From 1960 On: Miami Dolphins (Yet Again!)

[Izulde]

Here I go again. I'm determined to make it all the way to 2007 at least. Wish me luck!

A Look at the 1960 Dolphins by Position:


Yearby, Dave 11 QB 1 23 23 1 yr.
Murphy, Volney 1 QB 2 20 20 1 yr.
Delpino, Luther 12 QB 3 29 29 1 yr.
Baker, Bryant 7 QB 1 9 51 1 yr.

It's a given that we're going to suck and suck bad. That being said, Murphy looks like the best current QB of the bunch, raw scouted rating aside. Baker has intriguing upside and we're going to be terrible anyway, so I'll probably throw Bryant to the wolves and see how he does.


Roaches, Zach 47 RB 1 49 49 1 yr.
Campbell, Chuck 46 RB 3 30 30 1 yr.
Stills, Malcolm 33 RB 3 21 21 1 yr.
Meyer, Conrad 21 RB 1 21 41 1 yr.

Roaches isn't as good a back as his rating suggests. He can find the hole and that's about it. Still, he's the best of a very sorry lot so he'll get be our starter.


Pozderac, Brian 26 FB 2 27 27 1 yr.
Powers, Geoffrey 22 FB 3 23 23 1 yr.

While I'd love to have an actual running fullback, neither of these guys is good enough, so Powers will start as he's the better blocker.


Foley, Jim 84 TE 1 33 33 1 yr.
Cook, Darrell 85 TE 2 19 19 1 yr.
Ingram, Riddick 86 TE 1 18 45 1 yr.

Ingram is an extremely intriguing rookie from the standpoint of blocking. However, he'll never be a receiving threat, so I'm likely to give Foley, the best receiver of the bunch, the starting nod.


Fink, Mondriel 88 FL 1 36 36 1 yr.
Bullard, Chuck 81 FL 1 16 16 1 yr.
Griggs, John 89 FL 2 25 25 1 yr.
Russell, Jack 87 SE 3 15 15 1 yr.
Profit, Tony 80 SE 1 25 25 1 yr.
Taninecz, Pete 83 SE 1 13 36 1 yr.

Fink is the closest thing we have to an offensive playmaker on the entire team. I love Griggs' hands but that's about the only skill he has. Everyone else is more or less trash. Thank goodness for 2K7's dynamic gameplanning, which should focus heavily on the run game.


Dorsch, Lenny 58 C 5 40 40 1 yr.
Bland, Oronde 57 C 1 57 57 1 yr.
Griffin, Monty 59 C 1 20 44 1 yr.

We're in surprisingly good shape here. Bland looks like a very nice guy to have in the middle of the line. Unfortunately, because of a bug in the salary computation where it lists the salary as being multiple years when I try to renegotiate, I can't get him to a long-term deal yet. Griffin's more of a run-blocker in terms of upside.


James, Rick 76 LG 1 39 39 1 yr.
Williams, Walter 60 RG 5 32 32 1 yr.
Breunig, Bob 62 RG 1 61 61 1 yr.
Anderson, Shawn 74 RG 1 10 51 1 yr.

James has 0 Endurance and Breunig has 0 Blocking Strength, so they don't look as good as they appear to be. Anderson has some well-rounded potential and I may try and hang on to him.


Reeberg, Duke 70 LT 2 12 12 1 yr.
Kramer, Chad 61 LT 1 12 48 1 yr.
Hagood, Bob 69 RT 5 33 33 1 yr.
Jackson, Jason 79 RT 5 17 17 1 yr.

Kramer's got middling potential, but a conflict with Hagood. By and large, this is a case of crap in a box.


Van Horn, Craig 5 P 2 12 12 1 yr.
Cottrell, Eric 18 K 1 39 39 1 yr.

69 Kicking Accuracy 0 Power and Hang Time for Cottrell. We won't mention just how bad Van Horn sucks. I think it's safe to say we're replacing these two jokers off the free agent pile next year.


Hazeltine, Scott 91 LDE 4 41 41 1 yr.
Schau, Mark 98 LDE 2 47 47 1 yr.
Martin, Armon 97 RDE 3 35 35 1 yr.
Hopkins, Ray 96 RDE 1 6 6 1 yr.

Schau is usually pretty good in this file and that's the case here as well. Hazeltine's an intriguing case for DT, but he's significantly below the recommended weight for the position and as a result would only turn in 95% of his ratings. So I'll see if I can give him a extension and then bulk his ass up. Martin's serviceable for this level.


Breeden, Cliff 99 LDT 2 36 36 1 yr.
Hardy, Reggie 75 LDT 4 25 25 1 yr.
Campbell, Frank 90 LDT 2 45 49 1 yr.
Cook, Sammie 93 LDT 1 22 39 1 yr.
Nocera, Matt 73 RDT 2 28 28 1 yr.
McKnight, Karl 71 RDT 1 20 41 1 yr.

Breeden's pretty decent and Campbell has cruddy endurance to ruin an otherwise talented DT. Since I'm not impressed with McKnight's bars at all, I switch Breeden over to the right side and lo and behold he increases to 34/48!. I may have to sign him to a long-term deal.


Pruitt, Ken 51 MLB 3 12 12 1 yr.
Garrett, Danny 55 MLB 6 27 27 1 yr.
Jackson, Gabe 54 MLB 1 13 41 1 yr.
Carpenter, Kyle 56 SLB 2 29 29 1 yr.
Morris, Jim 50 SLB 1 29 29 1 yr.
Randall, Luther 94 SLB 1 16 40 1 yr.
Freeman, Ray 52 WLB 4 12 12 1 yr.
Spiva, Aaron 95 WLB 1 49 49 1 yr.

This is largely garbage, though Spiva is worth a look, even though he knows jack about the zone. Jackson has decent upside, but nothing remarkable.


Taylor, John 44 LCB 3 21 21 1 yr.
Shields, Joe 27 LCB 2 37 37 1 yr.
Stryzinski, Brent 23 LCB 1 17 42 1 yr.
Machado, Cristian 25 RCB 1 37 37 1 yr.
Arnold, Marlon 39 RCB 1 21 21 1 yr.
Roby, Calvin 36 RCB 1 16 43 1 yr.

I like ballhawks and none of these guys can intercept a pass except maybe Stryzinski (24/44). Taylor will survive the cuts solely because he can actually return kicks. A poor, poor group.


Brown, Coleman 24 SS 3 24 24 1 yr.
Janik, Eugene 41 FS 3 29 29 1 yr.
Duda, Adrien 35 FS 1 16 16 1 yr.
Gorin, Antonio 31 FS 1 10 45 1 yr.

Gorin goes to 7/42 when I switch him to RCB, but I like his upside enough that he'll get the nod on the right side. Nothing really to see here either.

It's going to be the typical ugly year, but mitigated by the fact that there's lots of other expansion teams. We'll probably end up with a Top 10 pick and get a major piece of the building puzzle.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Jacksonville 17 Miami 20
RDT Cliff Breeden shines in his new role, recording 1.5 sacks and earning Game MVP honors. Volney Murphy was exceptionally accurate (8-10) against our expansion brethren and Eric Cottrell was a surprising 3/3 on field goals.

Miami 10 Tampa Bay 20
Volney Murphy continues his laser accuracy and gets another TD as he keeps outshining Bryant Baker in their preseason duel for the starting QB job. Our running game continues to be uninspired, but the receivers are looking pretty decent.

Miami 13 Carolina 10
Another win in an expansions battle. Zach Roaches rushes 12 times for 88 yards and a TD, our first rushing TD of the preseason and first sign of running game life. Bryant Baker plays pretty well in getting most of the game, despite getting sacked 6 times. I think I'll go with him, just because of his upside.

Los Angeles 29 Miami 0
This is more what I expect our games to be like, as the Rams just hammer us. Bryant Baker gets intercepted 3 times and just looks way off his game. Maybe I will start Volney Murphy after all.

Regular Season

Miami 7 Pittsburgh 30
We get shelled by a Super Bowl contender as expected. Both offense and defense were horrible. The lone bright spot was Gabe Jackson's 22 yard interception return.

Buffalo 20 Miami 27
And here it starts, the march towards a mediocre record and draft pick with a close win over our AFC East archrivals. Zach Roaches rushes 17 times for 79 yards, but the real story of the day was Volney Murphy 27-38 for 352 yards, 3 TDs and an interception on his way to Game MVP. Armon Martin had a sensational day with 2.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns.

Starting FB Geoffrey Powers dislocates his shoulder and is out 10 weeks. Don Mcllhenny, a Week 1 Dallas release, is signed to take his place. and RT Jason Jackson is released to make room for him.

Houston 13 Miami 3
George Blanda of the Houston Oilers kills us and negates Zach Roaches running for 86 yards. We just couldn't get anything going on offense today despite Zach's efforts.

We lose backup SLB Kyle Carpenter for the rest of the year. Luther Randall takes his spot as the backup and former Bengal WLB Terry Carter fills in the roster spot.

Miami 7 Tucson 33
Okay I screwed up here. The Titans are now in Tucson. Why? Oh I don't know, I was messing around with the league setup beforehand. Anyway, this is this universe's Arizona franchise and they slay us dead. Volney Murphy is intercepted thrice and that's really all you need to know.

First Quarter Statistics


Record 1-3
Winning Pct. .250
All-Time 1-3
Winning Pct. .250
Playoffs 0-0
Playoff Visits 0
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Maurice Zellars
Record 1-3
Winning Pct. .250
Off. Coord. C. Washington
Def. Coord. C. Godzik

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 21.0 26
Rushing Yards 93.5 25
Yards Per Carry 4.45 10
Pass Attempts 36.8 10 (T)
Completions 20.0 16
Completion Pct. 54.4 25 (T)
Passing Yards 197.3 21
Yards Per Attempt 5.37 23
Yards Per Catch 9.86 20
Total Yardage Gained 255.5 25
3rd Down Conversions 29.8 24
Points Per Game 11.0 27 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 6.9 13 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 61.7 25
Turnovers 7 19 (T)
Turnover Margin -3 20 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 28.0 16 (T)
Rushing Yards 100.0 11
Yards Per Carry 3.57 3
Pass Attempts 35.8 22
Completions 23.5 30
Completion Pct. 65.7 21 (T)
Passing Yards 254.3 30
Yards Per Attempt 7.11 23
Yards Per Catch 10.82 25
Total Yardage Gained 339.3 22
3rd Down Conversions 29.4 4
Points Per Game 24.0 22
Pass Rush Pct. 6.9 21
Pass Defense Pct. 74.5 25
Turnovers 4 22 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 7 at PIT 30
2 27 BUF 20
3 3 HOU 13
4 7 at TUC 33
5 at NED
6 at NJY
7 GBY
9 at CHI
10 KCY
11 MIN
12 at DET
13 JAX
14 NED
15 at BUF
16 NJY
17 at IND

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
1 V. Murphy QB 147 80 789 5.37 3 5 62.4
**Team --- 147 80 789 5.37 3 5 62.4
$$Opp --- 143 94 1017 7.11 8 3 96.4

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
47 Z. Roaches RB 53 259 4.89 1 1
46 C. Campbell RB 29 114 3.93 1 0
**Team --- 84 374 4.45 2 5
$$Opp --- 112 400 3.57 1 8

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
83 P. Taninecz WR 38 23 255 11.09 6.71 1 0
88 M. Fink WR 27 10 133 13.30 4.93 4 1
80 T. Profit WR 12 9 40 4.44 3.33 0 0
89 J. Griggs WR 21 8 112 14.00 5.33 2 1
86 R. Ingram TE 9 7 47 6.71 5.22 0 0
84 J. Foley TE 12 6 79 13.17 6.58 0 1
81 C. Bullard WR 8 5 51 10.20 6.38 1 0
46 C. Campbell RB 8 4 23 5.75 2.88 1 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
24 C. Brown S 27 7 0.0 0 1 1 81.0
41 E. Janik S 18 1 0.0 0 0 3 74.7
95 A. Spiva OLB 17 6 0.0 2 1 1 76.2
54 G. Jackson ILB 17 8 1.0 1 1 1 80.1
98 M. Schau DE 15 2 2.0 2 0 0 78.1
99 C. Breeden DT 13 3 1.5 2 0 0 82.5
90 F. Campbell DT 13 8 0.5 3 0 0 82.5
97 A. Martin DE 10 5 3.0 4 0 0 82.5
23 B. Stryzinski CB 10 3 0.0 0 0 2 73.7
56 K. Carpenter OLB 8 5 0.0 0 0 0 70.3
31 A. Gorin CB 8 5 0.0 0 0 1 75.5
35 A. Duda S 7 0 0.0 0 0 0 73.2
92 T. Carter OLB 6 0 0.0 0 0 0 1.5
44 J. Taylor CB 6 0 0.0 0 0 1 72.8
50 J. Morris OLB 5 4 1.0 1 0 1 84.3
25 C. Machado CB 5 1 0.0 0 0 1 73.8
73 M. Nocera DT 4 0 0.0 0 0 0 82.5

At least our run defense is looking pretty good. Taninecz is proving a very pleasant surprise in the first quarter. Fink's drops are ticking me off. Not sure how I feel about the rest of the team yet. Since they're all on 1-year deals, I essentially have to reconstruct things from scratch, which is always the real hassle in taking an expansion team.

