on the board.

Naturally, though, Steve Largent drops a pass and we're whistled for yet another false start, which doom our hopes of advancing deep enough into Saints territory for a field goal try and so we punt it away.

54 seconds isn't enough for a Joe Montana miracle and so the half comes to a close with a tight ball game and a lot less scoring than what most people predicted.

Miami 7 New Orleans 6 - Halftime

I feel bile rising in my throat when Marcus Allen rips off a 14 yard gain to start the second half, but we stop them after that and graciously accept the punt.

Our running game takes off on the next drive, with Eric Dickerson taking the ball on two consecutive carries for 15 and 9 yards respectively, Ricky Bell getting it on the next down for 8 yards. This sets up an 18 yard pass from Dan Marino to Lynn Swann and suddenly we're at the Saints 30.

Where we get whistled for another damned false start.

And *another* frigging false start!

Dan Marino tries to hit Lynn Swann on the 1st and 20, but the Saints' D is wise to the game and Monte Jackson defends it easily. Then, on the very next play, Donnell Thompson smashes Dan Marino for his second sack of the game, Marino fumbles, Troy Archer picks up the ball and runs his fat ass down the field 54 yards for the TD.

I'm so pissed I can't even believe it. What the hell is this?!

It's New Orleans taking the lead.

New Orleans 13 Miami 7 - 10:31 3rd Quarter

I'd like to say we rebounded, but Donnell Thompson sacks Dan Marino twice more and the defense is reading our offense like it's a bloody fairy tale and we 3 and out.

The Saints get held to a 3 and out, but guess what happens? Yep, Roughing the effing kicker on 4th down! New life for New Orleans! Thankfully, the Saints drop two passes and we stuff Marcus Allen for -3 yards to avoid a two possession game.

I'm cautiously optimistic as we start working the short game and are at 3rd and 1, when.... ANOTHER DAMNED FALSE START!

Luckily, Dan Marino finds Ricky Bell to make the conversion, but I'm still plotting to fire my whole damned coaching staff after this game. More yardage chewed, little bit here and there until Dan Marino hits Steve Watson for 21 yards to get us to the Saints 34.

Steve Watson then proceeds to draw my ire and ruin all the good things I say about him by dropping two passes. Throw in a holding penalty and it amounts to us punting to end the 3rd quarter.

New Orleans 13 Miami 7 - End 3rd Quarter

And of course, *now* is when Marcus Allen comes alive, running the ball 3 straight times for 28 yards and making a 9 yard catch two plays later to get the Saints out of the goal-line jam they were in.

Some rinky-dinky run plays follow and then Joe Montana hooks up with Melvin Hoover for 25 yards on a 3rd and 8 and just like that, the Saints are on our 16 yard line. Sure, we sack Joe Montana for substantial yardage on the next two downs, but then Terry Porter makes an 18 yard catch on third down to make the Raul Allegre FG try a 28 yard chip shot, which he of course makes.

New Orleans 16 Miami 7 - 5:32 4th Quarter

Block. Drop. Defense Very Familiar. Defense Extremely Familiar.

Yeah, I'm so firing my coaching staff. Or at least Edwin Buckley.

By this point, I'm mad, the fans are mad, hell everybody's mad who's not a god damned Saint, so I actually laugh appreciatively when we get whistled for an Intentional Face Mask penalty and Marcus Allen rockets 20 yards with the ball for a touchdown on the next play.

Oh how cute. Raul Allegre missed the XP. Hope that screws with your head, rookie!

New Orleans 22 Miami 7 - 4:19 4th Quarter

Extremely Familiar. Very Familiar. Dropped Pass. Extremely Familiar.

The Saints eat up more time on the clock and of course we can't stop their offense. Marcus Allen runs it in from 4 yards out as they pad the score at the 2 minute warning. Raul Allegre converts the extra point this time.

New Orleans 29 Miami 7 - 2 Minute Warning

3 Very Familiar Defenses and *another* dropped pass results in our third straight turnover on downs and Marcus Allen throws in an extra 3 yards before Joe Montana takes a knee to end this debacle.

New Orleans 29 Miami 7 - Final Score

All told, we actually did a pretty fair job of containing that explosive Saints offense. What we didn't do was stop New Orleans' defense, particularly not Super Bowl MVP DE Donnell Thompson, who finished with 5 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 hurries, 2 knockdowns and a forced fumble, nor CB Monte Jackson, who was so angry about the pre-game press calling him "ordinary" that he went out and had 3 pass defenses and an interception.

Our lone highlights came on defense, as Jim Young had 6 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown, while Gill Byrd picked up 3 tackles, an assist and 3 pass defenses.

All in all, it was an ugly, ugly game. We did pretty well in the first half and then get bushwhacked bad in the second.

I don't get why the defense was all up on us and so familiar with everything. I've never seen that in any of my games, especially not on a stage this big.

I've gotta say one thing, though. With Joe Montana and Marcus Allen on that team, the Saints are primed to have a Dolphins-esque dynasty.

[nilodor]

I had a feeling you'd end up drafting Marino, no takers for White on the trade market? I was shocked when Walter retired, hopefully this season doesn't mimic Marino's second for you.

[Izulde]

I had a feeling you'd end up drafting Marino, no takers for White on the trade market? I was shocked when Walter retired, hopefully this season doesn't mimic Marino's second for you.

I wanted to keep White around for another season in case Marino didn't look ready as a rookie. That may have been a mistake in hindsight, but the fanbase would've crucified me if I'd traded White, as he was idolized.

Plus, if I'd shipped White for the Marino trade, it wouldn't have been me sending off an overrated QB that the fans loved. It would've been me dealing our best QB since Johnny Unitas and a guy who was legitimately one of the top 5-10 QBs in the league.

I just couldn't justify that, nor, I'll have to admit, did I -want- to trade White. We were the team that gave him his first real chance and he delivered beautifully for us... and he'll be on track for a whopper of a pay day this upcoming free agency from somebody else.

Rulon Jones I was more than happy to trade. His 3 straight seasons of declining sacks really ticked me off, especially since he had an 80/80 rating and he was a #6 overall pick. That declining production also allowed me to justify the deal. Sure he went and had 12.5 sacks with the Raiders this year, but Curtis Greer continued his improvement and Jim Young was better than expected.

Yeah, I was shocked when Walter retired myself and I'm uncertain how Eric Dickerson is going to do. He's not rated that highly and he's got the pressure of having to replace a legend.

I'm not sure how Marino's sophomore season's going to go. Lynn Swann and Steve Largent are old and as much as I love Steve Watson and am excited by Mark Duper's progress, neither one looks like a legitimate superstar receiver. They'll probably be more like Swann and Largent's actual production in all honesty.

I've been terribly disappointed in how Swann and Largent have done, incidentally. When I put them together, I thought they'd be a superstar tandem like the Paul Warfield and Gary Ballman years, but that hasn't happened, even in the post-Sweetness era.

This is going to be an interesting offseason, to say the least. We've got some definite weak spots that need addressing, but I'll get to that when the time comes for it. I also wouldn't be surprised to see a head coaching change.

[damnMikeBrown]

Guh, any draft that leads off with Irving Fryar...well...heck, it doesn't matter because it is still the DRAFT!!!

In order of original picks. . .

WR Irving Fryar (the man rang a bell for the Salvation Army in a full length mink)
OLB Carl Banks (his complection could stop running backs)
OLB Wilber Marshall (hello Willlllber)
DT Keith Millard (one hell of a duck hunter)
WR Louis Lipps (enough said)
QB Boomer Esiason (BOOOOMER!)
OLB Ron Rivera (no day at the beach)
RB Stanford Jennings (not from Stanford)
G Guy McIntyre (so good at chopping he carried an axe)
QB Jay Schroeder (bald by age 17)
C Joel Hilgenberg (why not)
WR Brian Brennan (gread hands, little body)
MLB Steve DeOssie (big Dio fan)
S Barney Bussey (man never drove a car in his life)
C Bruce Kozerski (Koz, Kozinator, makin copies)
RB Earnest Byner (He's very sincere when he runs)
P Mike Saxon (most exciting punter name. ever.)
WR Carl Lewis (may have solid speed on the outside)

[Izulde]

Guh, any draft that leads off with Irving Fryar...well...heck, it doesn't matter because it is still the DRAFT!!!

In order of original picks. . .

WR Irving Fryar (the man rang a bell for the Salvation Army in a full length mink)
OLB Carl Banks (his complection could stop running backs)
OLB Wilber Marshall (hello Willlllber)
DT Keith Millard (one hell of a duck hunter)
WR Louis Lipps (enough said)
QB Boomer Esiason (BOOOOMER!)
OLB Ron Rivera (no day at the beach)
RB Stanford Jennings (not from Stanford)
G Guy McIntyre (so good at chopping he carried an axe)
QB Jay Schroeder (bald by age 17)
C Joel Hilgenberg (why not)
WR Brian Brennan (gread hands, little body)
MLB Steve DeOssie (big Dio fan)
S Barney Bussey (man never drove a car in his life)
C Bruce Kozerski (Koz, Kozinator, makin copies)
RB Earnest Byner (He's very sincere when he runs)
P Mike Saxon (most exciting punter name. ever.)
WR Carl Lewis (may have solid speed on the outside)

That Irving Fryar line made me laugh really hard. Nicely done.

[Izulde]

Record 15-4
Winning Pct. .789
All-Time 257-127
Winning Pct. .669
Playoffs 30-14
Playoff Visits 19
Bowl Wins 5
Head Coach Michael Swift
Record 42-13
Winning Pct. .763
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.9 12 (T)
Rushing Yards 109.0 14
Yards Per Carry 3.90 20
Pass Attempts 31.8 25 (T)
Completions 20.9 12 (T)
Completion Pct. 65.7 3
Passing Yards 270.4 2
Yards Per Attempt 8.52 1
Yards Per Catch 12.95 1
Total Yardage Gained 366.6 1
3rd Down Conversions 42.9 4
Points Per Game 26.5 2
Pass Rush Pct. 24.5 4
Pass Defense Pct. 57.6 12
Turnovers 20 5 (T)
Turnover Margin +9 5 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 23.9 2 (T)
Rushing Yards 108.9 19
Yards Per Carry 4.55 31
Pass Attempts 36.9 28
Completions 20.6 19
Completion Pct. 55.8 5
Passing Yards 200.1 5
Yards Per Attempt 5.43 1
Yards Per Catch 9.73 1
Total Yardage Gained 294.4 6
3rd Down Conversions 36.4 11
Points Per Game 14.7 1
Pass Rush Pct. 19.9 14 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 43.6 6
Turnovers 29 9 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 35 NED 25
2 30 DAL 13
3 14 JAX 13
4 38 at CIN 6
5 21 at BUF 23
6 34 at CLE 14
7 34 PIT 27
9 34 at NED 14
10 20 BAL 10
11 24 NJY 0
12 30 at PHI 3
13 24 at SDO 22
14 12 NYK 13
15 13 at NJY 19
16 24 at WAS 23
17 37 BUF 10
$$CS 16 CLE 10
$$CF 24 at IND 20
**FB 7 vs NOS 29

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 508 334 4326 8.52 33 9 106.6
**Team --- 508 334 4326 8.52 33 9 106.6
$$Opp --- 590 329 3202 5.43 13 17 66.5

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 267 1018 3.81 11 4
46 R. Bell RB 150 695 4.63 4 1
**Team --- 447 1744 3.90 15 20
$$Opp --- 383 1742 4.55 10 27

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 L. Swann WR 90 58 929 16.02 10.32 6 11
80 S. Largent WR 91 49 696 14.20 7.65 7 3
42 E. Dickerson RB 59 45 356 7.91 6.03 3 5
46 R. Bell RB 50 41 367 8.95 7.34 2 1
83 M. Duper WR 68 37 557 15.05 8.19 3 4
89 S. Watson WR 54 34 704 20.71 13.04 4 4
82 J. Spagnola TE 40 28 283 10.11 7.08 3 3
86 C. Young TE 24 20 285 14.25 11.88 1 1
38 R. Davis FB 20 17 113 6.65 5.65 0 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
59 A. Tippett OLB 83 32 3.0 1 1 8 73.5
55 C. Odom ILB 78 19 2.0 2 3 9 80.1
37 J. Wilson CB 75 18 0.0 0 0 8 73.7
25 L. Burrus S 73 23 1.0 3 5 7 84.7
28 T. Fox S 58 20 4.5 1 3 4 79.4
73 C. Greer DE 58 17 11.0 28 0 0 80.5
75 J. Klecko DT 46 20 6.0 25 0 1 81.8
44 J. Smith CB 46 15 0.5 0 0 6 76.9
34 G. Byrd CB 40 15 0.0 1 5 16 86.6
93 J. Young DE 34 12 7.0 16 0 0 82.1
97 J. Burt DT 34 24 5.0 11 0 1 81.4
36 J. Gray S 23 5 1.0 0 0 2 76.1

What a fantastic second half of the season for a lot of our guys.

Danny White sets a new Dolphins single-season record with those 4,326 yards and he becomes the first Miami QB since Johnny Unitas to post consecutive 4,000+ yard seasons. He's taken over a lot of the team career records and I don't mind one bit.

Eric Dickerson still has a lot to prove in my mind and I'm so thoroughly disgusted with Steve Largent that I'm probably going to start Steve Watson at SE next year.

Andre Tippett is starting to look like the really good all-around SLB I'd hoped for, though his pass defense still leaves much to be desired. I'll still take Cliff Odom over just about any other MLB in the league, though he gets consistently knocked on. Lloyd Burrus really came into his own and Curtis Greer just keeps getting better and better. Tim Fox was surprising with how much he contributed to the pass rush and Jim Young and Jim Burt were a lot better than I figured they'd be. Gill Byrd was an absolute steal and I'm going to love watching his career play out.

Looking ahead to the offseason, our priorities are going to be, in no particular order, C, T (both sides), and FS for certain and just general upgrades where they can be found. I have a feeling we're going to go FS, C, or T in the draft, maybe some combination of the three.

1983 Dolphins Season Awards

QB Danny White - MVP and 1st Team All-Pro QB
A fantastic season by White translates into an MVP award which is well deserved. There were some people who questioned if we had the firepower to make it without Walter Payton and he carried us on his back. I'm going to miss him, but we've got to give Dan Marino every chance we can to win.

LDE Curtis Greer - 2nd Team All-Pro DE
Wow, what a great accolade for a guy who's been defying the take on him since he fell to the 3rd round in the same draft as Rulon Jones. He's the Gary Ballman of this Dolphins team and hence one of my favorite players. A lot of people said he would fizzle out without Jones there to draw heat, but he went and proved them all wrong. That's awesome.

Other Major Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
RB Freeman McNeil - San Francisco 49ers
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Greg Brown - Indianapolis Colts
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Roger Craig - Indianapolis Colts
Defensive Rookie of the Year
DE Leonard Marshall - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (I think Byrd got robbed)

There were no less than 6 retirements this year, 3 of which I would say qualify as significant.

C Tom Banks - 1970-1983 (1974-1983 Miami)
Originally drafted in the 3rd round in the 1970 draft by the New England Patriots (3.14), Banks was a reserve for his first 3 seasons before taking over the starting job in his fourth year. After that, he hit free agency and as we needed a starting C at the time, we signed him. What followed was 10 years of consistent, steady, unsung play in the middle of our line. Even in his last season, he won his starting job back from the younger Fred Quillan. Although he never won an All-Pro award, he was a rock and a real team leader, one who'll sorely be missed.

Player card:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/Banks.jpg

Super Bowl Rings
1978, 1981

Miami Dolphins All-Time Records
4th - Key Run Blocks
3rd - Pancake Blocks
6th - Games Started

T Ron Mikolajcyzk - 1973-1983
People kept thinking he was a 3rd round pick throughout out his career, but he was actually with the last pick in the 2nd round in the 1973 draft, which is close enough to the third round really. He was a surprise starter at RT from Week One and went on to have an 11 year career in a Dolphins uniform, the starter every year except 1982, when Roger Taylor looked ready to replace him. Although Ron struggled with pass protection his first few seasons, he soon became adequate at it and was downright masterful in his later years. His one All-Pro season came as a real surprise, though in all honesty, he probably could've won more. One of the great stalwarts of our offensive line along with Banks, he'll be missed, too.

Player Card:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/mikolajcyzk.jpg

Super Bowl Rings
1978, 1981

All-Pro Awards
2nd Team - 1979

Miami Dolphins All-Time Records
3rd - Key Run Blocks
7th (t) - Pancake Blocks
5th - Games Started

FS Chuck Crist - 1972-1983
Taken in the 1st round of the 1972 draft (1.28), he and Glen Edwards formed a safety tandem the likes of which hadn't been seen in Miami since the days of Ross Fichtner and Don Fleming. Although he never won an All-Pro award, he was a fantastic player who was dynamite his first several years in the league. He really declined in his last four seasons and probably should've been supplanted as a starter earlier than he was, but I was just too loyal to him and remembered how good he for most of his career to make him a reserve until someone clearly better came along. Another Dolphins institution goes to retirement. Oh yeah, he was also a member of 3 Super Bowl teams, which goes to show just how long he was a fixture on this team.

Player Card:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/Crist.jpg

Super Bowl Rings
1972, 1978, 1981

Miami Dolphins All-Time Records
3rd - Interceptions
2nd - Tackles
4th - Assists
2nd - Passes Defensed
4th - Games Started

Staff Hiring

Lead Scout Oscar James
QB: Good to Average

Offensive Coordinator Edwin Buckley
YT: Good to VG

Defensive Coordinator Don Bruce
DL: Good to VG

Everyone is still under contract, but we're looking to replace Oscar James and head coach Michael Swift, who's shown no improvement and killed us in the Super Bowl with his horrible play-calling.

We get into a bidding war for the Lead Scout we want, but we grab him, as the owner finally loosens his purse strings up a bit and we also get a new head coach.

Lead Scout Frank Warren (34)
QB: Average
RB: Fair
WR: VG
OL: Good
KP: VG
DL: Good
LB: Good
DB: Average
YT: VG

5 year, $80,000 per year contract. Sure he doesn't look that great right now, but he's only 34 and has major growth potential.

Head Coach Alan Rosian (54)
MT: Good
DI: VG
OC: VG
DC: Good
IA: VG

5 years, $500,000 per year makes him a lot cheaper hire than Swift, who never showed any growth despite his success. He's also a much better disciplinarian and play-caller than Swift. Although I'd have preferred a young guy I could groom, I've got a good feeling about Rosian, who, like Harris Wilcox two head coaches ago is a veteran, proven winner at the college level, ready to move up to the pros now that he has the chance.

Tyrus Treftz finally left the Cowboys, by the way, taking $810,000 a year for 5 years to head off to the Green Bay Packers. I'm considerably gleeful to note that he has yet to win a Super Bowl ring since leaving the Dolphins.

Michael Swift didn't end up jobless, though. He was hired as Defensive Coordinator by the Pittsburgh Steelers at $300,000 a year for two years. What's interesting is that though he has experience of 3 years listed, his career record sets to 0 and his Super Bowl ring got erased.

That's something to keep in mind, that maybe when coordinators and head coaches switch titles, their records reset. If that's the case, then I'll be open to hiring coordinators to elevate to head coach, because they'd reset to 0.

I'm sure it surprises absolutely no one to learn that Dan Marino wins the free ticket to France for the summer league.

Free Agency

By the Numbers
QB, RB, FB, TE, C, G x 2, T x 2, K, DE, DT, MLB, OLB x 2, CB, FS, SS (17 new total)

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
SS Lloyd Burrus - 4 years, $800k
RDT Jim Burt - 5 years, $1.3 mill.
LG Jim Hough - 3 years, $590k
SE Steve Watson - 3 years, $290k

Week 2 Signings
C Will Grant - 1 year, $110k (Dallas)
-I wanted to sign him to a multi-year deal, but he wasn't interested. Splendid all-around C who'll fill in very nicely for the retired Tom Banks.

K Tim Webster - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-Played decently last year, so I'll give him yet another shot. He's in his 14th season, so the sand continues to run out on Webster.

DE Jim Young - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Respectable for us last year and I like to preserve continuity, so I re-signed him.

MLB Jim Laughilin - 1 year, $80k* (Houston)
-Smart, youngish MLB who'll be a great fit as a reserve.

MLB Cliff Odom - 2 years, $350k (Re-signing)
-Somehow, I stupidly forgot to extend his contract last year. Fortunately, he opts to sign a two year deal with us at a high price, so we can afford to keep signing him to longer term deals. We dodged a bullet here, as I'd have been pissed if we'd lost him.

Danny White Watch
Cincinnati Bengals
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets

The Saints are offering a fat, fat contract that makes me :eek:. What the hell are they doing going after White when they have Joe Montana for crumbs' sakes?

Week 3 Signings
RB Dave Preston - 1 year, $100k* (Denver)
-Old RB mentor who manages to be slippery and a good receiver out of the backfield. In short, a perfect fit for our offense and another great signing.

G Mickey Marvin - 3 years, $600k (Re-signing)
-Great, great guard who I wasn't going to let get away no matter what the cost.

G Petey Perot - 1 year, $80k* (Jackonsville)
-One year backup rental who gets along great with Dan Marino and Don Milan as the new OL captain.

OLB Gary Cobb - 4 years, $1.21 mill. (New Orleans)
-Yeah it's a lot to pay for a WLB, but he'll solve our revolving door at the spot for the next four years. He's that good and that young. I'm happy to have gotten him.

CB Gerald Small - 4 years, $2.5 mill. (Minnesota)
-This signing is way overpriced, but he was a 2nd Team All-Pro last year and this is about pushing Johnny Smith down to a nickel spot and making our secondary that much better. I just wish he was a mentor is all.

Week 3 Losses
T Irv Pankey - 1 year, $80k* (Denver Re-signing)
-My solution for RT turns down the money that would've made him richer in order to stay with the Broncos. I guess that means we'll be looking at T for sure in the draft, particularly if my other options don't pan out.

QB Danny White - 4 years, $7.01 mill. (Cincinnati)
-You know, it's kind of ironic that I kept thinking White was drafted by the Bengals when he was drafted by the Redskins, because Cincy is exactly who he signs with... and he gets the biggest signing bonus in universe history, with a $3.64 million signing bonus!. :eek: Now, those of you who use the normal cap settings will yawn and say so what? But keep in mind, I have a 0 to 1 salary cap range, so while salaries have definitely gone up from 1960, there's never been a signing bonus this monstrous, or even close to it. This signing, while a headline maker, doesn't turn the Bengals into Super Bowl contenders, but it does make them a real possibility for the playoffs, which they've only been to 4 times in this universe, two of them in 1981 and 1982, the last time they went.

Week 4 Signings
FB Curtis Brown - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-The only UDRFA ever to make our roster for more than a year, he's a mentor now and just keeps coming back on min-sal one year deals.

TE Don Warren - 1 year, $80k* (Tucson)
-A blocking maestro and mentor, great fit for the backup TE option.

OLB Rod Shoate - 1 year, $100k* (Cleveland)
-Did pretty well with the Browns, comes back to us to be the backup OLB.

S Mark Murphy - 1 year, $100k* (New Jersey)
-Great backup S to have and a real special teams ace. Nice min-sal steal from the Jets.

Week 4 Losses
T Mike Wilson - 2 years, $330k (Pittsburgh)
-Gave up 10 sacks last year and really declined and what happens? The Steelers offer him a pretty damn nice paycheck. Wow, just wow... But I guess they're willing to gamble on him.

MLB Ken Fantetti - 1 year, $80k* (Pittsburgh)
-Another Dolphin heads to the AFC North, to the Steelers. Fantetti was furious about playing second fiddle to Cliff Odom, so he's welcome to go to the Black and Gold.

Week 5 Signings
T Nick Bebout - 2 years, $380k (Dallas)
-Overpaid, maybe, but I have a feeling he's better than what the scouts say and sure he's old (12th season), but he's a mentor and he should be able to tutor Irv Eatman and whatever rookie T we grab in the draft. It's really been a poor free agent crop for tackles, let me tell you.

DT Don Latimer - 1 year, $90k (Buffalo)
-Sat on the offer for weeks before finally signing with us. He'll probably take over the starting RDT spot... at the very least, he'll push Jim Burt and give us a strong DT rotation.

S Tim Fox - 1 year, $140k (Re-signing)
-Had to get in a bidding war to retain him as our starting FS. May get pushed out by a rookie in the draft, as I'm very much looking to draft one there, but we'll have to see how it goes. Great guy to have, in any case.

Week 7 Signings
S Pete Shaw - 1 year, $100k* (Cincinnati)
-A ST guy and a very mediocre FS backup. What I'm jacked up about is what this guy does in terms of our chemistry as the new Secondary Captain. He carries 3 Affinities with our roster.

One thing I just noticed, people are -pissed- about Steve Watson as the WR captain. Say he's favored too much. I'll have to rectify that real quick.

Week 7 Losses
S Johnnie Gray - 3 years, $980k (St. Louis)
-I like Johnnie, I like him a lot. He played great for 3 years for us before really going down the drain last season. That said, he's in his 10th year, was clearly on the decline last season, and I wasn't going to pay more than min-sal for him. So the Cardinals snatch him up, where he transforms into an immediate starter and the unquestioned best player in an anemic secondary.

Week 8 Signings
TE Reggie Haynes - 1 year, $100k* (Pittsburgh)
-All is well again in Miami. Haynes actually looks like an even better #2 TE option than Don Warren and more importantly, he's a fantastic WR captain, with an Exceptional Affinity, a Strong Affinity, and a Mild Affinity.

We still have a problem, in that G Petey Perot and C Will Grant don't get along

Week 9 Signings
G Steve Courson - 1 year, $100k* (New Jersey)
-I actually like him better than Petey Perot, so Perot could get cut. In any case, Courson becomes our new offensive line captain and eliminates all conflict problems.

Week 11 Losses
WR Ricky Feacher - 1 year, $100k* (Jacksonville)
-Crap! I meant to re-sign Feacher because of his return skills and ST abilities, but forgot cuz this flu is still making me woozy. Damn it. Guess I'll have to look and see what else is out there real quick.

Week 12 Signings
WR Dennis Pearson - 1 year, $80k* (Denver)
-Has some receiving skills and is a better returner than Feacher, even. The one thing that gets lost is ST skills, but I think I've got enough guys there that it won't be that big a concern. A nice rebound on my part, I think.

Draft later tonight or tomorrow, depending on how I feel.

[Izulde]

This draft class may not be the dynamite one of last year, but it's still a really good class at the top. QB Steve Young is the consensus best player in the draft, followed by T John Alt and QB Boomer Esiason. OLB Ron Rivera and WR Irving Fryar round out the top 5.

We've got only a 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th in this draft, having dealt away our 2nd and 3rd in previous drafts, so we're going to have hit a homerun in the 1st and come away with a definite starter.

1984 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. QB Steve Young - Denver Broncos
2. QB Boomer Esiason - Philadelphia Eagles
3. ILB Kyle Clifton - St. Louis Cardinals
4. OLB Ron Rivera - Baltimore Ravens
5. T John Alt - Buffalo Bills
6. WR Irving Fryar - Washington Redskins
7. WR Phil McConkey - Seattle Seahawks
8. S Andre Waters - Pittsburgh Steelers
9. QB Steve Pelleur - Jacksonville Jaguars

Talk about a serious WTF pick. There were a lot bigger needs for the Jags, like at DE where the top two players are on the board, and even better QBs available.

10. WR Ricky Sanders - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
11. QB Scott Campbell - Dallas Cowboys through Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals get hosed here, acquiring Dallas's 5th round pick in this draft, their 1985 3rd rounder, and their 1986 2nd rounder, but then I guess that's why Cincy is one of the worst franchises in this universe. I'm not so sure about the Campbell pick, either. Looks like Tyrus Treftz was right to jump ship.

12. DE Sean Jones - Tucson Titans
13. ILB John Grimsley - Kansas City Chiefs
14. OLB Wilber Marshall - Atlanta Falcons
15. QB Warren Moon - Los Angeles Rams
16. OLB Carl Banks - Oakland Raiders
17. RB George Wonsley - Detroit Lions

:eek: Wonsley?!?! They take Wonsley as the first RB?! Wow, just wow! This draft has been absolutely insane so far.

18. OLB Keith Browner - Dallas Cowboys
19. DE William Fuller - Minnesota Vikings
20. OLB George Jamieson - Houston Oilers
21. RB Earnest Byner - San Diego Chargers

There's no way in hell that Byner should've fallen all the way to #21. The Chargers just got themselves the steal of this draft, one who has Offensive Rookie of the Year written all over him.

22. CB Scott Case - San Francisco 49ers
23. CB Terry Taylor - Carolina Panthers
24. CB David Croudip - New Jersey Jets
25. DE Roy Harris - Chicago Bears
26. WR Gary Clark - New England Patriots
27. S Shaun Gayle - Cleveland Browns
28. RB Frank Middleton - New York Giants
29. CB Leonard Coleman - Green Bay Packers
30. S Tony Lilly - Indianapolis Colts

There's a tough choice to make here between a S and a T, but in the end, tackle is our weakest spot and there's a guy left, who though overrated, is clearly the best T left on the board and is the only one even close to being worthy of selection. If he does pan out, he'll be our starting LT for a number of years. If he doesn't pan out, I can always switch him to RT. I may do that anyway, depending on how he does in camp.

31. T Gary Zimmerman - Miami Dolphins
32. OLB Ed Brady - New Orleans Saints

We sit out the 2nd and 3rd rounds and the only time I'm tempted to move up is in the 2nd, but the S I wanted flies off the board midway through the round.

I've got my eye on two players as the 4th round starts. One of them, a G, flies off at 4.4, prompting me to send 4.31 and my 1986 4th round pick to move up into 4.5 and take WR Louis Lipps, who in addition to being very underrated, is a dynamite PR that doesn't drop passes. Was it a bad thing to move up? Maybe, but I want to keep injecting youth into our WR group.

I take a flyer on S John Sullivan in the 5th, because we need to do something to get more young blood at safety, as Lloyd Burrus can't do it all himself. Granted, I didn't interview Sullivan, but he looks worth the gamble.

RB Mel Gray is our 6th round selection, not to run the ball, but to be our traditional late-round 3-way RB threat at KR, PR, and ST.

Finally, in the 7th round, we take C Mark Cannon, a breakout candidate who's the perfect guy to pick up at 7.32. At absolute worst, he should turn into a pretty decent reserve C in my opinion.

Late Free Agency

No real big plans here. Just a couple mentors and 3rd QB.

Week 2 Signings
QB Scott Stankavage - 1 year, $30k (UDRFA)
-Signed strictly to fill the 3rd QB spot on the depth chart. Won't ever amount to anything.

Week 3 Signings
C John Hill - 1 year, $120k* (New England)
-Solely a mentor signing.

S Vern Roberson - 1 year, $100k* (Cleveland)
-Like Hill, just a mentor signing, though he appears to have enough game to bail us out in terms of injury, which is always good.

Week 4 Losses
OLB Don Coleman - 1 year, $120k* (New Jersey)
-Coleman skeaddles off to the division rival Jets after complaining he didn't get enough PT. Sorry, man, but our defense usually doesn't start off with the 4-3. For some reason, we go to nickel a lot. Why I don't know, but it is what it is.

Post Training Camp


LT Gary Zimmerman 1.31 23/66 30/67 +7/+1
FL Louis Lipps 4.5 18/32 22/38 +4/+6
FS John Sullivan 5.31 19/44 24/42 +5/-2
RB Mel Gray 6.31 13/25 14/25 +1/+0
C Mark Cannon 7.31 14/27 16/27 +2/+0
QB Scott Stankavage UDRFA 10/34 13/34 +3/+0

Draft Grade: A-

I'm ecstatic with how this draft class turned out. Zimmerman will be our starting LT from Week One. Lipps is extremely raw, but promising. Sullivan looks like a good backup FS, though it's not for certain he'll make the cut this year. Gray becomes our best returner. Cannon didn't break out like I'd hoped, but hey, he was the second to last pick in the draft. Stankavage doesn't look completely horrible at least.

Really, though, the big thing was Zimmerman. He might become the first long-term LT we've ever had in Miami. In fact, the Dolphins revolving door at LT is more than a legend. The longest anybody's ever started at LT for the Aqua and Orange?

4 seasons, tied between Morris Towns and Bob Skoronski. Zimmerman should be able to break that very easily if this training camp is any indication.

[Izulde]

Milan, Don 19 QB 10 7 7 1 yr.
Marino, Dan 1 QB 2 55 78 4 yrs
Stankavage, Scott 9 QB 1 13 34 1 yr.

The summer league appears to have done Marino a great service. He'll start obviously and I'll give Stankavage the #2 spot in preseason, then have him sit #3 behind The Legend Milan.


Preston, Dave 31 RB 8 35 35 1 yr.
Dickerson, Eric 42 RB 2 51 51 3 yrs
Gray, Mel 36 RB 1 14 25 3 yrs
Brown, Curtis 40 FB 8 36 36 1 yr.
Davis, Russell 38 FB 6 38 38 1 yr.

Dickerson and Davis at RB and FB. Preston the #2 back, Gray servicing as KR and PR guy. Brown the backup FB. Pretty nice group we've got here all in all.


Haynes, Reggie 88 TE 8 33 33 1 yr.
Spagnola, John 82 TE 6 61 61 2 yrs
Warren, Don 84 TE 6 42 42 1 yr.
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 11 47 47 2 yrs
Pearson, Dennis 85 FL 7 35 35 1 yr.
Duper, Mark 83 FL 3 44 44 2 yrs
Lipps, Louis 86 FL 1 22 38 4 yrs
Largent, Steve 80 SE 9 47 47 2 yrs
Watson, Steve 89 SE 6 48 48 3 yrs
Chadwick, Jeff 14 SE 2 29 48 3 yrs

Spagnola and Swann will start again, but Watson's going to replace Largent as the SE. Duper and Largent are the reserves and 5th WR is going to be a real pain to decide. Lipps is raw, but has promise, Chadwick is the best receiver and Preston can do the whole KR and PR thing himself, about as well as Gray actually. Warren's the backup TE and Haynes is Inactive.


Hill, John 52 C 13 27 27 1 yr.
Grant, Will 54 C 7 53 53 1 yr.
Quillan, Fred 50 C 7 41 41 2 yrs
Cannon, Mark 57 C 1 16 27 3 yrs
Courson, Steve 65 LG 8 31 31 1 yr.
Hough, Jim 78 LG 7 45 45 3 yrs
Marvin, Mickey 69 RG 8 39 39 3 yrs
Perot, Petey 72 RG 6 37 37 1 yr.
Bebout, Nick 64 RT 12 34 34 2 yrs
Eatman, Irv 71 LT 2 23 32 2 yrs
Zimmerman, Gary 66 LT 1 30 67 4 yrs

Zimmerman-Hough-Grant-Marvin-Bebout, with Quillan, Perot and Eatman the reserves. Hill, Cannon and Courson are all inactive guys. Hill and Cannon are prime candidates to get cut, since we have to make some this year.


Connell, Mike 13 P 7 55 55 2 yrs
Webster, Tim 16 K 14 31 31 1 yr.

Ugh. Should've found a replacement for Webster. Oh well. Connell's still good.


Greer, Curtis 73 LDE 5 59 59 4 yrs
Pitts, Mike 74 LDE 2 28 36 3 yrs
Young, Jim 93 RDE 8 31 31 1 yr.
Klecko, Joe 75 LDT 8 60 60 2 yrs
Latimer, Don 70 LDT 7 46 46 1 yr.
Dunn, Gary 96 RDT 9 31 31 1 yr.
Burt, Jim 97 RDT 4 45 45 5 yrs

Looks like re-signing Young was a mistake. So it'll be Greer-Klecko-Latimer-Pitts as the front four, with Young and Burt as the reserves. Dunn gets to cool his heels on inactive and might get cut, because he's got serious issues with Latimer.


Laughliln, Jim 91 MLB 5 48 48 1 yr.
Odom, Cliff 55 MLB 5 52 52 2 yrs
Shoate, Rod 99 SLB 10 30 30 1 yr.
Tippett, Andre 59 SLB 3 52 52 2 yrs
Cobb, Gary 58 WLB 6 50 50 4 yrs

Tippett-Odom-Cobb, Laughilin and Shoate the reserves. This is actually probably the best starting LB unit we've had in this entire universe and it's pretty young, too. Always a major bonus.




Small, Gerald 33 RCB 7 46 46 4 yrs
Wilson, J.C. 37 LCB 7 38 38 2 yrs
Manning, Wade 22 LCB 6 35 35 1 yr.
Byrd, Gill 34 LCB 2 59 61 3 yrs
Green, Gary 35 RCB 8 35 35 3 yrs
Smith, Johnny 44 RCB 4 42 42 1 yr.
Murphy, Mark 24 SS 8 37 37 1 yr.
Roberson, Vern 41 SS 8 30 30 1 yr.
Burrus, Lloyd 25 SS 4 52 52 4 yrs
Young, Andre 49 SS 3 32 33 2 yrs
Fox, Tim 28 FS 9 47 47 1 yr.
Shaw, Pete 30 FS 8 33 33 1 yr.
Best, Greg 48 FS 2 15 31 2 yrs
Sullivan, John 45 FS 1 24 42 3 yrs

Umm, how did we get so damned many DBs again? Anyway, Byrd and Gill as our starting corners, Burrus and Fox as our starting safeties. Smith and Wilson are the reserves at CB. Roberson gets cut. Murphy wins the backup SS spot over Young thanks to ST skills. I cut Best and make Sullivan the preseason backup to Fox. Manning and Shaw then go on inactive.

We still have 3 more cuts to make after we trim the secondary, but I'll hold off on making them until after the preseason's over.

The New Orleans Saints are the overwhelming favorites to defend their Super Bowl title. Other NFC preseason contenders are the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Falcons.

We're co-favorites in the AFC along with the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals. A lot of sportswriters are really hot on the idea that Danny White can lead Cincy to the next level. I'm not so sure about that.

Going to be a fun season, though, like they usually are.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Miami 7 Atlanta 23
Scott Stankavage throws 5 interceptions and he won't be our #2 QB any longer. Cliff Odom had 11 tackles, 3 assists and an INT, Lloyd Burrus picked up 10 tackles and 5 assists, and Mike Pitts surprised with 5 tackles and 2 sacks. Despite our defense playing decently, this was a game to forget. Our offense blew it hardcore.

Washington 7 Miami 16
Tim Webster was 3/3 on FGs, all from 40+ range and Curtis Greer won Player of the Game with 4 tackles, an assist, 3 sacks, 5 hurries, 5 knockdowns and a forced fumble. Mike Pitts continued his strong preseason play with 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.

Miami 19 New Orleans 20
We get nipped at the wire in this Super Bowl matchup as Steve DeBerg hits Marcus Allen for the game-winning TD late in the 4th quarter, spoiling Tim Webster's 4/4 FG day.

New York 7 Miami 34
Gerald Small poured salt in the wound with a 56 yard interception return for a TD in the closing seconds of the blowout. It was Small's 3rd interception of the day and he had 3 pass defenses as well to single-handedly win the game for us and provide a fantastic final exhibition tuneup.

C John Hill and C Mark Cannon get their pink slips and we roll on into games that count.

Regular Season

Miami 3 New Jersey 14
All you need to know about this damned embarrassing loss is that Dan Marino threw 3 interceptions and we got schooled all over the field. Ugh! Not a good start to the year at all.

Miami 38 San Francisco 28
Say hello to Good Dan Marino, who threw 3 TD passes in the 1st quarter to stake us out to a 21-0 lead and we hang on the rest of the way for the win. Steve Watson had 5 catches for 115 yards and there's reason to hope that he can become our first 1,000 yard receiver in uh, forever. Cliff Odom was the man on defense today, with 5 tackles, 5 assists, 1.5 sacks and a pass defense.

Miami 38 Indianapolis 10
Mel Gray ignited us with a 78 yard punt return for a TD and the second half was all Dan Marino as 3 of his 4 TD passes came in the second half, which were the only scores as we shut down the Colts offense. Marino was a blisteringly accurate 16/21 for 239 yards to go with those TDs. Joe Klecko paced the defense with 4 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and a knockdown.

RDT Don Latimer hyperextends his elbow and will miss next week's game. DT Jim Burt takes over as the starter and DT Gary Dunn comes off inactive to be the backup.

Buffalo 10 Miami 29
Divisional games are important and we put away the Bills behind Tim Webster's 5/5 FGs, 2/2 from 40+ range, 4 of which were in the second half. We also held Buffalo scoreless in the second half, a trademark that I'm really liking about our defense.

Miami 31 San Diego 28
The Chargers were up 28-17 at halftime, but for the third straight game, our defense pitches a second half shutout and Dan Marino throws 2 4th quarter TDs to give us the comeback win. Dan Marino had the first 300+ game of his career and finished with a line of 24/35 for 334 yards, 4 TDs and 2 INTs. Eric Dickerson also finally broke out with 21 rushes for 117 yards.

Denver 7 Miami 24
Our defense keeps the scoreless streak going for 3 more quarters to extend it to 5 before the Broncos break through with a 4th quarter TD. What an amazing run for our defense, though. Joe Klecko had 4 tackles, 2 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown, while Gerald Small highlighted the secondary with 2 tackles and 3 pass defenses.

Don Latimer is now fully healed and ready to come back in.

Miami 35 Kansas City 10
Dan Marino knifed through the Chiefs with a sizzling 21/29 for 284 yards and 3 TDs line en route to Player of the Game, while Eric Dickerson rushed 22 times for 151 yards and 2 TDs. Steve Watson led the receivers with 6 catches for 108 yards. Our pass rush exploded, as Curtis Greer had 6 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns, while Joe Klecko recorded 4 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns.

Oakland 3 Miami 33
The Raiders knew it was going to be a long day when Dan Marino connected with Steve Watson for 89 yards to open the scoring and they were right. Eric Dickerson had the other highlight reel play, a 66 yard TD run midway through the 2nd quarter. Eric Dickerson was PotG with 147 yards and a TD on 18 carries, while Steve Watson had 2 catches for exactly 100 yards and that TD. Curtis Greer led the defense with 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a hurry, a knockdown and 2 forced fumbles, Don Latimer matching Greer's 1.5 sacks and knockdown.

The victory puts us at 7-1 at the halfway point, two games up on the 5-3 Jets and Bills, who currently both hold the wildcard spots. We're also the #1 seed in the AFC as of this moment, the 6-1-1 Houston Oilers the only real challengers to our conference supremacy.

Halfway stats:


Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
All-Time 264-128
Winning Pct. .673
Playoffs 30-14
Playoff Visits 19
Bowl Wins 5
Head Coach Alan Rosian
Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.0 10
Rushing Yards 131.1 2
Yards Per Carry 4.52 3
Pass Attempts 28.6 32
Completions 18.5 24
Completion Pct. 64.6 8
Passing Yards 241.3 9
Yards Per Attempt 8.43 2
Yards Per Catch 13.04 2
Total Yardage Gained 359.9 6
3rd Down Conversions 39.8 16
Points Per Game 28.9 1
Pass Rush Pct. 22.6 8
Pass Defense Pct. 64.1 5
Turnovers 9 3 (T)
Turnover Margin +7 4 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 25.4 10
Rushing Yards 102.9 12
Yards Per Carry 4.05 20
Pass Attempts 37.6 27
Completions 21.3 20
Completion Pct. 56.5 7
Passing Yards 204.0 4
Yards Per Attempt 5.42 1
Yards Per Catch 9.60 1
Total Yardage Gained 291.5 4
3rd Down Conversions 40.2 19 (T)
Points Per Game 13.8 1
Pass Rush Pct. 20.9 21
Pass Defense Pct. 38.4 6
Turnovers 16 6

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 3 at NJY 14
2 38 at SFO 28
3 38 at IND 10
4 29 BUF 10
5 31 at SDO 28
6 24 DEN 7
8 35 at KCY 10
9 33 OAK 3
10 at NED
11 NJY
12 STL
13 CLE
14 at LAS
15 at BUF
16 SEA
17 NED

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
1 D. Marino QB 229 148 1930 8.43 20 6 109.2
**Team --- 229 148 1930 8.43 20 6 109.2
$$Opp --- 301 170 1632 5.42 12 9 72.5

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 158 736 4.66 6 0
31 D. Preston RB 61 293 4.80 0 1
**Team --- 232 1049 4.52 6 6
$$Opp --- 203 823 4.05 1 14

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
89 S. Watson WR 43 26 580 22.31 13.49 2 5
42 E. Dickerson RB 27 26 265 10.19 9.81 0 0
83 M. Duper WR 34 25 263 10.52 7.74 1 6
81 L. Swann WR 38 16 225 14.06 5.92 3 2
31 D. Preston RB 18 14 81 5.79 4.50 2 0
82 J. Spagnola TE 15 12 145 12.08 9.67 2 1
80 S. Largent WR 28 11 197 17.91 7.04 2 3
84 D. Warren TE 12 9 126 14.00 10.50 1 2

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
25 L. Burrus S 41 23 0.0 0 2 6 82.6
59 A. Tippett OLB 40 13 2.0 2 2 3 78.4
28 T. Fox S 38 11 0.0 0 2 6 83.6
55 C. Odom ILB 31 12 2.5 0 0 4 80.4
58 G. Cobb OLB 29 6 0.0 1 0 4 76.7
34 G. Byrd CB 28 8 0.0 0 2 7 82.5
75 J. Klecko DT 25 8 5.5 10 0 0 80.8
37 J. Wilson CB 25 12 0.0 0 1 4 80.4
73 C. Greer DE 22 7 5.0 15 0 0 80.4
74 M. Pitts DE 20 5 0.5 14 0 0 80.4
33 G. Small CB 19 5 0.0 1 0 7 79.6
45 J. Sullivan S 14 1 0.0 0 0 0 69.4
97 J. Burt DT 11 3 0.0 2 0 0 80.5
70 D. Latimer DT 10 5 1.5 2 0 0 82.5
44 J. Smith CB 8 2 0.0 0 0 0 72.0

Danny White who? Our offense has been clicking on all cylinders ever since the Week 1 Jets hiccup, with Eric Dickerson in particular coming on strong as of late. Our pass rush is vastly improved from the halfway point a year ago and our pass defense has just been off the hook. What an awesome team this is turning out to be! :)

[allpro10050]

Do the AI teams have any trouble with the 0-1 cap increase?

[Izulde]

For the first time in maybe forever, nobody's hacked about playing time. It's all sugar plums and lollipops here in South Florida, if you don't count the Gary Dunn/Don Latimer tiff.

Miami 18 New England 30
Frankly, it wasn't even close. We fell behind incredibly early and only two late TDs made it look respectable. Dan Marino threw for 303 yards and 2 TDs, but it came at the expense of a 21/50 rate and 3 interceptions. Steve Watson caught 5 balls for 108 yards and Lloyd Burrus spearheaded the defense with 14 tackles, 7 assists, a hurry and a forced fumble.

LDT Joe Klecko hyperextends his elbow and will miss at least a game, so it's DT Don Latimer shifting to the left side, Jim Burt starting on the right side and Gary Dunn coming back on as the reserve DT.

New Jersey 21 Miami 16
And just like that, our comfortable division and #1 seed lead have gone up in flames, coming on the heels of two disasterous losses to division rivals. Can't really blame this on Dan Marino, who was 20/33 for 357 yards, a TD and an INT. Mark Duper had 5 catches for 137 yards and a TD, the bulk of it coming on a beautiful 90 yard pass for the TD midway through the 1st quarter.

Things go from bad to worse as star LCB Gill Byrd pulls a calf muscle and is out approximately 4 weeks. Ugh. J.C. Wilson starts at the left corner spot, Gary Green the reserve, Johnny Smith the nickel back.

St. Louis 21 Miami 27
Our shutout second half defense shows up again at one of the most crucial times, as does Eric Dickerson's running ability. He wins Player of the Game with 104 yards and a TD on 14 carries. Steve Watson brings in 4 balls for 106 yards.

Joe Klecko is back to Probable, so he's inserted anew in the lineup. We need him there, honestly, as this second half is a serious 180 from our first 8 games.

Cleveland 31 Miami 37
The Browns made one hell of an effort in the 4th quarter, blanking us 21-0 to make it close on the scoreboard, but we hang on for the win on the strength of 4 interceptions of the Browns QBs, and Lloyd Burrus had one of those INTs, along 11 tackles and an assist.

RT Nick Bebout strains a foot ligament and is out for the next game at least. We cut CB Wade Manning and dip into the FA pool to sign RT Bob Lingenfelter as an emergency starter, as T Irv Eatman isn't ready to switch to the right side yet.

Miami 34 Los Angeles 41
A high-octane shootout ends in disappointment as the Rams score the game-winning TD at the 2:00 warning. Dan Marino played well at 22/38 for 302 yards, 3 TDs and an INT, but it just wasn't enough. Our defense really missed Gill Byrd this game.

Lo and behold, Gill Byrd returns to full health. We definitely need him, as we're 9-4 right now and the Jets and Patriots are both nipping our heels with 8-5 records. We're current owners of the #2 seed, as Baltimore is 10-3.

Backup rookie FS John Sullivan hyperextends his knee and is out 3 weeks. FS Pete Shaw steps in as the reserve FS, while CB Johnny Smith takes over dime duties.

Miami 35 Buffalo 3
We beat up on the worst team in the division at just the right time. Dan Marino torches the Bills on 30/38 for 343 yards, 4 TDs and an INT passing to be PotG. Gerald Small keys the defense with 5 tackles, 2 assists, 3 pass defenses and an INT.

RT Nick Bebout is ready to return and we happily welcome him.

Seattle 13 Miami 17
Our 17-10 halftime lead holds up as we limit the Seahawks to a second half FG. Steve Watson just absolutely abused Seattle's secondary with 8 catches for 161 yards in the game's difference-maker performance.

With the victory, we're 11-4, but the Patriots are right behind at 10-5. We play New England in the season finale and whoever wins not only gets the division title, but at least the #2 seed, possibly the #1, if Baltimore loses in the final week.

Come on, come on.... give us the win here... I don't want to play in the Wild Card round.