[Izulde]

Miami 18 New England 31
Volney Murphy passes for 283 yards and 2 TDs, but it's nowhere near close enough to get us the win. I think I'm going to switch over to Bryant Baker now and see if he can improve as the season wears on.

Miami 13 New Jersey 41
The Jets' QB eats us alive for 341 passing yards, which is pretty much all you need to know about how this game went. Bryant Baker was mediocre in his first start, but I expected that. Zach Roaches continues to show glimmers of being a respectable running back, though he's more of a good insurance backup than a legitimate starter.

Green Bay 41 Miami 14
And the slaughterfests continue, with nothing good to report about this one. One thing I do like about this team, though. John Taylor, our red-flag player is averaging 23.7 yards on his kickoff returns. Who says red flags can't be good? He sucks otherwise, though, as does the rest of the team.

Miami 0 Chicago 15
This was a game nobody wanted to win. Bryant Baker was particularly odious at 15-41 for 145 yards and an interception. With that stinker of a performance, we're at the halfway point.


Record 1-7
Winning Pct. .125
All-Time 1-7
Winning Pct. .125
Playoffs 0-0
Playoff Visits 0
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Maurice Zellars
Record 1-7
Winning Pct. .125
Off. Coord. C. Washington
Def. Coord. C. Godzik

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 20.6 29
Rushing Yards 94.8 24
Yards Per Carry 4.59 5
Pass Attempts 37.5 6
Completions 20.6 15
Completion Pct. 55.0 26
Passing Yards 184.9 23
Yards Per Attempt 4.93 27
Yards Per Catch 8.96 26
Total Yardage Gained 249.8 29
3rd Down Conversions 27.8 29
Points Per Game 11.1 29
Pass Rush Pct. 5.9 17 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 58.8 29
Turnovers 13 14 (T)
Turnover Margin -7 25 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 31.0 23
Rushing Yards 108.1 12
Yards Per Carry 3.49 1
Pass Attempts 31.6 11 (T)
Completions 21.9 25
Completion Pct. 69.2 27
Passing Yards 252.1 32
Yards Per Attempt 7.97 32
Yards Per Catch 11.53 31
Total Yardage Gained 348.4 26
3rd Down Conversions 33.7 12
Points Per Game 28.0 28
Pass Rush Pct. 8.4 28 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 72.7 25
Turnovers 6 32

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 7 at PIT 30
2 27 BUF 20
3 3 HOU 13
4 7 at TUC 33
5 18 at NED 31
6 13 at NJY 41
7 14 GBY 41
9 0 at CHI 15
10 KCY
11 MIN
12 at DET
13 JAX
14 NED
15 at BUF
16 NJY
17 at IND

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
1 V. Murphy QB 200 119 1089 5.45 5 7 68.1
7 B. Baker QB 100 46 390 3.90 1 2 51.7
**Team --- 300 165 1479 4.93 6 9 62.6
$$Opp --- 253 175 2017 7.97 17 4 108.7

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
47 Z. Roaches RB 105 500 4.76 3 1
46 C. Campbell RB 49 224 4.57 1 0
**Team --- 165 758 4.59 4 9
$$Opp --- 248 865 3.49 6 12

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
83 P. Taninecz WR 69 43 454 10.56 6.58 1 2
89 J. Griggs WR 47 25 267 10.68 5.68 4 1
88 M. Fink WR 55 24 268 11.17 4.87 7 2
80 T. Profit WR 30 16 103 6.44 3.43 2 0
84 J. Foley TE 23 13 135 10.38 5.87 0 1
46 C. Campbell RB 18 10 64 6.40 3.56 1 0
38 D. McIlhenny FB 11 8 29 3.63 2.64 0 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
24 C. Brown S 44 13 0.0 0 1 1 76.6
95 A. Spiva OLB 39 11 2.0 2 1 2 74.1
54 G. Jackson ILB 38 18 1.0 1 1 2 77.3
90 F. Campbell DT 31 16 1.5 4 0 0 82.5
41 E. Janik S 29 5 0.0 0 0 4 75.8
99 C. Breeden DT 27 4 1.5 2 0 0 82.5
98 M. Schau DE 23 9 2.0 5 0 0 79.4
23 B. Stryzinski CB 18 4 0.0 0 0 4 75.9
97 A. Martin DE 17 7 4.0 7 0 0 81.9
31 A. Gorin CB 17 7 0.0 0 0 1 73.0
50 J. Morris OLB 15 7 1.0 1 0 1 74.2
44 J. Taylor CB 14 1 0.0 0 0 1 61.0
35 A. Duda S 14 1 0.0 0 0 0 72.8
55 D. Garrett ILB 12 5 0.0 0 1 0 77.2
25 C. Machado CB 12 6 0.0 0 0 1 75.1
92 T. Carter OLB 11 3 0.0 0 0 0 43.6
75 R. Hardy DT 11 7 0.0 3 0 0 82.5
94 L. Randall OLB 9 14 0.0 1 0 1 73.5
73 M. Nocera DT 8 0 1.0 1 0 0 82.5
56 K. Carpenter OLB 8 5 0.0 0 0 0 70.3

I'm definitely getting a feel for some guys that I'll make every effort to re-sign. Roaches, Taninecz, Foley (even though he has turf toe problems), Martin, Schau (who I always end up re-signing in these gos). Most of the team is still wait and see how they look at the end of the year, though.

I feel like going through the rest of the season, so I will.

Kansas City 20 Miami 24
The Chiefs really suck bad in this universe and it shows as we get our second win of the year. Zach Roaches and Chuck Campbell both rush for 110 yards to become our first backs to break the century mark. With this emphasis on the running game, Bryant Baker doesn't have to do so much and goes for a nice 19-22 for 225 yards and a TD, his best showing as a starter, as evidenced by his Game MVP award. Mondriel Fink was the biggest benefactor of Baker's accuracy, with 7 catches for 153 yards and the TD, making him our first century mark receiver. Too bad his drops are so high, meaning he won't be coming back. Craig Van Horn broke the 40 yard mark with 42.5 punt average, the first time he's reached that milestone.

Minnesota 3 Miami 34
Ugh. Here we go. Here's the late-season winning streak to deny me a top of the line pick. Zach Roaches rushes for 117 yards and a TD and Chuck Campbell gets 110 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. Armon Martin gets 2.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown and Cliff Breeden picks up 2 sacks and a sack of his own.

Miami 7 Detroit 26
What's noteworthy about this game is that the Lions improve to 11-0 on the year. The 1972 that hasn't happened yet is feeling very threatened right about now. No offense to speak of here and as for defense? Earl Morrall throws for 327 yards against us. Fascinating stuff, considering he played for Miami in real life later on down the road. Anyway, with this loss, the best we can finish is .500.

FS Adrien Duda pulls a hamstring and will miss at least the next game. Not a big deal considering he's just the backup.

Jacksonville 17 Miami 24
Poor Jaguars. They're 1-11 and right now are on track to have either the #1 or #2 overall pick (San Diego's also 1-11). Meanwhile, with this win, we're slated to pick somewhere between 9-12. Yeah, not an exciting prospect considering the help this team needs. In any event, Bryant Baker lights up the Jaguars: 26-36 for 293 yards, 2 TDs and an INT, Tony Profit his main target with 7 catches for 112 yards.

Our starting C, Oronde Bland is out for our next game. Not that big a deal since center is one of the few, if the only, depth positions on this team.

New England 20 Miami 13
Not much to say concerning this loss, save that losing the turnover battle 3:1 killed us and we really missed Bland opening up holes and buying our quarterback some time.

Adrien Duda and Geoffrey Powers are healed up this week, but Powers has long since lost his position on the team. Duda, however, steps back into the spot he left off at.

Miami 3 Buffalo 23
We're now at 10 losses on the season. Chief culprit here was our running game stalled and Bryant Baker just can't carry the team by himself yet, if ever. Our run defense also surprisingly disappeared, allowing a 100+ yard rusher from the Bills.

Oronde Bland comes back a week later than scheduled, but starting RB Zach Roaches breaks his foot and is lost for our last two games. Chuck Campbell takes over as the starter and Conrad Meyer slides in as the backup.

New Jersey 10 Miami 13
Sigh. 5-10. So much for the hopes of a top 5 pick, however remote they were to begin with. Had the Jets won, they would've assured themselves of a winning record and clinched the AFC East. But instead, Chuck Campbell rushes for 127 yards and a TD as he stakes his claim to, if not being a starter next year, at least being signed back. Our pass rush was also everpresent, with Cliff Breeden leading the way with his sack and 3 hurries.

Don Mcllhenny, our starting FB, herniates his disc and starting RG Bob Breunig breaks his fibula, giving us a nicely banged up lineup to end the season.

Miami 16 Indianapolis 35
And the Colts trample us to finish 15-1 in the regular season, dropping us to 5-11. Johnny Unitas is pin-point perfect in 21-26 for 252 yards and 3 TDs. Indy's balanced running game killed us too. Bryant Baker actually has a respectable game: 20-29 for 197 yards and 2 TDs. But our own running game was nonexistant, along with our pass rush.

And so the year ends.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1960RealStandings.jpg

As you can see, about par for the course for the opening year of a historical dynasty. By my reckoning we'll have somewhere between the #8-10 pick in the draft. Sufficient to pick up an impact player at least.


Record 5-11
Winning Pct. .312
All-Time 5-11
Winning Pct. .312
Playoffs 0-0
Playoff Visits 0
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Maurice Zellars
Record 5-11
Winning Pct. .312
Off. Coord. C. Washington
Def. Coord. C. Godzik

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 24.3 20
Rushing Yards 111.1 15
Yards Per Carry 4.57 5
Pass Attempts 34.6 13
Completions 19.4 20
Completion Pct. 56.0 29
Passing Yards 179.5 24
Yards Per Attempt 5.18 24
Yards Per Catch 9.26 24
Total Yardage Gained 266.6 27
3rd Down Conversions 27.6 30
Points Per Game 13.9 26
Pass Rush Pct. 5.9 19 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 60.8 26
Turnovers 27 17 (T)
Turnover Margin -2 18 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.4 20
Rushing Yards 113.3 14
Yards Per Carry 3.85 5
Pass Attempts 31.0 5
Completions 20.9 21
Completion Pct. 67.3 27
Passing Yards 238.3 31
Yards Per Attempt 7.69 31
Yards Per Catch 11.42 32
Total Yardage Gained 336.9 28
3rd Down Conversions 33.3 10
Points Per Game 23.6 25
Pass Rush Pct. 8.0 25 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 72.5 29
Turnovers 25 24 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 7 at PIT 30
2 27 BUF 20
3 3 HOU 13
4 7 at TUC 33
5 18 at NED 31
6 13 at NJY 41
7 14 GBY 41
9 0 at CHI 15
10 24 KCY 20
11 34 MIN 3
12 7 at DET 26
13 24 JAX 17
14 13 NED 20
15 3 at BUF 23
16 13 NJY 10
17 16 at IND 35

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
7 B. Baker QB 335 188 1755 5.24 9 9 68.4
1 V. Murphy QB 219 122 1117 5.10 5 8 62.1
**Team --- 554 310 2872 5.18 14 17 65.9
$$Opp --- 496 334 3813 7.69 26 12 97.6

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
47 Z. Roaches RB 200 905 4.53 5 3
46 C. Campbell RB 144 749 5.20 6 3
**Team --- 389 1778 4.57 11 23
$$Opp --- 471 1812 3.85 13 27

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
83 P. Taninecz WR 116 64 639 9.98 5.51 5 3
88 M. Fink WR 115 56 693 12.38 6.03 10 4
89 J. Griggs WR 91 47 526 11.19 5.78 6 2
80 T. Profit WR 64 34 287 8.44 4.48 3 1
46 C. Campbell RB 34 23 134 5.83 3.94 1 1
84 J. Foley TE 32 19 194 10.21 6.06 1 2
86 R. Ingram TE 29 18 137 7.61 4.72 3 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
95 A. Spiva OLB 83 21 2.0 3 3 5 78.9
24 C. Brown S 77 28 1.0 0 3 2 79.2
54 G. Jackson ILB 71 25 1.0 2 1 3 75.9
90 F. Campbell DT 57 25 3.0 4 0 0 82.2
41 E. Janik S 57 14 0.0 0 1 11 77.8
99 C. Breeden DT 55 10 5.5 6 0 0 82.2
31 A. Gorin CB 39 19 0.0 0 1 3 73.6
98 M. Schau DE 38 18 5.5 10 0 0 80.6
23 B. Stryzinski CB 36 14 0.0 0 2 7 78.3
97 A. Martin DE 34 14 8.5 10 0 1 82.7
50 J. Morris OLB 33 14 2.0 1 0 1 71.6
92 T. Carter OLB 23 6 0.0 0 0 0 57.9
55 D. Garrett ILB 22 9 1.0 0 1 0 72.8
44 J. Taylor CB 22 6 0.0 0 0 1 67.9
25 C. Machado CB 22 10 1.0 1 0 2 74.4
75 R. Hardy DT 21 11 0.5 4 0 0 79.2
35 A. Duda S 20 4 0.0 0 0 0 70.4
94 L. Randall OLB 20 21 0.0 1 0 1 71.9

I'm definitely seeing players here I'll want to bring back and maybe our cohesion won't be as bad as it should be next season. Baker showed considerable progress as the year went on after he was handed the starting job and he'll definitely come back. Of course, I'll also draft a challenger, because he'll need it.

Super Bowl I
Green Bay 27 Cleveland 19

No Dolphins awards. Jim Brown fell short of the 2,000 yard rushing mark, but he still won MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. Bart Starr was the Super Bowl MVP, DE Gino Marchetti the DPOY (Indy). Top rookies were RB Willie Fredrick (ATL - Offense) and SS Jim Norton (HOU - Offense).

Let's see. Just after 11:30. I think that'll be enough time to get into at least free agency before I go to work at 3:00. It helps that I don't do interviews because I haven't installed 6.0e patch yet.

But I'll do that a bit later.

[Izulde]

We've actually got a semi-respectable staff, but I didn't hire them, so off with their heads!

I'm looking at guys who haven't worked for anybody else. Less competition for one and for two, that way I can track their careers from the very beginning. Now, I've heard about coaches improving their abilities over time, but I've never played long enough to be able to see that. Hopefully I'll be able to this go-round.

The new staff:

Head Coach: Corey Hammond (43)
Motivation: Good
Discipline: Good
Off. Playcalling: Good
Def. Playcalling: Fair
Inj. Avoidance: Good

A solid all-around young coach who I can hopefully see develop.

Offensive Coordinator: Randal Fuller (51)
QB: Good
RB: Excellent
WR: Good
OL: Good
K/P: Fair
YT: Good

A real coup as far as offensive coordinators go. He'll go a long way to energizing our offense with any luck.

Defensive Coordinator: Clifton Winters (43)
K/P: Good
DL: Average
LB: Good
DB: Fair
YT: Very Good

I'm not sure how I feel about this guy. It was a terrible selection as far as defensive guys. Winters was the best option. Thankfully he's still young so he can get better, but I'll definitely be on the lookout for an upgrade.

Scouting Director: Bill Jessup (65)
QB: Average
RB: Average
WR: Good
OL: Average
K/P: Fair
DL: Average
LB: Very Good
DB: Average
YT: Very Good

It was a really poor crop of scouts this year, so I went with Old Bill here as a stopgap measure.

Dolphins Re-Signings:
QB Bryant Baker (2 years, $110k)
RB Zach Roaches (2 years, $110k)
RB Chuck Campbell (1 year, $50k)
FB Geoffery Powers (1 year, $50k)
TE Jim Foley (2 years, $110k)
TE Riddick Ingram (2 years, $110k)
SE Pete Taninecz (2 years, $110k)
C Oronde Bland (4 years, $1.34 mill.)
LT Chad Kramer (2 years, $110k)
LDE Mark Schau (5 years, $1.77 mill.)
RDT Cliff Breeden (3 years, $210k)
MLB Gabe Jackson (2 years, $110k)
SLB Luther Randall (2 years, $110k)
WLB Aaron Spiva (5 years, $1.4 mill.)
LCB Brent Stryzinski (2 years, $110k)
LCB John Taylor (1 year, $50k)
RCB Antonio Gorin (2 years, $110k)
FS Eugene Janik (1 year, $50k)

Total Re-signs: 18

Notable non re-signs:
RG Bob Breunig
-Wanted too much money for a guy with no blocking strength
RDE Armon Martin
-Was asking for even more than Schau and his ratings didn't back that up.

Free Agency
My big goal is going to be to get a mentor in every position group except kickers. That'll bring in... what, 14 guys? Which would mean we'd have... 32 players right there and that's without the 7 draft picks or any other guys we sign in either of the free agent periods.

Unfortunately I wasn't entirely successful in my mentor by position quest even in the initial offers. C, T, DT and ILB either had no one or the people they had were prohibitive in cost or clashed with some of my already signed players. Still, it's a start.

Week 3 Signings
SLB Kendrell Barton (1 year, $100k - Baltimore)
-Crap in a box signed only for his mentor ability.

Week 3 Losses
LG Art Spinney - Minnesota (Indianapolis)
-This one really hurt. I was counting on being able to land this guy to not only mentor the youngins, but be a force in my line for a few years. Not cool.

Week 4 Signings
FS Fred Bruney (3 years, $690k - New England)
-He or Janik will move to SS to give us a major upgrade in the secondary. At least we've got one genuine improvement on the team.

Week 4 Losses
FL Jimmy Orr - Pittsburgh (Re-sign)
-Wanted a 5 year deal and got it, but turned down more money from other teams, including us to stay with the Steelers. Smart move, since he's a fan favorite there and a damn fine player. He's in his 5th year, so he'd have solidified our receiving corps in a big way.

Week 5 Signings
QB Ed Brown (3 years, $800k - Chicago)
-A little steep to pay for a guy who doesn't look that good, but he'd be able to step in as a starter, is a mentor, and in fact started and played quite well for the Bears last year. A solid pickup.

TE Johnny Carson (3 years, $890k - Houston)
-An exceptional route runner with a very high motor and a fan favorite. Good all-around receiver who started for the Oilers last year. He may not be a mentor, but he's a huge upgrade in the passing game and he'll give Brown or whoever is our QB next year a major weapon that we don't have right now.

LG Duane Putnam (2 years, $310k - Dallas)
-Underachieved with the Cowboys as a starter last year (27.6% KRB), but he's actually a pretty solid guy it looks like and he's a mentor. Essentially the consolation prize for losing out on Spinney, he's still an upgraded linemate for Bland.

RT Sherman Plunkett (5 years, $4.05 mill. - Indianapolis)
-I broke the bank somewhat to get him, but he's strong as hell, a good all-around blocker and didn't give up a sack last season. Also, he's only a 6th year player, so he'll anchor the RT spot for half a decade. I'm liking the way the o-line is shaping up, as Bland, Putnam, and Plunkett will play together for at least two years, Bland and Plunkett for at least four. That's a way to help build cohesion.

Week 6 Signings
TE Bob Schnelker (2 years, $440k - New York)
-I'd have been happy just to land this vet, but with Carson on board as well, Schnelker becomes a great backup to have in case of injury. He's also a blocking beast and a mentor, which could mean that Foley gets cut if there's an odd man out situation. Started for the Giants last year, but was largely a nonfactor in the passing game.

LCB Doyle Nix (1 year, $50k - San Diego)
-Mentor corner who, because of our deplorable cornerback situation, is a prime candidate to be a starter, our fifth or six one gotten in this free agency period and we're only halfway through it.

Week 6 Losses
RT Bob Hagood (1 year, $90k - Detroit)
-Hagood was our starter last year and did okay for us, but he's no Plunkett. The Lions can have him.

LDE Bob O'Neil (Pittsburgh - Re-sign)
-Much like Orr, he opted to re-sign with the Steelers rather than join us. I'm not too fussed about it. He wasn't that good anyway and I only wanted him for his mentor status.

RDT Gene Lipscomb (Cleveland - Indianapolis)
-Everybody and I mean everybody was throwing money at the top free agent in the class. He turned down $5 million+ deals from us, St. Louis, and Philadelphia among others to sign a relative bargain basement 4 year, $3.78 million dollar deal with the AFC Champion Cleveland Browns. He was a 2nd Team All-Pro DT last season and he wanted to go to a winner. Can't fault him for it all.

Week 7 Signings
FL Jim Dooley (1 year, $100k - Chicago)
-Veteran mentor who, as it stands right now, would start on our team, so pathetic is our receiving situation. The one thing I like about him is that he doesn't drop passes. He'll be a good one for Taninecz to learn from.

RDT Penguin Culpepper (6 years, $2.37 mill. - St. Louis)
-I admit it, I probably overpaid a wee bit for him, but he's a fan favorite and I love the dude's name. Penguin is an awesome name and Culpepper, well... I still love Daunte for when he kicked ass for me in fantasy football the one year after everyone laughed at me for drafting him in the first round. That C-Pep took me to the playoffs that year, in fact. All that aside though, Penguin is actually a big boost for our line and either he or Breeden will shift to the left side. Incidentally, he'll be old as hell by the time his contract runs out, as in 13th year vet.

Week 7 Losses
RB Ollie Matson (Houston - Los Angeles)
-Opted for the Oilers, which is a shame, as the mentor stood a good chance of knocking Roaches off the starting spot. Oh well.

SE Fred Dugan (Dallas - Re-sign)
-He sickeningly took a dirt cheap contract to stay with the Cowboys, which depressed the hell out of me. This dude would've stayed firmly planted as the starting split end and would have shifted Taninecz to a slot receiver role.

LDE Scott Hazeltine (1 year, $70k - Carolina)
-A backup last year and an unremarkable one at that. No big loss here.

Week 8 Signings
RB Lew Carpenter (1 year, $50k)
-Veteran mentor who's absolutely useless as a runner, but shows terrific pass reception skills that will earn him a role on passing downs. Not bad for a one year rental.

SE Billy Howton (1 year, $50k - Dallas)
-Ideally suited to be a slot receiver, but may start anyway. Ironically enough, he's also a veteran mentor. At least we're not going to be hurting for receiver mentors!

Week 9 Signings
FB Nelson Simmons (1 year, $50k - Tampa Bay)
-A nondescript veteran mentor who could play a small role in the passing game.

Week 10 Signings
RDE Jim Temp (1 year, $50k - Green Bay)
-Just that, a temporary veteran who will be a backup because our DE situation is pretty bad. Hell, he might even start.