New England 3 Miami 33
Don Bruce really fired his boys up for this game, telling them if they lost, they'd have the same of losing the AFC East title for us. The defense went out and lowered the boom on the Patriots, but it was Dan Marino who was the talk of the nation afterwards with his dazzling 27/37 for 404 yards and 2 TDs line. Steve Watson, Marino's favorite target, caught 7 passes for 151 yards, Tim Webster was 4/4 on FGs and Mike Pitts was the unlikely defensive hero, with 3 tackles, 2 sacks, a block and a hurry.

We've done it! We're the AFC East Champions again!

Sweeter still... the Baltimore Ravens lost, so we have the #1 seed and homefield advantage.

[Izulde]

Do the AI teams have any trouble with the 0-1 cap increase?

Sorry I didn't answer this sooner... didn't catch it till just now. :)

Every once in a while you'll see a team blow itself up like the St. Louis Cardinals did when they had all those 1st round picks and occassionally there'll be a top-flight FA available, but by and large, the AI does a pretty solid job of locking their good players up and keeping their teams together.

[Izulde]

We're up against the familiar foe New England in the divisional round, who have become worthy rivals of late.

QB Cliff Stoudt is what he is, an average QB. Not great, not horrible, he gets the job done. RB Earl Campbell is the offense's real superstar, his generation's Walter Payton, but even Campbell is in his 7th season now.

TE Eric Sievers is great and rookie FL Gary Clark is still developing, but looks to have phenomenal talent.

C Blair Bush is accomplished, RG George Yarno solid. RT Ted Albrecht is the Pats version of Ron Mikolajcyzk.

Rookie P Matt Saxon had a decent season and K Matt Bahr is a pretty good kicker. Not All-Pro level by any means, but better than a lot of guys in the league.

LDE Tyrone Keys is lazy, a major underachiever, but that's mitigated somewhat by NT Fred Smerlas, who's proven the perfect fit as a 3-4 DT.

The linebackers are completely forgettable, save for 2nd year WLB Billy Ray Smith, who's still growing into his talent, but has shown flashes of greatness.

2nd year RCB Ronnie Lippett is the lone legitimate playmaker in a truly garish secondary.

To be honest, I'm having trouble seeing how we lost the first game in the season series to these guys. They're a pretty weak team overall and I fully expect us to blow them out of the water like we did in the season finale.

The bookies don't quite agree with my assessment, setting the line as Dolphins by 2.

We stake out a 10-3 halftime lead and the Patriots never really mount all that serious a challenge, even though the score looked fairly close in the end.

Eric Dickerson ran 22 times for 103 yards and a TD and Dan Marino took home Player of the Game with a sensational 24/31 for 351 yards and 2 TDs line. Steve Watson finished just shy of the century mark with 6 catches for 95 yards and 2 TDs. Curtis Greer was the defensive maestro with 3 tackles, 3 assists, 2 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

New England 17 Miami 27

It's on to the AFC Championship as we seek to return to the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year.

[Izulde]

The AFC Championship pits us against the Baltimore Ravens.

The same Ravens we traded Ron Jaworski to for J.C. Wilson in the 1982 offseason.

QB Ron Jaworski put up impressive passing yardage his first two seasons in Baltimore, but with pretty bad TD to INT ratios. This year, he finally appears to have turned the corner in his 12th season, with 4,594 yards (his second straight 4,000+ yard season), 32 TDs and just 9 picks. He threw for 249 yards and 3 TDs in Baltimore's divisional game. A worthy match for Marino.

RB Tony Nathan is on par with Eric Dickerson. A good, but not great back. FL Henry Ellard exploded in his sophomore season, with 1,241 receiving yards and 6 TDs and of course there's TE Kellen Winslow, who's still the best TE in the league. The one saving grace is that the Ravens' other WRs are all bad.

Baltimore's offensive line is extremely young, with a 2nd year C, and rookies at LG, RG, and RT. As a result, this group gave up a a ton of sacks in the regular season and their run-blocking isn't very good either, as this is a raw, raw unit. LT Jim Cooper is the elder statesman with 8 seasons, but he's native to the right side. We should be able to get a lot of pressure on Jaws as a result.

There's a rookie P and K too in John Kidd and Obed Ariri. Both seriously suck.

LDE Art Still has been going through a years-long drought, but he snapped back this season with 15.5 sacks and had 3.5 sacks in the Ravens' divisional contest. RDE Matt Mendenhall is like Curtis Greer, a 3rd round pick that just keeps improving each year. He broke out with 14.5 sacks this season. 2nd year LDT Mike Duda is solid and RDT Edgar Fields was much better than expected, as he's a natural 3-4 NT.

SLB Reggie Williams is still a force even in his 9th season, MLB Harry Carson one of the better all-around MLBs in the NFL. Rookie WLB Ron Rivera has talent, but didn't show much in his first season.

LCB Mike McCoy is terrific, but the rest of Baltimore's corners are weak. SS Carlton Williamson and FS Fred Marion are arguably the best pair of young safeties in the league.

This is one brutal, brutal matchup for us. Our only hope in this thing is that we disrupt Ron Jaworski into making some big-time mistakes and avoid blunders of our own.

Vegas still sides with us, though, by 2 points. I say there's a very good chance we lose and lose badly.

And then Dan Marino came alive and our defense got nasty.

Dan Marino won Player of the Game with a magnificent line of 22/31 for 290 yards and 3 TDs. Don Latimer had 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a knockdown. Mike Pitts put on one of his surprise performances with a tackle, 3 assists, 2 sacks and a hurry.

But it was our secondary that was the real key to the defense. Gerald Small put up 4 tackles, 3 pass defenses, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, while Gill Byrd was the single best defensive player on the field, putting in a dazzling 5 tackles, 4 pass defenses and an interception.

We're going back to the Super Bowl!!! :) :) :)

Baltimore 10 Miami 27

But the victory comes a terrible price.

One that may well cost us our dreams of a 6th championship.

[nilodor]

But the victory comes a terrible price.

One that may well cost us our dreams of a 6th championship.

Why do you gotta be like this? I'm expecting nice, wrapped up post, then bam, cliffhanger. Jerk.

[Izulde]

Why do you gotta be like this? I'm expecting nice, wrapped up post, then bam, cliffhanger. Jerk.

:D Sorry. It's been so long since I've written a cliffhanger post, I couldn't resist the opportunity to write this one.

You'll find out in the first few lines of the Super Bowl preview anyway, because you know I always write who's out for each team at the top. :)

[SFL Cat]

Marino was handing off to Dickerson, they collided, and both blew out their knees. :eek:

[Izulde]

Marino was handing off to Dickerson, they collided, and both blew out their knees. :eek:

That wouldn't be all -that- catastrophic, at least not as much as it sounds. I mean, Dickerson's only good so far in this universe and the backup is decent enough.

And as far as QB goes, we've got Don Milan, who's so ungodly clutch, his picture is right next to the word in the dictionary. :D

Well, yeah, actually that -would- be catastrophic, who am I kidding? Marino is on fire this year and Dickerson's still the best back we've had not named Walter Payton.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XXV Preview

Miami Dolphins Out
LT Gary Zimmerman

Washington Redskins Out
None

Quarterbacks
Some folks expressed concern that second year QB Dan Marino wasn't ready for the big-time yet, especially after getting rattled in last year's Super Bowl. These same doubters also greatly criticized the Dolphins for letting Danny White go in free agency. Marino's quickly put those uncertainties to rest, with a team-record 4,404 yards in the regular season, along with 38 TDs and 17 INTs. He's been even more sensational in the postseason, with a 74.2% completion rate, 641 yards, 5 TDs and no picks in 2 games. Backup Don Milan is a legendary figure in Miami, but his best days are long since behind him. (Ed. Note - White just missed taking the Bengals to the playoffs, who were 8-7-1 this season. He threw for 3,209 yards and a 23 TD/23 INT ratio.)

Steve Bartowski is almost an exact match for Marino, save that the Redskins great is in his 10th season, rather than just beginning his career. Bartkowski threw for 4,334 yards, 35 TDs and 13 INTs in the regular season and turned a 75.5% postseason completion rate into 461 yards, 4 TDs and an INT. He got his Super Bowl ring two years ago, as the Redskins repeated as NFC Champions following the last Dolphins-Redskins Super Bowl and went on to thrash the Chargers 42-16. Backup Steve Fuller is unremarkable.

Advantage: Draw

Running Backs
Second-year RB Eric Dickerson is a perfect fit for this offense. A steady, dependable runner who can score (11 TDs in both seasons), convert the crucial 3rd down runs, and not fumble the football (Just one fumble this season). He's also a pretty good passcatcher out of the backfield. Walter Payton he may not be, but it's hard to argue with that ball security and 1,000+ yards in his first two season. #2 RB Dave Preston is mediocre and has looked awful this postseason, with a 1.92 ypc average Mel Gray is the team's return ace.

Keith Griffin was a real surprise as a rookie. A 3rd round draft pick (3.2), he won the starting job out of training camp and went on to rush for 1,210 yards Fumbleitis is a concern however, with 8 fumbles in the regular season and another fumble in the playoffs. Second string Rick Berns is a change of pace power back, a real bulldozer and ST bulldog who also has fumble problems.

Advantage: Dolphins

Wide Receivers
TE John Spagnola is one of the better TEs in the league. FL Lynn Swann is definitely in his twilight years and turned in his worst performance since his rookie season. Dolphins GM Tim Moungey has been telling everyone for years that SE Steve Watson was one of the most underrated receivers in the league and a terrific player. Watson finally got the chance to prove it this season and was named the starting SE. He proved it in a big way, with 1,407 yards and 6 TDs, the Dolphins' first 1,000 yard receiver since the Paul Warfield days. Mark Duper could become the next Watson. He's improved each of his 3 seasons in the league and had 704 catches for 11 TDs as #3 WR this year and is the heir apparent to Swann. Steve Largent, the 4th WR and former starting SE, has long been in the front office's doghouse, but he's too popular with the fans to let go. 5th WR Jeff Chadwick was greatly improved over a year ago and could still figure in the team's future plans.

Second-year TE Jamie Williams is a fantastic blocker. Another 2nd year, FL Anthony Allen, started for most of the year, overachieving with his meagre talents to have 1,027 receiving yards. SE Jim Kimbrough, the late-season replacement, is a body. 10th year WR Jim Robinson is drop-prone. In fact, the lone real passing threat is FL Irving Fryar, who was equal parts brilliant and frustrating his rookie year, with 91 catches, 1,338 yards, 9 TDs and 12 drops. Getting him in the 1st round of the draft really galvanized the Redskins offense.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
Losing rookie LT Gary Zimmerman for the Super Bowl really hurts. Although he got off to a rough start, Zimmerman finished strong, only allowing 1 sack over the second half of the regular season and was an absolute monster as a run-blocker. LT Irv Eatman, a 2nd year former 5th round pick, has looked good in limited duty, but is largely untested. LG Jim Hough has been, like his predecessor Mo Moorman, an underrated, unsung hero at his position. C Will Grant is a bit weak in pass protection, but makes up for it with superior run-blocking skills. RG Mickey Marvin is steady, but looks to have lost a step and RT Nick Bebout is a run-blocking demon, but a revolving door in pass-protection. Backup C Fred Quillan is no longer as highly thought of as he used to be, backup G Petey Perot is mediocre and backup T Bob Lingenfelter is a body.

LT Luis Sharpe has never lived up to his 1st round expectations, LG Leotis Harris is one of the laziest and most underachieving players in the league, but C Joe Fields is top-quality and the literal anchor of the line. RG J.T. Turner gives up too many sacks, but is a powerful, strong blocker, brilliant in run-protection. RT Ed Muransky was a Week 15 free agent signing and has played brilliantly with his new team after being released by the Jets. 4th round pick C Randy Rasmussen is the C of the future, already a gifted, hard-working player. Backup G Sean Farrell is young, a decent pass-blocker, but awful in run-blocking.

Advantage: Draw

Kickers
P Mike Connell has given the Dolphins their first legitimate punter in years. K Tim Webster is no longer clutch, nor does he have the leg he once had. That said, he converted 82.9% of his FGs and was 7/11 (63.6%) from 40+ range, so the 14th year vet isn't terrible.

P Zenon Andrusyshyn is a fantastic punter, but K Paul McFadden has struggled as a rookie, despite his brilliance in college.

Advantage: Dolphins

Defensive Line
LDE Curtis Greer's numbers were down a bit after his All-Pro season last year, but that's the result of drawing double-teams, as RDE Mike Pitts scares no one. LDT Joe Klecko is solid, RDT Don Latimer respectable. DT Jim Burt is one of the best reserve DTs in the league, but backup DE Jim Young has really fallen apart.

Although with little talent, LDE Glen Collins stunned everyone with a majorly overachieving 13.5 sack season. RDE Doug Reed had 8 sacks in his first season as a full-time starter and looks to be a serviceable player. LDT Sugar Bear Hamilton is still one of the best DTs in the NFL, even in his 11th season and RDT Reggie Kinlaw is a sensational DT. Rookie DE Alphonso Carreker should have started over Collins, who looks like a flash in the pan and rookie DT Mitch Willis has no business even being in the league.

Advantage: Redskins

Linebackers
MLB Cliff Odom is one of those guys who isn't genius in any area, but very good in virtually every area of linebacking. SLB Andre Tippett gets the lion's share of tackles at LB and continues to try and improve his pass-rush game. WLB Gary Cobb isn't used nearly as much as he should be.

MLB Tom Cousineau is an exact replica of Odom, save for the fact that Cousineau's a better tackler, Odom a better coverage linebacker. SLB Kim Bokamper is a slightly better version of Tippett and a vastly superior coverage and turnover generating LB. Rookie WLB Joe Azelby is precisely that, a joke.

Advantage: Draw

Secondary
LCB Gill Byrd is the best young CB in the entire league. He's already one of the best cover corners in the NFL in just his second season, a ballhawk and a shutdown type player, with 5 INTs in both of his first two seasons, despite missing 3 games this year with an injury. RCB Gerald Small was an inspired signing, following up his All-Pro season from last year with another great year in his first season in a Dolphins uniform. In fact, the tandem is so good that they're arguably the best in franchise history, even more so than Johnny Sample and Irv Cross in the '60s. Less stellar are the safeties, where SS Lloyd Burrus has really struggled in the postseason and FS Tim Fox is steady, but not sensational. Nickel back J.C. Wilson is good for his role.

LCB Mike Haynes is a 5-time All-Pro, 4 time 1st-Teamer and he's still a terrific CB. RCB LeCharls McDaniel is young, but already in his 4th season he's established himself as a dependable corner. SS Darrol Ray has been a colossal disappointment relative to his talent and FS Mike Burns is terrible. CB Van Jakes is comparable to Wilson in the nickel slot.

Advantage: Draw

Keys for the Miami Dolphins

1. Mix things up on offense
The temptation is going to be to rely on Marino's arm and the wealth of WRs to attack the LBs and the safeties, but the Redskins need to be kept honest on defense and outside runs could work well against Washington's DEs.

2. Blitz and blitz often.
Part of the Dolphins' front office's strategy the last few years has been to find pass-rushing LBs and in Odom and Tippett, Miami finally has that. The Redskins' offensive line gives up a lot of sacks and by pressuring Bartkowski and clogging the gaps against Washington's running game, a lot of turnovers and pressure can be generated.

3. Maximum protection of Marino
The Redskins have a strong defensive line, so absolute care has to be taken to give Marino time to throw the ball. Losing Zimmerman really, really hurts, but it's going to be the key to this game, especially with Bartkowski and Fryar homerun hitters on the other side of the ball.

Keys for the Washington Redskins

1. Utilize short passing routes
The Dolphins are likely to blitz a lot, so by finding the open receivers on short routes, long drives can be created and a variety of players can get involved in the passing game as they get open, rather than relying on Fryar to do all the work. These long drives will keep that explosive Miami offense off the field.

2. Mix up the defensive schemes
In prior Super Bowls, the offensive line was good enough that the emphasis for Dolphins' opponents was on blanketing the myriad of receivers. However, this year, Miami's far too deep at WR and the offensive line too weak not to take advantage and throw in some blitz packages to rattle Marino, who though brilliant thus far, is just in his second year.

3. Don't give up on the run
Yes, Dickerson is far superior to Griffin and Griffin and Berns are both fumble-prone, but they're a great Thunder and Lightning combination and the Miami defense is likely to be thinking pass defense, pass defense, pass defense. By using a more balanced attack, the Dolphins can be taken by surprise.

Final Thoughts
The Dolphins' 27-25 victory over the Redskins in Super Bowl XXII was one of the most thrilling we've ever seen and this game promises to be another great game, with two of the best QBs in the league squaring off against each other in Dan Marino and Steve Bartkowski.

Last time, Miami was heavily favored and just barely escaped with the win. That dynamic, Marino's youth compared to Bartkowski's experience and the fact that the Dolphins are missing Gary Zimmerman means we give the edge to Washington.

Line: Redskins by 4

[Izulde]

Washington gets the ball first and they start doing exactly what all the analysts said they should do, mixing it up with short runs by Keith Griffin and Rick Berns and short passes to put together a long, grinding drive. They get down into the red zone, where Andre Tippett finally stops the madness with a 6 yard sack and the Redskins are forced to settle for a 36 yard FG try by Paul McFadden which goes in.

Washington 3 Miami 0 - 5:39 1st Quarter

Eric Dickerson bursts off a 13 yard run and follows it up two plays later with a 14 yard gain to get us to midfield in very short order. Washington's pass defense stiffens up, though, and it's only a miracle 29 yard pass from Dan Marino to Steve Watson on 3rd down that keeps us alive and gets us down into the red zone.

A one yard and 3 straight completions later, Dan Marino finds Dave Preston on a 3 yard screen pass for the TD and the lead!!!

Miami 7 Washington 3 - 1:10 1st Quarter

The Redskins go to work, but Andre Tippett gets his second sack of the game on the final play of the 1st quarter to secure the defensive stop and force a Washington punt.

We're held to a 3 and out and Washington gets the ball back on their own 47 yard line, but then Curtis Greer and Mike Pitts tag-team Steve Bartkowski on the sack and force a fumble, which Curtis Greer divebombs on and recovers at the Redskin 40.

Two false start penalties kill our hopes of insurance and we have to punt it away for the touchback.

A cool note I've never seen before pops up on the next drive: "Griffin slipped a little on the wet field. The ball was fumbled and recovered by WAS Joe Fields at the WAS19. The weather has created a very slippery ball today."

Keith Griffin makes up for that fumble with a 23 yarder after Rick Berns bails the Redskins out on 3rd and 10 with a 14 yard rumble, but then Cliff Odom shows off his versatility by getting an interception shortly after Washington crosses over into our territory.

A gorgeous 31 yard pass from Dan Marino to Steve Largent gets wiped out by a holding call and we're stuck with a 3 and out, punt.

Steve Bartkowski's long day continues, as first and third down are sandwich sacks, with Mike Pitts getting the first, Joe Klecko the other. Insult is added to injury as the Klecko sack forces a fumble, which Cliff Odom recovers and takes back to the Redskin 7 yard line.

Eric Dickerson gets stuffed twice, but Dan Marino hooks up with Steve Largent for 11 yards and the insurance TD on 3rd down!

Miami 14 Washington 3 - 3:19 2nd Quarter

The Redskins find themselves in a real hole now and it only gets worse when J.C. Wilson picks off the pass on the very first play of the next drive.

Dan Marino completes two straight passes for 11 yards and as of the two-minute warning, we've got a first and goal at the Redskins 9 yard line.

Eric Dickerson takes it in for the TD from 6 yards out on 2nd down and suddenly this is looking like a major rout.

Miami 21 Washington 3 - 1:43 2nd Quarter

It's only then that the Redskins offense and more specifically Irving Fryar start to come alive. Three receptions by Fryar for long gains lead Washington to a 29 yard FG attempt by Paul McFadden with 7 seconds left, which goes through the uprights. The ensuing kickoff return does nothing at all, so we go into halftime with the score 21-6, Good Guys.

Miami 21 Washington 6 - Halftime

It's Miami ball to start the second half and Dennis Pearson returns the kickoff to our own 42. Eric Dickerson parlays two modest runs and a 16 yard pass reception into our transition into Redskins territory. He's there at the end of the drive, too, receiving the 6 yard TD pass to officially signal that yes, this game has turned into an out and out blowout.

Miami 28 Washington 6 - 11:48 3rd quarter

Washington gets a breath of hope when Keith Griffin takes the ball twice to start the following drive and turns into 27 yards, but then Lloyd Burrus joins in on the sackfest to put them at 3rd and 10. No problem, as Steve Bartkowski finds Irving Fryar for the 15 yard escape.

That's the end of that miracle, though, and the Redskins have to punt. We 3 and out ourselves, but it's not like it matters at this point.

Rick Berns gets an 11 yard gain on the first play and I'm noticing a lot of long runs by this Redskins running game. Something to take note of for the offseason, to find better run-stoppers. Washington looks like they might actually threaten, but then Don Latimer gets a 3rd down sack and the Redskins kick it away again.

We follow it up with a 3 and out and I'm sure the people watching this game are getting a little bored right now, but that's what happens in a Super Bowl blowout. I'll tell you one thing, though, I'm really impressed by Irving Fryar, as he saves the Redskins again with a 19 yard catch on 3rd down, all 19 yards coming after the reception.

The Redskins are truly threatening, as they get down to our 30 yard line, but then Don Latimer lowers the boom on Rick Berns and Joe Klecko recovers the ensuing fumble to kill the drive. We eat up the rest of the quarter with a yawner of a 3 and out.

Miami 28 Washington 6 - End 3rd Quarter

First play of the Washington drive: Gary Cobb intercepts the pass and returns it 13 yards to the Redskin 24. Steve Bartkowski just can't win today, it seems. We get stopped, of course, but Tim Webster converts the 32 yard FG to pad our lead some more.

Miami 31 Washington 6 - 12:19 4th Quarter

Keith Griffin and Rick Berns continue their hot, alternating big runs and Irving Fryar comes up with another clutch 3rd down catch, but then our pass rush gets in Steve Bartkowski's face three downs in a row and Washington has to settle for the 49 yard FG from Paul McFadden. Great game by the rookie K, for what it's worth.

Miami 31 Washington 9 - 8:50 4th Quarter

Dave Preston gets 3 straight runs and I have the sneaking suspicion we're starting to go with our reserves now. Jon Kimbrough gets the longest Redskins catch of the day on the next drive, for 32 yards, with a roughing the passer penalty tacked on and all of a sudden, Washington's on our 28 yard line in an eyeblink.

A Steve Bartkowski scramble and two medium pass plays later, the last a 9 yard pass to Jon Kimbrough for the TD and Washington has their first TD of the game. It's, far, far, far too late, though.

Miami 31 Washington 16 - 4:31 4th Quarter

Andre Tippett recovers the onside kick, but Tim Webster shanks the 50 yard FG following the 3 and out. Not surprising, but it would've been nice to see Wonder get one last amazing FG in a Dolphins uniform.

A crazy drive: Gill Byrd gets called for defensive pass interference on 3rd down, which takes the Redskins from their 40 to the Dolphins 10 yard line. [b]Steve Bartkowski[/b hits Irving Fryar for the 10 yard TD pass 2 plays later and suddenly, we've got a game!

Miami 31 Washington 23 - 1:53 4th Quarter

But then Andre Tippett continues his masterful Super Bowl play with a second onside recovery and the Redskins' last-gasp desperation drive following our 3 and out ends with a 45 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski to Anthony Allen, as Gill Byrd prevents all hopes of OT with a solid, fierce tackle.

Miami 31 Washington 23 - Final

The game was never really as close as the final score looked and indeed, most of this Super Bowl was a downright yawn if you like close games, although the 4th quarter was pretty thrilling.

Dan Marino was accorded Super Bowl MVP for his 17/26 for 168 yards and 3 TDs line, but this could've just as easily gone to a couple guys on defense. Cliff Odom had 9 tackles, a hurry, a knockdown, an interception, a pass defense and a fumble recovery, Mike Pitts had 4 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 2 blocks and 3 hurries and Andre Tippett recorded 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks and those 2 onside kick recoveries.

Our offensive line deserves major props, too. Even without Gary Zimmerman, they bottlenecked the Redskins D-line and the only pressure Washington got on Marino all game long was a single hurry. That was arguably the biggest difference maker in the game, especially when you compare it to Steve Bartkowski getting sacked 7 times.

Irving Fryar was absolutely brilliant for the Redskins: 10 catches for 130 yards and a TD. He's the kind of guy I'd love to have on my team, if I wasn't already satisfied with our crop of receivers.

And finally, our Super Bowl starters:

Super Bowl XXV Miami Dolphins Starters
QB Dan Marino - 1st round 1983 Draft (1.1)
RB Eric Dickerson - 1st round 1983 Draft (1.25)
FB Russell Davis - 1980 FA
TE John Spagnola - 3rd round 1979 Draft (3.6)
FL Lynn Swann - 1st round 1974 Draft (1.14)
SE Steve Watson - 4th round 1979 Draft (4.32)
LT Irv Eatman - 5th round 1983 Draft (5.25)
LG Jim Hough - 1st round 1978 Draft (1.31)
C Will Grant - 1984 FA
RG Mickey Marvin - 1982 FA
RT Nick Bebout - 1984 FA
K Tim Webster - 5th round 1971 Draft (5.25)
P Mike Connell - 1983 FA

LDE Curtis Greer - 3rd round 1980 Draft (3.13)
LDT Joe Klecko - 1982 FA
RDT Don Latimer - 1984 FA
RDE Mike Pitts - 4th round 1983 Draft (4.19)
SLB Andre Tippett - 2nd round 1982 Draft (2.15)
MLB Cliff Odom - 1st Round 1980 Draft (1.21)
WLB Gary Cobb - 1984 FA
LCB Gill Byrd - 2nd round 1983 Draft (2.28)
RCB Gerald Small - 1984 FA
SS Lloyd Burrus - 2nd round 1981 Draft (2.28)
FS Tim Fox - 1983 FA

What a beautiful, beautiful team. :) The majority of our starters were draft picks of mine and a lot of them were mid to late round picks. 1983 was a critical offseason for us, especially in the draft, where 5 of our Super Bowl starters were all from our 1983 draft picks. That says tons about just how good and valuable that draft class is.

I love this outfit. We've got the pieces to become the greatest dynasty this universe has ever seen and, perhaps most importantly....

Dan Marino has a Super Bowl Ring!!!!!! :) :) :) :) :)

[Izulde]

Record 15-4
Winning Pct. .789
All-Time 269-131
Winning Pct. .672
Playoffs 33-14
Playoff Visits 20
Bowl Wins 6
Head Coach Alan Rosian
Record 15-4
Winning Pct. .789
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.4 17
Rushing Yards 117.1 10
Yards Per Carry 4.27 9
Pass Attempts 32.9 20
Completions 20.5 16
Completion Pct. 62.4 10
Passing Yards 275.3 3
Yards Per Attempt 8.37 2
Yards Per Catch 13.43 1
Total Yardage Gained 381.1 2
3rd Down Conversions 41.7 10
Points Per Game 28.0 3
Pass Rush Pct. 20.2 19
Pass Defense Pct. 62.5 6
Turnovers 24 13
Turnover Margin +7 8 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 25.9 10
Rushing Yards 97.6 4
Yards Per Carry 3.76 9
Pass Attempts 36.8 29
Completions 21.4 26
Completion Pct. 58.2 11
Passing Yards 208.6 5
Yards Per Attempt 5.68 2
Yards Per Catch 9.76 1
Total Yardage Gained 295.1 3
3rd Down Conversions 40.5 20
Points Per Game 17.1 4
Pass Rush Pct. 20.4 18
Pass Defense Pct. 44.7 6
Turnovers 31 5 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 3 at NJY 14
2 38 at SFO 28
3 38 at IND 10
4 29 BUF 10
5 31 at SDO 28
6 24 DEN 7
8 35 at KCY 10
9 33 OAK 3
10 18 at NED 30
11 16 NJY 21
12 27 STL 21
13 37 CLE 31
14 34 at LAS 41
15 35 at BUF 3
16 17 SEA 13
17 33 NED 3
$$CS 27 NED 17
$$CF 27 BAL 10
**FB 31 vs WAS 23

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
1 D. Marino QB 526 328 4404 8.37 38 17 99.5
**Team --- 526 328 4404 8.37 38 17 99.5
$$Opp --- 588 342 3337 5.68 22 21 71.8

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 284 1220 4.30 11 1
31 D. Preston RB 130 590 4.54 2 1
**Team --- 439 1873 4.27 13 16
$$Opp --- 415 1561 3.76 8 21

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
89 S. Watson WR 112 69 1407 20.39 12.56 7 6
83 M. Duper WR 86 50 704 14.08 8.19 7 11
42 E. Dickerson RB 53 48 479 9.98 9.04 1 3
81 L. Swann WR 87 38 592 15.58 6.80 7 5
80 S. Largent WR 69 34 492 14.47 7.13 6 6
31 D. Preston RB 31 24 117 4.88 3.77 2 0
82 J. Spagnola TE 28 22 245 11.14 8.75 2 3

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
25 L. Burrus S 101 46 0.0 2 4 9 81.0
59 A. Tippett OLB 80 26 2.0 3 3 4 74.3
55 C. Odom ILB 71 20 2.5 0 1 6 78.4
28 T. Fox S 64 18 0.0 0 3 7 80.7
58 G. Cobb OLB 56 14 1.0 1 0 8 76.6
33 G. Small CB 51 12 1.0 2 4 15 80.8
37 J. Wilson CB 51 21 0.0 0 1 10 79.8
73 C. Greer DE 38 15 7.0 23 0 0 81.4
34 G. Byrd CB 37 9 1.0 0 5 9 85.1
75 J. Klecko DT 35 16 6.0 15 0 0 80.9
74 M. Pitts DE 35 17 3.0 22 0 0 80.7
70 D. Latimer DT 31 13 2.5 8 0 0 82.2
44 J. Smith CB 28 8 0.0 0 0 5 78.1
97 J. Burt DT 22 11 0.0 2 0 1 81.4
45 J. Sullivan S 18 1 0.0 0 0 0 71.3

No Danny White, no problem, as Dan Marino beats White's single-season Dolphins passing yardage and TDs records and looks a shoo-in to obliterate White's other records s well by the time all is said and done.

I love Eric Dickerson's ball security. You can't buy that kind of safeness and production in one back, yet here we have it. I'm really smug about Steve Watson breaking the 1,000 yard receiving drought; I just wish I'd started him earlier to take full advantage.

Lloyd Burrus becomes our first 100 tackle man since Willie Lanier and provided great all-around play at the SS spot. He's really blossomed in a way I never really anticipated.

Our pass rush was a little weak, but that's because we need somebody other than Mike Pitts at DE. And I've said it lots of times before, but I'll say it again... I love Gill Byrd.

It's been 25 seasons since this universe started, so it's time to unveil the 25th Anniversary Dolphins team. Some of these may be debatable, and you're free to dispute them, but these are just my own personal selections. :)

Miami Dolphins 25th Anniversary Team
QB Danny White
RB Walter Payton
FB Larry Csonka
TE John Spagnola
FL Paul Warfield
SE Gary Ballman
LT Morris Towns
LG Mo Moorman
C Tom Banks
RG Gene Upshaw
RT Ron Mikolajcyzk
K Tim Webster
P Paul Maguire

LDE L.C. Greenwood
LDT Henry Jordan
RDT Walter Johnson
RDE Vern Den Herder
SLB Andre Tippett
MLB Willie Lanier
WLB Aaron Spiva
LCB Johnny Sample
RCB Rolland Lawrence
SS Glen Edwards
FS Chuck Crist

The toughest positions to fill were RDT, SLB and WLB, simply because we haven't had a lot of sustained success in those areas. The second CB spot was a dogfight between Lawrence and Byrd, but in the end, Lawrence was too proven and Byrd still too green yet to say for sure.

A lot of these positions are likely to change by the time the 50th anniversary team rolls around (if I get that far). The only ones who are as close to sure-fire locks as you can get are Payton, Csonka and Warfield, maybe Sample, Greenwood, and Den Herder, too.

1984 Miami Dolphins Season Awards

QB Dan Marino - Super Bowl MVP
Surprised Dan the Man didn't win an All-Pro QB nod with those numbers? Well, Ron Jaworski had an even better season in Baltimore, as our former backup has found new life with the Ravens following the trade and Tommy Kramer of the Detroit Lions had a ridiculous 28 TDs to 3 INTs ratio.

Alan Rosian - Coach of the Year
Rosian becomes the second Dolphins head coach in a row to win the Super Bowl in his first season and something like the fifth straight Miami head man to win a ring. It's just ridiculous how good we are, really.

WR Steve Watson - 1st Team All-Pro WR
Nothing makes me grin more widely than this. I've been saying for years just how good he is and -bam-, here he proves it. Yeah, I know you guys are sick of me saying it, but he was a late 4th round pick! And he's a legitimate All-Pro!

Other Major Awards
MVP
RB Earl Campbell - New England Patriots
Offensive Player of the Year
QB Ron Jaworski - Baltimore Ravens
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Leonard Marshall - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Earnest Byner - San Diego Chargers (Hah! I called it!)
Defensive Rookie of the Year
DE Chris Scott - Minnesota Vikings

And that's all I feel like doing tonight... feeling sluggish for some reason.

[Izulde]

Coach Hiring

Offensive Coordinator Edwin Buckley
RB: VG to Excellent

Head Coach Alan Rosian
MT: Good to Average

Well, looks like Rosian's motivation hit the can after winning Coach of the Year and a Super Bowl ring in his first season. No chance we're firing him, though. The fans would murder us. Heck, there's still a couple who thought we were too hasty in getting rid of the last guy.

Guess who's out of contract? Yep, that's right, Edwin Buckley. Only this time, the owner's willing to open up his pocketbook, probably because the new stadium has been so successful, and we bring him back on a 5 year, $680,000 a year contract that guarantees he'll be the longest active Dolphins staff member in franchise history (currently at 14 seasons) and if he runs out his contract and gets another one with us, he'll break the 20 year barrier.

Royce Womble re-signed with the Jets, the traitorous bastard. We pick up a new head scout, an old dude who we had to get into a bidding war for.

Lead Scout Mike Heath (50)
QB: Average
RB: VG
WR: Excellent
OL: Good
KP: Average
DL: Good
LB: Fair
DB: VG
YT: Good

A fantastic pickup, especially since we're not all that concerned about QB or LB anymore and K's are literally a dime a dozen.

LT Gary Zimmerman is the no-brainer to go to France for the summer, as I'm hoping to get an All-Pro type season out of him next year if he can stay healthy.

Free Agency

By the Numbers
QB x 2, FB x 2, TE, C, G, K, DE, DT, MLB, OLB, CB, FS

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
TE John Spagnola: 4 years, $1.25 mill.
SLB Andre Tippett: 4 years, $1.73 mill.
MLB Cliff Odom: 3 years, $600k
FL Mark Duper: 3 years, $590k

I needed to lock up as much of this team's nucleus as I could, although it took quite a bit of creative work to get Odom and Duper to sign to multi-year deals. Kind of ironic that it's the IRL Dolphins who were most eager to test free agency, but so it goes.

Week 2 Signings
TE Reggie Haynes - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Brought back strictly for his leadership as the receivers captain.

C Will Grant - 4 years, $1.12 mill. (Re-signing)
-Okay it's an overpayment for a guy in his 8th season, but centers have a pretty long shelf life and he was decent for us last year. I'll be looking for an upgrade somewhere in the draft (if one will drop as low as we go...), but he'll do for now.

G Chuck Commiskey - 2 years, $390k (Los Angeles)
-Solid as a starter last year for the Rams at LG. He'll switch over to the right side and start there for us in place of Mickey Marvin, who really looked like he lost some of his edge last year.

K David Trout - 1 year, $80k* (Houston)
-What's not to like about Trout? :D Appropriately enough, he's a fan favorite. Sadly, this spells the end of Tim Webster in a Dolphins uniform and it's probably the end of Wonder's career overall, as he's rated 29/29.

DE Doug McDonald - 1 year, $80k* (New York)
-We had a big hole at RDE last year, as Mike Pitts isn't a legitimate NFL starter. McDonald has never been a full-time starter for all 16 games, though he did have 8 sacks in 12 starts in 1982. He's got intriguing potential and he's a huge upgrade over Pitts at any rate.

OLB John Anderson - 1 year, $100k* (Denver)
-Signed for the following reasons: 1) he's a mentor, 2) he's a good defensive front captain and 3) he's good against the run, something that we had a real problem with the last few years, especially in our goal-line package. A perfect multi-need fit signing.

Week 3 Signings
FB Curtis Brown - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-I don't believe in paying more than min-sal for a FB and besides, Brown is my favorite UDRFA I've signed in this universe. He's a solid back-up FB.

TE Don Warren - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Great blocker and the perfect complement to John Spagnola in that regard. Always good to have him back.

Week 3 Losses
T Justin Cross - 3 years, $510k (New Jersey - Re-signing)
-Ouch. This one hurts. I really wanted to grab Cross and shift either him or Gary Zimmerman to RT, but he chose to stay loyal to the Jets. Even bigger kick in the teeth... he's a mentor.

Week 4 Signings
RB James Owens - 1 year, $80k* (Denver)
-Quality KR with great receiving skills (except a tendency to drop the ball) and dynamite ST ability. All in all, another multi-need fit in one exclusive #2 RB body. Excellent!

T Chuck Loewen - 1 year, $160k (San Diego)
-Had to overpay somewhat to get him, but he was the last good RT available on the market by my lights. He'll anchor that spot for a year until we can find a replacement for him.

S Tim Fox - 1 year, $150k (Re-signing)
-Another bidding war and he's honestly not that great a safety and he's due to fall apart at any moment, but he's solid and can at the very least be a competent #2.

S Nesby Glasglow - 1 year, $80k* (Carolina)
-Some KR and ST ability, but primarily signed to provide insurance in case Fox implodes. Not a great player by any means.

Week 5 Signings
MLB Joe McLaughlin - 1 year, $80k* (Tucson)
-Great chemistry signing and another run-stuffer to shore up our goal-line package. Should be a decent reserve for Cliff Odom.

CB Johnny Smith - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-I wasn't going to bring him back, but then he had to go and turn into a mentor on me, so I re-signed him. Not sure where I'll stuff him in the defensive backfield, as he's really only league average.

Week 6 Signings
FB Russell Davis - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Our starting FB for the last few years, he and Curtis Brown complement each other very nicely.

Week 6 Losses
WR Dennis Pearson - 1 year, $100k* (Pittsburgh)
-Our best returner last year hies it to the Steelers, which won't be a problem if we can get the guy we've pretty much pinned all our offseason hopes and dollars on to.

Week 7 Signings
DT Don Latimer - 1 year, $120k (Re-signing)
-Lot of attention swarming around him, so I upped the price just enough to convince him to stay. Respectable DT.

Week 7 Losses
MLB Jim Laughliln - 1 year, $80k* (Chicago)
-This is a big-time swerve, as everyone anticipated that he'd sign with the Raiders, but then he up and signs with the Bears. Good move if he wants to win, terrible if he wants to start as Chicago has MLB Mike Singletary and SLB Lawrence Taylor. Yeesh, that's one scary linebacking corps in Chi-town! :eek:

Week 8 Signings
S Pete Shaw - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Brought back for his ST work and his great captainship talents.

Only one contract offer out there now and it's the biggest one, the player who can really make or break our offseason.

Week 9 Signings
WR Art Monk - 5 years, $4.05 mill. (Green Bay)
-And we grabbed him! What getting Monk means is that he'll shift from SE, where he played with the Packers, over to FL and he and Steve Watson become our starting WRs for the next few years at least. It also means there's a very good chance that Lynn Swann and/or Steve Largent get sent off to another team.... if I can find someone willing to take on their absurd salaries, which I probably can't.

But still, a new day of hope dawns for our continued aerial attack even after Swann and Largent are gone. Those monumental underachievers are finally cleared off from their starting spots, replaced by a proven warrior Monk who has already earned a 1st Team All-Pro award and by an elementarily great Watson, who also just won a 1st Team All-Pro nod.

Draft interviews and the draft to come later tonight or this week. It's going to be a very boring draft for us, as we have neither a 1st nor a 2nd round pick.

And it's really too bad, considering the WR that's available for the picking. A very raw WR, but one no doubt destined for sublime heights... if the AI doesn't screw him out of it, that is.

[damnMikeBrown]

Another nice class here.

DE Bruce Smith (BS for short)
G Bill Fralic (don't call him your BF)
DT Ray Childress (sign him up long term)
DE Chris Doleman (long skinny sack machine)
OLB Duane Bickett(neighbor had a lisp, loved when he said Bickett's name)
WR Al Toon (one of those middling speed super tall guys that were new to the NFL)
T Jim Lachey (real name was Leche Lachey)
WR Eddie Brown (overshadowed by another WR in this class)
WR Jerry Rice (the man looks like a poodle)
DT William Perry (dinner is in the Fridge)
WR Vance Johnson (a triplet)
QB Randall Cunningham (good reason to sit a QB for a decade before starting them)
LB Jack Delrio (keep him away from axes)
WR Buster Rhymes (come on...now an international rap star!)
WR Andre Reed(mr. steady)
TE Mark Bavaro (blech)
WR Ron Wolfley (more famous for Werewolf in London movie role)
K Kevin Butler (Beavis, meet But head)
WR Kevin Greene (sack machine)
TE Jay Novacheck (TE, FB, Wing Back, Back from the dead)
DT Mike Golic (he's a morning person)
K Donald Igwebuike (Donald..classic)
QB Doug Flutie (another reason to sit a quarterback for a decade)
TE Ken Wisenhunt (too many coaches on this list)

[Izulde]

Another nice class here.

DE Bruce Smith (BS for short)
G Bill Fralic (don't call him your BF)
DT Ray Childress (sign him up long term)
DE Chris Doleman (long skinny sack machine)
OLB Duane Bickett(neighbor had a lisp, loved when he said Bickett's name)
WR Al Toon (one of those middling speed super tall guys that were new to the NFL)
T Jim Lachey (real name was Leche Lachey)
WR Eddie Brown (overshadowed by another WR in this class)
WR Jerry Rice (the man looks like a poodle)
DT William Perry (dinner is in the Fridge)
WR Vance Johnson (a triplet)
QB Randall Cunningham (good reason to sit a QB for a decade before starting them)
LB Jack Delrio (keep him away from axes)
WR Buster Rhymes (come on...now an international rap star!)
WR Andre Reed(mr. steady)
TE Mark Bavaro (blech)
WR Ron Wolfley (more famous for Werewolf in London movie role)
K Kevin Butler (Beavis, meet But head)
WR Kevin Greene (sack machine)
TE Jay Novacheck (TE, FB, Wing Back, Back from the dead)
DT Mike Golic (he's a morning person)
K Donald Igwebuike (Donald..classic)
QB Doug Flutie (another reason to sit a quarterback for a decade)
TE Ken Wisenhunt (too many coaches on this list)

Sadly, I have no chance at most of these guys, with my earliest pick in the 3rd round. :D

We'll see what shakes out, though.

[Izulde]

Although DE Reggie White and DT Keith Millard are the consensus most talented players in the draft, this is one incredible class. T Lomas Brown and T Broderick Thompson look like left tackle anchors, DE Chris Doleman is great and RB Herschel Walker looks legendary. WR Andre Reed looks like a gamechanger.There's 3 QBs that look to be pretty good as well in Bernie Kosar, Frank Reich and Randall Cunningham. The depth of D-line prospects in this draft is absolutely staggering. Teams really have the opportunity to load up there.

All this talent... and we're not picking till the 3rd round.

Oh well.

1985 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. QB Frank Reich - Indianapolis Colts

Wait.... what? You have the opportunity to take any player #1 in this draft and the Colts take... Frank Reich?! :eek: Indy would've been much better off with White here, as he fills a bigger need and is a more surefire homerun.

2. RB Herschel Walker - Kansas City Chiefs
3. WR Andre Reed - New York Giants
4. DT Keith Millard - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. T Lomas Brown - Oakland Raiders
6. CB Duane Galloway - Philadelphia Eagles
7. DE Reggie White - New Orleans Saints

The Minister of Defense is going to make the other 6 teams pay for not taking him. It's too bad, as it would've been awesome to see him get drafted by the Eagles and the opportunity was there.

8. DE Chris Doleman - Atlanta Falcons
9. WR Eric Martin - Indianapolis Colts through San Diego Chargers

Well, looks like Indy's determined to go all offense here. They don't lose much at all in this deal, as the Bolts only charge the Colts their 1987 1st and 7th round picks and their 1986 7th round selection. Talk about a cheap deal.

10. T Broderick Thompson - Pittsburgh Steelers
11. QB Bernie Kosar - Cleveland Browns

Yay! This makes me smile. :)

12. ILB Brian Noble - Green Bay Packers

So does this. :) I like it when players in the alt-universes end up with the teams they were on in real life.

13. OLB Kevin Greene - Jacksonville Jaguars through Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys pick up the Jags' 4th rounder in this draft, plus Jacksonville's 1987 1st and 3rd rounders. Lot better deal than the Chargers got for #9, that's for darn sure.

14. G Lance Smith - Seattle Seahawks
15. ILB Alvin Toles - Buffalo Bills
16. QB Randall Cunningham - Tucson Titans
17. CB Jerry Gray - Jacksonville Jaguars
18. S Eugene Robinson - St. Louis Cardinals
19. T Jim Lachey - Cincinnati Bengals
20. DE Bruce Smith - Houston Oilers
21. ILB Jack Del Rio - Detroit Lions
22. WR Eddie Brown - San Francisco 49ers

So close... so close to another awesome matchup with the IRL universe.

23. DT Ray Childress - New Jersey Jets
24. DE Ron Holmes - Carolina Panthers
25. TE Mark Bavaro - Chicago Bears
26. DT William Perry - New England Patriots
27. S Raphel Cherry - Los Angeles Rams
28. CB Kenny Taylor - Denver Broncos
29. CB John Hendy - Baltimore Ravens
30. DT Greg Kragen - Minnesota Vikings
31. OLB Simon Fletcher - Washington Redskins
32. CB Barry Wilburn - Oakland Raiders

I'm sure you're all dying to know where a certain WR went.

WR Mike Young and WR Jessie Hester were taken before WR Jerry Rice finally went at 2.17 to the St. Louis Cardinals, but he rates at a ghastly 24/37. My scout is a frigging idiot.

Ironically enough, the 49ers went WR again in the 2nd round, with Al Toon, the pick before the Jets.

I try to move up into 3.4 to grab a C I want, as I figure the Buccaneers will take him at 3.5 based on their needs chart, but the Eagles want too much and the bastards go ahead and take the C I wanted, even though it wasn't considered a pressing need. :mad:

So I fume and sit around till our pick at 3.32, where I take G Larry Williams as our first selection in this draft, as we need to flush in some new blood there.

The P and S I had targeted for the 4th round both go a few picks before ours, leading me to take C Jeff Dellenbach for the hell of it, being an IRL Dolphin and a graduate of Madison to boot. Besides, we need a young body there, too.

Alas, my choice for the first 5th round pick falls through and so I wind up taking K Scott Norwood for my first 5th round selection, as I'd really like to give him a chance at redemption and he's listed as Very Underrated besides. I go VUR again and this time with a Wyoming grad for our second 5th rounder in TE Jay Novacek, as John Spagnola isn't going to last forever.

After every single T I wanted goes off the board in the 6th, I trade my 6th and 7th rounders to Baltimore to move up and take RB Herman Fontenot, who looks like a perfect fit for our system as the #2 back.

Late Free Agency

Week 1 Signings
QB Don Milan - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-I couldn't resist keeping The Legend in a Dolphins uniform, especially we needed bodies still. Mentor fun.

QB June Jones - 1 year, $100k* (San Diego)
-I would've drafted Jones as a rookie if I could've, but I missed out on him. Now I can finally get one of Hawaii's most class acts on my team, as Marino's backup. Also mentor fun!

G Steve Courson - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Mentor only.

Week 3 Signings
K Tim Webster - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-Wonder's a mentor and frankly, I couldn't stand the thought of him in another uniform. Not when he ranks in the top 10 all-time in a couple categories.

Week 4 Signings
RB Dave Preston - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Another mentor return.

We're just about to head into training camp when RB Eric Dickerson and WR Steve Watson inform me that hey, they'd like pay raises, please. Grah! After all I did for Watson, this is how he re-pays me?! Still, he does have a point, as does Dickerson.

Hold-Out Extensions
RB Eric Dickerson - 5 years, $1.5 mill (actually winds up being comparable to his rookie contract, which was 4 years, $1.09 mill.)
SE Steve Watson - 3 years, $1.66 mill.

Watson leveraged my manlove for him and his 1st Team All-Pro appearance last season into a sweet, sweet contract, a big payday that he's actually had coming for a while now, so I don't begrudge him it, really. Want to know how big a payday it was?

Through his first 6 seasons, he's earned in total... $760k. He'll be earning over double that in half the time. Like I said, he deserves it and he's been my favorite WR on this team since Paul Warfield retired. I only wish I'd pushed him into the starting lineup sooner.


RG Larry Williams 3.32 13/32 18/34 +5/+2
C Jeff Dellenbach 4.32 17/49 22/48 +5/-1
K Scott Norwood 5.30 28/30 30/32 +2/+2
TE Jay Novacek 5.32 17/26 21/32 +4/+6
RB Herman Fontenot 6.29 21/43 22/41 +1/-2

Draft Grade: B

Nice upticks from everybody except Fontenot, who I realized too late has an endurance of 10. Oops. At least he's a ST ace.

Dellenbach made that jump despite my being stupid in my returning flu and forgetting to sign a C mentor. Novacek is obviously looking like a 5th round/6th round steal, as I figured.

Williams should be serviceable, but I don't know about starter quality.

Anyway, I'll have to figure out later in the week where these raw, raw guys fit in. I've not only got the flu coming back with a venegance, but I've two midterms this week.

Pfeh.

Oh well, at least Spring Break is next week.

[damnMikeBrown]

Keep track of Herschel...one of my favorite backs ever....

[nilodor]

What did Rice creep to from 24/37? You should keep an eye on his development SkyDog style, could be interesting. Also would be interesting to know his combines if you still have them.