Week 10 Losses
C Lenny Dorsch (1 year, $70k - Kansas City)
-I'm sorry to see Lenny go and I probably should have tried to retain him, but them's the breaks as they say.

RG Walter Williams (1 year, $70k - St. Louis)
-Heh. I let him go and he turns into a guards mentor on me. Lovely.

Week 11 Signings
C Ken Engram (1 year, $50k - Carolina)
-Strictly a backup center who was brought on board to A) give us a backup and B) serve as a chemistry guy and offensive line leader. In fact, he has an exceptional affinity with Bland and a mild affinity with our next signee.

RG Frank D'Agostino (3 years, $390k - New Jersey)
-I overpaid for him, but he was a starter on the Jets' line last year and he has an affinity with Engram. I also needed a RG who could be a somewhat serviceable starter. He's not even close to Breunig, last year's man at the spot, but he'll provide some continuity.

RT Milt Graham (1 year, $100k - New Jersey)
-We're sure raiding the Jets here. I'm going to bulk Milt up in the offseason in hopes that he'll be able to switch to LT and start there if I don't get someone in the draft. He's essentially a stopgap measure is all.

MLB Dan Lynch (1 year, $50k - Cincinnati)
-Pretty mediocre MLB, but we need a body there and he's a mentor in his 6th year. Will probably back up while we continue to try and develop Jackson, but who knows? Maybe he can start.

WLB Clancy Osborne (1 year, $50k - San Francisco)
-I vaguely recall signing him in a previous Dolphins dynasty, but if I did, here he is again. Obviously he's not going to start ahead of Spiva, but he provides a band-aid backup.

And that's all she wrote!

Players signed: 37

Holes by the #'s: QB, WR, P, K, DL (2)

I'll do the draft sometime tomorrow. I'm a little depressed right now and I want to be in a better frame of mind when I draft.

[Izulde]

All right, here we go. My favorite time of the NFL year, both in real and in FOF. Time for the draft.

Despite not installing 6.0e yet, I went ahead and did the 60 interviews for the first time ever, anyway. I think it's given me enough information (while ignoring the Under/Overrated designation) to make some sound decisions.

I got hosed on the pick and wound up with the lowest I figured we'd get, which is #10. Not that it's too terrible a concern--I think out of the guys I interviewed, there'll be somebody there I like.

DT Bob Lilly is the best player in the draft, but with franchise QBs Fran Tarkenton and Billy Kilmer available, he may well end up dropping. My hunch says Tarkenton and Kilmer go 1-2.

First Round 1961 Draft

1. QB Fran Tarkenton - San Diego
2. RB Amos Marsh - Jacksonville

That roar you just heard was the draft site up in arms. Marsh is an okay back, but nowhere near worthy of the #2 overall pick. Congratulations, Jags. We'll see you up here next year too.

3. QB Billy Kilmer - Minnesota

And the Vikings are the reciepient of Jacksonville's gift.

4. DT Bob Lilly - New England
5. CB Herb Adderley - Cincinnati
6. QB Norm Snead - Seattle

Snead was on a lower tier than Tarkenton and Kilmer, I thought, a first rounder, sure. Top 10? Not a chance in hell.

7. T Errol Linden - Kansas City
8. CB Dave Grayson (Baltimore through Buffalo)

Grayson was one of the three shutdown corners available and to move up to take him, the Ravens gave the Bills their 1963 1st round pick, their 2nd round pick in this draft and a 6th round pick in the next draft. How this deal pans out for our rivals all depends on how Baltimore does in 1962. Incidentally, I love 2K7 for its more normal draft trades.

9. T Stew Barber - Penn State

Our turn. There's a handful of guys I really like here, including DE Deacon Jones, DTs Ernie Ladd and Houston Antwine, LT Charlie Cowan and RCB Irv Cross. There's other players I'd be interested in later on DE and DT, though, and besides, I took Jones in my last historical replay.

Sure he worked out great and won DROY for me, but since there's others on the D-line I'd like later on, it comes down to Cowan, who could be our franchise LT for the next ten years or Cross, the last shutdown corner available. Cross has a great combine whereas Cowan was only middling and our defensive backfield needs a lot more help than our offensive line, so Cross is the pick. Irv, incidentally, also projects as a return animal, in addition to his other studly attributes.

10. CB Irv Cross - Miami
11. T Charlie Cowan - Carolina
12. DT Houston Antwine - Los Angeles
13. DT Ernie Ladd - Baltimore (The Ravens are really amping up their D this draft)
14. DE Deacon Jones - Tampa Bay (Surprising he fell this far)
15. CB Jimmy Johnson - Jacksonville through New Orleans

Wow, the Jaguars continue to screw themselves. They not only trade up to get a CB I wasn't enamored with because his interceptions looked low, but they gave up their 1962 1st rounder and 1963 1st and 3rd rounders. :eek: The Saints just guaranteed themselves two top 10 picks in the next two years. That's going to be one scary team if they draft right.

16. DE Ron McDole - Dallas
17. CB Pat Fischer - Atlanta
18. ILB Chuck Allen - Tucson
19. T Ernie McMillan - St. Louis
20. T John Brown - Washington
21. OLB Steve Stonebreaker - New Jersey
22. RB Tom Matte - Denver
23. QB Steve Etcheverry - Chicago
24. T Roger Shoals - Philadelphia
25. C Jerry Sturm - Houston
26. DE Ben Davidson - San Francisco
27. WR Aaron Thomas - New York
28. OLB E.J. Holub - Detroit
29. ILB Myron Pottios - Pittsburgh
30. G Billy Shaw - Indianapolis
31. DE Clark Miller - Cleveland
32. TE Mike Ditka - Green Bay (Irony alert! Irony alert! :D)

Every single DE and DT I was looking at got taken off the board between our pick in the 1st and the 9th pick in the second round, much to my annoyance. Luckily, there's still a WR I really like, so I grab SE Bob Coolbaugh to help out our deplorable receiving corps.

By the third round, my draft board is looking pretty tattered, but RDT Bob Voight is a run-stopping machine I've had my eye on since I interviewed him, so he's the selection in the third round. Not sure if he'll be able to push out Breeden or not, but at the very least, he'll be a good backup.

I draft RB Bill Cooper in the 4th to push our other guys there. It's probably a mistake, given that we have more pressing needs, but I like the looks of him enough to give him a look.

The 5th round is when we start scraping the barrel, but there's two guys I have my eye on still and I take one of them here: RG Ken Petersen. We need a backup guard and he's a prime candidate for a creeper I think.

The guy I was hoping to drop to me in the 6th did and so I take extremely raw (15% developed) but mildly intriguing prospect RDE Joe Novsek in the 6th. We still need a QB, P, and K, but I'll probably save that for the second round of free agency. Unless there's a leg worth taking in the 7th.

I decide to take a flyer on K Allen Green in the 7th. Not the most accurate, but he's got a boomer of a leg, which will be good enough for our sucky team right now.

Only Cross and Petersen refuse to sign at the start of late free agency.

I stupidly missed out on the rookie free agent signings because I thought they'd be there in late free agency. That's not to say we're quiet in the second round of player hunting of course.

Week 2 Signings
QB Les Freeman (1 year, $50k - Minnesota)
-A body at QB who has a mild affinity with our backfield leader.

RCB Johnny Sample (5 years, $2.73 mill. - Indianapolis)
-Suddenly our DB situation has gone from woeful to very nice. Sample originally started on the left side so that's where he'll switch back to. Between him and 1st round pick Cross, we've now got a very nice tandem of starting CBs. His only weak spot is run defense.

SS Larry Miller (1 year, $50k - New Orleans)
-Could see time as a dime back or just a general backup. Might even start, depending on what I want to do with Janik.

Week 2 Losses
RCB Christian Machado (1 year, $40k - New England)
-Largely a non-factor in our defense last year. We won't miss him.

Week 3 Losses
K Eric Cottrell (1 year, $60k - Carolina)
-He was accurate, but it's telling that he only attempted one field goal beyond 40 yards. Naturally he missed it.

Week 4 Signings
LG Mark Mathias (1 year, $40k - Pittsburgh)
-Second year player with some damn exciting upside who looked good in limited duty last season. May well become the top backup or a starter depending on how he does in training camp.

SS W.K. Brown (1 year, $40k - Minnesota)
-I actually like him better than Miller and he was a starter last year for the Vikings, so he might well take on the same role with us.

Week 4 Losses
FL Mondriel Fink (1 year, $50k - Minnesota)
-Enjoy those 10 drops a year, Vikings fans! I'm not sorry to see him go.

RG Bob Breunig (5 years, $1.50 mill. - Philadelphia)
-I'm becoming a big believer in blocking strength. Bob had 0 and he gave up 10 sacks last season. So yeah, it would have been nice to have brought up back, but he'll be happier in an Eagles uniform.

P Winston Carr (1 year, $50k - Carolina)
-Ugh! This is the punter I really wanted and he goes and signs with the Panthers. Oh well, time to scrounge for another leg.

RDE Armon Martin (5 years, $1.19 mill. - Pittsburgh)
-The more and more I think about it, the more I believe his 8.5 sack season last year was a fluke, so I'm fine with him going to the Steelers. The only problem is that we have a giant hole where he was now.

LDT Frank Campbell (5 years, $1.01 mill. - Pittsburgh)
-The Steelers are turning their D-line into Miami North. If Frank had better endurance, I would've tried to re-sign him, but since he doesn't, he can go wear black and gold with Martin.

P Mike Hollingsworth (1 year, $50k - Cincinnati)
-A stopgap and the best of what was left.

Our last two rookies sign before training camp and we take 50 players in. Not bad considering I had to rebuild the entire team from scratch.

Post Training Camp Rookie Report

RCB Irv Cross 1.10 38/77 41/69 +3/-8
SE Bob Coolbaugh 2.9 24/57 25/51 +1/-6
RDT Bob Voight 3.8 10/40 12/37 +2/-3
RB Bill Cooper 4.7 16/26 25/35 +9/+9
RG Ken Petersen 5.10 10/18 11/19 +1/+1
RDE Joe Novsek 6.9 11/18 11/19 +0/+1
K Allen Green 7.8 37/40 42/44 +3/+4

Draft Grade: B

Cross may not be the complete shutdown corner we expected, but he's still damn good and will start from Week 1. Coolbaugh will also start, though he's still raw relative to his potential. Voight looks like a bust and Petersen and Novsek look to be scrubs, but improving slightly scrubs.

Green's tick up is exciting to see, but what really blows my mind is Cooper's explosion. With that jump, he goes from afterthought to potential starter. At bare minimum, he'll be the top backup.

[Izulde]

Brown, Ed 3 QB 10 33 33 3 yrs
Freeman, Les 17 QB 4 24 24 1 yr.
Baker, Bryant 7 QB 2 9 45 2 yrs

I'm no longer as enthused about Baker as I once was, which means that Brown is the likely starter with Bryant the backup, unless Double B shows something spectacular in preseason. Freeman's a body.


Carpenter, Lew 39 RB 9 20 20 1 yr.
Roaches, Zach 47 RB 2 46 46 2 yrs
Campbell, Chuck 46 RB 4 28 28 1 yr.
Cooper, Bill 28 RB 1 25 35 3 yrs
Simmons, Nelson 37 FB 5 29 29 1 yr.
Powers, Geoffrey 22 FB 4 25 25 1 yr.

Roaches and Cooper will fight it out in preseason for the starting RB spot. Even if Cooper loses the starter battle, he'll still be the top backup and third down back. Carpenter will serve as the passing down tailback. Simmons and Powers will hold their own starter battle in preseason.


Carson, Johnny 82 TE 9 48 48 3 yrs
Schnelker, Bob 87 TE 12 43 43 2 yrs
Foley, Jim 84 TE 2 33 33 2 yrs
Ingram, Riddick 86 TE 2 25 46 2 yrs

It's a three-way battle between Carson, Schnelker and Ingram for the starting job. Carson's the best route runner, but Schnelker has sure hands and is a better blocker. Ingram has a good balance of skills and considerable upside. Foley's a body and our longsnapper.