[Izulde]

damnMikeBrown: I'll be happy to! :) As of Preseason, Herschel Walker is 61/75 and far and away the best RB on the Chiefs roster, the immediate Week 1 starter. Him and John Elway on the same squad... now that's just scary!

nilodor: Sadly, I don't have his combines. As I recall though, he had maybe two or three blues. No reds that I remember, which was a little suprising. In any event, Jerry Rice is 31/44 after TC, a +7/+7 jump. He's also listed as the starting FL going into preseason, though there's a lot of guys close behind him. No WR mentor, either.

[Izulde]

So we're carrying 59 guys after training camp, which is some kind of record for me. Tough choices ahead.


Milan, Don 19 QB 11 4 4 1 yr.
Jones, June 6 QB 9 29 29 1 yr.
Marino, Dan 1 QB 3 77 80 3 yrs

Marino-Jones-Milan, obviously. Dan the Man should have another off the hook season.


Preston, Dave 31 RB 9 30 30 1 yr.
Owens, James 46 RB 7 34 34 1 yr.
Dickerson, Eric 42 RB 3 56 56 5 yrs
Gray, Mel 36 RB 2 21 28 2 yrs
Fontenot, Herman 32 RB 1 22 41 3 yrs
Brown, Curtis 40 FB 9 39 39 1 yr.
Davis, Russell 38 FB 7 39 39 1 yr.

Who's safe: Dickerson, Brown, Davis, Gray. Who's not: Everybody else. On second thought, Preston makes it as a mentor, Fontenot as a possible #2 RB, receiving back and ST guy despite his 10 endurance. Owens is going to have to do a lot of work to prove he's worth keeping.


Haynes, Reggie 88 TE 9 34 34 1 yr.
Spagnola, John 82 TE 7 50 50 4 yrs
Warren, Don 84 TE 7 43 43 1 yr.
Novacek, Jay 87 TE 1 21 32 3 yrs
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 12 43 43 1 yr.
Monk, Art 85 FL 6 56 56 5 yrs
Duper, Mark 83 FL 4 44 44 3 yrs
Lipps, Louis 86 FL 2 33 41 3 yrs
Largent, Steve 80 SE 10 44 44 1 yr.
Watson, Steve 89 SE 7 49 49 3 yrs
Chadwick, Jeff 14 SE 3 35 35 2 yrs

We're carrying way too many people here. Spagnola and Novacek stay, as do Monk, Duper and Watson. Warren's a mentor and a blocking specialist, so he stays. Haynes gets cut. This turns Watson into the WR leader, which is problematic, as it creates conflict with Spagnola and mild conflict with Largent, but there's no way in hell I cut Watson. Chadwick gets cut, even though he carries a $20k salary cap hit for next year. It's small enough that we can eat it. Swann's moved to SE, so that we can finally cut ties with Largent. This means we have our 5 WRs and can re-sign Reggie Haynes to be our WR captain again.

So it boils down to this: Spagnola-Monk-Watson as starters, Warren, Duper, and Swann as reserves, Lipps as the 5th WR.


Grant, Will 54 C 8 53 53 4 yrs
Quillan, Fred 50 C 8 41 41 1 yr.
Dellenbach, Jeff 53 C 1 22 48 3 yrs
Courson, Steve 65 LG 9 21 21 1 yr.
Hough, Jim 78 LG 8 40 40 2 yrs
Marvin, Mickey 69 RG 9 40 40 2 yrs
Commiskey, Chuck 63 RG 5 50 50 2 yrs
Williams, Larry 67 RG 1 18 34 3 yrs
Eatman, Irv 71 LT 3 35 35 1 yr.
Zimmerman, Gary 66 LT 2 50 66 3 yrs
Bebout, Nick 64 RT 13 28 28 1 yr.
Loewen, Chuck 61 RT 6 41 41 1 yr.

Bebout automatically receives his pink slip, getting us down to 56 players. There's no other cuts i can convince myself to make right now, so our starting five will be Zimmerman-Hough-Grant-Commiskey-Loewen, with Eatman, Quillan, and Marvin the reserves. If I have to cut somebody, it'll probably be Quillan and Dellenbach will become the reserve C then.


Connell, Mike 13 P 8 52 52 1 yr.
Webster, Tim 16 K 15 28 28 1 yr.
Trout, David 10 K 5 62 62 1 yr.
Norwood, Scott 4 K 1 30 32 3 yrs

Well, now what? It's not all that hard, actually. Cut Trout and let Norwood and Webster fight it out in preseason for the starting K spot.


Greer, Curtis 73 LDE 6 59 59 3 yrs
McDougald, Doug 90 RDE 6 44 44 1 yr.
Pitts, Mike 74 RDE 3 33 33 2 yrs
Klecko, Joe 75 LDT 9 57 57 1 yr.
Latimer, Don 70 RDT 8 36 36 1 yr.
Burt, Jim 97 RDT 5 46 46 4 yrs

No struggles here. Greer-Klecko-Burt-McDougald with Pitts and Latimer the reserves.


McLaughlin, Joe 56 MLB 7 46 46 1 yr.
Odom, Cliff 55 MLB 6 50 50 3 yrs
Anderson, John 57 SLB 8 36 36 1 yr.
Tippett, Andre 59 SLB 4 55 55 4 yrs
Cobb, Gary 58 WLB 7 48 48 3 yrs

Tippett-Odom-Cobb, with McLaughlin and Anderson the backups.


Wilson, J.C. 37 LCB 8 38 38 1 yr.
Byrd, Gill 34 LCB 3 64 64 2 yrs
Green, Gary 35 RCB 9 28 28 2 yrs
Small, Gerald 33 RCB 8 47 47 3 yrs
Smith, Johnny 44 RCB 5 41 41 1 yr.
Burrus, Lloyd 25 SS 5 54 54 3 yrs
Young, Andre 49 SS 4 36 36 1 yr.
Fox, Tim 28 FS 10 42 42 1 yr.
Shaw, Pete 30 FS 9 27 27 1 yr.
Glasgow, Nesby 26 FS 7 34 34 1 yr.
Sullivan, John 45 FS 2 28 41 2 yrs

We take another $80k cap hit next year to release Green and we also tell Glasglow his services won't be needed after all. Byrd-Small-Burrus-Fox the starters, Wilson and Smith the reserve CBs, Young and Sullivan the backup safeties.

And we're at 53 even.

We're also prohibitive favorites to win the whole thing again, due largely to our addition of Art Monk, who makes an already loaded WR corps that much more deadly.

It'll be interesting seeing who Steve Largent signs with after we finally cut his lazy ass.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Miami 26 Minnesota 14
James Owens goes a long way to securing the #2 RB spot with a 98 yard kickoff return for a TD and Scott Norwood stakes an early lead in the K race by going 2/2 on FGs, though neither were 40 yards or more. Curtis Greer paves the way on D with 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and a forced fumble.

Los Angeles 17 Miami 30
James Owens put in a solid backup RB performance while Herman Fontenot went nowhere with his 2 carries, so we can go ahead and annoint Owens the #2 RB now. Art Monk served noticed that he's arrived with 8 catches for 103 yards. Scott Norwood was 3/4 on FGs, again, none from 40+ range, so the door's opened up for Tim Webster. Joe Klecko had 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns to power the D.

On second thought, Scott Norwood is improving in current and so is Larry Williams, so I'm going to leave the two rookies in. Jeff Dellenbach is replaced by Fred Quillan at backup C, though.

Detroit 10 Miami 13
Close game, as June Jones has looked terribly interception prone in preseason, but we pull it out as Art Monk catches 6 passes for 105 yards and Scott Norwood makes 2/3 FGs, his first one from 40+ range at 43. Curtis Greer rampaged and won PotG with 6 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a block and a hurry.

Miami 30 St. Louis 7
We close out preseason on a dominanting note, spanking the NFC favorite Cardinals behind Eric Dickerson's 14 rushes for 104 yards (James Owens was just behind at 12 rushes for 92 yards) and Steve Watson catches 3 TD passes. Curtis Greer and Doug McDougald both teed off on St. Louis's QBs for 3 sacks a piece, which is all you really need to know about how badly we skunked the Cardinals.

And of course the final preseason game is when we're hit by injuries. Rookie reserve G Larry Williams hyperxtends his elbow and is out 3 weeks, while TE John Spagnola separates his shoulder and is out 6 weeks.

G Mickey Marvin gets his reserve G spot back, while we split TE duties equally between Don Warren, Reggie Haynes and rookie Jay Novacek.

Regular Season

Buffalo 16 Miami 33
Eric Dickerson scorched the Bills' defense for 138 yards and a TD on 25 carries to win Player of the Game and Scott Norwood kicked 4/5 FGs to win this one handily. Nice way to start the year!

Tampa Bay 10 Miami 24
The streak continues as Eric Dickerson rushes 28 times for 148 yards and catches one pass for a 35 yard TD, but it was Dan Marino who won Player of the Game with 318 yards and 3 TDs on 17/26 passing. Steve Watson led the receivers with 5 catches for 101 yards and a TD. and Curtis Greer paced the defense with 4 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

Denver 13 Miami 38
I think it's safe to say we're officially an offensive juggernaut as Eric Dickerson totes the ball 22 times for 170 yards and a TD, including a beaut of a 60 yard after-burner run and Dan Marino wins Player of the Game at 20-25 for 262 yards and 3 TDs.

G Larry Williams is now healthy, but Mickey Marvin's playing well enough to keep his job.

New England 13 Miami 44
Another week, another blowout keyed by PotG Eric Dickerson with 25 carries for 114 yards and 2 TDs, and despite Dan Marino throwing 2 INTs, he did all right at 22/38 for 347 yards and 3 TDs to go with those picks. Steve Watson had 5 catches for 107 yards.

TE John Spagnola is Probable, but I'll let him fully heal before bringing him back.

Miami 29 Jacksonville 3
Rookie K Scott Norwood rewards my faith in him by kicking 5/6 FGs, including a 49 yarder, to win Player of the Game honors. Gill Byrd had 5 tackles and 3 pass defenses to head up the defense in a game otherwise lacking in offensive stars or statistical stars period.

Houston 19 Miami 51
:eek: 51 points?! I think that's a franchise record! Holy cow! Dan Marino showed his mastery in this game: 24/31 for 377 yards and 4 TDs, the bulk of it going to my favorite, Steve Watson, with 5 catches for 124 yards and a TD. Coolest offensive play of the game: Herman Fontenot getting the last score on his only carry of the game, a 12 yard TD run.

Miami 27 Buffalo 30
I want to throw up. :( 1:19 left in the game and Bert Jones hits Mark Clayton for a 33 yard TD and the comeback upset. EFF YOU MARK CLAYTON! :mad: What a way to ruin a 92 yard TD pass to Art Monk and Dan Marino's 344 yards and 3 TDs, though to be fair, Dan the Man struggled at 16/33 and 2 picks. but Art Monk was otherworldly: 6 catches for 231 yards and 3 TDs, a 38.5 YPC average. Ugh, I'm so pissed that our perfect season got hosed just like that.

TE John Spagnola is now fully healthy, so we make him the starter again and make Jay Novacek the #2 TE, with Don Warren still the run-blocking TE.

Miami 27 Indianapolis 0
We come out pissed and we rape the Colts, shutting their asses out. 6 interceptions is a sweet feeling, with Joe Klecko ravaging Indy for 4 tackles, an assist, 3 sacks, a hurry and 3 knockdowns, Doug McDougald adding 2 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 hurries. Gill Byrd went into angry ballhawk mode, picking off 2 of the 6 INTs.

We're 7-1 at the halfway point and the rest of the AFC East is 5-3. The other division leaders all have 2 or 3 losses, so we're in the pole position for the second half of the season.

Halfway stats:


Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
All-Time 276-132
Winning Pct. .676
Playoffs 33-14
Playoff Visits 20
Bowl Wins 6
Head Coach Alan Rosian
Record 22-5
Winning Pct. .814
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 32.0 5 (T)
Rushing Yards 155.8 1
Yards Per Carry 4.87 1
Pass Attempts 30.5 28
Completions 19.6 21
Completion Pct. 64.3 7
Passing Yards 296.8 1
Yards Per Attempt 9.73 1
Yards Per Catch 15.12 1
Total Yardage Gained 442.1 1
3rd Down Conversions 41.7 11
Points Per Game 34.1 1
Pass Rush Pct. 27.1 1
Pass Defense Pct. 74.8 3
Turnovers 9 3 (T)
Turnover Margin +9 3

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 21.4 1
Rushing Yards 96.4 10
Yards Per Carry 4.51 31
Pass Attempts 39.4 31
Completions 19.8 11 (T)
Completion Pct. 50.2 2
Passing Yards 217.6 12
Yards Per Attempt 5.53 1
Yards Per Catch 11.02 13
Total Yardage Gained 292.8 5
3rd Down Conversions 35.5 8
Points Per Game 13.0 1
Pass Rush Pct. 19.5 12
Pass Defense Pct. 50.6 10
Turnovers 18 5 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 33 BUF 16
2 24 TBY 10
3 38 DEN 13
4 44 NED 13
5 29 at JAX 3
6 51 HOU 19
7 27 at BUF 30
8 27 at IND 0
10 TUC
11 NJY
12 at CAR
13 at BAL
14 at ATL
15 at NED
16 NOS
17 at NJY

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
1 D. Marino QB 244 157 2374 9.73 21 7 113.0
**Team --- 244 157 2374 9.73 21 7 113.0
$$Opp --- 315 158 1741 5.53 7 12 58.4

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 169 859 5.08 7 0
46 J. Owens RB 64 326 5.09 2 0
**Team --- 256 1246 4.87 10 4
$$Opp --- 171 771 4.51 2 13

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 A. Monk WR 60 35 657 18.77 10.95 3 6
42 E. Dickerson RB 31 27 331 12.26 10.68 0 1
89 S. Watson WR 50 25 477 19.08 9.54 1 5
83 M. Duper WR 36 22 386 17.55 10.72 4 2
81 L. Swann WR 24 17 266 15.65 11.08 1 2

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
25 L. Burrus S 49 11 1.0 0 4 7 87.9
55 C. Odom ILB 39 10 0.0 3 0 2 74.4
59 A. Tippett OLB 31 9 2.0 0 1 3 79.6
75 J. Klecko DT 29 10 6.0 13 0 0 82.5
33 G. Small CB 27 5 0.0 2 2 4 81.7
34 G. Byrd CB 27 6 0.0 0 2 11 82.5
37 J. Wilson CB 26 15 0.0 0 0 5 78.6
28 T. Fox S 23 12 1.0 1 1 7 84.2
73 C. Greer DE 21 7 7.5 20 0 0 79.7
58 G. Cobb OLB 19 7 0.0 1 2 0 78.3
97 J. Burt DT 18 7 3.0 7 0 0 81.3
90 D. McDougald DE 16 5 4.5 10 0 0 80.9

Marino's on pace for another 4,000+ yard season. God damn do I love Dickerson's ball security. Watson needs to step it up a notch if he wants that 1,000 yard mark for the second straight year. Burrus is just having an absolutely sick season. I mean, we're talking so sick he should be in Defensive Player of the Year discussions. I'm surprised to see Greer's sack numbers so high, but then again, he's been incredibly consistent this year, so much so that he's on pace to smash personal bests in sacks, hurries and knockdowns.

It'll be a damned shame if we don't win the Super Bowl again. This is just one amazing team. Look at all the 1 rankings on offense!

[Izulde]

Our lone PT complaint comes from Unhappy SS Andre Young and if he thinks he's starting over Lloyd Burrus, he's on crack. Nor is he good enough to crack our dime package.

Tucson 6 Miami 33
Dan Marino continues his incredible yardage pace, with 30/40 for 388 yards and 2 TDs as Player of the Game and Art Monk puts up his second 200+ yard receiving game this year with 10 catches for 204 yards and 2 TDs. Scott Norwood kicked 4/5 FGs.

New Jersey 10 Miami 41
This game was a lot of fun, as Johnny Smith returned an interception 61 yards for a TD and Gerald Small closed out scoring with a 26 yard interception return for a TD. It was such a blowout that even our backups got some reps. Joe Klecko had 4 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a knockdown, while Doug McDougald recorded 3 tackles, 2 assists and 2 sacks.

And then a mini-disaster strikes.

Dan Marino strains his Achilles tendon and is out 4 weeks! :( So we're forced to put our trust in June Jones for a few games. Luckily, the closest teams to us have 3 losses, so all Jones has to do is manage the games well enough not to go on a losing streak.

Miami 27 Carolina 24
We needed to come from behind, with June Jones finding Art Monk for the game-winning 15 yard TD just inside the two-minute warning, but we pull out the win against a pretty good Panthers team. June Jones was Marino-like in his PotG effort: 27/43 for 343 yards and 3 TDs, with Art Monk the hero again, netting 7 catches for 140 yards and 2 TDs. Lloyd Burrus had an absolutely off the hook game as well: 13 tackles, 3 assists and 2 interceptions.

Backup G Mickey Marvin took to smoking heavily early in the year when he tenatively lost his active spot to rookie G Larry Williams. Although he got it back following Williams' injury, the habit remained and after this tense, comeback victory over Carolina, Marvin had a mental breakdown when he realized he'd smoked his last cigarette shortly after getting off the team plane before the game.

So he's Out, undergoing intensive therapy right now and Williams steps back in as the backup G for our next game.

Miami 27 Baltimore 13
Lloyd Burrus has had a career year this season and he kept right on plugging along in this workmanlike win over the Ravens: 9 tackles, 3 assists, a sack and one of the three interceptions we got against former Dolphins QB Ron Jaworski. Curtis Greer put in a good game as well with 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a hurry, 3 knockdowns and a forced fumble.

Dan Marino's back to Probable, but we're 11-1 and have all but officially clinched the AFC East title and the closest team to us in the #1 seed race has 4 losses (Tucson, Denver and Kansas City). There's no way we're going to risk further damage to our best player when there's nothing to be gained by it.

Miami 20 Atlanta 26
This loss doesn't bother me at all. I figured we'd lose at least one game while Marino's out. Art Monk did his damndest to make sure it didn't happen though, as he caught 10 passes for 176 yards and a TD. J.C. Wilson led the defense with 10 tackles.

Injuries continue to accumulate as starting C Will Grant hyperextends his elbow and is out roughly 3 games, while starting FS Tim Fox tears the cartilage in his knee and is lost for the rest of the season.

C Fred Quillan takes over as the starting C and LS, rookie Jeff Dellenbach the reserve. Second year FS John Sullivan will be our starter for the rest of the year as we put Fox on IR and 11th year vet Steve Luke, a Week 10 castoff of the New England Patriots, is signed to be the backup FS.

Miami 34 New England 17
John Sullivan started off his official starting stint with a bang, returning an interception 32 yards for a TD. June Jones was a laser-beam: 21/25 for 243 yards and 2 TDs on his way to Player of the Game honors. The interception by Sullivan was one of four on the day as we just abused the Patriots QBs.

With the victory we are officially clinched as AFC East Division Champs and we've all but mathematically won the #1 overall seed in the playoffs.

Enter Dan Marino back to full health and we've still got something to play for.

New Orleans 10 Miami 23
Our defense had a lot of fun in this game, as Doug McDougald had 4 tackles, 4 assists, 2 sacks, a hurry and a forced fumble, Jim Burt recorded 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2.5 sacks, a block, a hurry and 2 knockdowns, and Gill Byrd crushed the Saints' passing game with 4 tackles, an assist and 4 pass defenses.

The #1 seed is ours as the Titans lost, but the injuries just don't stop. Backup FL Mark Duper gets a stress fracture in his leg and *he's* lost for the season as well. Louis Lipps takes over as the reserve flanker and WR Dennis Pearson, cut by the Steelers in Week 6, returns to the Aqua and Orange as our 5th WR.

Although everything's clinched, I'm not going to rest any starters for the final game. Dan Marino still has some rust on him, I think and Eric Dickerson has virtually disappeared the second half of the year.

Oh yes, C Will Grant is back up to Probable, but he can sit and get rested up fully. G Mickey Marvin, on the other hand, has finally recovered from his tobacco withdrawal and will slide back in his reserve G spot, taking over for the tired Larry Williams.

Miami 37 New Jersey 7
Eric Dickerson finally roared back to life, rushing 29 times for 103 yards and 3 TDs en route to Player of the Game and our pass-rush feasted well on the Jets as Doug McDougald scarfed up 6 tackles and 2.5 sacks and Curtis Greer wolfed down 5 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a block, a hurry and a knockdown. An excellent final tuneup for the postseason.

Herschel Walker Notes
256 rushes for 1,175 yards and 13 TDs. (5 fumbles) 69/75
Kansas City Chiefs: 9-7 and going to the playoffs.

Jerry Rice Notes
87 catches for 1,111 yards and 4 TDs vs 5 drops and 2 fumbles
42/44
St. Louis Cardinals: 6-10.

[Izulde]

Herschel Walker was good in his postseason debut with 16 carries for 102 yards and a TD, but that was the only scoring the Chiefs generated as Kansas City fell 17-7 to the Denver Broncos.

For our divisional round matchup, we face off against the Cincinnati Bengals.

They're still led by Danny White at QB and though he's struggled some in stripes, he's still a high quality player, throwing for 3,855 yards and 26 TDs to 19 INTs in the regular season.

3rd year RB Gary Anderson isn't anything special as a runner, save for great ball security, but he's a terrific receiver out of the backfield. TE Paul Coffman is a drop-happy underachiever and White's WRs are simply awful.

With the exceptions of RG John Tautolo and rookie LT Jim Lachey, the Bengals o-line can't run-block to save their lives and conversely, C Dennis Swilley and LG Jim Richter are the lone competent pass blockers. Richter's particularly deadly at bottling up the pass-rush, with 7 pancake blocks this year.

Their punter is average, but K Norm Johnson really came on strong this year, a dizzying 11/12 (91.2%) from 40+ range and 3/3 from 50+ range in the regular season. He's also 2/2 in this playoffs, including a 50 yarder.

Cincinnati's DEs are ghastly, but LDT Mike Dawson more than makes up for it, with four All-Pro awards and 3 double-digit sack seasons. RDT Bob Baumhower is pretty good too, with two All-Pro nods to his credit.

MLB Anthony Griggs is a good all-around MLB and one hell of a special teams player, but the rest of the linebacking corps is merely average.

LCB John Turner is a solid all-around player, especially deadly in run support and 3rd year RCB Tim Lewis is a dynamite cover corner and ballhawk. SS Monty Hunter is league average and FS Bo Eason is only his second year. He's got prodigal talent, but he still hasn't made the mental adaptation to match his abilities.

All in all, this should be a fairly easy win for us. Danny White has no weapons worth relying on and Gary Anderson is better suited as a backup and passing down back. True, the Bengals have a strong secondary and their DTs are brutal, but the linebacking corps can be exploited and the DTs can be double-teamed because of how pathetic the DEs are.

Vegas predicts a blowout as well, favoring us by 10 points.

And a blowout it is.

Dan Marino did throw 2 interceptions against that damned fine secondary, but he more than made up for by going 20/27 for 358 yards and 3 TDs outside of those 2 picks. Art Monk continued to show why he's worth his lavish contract with 6 catches for 150 yards, including a 48 yard TD catch.

Joe Klecko slammed Cincy's line hard, with 5 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and 4 knockdowns. Our secondary turned Danny White's day into a nightmare, with 4 interceptions before they turned to their backup. Gill Byrd was the main ballthief, with 2 picks to go along 3 tackles, an assist and 2 pass defenses.

And so it's back to the AFC Championship we go!

[Izulde]

And we go up against the Tucson Titans in the AFC Championship.

They've got a major QB controversy, with Steve Dils the inexplicable starter over Jim Kelly, who though still raw, has looked much better in his half-season than Dils has. The Titans also boast raw but promising rookie Randall Cunningham, who's on the inactive list. That's a wealth of young signal-caller talent that's just being out and out wasted.

10th year vet RB Bubba Bean is the starter and I'm wondering just how the hell the Titans put points on the board until I see FL Mike Quick of the 3 straight 1,000 yard plus receiving seasons. Still, this isn't a talented offensive skill position unit by any means. In fact, I'd say it's the worst of any AFC Championship appearing team in universe history.

It gets even more puzzling when I look at their offensive line, which is a collection of bodies that can't run block and most of them can't pass block, either. How is Tucson even here?

P Dave Jennings provides a glimmer of an answer, though K Mick Luckhurst is a major underachiever.

Answers start coming when we look at the defense. Second year LDE Sean Jones had 22 sacks in the regular season and RDE Dwaine Board had double-digit sacks as well. The DTs are unremarkable, however.

MLB Matt Millen is a phenomenal all-around player, as is SLB Bob Brudzinski. The secondary is weak, though, with age-defying 12th year vet SS Donnie Shell the lone strong player.

Despite Tucson's gifted defensive ends and linebacking corps, I still fail to see just how the Titans got this far. I'm predicting an out and out blowout.

The bookies only favor us by 8, curiously enough.

And it turns out Vegas knows more than we do, as the Titans played us a close game, but 3 Steve Dils interceptions and 2 fumbles killed Tucson's hopes for an upset.

We played a balanced game, with our lone statistical star Player of the Game Joe Klecko, who had 7 tackles, 2 sacks and a hurry.

Tucson 21 Miami 31

WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!!

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XXVI Preview

Miami Dolphins Out
WR Mark Duper
FS Tim Fox

Carolina Panthers Out
FS Larry Anderson

Quarterbacks
Despite missing four games to injury this season, Dan Marino still finished with 3,428 yards and 28 TDs against just 7 interceptions. Although Marino's thrown 3 interceptions this postseason, versus a perfect 8 TDs and 0 picks in last year's Super Bowl championship run, Marino still looks dynamite. Reserve June Jones was brilliant in his 4 starts, with almost 70% completion rate and 7 TDs vs 0 picks en route to a 3-1 record. He also put up a very good 1034 yards.

Pat Ryan's an interesting story. Drafted with the 3rd overall pick in the 1978 draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, he was considered a huge bust and never came close to winning the starting job. Then, in 1982, he signed with the Panthers, where he's been Carolina's starter for the last 4 years, throwing for 3,000+ yards each season except his first (2,955 yards) and 20+ TDs each season except this one (17) and no more than 12 interceptions in any season. He's been Marino-like in the playoffs, with 6 TDs and no picks. 3rd year backup Ken O'Brien is untested.

Advantage: Dolphins

Running Back
Eric Dickerson is one of those running backs who doesn't get the credit he deserves because of having to replace a legend in Walter Payton. That said, he's a terrific dual-threat back, with 1,000+ yards rushing and 10+ rushing TDs in each of his 3 seasons, with 40+ catches for 400+ yards in the same span (save for his first year, when he had 356 receiving yards). More importantly, he's never fumbled more than 4 times a season. Reserve James Owens is in the same mold as Dickerson and a perfect fit for the Dolphins offensive scheme.

The Panthers have their own underrated back in George Rogers, who, like Dickerson is a brilliant two-way threat, with 5 straight seasons of 1,000+ yards rushing and a career high 1,758 yards rushing and 11 TDs in the regular season. He's also even more vital a part of Carolina's passing attack than Dickerson is for Miami. The one knock on Rogers: He's occasionally fumble-prone. Stanford Jennings is a mediocre reserve who puts the ball on the ground a lot.

Advantage: Dolphins

Wide Receiver
Losing #3 WR Mark Duper doesn't hurt Miami nearly as much as it would other teams, because Dolphins GM Tim Moungey believes in a strong, deep receiving corps. FL Art Monk set career highs in yardage and TDs (1,402 and 11 respectively), to prove himself worthy of every penny of his lucrative free agent contract. SE Steve Watson failed to repeat his 1,000 yard receiving of a year ago, but he's still a dangerous target. 12th year vet SE Lynn Swann is still a capable receiver and backup FL Louis Lipps is turning into an emerging receiver. TE John Spagnola is the nominal starter, but it's actually a 3 TE situation, with Don Warren and rookie Jay Novacek having their roles as well.

No such division exists at the TE spot in Carolina, where 2nd year pro Clarence Kay is a great all-around player. FL Earnest Gray and SE Rich Maulti are both bad, with #3 WR Terry LeCount drop-prone besides. The rest of the Panthers pass-catchers are mere filler.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
C Will Grant is a skilled pass-blocker, but not much of a run-blocker and the same can be said for LG Jim Hough. RG Chuck Commiskey was a brilliant free-agent find, a well-rounded starter. LT Gary Zimmerman had a brilliant sophomore campaign, with 38 KRBs at a 40.4% percentage, 6 pancake blocks and just 3 sacks allowed in the regular season. RT Chuck Loewen is the opposite of the Dolphins' left side. A great run-blocker and not much in pass protection. Backup T Irv Eatman is phenomenal on the run-block, a revolving door in the passing game, the inverse of reserve C Fred Quillan and G Mickey Marvin.

Want to know how good Panthers LG Randy Cross is? So good that he's been named to 8 straight 1st Team All-Pro teams and ranks 2nd All-Time in Pancake Blocks in just his 10th season. C Don Macek is another great greybeard, with two 1st Team All-Pro awards to his credit, including last season. RG Ray Snell is solid and balanced, as is RT Roger Taylor, a former Dolphin. LT Ken Ruettgers played exceptionally as a rookie and backup G Terry Tausch and T Bill Story are good enough to start for a lot of teams. Second-string C Charlie Arne is, like his Dolphin counterpart, a good pass-blocker with feeble run-blocking talent.

Advantage: Panthers

Kickers
P Mike Connell is league average, but K Scott Norwood had a solid rookie season, at 39/48 (81.3%), 13/18 (72.2%) from 40+ range and 2/3 from 50+ range. He's 4/4 in the playoffs, including a 43 yarder.

P Luke Pestridge is bad and K Nick Lowery, a free agent signing from Green Bay, was respectable in the regular season, but has been horrible in the playoffs, blowing both 40+ yard attempts.

Advantage: Dolphins

Defensive Line
The addition of an improved opposite in RDE Doug McDougald allowed a lot of pressure to be taken off of sensational pass-rusher LDE Curtis Greer who had a career high 15 sacks in the regular season. LDT Joe Klecko returned to double-digit sack form and set career marks in QB hurries (30) and knockdowns (25). RDT Jim Burt had a solid, if unspectacular year.

LDE Ezra Johnson has gotten better with age, the 9th year vet posting his finest seasons the last two years. LDT Curtis Green had a breakout season with 9.5 sacks. RDT Charles De Jurnett is a shell of the player he once was and RDE Bryan Caldwell is league average.

Advantage: Dolphins

Linebackers
SLB Andre Tippett really fell off in the tackle department this year, though much of it can be explained by his greatly improved coverage skills. MLB Cliff Odom continues to be one of the more underrated all-around middle-men in the league and WLB Gary Cobb gets the job done.

MLB Johnny Rembert, in just his 3rd season, is already a better version of Odom. SLB Mel Owens is a better coverage backer than Tippett but without the pass-rush skills. WLB Chip Banks is mediocre.

Advantage: Draw

Secondary
LCB Gill Byrd is one of the best young CBs in the game and rises to the occasion in the playoffs. During last year's Super Bowl run, he had a 90.6 pass defense percentage and an interception. This year, he has a 99.6 pass defense percentage and 3 interceptions in as many games. RCB Gerald Small has been extremely good since signing with the Dolphins in last year's offseason and he's been phenomenal this postseason as well, with a 91.1 pass defense percentage and 2 interceptions. CB Johnny Smith is an adequate nickelback for the regular season, but gets consistently burnt in crunch time. Second year FS John Sullivan has been surprisingly effective in relief of the injured FS Tim Fox and SS Lloyd Burrus had an absolute astounding season: 99 tackles, 27 assists, 4 sacks, a block, 8 interceptions, a new Dolphins single-season record (Goldie Sellers had 7 all the way back in 1972) and an 86.6 pass defense percentage.

LCB Terry Taylor was brilliant in the regular season (6 ints, 84.4 pass defense %), but the second year player has been exposed for his greeness in the playoffs. RCB Lionel Washington is a very talented, solid young man in his third season, giving the Panthers a pair of terrific young corners. Nickel CB Tim Moresco is a tough, clutch player. SS Brenard Wilson is competent and has played well this postseason. FS Lenny Walterscheid has been the weak link, with a horrific 69.1 pass defense percentage in the playoffs.

Advantage: Dolphins

Keys for the Miami Dolphins

1. Give Dan Marino time to throw
This is a gifted secondary and linebacking unit the Dolphins are facing. Miami has the offensive tools to counter this very good Panthers defense, but only if the offensive line gives Marino time to throw. The good news is, he's got the quickest release of any QB in the NFL.

2. Be aggressive on the blitz
Miami has the playmakers on defense to bring on multiple blitz packages often and the secondary's good enough to run that risk. Pressure Pat Ryan and he just may make mistakes, particularly since his receivers aren't as good as Marino's.

3. Keep a balanced offense going
Eric Dickerson hasn't been used nearly as much this playoffs as he was last year and his production in the second half of the season was much lower than the first half. There's a chance that Carolina could focus on shutting down the passing game, which opens up holes for Miami's ground game.

Keys for the Carolina Panthers

1. Respect Eric Dickerson
As noted above, it's going to be tempting to focus on Marino and his receiving arsenal. Do that and Carolina loses this game big-time, especially since Dickerson doesn't fumble the ball.

2. Stay back in coverage
The Panthers have a secondary close to as good as Miami's and their linebackers are better at the coverage game than the Dolphins. Carolina needs to take advantage of that by blanketing Marino's receivers and frustrating him into a mental mistake.

3. Play a ball control game
The only chance Carolina has in this one is to slow the pace of the game down to a crawl. Turning this into a shootout results in a Dolphins blowout. That's just how good this Miami offense is. In a scrappy, defensive contest, the Panthers have a shot.

Final Thoughts
On paper, this looks like an uneven contest, but Carolina has the ability on defense to turn this into a close game. Pat Ryan has been extremely vocal about a lack of respect for his Panthers squad, which has Carolina fired up. In the end, we'll probably see a much closer game than most people think, but the result is clear, whether large or small: the Dolphins to win it all.

Final Line: Miami by 3

[Izulde]

The Panthers get the ball first and they're easily held to a three and out, but then they do the same to us after Gary Zimmerman lets Mel Owens in for a 7 yard sack.

Then Carolina puts together an incredible time-eating drive, mostly on George Rogers runs and short passes to the backs, including Stanford Jennings. Stupid penalties on our part don't help either and the end result is George Rogers plunging in from a yard out for the TD and first blood.

Carolina 7 Miami 0 - 5:22 1st Quarter

We strike back quickly as Eric Dickerson runs the ball 3 straight times, including two consecutive 17 yard runs, followed by a 12 yard catch. This sets up the bomb, namely a 32 yard TD rainbow from Dan Marino to Steve Watson to tie it up! Now that's firepower!

Miami 7 Carolina 7 - 2:46 1st Quarter

Carolina's stunned by our rapid attack and they 3 and out to end the first quarter.

Miami 7 Carolina 7 - End 1st Quarter

Eric Dickerson rips off his 3rd 17 yard run of the game on the first play of the next drive, but we stall from there and have to punt, but Mike Connell does a brilliant job of pinning the Panthers at the 5 yard line.

Pat Ryan begins mixing things up with Stanford Jennings catches and George Rogers runs again, but then Joe Klecko gets a critical sack on 3rd down to snuff out the threat before the Panthers even get to midfield.

Our own rumbling drive gets cut off when Dan Marino's intercepted by Lionel Washington as we try to catch them napping on 3rd and 1 with a pass play. Washington returns it to our 36 yard line and things are looking a mite grim.

It's the combined Stanford Jennings and George Rogers show again and Jennings takes it in for the go-ahead TD from 5 yards out. I am -not- happy. Where's the fumbles?

Carolina 14 Miami 7 - 5:51 2nd Quarter

Two plays later comes the pass of the ages.

Dan Marino threads the ball right through the double coverage to find Lynn Swann 46 yards downfield and Swann puts on the afterburners, leaving the defense in his dust as he crosses the goal-line for the tie! 77 yard TD pass all told! The stadium's going crazy at our second lightning TD and so am I.

Miami 14 Carolina 14 - 4:58 2nd Quarter

It's a game of constrating styles as our big play offense is countered by Carolina's short yardage game that eats up field and clock chunk by chunk. The Panthers stall at midfield though and they're forced to punt it away. Worse still for Carolina fans, they get nailed with a fair catch interference penalty to put us at our own 42.

There's a minute 17 left to go in the half and we go into the hurry-up offense. Bryan Caldwell sacks Dan Marino on second down and I'm thinking we're going into the locker room with a tie.

Then Dan Marino -really- comes alive, and with under a minute to play, he throws a 31 yard pass to Steve Watson, followed by a 29 yard pass to Art Monk for the go-ahead TD! Unbelievable! Nobody can believe what they've just seen! Our 3rd straight speedy TD!

Miami 21 Carolina 14 - 0:36 2nd Quarter

That's the halftime score as well as the Panthers take no chances, electing to take a knee rather than risk a turnover and allowing our potent offense more points. Good call, I say.

Miami 21 Carolina 14 - Halftime

We get the ball back at half and are a little slow starting off following an electrifying 34 yard return by James Owen but then Dan Marino hits Eric Dickerson for 28 yards to put us on the Carolina 16 and on very next play, James Owen completely fakes out the defense on a counter run and rushes the full 16 yards for the TD! It's quickly turning into a blowout now.

Miami 28 Carolina 14 - 11:25 3rd Quarter

But the Panthers come right back at us with a little Dolphins style big-yardage offense of their own. Stanford Jennings 17 yard run preludes a George Rogers 14 yard run, which is in turn followed by a 23 yard pass from Pat Ryan to David Hill, a TE.

Our defense stiffens up on 3rd and 1 and they have to settle for a Nick Lowery FG, but wait! We get called for roughing the kicker and there's new life in the Panthers offense. Three short runs later, George Rogers is in for the score and just like that, Carolina's back in it. Ugh.

Miami 28 Carolina 21 - 5:34 3rd Quarter

Things go from bad to worse as midway through the next drive Lionel Washington gets his second interception of the game against Dan Marino.

Pat Ryan turns into good Marino by finding David Hill for 15 yards and 3 plays later connecting with Earnest Gray for 21 yards to bring the Panthers deep in Dolphin territory. Worse yet, our star safety, Lloyd Burrus has some kind of leg injury that knocks him out for the rest of the game.

Miami 28 Carolina 21 - End 3rd Quarter

Fortunately our defense tightens up and the Panthers settle for Nick Lowery's 28 yard FG to start the final period. This time there's no damned roughing the kicker.

Miami 28 Carolina 24 - 15:00 4th Quarter

My heart's in my throat when Mel Gray fumbles the kickoff return on our 41, but Lynn Swann saves the day and potentially the Super Bowl with a fast-thinking recovery.

Eric Dickerson bookends an incomplete pass with runs of 10 and 15 yards respectively and Dan Marino shows his good side by arcing a 29 yard pass that finds Don Warren for a rare TD by our block-specialist TE. Insurance is ours!

Miami 35 Carolina 24 - 12:18 4th Quarter

But the Panther aren't going down without a fight. George Rogers continues to chew up the field with short yardage carries and Pat Ryan repeatedly finds Rich Mauti open for receptions. A few more short passes later, the final one a 5 yarder to Earnest Gray and Carolina scores again to make it a one possession game.

Miami 35 Carolina 31 - 6:03 4th Quarter

Carolina's defense comes out fired up and have us at 3rd and 6, but then Dan Marino exploits a mismatch to connect with Lynn Swann for 24 yards and perform the escape act, hitting Louis Lipps for 33 yards as an encore on the very next play.

This brings us to the Panthers' red zone and Eric Dickerson and James Owens have their turn at imitating Rogers and Jennings with short runs and Eric Dickerson get the presumptive clinching TD with a 2 yard run shortly before the two minute warning.

Miami 42 Carolina 31 - 2:10 4th Quarter

That last score finally breaks Carolina's surprisingly game offense and Pat Ryan throws 4 straight incompletions. Two inconsequential runs and a Marino knee later and it's all over.

Miami 42 Carolina 31 - Final

We're repeat Super Bowl Champions!!!!! :) :) :)

We're also the very first team since our own 1966 and 1967 teams to repeat as Super Bowl champions and we're the only franchise in league history to have ever won consecutive Super Bowls.

Eric Dickerson was named Super Bowl MVP for his performance: 18 carries for 118 yards and a TD along with 2 catches for 40 yards. A fair decision, as his long runs really galvanized our offense and demoralized the Panthers defense.

Dan Marino was 13/21 for 324 yards, an astounding set of completions to yardage, with 4 TDs and 2 INTs. Lynn Swann was the hero of the receiving corps with 2 big-time catches for 101 yards and a TD, as well as a game-saving fumble recovery.

Will Grant played exceptionally well himself: 4 key run blocks and a pancake block in a rare shining offensive line performance. Although we didn't have any real statistical stars of defense, Curtis Greer was ever-present, with 7 tackles, 2 assists, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns.

Lionel Washington was Carolina's lone star by the numbers: 3 tackles, 2 assists and 2 interceptions that helped keep his Panthers in the game.

All in all, it was a beautiful win and a really fun Super Bowl to watch, even though the final scoreline indicated a game not as close as what it really was.

The starting lineups as always for our Super Bowl Champion Miami Dolphins :)

Super Bowl XXVI Dolphins Starters
QB Dan Marino - 1st round 1983 Draft (1.1)
RB Eric Dickerson - 1st round 1983 Draft (1.25)
FB Russell Davis - 1980 FA
TE John Spagnola - 3rd round 1979 Draft (3.6)
FL Art Monk - 1985 FA
SE Steve Watson - 4th round 1979 Draft (4.32)
LT Gary Zimmerman - 1st round 1984 Draft (1.31)
LG Jim Hough - 1st round 1978 Draft (1.31)
C Will Grant - 1984 FA
RG Chuck Commiskey - 1985 FA
RT Chuck Loewen - 1985 FA
K Scott Norwood - 5th round 1985 Draft (5.30)
P Mike Connell - 1983 FA

LDE Curtis Greer - 3rd round 1980 Draft (3.13)
LDT Joe Klecko - 1982 FA
RDT Don Latimer - 1984 FA
RDE Doug McDougald - 1985 FA
SLB Andre Tippett - 2nd round 1982 Draft (2.15)
MLB Cliff Odom - 1st Round 1980 Draft (1.21)
WLB Gary Cobb - 1984 FA
LCB Gill Byrd - 2nd round 1983 Draft (2.28)
RCB Gerald Small - 1984 FA
SS Lloyd Burrus - 2nd round 1981 Draft (2.28)
FS John Sullivan - 5th round 1984 Draft (5.31)

[Izulde]

Record 17-2
Winning Pct. .894
All-Time 283-133
Winning Pct. .680
Playoffs 36-14
Playoff Visits 21
Bowl Wins 7
Head Coach Alan Rosian
Record 32-6
Winning Pct. .842
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.5 6
Rushing Yards 128.2 8
Yards Per Carry 4.20 5
Pass Attempts 30.7 27
Completions 20.0 18
Completion Pct. 65.2 5
Passing Yards 278.9 2
Yards Per Attempt 9.09 1
Yards Per Catch 13.94 1
Total Yardage Gained 396.5 1
3rd Down Conversions 44.4 2
Points Per Game 32.2 1
Pass Rush Pct. 26.2 1
Pass Defense Pct. 72.8 2
Turnovers 10 1
Turnover Margin +26 1

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 21.9 2 (T)
Rushing Yards 93.3 5 (T)
Yards Per Carry 4.26 27
Pass Attempts 37.9 30
Completions 19.8 11
Completion Pct. 52.1 1
Passing Yards 217.8 11
Yards Per Attempt 5.75 1
Yards Per Catch 11.03 13
Total Yardage Gained 288.5 2
3rd Down Conversions 35.2 6
Points Per Game 13.6 1
Pass Rush Pct. 18.4 8
Pass Defense Pct. 39.9 2
Turnovers 36 2

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 33 BUF 16
2 24 TBY 10
3 38 DEN 13
4 44 NED 13
5 29 at JAX 3
6 51 HOU 19
7 27 at BUF 30
8 27 at IND 0
10 33 TUC 6
11 41 NJY 10
12 27 at CAR 24
13 27 at BAL 13
14 20 at ATL 26
15 34 at NED 17
16 23 NOS 10
17 37 at NJY 7
$$CS 37 CIN 14
$$CF 31 TUC 21
**FB 42 vs CAR 31

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
1 D. Marino QB 364 232 3428 9.42 28 7 112.0
6 J. Jones QB 127 88 1034 8.14 7 0 112.1
**Team --- 491 320 4462 9.09 35 7 112.0
$$Opp --- 606 316 3484 5.75 13 26 58.7

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 312 1364 4.37 14 4
46 J. Owens RB 135 578 4.28 4 0
**Team --- 488 2051 4.20 19 12
$$Opp --- 350 1492 4.26 6 22

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 A. Monk WR 125 75 1402 18.69 11.22 8 11
89 S. Watson WR 98 50 871 17.42 8.89 4 8
42 E. Dickerson RB 54 44 445 10.11 8.24 2 2
81 L. Swann WR 51 38 547 14.39 10.73 3 3
83 M. Duper WR 59 36 573 15.92 9.71 7 4

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
25 L. Burrus S 99 27 4.0 0 8 10 86.6
55 C. Odom ILB 69 20 1.0 5 0 6 76.5
37 J. Wilson CB 68 24 0.0 1 3 10 79.4
59 A. Tippett OLB 64 22 3.0 0 1 8 79.2
75 J. Klecko DT 54 22 11.0 30 0 0 82.3
34 G. Byrd CB 49 11 0.0 1 4 19 83.5
33 G. Small CB 48 12 0.0 2 5 6 82.1
28 T. Fox S 39 14 1.0 1 1 12 84.2
58 G. Cobb OLB 39 15 0.0 1 2 0 74.7
73 C. Greer DE 39 12 15.0 31 0 0 80.5
90 D. McDougald DE 38 15 11.5 16 0 1 80.8
97 J. Burt DT 35 17 6.5 13 0 0 80.7
44 J. Smith CB 18 7 0.0 0 1 4 78.4

What a phenomenal year on both sides of the ball. Dan Marino was great, Eric Dickerson very good, June Jones a phenomenal backup. Art Monk really took over in the WR game and for the first time in years, we have a limited number of receivers listed, though to be honest, a lot of that was the three TE split we ran and John Spagnola missing half the year with injuries.

For the first time in franchise history, we have 3 players in double-digit sacks on the year. Curtis Greer and Joe Klecko made amazing rebounds and who could've expected Doug McDougald to have the breakout season that he did?

To say nothing of Lloyd Burrus's sheer brilliance, arguably the finest season ever by a player in a Dolphins uniform on defense.

1985 Miami Dolphins Season Awards

RB Eric Dickerson - Super Bowl MVP
A fitting reward for a guy that a lot of people have wanted to knock on, especially after he was very quiet in the second half of the regular season. Without a doubt, one of the biggest difference-makers in our repeat championship.

Head Coach Alan Rosain - Coach of the Year
The best start to a career in NFL history. Two years as a head coach, two Super Bowl rings. It's awe-inspiring what he manages to get out of this team, along with his two coordinators.

LT Gary Zimmerman - 1st Team All-Pro T
He's the Walter Payton of OTs for us. After never having a dominant LT, Morris Towns's fluke season notwithstanding, Zimmerman's the real deal... and to think we landed him with the second to last pick in the 1st round! I expect to see him break a lot of team records by the time he's done. 40.4% KRB, 6 pancake blocks and 3 sacks allowed. Just incredible.

SS Lloyd Burrus - 1st Team All-Pro S
99 tackles and 8 interceptions. 86.6% pass defense and 4 sacks, too. That's just insane. He also had 101 tackles last year. A guy who's really come into his own since winning the starting job in his 3rd season. He got some votes for Defensive Player of the Year, but lost out. A 2nd round pick, too!

QB Dan Marino - 2nd Team All-Pro QB
This is how dominant a QB Dan the Man is. He misses 4 games due to injury and -still- wins 2nd Team All-Pro QB. The franchise, the star, the Brilliant One. I hope he has a hand full of rings by the time he retires.

FL Art Monk - 2nd Team All-Pro WR
Okay, so it wasn't a 1st Team nod, but it's still an All-Pro appearance in his first season wearing aqua and orange. I look for many more to come out of Mr. Monk. Easily our best WR since Paul Warfield and that's even with my Steve Watson fanboydom.

K Scott Norwood - 2nd Team All-Pro K
How's this for alternate universe redemption? In his rookie season, Norwood not only wins a Super Bowl ring, but he makes 2nd Team All-Pro honors as well. Beautiful story, though he's got a long way to go before he tops Tim "Wonder" Webster on the franchise charts.

DT Joe Klecko - 2nd Team All-Pro DT
There were some absolutely amazing performances at DT this year, and weird as it seems, Klecko's 2nd Team placement is just about right. That's how many individual DT stars we have in this league right now.

Incidentally, this is a new franchise record. 8 individual Dolphins were acknowledged with awards. Not even in our heydey of the late '60s did we accomplish this feat, though the mid-80s are quickly turning into a new golden era for Miami football.

Other Major Awards
MVP
RB Tony Nathan - Baltimore Ravens
Offensive Player of the Year
RB Tony Nathan - Baltimore Ravens
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Sean Jones - Tucson Titans
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Herschel Walker - Kansas City Chiefs
Defensive Rookie of the Year
DE Chris Doleman - Atlanta Falcons

One noticeable retirement this year.

K Tim "Wonder" Webster (1971-1985)
Taken in the 5th round of the 1971 draft (5.25), Webster exploded on the scene as a rookie, converting 90% of his FGs from all distances and from 40+ range. He also quickly developed a reputation as a clutch kicker that had me holding on to him a lot longer than I might have otherwise. Our kicker for 14 seasons, he was named to 2 All-Pro teams and was a part of 4 Super Bowl championship teams and he stands as one of the greats in NFL history from a sheer numbers standpoint.

His card:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/webster.jpg

Super Bowl Rings
1972, 1978, 1981, 1984

All-Pro Awards
1976 - All-Pro 1st Team
1978 - All-Pro 2nd Team

Miami Dolphins Records
1st - Field Goals
1st - Points Scored

All-Time Records
7th - Field Goals
4th - Points Scored

I think I'll go eat supper now while the weather's still nice and just bask in how successful this 1985 team was. :)

[Izulde]

Staff Hiring Phase

Lead Scout Mike Heath
OL: Good to VG

Head Coach Alan Rosian
MT: Average to Good
DI: VG to Excellent

DC Don Bruce is the only one out of contract and our asshat owner makes us low-ball him, but he signs on for a 5 year, $470,000 per year deal anyway, thankfully.

*Very* cool news. Ex-Dolphins OC Jared Thamilarasan, the wunderkind of years past, just got a 3 year, $830,000 per year deal from the Houston Oilers to be their Head Coach! At 60 years old, he finally gets his head man opportunity. Sure the previous 23 years worth of records are wiped out, but who cares? He's top banana now.

Also, Michael Swift, a one-hit wonder with a Super Bowl in his first year in Miami, returns to the head coaching ranks after a DC stint. The Tucson Titans gift him a 4 year, $460,000 per year contract, meaning the Titans continue to try and be like the Miami Dolphins, as they have throughout this universe. :D

G Larry Williams earns this summer's trip to France to play in the summer league, as he'll get his chances to be the reserve G this year.

Free Agency

By the Numbers
QB x 2, FB x 2, WR, T x 2, P, DE, DT x 2, ILB, OLB, CB x 2, FS, SS (16 bodies total)

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
LT Irv Eatman - 3 years, $260k
LCB Gill Byrd - 5 years, $3.04 mill.
LG Jim Hough - 3 years, $490k
RG Chuck Commiskey - 4 years, $840k

Locking Byrd up was huge. Sure I could've got another freebie year out of him and then signed him to a massive deal as a RFA, but we more than have the cap room to burn and CBs have notoriously short shelf lives on me.

Week 2 Signings
MLB Joe McLaughlin - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Competent reserve ILB and solid defensive front captain.

OLB Mike Woods - 1 year, $100k* (San Francisco)
-Nice reserve OLB backup. Had 5.5 sacks last year out of the WLB spot. Affinity with McLaughlin.

CB Alan Caldwell - 1 year, $100k* (St. Louis)
-Significant upgrade at the nickelback spot over Johnny Smith in my opinion. Another nice backup. Affinity with Pete Shaw as well.

Week 3 Signings
P Mike Connell - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Gets the job done and is a first-rate kickholder. Will keep returning until I find some rookie somewhere that I love or until his skills fall apart.

CB Bobby Butler - 1 year, $100k (New York)
-Had to pay above minsal to get him, but he'll be a major boon to our goal-line package, as he's a terrific run defender and probably figures in as our dime back as well.

Week 4 Signings
DT Joe Klecko - 3 years, $1.6 mill. (Re-signing)
-By the time his contract is up, he won't be worth anywhere close to the money, but for now, he's our top DT and a mentor to boot. Oh yeah, he's also a fan favorite, so he helps put butts in the seats. Simply put, we needed this guy back in the aqua and orange.

Week 5 Signings
C Fred Quillan - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-I wasn't going to bring him back because of how awful he was at run-blocking last year and with Jeff Dellenbach waiting in the wings as a backup C, but I just couldn't help myself.

T Chuck Loewen - 1 year, $110k (Re-signing)
-Had to throw in a little more to retain the mentor and last year's starting RT, but he'll be worth it for young guy development.

S Tim Fox - 1 year, $140k (Re-signing)
-Another one I got into a fight over, but the little extra money keeps him in a Dolphins uniform. Unlike prior seasons, his starting spot's not guaranteed as John Sullivan was surprisingly effective in relief last year.

S Pete Shaw - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Brought back solely for the incredible job he does with chemistry in the secondary.

Week 5 Losses
WR Lynn Swann - 1 year, $120k* (Green Bay)
-The Packers get a steal here, a PR guy, ST ace, mentor and accomplished WR. I was sick of having Swann on my team after years and years of underachieving and I didn't want him running the risk of passing Paul Warfield on the Dolphins leaderboard strictly through longevity as he enters his 13th season. Most miserable pick I ever made, with regards to what I expected to be getting.

Week 6 Signings
RB James Owens - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Special teams guru and solid #2 back. Probably won't be back next year, though.

S Don Schwartz - 1 year, $100k* (San Francisco)
-A reserve for Lloyd Burrus. Okay, but nothing spectacular.

Week 6 Losses
DE Doug McDougald - 4 years, $1.22 mill. (Pittsburgh)
-Took his surprise double-digit sack season and cashed it in for a fat check from the Steelers. Good for him, but I wasn't bringing him back for that kind of money. He just screams fluke to me.

Week 7 Signings
FB Curtis Brown - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-He's had a longer career with the Dolphins as an UDRFA than a lot of high profile picks. Oh yeah, he's also a mentor by now, but not sure if I mentioned that.

FB Curtis Dickey - 3 years, $320k (Los Angeles)
-A brilliant, brilliant underrated FB who's the perfect fit for our offense. Seriously, we haven't had a FB this good since Larry Csonka. A terrific pickup and a fan favorite besides!

TE Reggie Haynes - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Insurance against John Spagnola's injury-proneness and can play ST.

DE Greg Smith - 1 year, $110k (New England)
-Looks like he might just be this year's Doug McDougald. In any case, he'll be the starting RDE until further notice.

Week 8 Signings
QB Don Milan - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-You don't need to wonder why we've re-signed The Legend if you've been following this dynasty at all and know my tendencies.

TE Mike Barber - 1 year, $120k* (Chicago)
-Mentor TE, check. ST ace, check. LS ability, check. Release Reggie Haynes, check.

Week 8 Losses
FB Russell Davis - 1 year, $110k (St. Louis)
-Gets a little extra change from the Cardinals as a surprising bidding war erupted over him. Nice to see him go on to some success outside of Miami.

TE Don Warren - 1 year, $100k* (Oakland)
-Really pissed off about our 3 TE situation last year and hies it to the Raiders on a minsal deal. Good choice from a PT standpoint, as he looks to be the starting TE in Silver and Black.

Week 9 Signings
DT Ben Rudolph - 1 year, $80k* (Los Angeles)
-Strictly a body signing to be the backup DT. Has a strong affinity with our front seven captain.

Week 11 Losses
OLB John Anderson - 1 year, $100k* (Denver)
-Mentor and good run-stopper, but didn't really fit in with our plans at all anymore.

S Andre Young - 1 year, $80k* (Tucson)
-Never panned out at all and the Titans, the wannabe Dolphins, are welcome to him.

Interviews and draft later tonight or sometime tomorrow.

[Izulde]

I've never, ever seen a draft class this position heavy.

The top players in the '86 draft class are dominated by DEs, RBs, ILBs, CBs, and a couple of offensive linemen and DTs. It's absolutely insane. There's 7 players with a 7.0 or higher rating this class DE Tim Green, DE Leslie O'Neal, RB Dalton Hilliard, RB Neal Anderson, ILB Sam Mills, ILB John Offerdahl and RB John L. Williams.

In fact, it's so top and position-heavy in the skewing that the only guy not a DE, RB, ILB, CB, DT or offensive lineman on the blue-chip list is OLB Pat Swilling.

Our primary needs: A young, eventual starter-worthy RT, a 5th WR, improved depth at DE and DT, which plays right into this class's strength and some young depth at CB and S.

The nice part is, that sets us up in great position to either trade down or take the best player available when our turn comes up, since, while these needs are there, none of them are what I would call truly urgent.

1986 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. DE Tim Green - Green Bay Packers
2. RB Dalton Hilliard - New York Giants
3. ILB Sam Mills - Indianapolis Colts
4. ILB John Offerdahl - Oakland Raiders
5. OLB Pat Swilling - Philadelphia Eagles
6. DE Leslie O'Neal - New Orleans Saints
7. RB Neal Anderson - St. Louis Cardinals
8. ILB Dino Hackett - Cleveland Browns
9. RB John L. Williams - Seattle Seahawks
10. ILB Gary Plummer - Los Angeles Rams
11. QB Jack Trudeau - New Jersey Jets
12. DE Charles Haley - Pittsburgh Steelers
13. DE T.J. Turner - Jacksonville Jaguars
14. CB Tim McKyer - Baltimore Ravens
15. DE Jon Dumbauld - Minnesota Vikings
16. T Will Woolford - Atlanta Falcons
17. G Mike Schad - San Diego Chargers
18. DE Kevin Fagan - Houston Oilers
19. OLB Seth Joyner - New England Patriots
20. DT Alvin Wright - Chicago Bears
21. WR Tim McGee - Kansas City Chiefs
22. DT Tony Casillas - Cincinnati Bengals
23. S David Fulcher - Denver Broncos
24. G Ray Brown - Buffalo Bills
25. ILB Aaron Pearson - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
26. CB J.C. Pearson - New Jersey Jets through Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys get the Jets' 1988 1st round pick and their 1987 and 1988 7th rounders. Kind of a raw deal for the Cowboys in my opinion, unless their draft board has guys that simply aren't worth a 1st round pick, which is quite possible in this skewed position draft.

27. CB Maurice Douglass - Tucson Titans
28. ILB Vaughan Johnson - Washington Redskins
29. T Steve Wallace - Detroit Lions
30. CB Lewis Billups - San Francisco 49ers
31. DE John Washington - Carolina Panthers

Well, this draft has played out perfectly from our perspective. There were two DEs we were looking at strongly and even prepared to move up for. The only problem is that both of them survived to this point and we're not sure who to take.

I could trade down, but the most I could drop down would be two spots as the two DEs are the top players on the board and they're sure to go very soon and at most, I'd get an extra 5th out of it. Of the two DE prospects, one's Underrated and has average all-around bars with a blue combine in intelligence and a red combine in agility. The other is Hard to Read, looks like a pretty good pure pass-rusher, has a blue 40 time (4.6), a blue agility and a red broad jump. Both are mid-30% developed.

After a long debate with myself and memories of playing Tecmo Super Bowl for hours on end, I go with the better pass-rusher and the one I was more leaning towards all along.

32. DE Clyde Simmons - Miami Dolphins

Good thing I didn't trade down, as DE Jon Hand, the other guy I was looking at, gets snapped up the very next pick by the Packers. That's one scary DE tandem Green Bay's going to have the next several years.

This -has- to aggravate the Detroit Lions, who have a desparate need for a starter-quality DE and just saw the last two high quality options fly off the board right in front of them. They're so disgusted by the failure of their gambling that they take a safety instead.

9 picks out of the first 33 as DEs. Almost 1/3 were DEs. That's just insane and we'll probably see yet more DEs taken later this round. That's how ridiculously deep the pool is there this year, though the talent dropoff gets more considerable now, in my opinion.

Things continue to roll beautifully for the Dolphins as we grab raw, but extremely promising T Paul Blair with the last pick in round 2, who looks like our RT of the future.

Safety is our pick at the end of the 3rd as we welcome S Antonio Gibson to the Dolphins. I'm not sure how much he'll contribute because sure he picks off passes, but appears to have no other immediate skills. That said, he's very underrated, had an impressive combine and gives us depth at an area that needs it. I may even experiment with moving him to CB, with his interception skills.

We have no 4th round pick and the WR I wanted to grab in the 5th gets stolen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 4.26 :mad:

I start panicking as WRs fly off the board left and right in the 5th, so I contact the Buffalo Bills and we swap 5th round picks and hand over our 1988 7th round pick to allow me to take WR Aubrey Matthews at 5.24, who, if nothing else, should be a special teams contributor.

DT Joe Phillips is our 6th round flyer pick and for Mr. Irrelevant, we snag P Ray Criswell, since we have a P mentor and Criswell intrigues.

Late Free Agency

Week 1 Signings
QB Mike Kerrigan - 2 years, $170k (New Orleans)
-Young QB who's never gotten a shot, but his bars look intriguing and I think he'll be a capable 2nd stringer.

Week 3 Signings
WR Rick Upchurch - 1 year, $120k* (Houston)
-Mentor and fantastic punt returner and special teams ace. A real bargain of a one year rental, even if the ceiling caves in as he's in his 12th season.

DE Cleveland Crosby - 1 year, $80k* (Denver)
-Strictly a mentor rental.

Week 4 Signings
FB Nu Faaola - 1 year, $30k (UDRFA)
-His run-blocking skills intrigue me and he could be the next Curtis Brown.

Week 5 Losses
CB Johnny Smith - 1 year, $80k* (Buffalo)
-The Bills steal Smith on the last day of free agency, which was a pretty smart move on their part in my opinion. They could do a lot worse than him for CB depth and in fact, the Bills' DB situation is such that he should at minimum be a nickel back, if not competing for a starting spot.


RDE Clyde Simmons 1.32 23/41 28/44 +5/+3
RT Paul Blair 2.32 16/60 21/55 +5/-5
FS Antonio Gibson 3.32 17/28 21/30 +4/+2
SE Aubrey Matthews 5.24 14/26 16/27 +2/+1
LDT Joe Phillips 6.32 11/14 14/19 +3/+5
P Ray Criswell 7.32 38/60 37/55 -1/-5
FB Nu Faaola UDRFA 8/36 10/35 +2/-1

Draft Grade: B+

Jon Hand: 27/44 32/46 - Better all-around DE, including better PR Strength, but Simmons better PR Tech.

Updates:
RB Herschel Walker 70/74
WR Jerry Rice 51/51

I may just go ahead and give Simmons the starting RDE end job from the get-go. Blair doesn't necessarily look like a franchise RT after all, but he'll fight Irv Eatman for backup T duty. Switching Gibson to CB won't work, but there's a chance he could be a quiet creeper like John Sullivan, who was a 5th round pick, turned out to be.

Matthews is a huge disappointment. Little to no uptick and a conflict with Steve Watson besides. Expect him to get cut if we have to cut people. Criswell is a bust, Phillips is just too low a ceiling. Faaola may be too raw.

All in all, a very disappointing draft class from initial impressions, considering what I'd originally hoped for as I was picking.

[Izulde]

Milan, Don 19 QB 12 4 4 1 yr.
Kerrigan, Mike 10 QB 4 32 38 2 yrs
Marino, Dan 1 QB 4 87 87 2 yrs

Kerrigan looks like a very fine backup indeed. Good thing Milan's still around to school Marino and Kerrigan.


Owens, James 46 RB 8 28 28 1 yr.
Dickerson, Eric 42 RB 4 57 57 4 yrs
Gray, Mel 36 RB 3 26 26 1 yr.
Fontenot, Herman 32 RB 2 27 40 2 yrs
Brown, Curtis 40 FB 10 29 29 1 yr.
Dickey, Curtis 21 FB 7 57 57 3 yrs
Faaola, Nu 22 FB 1 10 35 1 yr.

Although Fontenot has low endurance, it's gradually creeping up, so I'm going to try him out as the #2 back. Faaola gets his pink slip posthaste, as we've got to make cuts and he just can't justify his roster spot. Owens is in danger of getting cut as well.


Barber, Mike 81 TE 11 22 22 1 yr.
Spagnola, John 82 TE 8 49 49 3 yrs
Novacek, Jay 87 TE 2 34 37 2 yrs
Upchurch, Rick 88 FL 12 25 25 1 yr.
Monk, Art 85 FL 7 59 59 4 yrs
Duper, Mark 83 FL 5 44 44 2 yrs
Lipps, Louis 86 FL 3 45 45 2 yrs
Watson, Steve 89 SE 8 50 50 2 yrs
Matthews, Aubrey 84 SE 1 16 27 3 yrs

Spagnola, Monk, Watson are the obvious 3 starters. This is the year Novacek really comes into his own as the #2 TE I bet. Duper moves to SE to take the backup spot and is the eventual heir apparent to Watson there. Lipps sits in as the #2 FL. Upchurch retains a spot just based on his ST and PR work. Matthews is really on the bubble here. He'll have to show something in preseason to keep his spot.


Grant, Will 54 C 9 52 52 3 yrs
Quillan, Fred 50 C 9 34 34 1 yr.
Dellenbach, Jeff 53 C 2 29 53 2 yrs
Hough, Jim 78 LG 9 29 29 3 yrs
Marvin, Mickey 69 RG 10 41 41 1 yr.
Commiskey, Chuck 63 RG 6 50 50 4 yrs
Williams, Larry 67 RG 2 27 35 2 yrs
Eatman, Irv 71 LT 4 34 34 3 yrs
Zimmerman, Gary 66 LT 3 63 63 2 yrs
Loewen, Chuck 61 RT 7 42 42 1 yr.
Blair, Paul 76 RT 1 21 55 4 yrs

Zimmerman-Marvin-Grant-Commiskey-Loewen for the starting 5, as Hough takes a major nosedive. Dellenbach, Williams, Blair are going to be the position reserves. Quillan could be cut and Eatman I'm going to try and deal, because he's disgrunteld and there's no way he's going to get past Blair. But nobody wants Eatman's salary, even though he could be a starter on their teams for a few years. Oh well.


Connell, Mike 13 P 9 52 52 1 yr.
Criswell, Ray 17 P 1 37 55 3 yrs
Norwood, Scott 4 K 2 43 43 2 yrs

Criswell's cut.


Greer, Curtis 73 LDE 7 55 55 2 yrs
Crosby, Cleveland 92 RDE 7 20 20 1 yr.
Smith, Greg 91 RDE 5 40 40 1 yr.
Pitts, Mike 74 RDE 4 32 32 1 yr.
Simmons, Clyde 98 RDE 1 28 44 4 yrs
Klecko, Joe 75 LDT 10 49 49 3 yrs
Rudolph, Ben 79 LDT 6 35 35 1 yr.
Phillips, Joe 72 LDT 1 14 19 3 yrs
Burt, Jim 97 RDT 6 47 47 3 yrs

Greer-Klecko-Burt-Simmons, who I'm giving every chance to beat out Smith. Crosby's retained for his mentor status. Phillips gets cut right away, as does Pitts, who I'm thrilled to have off the team for reasons I can't explain.


McLaughlin, Joe 56 MLB 8 46 46 1 yr.
Odom, Cliff 55 MLB 7 51 51 2 yrs
Tippett, Andre 59 SLB 5 59 59 3 yrs
Woods, Mike 99 WLB 9 37 37 1 yr.
Cobb, Gary 58 WLB 8 66 66 2 yrs

Self-explanatory. Tippett-Odom-Cobb, with Mclaughlin and Woods the reserves.


Caldwell, Alan 20 LCB 8 45 45 1 yr.
Butler, Bobby 41 LCB 6 47 47 1 yr.
Byrd, Gill 34 LCB 4 65 65 5 yrs
Small, Gerald 33 RCB 9 42 42 2 yrs
Schwartz, Don 29 SS 9 44 44 1 yr.
Burrus, Lloyd 25 SS 6 54 54 2 yrs
Fox, Tim 28 FS 11 42 42 1 yr.
Shaw, Pete 30 FS 10 23 23 1 yr.
Sullivan, John 45 FS 3 37 37 1 yr.
Gibson, Antonio 27 FS 1 21 30 3 yrs

A terribly tangled mess in the secondary, but it's solved by moving Butler to RCB, where he'll fight it out with Small for the starting spot, though I'm inclined to give it to Small just based on his past performances. As far as nickel and dime back spots go, they're going to be all CBs. Burrus and Fox will start again at the safety spots, but Fox will sit the first two preseason games so Sullivan and Gibson can get more reps.

We're so much the run-away favorites to threepeat as Super Bowl Champions that the #2 team in the league has a 76 power rating (Houston Oilers). I admit, I really do like our chances.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Miami 30 Los Angeles 3
The Rams shut down our running game, but that just makes Dan Marino throw for 240 yards and 2 TDs in half play, while Steve Watson catches 3 passes for 108 yards. 5 forced fumbles by our defense and ST, Clyde Simmons with 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a knockdown and a forced fumble and Curtis Greer with 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a fumble recover = Cooked Ram for supper.

Backup G Larry Williams hyperextends his knee and will probably miss the rest of preseason. Jim Hough comes off the inactive list to slide in his spot.

Minnesota 6 Miami 31
The thunderstorm continues as Clyde Simmons returns a fumble 42 yards for a TD and even Mel Gray gets a one yard TD run on a normal carry. Eric Dickerson ate the Vikings for 106 yards and a TD on 13 carries and Steve Watson caught 5 passes for 107 yards and a TD. One concern: Backup QB Mike Kerrigan threw 3 INTs.

Detroit 14 Miami 23
Finally a preseason opponent breaks double digit scoring against us, but it's not enough as Joe Klecko returns a fumble 8 yards for a TD, Gill Byrd has 3 pass defenses[/b] and we just play a grind-it-out game to preserve our perfect preseason.

G Larry Williams is back to full health in time for the final exhibition matchup, so in he comes.

Miami 21 San Francisco 13
Close game, but we eke it out due mostly to Curtis Greer's 5 tackles, assist, 2.5 sacks, hurry, 2 knockdowns and forced fumble. So it's a flawless preseason concluded.

On to the games that matter.

Regular Season

Miami 37 New England 12
A fun score-fest to start the season as Dan Marino overcomes early struggles to end up 20/32 for 288 yards and 4 TDs against 2 INTs. Scott Norwood kicks 3/3 FGs, including a 49 yarder and Curtis Greer wins Player of the Game with 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, 2 hurries sand a forced fumble. Clyde Simmons got off to a great start, with 2 tackles, 2 sacks and a block in his Dolphins and pro debut.

CB Bobby Butler sustains a concussion and is out a week and FB Curtis Dickey hyperextends his knee and is out 4 weeks. RB James Owens is cut and FB Mike Augustyniak, a Week 1 Chiefs castoff, is signed to start at FB in Dickey's absence. Gerald Small takes over as the starting RCB and CB Cedric Mack is signed as a stopgap reserve RCB.

Miami 17 Chicago 10
The Bears make a heroic 4th quarter rally, but it falls just short of toppling us. Eric Dickerson rushed 17 times for 106 yards and had 5 catches for 36 yards and a TD to pace us on a day when both teams struggled to score.

Miami 24 Tucson 26
AARGH! With 4 god damned seconds left on the clock, the Titans kick a FG to cost us our dreams of a perfect season. God, I hate the wanna-be Dolphins so damned much right now. Eric Dickerson ran the ball 14 times for 115 yards and Art Monk caught 6 passes for 105 yards. Dan Marino takes a lot of blame for this loss, with 3 interceptions, whereas Jim Kelly was 24/38 for 351 yards and 2 TDs. Cliff Odom even had 3 pass defenses!

At least Bobby Butler's back to full health.

Miami 17 Cincinnati 10
We face Danny White's boys in this one and escape with another close victory. I'm not sure why we're struggling to put points on the board with this high-octane offense. No real stars to report from our end, though Danny White was sensational: 31/49 for 359 yards and a TD. We're really struggling against good passers this year it seems.

Buffalo 10 Miami 26
Eric Dickerson rushes 20 times for 109 yards and a TD, Scott Norwood boots 4/5 FGs, including 2/2 from 40+ range and we get 4 interceptions on the day, including one by Player of the Game Andre Tippett, who had 10 tackles, a sack, a knockdown, 2 pass defenses and the pick. Joe Klecko finished with 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a knockdown and a forced fumble.

FB Curtis Dickey is back to Probable, so he'll return and send Mike Augustyniak, who was terrible as a starter, to the inactive list. Curtis Brown will stay a backup FB on this Dolphins team until he retires or until a hotshot rookie comes along that he can mentor.

Miami 35 Cleveland 7
A cruise-control win, earned primarily on the strength of Eric Dickerson's 94 yards and 2 TD runs and Alan Caldwell's 3 pass defenses and INT, one of 3 picks on the day.

Pittsburgh 17 Miami 45
Dan Marino finally has a breakout game at 24/35 for 339 yards and 4 TDs vs one INT on his way to Player of the Game. Art Monk catches 8 passes for 111 yards and a TD and Lloyd Burrus has a splendid all-around game of 9 tackles, 4 assists, a pass defense, an interception and a forced fumble.

Starting LT Gary Zimmerman strains a ligament in his foot and is estimated Out 3 weeks, but we've got a bye week and hopefully that'll be enough to heal him to where he can play.

It's not, so T Irv Eatman takes over as the starting LT, since Paul Blair isn't ready to assume starting duties just yet.

New England 28 Miami 51
What a crazy, crazy game. Eric Dickerson shreds the Patriots for 140 yards and 2 TDs on 20 carries, Dan Marino is 21/31 for 323 yards and 3 TDs, earning him Player of the Game and Louis Lipps has 4 catches for 100 yards and a TD.

With that win, we're sitting in gorgeous shape for the division at 7-1, as the Jets are the closest to us at 5-4. We also hold the number 1 seed in the AFC, though every other division leader is 6-2, so they're nipping our heels.

The halfway tape:


Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
All-Time 290-134
Winning Pct. .683
Playoffs 36-14
Playoff Visits 21
Bowl Wins 7
Head Coach Alan Rosian
Record 39-7
Winning Pct. .847
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 31.3 5
Rushing Yards 136.9 6
Yards Per Carry 4.38 15
Pass Attempts 32.5 26 (T)
Completions 19.8 20
Completion Pct. 60.8 14
Passing Yards 270.8 3
Yards Per Attempt 8.33 3
Yards Per Catch 13.71 2
Total Yardage Gained 395.8 2
3rd Down Conversions 46.0 3 (T)
Points Per Game 31.5 2
Pass Rush Pct. 23.2 9
Pass Defense Pct. 71.7 1 (T)
Turnovers 14 18 (T)
Turnover Margin +9 2

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 22.3 4
Rushing Yards 93.9 5
Yards Per Carry 4.22 16
Pass Attempts 40.3 32
Completions 22.1 29 (T)
Completion Pct. 55.0 5
Passing Yards 264.1 31
Yards Per Attempt 6.56 14 (T)
Yards Per Catch 11.94 27
Total Yardage Gained 338.4 16
3rd Down Conversions 37.0 10
Points Per Game 15.0 2
Pass Rush Pct. 18.3 5
Pass Defense Pct. 61.1 20
Turnovers 23 1 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 37 at NED 12
2 17 at CHI 10
3 24 at TUC 26
4 17 at CIN 10
5 26 BUF 10
6 35 at CLE 7
7 45 PIT 17
9 51 NED 28
10 BAL
11 at NJY
12 MIN
13 DEN
14 at DET
15 NJY
16 GBY
17 at BUF

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
1 D. Marino QB 260 158 2166 8.33 20 9 98.6
**Team --- 260 158 2166 8.33 20 9 98.6
$$Opp --- 322 177 2113 6.56 8 11 69.3

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 158 800 5.06 6 0
32 H. Fontenot RB 73 252 3.45 4 2
**Team --- 250 1095 4.38 10 7
$$Opp --- 178 751 4.22 4 18

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 A. Monk WR 72 40 635 15.88 8.82 5 6
42 E. Dickerson RB 32 27 257 9.52 8.03 1 2
89 S. Watson WR 51 25 378 15.12 7.41 5 4
86 L. Lipps WR 40 23 370 16.09 9.25 2 6
32 H. Fontenot RB 12 10 77 7.70 6.42 0 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
25 L. Burrus S 45 19 1.5 0 2 9 84.7
59 A. Tippett OLB 45 13 2.0 0 2 6 80.1
20 A. Caldwell CB 36 8 0.0 0 1 8 80.0
55 C. Odom ILB 34 11 1.0 2 1 6 79.4
34 G. Byrd CB 33 8 0.0 1 1 6 78.8
33 G. Small CB 27 10 0.0 0 0 5 76.5
58 G. Cobb OLB 25 6 1.0 0 0 1 77.5
75 J. Klecko DT 22 10 2.0 7 0 0 80.9
28 T. Fox S 21 10 1.0 1 2 1 79.8
97 J. Burt DT 19 7 4.0 1 0 0 82.5
41 B. Butler CB 14 4 0.0 0 0 5 79.3
73 C. Greer DE 12 4 4.0 18 0 0 82.5
98 C. Simmons DE 12 4 2.5 15 0 0 82.2

Marino's been struggling a bit with interceptions this first half, but Dickerson is looking sensational and is poised to smash his career high in single-season rushing. Fontenot's been better than I expected. Monk should keep his 1,000 yard consecutive streak going and Lipps is turning out to be a much better receiver than I'd anticipated. Not bad at all for a 4th round pick, though I believe I did trade up for him.

Burrus is having another fantastic year and Tippett's having a terrific all-around season himself. The one note of concern is our pass-rush, which has been looking a little weak from our ends, but they should pick up the pace in the second half.

[Izulde]

Oh look, DE Greg Smith is Unhappy. Watch me not care about our one-year rental DE. T Irv Eatman is Disgruntled, but that's fair, considering he rightfully should be our backup T, though he is getting a couple starts while LT Gary Zimmerman heals up.

Baltimore 21 Miami 24
We get outscored 21-7 in the first half and then our defense runs roughshod in the second half and our offense wakes up just enough to get us the win. Ron Jaworski and Dan Marino each threw for 300+ yards, but it was Marino who came out on top with a 21/36 for 331 yards and 3 TDs vs 1 INT line. Though to be honest, Jaws's 27/35 for 311 yards and a TD is nothing to sneeze at, either. Art Monk hauls in 6 catches for 146 yards and a TD to play a major role in a key victory against a 6-2, now 6-3 division leader.

LT Gary Zimmerman is back to full health, yay!

Miami 39 New Jersey 7
Eric Dickerson rushes 24 times for 122 yards and a TD and Dan Marino even gets a short TD run, but it's Scott Norwood who's Player of the Game with a franchise record 6/6 FGs, including 4/4 from 40+ range. We also slap the Jets back to 5-5, which is fun and are close to clinching the division already.

RDT Jim Burt strains his calf muscle and is out 2 weeks. Rookie RDE Clyde Simmons separates his shoulder and will be gone roughly 5 weeks. Great. We cut CB Cedric Mack and sign DT Jerry Baker, a Week 9 cut from the Panthers to be the backup DT.

DE Greg Smith takes over at RDE, with DT Ben Rudolph the starting RDT.

Minnesota 16 Miami 30
Even with the demication of the right side of our D-line, we coast over the Vikings, due mostly to Scott Norwood's 3/3 FGs, including a 50 yarder and 3 rushing TDs, including a fantastic 51 yard scamper by Herman Fontenot.

DT Jim Burt comes back a week early, which is awesome.

Denver 7 Miami 20
Low-scoring game for us, but Gill Byrd is the man of the hour, with 2 tackles, an assist and 2 interceptions to snuff out any upset hopes the Broncos may have harbored.

Starting FS Tim Fox strains a calf muscle and is estimated out 4 weeks, but that's fine. I wanted to give the young guys some playing time anyway, so FS John Sullivan takes over the starting spot and rookie Antonio Gibson slides in as the reserve.

Miami 37 Detroit 10
Eric Dickerson wins Player of the Game with 21 carries for 111 yards and we get 5 interceptions on the day, Gill Byrd leading the way with his second consecutive 2 interception game, which I'm pretty sure is a franchise record. Curtis Greer shows some pass rush moves with 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2 knockdowns.

So at 12-1, we've officially clinched everything. There's nothing left to play for these remaining 3 games, which I got to admit, kind of sucks. Well, no, there's a franchise record to play for, in that we could go 15-1, which I don't think we ever have before.

DE Clyde Simmons is back up to Probable, so I'm hustling the rookie back in there.

New Jersey 13 Miami 24
Art Monk catches 5 passes for 106 yards, Lloyd Burrus has 7 tackles, 4 assists, 3 pass defenses and an INT to lead the defense, Gill Byrd gets an interception for the third straight game and Andre Tippett records 4 tackles, an assist and 3 pass defenses of his own.

Green Bay 3 Miami 35
Eric Dickerson ravages the Packers for 140 yards and 2 TDs on 32 carries and Andre Tippett has 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks and a knockdown. But Clyde Simmons is the one who really astonishes, with 2 tackles, a block, 7 hurries and 3 knockdowns. That's one way to make up for time lost!

Starting LDE Curtis Greer strains his patellar tendon and he's out roughly 4 weeks. Should be back for the playoffs, though, I imagine.

Miami 27 Buffalo 41
...Well, there goes our franchise best 15-1. We've done 14-2 before, I'm pretty sure. Way to ruin Mel Gray's 93 yard kickoff return for a TD. Eric Dickerson ran 17 times for 105 yards, but Dan Marino threw 3 interceptions, which wasn't cool and our defense took a big-time nap.

But then again, the Bills were playing for playoff dreams and we were just out there for the hell of it.

Incidentally despite the great win, Buffalo lost out on the tiebreaker and have to sit home while we go on to purse third straight Super Bowl championship dreams.

[Izulde]

We draw the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round.

QB Ron Jaworski has become a fan favorite since joining the Ravens via trade with us and has 4 straight seasons of 4,000+ yards. He had his best season ever in this, his 14th year, with 4,715 yards and 38 TDs vs. 11 INTs. Talk about a late bloomer and benefitting from new scenery!

RB Tony Nathan continues to defy age himself, running for another 1,200+ yards, but a career low 7 rushing TDs. In counter point, he had his 4th straight season of 600+ receiving yards and a career high 11 receiving TDs.

TE Kellen Winslow is still the best TE in the league and FL Henry Ellard has really come into his own as a receiver, posting his 3rd consecutive 1,200 yard+ receiving season with a career high 1,461 yards. Of course, it must be noted that the rest of the receiving corps is either ancient (SE Roger Carr, 13th season) or a rookie practically.

C Kirk Lowdermilk is looking like a major underachiever, but it's only his second season. 3rd year LG Guy McIntyre gives up too many sacks, but fellow 3rd year RG Doug Dawson made incredible leaps and bounds this season and stands as one of the most promising young guards in the league. The tackles are a couple of old, broken-down sieves in LT Jim Cooper and RT Stan Rogers. Too bad Curtis Greer is out of this game, because he'd have a field day.

P Sean Landeta made significant gains in his second season, while K Mike Lansford has a powerful, but sporadic leg.

LDE Art Still had a down year, but he's still a dangerous threat. RDE Eddie Edwards is league average. The DTs are simply terrible and not worthy of mention by name.

MLB Pepper Johnson had a fine rookie season and looks a great combination tackle and coverage guy, with no real pass-rush potential. Good pickup for a 2nd rounder, to be sure. SLB Ron Rivera broke out in his 3rd season and WLB Norwood Vann is just kinda there.

Rookie LCB Tim McKyer has a truckload of talent and potential, but it hasn't translated into results yet. 2nd year RCB Wendell Cason is a butt-busting overachiever and nickel CB John Hendy could start for any team in the league. SS Fred Marion is excellent and FS Dwight Drane plays a lot better than his limited physical gifts say he should.

All in all, this is going to be one hell of a tough matchup. They have the offensive weapons to match us in a shootout and their defense is quite good. The one weak point is the middle of the D-line, which means we'll be going to Eric Dickerson a lot I imagine.

Although I anticipate a hard battle, Vegas has us winning handily, with the line by 9.

The bookies are smarter than I am.

Dan Marino was 25/34 for 359 yards and 2 TDs, Louis Lipps his favorite target with 8 catches for 141 yards, Art Monk second-favorite with 6 catches for 119 yards and a TD.

But the real offensive story was Herman Fontenot, who carried the ball 13 times for 84 yards and 3 rushing TDs, including a 28 yarder to open scoring in the first quarter. What a great, great accomplishment. :)

Our pass rush was in full force as well, Greg Smith leading the way with 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a block, 2 hurries, a knockdown and a forced fumble, Joe Klecko close behind with 2 tackles, 3 assists, 2 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown and Clyde Simmons a touch behind that, with 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a hurry.

It all added up to one thing.

A blowout to take us back to the AFC Championship for the 3rd year in a row.

Baltimore 13 Miami 38

But the win comes at a cost. We lose starting LG Mickey Marvin, who was having an inspired season of rejuvenation, for the rest of the season.

[Izulde]

It's an All-Florida AFC Championship, as we face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars. G Jim Hough returns to the starting LG spot, as Larry Williams is too inexperienced there.

QB David Whitehurst is a mediocre to bad 10th year veteran and the Jaguars really should be starting Mike Pagel, who's a better, promising QB.

The running game isn't so hot either, with RB James Brooks "leading" a very mediocre cast. Rookie TE Brent Jones has serious potential, but isn't there yet. FL Mike Friede and SE Jessie Hester are both extraordinarily drop prone.

C Dan Mosebar is the first authentically good player on this Jaguars offense and together with LG George Lilja and RG John Scully he forms a terrific interior offensive line that's in their prime. LT Mike Kenn was lost for the season in Week 16 and his absence really hurts, as rookie LT Greg Feasal is nowhere close to being ready. 3rd year RT Jim Boyle is a Ron Mikolajcyzk clone and that's a good thing for Jacksonville.

P Mike Horan is one of the best in the league and K Dean Biasucci is pretty good himself.

LDE Harry Stanback broke out with an 11 sack season this year, but all signs point to flukedom. RDE Sean McNanie is a rising star in his 3rd season, with 13.5 sacks of his own. LDT Rick Ackerman is an overachiever and RDT Randy White is no longer the player he was in his Browns days.

MLB Frank Manumaleuga is a talented veteran, a real tackle machine with good all-around skills and 2nd year SLB Kevin Greene is arguably the best young OLB in the NFL. WLB Dave Frye is young and has potential, but hates Manumaleuga.

LCB Lester Hayes is a crafty, brilliant graybeard and RCB Myron Dupree works hard to overcome his low ceiling. SS Beasley Reece may be in his 11th season, but he sure hasn't shown it, picking off 7 passes in the regular season and playing hardnosed defense. Second year FS Tiger Greene is a weak link.

All told, I'm having a hard time figuring out how Jacksonville made it this far. Sure they have a very good offensive line, their DEs are having monster years at the same time, the linebacking corps is off the hook and the secondary's a damn good one despite its age, but... there's no talent at the skill positions whatsoever on offense.

I'm predicting a cakewalk.

The bookies and I are in agreement on this one, with the Dolphins favored by 12.

Jacksonville's biggest accomplishments in this game were the following:
1) Scoring a field goal
2) Holding Eric Dickerson under 100 yards rushing (Just shy at 97)
3) Limiting Dan Marino to 223 passing yards.

No real statistical stars for us unless you count Gary Zimmerman's 2 pancake blocks, which I think I will just to have something.

Just a solid, workmanlike victory, one that sends us direct to the Super Bowl for the 3rd year in a row.

Jacksonville 3 Miami 27

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XXVII Preview

Miami Dolphins Out
LG Mickey Marvin
LDT Joe Klecko

Washington Redskins Out
LG Leotis Harris
RCB Audrey McMillian

Quarterback
Despite some relative regular season struggles, Dan Marino has really turned it on this postseason, with a 72.3% completion rate and 4 TDs with not a single interception. He's a proven Super Bowl champion and will attempt to lead the Miami Dolphins to a historic 3rd straight Super Bowl victory. Backup Mike Kerrigan has never thrown a pass in a regular season game.

Three times Steve Bartkowski has faced off against Miami in the Super Bowl and three times he's lost very close matchups. Although the 12th year veteran is clearly on the downside of his career, he's still a fierce competitor with a burning desire to down the Dolphins once and for all. QB Turk Schonert is a league average backup.

Advantage: Draw

Running Back
It's hard to say that a RB with 1,000+ yards rushing and 11+ TDs and no more than 4 fumbles in each of his four pro seasons is underrated, but that's precisely the case with Eric Dickerson. He's still living in the shadow of the man he replaced, Walter Payton and his dual threat as a secure runner and great receiver (3 consecutive seasons of 400+ yards) is largely glossed over by league commentators. 2nd year Herman Fontenot has gone from late 6th rounder to #2 RB and he's proven to have a surprising nose for the end zone, with 7 rushing TDs in the regular season and 3 TDs in the postseason.

Keith Griffin works hard and is a major overachiever, but he's got a case of well-documented fumbleitis, particularly in the pressure cooker situation of the playoffs. Rookie Bobby Joe Edmonds is even more fumble-prone, negating his explosiveness on punt returns and his 784 rushing yards as the top backup.

Advantage: Dolphins

Wide Receiver
TE John Spagnola has been the long-serving Dolphins starting TE, but there's many within the Miami camp, who have been pusing for 2nd year TE Jay Novacek to win the starting spot, Novacek included. FL Art Monk has been a godsend his first two years with the Dolphins, a dazzling receiver who's the passcatcher to don the aqua and orange since Paul Warfield. Front office favorite SE Steve Watson showed a worrying tendency to drop the ball and his numbers have gone down significantly since his 1984 All-Pro season, but he still can't be discounted. 3rd year WR Louis Lipps has developed into a dangerous third option in the passing attack and WR Mark Duper is so good a 4th receiver that he'd be the 3rd receiver or a starter on most teams.

FL Irving Fryar is the Redskins' resounding answer to Monk and though Fryar didn't duplicate his 20 TD regular season from last year this season, he still had over 1,600 receiving yards and is unchallenged as the greatest young WR in the game today. TE David Lewis is an underrated, excellent all-around pass catcher and blocker. Unfortunately for Washington, the rest of the receiving corps is ghastly, with rookie SE John Taylor terribly raw and reserves Pete Mandley and Clarence Verdin afterthoughts in the aerial assault.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
C Will Grant has gotten better at pass-protection as he's gotten older, but it's at the cost of his run-blocking. Losing Marvin is going to hurt big time as LG Jim Hough isn't the player he once was. RG Chuck Commiskey is a nicely balanced player, but isn't superlative in any area. 3rd year LT Gary Zimmerman is the key to the line. Strong and talented in both areas of protection, he's their best player. Gave up a lot more sacks this season than last year's 1st Team All-Pro campaign, but he's had 2 pancake blocks and 0 sacks allowed this postseason. RT Chuck Loewen is a very good player who flies under the radar. Backup C Jeff Dellenbach showed signs of coming into his potential this season as did reserve G Larry Williams and rookie backup T Paul Blair, the heir apparent to Loewen.

Losing Harris is an even bigger blow to the Redskins than the Dolphins' loss of Marvin. There's simply no backup guards on Washington's roster who are even remotely close to starter level. That said, 10th year RG J.T. Turner is an absolute beast, with 10 pancake blocks this regular season and C Joe Fields is the mirror image of Grant. LT Luis Sharpe is a grinder, an overachiever who excels at pass protection, but RT Dan McQuaid is unimpressive. Reserve C Randy Rasmussen is good enough to start for a number of teams and backup T Brian Holloway is one of the best subs in the game. If rookie G Michael Durrette gets the start at LG, the Redskins will be in for a long night.

Advantage: Dolphins

Kickers
P Mike Connell had his best season since 1981, another Dolphins Super Bowl year, but he isn't a fantastic punter by any means. K Scott Norwood has never missed a FG in the playoffs in his two years and he was a perfect 13/13 from 40+ range in the regular season this year.

P Zenon Andrusyshyn is a major underachiever, with phenomenal talent, but a performance akin to Connell's. K Paul McFadden has a powerful leg, but an erratic one. That said, he's never missed a FG in the postseason either in his three years in the league.

Advantage: Draw

Defensive Line
It's with unbridled joy that the Dolphins welcome back LDE Curtis Greer, who's been out since Week 16 with a strained patellar tendon. Although his sack numbers were down somewhat, Greer's still the best player on this Dolphins defensive line and he'll be a key presence on the field in tonight's game. Rookie RDE Clyde Simmons is still learning the pro game, but the Dolphins front office is extremely high on him, so high they started him over DE Greg Smith, who could start for half the teams in the league. On the other hand, Miami's really going to miss LDT Joe Klecko, their single best interior d-lineman. LDT Ben Rudolph has a respectable pass-rush game and RDT Jim Burt is another one in a long line of successful 3rd round picks by Dolphins GM Tim Moungey, but a Klecko-less d-line is a much weaker line for Miami.

LDE Alphonso Carreker has improved each of his three seasons in the league, but he's still no more than slightly above average. RDE Doug Reed has been a major disappointment. It's LDT Reggie Kinlaw that powers this defensive line, with ability and performance equal to that of Klecko's. 3rd year RDT Mitch Willis is a major overachiever who plays with a ton of heart.

Advantage: Dolphins

Linebackers
Despite the front office's love, MLB Cliff Odom has really declined the last few seasons and is really no more than an average MLB. It's SLB Andre Tippett, one of the most underrated OLBs in the NFL, who's the real leader and force in this unit. WLB Gary Cobb has really improved this corps, though his contributions often go unacknowledged on the stats sheet.

MLB Johnie Cooks is a tackle machine, but an embattled one, as many fans wanted to see rookie MLB Vaughan Johnson as the starter and frankly, there's reason to believe Redskins faithful are right on this one. SLB Kim Bokamper is a mere shadow of the solid player he once was. WLB Dale Carver had a surprising, breakout season with 4.5 sacks from the weak side.

Advantage: Dolphins

Secondary
LCB Gill Byrd had a career high 6 interceptions in the regular season, but was burnt a lot more by the top-shelf WRs in the league. RCB Bobby Butler is subpar in coverage, but makes up for it with a ferocious run support game. Backup CB Alan Caldwell and CB Gerald Small are ballhawks, very good in coverage to boot. SS Lloyd Burrus didn't put up the insane numbers he did last season, but he's still one of the top strong safeties in the league. FS Tim Fox missed the end of the regular season and the first games of the playoffs, but the 11th year vet returns for the Super Bowl to give the Dolphins a secure, savvy graybeard.

Rookie LCB Manny Hendrix had a respectable first season, but has looked green in the playoffs. RCB LeCharls McDaniel is an extremely talented corner and he'll need to continue his phenomenal play for the Redskins to have a shot. Losing McMillian kills Washington's depth as 3rd year CB Victor Scott is unproven and CB Michael Haynes will be a gametime decision. SS Darrol Ray is one of the best safeties in the league, with a longer proven track record than Burrus. FS Glenn Blackwood is a sieve and he'll be picked on often and early.

Advantage: Dolphins

Keys for the Miami Dolphins

1. Maintain a balanced offense.
Washington has gaps on defense that can be exploited if the situation is right and the best way to do that is to keep things mixed up on offense so that the Redskins won't be able to adjust and compensate for their deficiencies.

2. Double and triple-team Irving Fryar.
TE Dave Lewis isn't going to win this game for the Redskins by himself and there's no other reliable pass threats. There's also no real concern in the running game, so shut down Fryar and you shut down Washington's offense.

3. Bring lots of blitz packages.
The Redskins' offensive line is in disarray with Harris out and the Dolphins have the horses in the pass rush to blitz from all different positions and angles and continue QB Steve Bartkowski's never-ending Super Bowl Dolphins-related nightmare.

Keys for the Washington Redskins

1. Slow the game down.
The Carolina Panthers learned the hard way last year that you don't get into a shootout with this Marino-led Dolphins if you want to win against them. Grind the pace to a halt and get a chance for victory.

2. Line Irving Fryar up at different positions on offense.
They're going to try and shut down Fryar, so to confuse the Dolphins, disguise Fryar in different formations on offense and don't let Miami zero in on him on a consistent basis.

3. Run the ball up the middle as much as possible.
Miami's defensive interior is soft with Klecko out and MLB Cliff Odom isn't that good against the run. By attacking the center of the defense, there's potential for some nice gains to keep drives alive and take pressure off of Fryar.

Final Thoughts
On paper, this looks like a blowout in favor of the Miami Dolphins, but you have to remember, in the 3 Super Bowls between Miami and Washington in this decade, the Redskins have played the Dolphins close every single time. We anticipate more of the same, especially with history on the line for Miami. The Dophins are already the first team to make it to 3 straight Super Bowls, now they want to secure their place in history by making it 3 straight championships. In the end, that desire will be just enough to overcome the upset-minded Redskins.

Final Line: Miami by 3

[SFL Cat]

Why do I get the sinking feeling the Deadskins finally get the Dolphin off their back? :(

[Izulde]

Why do I get the sinking feeling the Deadskins finally get the Dolphin off their back? :(

I'll admit, I'm damned nervous about this game. I saw it was a Carolina-Washington NFC Championship and I swore out loud when I saw the Redskins win.

This is a team that by rights doesn't even belong on the same field as us, yet every single time we play them in the Super Bowl, they make a game of it.

It's going to be a tense matchup, that's for darned sure.

[Izulde]

Washington gets the ball first but they're forced to a quick 3 and out thanks to a 6 yard sack by Clyde Simmons on 3rd down.

Things are looking like they'll be the same for us on our first possession, but then Dan Marino connects with Art Monk for 14 yards on 3rd and 11 and two more 10+ passes have us in Redskins territory. A dropped pass by Steve Watson preludes two incomplete passes and we're forced to settle for a 38 yard field goal attempt by Scott Norwood which splits the uprights and draws first blood.

Miami 3 Washington 0 - 10:03 1st Quarter

Keith Griffin comes to life with three respectable runs on the ensuing drive, as Washington starts going to the short yardage game. We've got them on the ropes with 3rd and 10, but Steve Bartkowski finds reserve TE Preston Gothard for 15 yards and the key conversion to put them deep in Dolphins territory.

An offensive holding penalty doesn't even faze the Redskins as Steve Bartowski hits John Taylor for 21 yards and Keith Griffin runs it in from 9 out for the TD on the very next play. My stomach's already roiling.

Washington 7 Miami 3 - 5:06 1st Quarter

A 15 yard Eric Dickerson run and a series of short-yardage passes puts us just inside Washington territory and then our big-play offense strikes, with Dan Marino throwing a perfect pass to a wide open Art Monk in the end zone for a 37 yard TD! We're back on top!

Miami 10 Washington 7 - 1:36 1st Quarter

Gill Byrd gets nailed for a 20 yard defensive pass interference call on the next drive, so that by the start of the 2nd quarter, the Redskins are sitting just shy of midfield and facing a 3rd and 3.

Miami 10 Washington 7 - End 1st Quarter

Keith Griffin's thankfully stopped just short of the first down marker and they punt it away, where Mel Gray promptly takes the punt return back an electrifying 34 yards to have us at our own 44!

We parlay a short-yardage drive of our own into an oh so sweet TD drive, made mostly of Eric Dickerson runs and capped off by Dan Marino to Curtis Dickey for the 5 yard score.

Miami 17 Washington 7 - 11:44 2nd Quarter

Irving Fryar's 20 yard catch after some grinding puts the Redskins right back in Miami territory, but then Lloyd Burrus defends a pass and Jim Burt and Curtis Greer combine for a 9 yard sack. Bobby Joe Edmonds gets 11 yards on the 3rd and 19, but it was a stupid call to make and Washington has to kick it away.