Dooley, Jim 8 FL 10 33 33 1 yr.
Howton, Billy 13 SE 10 36 36 1 yr.
Taninecz, Pete 83 SE 2 17 37 2 yrs
Coolbaugh, Bob 15 SE 1 25 51 4 yrs

Finally a position group where everyone's roles are defined. Dooley and Coolbaugh will start, Howton's the slot receiver, Taninecz will back up Coolbaugh and whichever TE finishes last in that competition will serve as the fifth receiver.


Engram, Ken 51 C 5 34 34 1 yr.
Bland, Oronde 57 C 2 54 54 4 yrs

We're set here and I may sign Engram to a longer deal so he can keep up his good affinity work.


Putnam, Duane 72 LG 10 40 40 2 yrs
Mathias, Mark 60 LG 2 25 57 1 yr.
D'Agostino, Frank 68 RG 6 36 36 3 yrs
Petersen, Ken 64 RG 1 11 19 3 yrs

Putnam will start on the left side, D'Agostino on the right. Mathias will be their backup and audition for a longer contract. Petersen gets put on the inactive list.


Kramer, Chad 61 LT 2 18 46 2 yrs
Graham, Milt 79 RT 6 29 29 1 yr.
Plunkett, Sherman 63 RT 6 62 62 5 yrs

We really need a genuine LT. Since we don't have one, it'll be Kramer and Plunkett as the bookends. If Kramer can develop, no problem, but I have a feeling we'll be searching in the next offseason.


Hollingsworth, Mike 9 P 4 32 32 1 yr.
Green, Allen 2 K 1 42 44 3 yrs

I'd like a better punter, but I'm intrigued enough by Green that he'll probably stay through his rookie contract.


Schau, Mark 98 LDE 3 43 43 5 yrs
Temp, Jim 91 RDE 7 14 14 1 yr.
Novsek, Joe 70 RDE 1 11 19 3 yrs

Yeah, it's ugly here. Schau starts obviously and well, probably Novsek because of his upside, if we can actually call it that. This is probably the #1 concern for next year.


Culpepper, Penguin 77 LDT 7 52 52 6 yrs
Breeden, Cliff 99 RDT 3 33 33 3 yrs
Voight, Bob 78 RDT 1 12 37 4 yrs

Penguin switched over to the left side without any difficulty, so it'll be him and Breeden manning the middle while the rookie Voight learns in sub time.


Lynch, Dan 52 MLB 6 36 36 1 yr.
Jackson, Gabe 54 MLB 2 19 42 2 yrs
Barton, Kendrell 53 SLB 9 19 19 1 yr.
Randall, Luther 94 SLB 2 20 39 2 yrs
Osborne, Clancy 96 WLB 5 34 34 1 yr.
Spiva, Aaron 95 WLB 2 49 49 5 yrs

Randall and Spiva have the outside spots locked up. Jackson and Lynch will go at it for the middle linebacker starting spot, though the tenative edge is to Jackson winning again because of his upside.


Nix, Doyle 30 LCB 7 31 31 1 yr.
Taylor, John 44 LCB 4 20 20 1 yr.
Stryzinski, Brent 23 LCB 2 24 42 2 yrs
Sample, Johnny 43 LCB 4 52 58 5 yrs
Gorin, Antonio 31 RCB 2 12 38 2 yrs
Cross, Irv 40 RCB 1 41 69 5 yrs

Sample took a small hit after switching to the left side, but between him and Cross, we've got a strong 1-2 punch. Nix, Stryzinski and Gorin will fight for nickel and dime package duty. Taylor is here strictly as a kick return man, but he's been surpassed by Cross and Sample in that department. Cross, in fact, has a kick return ability of 100!.


Miller, Larry 20 SS 2 39 39 1 yr.
Brown, W.K. 25 SS 2 38 38 1 yr.
Bruney, Fred 45 FS 9 34 34 3 yrs
Janik, Eugene 41 FS 4 29 29 1 yr.

Brown and Bruney are the starters, with Janik and Miller their substitutes. It's going to be one ugly battle for the dime back slot, as Miller joins the three CBs in the contest.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Miami 17 Green Bay 20
We play the Packers surprisingly tough here. Ed Brown is 15-21 for 176 yards and a TD, easily surpassing Bryant Baker who frankly sucked the big one. None of the running backs established themselves, but MLB Dan Lynch put himself firmly ahead of Gabe Jackson for the starting job in the early going.

St. Louis 27 Miami 9
Not so good in this one. Bryant Baker shoots himself in the foot with a 3 interception performance and the RBs continue to be unremarkable to terrible. Dan Lynch and Gabe Jackson draw even and TE Johnny Carson is gradually emerging as the leader in the TE starter fight.

Starting SS W.K. Brown gets injured and is out for the rest of the preason, but should be back in time for the season opener. Second-year SS Frank Garrett is signed to fill in as the backup strong safety, but he'll park his butt on the inactive list once Brown's back.

Minnesota 26 Miami 21
Close game, but still a loss. Thankfully it's only preseason. Bryant Baker has a great game in 15-24 for 180 yards and 3 TDs, but with two bad performances and Ed Brown showing accuracy, Baker's got no chance. Riddick Ingram has a solid day receiving, throwing the TE battle into a bigger muddle. Gabe Jackson does better tacklewise than Dan Lynch but Lynch forces a fumble and has pretty much sewn up the starting MLB slot. That's not to say Jackson will lack for opportunities however, for he's still the man in on nickel and dime packages.

QB Ed Brown separates his shoulder and is out 5 weeks, making it likely that Bryant Baker will be our opening day starter. Too bad, as I've gotten to really like Brown.

Miami 10 Seattle 20
We close out preseason with another loss. Honestly there isn't much to choose from at the RB position, but Zach Roaches has been more consistent, so he retains his starting job for another year. QB and MLB we've already covered. FB doesn't matter. TE is going to be a week to week decision, but I'll start off with Riddick Ingram as the first man, since he's got the most upside. SS Larry Miller, when the starting strong safety comes back, has won the dimeback job, with Brent Strynczki the nickelback.

W.K. Brown is probable for the opener, but I'll let him sit, as he and Larry Miller are close enough in ability that I'm fine with Miller picking up a start or two.

[Izulde]

Regular Season

Buffalo 7 Miami 23
Excellent start to the year, beating our archrivals, though this was less a case of any stellar offense as it was Allen Green booting 3/3 field goals, including a great 47 yarder. Mark Schau was a terror in the backfield with a sack, 5 hurries and 2 knockdowns and Penguin Culpepper got in 3 blocks and a hurry of his own as our defensive line wreaked havoc on the Bills.

Tampa Bay 6 Miami 7
Two home games, two victories, this one a hard-fought defensive nailbiter. Billy Howton earned his paycheck as the slot receiver today with 3 catches for 70 yards and Mike Hollingsworth landed 3 punts inside the Bucs 20 yard line as we overcome 3 fumbles by Bryant Baker. Our defensive line once again shone, Mark Schau the big-time player for the second straight game with 2.5 sacks, 2 blocks and a hurry. We sacked Tampa's QB 6 times altogether on the day, critical to preserving the win despite Baker's turnover troubles.

QB Ed Brown is probable for next week's game, so he'll get the start, because we're 2-0 in spite of Bryant Baker rather than because of him in my opinion.

Miami 7 Pittsburgh 26
So we finally lose, but it's against the Steelers, so no big deal. Bryant Baker proves my decision to start Ed Brown correct by losing 2 fumbles and an interception in mopup duty. Mike Hollingsworth has a good day with a 41.8 punt average and 2 inside the 20. Dan Lynch gets out first 10+ tackle game of the year with 13 tackles and 2 assists, and Mark Schau gets a sack for the third straight game.

New England 14 Miami 21
Big, big win over our previously unbeaten division foes. Bill Cooper and Zach Roaches each run for 70+ yards and Cooper scores his first two professional TDs, both rushing. Ed Brown isn't too shabby either at 22-34 for 182 yards, a TD, and an INT. Mark Schau's sack streak comes to an end, but he does get a hurry.

Speaking of which, Mark Schau is doubtful for the next game, backup DE Jim Temp is questionable and backup G Mark Mathias is out 4 weeks. Probably the most banged up I've been in a while. Note: I never report niggling injuries, only ones that look like they'll have someone out.

Rookie RG Ken Petersen comes off the inactive list to take Mathias's spot. Chemistry happy third year LDE Howard Pane, who led the Carolina Panthers in sacks last year despite being a part-time pass rush specialist and fifth year RDE Rod Perry who started for the Saints last season and led them in sacks.

As you might expect, both Perry and Pane are upgrades over rookie Joe Novsek, so they'll start on their respective sides and audition for the starting RDE role when Schau comes back. Novsek could well be cut in a week or two, as Temp is a mentor.

Miami 27 Jacksonville 10
I'd be psyched about a road win, except it's over the Jaguars, whose draft day trades I'm still shaking my head over. We rely on our two-headed balanced running game, which leads me to believe that maybe I forgot to reset the recommended playing time, and Ed Brown who's 22-32 for 273 yards, 2 TDs and an INT, our first 200+ yard passing game on the year. Billy Howton is our first 100+ yard receiver this season, with 7 catches for 111 yards and our old friend Pete Taninecz isn't far behind with 7 catches for 80 yards and a TD. Rod Perry gets a tackle, a sack, a block and a hurry, bettering Howard Pane, who got an assist and 2 hurries.

Mark Schau's probable, which means I'll go with Rod Perry as the starter at RDE, both for his better performance and the fact that he's a natural at that side. Howard Pane gets bumped to dual backup duty.

Lo and behold, it turns out I -did- forget to turn on the adjustment of playing time, but that's done now. I also turn on coaches adjusting gameplan automatically, as it was orginally static

Houston 44 Miami 19
Bad decisions? Not really. This Oilers team is a damn good one, and we were a 4-1 paper tiger. Bill Cooper rushes 23 times for 111 yards and earns himself the right, along with his showings when we ran a balanced offense, to be the starter. Allen Green has been a delight to watch kick this year, especially over the scrub we had last season. He's 4/4 here, including a 48 yarder.

Jim Temp is now probable, but I just leave him and Joe Novsek on the inactive list. Why I thought I had to cut somebody, I don't know.

Miami 15 Buffalo 10
We sweep our archrivals with a come from behind win led by Ed Brown's engineering the perfect 2 minute drill that culminated in throwing a 19 yard TD pass to Jim Dooley with a minute left. Altogether, Brown's 27-42 for 259 yard and a TD. Allen Green wasn't so automatic today as he missed 2 kicks, a 40+ yarder and a 50+ yarder, but considering he was 2/3 on 40+ yard kicks, I'm not complaining.

Mark Mathias is probable, so I'll bring him back in the mix.

Miami 10 Indianapolis 37
Team, meet Johnny Unitas. Johnny U, shred the Dolphins. Biggest Miami highlight of this game was great to watch though: Larry Miller intercepted a pass and returned it 79 yards for a TD. Mike Hollingsworth averaged 42.4 yards and had 4 punts inside the 20.

I very, very belatedly realize I never took W.K. Brown off the inactive list after he came back from injury. Fortunately, he's not pissed about not having gotten PT. That said, Larry Miller's been doing a terrific job this season, so he'll stay the starter at SS, with Brown the backup and our dimeback.

We're at the halfway mark of the year and I think that's a good stopping point. At 5-3, we're half a game up on the Jets, who are 4-3. The Patriots and Bills are both 3-4. The division title is definitely a possibility, as is the playoffs.


Year 1961
Record 5-3
Winning Pct. .625
All-Time 10-14
Winning Pct. .416
Playoffs 0-0
Playoff Visits 0
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Corey Hammond
Record 5-3
Winning Pct. .625
Off. Coord. R. Fuller
Def. Coord. C. Winters

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 26.8 17
Rushing Yards 99.1 24
Yards Per Carry 3.71 28
Pass Attempts 31.6 22
Completions 17.6 27
Completion Pct. 55.7 22
Passing Yards 173.3 23
Yards Per Attempt 5.48 21 (T)
Yards Per Catch 9.83 19
Total Yardage Gained 257.9 27
3rd Down Conversions 34.8 18
Points Per Game 16.1 19
Pass Rush Pct. 8.3 6
Pass Defense Pct. 68.8 13
Turnovers 8 5 (T)
Turnover Margin +4 7 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.0 22 (T)
Rushing Yards 120.3 22
Yards Per Carry 4.01 13
Pass Attempts 35.9 27
Completions 21.3 24
Completion Pct. 59.2 14 (T)
Passing Yards 183.9 4
Yards Per Attempt 5.13 3
Yards Per Catch 8.65 1
Total Yardage Gained 294.1 12
3rd Down Conversions 38.6 22 (T)
Points Per Game 19.3 19
Pass Rush Pct. 6.4 12
Pass Defense Pct. 68.2 16
Turnovers 12 16 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 23 BUF 7
2 7 TBY 6
3 7 at PIT 26
4 21 NED 14
5 27 at JAX 10
6 19 HOU 44
7 15 at BUF 10
8 10 at IND 37
10 TUC
11 NJY
12 at CAR
13 OAK
14 at ATL
15 at NED
16 NOS
17 at NJY

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
3 E. Brown QB 179 101 1014 5.66 4 2 75.5
7 B. Baker QB 74 40 372 5.03 3 2 70.3
**Team --- 253 141 1386 5.48 7 4 73.9
$$Opp --- 287 170 1471 5.13 9 8 71.6

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
28 B. Cooper RB 111 400 3.60 3 1
47 Z. Roaches RB 75 316 4.21 1 0
**Team --- 214 793 3.71 4 8
$$Opp --- 240 962 4.01 5 9

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
13 B. Howton WR 58 28 344 12.29 5.93 10 1
83 P. Taninecz WR 47 24 304 12.67 6.47 3 1
8 J. Dooley WR 35 21 267 12.71 7.63 3 1
15 B. Coolbaugh WR 41 21 240 11.43 5.85 3 2
82 J. Carson TE 16 10 46 4.60 2.88 0 1
28 B. Cooper RB 14 9 36 4.00 2.57 1 0
86 R. Ingram TE 12 8 59 7.38 4.92 0 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
95 A. Spiva OLB 46 20 1.0 0 2 3 80.6
52 D. Lynch ILB 38 12 0.0 0 0 1 74.4
20 L. Miller S 28 13 1.0 0 1 5 83.6
94 L. Randall OLB 27 12 1.0 0 1 0 66.7
54 G. Jackson ILB 26 9 0.0 0 0 4 77.5
99 C. Breeden DT 24 8 1.5 6 0 0 81.4
77 P. Culpepper DT 22 6 0.0 4 0 0 81.9
23 B. Stryzinski CB 20 1 0.0 0 1 3 76.2
78 B. Voight DT 18 3 1.0 1 0 0 76.6
45 F. Bruney S 17 3 0.0 0 0 0 75.7
96 C. Osborne OLB 16 8 0.0 1 0 0 73.2
43 J. Sample CB 16 7 0.0 0 1 3 79.1
26 F. Garrett S 16 3 0.0 0 0 3 80.4
40 I. Cross CB 14 7 0.0 1 1 7 86.4
98 M. Schau DE 13 4 4.5 8 0 0 81.1
53 K. Barton OLB 11 6 0.0 0 1 0 78.1
41 E. Janik S 11 7 0.0 0 0 1 72.7
97 R. Perry DE 8 3 1.0 4 0 0 81.4
70 J. Novsek DE 8 4 1.0 3 0 0 82.5

When you consider that Ed Brown isn't Mr. Butterfingers like Bryant Baker, you really start to see the difference between the two beyond their completion percentage. Improved QB play is a big reason why we're in the hunt for the division, incidentally.

Zach Roaches might still be a better back than Bill Cooper, but Bill, quite frankly, has a nose for the endzone that Zach didn't show all that much of last season and I still love Cooper's training camp bustout.

Bill Howton may be our leading receiver, but he'll be gone after this year, if not sooner. 1 don't even like 10 drops a season, let alone 10 drops a year, especially not when he's proving to be Brown's favorite target.

Our run defense needs work, but our pass defense as you can see by the rankings and by the individual player numbers, has been off the hook. The offseason investments I made in upgrading the secondary have really paid off bigtime and Irv Cross, my first ever draft pick, looks like a blossoming star with his team leading 7 passes defensed and 86.4 pass defense %. WLB Aaron Spiva may not get the press of a Schau or a Cross, but he quietly continues to be an extremely effective performer on defense.

I think we've got a real good shot at the playoffs. I really do. Now it just remains to be seen if we can pick up the pace and do it.

[Izulde]

1961 Regular Season: Second Half

Tucson 3 Miami 30
The most complete beatdown we've given to anybody in the year and a half of the franchise. The Titans wither under our rushing attack, Bill Cooper and Zach Roaches getting 79 and 70 yards respectively. Ed Brown is laseresque in his 19-22 for 143 yards and 2 TDs accuracy. Johnny Sample returns an interception for 42 yards, one of two we get on the day. Allen Green is 3/4 on FGs, his lone miss a 40+ yard, though he did hit one from 49 yards out. Penguin Culpepper has his first multisackish game as a Dolphin with 1.5 and throws in a hurry for the fun of it.

New Jersey 7 Miami 22
Huge, huge win over the Jets here, keyed by Bill Cooper's 24 rushes for 104 yards and a TD. Johnny Sample picks off a pass for the second consecutive game. Allen Green goes 3/3, including a 49 yarder. Our pass rush records 5 sacks on the day. Just another solid all-around performance by our guys.

Backup G Mark Mathias again gets hurt and he's out for four weeks. K Allen Green gives us a scare when he strains his neck looking at the hot cheerleaders on the visitors' bench, but fortunately he's probable. It's not a stretch at all to say that Green's been the most valuable 7th round pick I've ever made in a FOF career.

So on comes rookie Ken Petersen to get his undeserved minutes.

Miami 27 Carolina 9
We keep right on rolling and assure ourselves no worse than a .500 record on the year as we pick up our 8th win, this time over the hapless Panthers. Mark Schau roars to dominance in this one, with a 6 tackle, 2.5 sack, 2 block, 4 hurry, and a knockdown performance, but the most fun highlight of the game was watching rookie Bob Voight, a DT, picking up a fumble and rumbling down the field 76 yards all the way for a TD. Although Schau won Game MVP honors, it was Voight who got the game ball for that fantastic (and funny) play.

Oakland 32 Miami 10
The Raiders pull off a major upset as they run roughshod over us on a day when our offense couldn't get on track and our pass defense took a bigtime nose dive. Larry Miller did record 10 tackles and 4 assists however, to highlight the day.

G Mark Mathias is upgraded to probable, so back he comes to active duty. Despite the loss, we're still in the driver's seat for the division at 8-4, with the 6-6 Jets and Bills two games back.

Miami 14 Atlanta 6
Our offense stalled for three quarters, but our defense played brilliantly against the Falcons to keep us within a TD at 6-0 at the start of the 4th. Then just before the 2 minute warning Ed Brown throws a long bomb of 44 yards to slot receiver Billy Howton for a TD and Zach Roaches rips off a 30 yard TD run with under a minute to go to seal the deal. Credit this one to an inspired performance from our defense, led by Dan Lynch with 9 tackles, 4 assists, and a sack and game MVP Rod Perry, who rewarded my selection of him for the starting RDE job with 7 tackles and 2 sacks.

The Jets lost, so now only Buffalo, at 7-6, is a threat to our hopes of division glory. Win another game, and the division is ours. We've got 3 games to do it in.

Miami 27 New England 31
The Patriots started off horribly, but they've been on a tear lately and take on the spoiler role in this heartbreaking loss. If you'd told me Bill Cooper would run for 2 TDs, Ed Brown would be player of the game with a 246 yard, 1 TD performance and that we'd get two interceptions on the day and still lose, I wouldn't have believed you, but that's exactly what happened.

Making matters worse, the Bills beat the Jets, so we're now 9-5 and Buffalo's right behind at 8-6. We need to win one of the next two games. That's all there is to it.

New Orleans 14 Miami 24
Remember how I said the Saints are going to be scary with two top 10 draft picks in the next two years? Well, the time for the Gold and Black to be frightening isn't now, as we win! That being said, we were down 14-3 at half and it took Ed Brown's second half magic to get us the win as it has so many times this season. 23-29 for 280 yards and a TD. That's some beautiful numbers right there, folks. In fact, in many ways you could say that Brown was the key free agent acquisiton for us. He's accurate and cool under pressure.

Billy Howton is doing his damndest to make it difficult for me to get rid of him at the end of the year as the slot receiver comes through with yet another clutch TD catch.

The victory coincides with a Bills loss and it's official!!!!

The Miami Dolphins are your 1961 AFC East Champions!!!!!!!

I can't express just how awesome this makes me feel. I've never won a division championship in a historical dynasty before! :) Yay!!!! Playoffs here we come!!!

Miami 24 New Jersey 14
We close out the year with a comfortable road win over the Jets. Ed Brown has only the second 300+ yard passing game in Dolphins history at 27-31 for 310 yards and 3 TDs. It's the best performance we've had by a QB yet in Miami.

There's a cost to the win, however. Backup DE Howard Pane goes down for at least the first game in the playoffs and SS Larry Miller, who's been dazzling since winning the starting job when W.K. Brown got hurt, is lost for the rest of the season. I have faith that Brown can step up. Backup DE is another matter, which means rookie Joe Novsek will get the call again.

Still, no matter how the playoffs go, even if it's the one and out that I anticipate it'll be, this has been a fantastic season.

Let's look at the numbers.


Year 1961
Record 11-5
Winning Pct. .687
All-Time 16-16
Winning Pct. .500
Playoffs 0-0
Playoff Visits 1
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Corey Hammond
Record 11-5
Winning Pct. .687
Off. Coord. R. Fuller
Def. Coord. C. Winters

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 28.1 11 (T)
Rushing Yards 103.1 20
Yards Per Carry 3.67 30
Pass Attempts 31.0 24
Completions 19.1 22
Completion Pct. 61.5 13
Passing Yards 197.1 18
Yards Per Attempt 6.36 13
Yards Per Catch 10.34 16
Total Yardage Gained 289.1 21
3rd Down Conversions 36.8 14
Points Per Game 19.2 15
Pass Rush Pct. 7.6 9 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 69.4 13
Turnovers 20 5 (T)
Turnover Margin +8 3

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.6 15
Rushing Yards 109.9 14
Yards Per Carry 3.98 10
Pass Attempts 35.8 27
Completions 21.0 28 (T)
Completion Pct. 58.6 11
Passing Yards 194.4 6
Yards Per Attempt 5.43 3
Yards Per Catch 9.26 1
Total Yardage Gained 290.2 8
3rd Down Conversions 36.6 16
Points Per Game 16.9 7
Pass Rush Pct. 5.9 2 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 63.5 7
Turnovers 28 10 (T)

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
3 E. Brown QB 421 264 2780 6.60 13 5 87.2
7 B. Baker QB 75 41 374 4.99 3 2 70.6
**Team --- 496 305 3154 6.36 16 7 84.6
$$Opp --- 573 336 3110 5.43 17 16 71.8

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
28 B. Cooper RB 242 883 3.65 8 3
47 Z. Roaches RB 160 648 4.05 4 1
**Team --- 449 1650 3.67 13 19
$$Opp --- 442 1758 3.98 9 26

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
13 B. Howton WR 108 60 824 13.73 7.63 11 5
83 P. Taninecz WR 86 49 633 12.92 7.36 5 1
8 J. Dooley WR 68 45 523 11.62 7.69 3 4
15 B. Coolbaugh WR 79 45 509 11.31 6.44 6 3
86 R. Ingram TE 29 21 185 8.81 6.38 2 1
28 B. Cooper RB 26 20 106 5.30 4.08 1 0
82 J. Carson TE 30 18 109 6.06 3.63 0 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
52 D. Lynch ILB 81 23 1.0 0 1 3 75.5
95 A. Spiva OLB 79 29 4.0 1 2 7 79.2
20 L. Miller S 61 31 1.0 1 2 6 80.9
94 L. Randall OLB 53 23 2.0 0 1 1 72.8
45 F. Bruney S 52 15 0.0 0 0 6 75.6
43 J. Sample CB 46 11 0.0 0 4 11 80.0
77 P. Culpepper DT 43 17 4.0 10 0 0 82.0
99 C. Breeden DT 41 18 2.0 9 0 0 81.7
54 G. Jackson ILB 40 15 0.0 1 1 6 78.7
96 C. Osborne OLB 34 15 1.0 1 0 0 69.2
78 B. Voight DT 29 7 3.0 1 0 0 78.4
98 M. Schau DE 28 6 9.0 17 0 0 81.3
40 I. Cross CB 28 16 0.0 2 3 11 84.7
97 R. Perry DE 27 6 6.0 10 0 0 81.8
23 B. Stryzinski CB 27 4 0.0 0 1 9 81.7
53 K. Barton OLB 21 9 0.0 0 1 0 75.3
92 H. Pane DE 17 2 1.0 6 0 0 81.0
26 F. Garrett S 16 3 0.0 0 0 3 80.4

I'd say our terrific showing is a combination of playing in a crappy division, cagy 10th year veteran Ed Brown, who's become a QB mentor and has earned the right to stay a Dolphin until he retires, and a whole slew of other newcomers, both free agents and rookies.