On the third play after the touchback, Eric Dickerson breaks loose for a 42 yard run and the general feeling that things are falling apart quickly for the Redskins in this first half.

But then the defense stiffens up, throwing Eric Dickerson for a 3 yard loss and sacking Dan Marino for 5 yards courtesy of MLB Johnie Cooks, so we're forced to punt.

Washington gets to midfield two plays later as TE Dave Lewis tacks on 11 yards after the pass reception to make it a 29 yard gain in all and then Steve Bartkowski shows there's still some magic left in his arm as he throws a 48 yard rainbow to Pete Mandley for the TD. Just like that, the Redskins are back in this game.

Miami 17 Washington 14 - 4:24 2nd Quarter

We're held to a 3 and out and Washington gets great field position at their 49 yard line. I'm tempted to go hunting for my cloves, as I anticipate a very, very bad result here.

Sure enough, second play, Steve Bartkowski to Irving Fryar for 49 yards and another two plays later, Keith Griffin redeems the stuff on the prior run by running the ball 4 yards for the TD and the lead. Son.of.a.bitch!

Washington 21 Miami 17 - 2:22 2nd Quarter

Then Dan Marino wakes up and starts completing passes left and right after the two minute warning, including a 21 yard pass to Louis Lipps to put us at the Washington 12 yard line with 45 seconds left on the clock.

Eric Dickerson runs for 9 yards on the next play, but then Herman Fontenot, normally so reliable in these goal-line situations, gets hammered for a 1 yard loss on 2nd down. With just 15 seconds left on the play clock, the coaching staff opts to play it safe and take Scott Norwood's 21 yard field goal, which proves to be the final play of note for the half.

Washington 21 Miami 20 - Halftime

We get the ball back to start the second half and Dan Marino throws 3 straight incompletions as the Redskins' defensive line owns our offensive line and hurries him on all 3 plays.

The Redskins gleefully go on a march, shrugging off two straight false start penalties after Steve Bartkowski locates Pete Mandley for 21 yards on 3rd and 8 before finding Irving Fryar two plays later for another 21 yards snd red zone positioning.

I'd like to see we stiffened up, but Bobby Joe Edmonds gets a 12 yard TD reception on 3rd down to give Washington insurance. I very well may start to cry.

Washington 28 Miami 20 - 9:21 3rd Quarter

My heart's down around my feet as we face 3rd and 20 on the next drive following an intentional grounding call, but then Dan Marino makes the rainbow connection with Steve Watson for 42 yards, Watson tacking on 16 yards following the catch . Jay Novacek takes in the 10 yard pass reception on the very next play for the TD and we're back to a one possession game! God, I love our lightning offense!

Washington 28 Miami 27 - 7:14 3rd Quarter

...And of course, our pass defense takes a nap on the first play of the next drive, resulting in a 29 yard pass to Irving Fryar and surrenders a 19 yard pass play to John Taylor on 3rd and 3 to get the Redskins in FG territory.

That's not enough? How about Irving Fryar again for 22 yards to put Washington inside the 10 yard line! Three plays later, Keith Griffin leaps over the entire fricking defense for a one yard TD run and I'm pondering hacking into something with the old, rusty hatchet out in the hall.

Washington 35 Miami 27 - 2:20 3rd Quarter

And then comes the miracle play, the single coolest thing I've ever seen in this game.

Mel Gray returns the kickoff 101 yards for the TD and Dan Marino finds Eric Dickerson for the 2 point conversion pass, giving us a tied ballgame!

Miami 35 Washington 35 - 2:12 3rd Quarter

Keith Griffin answers with a 17 yard run and I'm panicking, but then Ben Rudolph sacks Steve Bartkowski for 16 yards and forces a fumble. Bartkowski recovers it at the Redskin 21, but you can't help but feel he got shaken up by that play.

Until Steve Bartkowski comes back and scrambles for 16 yards on 2nd and 26 to get back all the sack yardage he lost.

3rd and 10. Can we finally stop them on 3rd down?....

.....YES!!!! Tim Fox, that wily old FS veteran, blows past Luis Sharpe and sacks Steve Bartkowski for 6 yards!!!!!!!!! The stadium goes crazy!!!! That's the final play of the 3rd quarter!!!!

Miami 35 Washington 35 - End 3rd Quarter

Dan Marino hits Mark Duper for 20 yards on the first play to cross midfield as our offense comes out fired up. Art Monk gets a 9 yard reception and Herman Fontenot atones for his halftime stuff with a 6 yard run to keep us going.

Remember Rick Upchurch? The mentor WR signed for his mentor skills and punt return talents? Well, he's been our 5th WR because the rookie we hoped to put there was a bust and Dan Marino finds him for an oh so clutch 14 yards on the next play to put us deeper in Washington territory. Just the latest in a series of amazing plays in that exciting Super Bowl.

And that's when our offense bogs down, inside the Washington redzone, forcing us to settle for Scott Norwood's 28 yard FG and the slenderest of leads.

Miami 38 Washington 35 - 10:52 4th Quarter

Naturally, on the second play of the ensuing drive, Irving Fryar runs for 17 yards after the catch to complete a 30 yard pass play and we're seeing our dreams of history going up in smoke.

Backup TE Preston Gothard makes his second big pass reception of the game, for 22 yards, 2 plays later and I'm getting that sinking feeling in my stomach again as the Redskins are back inside our 10 yard line.

Two players later, Steve Bartkowski to Irving Fryar for a 4 yard TD and the lead wrested back.

Washington 42 Miami 38 - 7:19 4th Quarter

Can Dan Marino pull off the comeback?

He hits John Spagnola for 19 yards to open the drive and converts an all-important 3rd down conversion, connecting with Art Monk for 14 to get over the midfield hump.

Then on a 3rd and 4, a screen pass to Eric Dickerson goes horribly awry, resulting in a 4 yard loss.

Is this the end?

Scott Norwood attempts the 52 yard FG.... and gets his first post-season miss.

We hold the Redskins to a 3 and out, but Zenon Andrusyshn picks precisely the wrong time to punt the ball 50 yards and coffin-corner us at the 4 yard line.

2:37 left on the clock. We have one timeout remaining.

1st and 10: Incomplete Pass.
2nd and 10: Darrol Ray intercepts the Dan Marino pass intended for Art Monk and returns it 24 yards.

Bobby Joe Edmonds adds insult to injury with a 12 yard run immediately following and a few short runs and Steve Bartkowski knees, later, it's all over.

The dream of 3 straight Super Bowl titles, dead.

Washington 42 Miami 38 - Final

QB Steve Bartkowski wins Super Bowl MVP and he deserves every single damn inch of that trophy: 25/30 for 412 yards and 3 TDs. Irving Fryar did the bulk of the work, catching 9 passes for 187 yards and a TD. S Darrol Ray deserves a lot of credit as well, for his 6 tackles, 2 pass defenses and the game-clinching INT and 24 yard return.

We had our own statistical heroes, though. Dan Marino played well enough to win at 24/34 for 312 yards and 3 TDs, with that costly interception the lone real blemish. Art Monk had 7 catches for 109 yards and a TD and of course Mel Gray with that incredible 101 yard kickoff return for the TD.

Lloyd Burrus did his best, with 10 tackles and a pass defense against just 3 burns, but it just wasn't enough.

I can't even find the words to describe just how damned much this Super Bowl loss hurts. In real-life NFL history, no team has ever won 3 consecutive Super Bowls.

This was the perfect chance to do what's never been done and we fall just short.

Really puts a damper on a Saturday night that proved to be pretty damned nice outside of that. Got to spend a couple hours talking to, having supper with and hanging out with one of the guys who was one of the big reasons why I joined the fraternity here I did.

[kislingbury]

Bad luck on the loss, I thought you were going to three-peat like in Elways dreams. Cant wait to see the era of football that Im familiar with coming up (us poor English dont know nothing about this far back...)

Any chance of a quick view of the franchise history screen for the Patriots? they seem depressingly realistic

[SFL Cat]

Crud...I was hoping my gut feeling was wrong.

Bartowski was amazing in that game, though.

[Izulde]

Bad luck on the loss, I thought you were going to three-peat like in Elways dreams. Cant wait to see the era of football that Im familiar with coming up (us poor English dont know nothing about this far back...)

Any chance of a quick view of the franchise history screen for the Patriots? they seem depressingly realistic

Thanks :) The loss still kind of stings this morning, to be honest. I hoped we were going to three-peat myself. Had we gone against the Panthers, I think we would've won pretty easily.

But those are the breaks of the game.

As far as the Patriots...

New England Patriots History Summary

The Patriots honestly aren't that bad a team from the historical record. Their overall mark is below .500 (214-217-1), but they've been to the playoffs 8 times, which is what a lot of other franchises have accomplished in terms of postseason appearances. They're not even that bad in the playoffs at 6-8 (.428).

Unfortunately, they've never made it to the Super Bowl and they're one of only two teams with 8 playoff appearances never to have done so (The Philadelphia Eagles being the other one.) They lost the 1982 AFC Championship 38-32 to the San Diego Chargers, which is the closest they've come and their only AFC Championship appearance.

Now, that being said, they've been a lot better in recent years. They were god-awful in the 1960s and pretty bad in the 1970s except for a few seasons here and there, so they're in relative prosperity, I'd say.

The problem is, they're in our division and we're the most successful franchise in league history by far.

No Hall of Famers, as you might expect, although that might change soonish. QB Cliff Stoudt has been the Patriots' best QB in franchise history and he's currently in his 10th season, which explains the team's recent sort-of rise. The problem is, he's not that great a QB. His best season was the AFC Championship year of 1982, with 3,391 yards (Patriots record) and a 25 TD to 18 INT ratio. The real kicker? He was drafted with the 3rd overall pick in the 1977 draft and clearly hasn't lived up to that lofty status.

The one great high draft pick success New England has had and the biggest reason they're doing fairly well in recent years is RB Earl Campbell, who, even in his 9th season just completed, rushed for 1,572 yards and a career-high 18 TDs, his 7th straight season of 1,000+ yards rushing 10+ rushing TDs. He was taken with the 1st overall pick in the 1978 draft and looks like a homerun for the Hall of Fame.

There's only been 3 seasons in Patriots history where they've had a 1,000 yard receiver, 1982, 1971 and 1985. The good news is that the 1985 1,000 yard WR is FL Gary Clark, who just finished his 3rd year in the league and who looks like a pretty darn good young WR.

FS Charlie West holds the Patriots interception single season record with 10, set back in 1977, but it was a fluke season and the very next year, he got relegated to backup duty and never intercepted another pass after that.

Without question the best tackler New England's ever had is MLB Bruce Elia, who played for the Patriots from 1975-1982 (taken at 1.12 in the 1975 draft) and had 4 seasons of 100+ tackles, with his career high 123.

SLB Paul Naumoff is the Patriots' best ever defensive player, however. New England's career leader in tackles and sacks, he played his entire career with the Patriots (1967-1978, a 1.12 pick in the 1967 draft) and made four All-Pro teams in the 1970s, 1st Team All-Pro in 1971, 1973 and 1976 and 2nd Team All-Pro in 1975.

C Walt Cudzik was New England's best offensive lineman. One of the original Patriots, he played just 6 seasons with the team (1960-1966), but still ranks 3rd all-time in New England career pancake blocks and run blocks. Despite his dominating play, however, he was never named to the All-Pro team, a criminal omission in my opinion. I mean, he had 3 seasons of 10+ pancake blocks and two seasons of 40+ run blocks.

Another reason for the Patriots' recent good form is LCB Ronnie Lippett, a 4th year player who is quickly turning into one of the best and brightest young corners in the game. In four short seasons, he's already leapt up to 5th on the career Patriots passes defensed list and has rapidly improved his ballhawking instincts the last couple years. A real steal at 1.24 in the admittedly loaded 1983 draft.

No real standout special teams guys to point out that I can see, though K Roman Russell leads in Patriots FGs and points scored by virtue of longevity, serving as the team's kicker from 1960-1971 before signing with the Rams for his last hurrah in 1972.

[Izulde]

Crud...I was hoping my gut feeling was wrong.

Bartowski was amazing in that game, though.

I was hoping so, too.

And yeah, he was amazing. Hell, to be perfectly honest, it was an amazing game all around, one that lived up to its impressive hype and historic weight.

In fact, if this alt-universe were the real-life NFL history, I have a hunch that even in 2008, we'd be talking about this Super Bowl as being on the shortlist of greatest Super Bowls of all time.

[nilodor]

I was hoping so, too.

And yeah, he was amazing. Hell, to be perfectly honest, it was an amazing game all around, one that lived up to its impressive hype and historic weight.

In fact, if this alt-universe were the real-life NFL history, I have a hunch that even in 2008, we'd be talking about this Super Bowl as being on the shortlist of greatest Super Bowls of all time.

I was thinking the same thing when I was reading over that game. I can't even think of one that was that good through out the entire game. Some of the recent superbowls have been really entertaining at the end, but that's mainly because they were duds at the start. This game had action the entire time.

And I don't feel too bad for you losing this game, considering how many Lombardi trophies you have sitting in the lobby.

[Izulde]

I was thinking the same thing when I was reading over that game. I can't even think of one that was that good through out the entire game. Some of the recent superbowls have been really entertaining at the end, but that's mainly because they were duds at the start. This game had action the entire time.

And I don't feel too bad for you losing this game, considering how many Lombardi trophies you have sitting in the lobby.

I agree with you on the Super Bowl assessment as far as best ever and action goes...

But I disagree on the feeling bad for losing this game. :D I'll trade away all those trophies before the '84 and '85 ones to have the '86 one and complete the threepeat.

[Izulde]

Record 16-3
Winning Pct. .842
All-Time 297-135
Winning Pct. .687
Playoffs 38-15
Playoff Visits 22
Bowl Wins 7
Head Coach Alan Rosian
Record 48-9
Winning Pct. .842
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 31.2 4
Rushing Yards 136.6 4
Yards Per Carry 4.38 10
Pass Attempts 32.7 25
Completions 19.1 23 (T)
Completion Pct. 58.5 16
Passing Yards 245.3 5
Yards Per Attempt 7.50 6
Yards Per Catch 12.82 2
Total Yardage Gained 371.2 3
3rd Down Conversions 40.3 10
Points Per Game 30.5 1
Pass Rush Pct. 22.9 9
Pass Defense Pct. 69.0 2
Turnovers 25 13 (T)
Turnover Margin +19 1

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 22.0 2
Rushing Yards 90.9 3
Yards Per Carry 4.13 14
Pass Attempts 40.2 32
Completions 21.9 31
Completion Pct. 54.6 3 (T)
Passing Yards 245.8 26
Yards Per Attempt 6.12 5
Yards Per Catch 11.21 13
Total Yardage Gained 321.5 13
3rd Down Conversions 33.8 3
Points Per Game 14.9 1
Pass Rush Pct. 18.8 5
Pass Defense Pct. 67.3 26
Turnovers 44 1

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 37 at NED 12
2 17 at CHI 10
3 24 at TUC 26
4 17 at CIN 10
5 26 BUF 10
6 35 at CLE 7
7 45 PIT 17
9 51 NED 28
10 24 BAL 21
11 39 at NJY 7
12 30 MIN 16
13 20 DEN 7
14 37 at DET 10
15 24 NJY 13
16 35 GBY 3
17 27 at BUF 41
$$CS 38 BAL 13
$$CF 27 JAX 3
**FB 38 vs WAS 42

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
1 D. Marino QB 523 306 3924 7.50 33 16 90.4
**Team --- 523 306 3924 7.50 33 16 90.4
$$Opp --- 643 351 3933 6.12 16 23 66.4

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 332 1592 4.80 13 2
32 H. Fontenot RB 120 454 3.78 7 6
**Team --- 499 2186 4.38 22 16
$$Opp --- 352 1454 4.13 9 31

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 A. Monk WR 134 75 1232 16.43 9.19 9 8
89 S. Watson WR 114 52 716 13.77 6.28 10 7
42 E. Dickerson RB 57 47 419 8.91 7.35 2 3
86 L. Lipps WR 77 45 677 15.04 8.79 5 9
83 M. Duper WR 42 20 313 15.65 7.45 3 2
32 H. Fontenot RB 23 17 118 6.94 5.13 1 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
25 L. Burrus S 89 36 1.5 0 4 14 84.5
59 A. Tippett OLB 83 25 5.5 1 3 13 80.3
20 A. Caldwell CB 74 21 1.0 0 3 10 79.4
55 C. Odom ILB 74 25 1.5 5 1 10 77.0
34 G. Byrd CB 68 13 0.0 2 6 10 78.6
33 G. Small CB 50 16 0.0 1 2 13 79.9
58 G. Cobb OLB 42 9 1.0 0 0 4 78.8
75 J. Klecko DT 34 26 4.0 14 0 0 81.3
97 J. Burt DT 28 11 4.0 6 0 0 81.9
41 B. Butler CB 28 7 0.0 0 0 5 76.8
28 T. Fox S 27 17 2.0 1 2 3 80.2
73 C. Greer DE 26 6 8.0 33 0 0 82.1
98 C. Simmons DE 19 6 3.0 25 0 0 82.3
91 G. Smith DE 18 7 3.5 8 0 0 81.6

Not as fantastic as our previous two years, though Eric Dickerson had a brilliant season and Art Monk broke 1,000 yards receiving again. Louis Lipps could potentially force his way into the starting lineup as soon as next season, as Steve Watson looks like he's dropping.

Clyde Simmons didn't have the kind of rookie season I was hoping for but maybe he'll get it sorted out over the next few years.

A quick skim of the roster says we'll be looking most heavily at G, DT, MLB, CB and FS during the offseason, but we'll see what happens once retirements hit.

1986 Dolphins Season Awards

Head Coach Alan Rosian - Coach of the Year
Although he fell just short of taking us to the third straight Super Bowl championship in league history, Rosian still led us to the third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, which is the first time in this universe history that's happened. Well-deserving of his third straight Coach of the Year award, I'd say.

LT Gary Zimmerman - 1st Team All-Pro T
The greatest LT we've ever had and the first offensive lineman in Dolphins history to win two straight 1st Team All-Pro honors. An absolutely amazing player and a real steal at 1.31 in the 1984 draft.

K Scott Norwood - 1st Team All-Pro K
Like Tim "Wonder" Webster all those years, Norwood's consistently under-rated by the scouts, but in two seasons, he's won two All-Pro awards. Talk about redemption for the Giants/Bills Super Bowl in real life. :)

SLB Andre Tippett - 1st Team All-Pro OLB
Tippett's been underrated ever since he came into this league and now he finally earns his due with his first ever All-Pro award. Just a phenomenal all-around SLB and one of the real keys to our defense.

RB Eric Dickerson - 2nd Team All-Pro RB
Another unsung hero of the Dolphins, Dickerson finally gets an All-Pro trophy to put on his shelf along with his 1985 Super Bowl MVP. One of the best, most consistent backs in the game. Not all that flashy, but before you know it, he's got the stats at the end of the game.

Other Major Awards
MVP
RB Earl Campbell - New England Patriots
Offensive Player of the Year
QB Ron Jaworski - Baltimore Ravens (I'd say that trade worked out for them)
Defensive Player of the Year
DE William Fuller - Minnesota Vikings
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Neal Anderson - St. Louis Rams
Defensive Rookie of the Year
DE Leslie O'Neal - New Orleans Saints

Staff Hiring

Lead Scout Mike Heath
OL: VG to Good

OC Edwin Buckley
RB: Excellent to VG
WR: Excellent to VG

DC Don Bruce
KP: Good to VG

Everyone's still under contract and our lead scout maintains his job only because there's no rookie scouts better than him.

RT Paul Blair gets the Summer League tag because he's raw and we really want to see him push for the starting RT spot.

I'll do free agency later tonight or sometime tomorrow. Suddenly not in the mood for it.

[Izulde]

Raining and cold here the past two days. Supposed to be more of the same tomorrow and snow on Saturday, so yeah good time to do updates. :D

Free Agency

By the Numbers
QB, FB, P, DE, DT, MLB, OLB, CB x 2, S x 2 (12 overall)

Week 1 Extensions/Re-signings
RB Mel Gray: 3 years, $260k
FS John Sullivan: 1 year, $70k*
QB Dan Marino: 6 years, $6.05 mill.
SE Steve Watson: 3 years, $1 mill.
LDE Curtis Greer: 3 years, $1.14 mill.
WLB Gary Cobb: 3 years, $1.14 mill.
SS Lloyd Burrus: 4 years, $1.32 mill.
MLB Cliff Odom: 3 years, $550k

Some of these guys are risks for their age and we might get bitten by salary cap hits in the next few years, but considering we've got over $3 million in cap room and only have $7.5 mill. so far in salaries for next year, I'm not too terribly concerned. The most important lockup was Marino into a very cap-friendly and controllable deal.

Week 2 Signings
DE Greg Smith - 1 year, $100k (Re-signing)
-Capable backup and starter for us last year. A good guy to have back.

Week 3 Signings
FB Jessie Clark - 1 year, $80k* (Indianapolis)
-A special teams demon and decent all-around FB. Takes over as the backup FB after Curtis Brown retired this offseason.

ILB Dennis Johnson - 1 year, $100k* (Dallas)
-Coming from a 3-4 to our 4-3, he'll fit in as the reserve MLB. Also our new defensive front leader with an affinity to Clyde Simmons.

CB Carl Allen - 1 year, $120k* (Atlanta)
-Spent one season in Miami (1980) and has been something of a journeyman. Returns to the Dolphins as a mentor and the DB captain in the wake of uber-captain Pete Shaw's retirement.

CB LeCharls McDaniel - 2 years, $500k (Washington)
-Okay, it was majorly overpaying, but I had to grab this bastard away from the Redskins and make him our new starting RCB. Has a mild conflict with new captain Carl Allen, though. Doh!

Week 3 Losses
DT Bill Pickel - 1 year, $80k* (Dallas - Re-signing)
-Most unfortunate, as Joe Klecko really hit the tank this offseason and we desperately need somebody inside to take his place and Pickel was the best of a weak FA crop.

Week 4 Signings
G Sean Farrell - 3 years, $950k (Los Angeles)
-Key signing, who'll be able to take over the LG spot after we let Mickey Marvin go in free agency. One of our biggest targets this free agency.

Week 4 Losses
T Chuck Loewen - 3 years, $490k (Buffalo)
-The last year's voidable if he gets 10 key run blocks, which is ridiculously easy to meet. I probably should've tried to re-sign him, but oh well. I wanted to give Paul Blair the reins at RT anyway.

Week 6 Signings
P Dan Melville - 1 year $110k (Atlanta)
-A damned sight better than our previous punter.

S Monty Hunter - 1 year, $80k* (Cincinnati)
-Horrible free agent crop for safeties and Hunter was the best available. Could switch over to FS and start there or could serve as Lloyd Burrus's backup.

Week 6 Losses
FB Mike Augustyniak - 1 year, $80k* (Buffalo)
-The Bills continue pilfering our guys in hopes that it'll help them challenge us for AFC East supremacy. Yeah, good luck with that, Buffalo.

G Mickey Marvin - 2 years, $320k (Tucson)
-Who here is surprised by the Titans taking our discarded scrap? Yeah, me either. The Titans, forever the Dolphins wannabes.

ILB Joe McLaughlin - 1 year, $100k* (Houston)
-Off Joe goes in search of a starting spot with the Oilers, a common happenstance with the fellows who've had to back up Cliff Odom over the years.

Week 7 Signings
T Roger Taylor - 2 years, $310k (San Francisco)
-Remember this guy? Our 4th round pick in 1981? Remember how I thought he was the future and he didn't pan out? Well, he's been a journeyman around the league since then and became a mentor along the way, so in he comes to help prepare Paul Blair and take over for him if he doesn't work out.

Week 7 Losses
CB Alan Caldwell - 1 year, $100k* (Detroit)
-Gotten eaten alive in the playoffs last year, so I say screw 'em.

CB Bobby Butler - 1 year, $80k* (Pittsburgh)
-One of the worst cover corners we've ever had and to think I was stupid enough to start his ass. Yeah, I'm not sorry to see him go either.

Week 8 Signings
DT Bill Neill - 1 year, $90k* (Houston)
-Am I thrilled to have him? No, but he's starter-material on our suddenly weak interior D-line.

Week 8 Losses
P Mike Connell - 1 year, $100k* (Tampa Bay)
-Liked so Florida so much he opted to stay with one of the Sunshine State's teams.

DT Ben Rudolph - 1 year, 80k* (Carolina)
-Okay now this makes me laugh. -Why- would the Panthers sign this guy? Oh wait, he had 4 sacks in 2 starts last year, that's why.

Week 9 Signings
QB Don Milan - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-He's had a 4/4 rating for a long time now, but I refuse to let him play for anyone else.

OLB Greg Bracelin - 1 year, $100k* (Dallas)
-Reserve OLB filler.

Draft later today or, more likely, tomorrow night, as I'm going home for the weekend tomorrow.

[Izulde]

CB Nate Odomes is far and away considered the best player in the draft, but there's a couple of great HB-initialed tackles in Howard Ballard and Harris Barton at the top as well. CB Rod Woodson, DT Jerry Ball and WR Cris Carter round out the bona fide blue-chippers.

As for us, we'll be looking at DT, CB, S for sure and possibly C, G, T and ILB as well in the first round.

1987 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. RB Bo Jackson - Cleveland Browns

That's a shocker pick that sends roars of incredulity throughout the building and across the country. Jackson wasn't even rated the highest RB on the board (RB Bobby Morse held those honors).

2. QB Jim Harbaugh - Minnesota Vikings

One of the most stunning pair of first two draft picks in universe history, although Harbaugh was certainly rated as the top QB.

3. CB Nate Odomes - Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs give their heartfelt thanks to the Browns and Vikings for being really, really stupid.

4. CB Rod Woodson - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. G Kevin Gogan - San Diego Chargers
6. DT Jerry Ball - Philadelphia Eagles
7. WR Cris Carter - Oakland Raiders
8. T Harris Barton - Atlanta Falcons
9. S Tim McDonald - Los Angeles Rams
10. CB Eric Thomas - St. Louis Cardinals
11. TE Keith McKellar - New Orleans Saints
12. OLB Greg Lloyd - Seattle Seahawks
13. T Howard Ballard - Detroit Lions through New England Patriots

The Lions get an absolute steal here, giving up only their 3rd round pick in this draft and their 2nd round selection in next year's draft to grab a player that should've been gone in the first 5-10 picks. What a brilliant move by the Detroit front office.

14. RB Bobby Morse - Dallas Cowboys
15. WR Haywood Jeffries - Chicago Bears
16. QB Steve Beuerlein - Houston Oilers
17. ILB Al Smith - Cincinnati Bengals
18. RB John Settle - New Jersey Jets
19. CB Ricky Reynolds - Buffalo Bills
20. DT Jerome Brown - Tucson Titans
21. ILB Dave Wyman - Green Bay Packers
22. ILB Shane Conlan - Baltimore Ravens
23. RB Harry Sydney - Pittsburgh Steelers
24. WR Bruce Hill - Denver Broncos
25. DE Shawn Knight - Detroit Lions
26. QB Rich Gannon - San Diego Chargers
27. DT Henry Thomas - Dallas Cowboys
28. T Bruce Armstrong - New York Giants
29. CB Najee Mustafaa - San Francisco 49ers
30. WR Scott Schwedes - Carolina Panthers

And thus, our turn rolls around. There's a DT and a couple safeties available that really draw my eye. One of the safeties is younger, very underrated and 51% developed, but he's also 5'9" and has a low endurance, whereas the other safety is very overrated and two years older, but also 6'1", with great bars even with the very overrated.

In the end, I go with the better development, youth and underatedness of the shorter safety an hope he's a S version of Darrell Green, a 5'8" CB who's one of the better DBs in the league.

31. S Thomas Everett - Miami Dolphins
32. OLB Cornelius Bennett - Washington Redskins

The other S I was looking at goes at 2.13 to the Atlanta Falcons and he slots in at 30/66 after immediate draft look, versus 29/42 for the bloke I drafted. Lovely.

In the second round, I trade up to 2.14, giving the Bears 2.32 and my 1989 3rd round pick to snag DT Dan Saleaumula, who has mid-1st round type of talent. Sure, the price was steep, but we need young blood on the inside of our defensive line.

We've tagged the 3rd round for an ILB and they start flying off the board early in the third, but I'm not worried... until my very last target gets stolen the pick before mine by those asshat 49ers. :mad: So instead we take CB Lou Brock, who I really like the looks of.

ILB Chuck Faucette is our flyer pick in the 4th round after the P I wanted went sailing off the board.

4.46 40 time, blistering agility and great prospect workout earns WR Perry Kemp a 5th round selection from the Dolphins.

For the fun of it, I draft FB Merril Hoge in the 6th, even though I could probably get him in the 7th or even as an undrafted player. Maybe I'll even experiment with moving him to RB.

And finally, C Frank Winters in the 7th, just because.

Late Free Agency

Week 3 Signings
C Mike Webster - 2 years, $290k (Detroit)
-Four-time All-Pro who in his 14th season is on his way out. Had to pay through the nose for him because he was the only damned mentor C on the block.


FS Thomas Everett 1.31 29/42 36/46 +7/+4
DT Dan Saleaumula 2.14 32/44 36/47 +4/+3
RCB Lou Brock 3.31 16/50 18/43 +2/-7
ILB Chuck Faucette 4.31 12/35 16/33 +4/-2
SE Perry Kemp 5.31 16/16 20/22 +4/+6
FB Merril Hoge 6.31 12/20 15/25 +3/+5
C Frank Winters 7.31 10/41 12/40 +2/-1

FS Gene Atkins (Atlanta Guy) 30/66 29/64

Draft Grade: B+

Everett looks like he was the right selection after all and he steps in as the Week 1 starter at FS. Similarly, Saleaumula will be the starting RDT after we move DT Jim Burt to the left side.

Outside of those two, however, this is one ugly, ugly draft class. Still, we got two starters out of the deal, which is very important for the team's hopes for a fourth straight Super Bowl appearance.

[damnMikeBrown]

Nice pick up with Atkins... a little painful to have the rookie FA pushing the first rounder?

[Izulde]

Nice pick up with Atkins... a little painful to have the rookie FA pushing the first rounder?

I didn't get Atkins. He was the other S I was debating between him and Everett at 1.31. Atkins was actually drafted 2.13 by the Atlanta Falcons :)

[damnMikeBrown]

Reading is hard....

[Izulde]

Reading is hard....

It's cool. :)

[Izulde]

Milan, Don 19 QB 13 3 3 1 yr.
Kerrigan, Mike 10 QB 5 32 32 1 yr.
Marino, Dan 1 QB 5 85 85 6 yrs

Marino here through his 11th season is an excellent thing.


Dickerson, Eric 42 RB 5 60 60 3 yrs
Gray, Mel 36 RB 4 26 26 3 yrs
Fontenot, Herman 32 RB 3 31 39 1 yr.
Dickey, Curtis 21 FB 8 56 56 2 yrs
Clark, Jessie 23 FB 5 35 35 1 yr.
Hoge, Merril 20 FB 1 15 25 3 yrs

Dickerson and Dickey are our obvious starters. Fontenot took a real nosedive in terms of his ability as a backup runner and Gray doesn't have the endurance necessary to do the job. Hoge, if he's moved to RB, drops to 76% of his ratings. ....I think we'll do it. The drop isn't bad at all, as he goes from 15/25 to 14/22. With time, he could be an okay reserve RB.


Spagnola, John 82 TE 9 37 37 2 yrs
Novacek, Jay 87 TE 3 44 44 1 yr.
Monk, Art 85 FL 8 59 59 3 yrs
Lipps, Louis 86 FL 4 47 47 1 yr.
Watson, Steve 89 SE 9 50 50 3 yrs
Duper, Mark 83 SE 6 44 44 1 yr.
Matthews, Aubrey 84 SE 2 23 26 2 yrs
Kemp, Perry 80 SE 1 20 22 3 yrs

Novacek finally supplants Spagnola as our starting TE. Monk and Watson still start, with Lipps and Duper the reserves. The 5th WR slot is going to be an interesting fight between Matthews and Kemp, with Kemp having the inside track thanks to his lack of conflict with Watson.


Webster, Mike 52 C 14 33 33 2 yrs
Grant, Will 54 C 10 47 47 2 yrs
Dellenbach, Jeff 53 C 3 35 51 1 yr.
Winters, Frank 51 C 1 12 40 3 yrs
Hough, Jim 78 LG 10 26 26 2 yrs
Farrell, Sean 65 LG 6 50 50 3 yrs
Commiskey, Chuck 63 RG 7 50 50 3 yrs
Williams, Larry 67 RG 3 35 36 1 yr.
Eatman, Irv 71 LT 5 35 35 2 yrs
Zimmerman, Gary 66 LT 4 63 63 1 yr.
Taylor, Roger 68 RT 7 44 44 2 yrs
Blair, Paul 76 RT 2 35 53 3 yrs

Zimmerman-Farrell-Grant-Commiskey-Blair, though Taylor will be ready to step in at a moment's notice. Williams the reserve G and Dellenbach the backup C. Everyone else goes on the inactive, though Winters will get reps in preseason.


Melville, Dan 16 P 9 75 75 1 yr.
Norwood, Scott 4 K 3 45 45 1 yr.

We're fine here.


Greer, Curtis 73 LDE 8 52 52 3 yrs
Smith, Greg 91 RDE 6 40 40 1 yr.
Simmons, Clyde 98 RDE 2 41 45 3 yrs
Klecko, Joe 75 LDT 11 21 21 2 yrs
Burt, Jim 97 LDT 7 47 47 2 yrs
Neill, Bill 74 LDT 7 42 42 1 yr.
Saleaumula, Dan 93 RDT 1 36 47 3 yrs

Greer-Burt-Saleaumula-Simmons with Smith and Neill the reserves. Greer's starting his decline, which makes Simmons' gradual rise all the more important. Saleaumula was a huge pickup as well, given that we're starting to get gray in that area too.


Faucette, Chuck 50 MLB 1 15 33 3 yrs
Johnson, Dennis 95 MLB 8 44 44 1 yr.
Odom, Cliff 55 MLB 8 52 52 3 yrs
Tippett, Andre 59 SLB 6 57 57 2 yrs
Cobb, Gary 58 WLB 9 66 66 3 yrs
Bracelin, Greg 56 WLB 8 32 32 1 yr.

Tippett-Odom-Cobb, Bracelin and Johnson the reserves. It'll mean a cap hit, but we'll cut Faucette.


Byrd, Gill 34 LCB 5 66 66 4 yrs
Allen, Carl 43 RCB 11 32 32 1 yr.
Small, Gerald 33 LCB 10 36 36 1 yr.
McDaniel, LeCharls 37 RCB 7 41 41 2 yrs
Brock, Lou 24 RCB 1 18 43 3 yrs
Burrus, Lloyd 25 SS 7 55 55 4 yrs
Hunter, Monty 39 SS 6 44 44 1 yr.
Sullivan, John 45 FS 4 37 37 1 yr.
Gibson, Antonio 27 FS 2 28 33 2 yrs
Everett, Thomas 28 FS 1 36 46 4 yrs

Byrd-McDaniel-Burrus-Everett with Small and Allen the backups at CB, Hunter and Sullivan the reserves at S. We'll try and get the young guys some preseason looks, but my guess is, we're going to be looking heavily at CB next offseason in the draft, as we're getting ancient there.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Carolina 0 Miami 42
Art Monk dominated the highlight reel with 7 catches for 139 yards and a TD and Lloyd Burrus had a great all-around game with 8 tackles, 3 assists, a sack, a hurry and a pass defense in this laugher.

Miami 40 New York 27
No real highlights to report, though backup QB Mike Kerrigan did throw an astonishing 3 TDs.

Miami 27 Atlanta 21
The game wasn't as close as the score indicates, as Dan Marino was 19/39 for 294 yards and 3 TDs to one INT, Art Monk snagging 5 balls for 101 yards and a TD.

Dallas 10 Miami 28
Steve Watson catches 7 passes for 145 yards and 2 TDs, Clyde Simmons has 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns and Curtis Greer gets 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown to close out a perfect preseason.

Perhaps the biggest shock of the exhibition season was rookie CB Lou Brock looking good enough to win the nickel back spot.

Regular Season

New Jersey 10 Miami 33
Eric Dickerson kicks the real season off with a bang, carrying the ball 27 times for 150 yards and 3 TDs. Gill Byrd showed up ready to play on defense with a tackle, 3 pass defenses and an interception as we crush the Jets.

Returner wizard Mel Gray breaks his ankle and is out 6 weeks, devastating our return game. SE Aubrey Matthews gets his pink slip and we sign 8th year CB Will Lewis, a mentor to boot, to fill the gaps.

Miami 17 Dallas 10
A difficult win, but Dan Marino sees us through with a 27/38 for 295 yard, 2 TD and 1 INT performance. Lloyd Burrus really powered the defense with 12 tackles, 2 assists, a pass defense and an interception.

Jacksonville 6 Miami 27
A much easier win as Dan Marino throws another 38 passes, completing 22 of them for 259 yards and 2 TDs. Andre Tippett savages the Jaguars for 6 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns.

LT Gary Zimmerman strains his back and will be out roughly 3 weeks, forcing us to call upon T Irv Eatman to fill in for our two-time defending 1st Team All-Pro LT.

Buffalo 10 Miami 27
Gary Cobb returns an interception 22 yards for a TD, one of 2 INTs for him on the day and one of 4 total team picks of Art Schlichter, a former Dolphins 5th round pick. as denial through the air keys an otherwise pedestrian victory.

Miami 34 San Diego 10
Dan Marino takes home Player of the Game with a very nice 18/25 for 320 yards and 2 TD line and Clyde Simmons feasts on the Chargers for 4 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns.

LT Gary Zimmerman is back to full health a week ahead of schedule, much to our relief.

Denver 16 Miami 14
...And of course, it figures that our perfect season would be ruined the very game he comes back. Lloyd Burrus recorded 11 tackles, an assist, a hurry and a knockdown and Clyde Simmons had his second straight strong game with 5 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a hurry, but Dan Marino's 3 interceptions are all you need to know about this nutcrushing loss.

The bye week has Mel Gray back to us. Yay.

Kansas City 7 Miami 38
We take out the frustrations for our loss to the Broncos on their AFC West foes, the Chiefs, as Eric Dickerson rushes 31 times for 104 yards and Dan Marino is 20/26 for 294 yards and 3 TDs.

Backup DE Greg Smith gets nailed with plantar fasciitis, whatever the hell that is, and has to go on the IR. DE Chris Linnin, a Week 3 Rams releasee`, is signed to take over for the rest of the year.

Miami 40 Oakland 28
Dan Marino destroys the Raiders in this game: 33/43 for 394 yards and 2 TDs, the bulk of the throwing going to Art Monk with 11 catches for 166 yards and a TD. Scott Norwood hit 4/4 FGs.

And so at the halfway mark, we stand at 7-1, two games up on the 5-3 Patriots in the division and on everyone else for the #1 seed in the AFC.

The halfway stats:


Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
All-Time 304-136
Winning Pct. .690
Playoffs 38-15
Playoff Visits 22
Bowl Wins 7
Head Coach Alan Rosian
Record 55-10
Winning Pct. .846
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 31.5 3
Rushing Yards 125.1 6
Yards Per Carry 3.97 16
Pass Attempts 34.8 18 (T)
Completions 22.8 5
Completion Pct. 65.5 4
Passing Yards 284.0 4
Yards Per Attempt 8.17 4
Yards Per Catch 12.48 7
Total Yardage Gained 400.0 1
3rd Down Conversions 47.2 4
Points Per Game 28.8 2
Pass Rush Pct. 23.0 14
Pass Defense Pct. 67.6 8
Turnovers 10 2 (T)
Turnover Margin +6 5 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 21.3 2
Rushing Yards 77.8 1
Yards Per Carry 3.66 4
Pass Attempts 34.9 15 (T)
Completions 19.9 12 (T)
Completion Pct. 57.0 11 (T)
Passing Yards 195.5 2
Yards Per Attempt 5.61 3
Yards Per Catch 9.84 1
Total Yardage Gained 257.1 1
3rd Down Conversions 37.6 14
Points Per Game 12.1 1
Pass Rush Pct. 19.4 7
Pass Defense Pct. 40.4 3
Turnovers 16 13 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 33 NJY 10
2 17 at DAL 10
3 27 JAX 6
4 27 BUF 10
5 34 at SDO 10
6 14 DEN 16
8 38 KCY 7
9 40 at OAK 28
10 at NED
11 at NJY
12 PHI
13 at PIT
14 at NYK
15 at BUF
16 WAS
17 NED

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
1 D. Marino QB 278 182 2272 8.17 14 5 100.0
**Team --- 278 182 2272 8.17 14 5 100.0
$$Opp --- 279 159 1564 5.61 6 11 63.7

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 178 735 4.13 8 2
20 M. Hoge RB 55 199 3.62 3 3
**Team --- 252 1001 3.97 12 13
$$Opp --- 170 622 3.66 3 16

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 A. Monk WR 57 36 528 14.67 9.26 4 3
86 L. Lipps WR 44 31 436 14.06 9.91 1 1
89 S. Watson WR 63 29 377 13.00 5.98 6 3
42 E. Dickerson RB 31 26 255 9.81 8.23 0 0
83 M. Duper WR 26 14 181 12.93 6.96 2 0
87 J. Novacek TE 19 13 141 10.85 7.42 1 4
21 C. Dickey FB 12 10 75 7.50 6.25 0 2

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
25 L. Burrus S 53 11 1.0 1 1 6 83.6
24 L. Brock CB 34 8 0.0 0 0 1 71.5
58 G. Cobb OLB 33 8 2.0 0 4 1 85.4
59 A. Tippett OLB 33 5 5.0 1 1 5 76.2
55 C. Odom ILB 28 11 2.0 2 0 1 77.5
97 J. Burt DT 27 8 1.5 9 0 0 79.7
34 G. Byrd CB 24 5 0.0 0 2 9 84.6
28 T. Everett S 23 9 0.0 0 2 4 81.9
37 L. McDaniel CB 21 7 0.0 0 0 7 78.7
45 J. Sullivan S 13 6 0.0 0 1 3 83.6
98 C. Simmons DE 12 7 5.0 10 0 1 82.8
73 C. Greer DE 10 6 3.5 12 0 0 82.5
93 D. Saleaumula DT 9 8 1.0 2 0 0 81.8

Save for that 3 interception game against the Broncos, Dan Marino is having an absolutely fantastic season. Eric Dickerson's fumble numbers are up slightly, but he's still one of the safest ball-carriers in the game. The Merril Hoge experiment is iffy, but what really concerns me is the number of dropped passes from our WRs. On the other hand, it's nice to see Jay Novacek emerging as a safety blanket for Marino.

Lloyd Burrus is having another fantastic season, Andre Tippett is on the verge of a 10 sack campaign and Clyde Simmons is really starting to come into his own. Great play by Gill Byrd as well and Dan Saleaumula may not have a sexy stats line, but his big presence in the middle of the line is eating up a lot of space and a major reason why we're dominating in run defense.

[Izulde]

CB Gerald Small and SS Monty Hunter are Unhappy and DT Bill Neill and QB Mike Kerrigan are disgruntled. Let's see, Kerrigan over Marino? Fat chance. Neill over the improving rookie Saleaumula? I don't think so. Small has a point and will be in our nickel and dime packages from here on out. Hunter can stew in it.

Miami 27 New England 0
The shutout pretty much decimates any hopes the Patriots may have had at challening for the AFC East title, barring some Dolphins catastrophe. Dan Marino throws for 229 yards and 3 TDs on 19/30 throwing as we take it easy in this convincing win.

Miami 35 New Jersey 13
Eric Dickerson rushes 21 times for 116 yards and a TD, but my heart's in my throat when Mike Kerrigan's the Game MVP on 20/24 for 295 yards with 4 TDs and 2 INTs. What the hell happened to Dan Marino?! Art Monk was sensational with 7 catches for 156 yards and 2 TDs, Curtis Greer had 2 tackles, 2 sacks 4 hurries and a knockdown and Gill Byrd was otherworldly with 2 tackles, 2 assists and 5 pass defenses.

Whew. Crisis averted. It's just a sprained knee and Dan Marino's probable for the next game.

Philadelphia 10 Miami 37
No problems with the knee as Dan Marino is 20/28 for 244 yards and 4 TDs, Art Monk the main man with 6 catches for 102 yards and a TD. Gill Byrd continued his fine play with 3 tackles, a sack and 3 pass defenses and rookie Perry Kemp proved worthy of his roster by forcing 2 fumbles on special teams. Nice work, kid!

Miami 41 Pittsburgh 23
Another week, another easy win, the coolest points of which were Thomas Everett's 33 yard interception return for a TD. Another great Dan Marino performance: 22/29 for 280 yards and 3 TDs. Jim Burt exploded on defense with 5 tackles, 2 assists, 2.5 sacks and a knockdown, while LeCharls Daniels picked up 2 tackles, 4 assists and 3 pass defenses.

Starting TE Jay Novacek breaks his fibula and is out roughly 7 weeks. Since he'll be back for the playoffs most likely, I cut CB Will Lewis and sign TE Mike Mularkey, who has some special teams value. TE John Spagnola reprises his starting TE role.

Miami 34 New York 21
Dan Marino is 24/30 for 300 yards on the nose and 3 TDs, with Steve Watson the receiving hero at 6 catches for 107 yards and 2 TDs. Clyde Simmons led the D with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 hurries and a knockdown.

With the victory we officially clinch the AFC East, which isn't even something to get excited about anymore, it's become so routine for us.

Miami 17 Buffalo 9
The Bills come in upset-minded, but we turn them away thanks mostly to some stellar pass defense. No statistical stars to report this game, though.

And with -that- win, we officially lock up the #1 seed in the playoffs, even though there's still two games to play.

So what do we play for now? The 15-1 record, which will piss me off in a way if we get it, as we'd have then been one shitty game at Denver away from 16-0, but oh well.

Washington 24 Miami 17
In the game many are calling the possible Super Bowl preview, the Redskins win, thanks to a certain jackass named Irving Fryar, who has become the bane of our existence. Clyde Simmons was the best man on our side, with 4 tackles, 5 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and 5 knockdowns.

Starting MLB Cliff Odom strains his back and will miss our last game, so out goes rookie C Frank Winters and in comes SILB Carl Eckern. MLB Dennis Johnson takes over as the starter.

New England 22 Miami 25
Bad, bad news. A last-second 31 yard TD pass from Dan Marino to Art Monk was needed to secure the comeback win. Marino was Player of the Game, 19/32 for 288 yards, 3 TDs and an INT. Gill Byrd had 3 tackles, 2 assists and 3 pass defenses to head up the defenses.

And so we coast into the playoffs with another 14-2 record and home-field advantage on our quest for four straight Super Bowl appearances.

[Izulde]

So after a week to rest up, MLB Cliff Odom is questionable and TE Jay Novacek is still Out.

Lovely.

Our divisional opponents are, ironically enough, the New England Patriots.

8th year vet QB Mark Malone finally beat out Cliff Stoudt for the starting signal-caller spot this year, but he's truly awful and if New England ever wants to topple us as the class of the AFC East, they need a better QB.

RB Earl Campbell needs no introduction, as even in his 10th season, he's still one of the top 5 RBs in the league and ranks 1st all-time in rushing TDs.

The Patriots actually have some nice receivers in TE Eric Sievers and FL Gary Clark, but SE Carlos Carson is a major underachiever.

C Blair Bush is a talented veteran and one of the longest running Patriots starters in franchise history. LG Ben Utt is terrific, RG George Yarno the classic great road-eater, suspect in pass-protection. LT Ronnie Lee is better suited to the right side and RT Ted Albrecht's best years are long behind him.

P Dale Hatcher has a booming leg, but his hangtime sucks so bad, his net average blows. K Kevin Butler has a leg, but is sporadic in accuracy.

LDE Tyrone Keys is a lot like L.C. Greenwood was for us. A consistent, double-digit sack DE who goes woefully unrecognized. RDE Lee Williams has developed into a steady player on the opposite side. NT William Perry finally started taking over as the point man in the 3-4 late this season, but we haven't seen enough to say if the 3rd year pro is any good or not.

SLB Billy Ray Smith and second year WLB Seth Joyner are a pair of damned scary OLBs in the pass-rush, perfect fits for the New England 3-4, allowing SILB John Rade to clean up in tackling. WiLB Jim Collins is just kinda there.

LCB Ronnie Lippett had 7 interceptions and a 91.5% pass defense in just 13 regular season games this year and is the Patriots' answer to Gill Byrd. Rookie RCB Roland Mitchell improved all year long and looked great in the wild card victory. 2nd year SS Cornell Gowdy is a fine player and 3rd year FS Mike Prior had 8 interceptions and an 87.8% pass defense.

Honestly, if the Patriots have anything close to a respectable QB, they're a Super Bowl contender. That's how good they'd be with the two talented receivers they have, Earl Campbell and that monstrous defense.

As it is, I'm anticipating a game far too close for comfort, though Vegas has us by almost a touchdown at 6 points.

The Patriots loaded up on stopping Eric Dickerson and succeeded, holding him to just 33 yards on 27 carries, a pathetic 1.22 ypc.

But they forgot to stop Dan Marino, who scorched that excellent secondary for 329 yards and 3 TDs on 21/27 passing and won Player of the Game. Scott Norwood kicked 6/6 FGs, including a 55 yarder and Lloyd Burrus was magnificient on defense with 8 tackles, 2 assists, a pass defense and 2 interceptions.

New England 14 Miami 39

On to the AFC Championship.

[Izulde]

TE Jay Novacek and MLB Cliff Odom are back in, but backup S John Sullivan is out, requiring S Antonio Gibson to step into the reserve FS role.

For the AFC Championship, we've got the Houston Oilers.

QB Archie Manning isn't starting any more and in fact, the last time he was a full-time starter was 1981, though he did get a handful of starts in 1983. Not that it's anything to be ashamed of; he's in his 17th pro season. Instead, it's QB Gary Hogeboom an 8th year pro who'd never taken more than 8 snaps in a season before this year. He wins the starting job and throws for 3,871 yards and 28 TDs to 11 INTs. Not bad at all! QB Steve Beuerlein is the rookie, but one designated as the Oilers' future signalcaller.

4th year RB Bill Johnson is a lot like a poor man's Eric Dickerson, an underrated runner who's very secure with the football and quietly piles up the yardage.