I'm particularly excited about Bill Cooper, who even though who has a poor YPC, showed he can find the end zone and pick up the yardage even as a rookie, and of course, Irv Cross, who was everything we expected him to be and more. Between him and free agent Johnny Sample, opposing QBs had a real nightmare situation on their hands.

Allen Green really cooled off down the stretch and ended up 26/34 (76.5%), 9/13 from 40+ range (69.2%) and 0/2 from 50+ yards. I'm going to attribute the decline to his being a rookie and not used to the 16 game grind of the NFL season. He did well enough that I'll keep him through at least his rookie contract most likely.

In terms of the offensive line, C Oronde Bland posted almost identical numbers to last year, including an exact replica of the 36.9% KRB. He also gave up one less sack, despite playing two more games. LG Duane Putnam was 29.2%, an improvement over last season in Dallas, allowing 3 sacks. RG Frank D'Agostino had a more solid year than I expected, with a 32.8% in KRB and a pancake, and he also gave up just 3 sacks, compared to 9 last year with the Jets.

LT Chad Kramer showed the biggest improvement of anyone on the line, going up to 37.8% in KRB and, in the most eye-popping number, went from 18 sacks allowed in 1960 to 4 sacks surrendered in 1961. He really made strides this year. RT Sherman Plunkett was something of a disappointment as his numbers dropped. 32.1% in KRB and 4 sacks surrendered, compared to 34.6% and 0 sacks last year with the Colts. A closer look reveals the drop in KRB was a result of one less KRB and one more opportunity, so it's not too bad. To be honest, I'm still trying to figure out what makes a good OL. On the bright side, Sherman had 2 pancake blocks this season.

Backup G Mark Mathias, despite being injury-prone, was 50% in KRB, gave up 2 sacks and showed some tantalizing progress. I think it's safe to say that even though he's an injury concern, the forthcoming RFA has shown enough to deserve a longer contract.

All in all, a great bunch of guys and I think we've got a real solid team core here. There's always room for improvement, of course, but we have to be happy with what we've accomplished in this sensational single season turn-around.

The final regular season standings:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1961Standings.jpg

[MrBug708]

I'd much rather see you do TCY one instead...

[Izulde]

I'd much rather see you do TCY one instead...

Update on TCY one done ;)

I do like both dynasties an awful lot, though. :) And I've been thinking about what I'm going to do with the Dolphins this upcoming offseason since yesterday at work, before I even came home and simmed the second half to discover I made the playoffs, which -really- made my day.

[nilodor]

I've been enjoying this one and I enjoyed the aborted one. I hope you make it to 2007, although I am torn on if I should root for you or not, you seem like good people and i enjoy your dynasties, but I can't stand that 72 dolphin team and it just sours me on the fish in general. It's going to be a tough decision.

[Izulde]

I've been enjoying this one and I enjoyed the aborted one. I hope you make it to 2007, although I am torn on if I should root for you or not, you seem like good people and i enjoy your dynasties, but I can't stand that 72 dolphin team and it just sours me on the fish in general. It's going to be a tough decision.

Thanks :) And I'm fine with it either way, whether you cheer or boo. ;)

[Izulde]

We're rewarded for our fantastic season with a home game against the Houston Oilers in the wildcard round. The Oilers are led by the great fan favorite QB George Blanda, who was phenomenal this year, his 13th pro season. To wit: 67.5%, 3512 yards, 25 TDs, 9 INTs. In both years of this universe, he's completed at least 65% of his passes, thrown for at least 3,400 yards and 20+ TDs with single digit interception totals.

They've a trio of young, promising second-year players as Blanda's targets in TE Billy Cannon, FL Charley Hennigan and SE Bill Groman and a scary good young line to protect Blanda in rookie C Jerry Sturm, second year players LG Bob Talamani, LT Al Jamieson, and RT Rich Michael. Fourth year RG Hogan Wharton is the weak link.

That o-line is so young and so good, in fact, that the Oilers could easily be contenders for the next decade based on the strength of that unit alone. I wish I had a line that great.

Houston's real offensive weakness is in the running game. RB Ollie Matson, a one year rental from Los Angeles, is nothing special and FB Charley Tolar is grossly underutilized, which is a shame as he has Cszonka-esque type ability.

Fifth year DE Dalva Allen erupted this year with 19 sacks and second year opposite side DE Dan Floyd is an emerging talent. They're solid at the DT spots too, but defensive line depth is a major problem.

Wahoo McDaniel, one of the original Dolphins in reality, is criminally the backup MLB when he should be starting. The Oilers 'backers starters are all terrific run stoppers, but suspect in pass defense and outside of Wahoo, depth is an issue. Hopefully the gaps in their pass defense can be opened up.

Houston's secondary is very good, highlighted by last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year and 1st Team All-Pro S Jim Norton, who already is one of the top safeties in the league. Second year CB Tony Banfield is just the kind of ballhawk I love to have on my team.

So, how are we going to beat the Oilers? Chances are, we probably aren't. The only way we win is if Blanda goes down and we put together long drives to wear their defense down and force them to use their really bad backups.

But I can't gameplan worth crap, so I have the AI do it and I'm a simmer anyway, let's get this show on the road.

We get the ball first and nothing doing on our opening drive, thanks to a fierce Houston pass rush and two very stupid holding penalties on our part. The Oilers are then only too happy to use a mixture of George Blanda's passing magic and two more dumb holding penalties on the Dolphins to score first, an 11 yard zip from Blanda to Bill Groman.

Sack, false start, false start. How's that for a bad way to start? Means on second down, we're on our own 5 yard line. It doesn't take a genius to figure out we dont' get anywhere, especially not with another sack on third down.

Blanda goes 6 for 7 on the drive, the lone incompletion due to a dropped pass and they score again with 3 minutes left to go in the 1st quarter. 14-0 Oilers.

Despite two more false starts on the following drive, we finally get on track as Ed Brown throws a couple of long bombs, including a 23 yarder to Jim Dooley for a TD! 14-7 and we're back in this one!

That's all she wrote for the first quarter scoring.

Most of the second involves punt trading, but then Blanda gets hot again, leading the Oilers to another TD with 2:12 left in the half. The 21-7 scoreline doesn't hold up for long though, as Brown gets sacked, loses the football, and Houston recovers in time for a field goal right before half.

24-7 halftime score and it's looking grim.

Punt trading again until midway through the 3rd quarter when our man Brown puts together some nice passes in a short field for the TD and at 24-14, we're back in it.

But that's all we can manage as the Oilers' defensive line wakes up and starts hurrying Brown and just to add insult to injury, Houston tacks on a field goal in the fourth quarter to give us a final line of 27-14.

Our running game was invisible the whole game. Irv Cross played well in special teams, averaging 10.5 yards a punt return and 33 yards on kick returns, but that was about it for the real highlights. Ed Brown is a good quarterback, but he's not a franchise guy, especially not in the face of so nasty a defensive front.

George Blanda as you might expected was named game MVP: 25-34 for 218 yards, 3 TDs and no interceptions. Now that's vintage performance as he wins the battle of the veteran QBs.

I wish the Oilers good luck the rest of the way. The Dolphins still need to improve before they can become a legitimate playoff team, rather than just the best of a bad division, but we're on our way.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl II
Indianapolis Colts 34 San Francisco 49ers 31

Johnny Unitas takes home MVP honors sets a Super Bowl passing yardage record that may never be broken, with 401! :eek: Steve Myhra chips in a 20 yard FG with 4 seconds left in the game to give the Colts the win and ruin what had been a brilliant 49ers rally.

Once again no Dolphins awards winners. QB Bart Starr (GBY) follows up last year's Super Bowl MVP award with this year's League MVP and Offensive Player of the Year award. LDE Gino Marchetti (IND) repeats as Defensive Player of the Year and announces his retirement right after the Super Bowl celebration. Although he was only in his 10th year, he went out on top with those two Defensive Player of the Year awards and a Super Bowl ring. Smart move.

RB Tom Matte, taken in the 1st round at #22 by the Denver Broncos, was the Offensive Rookie of the Year, rushing 1091 yards and 8 TDs.

LDT Ernie Ladd, also taken in the 1st, at #13 by the Baltimore Ravens, was Defensive Rookie of the Year and 1st Team DT with 69 tackles, 36 assists, 8.5 sacks, 7 blocks, 12 hurries and 5 QB knockdowns.

It's staff hiring time now. Hard to mess with the kind of success we've had, but let's take a look and see how our staff improved or regressed over last year's miracle season.

DC Clifton Winters, who had a lot of doubt surrounding him when he was hired not only revived the team's defense, but he improved from Good to Very Good in LB. That's awesome to see!

Scout Bill Jessup declines to Fair and Fair in QB and RB, so he's going to be replaced.

My top choice for a scout goes off to San Diego, my second choice rejects me flat out and so I have to settle for my third option.

Lead Scout: Daryl Crane (52)
QB: Good
RB: Fair
WR: Good
OL: Good
K/P: Excellent
DL: Excellent
LB: Very Good
DB: Average
YT: Average

Nobody's getting franchised and I'm not messing with tickets just yet, so it's on to free agency.

We have 22 free agents of our own, only 5 of which are restricted. Rather than go through all 22 free agents, I'll mention the 5 restricted and then indicate which of the UFA guys I intend to keep.

Restricted Free Agents:

SS Frank Garrett
Signed as a stopgap measure after W.K. Brown's injury, he played decently for us, but guys like him are everywhere, so there's no real desire to re-sign him.

LDE Howard Pane
Another stopgap, he lost out to Rod Perry in the RDE starter battle and showed glimmers of pass-rush skills. He has an affinity with Jim Temp, but Temp won't be back next year, meaning Pane's expendable too.

SS Larry Miller
Absolutely blossomed as a starter after W.K. Brown's injury, but he was only mediocre in New Orleans. So which is the real Larry Miller? That question's an uncertain one and hence, it's going to depend on what type of contract demands he makes whether or not we bring him back.

SS W.K. Brown
Did well when he came back from injury, but his endurance is now 0, meaning he probably won't come back. This improves Miller's chances of returning to the Dolphins.

LG Mark Mathias
Yes, he's injury-prone, but he developed nicely this year and played terrifically. Injury bug be damned, I'm going to try and lock him into a long-term deal as I see a future starter in him.

As for the unrestricted guys, it depends on who else is out there and what kind of money people are wanting. The lone guy I -have- to bring back is C Ken Engram. He's the affinity glue that holds my entire offensive line together and he's a good backup to boot.