TE Hoby Brenner is a terrific all-around player. FL Cris Collinsworth is pretty good, but by no means elite and SE Stanley Morgan is old, underachieving and drop-prone. 3rd year, 3rd WR Will Drewrey has developed into a solid player, if not for his drop tendencies. Not bad for a late 5th rounder.

C Randy Grimes is a great runblocker, but gave up an appalling 10 sacks last season, which is unheard of for a C and in general gives up too many sacks. LG Bruce Collie and RG Russ Grimm are decent, but not outstanding. LT Harry Swayne was a little rough in pass protection as a rookie, but showed phenomenal run-blocking skills and looks to have the kind of potential to have made him an absolute steal at 2.15. RT Bubba Paris is pretty bad and a major loafer.

P Jack Weil is quite good, but K Matt Bahr is too erratic to be a reliable K.

LDE Bruce Smith had 53 tackles, 12.5 sacks and 41 hurries last year, but really fell off this season with 27 tackles, 4 sacks and 18 hurries. Only time will tell if he's able to rebound into the type of player he was last year. Part of the problem might be that the rest of the line, such as rookie RDE Ben Thomas, LDT Manu Tuiasosopo, in general has no pass-rush skills, resulting in Smith getting double and triple-teamed. RDT Rush Brown did have 7.5 sacks in his first full-time starting gig since 1984, though.

MLB Karl Mecklenberg has a ton of talent, but can't seem to put it together and become a consistent, dominant player like he should be. SLB George Jamieson had 6 interceptions in the regular season, but underachieves considerably and WLB Dale Carver is a journeyman already in his 5th season, but one who has a lot more ability than scouts want to give him credit for.

LCB Arnold Brown broke out in a big way this season, with 6 interceptions and an 87.0 pass defense % and has been on fire in the playoffs as well. RCB Patrick Hunter isn't much in pass coverage, but is a demon in run support. CB Hanford Dixon is one of the best nickel backs in the league at the moment. SS Carlton Williamson is a big-time underachiever, though FS Dennis Smith makes up for that by being sensational.

All in all, I'm not really afraid of this Oilers team. They've got respectable individual pieces here and there, but as a whole, they just don't strike any fear in me.

The bookies agree, favoring us by a comfortable 8 points.

All we needed was the fifth play of the game: a 53 yard TD run by Eric Dickerson, who finished with 129 yards and the TD on 21 carries.

Dan Marino added insult to injury by earning Player of the Game honors with a 19/31 for 296 yards and 4 TDs line.

It was an out and out reaming and we're making history by going to our fifth consecutive Super Bowl!!!.

Houston 3 Miami 38

[nilodor]

Another heart breaking defeat? Or running out of steam a bit?

[Izulde]

Another heart breaking defeat? Or running out of steam a bit?

A combination of running out of steam and end of semester crunch.

I'll return to this at some point, just not sure when.

The Super Bowl preview posts usually take me a while to write up, anyway.

[damnMikeBrown]

Unacceptable.

Soldier on

[Izulde]

Unacceptable.

Soldier on

Sorry. :D I will at some point, though!

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XXVIII Preview

Miami Dolphins Out
RG Chuck Commiskey (Starter)
S John Sullivan (Reserve)
DE Greg Smith (Reserve)

Washington Redskins Out
LG Leotis Harris (Starter)
RG J.T. Turner (Starter)
CB Manny Hendrix (Starter)

Quarterback
It's another epic Super Bowl battle between Dan Marino and Steve Bartkowski. The loss still tastes bitter to Marino, who had his finest season yet this year, completing almost 65% of his passes in the regular season for 4,149 yards, 33 TDs and 8 INTs, his second 4,000+ yard season and first since his first year as a full-time starter. He's yet to throw a pick this postseason. Backup Mike Kerrigan was efficient in mopup duty this season, his first ever pro regular season appearance, but he scares no one.

Steve Bartkowski is one of the most legendary Super Bowl QBs in history. Last year's Super Bowl performance of 412 yards and 3 TDs on 25/30 throws ranks as one of the all-time great showings on football's biggest stage. The old man showed he's still got it this year as well, throwing for 4,009 yards, 34 TDs and 15 INTs in the regular season. Bob Avellini has a poor postseason track record, though he was a moderately successful two-season starter in Los Angeles a few years ago.

Advantage: Draw

Running Back
Eric Dickerson has very quietly established himself as an upper-echelon back, with five straight seasons of 1,000+ yards and 11+ TDs on the ground and four straight years of 400+ receiving yards, but he's never shown the ability to be the differencemaker in close playoff games and that's going to hurt against the archrival Redskins, because Washington always plays the Dolphins tough in the Super Bowl. Reserve RB Merril Hoge, the Dolphins 6th round pick, has been much more effective than anticipated, but is still a downgrade from previous Miami second-string backs.

Keith Griffin is an overachieving back who has greatly improved on ball security in his fourth season. He'll never be an elite back, but he's perfect for the two-back system the Redskins employ and rookie Larry Mason is a great elusive complement to Griffin's speed game.

Advantage: Draw

Wide Receivers
TE Jay Novacek is one of the best safety valve targets in the league and his 7 regular season TD passes illustrates that. FL Art Monk is still a terrific receiver, but his yardage has gone down every season he's been in Miami. SE Steve Watson is far too drop-prone to be an effective starter anymore and reserve Louis Lipps or Mark Duper should be getting the call. All told, though, this is the most feared group of receivers in the NFL, which shouldn't be a surprise, given the emphasis the Dolphins front office puts on a strong receiving corps.

TE Bruce Hardy is a run-blocker, but can't catch the ball to save his life. FL Irving Fryar is arguably the best WR in the entire league and he set another Redskins record this season with 1,817 receiving yards, second to the Giants' Andre Reed, who had 1,866. (Ed. Historical Note: There have been four 2,000+ receiving yards in universe history, 3 of 4 belonging to Packers great Boyd Dowler, who also has the last 2,000+ yard receiving season, all the way back in 1963.) SE John Taylor is a very distant second fiddle and the reserves are nondescript beneath the great fiery sun of Fryar's brilliance.

Advantage: Draw

Offensive Line
Losing Commiskey hurts in a big way, as RG Larry Williams is a horrible run-blocker and will further reduce Dickerson's impact on the game. It also means an ancient G Jim Hough as the reserve guard, who last played a real game in last year's Super Bowl. That said, LT Gary Zimmerman has been an All-Pro 1st Team T the last two years and had another fantastic season this year and LG Sean Farrell was a terrific free agency acquisition from Los Angeles. Second year RT Paul Blair looked much more comfortable this season. C Will Grant is feeling his age, though and really should be giving way to the younger C Jeff Dellenbach. Backup T Roger Taylor is a much better player since returning to Miami than he was as a Dolphins draftee.

LG Brad Budde is no one's idea of a legitimate NFL guard, but he's starting in an emergency situation today along with RG Jon Borchardt after the season-ending injuries to Harris and Turner. Borchardt is actually a hard-working, proven NFL starter, but Budde is awful. Backup G Tony Slaton should be starting on the left side instead. C Joe Fields is old and can't run-block anymore, but he can still pass-protect. LT Andy Frederick is ancient and a revolving door. RT Tim Irwin is an overachiever, but the reserve situation for the Redskins o-line is such a mess, we won't embarass Washington by publishing their names.

Advantage: Dolphins

Kickers
P Dan Melville had his best season his first year in Miami, but he's still a major underachiever. K Scott Norwood was terrible in the regular season, completing just 63.4% of his FGs, but he's 7/7 this postseason, including a 55 yarder.

P Scott Fullhage was a dissapointment this rookie season, but K Paul McFadden has gotten better and better each year and could be in the running for an All-Pro nod this season.

Advantage: Draw

Defensive Line
LDE Curtis Greer continues his decline, but he's still a solid player in his 8th season. Second year RDE Clyde Simmons is on the rise, but he's not quite there yet. LDT Jim Burt is one of the most underrated DTs in the league and the unsung hero of the Dolphins d-line. Rookie RDT Dan Saleaumula showed flashes, but still has a ways to go yet.

LDE Keith Willis is a DT in a DE's body and RDE Doug Reed is in the same mold, though he did have 8 sacks in the regular season and seems to crank up the pressure in the postseason. LDT Bob Clasby is an overachiever and the inverse of Willis and Reed, a DE in a DT's body. RDT Reggie Kinlaw is the line's best player, equally adept at pass-rush and run-stuffing.

Advantage: Redskins

Linebackers
When will the Dolphins move off of MLB Cliff Odom? He doesn't get the tackles and isn't a pass-rusher. On the other hand, he's one of the better coverage linebackers in the league. SLB Andre Tippett is one of the best in the game at his position and has gotten better each season. He recorded 9 sacks this year and had 4 interceptions, which should be enough to earn him All-Pro consideration again. WLB Gary Cobb is extremely gifted.

MLB Vaughan Johnson may only be in his second season, but he's experiencing a meteoric rise and is arguably the best young MLB in the league. SLB Dean Moore is aging, but still a quality player. WLB Larry Gordon is a nonentity.

Advantage: Dolphins

Secondary
LCB Gill Byrd deserves an All-Pro award and it's a crime that he doesn't have one yet. RCB LeCharls McDaniel was stolen away from the Redskins in free agency and is a quality cover corner, especially in the postseason. CB Gerald Small is a terrible nickel back, though and rookie CB Lou Brock is still too raw to be effective in the dime package. SS Lloyd Burrus is one of the best in the league, but has been dogged by mediocre playoff performances. He's been on fire this posteason however, with 2 interceptions and a 96.6 pass defense percentage. Rookie FS Thomas Everett had 4 picks in the regular season and has been a splendid player.

12th year vet LCB Mike Haynes experienced a renaissance after Hendrix's injury. He's no longer the five-time All-Pro he was earlier in his career, but his savvy will carry him far. RCB Audrey McMillian is solid, but not dynamite. CB Bobby Watkins is a more than serviceable veteran nickel back. SS Darrol Roy is Burrus's equal, only with a much better playoff track record, but FS Kirk Springs is a gaping hole in the Redskin secondary.

Advantage: Draw

Keys for the Miami Dolphins

1. Stay true to a balanced offense
With Dickerson's struggles in close playoff games, it's tempting to just take to the air, but the Redskins have the aerial firepower in Steve Bartowski and Irving Fryar to win the shootout, just like they did last year. A more grinding game might actually play in the Dolphins' favor this go-round.

2. Blitz, blitz, blitz.
Washington's offensive line is in shambles with both their starting guards out and Andy Frederick is one of the weakest LTs on a Super Bowl team since, well, the early Miami championship teams. Take advantage of Andre Tippett and Gary Cobb to disrupt the Redskins rhythm.

3. Respect the Redskin rushing attack
At first glance, the Redskins don't appear to have much at RB, but their tandem tactics work surprisingly well and have been effective against the Dolphins in the Super Bowl before, so Miami can't afford to concentrate solely on pass defense.

Keys for the Washington Redskins

1. Don't be afraid to use Irving Fryar as a decoy.
If the Dolphins swarm all over Fryar, trying to take him out of the game, that opens things up for the other receivers and the backs to be wide open. Bartowski's a good enough QB that he can take advantage of the holes that would open up in Miami's pass defense as a result.

2. Protect Steve Bartowski
Without Bartowski, the Redskins don't win this game. It's as simple as that. Miami will most likely bring on the blitzes, so maximum protection is absolutely critical.

3. Remember Eric Dickerson
He's read the negative press and he remembers being largely corralled by Washington in previous Super Bowls, so the chip's there. Don't allow him the opportunity to break free, because if he gets going, the game's over.

Final Thoughts
Washington always finds a way to play Miami tough in the Super Bowl and they'll do it again this year, even with both their starting guards out. On the other hand, the Dolphins have turned areas of traditional franchise weakness, linebacker and offensive tackle, into strengths and they won't be an easy opponent. Throw in the fact that passions run high on both sides and both teams have fearsome passing games, underrated running games and stout defenses and this game's just too close to call.

Final Line
Even

[Izulde]

It's our ball first and we go on a grinding drive, powered mostly by short to mid-range Eric Dickerson runs. We get a scare when he bangs up his knee on a 9 yard run, his longest of the drive, but it appears to be okay.

Immediately after that 9 yard run, Dan Marino throws an incredible 42 yard pass to Louis Lipps for a TD! First blood drawn and Lipps is making a major push to be a starter next year!

Miami 7 Washington 0 - 11:39 1st Quarter

Ah, the beauty of former Redskin against Redskin. LeCharls McDaniel instantly earns his paycheck by defending a pass meant for Irving Fryar on Washington's first play.

Jim Burt sacks Steve Bartowski on Play #2 and Play #3 is a dropped pass for an euphoria-inducing 3 and out.

Mel Gray fumbles the PR, but Gary Cobb recovers it to save a potential disaster.

Dan Marino starts going to work on the next drive, but then an offensive holding penalty kills our momentum and we're forced to settle for a 45 yard FG try by Scott Norwood, which is good! Yes! Insurance!

Miami 10 Washington 0 - 7:33 1st Quarter

But the Redskins aren't going down so easily and Steve Bartowski connects with Irving Fryar for 43 yards on the opening play of the next drive. Another 23 yard pass play to John Taylor and a 4 yard run by Keith Griffin later and the Redskins are sitting on our one yard line.

A defended pass play courtesy of Gill Byrd and an Illegal use of the hands penalty on the Redskins provide a brief glimmer of hope, but Keith Griffin rips that out of our hearts by running all 11 yards for the TD. Hello, close ballgame.

Miami 10 Washington 7 - 4:58 1st Quarter

Blocked pass, defended pass, heart in throat 28 yard pass from Dan Marino to Jay Novacek to keep us alive. Three more consecutive pass completions a Merril Hoge short run gives us an easy 3rd and 2, but Art Monk drops the surefire first down, so it's a 42 yard FG by Scott Norwood.

But wait! Roughing the Kicker on the Redskins!

New life and 3 straight runs by Eric Dickerson, including the 5 yarder to cap off the TD! If we go on to win, that roughing the kicker penalty could go down as the turning point.

Miami 17 Washington 7 - 0:38 1st Quarter

The first quarter ends with the kickoff return and a 2 yard Keith Griffin run.

Miami 17 Washington 7 - End 1st Quarter

We three and out the Redskins, as our secondary is playing lights out pass defense today and Dan Saleaumula hurries Steve Bartowski into a bad throw on third down.

But they hold us to a three and out right back, forcing an Eric Dickerson fumble in the process that we fortunately recover. We follow it up by holding them to another three and out, with yet another pass defense, this one by Andre Tippett.

It's looking like another 3 and out, but Steve Watson catches and holds on to a critical 18 yard third down pass to make the coversion, but then Watson drops a pass on the next set of downs and we have to punt it away.

Washington three and outs as we're getting some serious pressure on Steve Bartowski and disrupting his rhythm.

Then Dan Marino has to go and throw an interception on the first play of our next drive. Audrey McMillian gets the pick and runs it back 15 yards to our 32 yard line.

More hurries, another pass defense, and another boneheaded Illegal Use of the Hands penalty and what do the Redskins end up with?

That's right. Nothing. Golden opportunity wasted there. I have to feel a bit sorry for the fans right now. Compared to last year's sensational Redskins/Dolphins Super Bowl, this one feels like a swamp fight. Lots of defense, a ton of penalties, after an initially promising contest.

It's such a trench war that we're thrilled to get a fresh set of downs after Herman Fontenot shows receiving smarts to just get enough for the first on third down. Our running game, including two straight pretty nice runs by Merril Hoge, gets us to midfield, before Dan Marino atones for his earlier interception by completing three straight passes and Eric Dickerson finishes it off by a one-yard off-tackle run for the TD!

Miami 24 Washington 7 - 4:02 2nd Quarter

Although Steve Bartowski connects with Irving Fryar for 25 yards on the first play after the kickoff, the Redskins are really reeling right now and it shows as our defense is figuring out their offense. Clyde Simmons adds insult to injury by throwing Steve Bartowski for a 7 yard loss.

Two Dan Marino completions have us in Redskins territory as the two-minute warning kicks in. A mixture of runs and passes translates into three straight beautiful runs by Eric Dickerson, including the 11 yard run for the finisher! The rout is officially on with this TD.

Miami 31 Washington 7 - Halftime

Network execs are despondent, Redskins fans are ill and the rest of the viewership is just bored with a Super Bowl that appears to be over at the halfway mark.

Another Washington 3 and out starts the second half and our defense has completely cracked the Redskin offense.

After our own three and out, Washington gets a first down, but then Gill Byrd picks off Steve Bartowski and returns the interception 13 yards to the Washington 31.

Short yard passes and two runs, including a goal-line plunge by Eric Dickerson takes on another TD. The Redskins are done.

Miami 38 Washington 7 - 7:34 3rd Quarter

Washington actually crosses into our territory for the first time this half, but they have to punt it away. Worse yet, it eats up almost the entire rest of the third quarter and we finish it off with the beginnings of a drive of our own.

Miami 38 Washington 7 - End 3rd Quarter

We trudge to midfield before we punt it away. The kick's a coffin-corner that pins the Redskins on the 9 yard line. Washington makes a little headway, but punt it away. We cheerfully respond by 3 and outing with three consecutive runs by Merril Hoge and promptly pin the Redskins on the 3 yard line with the perfectly placed punt.

The Redskins officially concede the game, because Bob Avellini is now in at QB for Washington. Ironically enough, he engineers the most successful drive for the Redskins since the 1st quarter, putting together some clutch passes and a couple QB scrambles and mixing it in with Keith Griffin run, but it was Bob Avellini with the final TD, a one yarder to Earl Ferrell Bob Avellini fails on the 2-point keeper run.

Miami 38 Washington 13 - 2:05 4th Quarter

And that's all she wrote, following 3 more Merril Hoge runs, which net a first down as time expires.

Miami 38 Washington 13 - Final

A snoozer Super Bowl, but still a victory.

Eric Dickerson wins Super Bowl MVP thanks largely to his 4 rushing TDs, as he only finished with 86 yards on 23 carries. I frankly would have given it to Gill Byrd who had a tackle, an assist, a hurry, 2 pass defenses and interception. Andre Tippett had a great game as well with 3 tackles and 3 pass defenses.

Irving Fryar starred for the Redskins with 5 catches for 107 yards, but he was shut down for much of the game. Steve Bartowski was as dreadful tonight as he was great last year: 8/29 for 128 yards and an INT, a 31.1 QB rating.

Miami Dolphins Super Bowl Starting Lineup
QB Dan Marino - 1st round 1983 Draft (1.1)
RB Eric Dickerson - 1st round 1983 Draft (1.25)
FB Curtis Dickey - 1986 FA
TE Jay Novacek - 5th round 1985 Draft (5.32)
FL Art Monk - 1985 FA
SE Steve Watson - 4th round 1979 Draft (4.32)
LT Gary Zimmerman - 1st round 1984 Draft (1.31)
LG Sean Farrell - 1987 FA
C Will Grant - 1984 FA
RG Larry Williams - 3rd round 1985 Draft (3.32)
RT Paul Blair - 2nd round 1986 Draft (2.32)
K Scott Norwood - 5th round 1985 Draft (5.30)
P Dan Melville - 1987 FA

LDE Curtis Greer - 3rd round 1980 Draft (3.13)
LDT Jim Burt - 3rd round 1981 Draft (3.29)
RDT Dan Saleaumula - 2nd round 1987 Draft (2.14)
RDE Clyde Simmons - 1st round 1986 Draft (1.32)
SLB Andre Tippett - 2nd round 1982 Draft (2.15)
MLB Cliff Odom - 1st Round 1980 Draft (1.21)
WLB Gary Cobb - 1984 FA
LCB Gill Byrd - 2nd round 1983 Draft (2.28)
RCB LeCharls McDaniel - 1987 FA
SS Lloyd Burrus - 2nd round 1981 Draft (2.28)
FS Thomas Everett - 1st round 1987 Draft (1.31)

This is probably the most Dolphins-draftee heavy lineup we've ever had and I think that's a testament to my drafting skills. Pretty gosh darn cool. :)

[damnMikeBrown]

A month to prepare..you'd better have won that game!

[kislingbury]

Nice to see this thread back again. Im still hoping you make it all the way through to present day...

[Autumn]

A month to prepare..you'd better have won that game!

Yeah, you're right. I think maybe Washington just got so bored waiting that they stopped training.

[Izulde]

damnMikeBrown: :D

kislingbury: Thanks. :) I'll certainly try to keep going. I wouldn't mind doing another historical dynasty either, only with a different team and a couple of house rules to make the challenge last longer.

Autumn: Nice pick and run. :D

[Autumn]

Thanks, I knew I could get away with it given the long, long silences in my dynasty.

I'm glad Marino's getting such good success in your dynasty, I'm sure you've been planning on that for a long time. We'll see if you struggle after he leaves or just keep rolling.

[Izulde]

Thanks, I knew I could get away with it given the long, long silences in my dynasty.

I'm glad Marino's getting such good success in your dynasty, I'm sure you've been planning on that for a long time. We'll see if you struggle after he leaves or just keep rolling.

Yep, as a matter of fact, getting Marino a Super Bowl ring was one of the main motivations for this dynasty. :)

Of course, at the rate he's going, he'll end up with enough for his whole hand by the time he's done. :D

[Izulde]

Record 17-2
Winning Pct. .894
All-Time 311-137
Winning Pct. .694
Playoffs 41-15
Playoff Visits 23
Bowl Wins 8
Head Coach Alan Rosian
Record 65-11
Winning Pct. .855
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 31.3 4 (T)
Rushing Yards 125.1 5
Yards Per Carry 4.00 16
Pass Attempts 33.8 24 (T)
Completions 22.2 9 (T)
Completion Pct. 65.7 4
Passing Yards 277.8 3
Yards Per Attempt 8.23 2
Yards Per Catch 12.52 6 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 393.1 1
3rd Down Conversions 45.8 2
Points Per Game 28.9 1
Pass Rush Pct. 23.0 9
Pass Defense Pct. 68.3 7
Turnovers 21 2 (T)
Turnover Margin +11 5

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 20.8 2
Rushing Yards 80.1 2
Yards Per Carry 3.85 7
Pass Attempts 36.6 24
Completions 20.1 12 (T)
Completion Pct. 55.0 7
Passing Yards 198.3 2
Yards Per Attempt 5.42 2 (T)
Yards Per Catch 9.85 1
Total Yardage Gained 261.9 1
3rd Down Conversions 35.1 6 (T)
Points Per Game 13.7 1
Pass Rush Pct. 20.0 9
Pass Defense Pct. 37.1 2
Turnovers 32 10

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 33 NJY 10
2 17 at DAL 10
3 27 JAX 6
4 27 BUF 10
5 34 at SDO 10
6 14 DEN 16
8 38 KCY 7
9 40 at OAK 28
10 27 at NED 0
11 35 at NJY 13
12 37 PHI 10
13 41 at PIT 23
14 34 at NYK 21
15 17 at BUF 9
16 17 WAS 24
17 25 NED 22
$$CS 39 NED 14
$$CF 38 HOU 3
**FB 38 vs WAS 13

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
1 D. Marino QB 516 335 4149 8.04 33 8 104.5
**Team --- 540 355 4444 8.23 37 10 106.2
$$Opp --- 585 322 3173 5.42 16 21 64.7

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 335 1383 4.13 12 3
20 M. Hoge RB 124 448 3.61 3 5
**Team --- 500 2001 4.00 16 22
$$Opp --- 333 1282 3.85 5 26

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 A. Monk WR 114 69 1117 16.19 9.80 6 10
42 E. Dickerson RB 61 55 496 9.02 8.13 1 3
89 S. Watson WR 107 53 729 13.75 6.81 14 6
86 L. Lipps WR 84 53 715 13.49 8.51 2 3
83 M. Duper WR 62 33 463 14.03 7.47 3 2
21 C. Dickey FB 25 22 187 8.50 7.48 0 2
87 J. Novacek TE 28 22 221 10.05 7.89 1 7

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
25 L. Burrus S 98 30 1.0 3 3 11 82.4
59 A. Tippett OLB 61 16 9.0 3 4 10 81.6
58 G. Cobb OLB 51 14 2.0 0 5 3 83.8
55 C. Odom ILB 51 17 2.0 5 0 3 78.1
34 G. Byrd CB 50 13 1.0 0 3 24 85.0
28 T. Everett S 50 14 1.0 0 4 7 81.3
24 L. Brock CB 49 11 0.0 0 0 1 71.3
37 L. McDaniel CB 47 18 0.0 0 1 13 78.7
97 J. Burt DT 44 15 5.0 13 0 0 81.0
98 C. Simmons DE 38 21 9.0 28 0 1 81.6
93 D. Saleaumula DT 26 20 2.0 6 0 0 81.8
73 C. Greer DE 25 10 7.5 24 0 0 81.7
33 G. Small CB 24 7 0.0 0 0 3 78.6

Another superlative season from Dan Marino and another secure performance from Eric Dickerson powered the #1 offense in the league, but then again, having Art Monk as your primary receiver doesn't hurt either.

I think it's time for me to recognize that Steve Watson is done as a starting WR, painful as that is. Louis Lipps really deserves to be the starter. Jay Novacek is really blossoming into a red-zone target for Marino.

What incredible numbers on defense from Andre Tippett! It's arguably the best season we've ever had from a LB and I wouldn't be surprised to see him draw Defensive Player of the Year consideration. Lloyd Burrus was great as usual, as was Gill Byrd. Great work from the defensive front four as well, although Dan Saleaumula still has a lot of developing to do before he becomes a top-flight DT.

Cliff Odom is another player I need to accept has passed his glory days and needs to be replaced as the starting MLB. The only problem is, we don't really have anyone capable of taking over for him. That'll be one of the biggest priorities in the offseason then, to find a new man in the middle.

Solid work from the o-line and I think next season will be the one where Jeff Dellenbach finally pushes Will Grant out of the starting C spot. I may look at upgrading RG, where Chuck Commiskey and Larry Williams show fine pass-blocking skills, but are terrible in the run game.

All in all, not much to be fixed here. We're in great shape to keep the dynasty going.

1987 Miami Dophins Season Awards

QB Dan Marino - MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Pro QB
It's hard to argue with Dan the Man's second 4,000+ yard season and 33 TDs vs 8 INTs. He was also sensational in the playoffs and is primed to be a Hall of Famer already after just five seasons.

RB Eric Dickerson - Super Bowl MVP, 1st Team All-Pro RB
Dickerson's consistently underrated, but he picks up his second All-Pro award, first 1st team nod and his second Super Bowl MVP award this season. His ball security is his most critical asset and honestly, I suspect if he wasn't on a team that had Dan Marino, he'd be a serious threat for 2,000 yards a season.

LT Gary Zimmerman - 1st Team All-Pro T
I've said this before, but I'll say it again: Zimmerman is the Walter Payton of LTs for us. Like Payton at RB, we'd had a long drought of journeymen amd mediocre players at LT with no franchise record of a quality LT until Zimmerman came along. The end result? 3 straight 1st Team All-Pro awards. I'd have to say Zimmerman ranks right up there with Paul Warfield in terms of late 1st round steals I've had with the Dolphins in this history.

SLB Andre Tippett - 2nd Team All-Pro OLB
Tippett got robbed. He should've been at least a 1st Teamer. Still, it's a second straight All-Pro award, which isn't too shabby and he's still one of the most valuable players on our defense. Not bad for a mid-2nd round pick, eh?

Head Coach Alan Rosian - Coach of the Year
I don't know how many Coach of the Year awards this makes, but suffice to say that Rosian is the latest in a long line of Dolphins coaching greats and is part of the discussion for best Miami head coach ever, right up there with Tyrus Treftz.

SE Steve Watson - NFL's Fastest Man of the Year Award
Wow. I never expected that out of him, especially not since he's entering his 10th season. Still, it's awesome to see! :)

That's a great feel-good note to end on, so I'll stop there rather than go on to Staff Hiring.

[Izulde]

Walter Payton was elected to the Hall of Fame last year, something I shamefully neglected to mention. He garnered 87% of the vote and would've had more had he not retired so abruptly. This year, former Jaguar and Dolphin Vern Den Herder made it (as a Jaguar), along with K Dale Livingston, the first-ever kicker inducted. Livingston ranks 1st all-time in FGs and Points Scored, but he only ever won 5 All-Pro awards in a 16-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and only one of them was a 1st Team. Clearly a case of longevity over true quality. The surprising thing about Den Herder is that he just barely made it, with 80%. I figured he was a lock. Oh well.

Staff Hiring

Defensive Coordinator Don Bruce
LB: VG to Excellent

No staff changes to be made, as I'm really happy with the guys I have.

In ex-Dolphins staffers news, Dave Hanner, who's made a career out of milking his one Super Bowl ring with us, signed with Tampa Bay for 4 years, $800k a year. Don't remember if that's a re-sign or not, but Hanner has an ugly 143-159 career record, despite the Super Bowl title and 8 playoff appearances.

Royce Womble gets 11 offers the first day, including one to be the Offensive Coordinator of the Colts. Stupid to do to one of the brightest defensive minds of the game if you ask me (All Excellents in defensive categories and even more incredible, he takes Indianapolis's 4 year, $540k a year deal to become their OC. He must be trying to establish his credentials for a head coaching job is the only thing I can think of.

DT Dan Saleaumula wins the ticket to Europe, though I probably should have given it to RB Merril Hoge instead.

Free Agency

By the Numbers
QB x 2, FB, TE, WR x 2, C, P, K, DE, DT, MLB, OLB, CB, SS

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
RB Herman Fontenot: 3 years, $260k
C Jeff Dellenbach: 3 years, $260k
K Scott Norwood: 3 years, $260k
TE Jay Novacek: 5 years, $1.25 mill.
FB Curtis Dickey: 3 years, $530k
SLB Andre Tippett: 3 years, $1 mill.

Some key lockups here, particularly Tippett and Novacek. Fontenot is valuable as a backfield receiver and ST guy, Dellenbach should challenge for the starting C spot, Norwood's playoff clutchness saves him and Dickey's a fan favorite.

That's when I realize, much to my overwhelming horror, that I forgot to sign LT Gary Zimmerman of the 3 straight 1st Team All-Pro nods last year and he's now an UFA. Oh.fuck.!

I also somehow let Louis Lipps and Mark Duper escape too. Great, just great. Then I look at their demands and see why. They only wanted one-year deals.

Week 2 Signings
WR Mark Duper - 1 year, $140k (Re-signing)
-There's going to be a lot of fighting for the starting SE spot next year and Duper's going to be a big part of that.

T Gary Zimmerman - 4 years, $3.28 mill. (Re-signing)
-That huge sigh of relief you just heard was from me as we keep our franchise LT on the team without a huge fight. He really wanted to stay in Miami (100 Loyalty) and we're happy to keep him here.

P Dan Melville - 1 year, $110k (Re-signing)
-I work veteran punters until they're no longer any good. To be honest, I can't remember the last time I had a rookie P with a substantial career here.

Week 3 Signings
DT Brad White - 1 year, $100k* (Houston)
-I wanted to go a different direction with backup DT and White has sensational pass-rush skills that'll fit in well with our squad, I think.

OLB Clay Matthews - 1 year, $120k* (New Jersey)
-Experienced a career resurgence with the Jets the last couple years after being a huge disappointment with the Rams. I'll take him at the min-sal rate, especially for his mentor talents.

Week 3 Losses
DE Shawn Miller - 1 year, $100k (Indianapolis - Re-signing)
-Couldn't lure him to Miami with more money and the chance for more PT than he was getting with the Colts. Oh well, his loss.

Week 4 Signings
FB Jessie Clark - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-ST ace with nice blocking skills and Curtis Dickey's heir apparent still unless I fall in love with somebody in the draft.

Week 4 Losses
G Dan Fike - 1 year, $110k (San Francisco - Re-signing)
-This one hurts. Only in his 6th season, he's a mentor already and someone who would've slotted in as the perfect backup G, probably even pushing for the starting RG spot. But I guess his heart's still in San Francisco.

DT Bill Neill - 1 year, $100k* (Pittsburgh)
-Was never a part of our plans after his underwhelming performance last year. A pretty big disappointment.

Week 5 Signings
QB Don Milan - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-The Legend lives on. Milan's not stupid. He knows as long as he wants to put on a uniform, he'll collect $120,000 a year to sit third on the depth chart and mentor any rookies we get. I think I'll draft a rookie to be the top backup so Don has something to do.

G Terry Long - 1 year, $80k* (Houston)
-Has pretty good run-blocking skills and his pass-protection is underrated. He was a LG with the Oilers, which was ill-suited to his talents, so I shifted him over to RG immediately after he signed and he went from 36/36 to 34/40. He'll be a good backup G, I think and able to start in a pinch at RG if need be.

DE Glen Collins - 1 year, $80k* (Dallas)
-Strictly a mentor signing.

Week 6 Signings
WR Louis Lipps - 1 year, $140k (Re-signing)
-He held out for a long time, hoping to get more substantial offers and I'm frankly surprised he wasn't pursued more aggressively. Still, I'm just fine with having him back and he'll either start at SE or stay as the #3 WR.

Week 6 Losses
DE Greg Smith - 1 year, $90k (Kansas City)
-Um, yeah. Okay. If the Chiefs think he's worth more than a min-sal deal, more power to them.

S Martin Bayless - 1 year, $80k* (Pittsburgh - Re-signing)
-Okay, so he's unhappy with the Steelers and could get more PT with us, but he re-signs with Pitt. Eh, whatever. It just annoys me that he held out this long before turning us down.

Week 7 Signings
S John Sullivan - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-A solid reserve S for us over the years and underrated. Capable of starting if he has to.

Week 9 Losses
MLB Dennis Johnson - 1 year, $100k* (Washington)
-I suppose I should've tried to re-sign him, because he was a great Defensive Front captain and the chemistry situation is looking grim now that he's gone. Oh well, he was pissed about not starting anyway.

Week 10 Signings
DE Tom Strauthers - 1 year, $80k* (Cleveland)
-Our defensive front chemistry is restored and we've upgraded at backup DE in the bargain.

Week 11 Signings
CB Carl Allen - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-He has a small conflict with LeCharls McDaniel, but Lloyd Burrus is his best friend on the team and we do everything we can to keep our star SS happy. Burrus got robbed in the All-Pro awards last year too, come to think of it.

Draft up next!

[Izulde]

This is the Year of the WR, with Tim Brown, Michael Irvin, Brian Blades and Flipper Anderson all blue-chip prospects, Brown and Irvin the biggest names in the draft. CB Eric Allen and CB Chris Dishman are some nice shut-down options as well. There's also a certain Dolphins-killer RB in this class....

We won't get a shot at any of those guys of course, but I really like our chances to get a good-quality player. We need youth at WR, G, and LB and I wouldn't mind young running mates for Gill Byrd, Clyde Simmons and Dan Saleaumula.

This is arguably the worst QB crop I've ever seen. When Stan Humphries and Chris Chandler are the top two signal-callers, you know you're in trouble. Although, I have to say I kind of like Chandler and if I was a team in need of a QB, I'd give him a serious look.

1988 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. WR Tim Brown - Jacksonville Jaguars
2. WR Michael Irvin - Dallas Cowboys

Absolutely perfect. :) Irvin back on the 'Boys.

3. WR Brian Blades - Minnesota Vikings

Wow, 3 WRs taken with the first 3 picks! :eek:

4. RB Lorenzo White - Pittsburgh Steelers
5. QB Stan Humphries - Dallas Cowboys

Poor Michael Irvin. :D

6. QB Chris Chandler - Indianapolis Colts
7. ILB Chris Spielman - Los Angeles Rams through New York Giants

The Giants must be in serious cap trouble, because they get only the Rams 3rd rounder in this draft and their 1990 2nd round pick for a Top 10 selection. ...But they're not. They're $3.3 million under the cap! :eek: I don't get this one at all, I really don't. An absolute steal by the Rams, who just grabbed the best defensive player in this draft for peanuts.

Gary Plummer is out of a starting job in L.A. now though, and he's a 3rd year MLB who showed promise last year as a starter... I may have to try and trade for him.

8. TE Keith Jackson - Oakland Raiders
9. CB Chris Dishman - San Francisco 49ers
10. RB Thurman Thomas - Denver Broncos

HOORAY! No Thurman Thomas to torment us with the Bills! :)

11. CB Eric Allen - Detroit Lions
12. S Erik McMillan - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
13. WR Flipper Anderson - Cleveland Browns
14. RB John Stephens - Carolina Panthers
15. G Eric Moore - Tucson Titans
16. ILB Ken Norton, Jr. - Kansas City Chiefs
17. CB Izel Jenkins - New Orleans Saints
18. ILB Vincent Brown - Buffalo Bills
19. DT Scott Davis - St. Louis Cardinals
20. WR Sterling Sharpe - Los Angeles Rams
21. G Randall McDaniel - Chicago Bears
22. WR Quinn Early - Philadelphia Eagles
23. DE Rueben Davis - San Diego Chargers
24. DT Chad Hennings - New England Patriots
25. ILB Victor Jones - Atlanta Falcons
26. CB James Hasty - Green Bay Packers
27. DT Tim Goad - Seattle Seahawks
28. OLB Bill Romanowski - Cincinnati Bengals
29. S Jarvis Williams - Baltimore Ravens
30. DE Steve Kaufusi - Houston Oilers
31. OLB Marcus Cotton - Washington Redskins

A lot of the guys I was hoping would fall to me all flew off the board before our pick. There's still some pretty good talent here, though, enough to make me do a lot of internal debating before finally settling on our MLB of the future.

32. MLB Jeff Herrod - Miami Dolphins

He has an affinity with our defensive front leader, decent development and some very nice combines. I like his bars quite a bit, too.

I'm thrilled in the 2nd round when my choice of two offensive linemen drop. There's also a couple CBs I kind of like. But in the end, I'm just not sure that Jeff Dellenbach will be the answer at C with his low endurance and so I take C Dermontti Dawson, as he's the best player left there by far.

Both of the corners go off the board in the 3rd, so I grab DE Jeff Cross, a real-life Dolphin who got a lot of sacks for me in Tecmo Super Bowl. :D

There's a run on OTs in the 4th and there's a player I really, really want to get, so I trade my 4th and 5th round picks to the Bengals to jump up to 4.17 and select T Paul Gruber.

The S I planned to tab in the 6th if he fell that far went in the 5th, shortly before my pick would've been. Good thing I didn't keep that pick then, because I'd have been ticked if I missed out. So instead, I take a flyer on DT Roy Hart and that finishes our draft, because we have no 7th round pick, having traded that in a prior year.

Late Free Agency

Week 1 Signings
DT Phil Dokes - 1 year, $120k* (San Diego)
-Mentor signing who can help develop Dan Saleaumula and Roy Hart.

Week 3 Signings
QB Todd Blackledge - 1 year, $80k* (New York)
-#2 QB. Not a very good safety option, but we'll stick with him for now.

C David Carter - 1 year, $120k* (Detroit)
-Mentor signing

ILB Roosevelt Barnes - 1 year, $80k* (Indianapolis)
-Mentor signing

Week 3 Losses
G Larry Williams - 1 year, 70k* (Chicago)
-Just never panned out like we'd hoped he would, so he'll get a fresh start with the Bears.


MLB Jeff Herrod 1.32 24/69 30/63 +6/-6
C Dermontti Dawson 2.32 22/53 27/55 +5/+2
RDE Jeff Cross 3.32 18/44 21/44 +3/+0
RT Paul Gruber 4.17 12/22 14/25 +2/+3
LDT Roy Hart 6.32 6/31 7/29 +1/-2

Draft Grade: B+ (#4 draft)

Herrod's drop in potential was disappointing, as was the smallness of Gruber's uptick. Hart's going to be cut. Herrod, Dawson and Cross should all be top backups this season, with Dawson and Herrod likely to make a push in their second season for the starting job.

Lot of low draft grades this year. Only Tampa Bay (A+) and San Francisco (A-) received A grades, but then, it was a pretty weak class overall in my opinion.

[Izulde]

Milan, Don 19 QB 14 3 3 1 yr.
Blackledge, Todd 15 QB 6 39 39 1 yr.
Marino, Dan 1 QB 6 82 82 5 yrs

We'll live and die by Marino's arm. That's all there is to it.


Dickerson, Eric 42 RB 6 52 52 2 yrs
Gray, Mel 36 RB 5 27 27 2 yrs
Fontenot, Herman 32 RB 4 33 33 3 yrs
Hoge, Merril 20 RB 2 18 24 2 yrs
Dickey, Curtis 21 FB 9 43 43 3 yrs
Clark, Jessie 23 FB 6 34 34 1 yr.

Dickerson and Dickey start again, Hoge the #2 back, Fontenot the receiving back, Gray the return specialist, Clark the FB. It's a system that works well for us, even if it is somewhat problematic in terms of the roster spots it takes up.


Spagnola, John 82 TE 10 27 27 1 yr.
Novacek, Jay 87 TE 4 46 46 5 yrs
Monk, Art 85 FL 9 61 61 2 yrs
Lipps, Louis 86 FL 5 49 49 1 yr.
Watson, Steve 89 SE 10 51 51 2 yrs
Duper, Mark 83 SE 7 44 44 1 yr.
Kemp, Perry 80 SE 2 29 29 2 yrs

I probably should've picked up another TE, but Spangola's the backup nonetheless. Novacek has blossomed into a real star. I switch Watson to FL and Lipps to SE, so Monk and Lipps will be the starting WRs, Watson can use his burner speed as the #3 WR and Duper will be the 4th man. We still need to get more youth at WR, but we're fine for now. Kemp is a surehanded 5th WR.


Carter, David 51 C 12 32 32 1 yr.
Grant, Will 54 C 11 18 18 1 yr.
Dellenbach, Jeff 53 C 4 47 47 3 yrs
Dawson, Dermontti 52 C 1 27 55 3 yrs
Hough, Jim 78 LG 11 19 19 1 yr.
Farrell, Sean 65 LG 7 50 50 2 yrs
Commiskey, Chuck 63 RG 8 45 45 2 yrs
Long, Terry 60 RG 5 36 36 1 yr.
Eatman, Irv 71 LT 6 35 35 1 yr.
Zimmerman, Gary 66 LT 5 63 63 4 yrs
Taylor, Roger 68 RT 8 45 45 1 yr.
Blair, Paul 76 RT 3 41 41 2 yrs
Gruber, Paul 61 RT 1 14 25 3 yrs

Ouch. Good thing I drafted Dawson, because Grant fell off a cliff, dropping from 40something to 18. Just another move that makes me look brilliant. In any event, it'll be Zimmerman-Farrell-Dellenbach-Commiskey-Taylor as our starting five. Blair really disappointed in run-blocking last year and Taylor's pass-protection is underrated. Blair-Long-Dawson the 3 reserves. I hate to do it, but I have to cut Hough and Grant. Well, Grant I'll cut for sure. Hough I'll see if I can find a way to keep stashed on. Gruber, Carter, Eatman are inactive.


Melville, Dan 16 P 10 75 75 1 yr.
Norwood, Scott 4 K 4 46 46 3 yrs

We're fine here, though Norwood's short-leashed.


Greer, Curtis 73 LDE 9 48 48 2 yrs
Collins, Glen 70 LDE 7 33 33 1 yr.
Strauthers, Tom 94 LDE 6 35 35 1 yr.
Simmons, Clyde 98 RDE 3 49 49 2 yrs
Cross, Jeff 95 RDE 1 21 44 4 yrs
Burt, Jim 97 LDT 8 40 40 1 yr.
White, Brad 96 LDT 8 41 41 1 yr.
Hart, Roy 75 LDT 1 7 29 3 yrs
Dokes, Phil 91 RDT 12 20 20 1 yr.
Saleaumula, Dan 93 RDT 2 49 49 2 yrs

Greer-White-Saleaumula-Simmons with Burt and Cross the reserves. Hart gets cut and everyone else is put on the inactive list.


Odom, Cliff 55 MLB 9 52 52 2 yrs
Barnes, Roosevelt 92 MLB 7 39 39 1 yr.
Herrod, Jeff 57 MLB 1 30 63 4 yrs
Matthews, Clay 90 SLB 11 35 35 1 yr.
Tippett, Andre 59 SLB 7 51 51 3 yrs
Cobb, Gary 58 WLB 10 54 54 2 yrs

Tippett-Odom-Cobb for sure. I'm tempted to move Herrod to SLB as he appears to be better suited to the outside than in the middle and it'd rectify an alarming concern at reserve OLB, where Matthews is no longer the player he once was. But then what becomes of our future at MLB? What do you guys think?


Byrd, Gill 34 LCB 6 66 66 3 yrs
Allen, Carl 43 RCB 12 24 24 1 yr.
McDaniel, LeCharls 37 RCB 8 36 36 1 yr.
Brock, Lou 24 RCB 2 24 24 2 yrs
Burrus, Lloyd 25 SS 8 58 58 3 yrs
Sullivan, John 45 FS 5 38 38 1 yr.
Gibson, Antonio 27 FS 3 34 35 1 yr.
Everett, Thomas 28 FS 2 60 60 3 yrs

Byrd-McDaniel-Burrus-Everett. Our CB situation is really worrying right now. Sure, Byrd is a shutdown type, but McDaniel has lost a step and neither Brock or Allen are reliable nickelbacks. What I may do is put one of the backup safeties in at the nickel CB spot. I don't know yet. Gibson might have to shift over to SS, as we have no bona fide backup S.

We're overwhelming favorites to repeat despite my concerns about our defensive backfield, so much so that the next closest team to our 100 power rating is the Chicago Bears (75), followed by the New Orleans Saints (67). We don't even get another AFC team until the Kansas City Chiefs (53).

So still some things to think about it as we head into preseason and we have some weaknesses now that we haven't had in a while. But I think we'll be okay and the pieces appear to be in place for a 6th straight Super Bowl appearance and our 10th in 13 years. Even if we don't make it, 5 straight Super Bowl appearances and 9 in 12 years is pretty damned impressive. :D

[Caratacus]

Tippett-Odom-Cobb for sure. I'm tempted to move Herrod to SLB as he appears to be better suited to the outside than in the middle and it'd rectify an alarming concern at reserve OLB, where Matthews is no longer the player he once was. But then what becomes of our future at MLB? What do you guys think?

Difficult to say without seeing Herrods card, does he gain/lose points with the move? Otherwise I'm always happy to play a MLB at OLB without the permanent move if necessary.

Great dynasty BTW, I've been following since the beginning.

[Izulde]

Difficult to say without seeing Herrods card, does he gain/lose points with the move? Otherwise I'm always happy to play a MLB at OLB without the permanent move if necessary.

Great dynasty BTW, I've been following since the beginning.

Glad to hear you're enjoying it and that you've stuck with it! :)

As for Herrod, for both SLB and WLB it says there's signs that he could improve at the positions, but that there'll be a slight experience reduction after the switch (which I'm not worried about in all honesty).

The card:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/HerrodRookie.jpg

I'm leaning towards doing a position switch, but I'm not sure what side to put him on. Gary Cobb is getting ancient at WLB, but the WLB never gets used much in my defensive scheme. On the other hand, Andre Tippett is still going strong in his 7th season obviously and Herrod doesn't have the pass-rush skills that Tippett does.

So maybe it'd be best to leave Herrod at MLB. Still not sure.

[Caratacus]

If it was me I would probably leave him at MLB and use him as a back up at the SLB position. With Odoms age he could take a hit next year and as you say WLB isn't highly important and I think he would be wasted there IMO.

[Izulde]

If it was me I would probably leave him at MLB and use him as a back up at the SLB position. With Odoms age he could take a hit next year and as you say WLB isn't highly important and I think he would be wasted there IMO.

Good idea, thanks. :)

[Izulde]

Preseason

New Orleans 6 Miami 26
A balanced rushing attack and 4/5 FGs from Scott Norwood guaranteed this win. Brad White won Game MVP with 2 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns, showing he deserves to start over Jim Burt. Andre Tippett recorded 5 tackles, 2 assists, and 1.5 sacks, while LeCharls McDaniel and Gill Byrd both defended 3 passes.

Miami 40 New York 10
Todd Blackledge was surprise Game MVP with a 15/21, 195 yard, one TD performance. Maybe we won't be in bad shape at backup QB after all. Art Monk[/b caught 5 passes for 118 yards and a TD, [b]Curtis Greer returned a fumble 14 yards for a TD and Brad White stayed white-hot with a tackle, an assist and 1.5 sacks.

Atlanta 24 Miami 21 (OT)
There goes our perfect preseason. Todd Blackledge ruined it for us with a 3 interception performance, including one pick returned 85 yards for a TD to force OT. Damn shame, as Clyde Simmons recorded 6 tackles, 3 assists, 3 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns, Dan Saleaumula picked up 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks and 2 hurries and Gill Byrd was magnificient with 3 pass defenses and 2 picks.

Miami 24 Washington 23
A rare exhibition sellout in this Super Bowl rematch between the NFL's hottest rivals. Steve Watson was the man of the match with 7 catches for 147 yards and a TD and Lloyd Burrus was a tackle machine with 12 solo and 5 assists. Nice way to close out preseason.

Regular Season

Miami 17 Buffalo 30
Ugh. Forgot to hit the recommend playing time button. Still no excuse for this loss, though. Dan Marino had his worst day as a pro: 14/34 for 197 yards and 3 INTs, a ghastly 23.8 rating. Yeah, let's just skip past this.

San Franciso 7 Miami 34
We snap back to form after I hit recommend and Dan Marino rebounds with a 21/32, 257 yard 4 TD performance. Eric Dickerson rushed 28 times for 104 yards, Clyde Simmons had 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns, and Thomas Everett came out of nowhere with 4 tackles and 3 pass defenses.

Miami 37 San Diego 20
This one goes to our defense, as Andre Tippett had 10 tackles, Curtis Greer tore through the Chargers for 5 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a block and Clyde Simmons got in on the pass-rush frenzy with 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and a knockdown.

Miami 34 New England 10
Louis Lipps finally had the kind of performance we've been waiting for, with 7 catches for 113 yards. He's been much quieter as the starting SE than we figured, though maybe it's a case of too much receiving talent across the board to have a real star. Thomas Everett had another 3 pass defenses.

Bad news. Dan Marino sprains his knee and is Questionable for 4 weeks. Honestly, we're talented enough that we can overcome a few more losses if we have to, so I'll put Todd Blackledge in until Marino's robable.

Miami 27 Jacksonville 6
No Marino, no problem as Clyde Simmons keys a stalwart defensive stand with 4 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 4 hurries and a knockdown.

Starting star SS Lloyd Burrus is out roughly 3 weeks with a hyperextended knee, requiring us to start FS John Sullivan in his place. Luckily Sullivan knows our scheme, having been a career-long Dolphin.

Houston 3 Miami 24
Mel Gray returns a punt 84 yards for the TD to kill any Oilers' hopes of an upset and Clyde Simmons continues his whirlwind pass-rush campaign with 2 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, 4 hurries and 3 knockdowns. Gill Byrd captained the backfield D with 3 pass defenses.

Buffalo 7 Miami 33
Sweet revenge for the Week One loss. LeCharls McDaniel returns an interception 73 yards for a TD in another big-time big play TD in as many weeks for the team and Scott Norwood kicks 4/4 FGs to be Game MVP.

Dan Marino is back to Probable, so he'll start again and Todd Blackledge, who's very quietly led us to 3 straight victories with an impressive 68.9% completion rate and 5 TDs to 2 INTs bows out with a 100 even rating.

Indianapolis 13 Miami 31
Art Monk leads the way with 5 catches for 120 yards and a TD and Curtis Greer highlights the defense with 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2 knockdowns.

So we're 7-1 heading into the halfway point and I'm kicking myself for not hitting Recommend in Week One. Then again, there's nothing to say that Marino wouldn't have thrown those 3 picks anyway.

Anyway, the tale of the tape:


Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
All-Time 318-138
Winning Pct. .697
Playoffs 41-15
Playoff Visits 23
Bowl Wins 8
Head Coach Alan Rosian
Record 72-12
Winning Pct. .857
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 33.9 3
Rushing Yards 120.5 9
Yards Per Carry 3.56 29
Pass Attempts 29.9 27
Completions 17.6 28 (T)
Completion Pct. 59.0 17 (T)
Passing Yards 217.8 19
Yards Per Attempt 7.29 6
Yards Per Catch 12.35 6
Total Yardage Gained 333.0 9
3rd Down Conversions 46.4 2
Points Per Game 29.6 1
Pass Rush Pct. 24.5 9
Pass Defense Pct. 65.0 5
Turnovers 8 2 (T)
Turnover Margin +10 1 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 22.0 5
Rushing Yards 91.8 7
Yards Per Carry 4.17 21
Pass Attempts 37.3 27
Completions 20.4 17 (T)
Completion Pct. 54.7 4
Passing Yards 199.0 5
Yards Per Attempt 5.34 3
Yards Per Catch 9.77 1
Total Yardage Gained 271.6 3
3rd Down Conversions 33.6 5 (T)
Points Per Game 12.0 1
Pass Rush Pct. 17.5 2
Pass Defense Pct. 61.3 28
Turnovers 18 5 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 17 at BUF 30
2 34 SFO 7
3 37 at SDO 20
4 34 at NED 10
5 27 at JAX 6
6 24 HOU 3
7 33 BUF 7
8 31 IND 13
10 at TUC
11 at NJY
12 at STL
13 BAL
14 LAS
15 NED
16 at SEA
17 NJY

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
1 D. Marino QB 165 90 1222 7.41 9 4 86.5
15 T. Blackledge QB 74 51 520 7.03 5 2 100.0
**Team --- 239 141 1742 7.29 14 6 90.6
$$Opp --- 298 163 1592 5.34 6 10 62.6

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 164 551 3.36 9 2
20 M. Hoge RB 79 340 4.30 1 1
**Team --- 271 964 3.56 11 6
$$Opp --- 176 734 4.17 4 14

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 A. Monk WR 54 25 415 16.60 7.69 1 4
86 L. Lipps WR 42 25 412 16.48 9.81 2 4
89 S. Watson WR 39 24 305 12.71 7.82 4 1
42 E. Dickerson RB 20 18 193 10.72 9.65 0 2
20 M. Hoge RB 15 13 67 5.15 4.47 0 0
87 J. Novacek TE 16 11 147 13.36 9.19 1 1
83 M. Duper WR 25 9 118 13.11 4.72 1 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
59 A. Tippett OLB 38 6 2.0 2 2 1 76.5
24 L. Brock CB 37 10 0.0 0 1 2 74.1
34 G. Byrd CB 33 2 1.0 2 3 9 83.1
28 T. Everett S 31 12 0.0 1 0 12 87.4
55 C. Odom ILB 27 11 2.0 1 1 1 76.6
96 B. White DT 25 10 2.5 7 0 1 81.2
37 L. McDaniel CB 22 10 0.5 0 2 4 82.0
98 C. Simmons DE 20 7 8.5 24 0 0 82.1
73 C. Greer DE 19 5 4.0 8 0 0 82.5
45 J. Sullivan S 17 4 0.0 0 0 1 76.7
25 L. Burrus S 16 9 0.0 0 1 1 85.1
93 D. Saleaumula DT 14 6 1.0 3 0 0 81.1
97 J. Burt DT 11 2 1.5 1 0 0 67.1
58 G. Cobb OLB 10 5 0.0 0 0 1 72.7
27 A. Gibson S 8 4 0.0 0 0 3 82.8

Absolutely phenomenal seasons Gill Byrd, Thomas Everett and Clyde Simmons are having. Eric Dickerson hasn't been electrifying, but he's been steady and the same is true for our WRs.

All in all, a start I'll definitely take.

[RedHawk00]

just noticed, but supremely dissappointed that dan's number is 1!

[Izulde]

just noticed, but supremely dissappointed that dan's number is 1!

Whoops! I didn't see that. I'll fix it next time I load up the game. Thanks for catching it. :)

[Izulde]

DT Jim Burt and S Antonio Gibson are both disgruntled. Sorry, boys, but you're just not going to crack the starting lineup, that's all there is to it. On the other hand, Burt's got some justification for it, so I'll try switching him and Brad White around and leaving White in for the pass-rush packages.

Oh yeah, at 7-1, we're in the thick of the #1 seed, though the Houston Oilers are 8-1 and Baltimore and Cleveland are within shouting distance at 7-2 and 6-2 respectively. We hold a commanding lead in the AFC East, as the next-closest team is the Bills at 4-4.

Lloyd Burrus finally comes back from injury as well.

Miami 38 Tucson 24
Dan Marino was great this game: 22/37 for 408 yards, 3 TDs and an INT. Real credit goes to his top receivers, though. Art Monk caught 5 passes for 144 yards and a TD, while Louis Lipps was 5 and 136 for 2 TDs. Clyde Simmons officially hit double-digit sacks on the year with 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns, while LeCharls McDaniel dazzled on pass defense with 3 defenses and an INT. Stealing him away from the Washington Redskins has turned out one of the more underratedly brilliant free agent signings on my part.

Backup TE John Spangola hyperextends his knee and is out 4 weeks. DE Tom Strauthers gets pink-slipped and we sign 12th year journeyman TE Don Hasselback to fill in as reserve TE and take LS duties away from Jay Novacek.

Miami 35 New Jersey 13
Sensational day on offense as Eric Dickerson rushes 25 times for 136 yards and a TD, while Dan Marino throws for 349 yards, 4 TDs and one pick on 25/36 passing. Thomas Everett had 10 tackles and Clyde Simmons continued his great pass-rushing campaign with 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown.

Miami 31 St. Louis 20
The win train just keeps right on rolling, Eric Dickerson finally hitting his stride with 26 carries for 105 yards and a TD for his second consecutive 100+ yard rushing game. Despite the score, our defense was everywhere today. Cliff Odom garnered 7 tackles and 2 interceptions, Curtis Greer got 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns, Dan Saleaumula recorded 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown and Clyde Simmons turned in another gem of 2 tackles, 3 assists, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns. Gill Byrd defended 3 passes.

Baltimore 26 Miami 31
We beat Ron Jaworski's team in a game that wasn't really as close as the final scoreline suggests. On the other hand, nor did we have any statistical stars, though Dan Marino was closest at 21/31 for 272 yards and 4 TDs.

Los Angeles 27 Miami 33 (OT)
The Rams throw a big-time scare into us, but we emerge triumphant thanks to Eric Dickerson-22 rushes, 105 yards and a TD, Dan Marino-30/44, 489 yards, 3 TDs and an INT, Art Monk-8 catches, 165 yards, 2 TDs and Mark Duper-5 catches, 104 yards. Gill Byrd keyed the defense with 3 pass defenses.

New England 22 Miami 34
Mel Gray returned a kickoff 82 yards for a TD and Louis Lipps was an equally explosive big-play man with 4 catches for 126 yards and a TD. Andre Tippett highlighted the defense with 5 tackles, an assist, a hurry and 3 pass defenses.

Miami 20 Seattle 13
Gritty win over the hard-fighting Seahawks, despite a dismal throwing day by Dan Marino that included 2 interceptions. Art Monk caught 7 passes for 119 yards, but our real savior was the defense, as Lloyd Burrus had 10 tackles, an assist and an interception, LeCharls McDaniel defended 3 passes and Clyde Simmons picked up 4 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

New Jersey 15 Miami 38
Oh, what might have been had I hit Recommend that first week. Then again, even with that mishap on my part, there's no way Dan Marino should've been as bad as he was. Anyway, in this game, Eric Dickerson rushes 15 times for 112 yards and 2 TDs, Merril Hoge has a great 29 yard TD scamper to ice the scoring, Lloyd Burrus defends 3 passes and LeCharls McDaniel returns a pick 55 yards for a TD. But the real excitement came from PotG Curtis Greer, who bullied the Jets for 5 tackles, 3 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns to give us two double-digit sack players in a season for the first time since L.C. Greenwood and Aaron Brown in 1974. Remember those guys? Yeah, that's just how good this pairing of Greer and Simmons has been.

Clyde Simmons also smashed Vern Den Herder's single-season Dolphins sack record of 16.5 sacks, which had stood since 1980, finishing with 18 sacks. I'm glad that we've finally got a drafted Dolphin on top of that board!

We earn the #1 seed with the 15-1 record, the Oilers just behind us at 14-2. Tough luck, Houston. The Bills ran off 8 straight wins to get into the playoffs with a surprising 12-4 mark.

And now it's time to do some updating, which I'm shamefully forgotten to do.

Herschel Walker - Kansas City Chiefs
Had a brilliant Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 1985 and he's never had fewer than 1,119 yards rushing since, but he's consistently shut out of postseason awards because he can't seem to find the endzone after scoring 13 times on the ground in his first year. His high since then has been 9, last season. On the other hand, he really showed off developed receiving skills this year, with 52 catches for 430 yards, 6 TDs and 2 drops, a relative ball-security he hadn't shown as a receiver until this point. Speaking of ball security, after 5 fumbles his rookie season, he's coughed up 3, 4, and 4 times in the regular season. A nice guy to have in terms of general ball safety. Ran 16 times for 102 yards and a TD in the wild-card game his rookie year of 1985, but that's been his lone postseason trip, as John Elway has been dreadful until this season. Fortunately, Elway's emergence has Kansas City back in the playoffs this year.
Overall - 72/72

Jerry Rice - St. Louis Cardinals
Looked like a good, but not great receiver until last season, when he exploded with 113 catches for 1,798 yards and 17 TDs (albeit with 14 drops), earning him his first All-Pro appearance. 96 catches for 1,546 yards and 8 TDs to 8 drops this season suggests that it was no fluke, but he's never sniffed the playoffs once in his four seasons so far. Then again, the Cardinals are in cap hell and Rice has never had anything resembling a legitimate NFL QB throwing to him. In fact, before the starter got injured, forcing a 6/17 rookie Curtis Tate into the starting spot, 12th year QB 36/36 David Whitehurst was the main man. To be fair, Whitehurst was once a passable QB, starting for Jacksonville from 1981-1986 and posting pedestrian numbers. Last season and his second season, Rice had the ancient Dan Fouts in his 14th and 15th seasons throwing to him and Fouts is an impressively ghastly 28/28 in his 16th season, serving as Sean Salibury['s backup in Oakland and mentoring Salisbury, knocked out starter Steve Bono and a scrub rookie in Tony Stone.
Overall - 66/66

While I'm mucking about the league and scoping out the Raiders, let's take a look at Rulon Jones, the guy everybody lambasted me for trading.

Hmm, let's see, his 1986 season ended in Week 4 with a very serious knee injury. He went out in Week 12 this year with a broken fibula. Too bad about 1986, as he put up an impressive 4 sacks in 3 games to start the year. Sack totals since donning a Raiders uniform:
1983 - 12
1984 - 8.5
1985 - 11
1986 - 4 (Season end Week 4)
1987 - 3
1988 - 5 (Season end Week 12)

All-Pro Awards: None
Highest Hurry Total: 21 (1985 - Note: This is the only 20+ hurry season in a Raiders uniform)
Highest QB Knockdown: 15 (1983 - 14 in 1985, next-highest is 4 and for the last two seasons, he's had [b]0 knockdowns.

All in all, I'd say I got the better end of that deal. :) Too bad, as the guy has the talent, being rated 55/55 in his 9th season still.

[Izulde]

And so we move to the divisonal round after enjoying our bye, where we square off against the eternally hard-luck Cleveland Browns, they of the 5 Super Bowl visits and 0 championships. They'll try to break our absurd AFC Championship streak and quest for their own first conference title since 1973. Incidentally, they and the Washington Redskins have the most Super Bowl appearances outside of us with those 5, while we have a monstrous 12 Super Bowl appearances and 8 championship trophies. Second-most championships belong to the Green Bay Packers, who are 3 for 3 in the big game, the last of which occurred in 1970.

In any case, a Browns profile.

QB Bernie Kosar, although properly with the Browns, has been a pretty average QB in his four years in the league so far, as his 75 TD/66 INT career ratio attests. On the other hand, he's thrown for at least 3600 yards the last two seasons and was excellent in the wild-card game, throwing for 201 yards and 3 TDs, his first-ever postseason appearance.

RB Bo Jackson was brilliant as a rookie, rushing for 1,441 yards and 13 TDs to literaly run away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, but he's taken a slight step back this year, with 1,319 yards and 9 TDs. He also fumbled 7 times in the regular season, as opposed to just one cough-up his rookie year. Shades of Herschel Walker-decline? Maybe, though he did run for 121 yards in the opening round.

TE Pat Carter is a great blocker, but FL Kevin House had a horrible year after signing a fat free-agent contract from the Packers. Luckily, rookie SE Flipper Anderson uh, didn't exactly burst on the scene either, but they're a couple of talented receivers allegedly.

C Kani Kauahi sucks, winning a starting job despite being a terrible backup as a journeyman. Rookie LG Jim Juriga has talent, but is extremely raw as his 9 sacks allowed illustrates, but on the other hand, he had 43.9% KRB. RG Reggie Singletary isn't very good, either. What they do have is a great situation in LT Anthony Munoz, who's still a high-quality cornerstone tackle even in his 9th season, with All-Pro appearances to his credit from 1982-1984. We won't even talk about rookie RT Joe Thomas, he of the 3/3 rating who imitated his later, better version by somehow converting 36.4% of his KRB in the regular season, giving up just 4 sacks, and hitting 3/4 KRB in the wild-card game.

P Rick Donnelly is average and K David Trout has an awesome name and a powerful, if erratic leg.

LDE Jim Wilks looks fantastic some years, pedestrian others. This was a good, 14.5 sack year. RDE Doug McDougald had a very nice 11.5 sack season for Miami in 1985, but he's never managed more than 6 sacks a year since then. NT Erik Howard's a great run-stopper, but not much in the pass-rush game.

WILB Larry McGrew is a tackle machine, but only started 7 games this year as age is starting to catch up with him and he's not really the two-time All-Pro 2nd Teamer he was back in his Saints days. SILB Dino Hackett should be an All-Pro, but hasn't been able to hack it yet, though the third-year pro showed signs of starting to break out this season. SLB Darryl Talley is a worthy rival for Andre Tippett and the first genuinely good player I've seen on this defense. WLB Angelo King got 7 sacks, but that's just because he plays in a 3-4.

LCB Mark Haynes is a hard-hitting ballhawk, who inexplicably went from 7 picks last season to his first 0 interception season this year. Instead, RCB Frank Minnifield happily welcome new scenery by picking off 5 passes on the right side. Funny how many former Saints are on this Browns team. SS Ray Ellis is great in run support and picks off quite a few passes, but he gets burnt a ton too. FS Shaun Gayle is an okay safety, but really best suited to special teams work.

Wow, what an ugly bunch of players. I have a hard time believing these guys made it this far. They're just not that good overall. I predict a blowout.

Vegas favors us by 8.

Surprisingly, the Browns were up for this game and it was a nailbiter the whole way through, but we manage to prevail in the end. We didn't get a whole lot of plays on offense, as Cleveland really concentrated on slowing the game down with long, grinding drives. Good strategy and it almost worked.

Unfortunately, the Browns couldn't contain our pass-rush as Clyde Simmons kept his hot season going with 2 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and 5 knockdowns and Curtis Greer was right behind with 3 tackles, 2 sacks, a block, a hurry and 3 knockdowns.

And so we move past the fiesty Browns onto the AFC Championship.

Cleveland 21 Miami 24

[Izulde]

We draw a semi-familiar foe historically speaking in the AFC Championship in the Houston Oilers. I can't remember if we've played them a lot in the playoffs recently, though.

In any case, the Oilers are starting 2nd year QB Steve Beuerlein who had an astonishingly good first campaign, with 3,796 yards, 32 TDs and 10 INTs. A heck of a lot better than I figured he would ever be.

RB Bill Johnson is nothing special, though he does have 3 1,000 yard rushing seasons in 5 years.

TE Hoby Brenner is a pretty good receiving target and quite an important part of the passing game. FL Cris Collinsworth never has that great, though he's decent and SE Stanley Morgan manages to get starting jobs despite being a mediocre producer.

C Randy Grimes: Great run-blocker, horrid pass-protector. Ditto LG Bruce Collie. RG Russ Grimm is balanced at both, but outstanding at neither. LT Harry Swayne is overrated and a revolving door, though he shows some run-blocking talent and RT Bubba Paris is just bad. How the heck this team managed to make it this far, I don't know.

P Jack Weil is the first truly terrific player on this team. K Matt Bahr has a cannon leg, but weak accuracy.

LDE Kevin Fagan had 11.5 sacks this season and there's an angry DE Bruce Smith who goes out of contract this year. Can you say Dolphins hunting time? Sure, Smith is rated only 42/42, but he had 12.5 sacks two seasons ago and he was an RL Dolphins-killer and he'll only be in his 5th season. If I can snag him, he and Clyde Simmons will have me set at DE for the next few seasons at least. RDE Ben Thomas busts his ass and is a major overachiever, with 10.5 sacks this year. LDT Manu Tuiasosopo is old, but still pretty good and RDT Charles Martin scored 6 sacks in his first season as a full-time starter.

MLB Karl Mecklenberg is a really awesome all-around MLB, one who's been criminally shut out of recognition and is underrated. SLB George Jamieson never developed into the pass-rush specialist Houston hoped for and WLB Bryan Hinkle is a WLB in a 4-3.

Fourth year LCB Arnold Brown has been one of the league's most underrated, hardest working corners the last couple years, with 6 picks each season and a 86andchange% pass defense. RCB Hanford Dixon is league average. SS Carlton Williamson is a liabilty in pass defense, but he hits like a truck and has four seasons of 100+ tackles in his eight-year career between Baltimore and Houston FS Dennis Smith is solid and consistent.

So let's see here. Overachieving youngster QB, mediocre pieces on offense and a pretty good defense all in all, but with some definite weak points. I still don't see Houston as a 15-2 team, but they are.

I'm thinking blowout.

Vegas disgrees, only favoring us by 4.

People should listen to me more.

Dan Marino wins Player of the Game with a 15/23 for 278 yards and 3 TDs performance. Mark Duper catches 3 passes for 104 yards and a TD. Scott Norwood jacks 3/3 FGs, including a 52 yarder. Curtis Greer and Clyde Simmons flip-flop tackles and assist numbers at 3 and 2, but both have 1.5 sacks and 2 blocks. Greer adds 2 hurries, Simmons a hurry and 2 knockdowns.

A convincing win, one that blew the cover off the overrated Oilers.

Houston 10 Miami 37

On to our umpteenth straight Super Bowl appearance (7th I think?).

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XXIX Preview

Miami Dolphins Out
None

Dallas Cowboys Out
None

Quarterback
When a QB misses three games and still throws for 3,682 yards and 29 TDs to 9 interceptions, you know he's a great one and Dan Marino is certainly that, one of the best in the game. The scary part is, he's in just his 6th season. Todd Blackledge turned in a 3-0 performance while Marino was out and looked very good, a surprisingly capable backup.

Scott Campbell looked sure to wash out after throwing 8 TDs against 22 picks last year, but he improved drastically to a 16/13 ratio this season. Not an explosive QB by any means, he's nonetheless on a hot streak in the playoffs, throwing for 509 yards, 6 TDs and 0 picks this postseason. Backup Bruce Mathison is perhaps a more consistent player, but hasn't really been given the chance to show what he can do.

Advantage: Dolphins

Running Back
Eric Dickerson is a player you don't see take over games very often, but then you look up at the end of the season and he's standing with 1300+ rushing yards and 10+ TDs and some good receiving numbers. This year was no different, with 1,330 yards rushing and a career-high 17 TDs on the ground. He isn't a dominant back on this team, but fail to account for him in the defensive gameplan and you're done. Merril Hoge showed incredible strides as the top backup this season, rushing for 677 yards. The converted FB appears to be adjusting nicely to HB life.

2nd year Bobby Morse should not be a starting RB with his high number of fumbles and dreadful 3.34 career yards per carry, including a ghastly 3.21 this season, but he is. Veteran David Overstreet is a much better back, but he's been relegated to #2 duty.

Advantage: Dolphins

Wide Receiver
TE Jay Novacek should be used a lot more in the passing game than he is, because he's one of the better receiving TEs in the league. FL Art Monk is starting to show signs of slowing down in his 9th season, but he still cracked out 1,102 receiving yards and 12 TDs. SE Louis Lipps is a rising star, with a career high 930 yards this season. They've gone up every year since he's been in the NFL. Backup WR Steve Watson controlled his drops in a reserve role and still post 700+ yards like he has the last few seasons as a starter. The NFL's Fastest Man can really put his speed to big-time advantage in the slot role and it's really paid off for the Dolphins. WR Mark Duper is a terrific deep threat and could start for half the teams in the league.

The Dolphins thought their nightmares of elite, young WRs was over when the Washington Redskins failed to make yet another Miami/D.C. Super Bowl date, but such is not the case. FL Michael Irvin caught 70 passes for 1,011 yards and 4 TDs in this, his rookie season and second year SE Ricky Nattiel made huge improvements in his ball security. That said, Nattiel isn't very good and WRs Buster Rhymes and Daryl Turner are ST aces and bad receivers.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
A big surprise happened in training camp when rookie C Dermontti Dawson beat out C Jeff Dellenbach for the starting job. Dellenbach has been groomed to be the heir in the middle, but Miami's coaching staff voiced concerns about his endurance, so they went with the raw, but promising Dawson, who handled the fire very well. LT Gary Zimmerman has won three straight 1st Team All-Pro awards and will probably win another one this year. He's that dominant a cornerstone. RT Roger Taylor had his best season yet. LG Sean Farrell surrendered a career-high 7 sacks, but was dominant in run-blocking. RG Chuck Commiskey somehow manages to keep his starting job despite dreadful run-blocking and merely average pass-blocking.

C Randy Clark has really gone downhill since joining Dallas in free agency a few years ago. LG Doug Marrone is a very good third-year player with a very bright future and really had a breakout season this year. RG Greg Wolfley is very good as well and LT Dwight Wheeler may be in his 11th season, but he's still a force to be reckoned with, one of the strongest and hardest-working blockers in the league. RT Don Maggs is terrible in run-blocking, great in pass protection.

Advantage: Dolphins

Kicker
P Dan Melville continues the tradition of fine, solid veteran Dolphins punters gotten in free agency. K Scott Norwood rebounded from a lackluster 1987 season to convert 83.7% of his FGs and he's stayed perfect in the postseason, his lone career miss back in the 1986 Super Bowl.

K Tony Franklin had a great rebounding season himself, but he's nowhere near the clutch kicker that Norwood is. P Kelly Goodburn is only in his second season, but he was a 2nd Team All-Pro P in his rookie year.

Advantage: Dolphins

Defensive Line
LDE Curtis Greer is a real grinder, a guy who busts his butt and gets the sacks, even in his 9th season. Certainly a 3rd round steal for the Dolphins all those years ago. RDE Clyde Simmons shot into the stratosphere with 18 sacks in the regular season and the third-year pro has now joined the ranks of elite DEs. LDT Jim Burt is an unsung hero and second-year RDT Dan Saleaumula is getting better and better.

LDE Toby Williams had a breakout season of his own with 16.5 sacks, finally cashing in on his monstrous talent. RDE Brent Williams had 8 sacks in his first season as a starter and rookie NT Jeff Wright didn't win the starting spot until late in the season, but indications are, he's a good fit for the Cowboys.

Advantage: Even

Linebackers
MLB Cliff Odom gets a lot of heat from evaluators around the league and even the Dolphins front office is skeptical of him, but he's one of the best coverage inside linebackers in the game and gets a modest amount of sacks. SLB Andre Tippett had his worst season since 1985, leading some to speculate that he might be on the downslide. He's still a solid player, however. WLB Gary Cobb is sadly underutilized.

SILB Scott Radecic is unremarkable. WILB Ervin Randle is a glorified special teamer. SLB Keith Browner is good, however and has improved each of his five seasons in the league. WLB Chet Parlavecchio erupted for 12.5 sacks in a stunning season that no one expected out of him, suggesting a one-season wonder.

Advantage: Dolphins

Secondary
It's a crime that LCB Gill Byrd has no All-Pro recognition yet. He's the best corner in the league not to have one yet. RCB LeCharls McDaniel continues to defy age and his declining skills to be a productive corner. CB Lou Brock is a dreadful nickelback however. SS Lloyd Burrus is starting to lose a step, but he's still one of the NFL's best safeties and FS Thomas Everett is one of the top young safeties in the league.

LCB Steve Brown is a major underachiever, just as RCB Dave Waymer is a tough-nosed overachiever. SS Harry Hamilton is a superlative tackler with some pass-rush skills, but he's awful in coverage, but FS Eric Williams another player better suited to backup and ST work, is even worse. Nickel CB Herb Welch has been a huge disappointment since Day One.

Advantage: Dolphins

Keys for the Miami Dolphins

1. Engage in maximum Marino pass protection
The Dallas Cowboys have a wretched secondary outside of Waymer, so Marino should be able to dissect them all game long. If that happens, this game's over before it even starts.

2. Go for the fast-strike offense.
The reason Dallas got this far is because they have excellent, excellent special teams units. Pile on the points and not even the Cowboys' vaunted special teams will be able to close the gap.

3. Don't let Mel Gray gamble on returns.
Gray is one of the top returners in the league, but he gambles his way into fumbling too often and that could be dangerous against the Cowboys. Turnovers that give Dallas short field position could be disastrous.

Keys for the Dallas Cowboys

1. Grind the pace of the game down
The only chance Dallas has to win this Super Bowl is to keep it a low-scoring affair and let the special teams generate some turnovers.

2. Blitz Marino as often as possible, targeting the guard spots
The Dolphins' guards are weak against the pass-rush, so if they're hit hard enough, a route to Marino may be found. Getting pressure on him is the only way to compensate for Miami's superior WRs against the highly overmatched Dallas secondary.

3. Don't forget Eric Dickerson
Every time an opponent forgets him, that's when he breaks out with a huge game. He's done it before on the biggest stage and if too much emphasis is placed on the Dolphins passing game, Dickerson will do Dallas done.

Final Thoughts
On paper, this is going to be a blowout. But Dallas has fantastic special teams, a defensive line that's the equal of Miami's and a talented young WR in Michael Irvin. Remember Irving Fryar anyone? For the Irvin/Irving factor alone, we're not willing to give the Dolphins the spread they probably deserve.

Final Line: Dolphins by 3

[Izulde]

I'm going to be seriously ticked if we lose this game. That's all there is to it.

The Cowboys get the kickoff first and on 3rd and 5, the stadium goes crazy when QB Scott Campbell connects with WR Buster Rhymes for a 42 yard gain. Two plays later, Scott Campbell finds SE Ricky Nattiel in the endzone from 11 yards out and just like that, Dallas has the lead.

Dallas 7 Miami 0 - 11:26 1st Quarter

The answering kick is a touchback and then the following happens:

Dan Marino to Louis Lipps: 11 yards
Dan Marino to Mark Duper 69 yards and a TD!

Duper was dynamite, as he gained 61 yards after the catch, absolutely burning and juking the entire freaking Cowboys defense. Now that's what I call a playmaker!

Miami 7 Dallas 7 - 10:36 1st Quarter

Less than a minute and we tied it up... How's that for a quickstrike offense, Dallas?!

The Cowboys start to put together a grinding drive, but then that all goes out the window as Scott Campell connects with Michael Irvin for 31 and 30 yards on two straight passes, the last good for the go-ahead TD. What the hell is this?!

Dallas 14 Miami 7 - 7:16 1st Quarter

If you'd have told me it'd be 14-7 midway through the first quarter and we'd be losing, I'd have called you a moron, but it's happening and I can't believe it.

We start responding and Eric Dickerson is a huge part of the next drive, touching the ball on four straight plays midway through it for 7 yards worth of running and 38 yards of receiving. But then Curtis Dickey fumbles the ball on a 10 yard reception and Dallas recovers.

Fortunately, we finally hold the Cowboys, stopping them about midfield and Mel Gray follows the coaching staff's instructions to the letter, calling for a fair catch at our own 19.

Dan Marino hits Art Monk for 21 yards to end the 1st quarter and we're on our own 40 to start the second quarter.

Dallas 14 Miami 7 - End 1st Quarter

Ugh. Mark Duper fumbles the ball on the 3rd and 2 on the Dolphins 49 and the Cowboys recover -again-. Not good, not good at all.

Worse yet, we look like we're going to hold them to a 3 and out, when Scott Campbell finds FB James Jones for 13 yards and the conversion, his second straight pass to the FB. Luckily, Michael Irvin drops a pass and Dan Saleaumula and Clyde Simmons combine for a critical 3rd down sack.

Up goes the 49 yard FG attempt by Tony Franklin.... and it's good. Damn it!

Dallas 17 Miami 7 - 11:18 2nd Quarter

We need to get something going here and quickly move from the 20 to just inside Dallas's territory with nice passing by Dan Marino and solid runs by Eric Dickerson.

Once we're there, Eric Dickerson rushes for 11 yards and Dan Marino squeezes his second pass through double-coverage of this drive, locating Art Monk for 22 yards and a red-zone situation.

Dan Marino to Steve Watson for 11 yards and we're knocking on the door, but then Eric Dickerson is stuffed on two straight downs, including a 6 yard loss and I'm swearing. But then on 3rd and goal, Dan Marino finally throws away from the coverage, finding super-backfield receiver Herman Fontenot for the 8-yard TD!

Dallas 17 Miami 14 - 5:20 2nd Quarter

A great Bobby Morse return puts the Cowboys on the 41, but an Andre Tippett sack and a false start on Dallas has them at 3rd and 22. So what happens? Scott Campbell strikes Ricky Nattiel in the numbers for 25 yards. Unbelievable.

Two straight incompletions and another 3rd and long situation, but once again it's Ricky Nattiel with the clutch 16 yard conversion catch. Where the hell did this guy come from?!

Ricky Nattiel again for 5 yards, followed by a 15 yard James Jones reception and they're deep in our territory. I'm really starting to hate that FB's receiving skills.

By the time the two-minute warning sounds, the Cowboys are on our 3 yard line after a 6 yard Bobby Morse run and David Overstreet rams it into the endzone for the TD on his second try. I wish I knew what the hell was going on right now.

Dallas 24 Miami 14 - 1:44 2nd Quarter

Two straight penalties, one on the kickoff return and then a false start before our first play.

Then, because things aren't bad enough already, Dan Marino is intercepted by ILB Scott Radecic inside our own 20.

Four plays later, Bobby Morse runs it in for yet another TD and I'm ready to break somebody's legs.

Dallas 31 Miami 14 - Halftime

Sure we can still win this, but we're in a big hole right now and need to snap out of our offensive stupidity.

Things start off well enough with a 30 yard Mel Gray return and some nice alternating running between Eric Dickerson and Mel Hoge, but two straight False Start penalties on the same freaking down kills our momentum and the 11 yard pass from Dan Marino to Steve Watson isn't enough and so we have to punt.

Dan Melville is so pissed he pins the Cowboys at the 1-yard line on the punt.

Can we please, please, -please- get a safety here?

David Overstreet says no, pushing forward a yard on first down and then 13 yards on second down, getting Dallas out of the deathtrap on, ironically enough, a trap play. Damn it!

Dan Saleaumula sacks Scott Campbell for 5 yards on the next play, but it's kind of like gee, a little too late there, Dan. And of course, because our defense sucks today, we allow them to convert 3rd and 10 with a 17 yard pass from Scott Campbell to Michael Irvin. Two plays later, another strike to Michael Irvin, this one for 24 yards and Dallas is now officially back in Dolphins territory. :banghead:

Another two plays later and Thomas Everett saves all our asses with an endzone interception, wisely taking the touchback. If we're going to make our move, we need to make it -now-.

But of course the drive is a slow, junky one, relying heavily on Eric Dickerson's getting yardage after the catch and his ability to run the football. Still, at long last, we poke through for precious points, Eric Dickerson capping off a string of three consecutive runs with a 3 yard burst for the TD.

Dallas 31 Miami 21 - End 3rd Quarter

The final quarter of play has Dallas facing a 3rd and 3. I bet you know what happens.

We actually stop them! Holy cow!

Even better, we get the ball back on our own 41! There's a glimmer of hope yet!

It's all desparation and all Dan Marino now, but we're forced to take the short stuff because the Cowboys are determined to run out the clock and are playing very conservatively on defense.

We're stopped short after getting well into Dallas territory and have to settle for Scott Norwood's 42 yard FG attempt, which is good. We're still down, but we've whittled it down to a single-possession game with a lot of time on the clock.

Dallas 31 Miami 24 - 11:05 4th Quarter

Sadly, Scott Campbell is Marino-like this game, sandwiching Bobby Morse short runs with a 19 yard pass to Michael Irvin and a 21 yard pass to WR Malcom Barnwell, putting the Cowboys on Miami turf yet again.

Bobby Morse gets three straight runs to carry Dallas to the 20 and then it's Scott Campbell to David Overstreet for 16 yards. The inevitable gets delayed a few more plays, but finally David Overstreet carries it across the goal-line for the 2 yard TD and we're pretty much done.

Dallas 38 Miami 24 - 4:19 4th Quarter

As a crowning insult, Louis Lipps fumbles the ball on what would've been a 3rd down conversion and Dallas recovers the football, bringing it back to our 19.

Five straight Bobby Morse runs and they can't convert the TD, settling for Tony Franklin's 20 yard FG. Whatever. More salt in the wound.

Dallas 41 Miami 24 - 2:00 4th Quarter

Dan Marino puts on a fine last-minute drive, getting us to the Cowboys 29 before time runs out.

One of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history and one of the most disappointing losses I've had in this universe. Unfreakingbelievable.

Dallas 41 Miami 24 - Final

QB Scott Campbell was named the Super Bowl MVP with 332 yards and 2 TDs to 1 INT on 16/29 passing. Michael Irvin caught 6 passes for 127 yards and a TD. Dave Waymer had 3 pass defenses. Great job against our WRs, to be honest.

For our side, Dan Marino played extremely well in the loss, 28/40 for 383 yards, 2 TDs and an INT, but Eric Dickerson was mediocre and I'm getting tired of his inability to really take over a game. Dan Saleaumula had a fine statistical game with 7 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns, but by and large our defense stunk up the joint and turnovers absolutely killed us.

We've been to 6 straight Super Bowls and are 3-3. A lot better than the real-life 0-4 Buffalo Bills or the this-universe 0-5 Browns. We've been dynastic, to be perfectly honest, appearing in 10 of the last 13 Super Bowls and posting a 5-5 record in them.

What's clear is that we need to upgrade at CB. LeCharls McDaniel just can't get it done anymore and our nickel and dime packages are absolutely porous. Gill Byrd can't do it by himself. I'm also very sorely tempted to trade Eric Dickerson.

[Izulde]

Record 17-2
Winning Pct. .894
All-Time 326-138
Winning Pct. .702
Playoffs 43-16
Playoff Visits 24
Bowl Wins 8
Head Coach Alan Rosian
Record 82-13
Winning Pct. .863
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 32.3 2
Rushing Yards 131.9 5
Yards Per Carry 4.08 15
Pass Attempts 31.1 28 (T)
Completions 19.2 24
Completion Pct. 61.6 10
Passing Yards 262.6 3
Yards Per Attempt 8.44 1
Yards Per Catch 13.69 1
Total Yardage Gained 385.4 2
3rd Down Conversions 47.8 1
Points Per Game 31.1 1
Pass Rush Pct. 24.8 7
Pass Defense Pct. 66.9 5
Turnovers 18 3
Turnover Margin +13 3 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 22.9 3
Rushing Yards 102.6 7 (T)
Yards Per Carry 4.47 29
Pass Attempts 36.1 25
Completions 20.0 18 (T)
Completion Pct. 55.5 6
Passing Yards 218.8 12
Yards Per Attempt 6.07 5
Yards Per Catch 10.94 10
Total Yardage Gained 302.1 5
3rd Down Conversions 34.1 4
Points Per Game 16.0 5 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 18.6 2
Pass Defense Pct. 53.4 15
Turnovers 31 10 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 17 at BUF 30
2 34 SFO 7
3 37 at SDO 20
4 34 at NED 10
5 27 at JAX 6
6 24 HOU 3
7 33 BUF 7
8 31 IND 13
10 38 at TUC 24
11 35 at NJY 13
12 31 at STL 20
13 31 BAL 26
14 33 LAS 27
15 34 NED 22
16 20 at SEA 13
17 38 NJY 15
$$CS 24 CLE 21
$$CF 37 HOU 10
**FB 24 vs DAL 41

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
13 D. Marino QB 424 256 3682 8.68 29 9 102.5
15 T. Blackledge QB 74 51 520 7.03 5 2 100.0
**Team --- 498 307 4202 8.44 34 11 102.1
$$Opp --- 577 320 3501 6.07 14 20 67.2

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 329 1330 4.04 17 5
20 M. Hoge RB 144 677 4.70 3 1
**Team --- 517 2111 4.08 22 15
$$Opp --- 367 1641 4.47 9 22

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 A. Monk WR 120 65 1102 16.95 9.18 7 12
86 L. Lipps WR 85 53 930 17.55 10.94 5 8
89 S. Watson WR 75 50 724 14.48 9.65 5 5
42 E. Dickerson RB 43 34 347 10.21 8.07 1 2
83 M. Duper WR 52 25 399 15.96 7.67 3 3
87 J. Novacek TE 40 25 317 12.68 7.93 1 2
21 C. Dickey FB 21 18 91 5.06 4.33 1 0
20 M. Hoge RB 22 17 83 4.88 3.77 2 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
28 T. Everett S 68 23 1.0 2 0 16 82.0
59 A. Tippett OLB 65 18 2.0 5 2 6 77.5
24 L. Brock CB 65 22 0.0 0 1 4 75.0
25 L. Burrus S 63 17 0.0 2 3 7 83.6
55 C. Odom ILB 60 25 3.0 1 3 5 80.3
34 G. Byrd CB 60 9 1.0 3 5 19 83.3
98 C. Simmons DE 50 14 18.0 39 0 0 81.4
96 B. White DT 49 19 4.0 10 0 1 81.4
37 L. McDaniel CB 45 19 1.5 1 5 11 82.8
73 C. Greer DE 39 9 12.0 20 0 0 82.5
93 D. Saleaumula DT 27 12 4.0 8 0 0 81.4
58 G. Cobb OLB 22 10 0.0 0 0 1 73.5
27 A. Gibson S 20 8 0.0 0 1 6 82.3
45 J. Sullivan S 18 4 0.0 0 0 1 77.6

Makes you wonder what kind of season Dan Marino would've had without missing those games due to injury. Eric Dickerson needs to be traded, I think. I'm really tired of him underachieving. Nice season by Louis Lipps, though I think he's capable of more.

I couldn't ask for anything better from Clyde Simmons and Clyde Greer. Wow. What a pairing! Dan Saleaumula is coming along ver nicely as well. Our secondary really needs improvement, though.

1988 Miami Dolphins Season Awards

LT Gary Zimmerman - All-Pro 1st Team T
4 straight All-Pro 1st Team awards and he's only been in the league 5 seasons. Now that's impressive. I couldn't be more thrilled with him, especially since he was a 1.31 pick.

RDE Clyde Simmons - All-Pro 1st Team DE
Simmons got jobbed of the Defensive Player of the Year award, but at least he got the 1st Team bid, hopefully one of many more to come. What a great player to have and the latest in a long line of successful late 1st round picks.

LCB Gill Byrd - All-Pro 2nd Team CB
Byrd finally gets All-Pro recognition, even though it wasn't his best season. I can't believe it's taken this long for him to be awarded this honor, but at least he's finally gotten it. Arguably the best ballhawk we've ever had.

Head Coach Alan Rosian - Coach of the Year
His umpteenth Coach of the Year award. Rosian really deserves a lot of credit for this Dolphins dynasty and it'll be sad to see the year he finally retires.

...Which turns out to be this season. Damn it!

Other Major Awards
MVP
QB Matt Cavanaugh - Chicago Bears (No that's not a typo. He had a fluke freakishly good season)
Offensive Player of the Year
QB Matt Cavanaugh - Chicago Bears
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Toby Williams - Dallas Cowboys
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Lorenzo White - Pittsburgh Steelers
Defensive Rookie of the Year
SS Erik McMillan - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In addition to losing Rosian, we lose TE John Spagnola, but even though he played 10 seasons for us and started 6 of them, we're not going to profile him because he never was a major part of the offense, with 283 receiving yards his career high. TEs just don't play a big role on our teams, not with the wealth of WR talent we have.

Staff Hiring

Out of my grief at losing Rosian, I don't track the staff attribute changes. Our Lead Scout's out of contract and I listlessly offer him an extension. Thank God Edwin Buckley and Don Bruce are still under contract, as they'll be able to ease the rookie coach into things.

I break my house rule about hiring coaches only with fresh records after discovering last year or a few seasons ago that the records set to 0 upon hiring coordinators and chase after Ted Wegert, the New York Giants' offensive coordinator.

He signs the next day to a $620,000 a year, 4 year deal and I think he'll be a good one.

Ted Wegert - 57
MT: Good
DI: Average
OC: Good
DC: VG
IA: Good

My Scouting Director takes $20,000 a year more and 3 more years to go to the Jaguars, so I go with a youngster who can hopefully be groomed.

Scottie Wertlieb - 31
QB: Good
RB: Good
WR: Good
OL: Good
KP: Good
DL: Good
LB: Average
DB: Good
YT: Average

Tyrus Treftz becomes head coach of the Oilers, but I can't remember if it's a re-up or another team change. Jared Thamilarasan is now OC of the Minnesota Vikings, taking a pretty damned paltry salary to do it too.

MLB Jeff Herrod is the easy Summer League choice.

The Jets offer me RB Napoleon Kaufmann and a 4th round draft pick for Clyde Simmons. I laugh in their faces.

Nobody wants Eric Dickerson when I shop him, so I decide to get more pressing with RB-needy teams. Problem is, nobody wants to pay a 7th year RB $320,000, so we're stuck with him another year.

Oh well, not that it's a bad thing. Looking over the draft class, with the exception of a certain someone sure to go #1, the RB crop is damned weak.

Of course, looking over the draft class, there's a player who should be around when we pick at 31 who I covet very, very, very much and I'll do my damndest to make sure I land him.

But free agency's before that, only I don't feel like doing it, so I'll quit for now.

[Izulde]

Free Agency

By the Numbers
QB x 2, FB, TE, WR x 2, G, DT x 2, OLB, CB x 2, S x 2 (14 new overall)

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
FS Antonio Gibson: 3 years, $260k
RDT Dan Saleaumula: 5 years, $1.35 mill.

Gibson's largely filler but has some run defense skills. Saleaumula I screwed up on. I forgot it was only his third season and he'd have been a RFA next offseason anyway. At least I didn't make the same fiscal mistake with Clyde Simmons, who will also be a RFA next offseason as it's his 4th year.

We're $4.3 million under the cap with 31 players signed, fourth most cap room in the league and it's going to be a shopping spree and a half for us, because this is the best free agent crop in years.

Week 2 Signings
WR Jerry Rice - 5 years, $5.63 mill. (St. Louis)
-You just heard two sounds; the sucking of 25% of our cap room going out the door and the enthusiastic and wild cheering by our fans, led by none other than Dan Marino himself. Marino-Rice-Monk (albeit now in his 10th season). What an awesome combination!

G Russ Grimm - 3 years, $550k (Houston)
-Admittedly we overpaid for him as he's in 9th season and could crash at any time, but we really needed a boost at G, particularly RG and I think he can provide it. We desparately need youth at the G spot, that's for sure and we'll be looking come draft time.

DT Jim Burt - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-We really wanted to bring Jim back in the fold. He can be a starter or he can be a top-shelf backup, so I'm glad he inked right away on a min-sal.

S Lonnie Young - 1 year, $80k* (Pittsburgh)
-Really strong chemistry guy who will be Lloyd Burrus's backup, as well as one of his best friends on the team.

Week 3 Signings
DT Greg Kraken - 3 years, $2 mill. (Minnesota)
-Our other huge free agent target, we got into a major bidding war for his services but come out on top. He instantly slots in as our starting LDT, allowing us to move Burt to a backup spot. Our D-line just got hugely better with his addition.

Week 4 Signings
DE Bruce Smith - 2 years, $230k (Houston)
-Wants to be a starter and he'll definitely earn the right to battle Curtis Greer for it. He's also really nice insurance in case Greer falls off and with Smith, Clyde Simmons and Jeff Cross, we've got a nice young corps at DE.

Week 4 Losses
QB Todd Blackledge - 1 year, $80k* (Baltimore)
-Performed very well as Marino's backup last year when Dan missed a few games due to injury. I wish I would've re-signed this 5-0 QB, especially since he took a min-sal, but those are the breaks.

DT Brad White - 1 year, $100k* (Detroit)
-Capable starter/backup in the mold of Burt, but since we have Burt, we didn't need White, who especially became expendable after we signed Kraken.

Louis Lipps is getting a swarm of interest in free agency. No less than 11 teams are pursuing him. Not bad for a guy who we drafted in the 4th round. Actually, because he's been one of my most successful mid-late round draft picks in this dynasty, I'm strongly tempted to burn most of the rest of our cap to reel him back in.

Ah hell, why not?

Week 5 Signings
WR Mark Duper - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Duper, who has anything but Super in this universe, nonetheless comes back to the Dolphin fold, just because I wanted him to stay.

Week 6 Signings
WR Louis Lipps - 5 years, $2.41 mill. (Re-signing)
-And the completion of our unstoppable WR corps is finished. We're also, somewhat unfortunately, running a little low on cap space now.

P Dan Melville - 1 year, $130k (Re-signing)
-Had to pay above the min-sal to get him back, but it's worth it to have a quality punter around, even though our $4.38 under number is now down to $1.67 mill. and we still need 2 QBs, a FB, a TE, an OLB and 2 CBs minimum, not to mention signing our draft picks. We'll probably have to double-dip here.

Week 6 Losses
T Roger Taylor - 2 years, $300k (Cleveland)
-Sure he's a mentor, last year's starting RT and a solid player, but I wasn't willing to pay much more than min-sal for him. The Browns were and so were quite a few other teams.

Week 8 Signings
OLB Clay Matthews - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-He's a mentor and I don't know why I re-signed him. He's honestly sucktastic, but oh well.

Week 9 Signings
G Terry Long - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Surprisingly effective last year as the top backup G and a mentor, so we brought him back.

Week 9 Losses
S John Sullivan - 1 year, $80k* (Pittsburgh)
-Nice guy and he's been a Dolphin his entire career thus far, but ultimately a terrible cover safety and not a hard enough hitter or big enough turnover generator to bring him back.

And that's it until the last week of free agency, which probably won't see any changes, so draft to come next time.

No idea when that'll be as I have a giant freaking headache right now and the Advil is not helping.

[Izulde]

This draft is loaded at DE, just loaded. Ray Seals, Trace Armstrong, Dennis Byrd, and Tony Tolbert all grade out at 6.1 adjusted or better. RB Barry Sanders is the consensus #1 pick. OLB Derrick Thomas and CB Donnell Woolford are getting a lot of acclaim as well. Rodney Peete is rated as the top QB in most draft previews, followed by Troy Aikman and Billy Joel Tolliver.

1989 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. RB Barry Sanders - New England Patriots

Ugh. I didn't realize I was going to have to play him 2 times a year. Suddenly I'd rather have Thurman Thomas in the division.

2. CB Donnell Woolford - Seattle Seahawks
3. QB Rodney Peete - St. Louis Cardinals

...HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Rodney Peete as the 1st QB is funny enough, but #3 overall?! Wow.

4. OLB Derrick Thomas - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. DE Ray Seals - Cincinnati Bengals
6. DE Dennis Byrd - New Jersey Jets
7. RB Bobby Humphrey - San Diego Chargers
8. DE Trace Armstrong - Minnesota Vikings
9. WR Hart Lee Dykes - Green Bay Packers
10. QB Troy Aikman - Indianapolis Colts
11. RB Vince Workman - Jacksonville Jaguars
12. RB Todd McNair - Washington Redskins
13. DE Tony Tolbert - San Francisco 49ers

Great value pick for the 49ers here.

14. QB Billy Joe Tolliver - Denver Broncos
15. T Tony Mandarich - New Orleans Saints
16. ILB Rod Stephens - Tucson Titans
17. RB Cleveland Gary - Detroit Lions

Oh how cruel this universe is to the Lions. Gary instead of Barry.

18. DE Wayne Martin - Carolina Panthers
19. DT Glenn Montgomery - Pittsburgh Steelers
20. CB Mike McGruder - Oakland Raiders
21. T Andy Heck - Washington Redskins through Cleveland Browns

The Browns take the Redskins' 2nd and 3rd round picks in this draft and Washington's 1990 3rd round pick. Heck isn't a player worth trading up for in my opinion, so it's a wash.

22. QB Anthony Dilweg - New York Giants
23. DE Jake McCullough - Los Angeles Rams
24. TE Keith Jennings - Atlanta Falcons
25. RB Derrick Gainer - Philadelphia Eagles
26. DE Marvin Washington - Kansas City Chiefs

The Bears look like they're going to possibly take the player I've been targeting, so I give the Ravens a ring. Pick #31 and our 1991 3rd rounder does the trick. It's overpaying to get it, but I really wanted....

27. CB Deion Sanders - Miami Dolphins

That sound you just heard was our secondary going Prime Time and Gill Byrd cheering enthusiastically that he's got a great running mate for the first time in years.

28. CB Ray Crockett - Chicago Bears

Not that Crockett would have been a terrible second option, but Deion is that much better that I had to trade up and get him as the Bears were reportedly quite high on him.

29. S Steve Atwater - Buffalo Bills
30. WR Andre Rison - Houston Oilers
31. RB Craig Taylor - Baltimore Ravens
32. S Brian Jordan - Dallas Cowboys

My board took an absolutely brutal beating in the 2nd round. No problem though, as we snag G Mike Utley. It's awfully early for him to go, but we really need a young G in a big way and we don't have a 3rd round pick.

It's a long wait till our 4th round pick and irony strikes when K Pete Stoyanovich, my favorite Dolphins kicker in real life, gets taken by the Bills. First they steal Clayton, now Pete. Sheesh! In any event, our kick return game was horrific last year to the point we had to run a 0 KR guy as our second return man. Deion will alleviate that in a big way and so will our 4th round selection, RB David Meggett. I just couldn't resist the chance to snag up a gamechanging returner this late in the draft.

Sammie Smith, the bane of my existence in the early 90s, is still there when we come up in the 5th round and I'm sorely tempted to make it back-to-back RBs, just so I can keep signing him and bury him on the depth chart forever. But we need a second TE and Wesley Walls looks like a worthwhile, if raw pickup, so he's the selection.

Haha! Sammie winds up in Florida anyway, going to Tampa Bay in the 6th. Extremely raw (8% developed) QB Steve Walsh is the only signal-caller left with a pulse when we come up and we need a body there after we re-sign Don Milan, so I'll grab him. Makes a good story anyway, the Dolphins drafting the guy who played for the Hurricanes so he can stay in Miami.

A body need has us taking FB Ivy Joe Hunter with our 7th round pick, second to last in the draft.

Late Free Agency

Week 1 Signings
CB Vito McKeever - 1 year, $70k* (New Orleans)
-4th year guy, started his first 3 years at CB for the Saints and did a passable job. We still need CB depth and he slots in as our nickel CB. Sad thing is, our corner situation was so awful last year, he'd have been a starter for us, too.

Week 2 Signings
QB Don Milan - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-15 years he's been here in Miami and he's still a cult hero to those who remember his magnificient work in the '70s. Honestly, if he wasn't so legendary in my mind for that and if he wasn't a mentor, he probably wouldn't keep collecting a paycheck every year, but he is.

TE Walt Arnold - 1 year, $100k* (Cleveland)
-Mentor signing

DE Glenn Collins - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Mentor re-signing.

ILB Roosevelt Barnes - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Mentor re-signing, but one who's got enough game to be a legitimate backup if need be.

Week 3 Signings
FB William Andrews - 1 year, $120k* (Chicago)
-Mentor signing, affinity with our backfield captain and one who could challenge for the starting FB job.

DT Phil Dokes - 1 year, $120k* (Re-signing)
-Mentor re-signing.


CB Deion Sanders 1.26 19/44 24/49 +5/+5
G Mike Utley 2.31 17/30 20/33 +3/+3
RB David Meggett 4.31 20/34 21/32 +1/-2
TE Wesley Walls 5.31 17/30 20/33 +3/+3
QB Steve Walsh 6.31 4/18 7/23 +3/+5
FB Ivy Joe Hunter 7.31 11/16 14/18 +3/+2

Draft Grade: A (#2 draft overall!)

I'm surprised to see Deion rated so low. That being said, I think this is one of the best drafts I've ever had. Every one of these players should be a contributor sooner or later. Walsh in particular looks to have been a real steal and could be groomed as our QB of the future.

The #1 draft? New England, which got an A+ after the Patriots found 4 rookie starters in the draft: RB Barry Sanders, TE Howard Cross, LG Mike Zandofsky and RG Mike Schlereth in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 3rd rounds respectively.

[SFL Cat]

ALRIGHT Cowboys... sorry, had to give my favorite team some props. Plus, we don't want the league to become too predictable with SOOO many consecutive Fins SB victories. :p

Regarding the draft...hopefully the Boys will give the Colts (the bastards) some payback on their drafting of Troy Aikman by getting Peyton Manning when he comes into the league.

As for Deion...yeah, it does look like he got jobbed by the X-Factor a little. Hopefully his ratings and potential will creep.

[Izulde]

ALRIGHT Cowboys... sorry, had to give my favorite team some props. Plus, we don't want the league to become too predictable with SOOO many consecutive Fins SB victories. :p

Regarding the draft...hopefully the Boys will give the Colts (the bastards) some payback on their drafting of Troy Aikman by getting Peyton Manning when he comes into the league.

As for Deion...yeah, it does look like he got jobbed by the X-Factor a little. Hopefully his ratings and potential will creep.

No problems cheering. I figured you'd enjoy that. :D

That would be an interesting flip-flop, to be sure. I've no doubt Deion's going to creep, if his boom is any indication. :)

[nilodor]

I'm hoping that the start of a new NFL campaign has reignited the fire for this dynasty.

[Izulde]

I'm hoping that the start of a new NFL campaign has reignited the fire for this dynasty.

The NFL season hasn't, but this bump did. :) I'll try and update sometime next week.

I'm having major, -major- computer issues and I've got about 44 Comp I papers to read over the weekend, if not start grading.

[Autumn]

What, the 2008 Miami Dolphins haven't ignited your passion for football? Strange.

I hate to hear about your computer issues, I follow your dynasties like they're my own. I'm thinking hard about picking up DDS:PB after reading about your play for so long.

[surlyc]

Taking it this far is very impressive... I have a tendency to drift off into a couple of my favourite old games over continuing my historical games.
Primarily O.J.Sanderson's 49ers (6 straight Superbowls, with 5 rings) where I traded Alex Smith as a 3rd year pro, and my Jets/Buccaneers game where I won 7 of 10 SBs over a 19 year game. But my drafting skills and tactical head and a country mile better than they were when I started this game... maybe I should get back into a proper game... :p

[Izulde]

Autumn: I -love- the TPB/DDS:PB series. In fact, I love it so much that DDS:PB is one of my two most played computers games (the other being Crusader Kings).

I'm very touched by the high praise you accord my dynasties. :) The good news for this one, I suppose, is that with my desktop out of commission until I can get it sent back to Wisconsin for repairs, I'll be trudging from my apartment to the English TA computer lab to use my laptop a lot (because the apartment internet connection is completely hosed as well). And that means more updates for this dynasty. :D

I think Miami wins about 3-4 games this year and they keep improving over the next couple seasons. I just hope the Dolphins win a Super Bowl in my lifetime.

surlyc: Oh, I have a really bad habit of not sticking with dynasties, either or abruptly losing interest after a while. It's just that I start so many dynasties, the law of probability kicks in and make a few of them long-lasting. :D

You may want to try house rules for your next dynasty to make it more challenging. It's what I plan on doing if I start another historical dynasty after this one. :)

[Izulde]

Milan, Don 19 QB 15 2 2 1 yr.
Marino, Dan 13 QB 7 88 88 4 yrs
Walsh, Steve 5 QB 1 7 23 3 yrs

As I noted in the Training Camp part of the last post, I'm very optimistic about Walsh's ability to become a capable backup. In any case, he'll be the #2 man as a rookie. Man, I hope we have no injuries to Marino.


Dickerson, Eric 42 RB 7 48 48 1 yr.
Gray, Mel 36 RB 6 27 27 1 yr.
Fontenot, Herman 32 RB 5 31 31 2 yrs
Hoge, Merril 20 RB 3 25 27 1 yr.
Meggett, David 43 RB 1 21 32 4 yrs
Andrews, William 47 FB 11 29 29 1 yr.
Dickey, Curtis 21 FB 10 33 33 2 yrs
Hunter, Ivy Joe 40 FB 1 14 18 3 yrs

Dickerson's on the downslide of his career, but he'll get another year as our starter. Gray's our return ace, Fontenot is our passing down back, Meggett's the other return ace. Hoge is the main backup RB, but I'm really going to have to play with the numbers to try and have 5 active RBs. Andrews is going to be inactive, as I want to get Hunter the PT to see if he can develop like I think he can as the reserve FB. I predict a first day pick being spent on a RB next year in the draft, possibly a 1st rounder. We need genuine young talent here.


Arnold, Walt 81 TE 10 29 29 1 yr.
Novacek, Jay 87 TE 5 48 48 4 yrs
Walls, Wesley 88 TE 1 20 33 3 yrs
Watson, Steve 89 FL 11 49 49 1 yr.
Monk, Art 85 FL 10 57 57 1 yr.
Rice, Jerry 84 FL 5 68 68 5 yrs
Duper, Mark 83 SE 8 36 36 1 yr.
Lipps, Louis 86 SE 6 51 51 5 yrs
Kemp, Perry 80 SE 3 37 37 1 yr.

I think this is the best TE shape we've ever been in. Novacek is one of the top TEs in the league in my opinion, though his numbers don't show it because of how talented we are at WR and I have hope for Walls as the backup. Watson shifts to SE, giving us Rice and Lipps as the starters, Monk and Watson as the backups. Duper's the 5th WR only because of his ST ability. Kemp's an inactive.


Dellenbach, Jeff 53 C 5 47 47 2 yrs
Dawson, Dermontti 52 C 2 47 56 2 yrs
Farrell, Sean 65 LG 8 50 50 1 yr.
Utley, Mike 74 LG 1 20 33 4 yrs
Commiskey, Chuck 63 RG 9 38 38 1 yr.
Grimm, Russ 79 RG 9 44 44 3 yrs
Long, Terry 60 RG 6 36 36 1 yr.
Zimmerman, Gary 66 LT 6 63 63 3 yrs
Blair, Paul 76 RT 4 41 41 1 yr.
Gruber, Paul 61 RT 2 17 28 2 yrs

Zimmerman/Farrell/Dawson/Grimm/Blair, with the reserves being Dellenbach, Utley and... well, Gruber. Commiskey and Long are inactives. I'm really kind of worried about our guard situation for the future.


Melville, Dan 16 P 11 74 74 1 yr.
Norwood, Scott 4 K 5 47 47 2 yrs

They'll do.


Greer, Curtis 73 LDE 10 40 40 1 yr.
Collins, Glen 70 LDE 8 22 22 1 yr.
Smith, Bruce 94 LDE 5 43 43 2 yrs
Simmons, Clyde 98 RDE 4 50 50 1 yr.
Cross, Jeff 95 RDE 2 30 44 3 yrs
Burt, Jim 97 LDT 9 41 41 1 yr.
Kragen, Greg 77 LDT 5 62 62 3 yrs
Dokes, Phil 91 RDT 13 15 15 1 yr.
Saleaumula, Dan 93 RDT 3 52 52 5 yrs

Smith-Kragen-Saleaumula-Simmons. Greer narrowly beats out Cross for the backup DE spot because Greer subs in for Smith in the nickel and dime packages. Burt's the obvious DT backup. Cross, Collins, Dokes all go inactive.


Odom, Cliff 55 MLB 10 42 42 1 yr.
Barnes, Roosevelt 92 MLB 8 47 47 1 yr.
Herrod, Jeff 57 MLB 2 46 60 3 yrs
Matthews, Clay 90 SLB 12 26 26 1 yr.
Tippett, Andre 59 SLB 8 43 43 2 yrs
Cobb, Gary 58 WLB 11 47 47 1 yr.

I have to make some cuts and in this case, it's goodbye to Matthews, who was only ever a mentor signing to begin with. Since we have no young OLBs, it's a moot point and besides, Tippett's now a Mentor as well. Odom moves to first SLB, but that puts him in a scouted tie with Tippett, so we move him to WLB. Our linebacking corps will be Tippett-Herrod-Cobb, with Barnes and Odom the MLB and OLB reserves. I'm really excited to see what Herrod can do this year.


Byrd, Gill 34 LCB 7 58 58 2 yrs
McKeever, Vito 30 LCB 4 40 40 1 yr.
Brock, Lou 24 RCB 3 23 23 1 yr.
Sanders, Deion 33 RCB 1 24 49 4 yrs
Burrus, Lloyd 25 SS 9 51 51 2 yrs
Young, Lonnie 38 SS 5 42 42 1 yr.
Gibson, Antonio 27 FS 4 40 40 3 yrs
Everett, Thomas 28 FS 3 65 65 2 yrs

Byrd-Burrus-Everett-Sanders, with McKeever, Brock, Young, Gibson the various backups. Most likely we'll have McKeever as the nickel and Young as the dime back respectively.

Tough decision to make here, as we've got one more cut.

Every element of logic says Curtis Greer, but I can't do that. I can't let one of my favorite 3rd round picks I've ever made go, not when he's second on the team in career sacks, had 12 sacks last year and is our greatest DE since L.C. Greenwood.

So instead, I cut Perry Kemp, the other logical candidate for elimination.

As expected, we're the odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl. Green Bay is the NFC pick by a slight margin over the Lions, Giants and Buccaneers.

[Izulde]

I'd planned on waiting until tomorrow to update again, but it's Friday night, I don't have the money to go out because I have to send my desktop for repairs, the Internet's busted in the apartment, I don't feel like playing the PS3 or watching a movie on the TV and my roommates probably have a bunch of people over anyway. I also have to do laundry, finish reading Confessions of an English Opium Eater, find the critical article I was going to do my presentation on (which is, of course, on my desktop), read it and prepare the presentation, and start grading the 40some Composition I papers. So it's not going to be a fun weekend. At all.

It's times like this I -really- miss more than I usually do the budget movie theatre I had within walking distance in La Crosse. Here, there's no budget movie theatres and the closest theatre period is an hour and a half walk each way, making 3 hours roundtrip, which I'm not willing to do. I also haven't found out if the buses go anywhere near there or not, but I'm going to, probably by next weekend. I love going to a movie at least once a week and not having that pleasure is very strange. It was also very relaxing just to sit back, eat popcorn and drink soda, chill out, and lose myself in the dark anonymity of a theatre with a large picture movie playing out before me.

So, long-winded complaining aside, let's get to actually seeing what this team looks like. :)

Preseason

Chicago 7 Miami 24
Scott Norwood did most of the scoring with 3 FGs. Unfortunately, he was also just 3/6; not a good sign for the regular season. Merril Hoge looked great though, rushing 17 times for 102 yards and a TD. Steve Walsh looked impressive against the Bears 2nd string defense at 18/29 for 206 yards and a TD. Clyde Simmons led the D with 2 tackles, 2 sacks, a block and 2 knockdowns.

Miami 44 Los Angeles 25
The Rams fumbled the opening kickoff and Greg Kraken returned it 31 yards for a TD. Louis Lipps caught 7 catches for 116 yards and we picked off the ball 3 times and recovered 4 different fumbles. Curtis Greer was amazing with 5 tackles, an assist, 3.5 sacks, a block, 2 hurries and a forced fumble. Gill Byrd recorded 2 tackles, 2 assists and 3 pass defenses.

Bad news as SLB Andre Tippett strains his elbow tendon and is out roughly 7 weeks. We're going to have to cut somebody and that somebody is offensive line captain G Chuck Commiskey, who started the last 4 seasons at RG for us, but who lost his starting job to free-agent signee Russ Grimm and then lost the backup job to rookie Mike Utley.

Russ Grimm becomes the new O-line leader and has a mild conflict with Paul Gruber, our backup T, which isn't nearly as bad as the strong conflict Thomas Everett, our starting FS has with DB captain SS Lloyd Burrus, our superstar.

So we bring aboard 6th year journeyman SLB David Marshall to serve as the backup OLB for the time being. Cliff Odom slots in as the starter at SLB.

Miami 38 Green Bay 13
Eric Dickerson tramples the Packers in the tune-up, with 21 carries for 111 yards and 3 TDs and Cliff Odom returns an INT 17 yards for a TD in his first game at SLB. He's got a lot of determination to show he deserves the job over Andre Tippett. I'm a little worried about Dan Marino's accuracy. He's looked off in the preseason games and I'm wondering if maybe he isn't still feeling some lingering effects from the knee injury that caused him to miss 3 starts last regular season.

St. Louis 7 Miami 30
Terrific game by Lloyd Burrus with 8 tackles, an assist, 2 forced fumbles, a pass defense and an INT. Vito McKeever had 2 tackles, 3 pass defenses and a pick of his own. Our secondary has looked brilliant at picking off the ball in preseason and I hope that carries over into the regular season.

Regular Season

Miami 30 New England 24 (OT)
What an absolute barn-burner to start the year! It takes overtime and Dan Marino at 31/60 for 336 yards and 4 TDs to secure the victory over the Patriots. Just as a side note, Barry Sanders rushed 19 times for 104 yards and 2 TDs in his pro debut. It feels really weird seeing him in Patriot red, white and blue rather than Lions silver and blue. Our DBs did indeed look sharp in the opening game, as Gill Byrd had a 13 yard INT return and Deion Sanders electrified the TV audience with a 42 yard INT return.

Miami 24 Tampa Bay 31
And just like that, the perfect season goes out the window as Tony Eason completes a 7 yard TD pass to Travis McNeal at the two-minute warning. Can't blame Dan Marino: 23/40 for 358 yards and 2 TDs. But our running game has looked awful, our run defense is terrible and Scott Norwood is missing FGs like nobody's business.

Curtis Greer strains a calf muscle and will miss our next game, so Jeff Cross takes his place as the backup DE. We also get Andre Tippett back and boy, do we need him.

Houston 10 Miami 31
Finally we put together a dominant game. Dan Marino is 22/40 for 342 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. Louis Lipps catches 6 passes for 118 yards and a TD. Gill Byrd is everywhere on defense with 5 tackles, a sack, a pass defense, an interception, and 2 forced fumbles.

Curtis Greer is Probable, but I want to see how we do without him in the lineup for another game while he heals up fully.

Miami 27 Cincinnati 7
Our second straight game of 3 interceptions and we're happy to have them, because my heart's in my throat. Dan Marino scrambled for a 3 yard run on the first play of the game and didn't come back. Steve Walsh took over and was 23/43 for 229 yards, 2 TDs and a pick. Clyde Simmons livened up the defense with 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, 2 blocks, 4 hurries and 2 knockdowns. Lloyd Burrus recorded 4 tackles, an assist, a knockdown, 4 pass defenses and one of the 3 INTs off of Danny White, who looked horrendous this game.

...I don't believe it.

Diagnosis: Dan Marino - Broken Foot - Out 10 Weeks

That giant sucking sound you just heard was our season going right down the drain. OLB David Marshall gets the pink slip and we have to decide whether to go with the rookie Steve Walsh, our 6th round draft pick, or to go with the best option in free agency, 13th year vet Steve DeBerg.

...Hell with it. I have faith in Walsh; we'll go with him.

You know your QB situation is scary when your 15th year mentor, Don "The Legend" Milan, is now your #2 QB. I would sign DeBerg to be the #2 QB, but he'd want to be the starter and I say hell with that.

Buffalo 17 Miami 20 (OT)
They may have stolen Pete Stoyanovich away from us, but the Bills can't take away this victory from us as Scott Norwood hits the 24 yard chip shot to give us the OT miracle. Cool thing about this game: Frank Reich, conductor of the greatest IRL playoff comeback I've ever seen, is on the Bills in this universe too and in fact is the starter. Painful thing about this game: Both QBs throw 3 picks. Lloyd Burrus had 12 tackles and 2 assists, Greg Kragen 11 tackles, 2 assists, a half-sack and 2 hurries.

Steve DeBerg is starting to look better and better.

Backup C Jeff Dellenbach strains his patellar tendon and is out for roughly the next 5 weeks. We sign ancient 10th year C Blake Moore to be the backup and new offensive line captain.

Miami 21 Cleveland 13
A narrow road win over the Browns, but we'll take it. Steve Walsh looked much more comfortable this game at 15/23 for 192 yards and 2 TDs. Clyde Simmons led the defense with 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 hurries and 4 knockdowns. Bruce Smith grabbed 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown.

Backup SS Lonnie Young tears his ACL and he's gone for the year, so we stick him on IR and sign 8th year SS Durwood Roquemore, a former 3rd round pick of the Bengals who was actually a starter back in 1984 for Cincinnati as the reserve.

Pittsburgh 0 Miami 27
Our defense pitches a shutout through outstanding team play and Steve Walsh was a laser-beam 23 of 24 for 275 yards, a TD and an INT. Yep, that's right, the interception was his lone incompletion. He rode Jerry Rice all game long, with 6 catches for 138 yards and a TD.

I'm still so amazed by this stunningly accurate performance by a 6th round rookie that I just have to show the receiving chart.

http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o395/Izulde08/wowpassing.jpg

Just beautiful.

Jeff Dellenbach is back up to Probable after our bye week. Oh, another cool thing about Blake Moore - he's a mentor at C. Good thing considering Dermontti Dawson is a 2nd year player.

New England 3 Miami 28
It's funny... with Dan Marino, we barely beat the Patriots in OT. Without him, we destroy them. It was a total team effort today, with no individual stars to report, although I will mention that Steve Walsh was 19/28 for 220 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs.

So at the halfway point, despite losing Dan Marino, we're still 7-1. We also have the advantage of the AFC East being a terrible division this season, with the next-closest team being Buffalo at 4-5. (Is anybody else getting a weird sense of deja vu` and FOF imitating life here?!)

We're also presently tied with Denver for the top seed in the AFC.

Nice dogfight in the NFC West. The 49ers and Rams are both 8-1, but the NFC North has an even better fight going on, with 3 teams at 4-4; Green Bay, Minnesota and Chicago. Detroit's in their usual form at 2-6.

Curiosity compels me at this point to look at the Lions' historical record. Oh wait, that's right, they won a Super Bowl, back in 1979, when they beat us. That was Super Bowl XX, where Danny White threw 3 interceptions and I got fed up with Steve Largent's drops for the last time and vowed to get rid of him.

But now that I'm looking, there's 11 teams that have never made the Super Bowl. The worst team in universe history is probably the Oakland Raiders, who have the 4th-worst all-time winning percentage at 41.1% and who have only been to the playoffs twice, the first in 1968 when they made the AFC Championship with considerable ease before falling to Baltimore 17-7. They hadLes Josephson at RB and Ray Poage, the best WR in Oakland Raiders history in this timeframe. They also had John McGeever, the CB who still ranks 7th all-time in INTs as of this halfway point of 1989 and DE Larry Eisenhauer, who was in his prime at the time, but tore his MCL in the divisional round, missed all of the 1969 season and wasn't the same anymore, retiring in 1971 after failing to make the 49ers.

The other Raiders playoff team was in 1977, when Oakland featured John Gilliam, the most successful QB in team history and a career-long Raider. Their offense then was all pass, pass, pass, as Gilliam still ranks 2nd all-time in attempts and completions. He played 15 seasons and holds a slew of Raiders passing records along with most games started. Never earned an All-Pro award, but he had three 4,000+ yard seasons.

Time to look at the half-season tape!


Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
All-Time 333-139
Winning Pct. .705
Playoffs 43-16
Playoff Visits 24
Bowl Wins 8
Head Coach Ted Wegert
Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 31.8 4
Rushing Yards 105.9 18
Yards Per Carry 3.33 30
Pass Attempts 37.4 8
Completions 21.9 7
Completion Pct. 58.5 13 (T)
Passing Yards 270.0 3
Yards Per Attempt 7.22 6
Yards Per Catch 12.34 6
Total Yardage Gained 369.0 4
3rd Down Conversions 35.5 21
Points Per Game 26.0 3
Pass Rush Pct. 27.6 3
Pass Defense Pct. 78.3 1
Turnovers 15 20 (T)
Turnover Margin +6 6

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 22.3 5
Rushing Yards 95.8 8
Yards Per Carry 4.30 25
Pass Attempts 37.9 26
Completions 18.5 5
Completion Pct. 48.8 2
Passing Yards 180.3 1
Yards Per Attempt 4.76 1
Yards Per Catch 9.74 3
Total Yardage Gained 260.1 1
3rd Down Conversions 26.2 1
Points Per Game 13.1 2
Pass Rush Pct. 20.7 14
Pass Defense Pct. 57.0 15
Turnovers 21 2 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 30 at NED 24
2 24 at TBY 31
3 31 HOU 10
4 27 at CIN 7
5 20 BUF 17
6 21 at CLE 13
7 27 PIT 0
9 28 NED 3
10 BAL
11 at NJY
12 CAR
13 at KCY
14 ATL
15 NJY
16 at NOS
17 at BUF

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
5 S. Walsh QB 159 99 1124 7.07 9 7 83.9
13 D. Marino QB 140 76 1036 7.40 8 1 94.2
**Team --- 299 175 2160 7.22 17 8 88.7
$$Opp --- 303 148 1442 4.76 7 14 51.0

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
42 E. Dickerson RB 155 539 3.48 6 3
20 M. Hoge RB 74 249 3.36 3 1
**Team --- 254 847 3.33 9 13
$$Opp --- 178 766 4.30 5 18

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
84 J. Rice WR 64 31 508 16.39 7.94 1 5
86 L. Lipps WR 54 29 399 13.76 7.39 3 2
85 A. Monk WR 50 28 334 11.93 6.68 3 3
42 E. Dickerson RB 31 24 177 7.38 5.71 1 1
87 J. Novacek TE 24 20 171 8.55 7.13 2 0
89 S. Watson WR 41 16 295 18.44 7.20 3 4
32 H. Fontenot RB 9 9 120 13.33 13.33 0 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
25 L. Burrus S 42 15 0.0 0 1 8 85.1
57 J. Herrod ILB 41 16 3.0 4 0 1 75.0
77 G. Kragen DT 35 10 4.0 10 0 0 80.8
30 V. McKeever CB 31 9 0.0 0 1 7 82.6
28 T. Everett S 26 11 0.0 0 3 4 84.1
59 A. Tippett OLB 24 7 0.0 1 2 2 78.8
34 G. Byrd CB 19 5 1.0 2 4 5 85.9
94 B. Smith DE 19 8 4.0 11 0 1 81.5
98 C. Simmons DE 19 9 6.0 20 0 0 80.4
33 D. Sanders CB 19 4 0.0 0 2 6 84.5
58 G. Cobb OLB 14 6 1.0 1 1 1 84.6
93 D. Saleaumula DT 13 5 0.0 7 0 1 82.9
55 C. Odom OLB 10 1 1.0 0 0 1 62.2

Dan Marino was on his way to one hell of a season before he got hurt. This is Eric Dickerson's last year as a Dolphin. His contract runs out after this season and he hasn't single 100-yard game this year. He'll have a junkball 1,000 yards probably, but he's done.

Even with the glut of superlative WRs we have, Jerry Rice is still showing himself the star of stars in our lovely passing constellation. It's 50/50 if he breaks 1,000 yards receiving for the year, but he's really showing his worth already.

Our pass defense is just ridicuously good. Notice that opposing QBs are completing just 48.8% of their passes against us. I'm awfully curious to see who's #1. Look at all those interceptions! It's only halfway through the year! I'm loving all the great PD% numbers, too. Jeff Herrod is really blossoming as the MLB. Greg Kragen is really a disruptive force at DT, which is awesome.

We're giving up way too many yards per carry, though, so that's something to keep an eye on.

Overall though, we're in fantastic shape. Dan Marino is out approximately another 5 weeks and even though he'll likely be Probable sooner than that, I'll probably have him sit out until he's at full health. I mean, we're not in any real danger of losing the division title. At absolute worst, we have to play a full slate of games to get to the Super Bowl and I feel safe in doing that if we've got a healthy Marino.

[Izulde]

A few malcontents. Cliff Odom is unhappy, Roosevelt Barnes is disgruntled and Jeff Dellenbach is downright angry. None of them are going to start, sorry for them.

Baltimore 6 Miami 16
.500 is now a certainty after Scott Norwood boots 3/3 FGs and Clyde Simmons is in the Ravens backfield all day long with 2 tackles, a sack, 5 hurries and 4 knockdowns.

Dan Marino's Questionable with 4 weeks to go, but as I said, he's going to sit out the full time until his foot's completely healed.

Miami 17 New Jersey 13
Jeff Herrod was a one-man wrecking crew versus the Jets with 12 tackles, 3 assists, a hurry and 3 pass defenses. Bruce Smith had 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown as our unbelieveable defense continues to tide us over despite not having the most stellar offense. We're now guaranteed to have a winning record.

Nickel back Vito McKeever hyperextends his elbow and will miss at least the next game. G Terry Long gets cut, as Russ Grimm is already a mentor there and we welcome back RCB LeCharls McDaniel, who bedeviled us so many years as a Redskin before serving as our starting RCB the last three seasons, including 5 picks last year. Since he knows our defense so well, he was a logical signing and slides in as the nickel.

Carolina 20 Miami 17
We've been very, very luck with the close wins, so I'm not really upset when we finally do lose a narrow one. Jerry Rice catches 5 passes for 100 yards even, but Scott Norwood is in danger of being released after this year as he shanks two easy FGs that would've given us the win.

Rookie starting RCB Deion Sanders strains his elbow tendon and will be out approximately 6 weeks. I rush Vito McKeever back, even though he's questionable and slide LeCharls McDaniel in as the starting RCB. It's a devastating blow, as Prime Time really electrified our secondary.

Miami 31 Kansas City 10
Nice game by Steve Walsh here as he throws 3 TDs to 1 INT, contrary to John Elway, who was a wretched 10/34 for 99 yards and 2 picks. Our pass-rush was unstoppable. Greg Kragen had 3 tackles, an assist, 2.5 sacks, a block and a hurry, Clyde Simmons won Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 5 hurries and 7 knockdowns and Bruce Smith picked up a tackle, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns. Gill Byrd had 2 tackles, an assist and 3 pass defenses.

We've clinched the AFC East, as Buffalo lost today. We're also in the lead for the top seed, as we're 10-2 and Jacksonville and Denver are both 9-3.

Atlanta 20 Miami 17
Hell of an effort by Steve Walsh to try and carry us to victory: 19/33 for 316 yards, 2 TDs and an INT, but our running game was absolutely dreadful. Louis Lipps had 6 catches for 136 yards. Bruce Smith went on a tear with 3 tackles, 3 assists, and 2.5 sacks.

New Jersey 14 Miami 17
And we finally win another close one. Steve Walsh is 23/35 for 284 yards, 2 TDs and a pick and he was pretty much the lone statistical star and differencemaker in this one. It's been an amazing run he's had, especially for a 6th round rookie.

Miami 44 New Orleans 14
Our last week before Dan Marino comes back in and it's an absolute massacre as we visit the league's worst team in the 1-13 Saints. Eric Dickerson finally breaks the century mark, rushing 30 times for 121 yards. Steve Walsh is 21/28 for 372 yards, 4 TDs and an INT, Jerry Rice is absolutely insane with 6 catches for 223 yards and 4 TDs and Scott Norwood hits all 3 of his FG attempts. On defense, Thomas Everett returns an INT 36 yards for a TD, Clyde Simmons has 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2.5 sacks, 2 blocks, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns and Jeff Herrod records 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pass defense.

As Jacksonville and Tucson are deadlocked at 10-5 in the AFC South and we, along with Denver, are 12-3, we've locked up a first round bye. The only question is if we get home-field advantage throughout.

There's never been a better time for a fully healed Dan Marino to come back. Oh, Deion Sanders is back up to Probable, but I don't want to risk him getting re-injured before the playoffs.

Miami 31 Buffalo 6
The Bills try to play spoiler, but fail miserably. Eric Dickerson finds new life, carrying the ball 21 times for 120 yards and 3 rushing TDs as he's trying to play for a new contract. We overcome 2 picks in Dan Marino's first game back, in part thanks to 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown from Clyde Simmons.

Denver flattens the Chiefs 47-22, so I'm not sure who has home field advantage. I want to say it's us because we're 12-0 against the AFC, whereas Denver is 10-2, but I'm not certain.

What I do know is that we're looking pretty darn good heading into the postseason and that Steve Walsh has gone from Hurricanes hero to Dolphins hero in helping save our season after Dan Marino broke his foot.

[Izulde]

Our divisional opponent is none other than the Dolphins wannabes, the Tucson Titans.

They're sickly stacked under center. QB Jim Kelly has never thrown for less than 3,079 yards or 18 TDs a season since he became a full-time starter in 1986 (albeit with 12 starts). He hasn't been nearly as heralded as fellow 1983 QB Dan Marino, but the's still very good. QB Randall Cunningham is the backup and he really deserves to start somewhere. The 5th year pro is extremely unhappy and he has every right to be. I'm almost tempted to take another team and trade for him.

RB Frank Pollard may not be as brilliant as he was in years with the Atlanta Falcons, but the 10th year vet is an iron man, who still eked out 1,180 yards and 10 TDs after signing with Tucson in the offseason. He's 3rd All-Time in rushing yards and 2nd All-Time in rushing TDs. He could probably still run another season, too. Third year backup RB Marc Logan lost his starting job after two seasons, but he's a primarily a ST ace anyway.

TE Anthony Jones is a good run-blocker and long snapper, but that's it. FL Mike Quick is a two-time All-Pro and has 7 consecutive seasons of 1,000 yards receiving, but he just barely made it this year (1,007) and has developed a real drops problem the last few years. SE Mike Jones, on the other hand, has had drops problems his entire career, split between mostly the Giants and the last two seasons in Tucson. It's a wonder Kelly puts up the #'s he does.

C Mike Freeman is ordinary, but 3rd year LG Jeff Bregel is rapidly improving, as is 2nd year RG Eric Moore. Harvey Salem is taking over at LT, even though he's a RT since LT Mark May is on IR. Salem started off his pro career well, but has really regressed since his first few seasons. RT Chuck Loewen in his 10th season has nothing left and is only an emergency starter.

P Maury Buford is pretty good, K Mick Luckhurst sporadic.

LDE Sean Jones is one of the best DEs in the NFL, getting 16 sacks this season to extend a streak that started in his second year in 1985 (22 sacks), where he's had no fewer than 12.5 sacks. RDE Karl Wilson, in his third season, just won the starting job over Alphonso Carraeker, who was having a renaissance season. LDT Jerome Brown is a brilliant 3rd year pro, already one of the best DTs in the league and a real run-stopping and pass-rushing force in the middle. RDT Rich Stachowski is a Jim Burt type, a hard-working overachiever.

MLB Matt Millen recorded 109 tackles in the regular season, his 6th straight season of 100+ tackles and 8th overall in his career. A terrific run-stopper, ST ace and very good all-around player. SLB Duane Bickett has been a disappointment in his first five seasons. He brims with talent, but just can't convert it into production.

LCB Ron Pitts is a terrible cover corner, but gets just enough INTs to stay the starter. RCB Maurice Douglass is just the opposite; he'll rarely get a pick, but plays well enough in coverage to maintain a starting spot. SS Lester Lyles is a joke. FS Felix Wright has shown flashes of potential, but didn't get a chance until Elbert Shelley's torn ACL in the last week of the season to be the starter. He was quite underwhelming in the Wild Card Round.

Given the weakness of the Titans secondary and the strength of ours, I say we win this in a blowout. I'm so confident, I don't start Deion Sanders, but instead give him another week to be fully healed and recovered.

Vegas surprisingly only has us by 2.

The game wasn't as close as the final score looked. Dan Marino looked great, throwing for 303 yards and 2 TDs on 22/31 passing and really, he was all we needed to get the victory, as our defense played just well enough to win.

Tucson 17 Miami 24

[Izulde]

It's an All-Florida AFC Championship as we host the Jacksonville Jaguars.

QB Mike Pagel was a very strange franchise tag choice, for while he's good, he's nobody's idea of great. On the other hand, he's far and away the Jags' best QB.

Rookie RB Vince Workman fumbles the ball quite a bit, but still managed 778 yards in 9 starts. RB Mark Higgs, a 2nd year player, is even more fumble-prone, though, even if he did get 852 rushing yards in 7 starts.

TE Brent Jones is a phenomenal all-around player, the best blocking TE in the league and a darn good receiver as well. 2nd year FL Tim Brown just missed 1,000 yards in the regular season, but he's a deadly return man in addition to being a dangerous receiver, who already has 2,044 receiving yards. Shades of Irving Fryar here in his ability to take over a game. SE Jessie Hester is a special teams ace and notably was held without a single receiving TD in the regular season. Not the best option there. FL Mark Ingram is an excellent 3rd receiver and it really should be and Brown as the starters.

C Don Mosebar is terrible in pass protection. LG George Lilja is average, but RG Terry Long has been very good after getting picked up by Jacksonville following his release from our team. He's got major motivation in this game to beat us after having won the starting job and played well. 11th year vet LT John Giesler famously surrendered 23 and 24 sacks and surrendered 11 or more sacks 7 times in his 10 seasons with the Saints, but he's experienced a late-career renaissance after signing with the Jaguars in free agency. He gave up a comparatively low 6 sacks and delivered 5 pancake blocks and excellent run-blocking. 10th year man RT Irv Pankey is adequate.

P Mike Horan has a booming leg, as does K Dean Biasucci, who two years ago converted a jaw-dropping 9/9 FGs from 50+ yards out. His accuracy took a hit this year though, with just 69.8% FG conversion, a career low.

LDE T.J. Turner is unimpressive and RDE Kenny Neil will be an emergency starter after RDE Sean McNanie was lost for the season in the divisional round with a torn wrist tendong. LDT Bill Pickel was supposed to re-energize the Jacksonville D-line after coming over in free agency, but his well publicized conflicts with defensive captain Frank Manumalega have prevented him from doing so. RDT Johnny Robinson is old, worn out and never was much of a player.

MLB Frank Manumalega is a tackle-machine who's on the downside of his career and no longer has the pass-rush moves he did earlier in his career. SLB Kevin Greene is the saving grace of this appaling front 7, a high-motor player who's rather akin to Andre Tippett, only much younger, as this is his 5th season.

LCB Lester Hayes is out with a knee injury, so it'll be LCB Mark Harper, a warm body, starting on the left side. 5th round pick rookie RCB D.J. Johnson has been a pleasant surprise in coverage after winning the starting job and has been electric in the playoffs, with 2 picks, including a 61 yard INT return for a TD in the wild card round against San Diego, and a breathtaking 93.2% pass defense. 2nd year SS William White isn't much for coverage, but he's a hard hitter and great in run support. FS Stacey Toran, signed from the Jets in the offseason, is in the inverse; a good cover safety, but horrid against the run.

We're going to eat the Jaguars defense alive. Brown worries me in that Fryar kind of way, but I don't think Jacksonville has the arsenal to win the anticipated shootout, not with how good our secondary is, especially now that Deion Sanders is back in the lineup.

The bookies favor us by 5, another ridiculously short line in my opinion.

Jacksonville jumps out to a 9-0 lead after a safety and a passing TD, but that's as good as it got for the Jags, as we rolled after that.

Dan Marino was crisply efficient at 21/35 for 291 yards and 2 TDs, Clyde Simmons disrupted the Jacksonville offense with 4 tackles, 2 assists, 2.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns and Dan Saleaumula joined him in the pass-rush fun with 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a knockdown. But the real maestro of the defense was Gill Byrd, netting a tackle, an assist, a pass defense and 2 picks.

In short, the expected blowout that returns us to yet another Super Bowl.

Jacksonville 16 Miami 38

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XXX Preview

Miami Dolphins Out
SS Lonnie Young

Los Angeles Rams Out
RG Tom McHale
LDT Mitchell Benson

Quarterback
Dan Marino missed most of the season with a foot injury, but he's shown absolutely no signs of rust in the playoffs, throwing for a 61.8% completion for 594 yards, 4 TDs and 0 picks in his two postseason games. Rookie Steve Walsh played excellently in relief, compiling a 9-2 record in the regular season, completing 60.4% of his passes for 2,931 yards, 25 TDs and 13 INTs, looking like anything but a first year 6th round pick.

The Rams are stacked at QB, led by Warren Moon, who completed an astounding 67 percent of his passes for 3,909 yards, 32 TDs and 10 interceptions in the regular season despite missing 3 games to a pulled triceps and like Marino, has yet to be picked off in the playoffs. Mark Rypien was solid in relief, going 2-1 and 3rd stringer Wade Wilson is a possible starter on some teams himself.

Advantage: Tie

Running Back
Eric Dickerson kept his 1,000 yard rushing streak alive with 1,178 yards and 20 TDs in the regular season, but he posted a career-worst 3.62 YPC average. He's been terrible in the playoffs, limping along with a 2.49 YPC average. He's fast on the decline and probably won't be back with the Dolphins next season. Merril Hoge is an average backup, but it's probably time the Dolphins admitted that experiment's a wash. Herman Fontenot's an underused, brilliant receiver and David Meggett and Mel Gray form the league's most dangerous 1-2 return punch.

Earnest Jackson rushed for 1,294 yards and 12 TDs in the regular season and has posted a 4.45 YPC average in the postseason. He's got good outside speed and even in his 7th season, this back still has the legs to be a workhorse when he has to. Curt Warner's a great change of pace, a power runner with good hole execution and a good receiver out of the backfield.

Advantage: Rams

Wide Receiver
TE Jay Novacek has blossomed into one of the league's best at his position, but the Dolphins are so stacked at WR, he's not as involved in the passing game as he could be. Explosive FL Jerry Rice had 1,238 yards and 13 TDs in his first season in Miami. SE Louis Lipps was a little disappointing, dropping 8 passes. FL Art Monk caught 44 passes for 644 yards and 6 TDs in his 10th season and he's still so good he could start for almost any team in the league. SE Steve Watson is always dangerous, the 1987 League's Fastest Man still able to use his speed in his 11th year as Miami's 4th receiver.

TE Joe Rose never was much more than a glorified LS and he's a non-entity in the passing game. Second year FL Sterling Sharpe reminds a lot of people of a young Irving Fryar and he lit up the league this season for 1,831 receiving yards and 17 TDs. He's been on fire this postseason as well, with 262 yards and 4 TDs in two games. SE Lionel James is nothing to write home about. FL Buster Rhymes is simply not very good and SE Gregg Garrity is more known for his special teams work.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
C Dermontti Dawson is one of the better centers in the league in just his second season. LG Sean Farrell really improved his pass protection this year and has been dominant in the playoffs. RG Russ Grimm can't run block to save his life, but he holds up well in pass protection. Horrible year in run-blocking for four-time All-Pro 1st Team LT Gary Zimmerman, but it's hard to argue with his 8 pancake blocks and just 3 sacks surrendered. RT Paul Blair has never lived up to the lofty 2nd round expectations, awful in the run-blocking, solid in pass protection.

C Jay Pennison is solid and has improved each of his four years in the league. LG Doug Dawson is a monster run-blocker, but gives up too many sacks to be considered a truly elite guard and the exact same thing can be said of RG Tom Newberry. LT Chris Hinton is a solid runblocker for a LT and has really improved his blocking strength and pass protection, the latter of which still needs some more work. RT Jeff Criswell had an absolutely sensational campaign in his first year as a starter.

Advantage: Tie

Kickers
P Dan Melville is still accurate, with a very strong leg and a knack for coffin corner placement. K Scott Norwood had a rough regular season, but he's still the most clutch kicker in the NFL.

P Rick Engles has a booming leg even in his 14th season, but P Mark Royals is patiently waiting in the wings to take over. K Uwe von Schamann converts between 70-80% of his FGs a year and can hit from any distance and has yet to miss any kick attempted in the playoffs this year.

Advantage: Tie

Defensive Line
Miami boasts one of the most fearsome pass rushes in the NFL, LDE Bruce Smith and RDE Clyde Simmons both in double-digit sacks in the regular season. Simmons in particular is brutal, amassing 45 tackles, 18 assists, 15.5 sacks, 7 blocks, 39 hurries and 41 knockdowns in the regular season, showing why he was a 1st Team All-Pro last season. LDT Greg Kragen has a non-stop motor and is equally adept at stuffing the run and rushing the passer, as his 59 tackles and 7 sacks in the regular season show. RDT Dan Saleumula doesn't have the sexy numbers of his three linemates, but on a weaker team, he'd be a standout.

Conversely, the Rams made the Super Bowl in spite of their defensive line rather than because of it. LDE Art Still is a shell of his former self in his 12th season, although 1st round RDE Jake McCulllough recorded 8.5 sacks in his rookie campaign. Fellow rookie and 4th round pick LDT Lawrence Pete scares no one and RDT David Galloway has been hampered by a strained triceps. More importantly, the Rams have absolutely no depth to speak of.

Advantage: Dolphins

Linebackers
Second year MLB Jeff Herrod showed off great pass rush skills in amassing 7 sacks to go with his 86 tackles in his first season as a starter. He was a lot better in coverage than thought he would be and looks like a rising start. SLB Andre Tippett is no longer fearsome like he used to be, though he's still to be respected. WLB Gary Cobb is terrific in coverage and one of the more underrated LBs in the league.

In terms of talent, second year MLB Chris Spielman is one of the top 5 in the NFL, but while he's been extremely good, he hasn't yet reached the elite level he's capable of. Undrafted rookie SLB Tony Post is a joke, as is second year WLB Travis Hand, also an undrafted rookie last season. If Spielman can get better players around him, he might just be able to reach that elite level.

Advantage: Dolphins

Secondary
LCB Gill Byrd is criminally unrecognized year in and year out despite being one of the best corners in the NFL. He's been incredible this postseason with a 98.6 pass defense percentage and two picks in two games. Rookie RCB Deion Sanders looked great in the regular season, with 3 interceptions and an 85.1% pass defense, but he's been exposed for his greenhorn status in the playoffs. Nickelback CB Vito McKeever isn't great, but isn't horrible either. SS Lloyd Burrus is still an excellent safety in his 9th season, with no weaknesses and FS Thomas Everett is as wrongly unsung as Byrd. Together, Burrus and Everett form one of the league's top safety tandems.

LCB Darrell Green has struggled this postseason, but he's still a high-quality, dangerous corner. RCB Garcia Lane is prone to getting burned and gets picked on often. Nickel CB Randy Robbins is one of the more underrated defensive backs in the league and should be starting ahead of Lane. SS Tim McDonald is the best in the league, period. Three straight seasons of 100+ tackles and a pass defense percentage of 87.2 in the regular season this year don't lie. He's a beast in the playoffs as well. FS Keith Bostic isn't a playmaker, but he's a solid free safety who will get the job done and done well.

Advantage: Dolphins

Keys for the Miami Dolphins

1. Stay the course with a balanced offense.
As tempting as it's going to be to utilize the incredible aerial assault, attacking the soft underbelly of the Rams' D-line and rushing to the outside where they're atrocious at OLB will not only be effective, it'll force the Rams' defense to make adjustments and slow down the pace of the game.

2. Double-team Sterling Sharpe all game long.
The Dolphins have had trouble against elite single WRs before (see Irving Fryar and if Miami doesn't keep at least two players on Sharpe at all times, he'll burn them and burn them good.

3. Protect Dan Marino
As successful as Steve Walsh was during the regular season, you don't want a 6th round rookie having to go in the championship game unless it's a blowout. Especially not when the Rams have somebody like Warren Moon on the other side.

Keys for the Los Angeles Rams

1. Bring lots of blitz packages from the secondary
The Rams don't want to give Dan Marino time to throw, because with the Dolphins' obscene WR corps and the weakness of L.A.'s linebackers, he can pick them apart all game long. By rushing from the secondary, there's a chance to rattle him and possibly stop outside runs from the Dolphins rushing attack.

2. Use as much no-huddle as possible
Los Angeles's best shot in this game is to turn into a shootout. So don't give Marino time to throw and don't give the Dolphins' superior defense time to get set. Have the play in hand and go no-huddle to speed up the pace of the game.

3. Flood the field with receivers.
Against a sterling defense like Miami's, the best shot for the Rams is to play to their strength at QB. Force the Dolphins into one on one coverage on Sharpe, or, if Miami insists on doubling Sharpe, have Warren Moon find the resulting hole in the defense and attack. No matter how weak the Rams might be at WR outside of their star, an open receiver is still going to catch the pass more often than not, especially in the NFL.

Final Thoughts
The teams are a lot closer than they look on paper. Los Angeles actually has a better overall offense than Miami and the Rams have the secondary to contain the Dolphins' high-octane attack, even with their weaknesses elsewhere. Warren Moon to Sterling Sharpe is going to be a combination we hear called a lot this game and given Miami's traditional difficulties with an elite receiver like that, we're going to call the Rams to pull out the upset in a barnburner.
Prediction: Rams by 1

[RetroNFL]

Hi, just finished reading all of this dynasty and enjoyed it immensely. It is extremely well done. Any chance of an update soon?

[Izulde]

Hi, just finished reading all of this dynasty and enjoyed it immensely. It is extremely well done. Any chance of an update soon?

Thanks. :) Unfortunately, I've pretty much scratched this one off my list to update. It stopped being fun after I built this powerhouse up.

[steved18]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! All those weeks wasted on my lunch hour reading from the very beginning. Come on Izulde at least let us know what happened in the Superbowl to finish this season (hopefully once you start again you'll get the FOF bug again and continue this wonderful dynasty)! Pleassssssssssssssssseeeeeeeee!

[Izulde]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! All those weeks wasted on my lunch hour reading from the very beginning. Come on Izulde at least let us know what happened in the Superbowl to finish this season (hopefully once you start again you'll get the FOF bug again and continue this wonderful dynasty)! Pleassssssssssssssssseeeeeeeee!

Thanks for the high praise :) I may post the Super Bowl at some point (it's already simmed), but I'm officially killing this.

Don't be too sad, though. There may yet come another historical FOF dynasty from me.