Speaking of chemistry, TE Johnny Carson, who was made a backup last year after being a 2nd Team All-Pro TE in 1960, is angrily demanding a trade, so we'll shop around and see what we can get for him.

Unfortunately no one's interested in him and when I try to work a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, who have need for a TE and they have a MLB who's equally angry and wanting a trade and who could start in the middle for me, they say no because of Carson's contract. Oh well.

Dolphins Re-signings
SS Larry Miller (1 year, $50k)
LG Mark Mathias (3 years, $210k)

Dolphins Needs
By the numbers: QB, FB, WR x 2, P, DE, LB x 2

By talent:
We need at bare minimum a young QB that can be groomed to replace Ed Brown, but if we can get a higher level starter, I'm tempted to do that, as Brown's skills look like they're regressing fast.

Zach Roaches is upset about losing his starting job to Bill Cooper and has a cap-friendly contract, hopefully making him a prime trade possibility. At any rate, we may see a new backup to Cooper or even a whole new back if one is out there that's exciting enough.

We not only need receivers in body, we need them in talent. Bob Coolbaugh isn't looking as good as his 2nd round status suggests and Pete Taninecz dropped more passes than he should've last year.

The offensive line is set, except for a glaring hole at LT that's right up there with WR among our big needs.

We need a RDE who can be Mark Schau's partner, a new starter-quality MLB and an upgrade at SLB. I'm pleased with our secondary, though I'd like to see some new blood in at the safety positions, especially FS.

Mentors, we need RB, FB, TE, WR, C, T, DE, DT MLB, OLB, CB, and SS if we're to have mentors at all position groups.

Week 2 Signings
SE Fred Dugan (4 years, $1.49 mill. - Dallas)
-Talented 6th year WR who broke the 1,000 yard receiving mark with the Cowboys last year. Gives us a major upgrade at SE and will allow us to move Bob Coolbaugh to the slot receiver.

Week 3 Signings
LT Bob Skoronoski (4 years $2.12 mill. - Green Bay)
-I overpaid for this 7th year veteran, as he's a high risk-high reward guy on the field if his years with the Packers are any indication, but he brings Super Bowl championship experience to the table and he was the only decent LT on the market, which was our hugest need. Considering the draft looked bereft of great tackles, especially where we're picking, it made getting Bob a necessity. He's also a tackles mentor.

SLB Ronnie Loudo (1 year, $50k - Chicago)
-7th year veteran mentor who wanted the chance to start again after being made a backup with the Bears. He'll get that opportunity here in Miami, even if only as a one year rental. In fact, I'd say he'd be the starter right now, if the season were to begin today.

FS Brett Woodard (1 year, $50k - Carolina)
-5th year player was a two year starter with the Panthers and he's good enough to push Fred Bruney for the starting spot and maybe even win it. It'll be one of the more interesting training camp battles of the year.

Week 4 Signings
QB Milt Plum (1 year, $50k - Detroit)
-Will challenge Ed Brown for the starting job. If nothing else, the 6th year vet will give us a safety blank in case something happens to Brown. The days of Bryant Baker mucking things up are over.

RB Tommy Sharpe (1 year, $50k - Kansas City)
-Mentor RB who can not only teach Bill Cooper more about the game, but be satisfied with taking the backup role. You know what this means.. bye-bye Roaches.

FL Ray Mathews (1 year, $50k - New York)
-Ancient receiver (12th year), who appeared in one game last year for the Giants. That said, he's a mentor and good enough that he could be our starting flanker. Will we ever resolve our revolving door at the receiver spots?

RDE Nate Borden (1 year, $120k - Chicag)
-Smart as hell mentor who has absolutely no run defense skills. Numbers weren't phenomenal as a starter in Dallas two years ago, but he can start if necessary, though I'd like to find a rookie if possible.

MLB Dan Lynch (1 year, $50k - Re-sign)
-We bring back our MLB mentor and last season's leading tackler, though I have my eye on a certain someone in the draft who would be the starter if I can get him.

Week 5 Losses
WLB Clancy Osborne (1 year, $50k - Atlanta)
-Not a big loss here. Sure, he was a good backup, but he was pissed beyond all belief at having to start behind Aaron Spiva, so I have no problems letting him walk.

Week 6 Signings
FB Alan Ameche (3 years, $520k - Pittsburgh)
-Mentor who's good enough that I don't have to worry about the FB position for the next few seasons. I love his 100 Special Teams ability.

C Ken Engram (3 years, $270k - Re-sign)
-Yes! My chemistry is intact! There's actually an amusing story that goes with this. I'm taking the dirty clothes to the laundry room when I suddenly freak out, shout, "Oh my god! Shit!" and go tearing to the dining room, which led to the following exchange between me and my mom:

Mom: What?! What is it?!
Me: Hold on! ..I can't believe I forgot to do that! Shit, shit, shit!
Mom: What?!
Me: *checks screen and sees Ken Engram still unsigned* Whew! *makes 3 year offer*
Mom: What is it?!
Me: Oh, I forgot to make an offer to this center in my football game who's the whole key to my offensive line's chemistry. I built my whole line around him.
Mom: .....You were panicking over a dumb football game? I thought it was something serious!
Me: It was! That would've wrecked my whole line!
Mom: *rolls eyes*

But Engram's back in town and the kumbaya fest can continue :D

Those are the only offers I had out, so I didn't lose anyone. It honestly wasn't much of a free agent crop this year, at least not one worth blowing huge money on except two of the guys I grabbed, so I'm just going to throw in all the defectors in one blob.

Lost Free Agents
FB Geoffrey Powers (1 year, $50k - Philadelphia)
-Yawn. Ameche's better.

42 players under contract when the first free agency period ends.

...I forgot to send someone to summer league. Oh well.

I'll do the draft tomorrow, probably.

[Izulde]

Draft time!

I'll be perfectly honest, there's maybe five guys in this entire draft who'd really excite me if I had a high pick, starting with QBs John Hadl and Roman Gabriel, one of whom will definitely go to Denver at #2 overall. As for the other one, Seattle has the #1 overall pick, but they also have extremely raw, promising Norm Snead at QB, whom the Seahawks took with the #6 overall pick last year. On the other hand, Snead's disgruntled, having been made the second-stringer last season.

The Saints, to follow last year's stunning draft, have two top 10 picks as I predicted, at #6 and #8. Unfortunately, this is a really bad year to have a pick not in the top 5 if you're up that high, so New Orleans gets screwed. But maybe they can negotiate something out of it and possibly trade up to get Hadl or Gabriel. The Black and Gold certainly need a QB.

We're picking at #24 and to be honest, I don't see anyone I consider worthwhile at that spot right now, but we'll see how the picks pan out. I may end up trading out of the first.

1962 Draft First Round
1. QB John Hadl (Seattle Seahawks)

That's going to piss off an already disgruntled Snead. Hmm.. that gives me a possible idea...

2. QB Roman Gabriel (Denver Broncos)
3. DE Gary Cutsinger (Carolina Panthers)
4. S Tommy Morrow (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
5. OLB Frank Buncom (Minnesota Vikings)
6. QB Manch Wheeler (New Orleans Saints)
7. G Jim Cadile (Cincinnati Bengals)
8. CB Bob Suci (New Orleans Saints)
9. WR Lance Alworth (Tucson Titans)
10. CB Booker Edgerson (Oakland Raiders)
11. DT Danny Birdwell (New Jersey Jets)
12. DE George Andrie (Baltimore Ravens)
13. G Sonny Bishop (Atlanta Falcons)
14. DT Tom Sestak (Washington Redskins)
15. WR Jack Elwell (New England Patriots)
16. G Bob McCollough (Buffalo Bills)
17. DT Fred Miller (Chicago Bears)
18. S Mike Gaechter (Kansas City Chiefs)
19. DE Ike Lassiter (St. Louis Cardinals)
20. G Billy Neighbors (Dallas Cowboys)
21. ILB Nick Buoniconti (Detroit Lions)

UGH! Three god damned picks away!!!!! I've been trying to make a deal to move up since the St. Louis pick, but everyone was demanding a lot more than I wanted to give them. :mad:

22. OLB Cornell Green (San Diego Chargers)
23. DT George Gross (Houston Oilers)

I'm still smarting over the loss of Nicky B when our pick comes up. The guys that are left are a bunch of meh players not really worth a first rounder, but that's how weak this draft is.

So I decide instead to have a little conversation with the Seahawks. Will they take our 1st rounder for Norm Snead after drafting Hadl?

Why, no! They don't want to lost the cap space! That's only fair I suppose, though it's stupid to tie up that much cap money into two quarterbacks.

Will anyone else play make a deal with me?

Not for any players I'd be interested in.... Ugh. I knew I should've paid whatever exorbiant sum the Lions would've extracted.

Finally after scrounging around, I decide that WR is our biggest need that has the best chance of being filled. I get down to two guys: Bake Turner and Charlie Frazier.

Turner has high Vol. score and great combine numbers except for one glaring thing: 10 reps. While that's still decent for a WR, it makes me nervous. Besides I've been burned by Turner before. Frazier, on the other hand, has extremely low Vol, but he's easily the strongest WR at 21 reps and is a little more developed, so he seems the safer bet.

Safety is a good thing.

24. WR Charlie Frazier (Miami Dolphins)
25. G Irv Goode (Philadelphia Eagles)
26. G George Flint (New York Giants)
27. DE Ed O'Bradovich (Cleveland Browns)
28. WR Bill Miller (Los Angeles Rams)
29. OLB Tom Erlandson (Carolina Panthers through Pittsburgh Steelers)

The Steelers got the two 2nd rounders the Panthers have in next year's draft and Carolina's 4th rounder in this draft. Considering Erlandson is a guy I would've considered if he hadn't conflicted with my team leader, Carolina made out well here.

30. S Claude Crabb (Green Bay Packers)
31. DT Ray Jacobs (San Francisco 49ers)
32. G Larry Bowie (Indianapolis Colts)

It's a pretty easy selection in the 2nd round as there's only guy I feel might even be remotely close to being worthy of the pick, particularly given our needs, so DE Dick Stafford joins the team to fight for the right to start opposite Mark Schau.

There's a player I've got my eye on for the 4th round, but in the 3rd round, it's intriguing WR Gary Ballman, who I think could pull a Bill Cooper style breakout possibly.

My guy goes off the board shortly after my 3rd round pick, but OLB Albert Gursky not only fills a gap, but he could be an improver as well.

By the 5th round, I'm grasping at straws, but there's two safeties that interest me as projects. SS Larry Vargo had the far better prospect score and is the biggest safety still on the board, so he's the pick.

Project QBs start flying off the shelves in the 6th and there's one that interests me, but FB Bob Ferguson looks like a special teams ace and since he'd be a backup anyway, allowing me to protect my starters' bodies, I take him.

In a rare of moment of this draft going right for me, my project QB I had my eye on is available in the 7th and so I take QB Glynn Griffing of the cool name and nice prospect score of 60.

This time I scrounge around in the UDRFA pool, only there's not much there, in fact only one player who looks even remotely a possibility.

In late free agency, I look for a P and if there's any great players who I think'd improve the team noticeably. There's one guy who I think has a shot at doing something, so I make my offers.

Week 2 Losses
P B.J. Nixon (1 year, $50k - Green Bay)
-Turned down a 3 year, $210k contract from us to sign with the Packers. Bleh.

Week 4 Signings
FB Willie Simpson (UDRFA)
-The lone intriguing rookie free agent, will push our draftee FB for time and place on the team.

P Ricardo May (1 year, $50k)
-Not a bad secondary option after losing Nixon. Has the benefit of being a fantastic kickholder.

Week 4 Losses
SE Billy Howton (1 year, $110k - Chicago)
-Heh. The Bears are quite welcome to the drop-heavy mentor whose skills are going one direction... downhill off the cliff.

NT Jim Prestel (1 year, $60k - Green Bay)
-Our second loss to the Packers this free agent season, he turned down a starting opportunity and more money with us to play for a surefire Super Bowl contender in Green Bay.

On to training camp.


FL Charlie Frazier 1.24 23/50 26/51 +3/+1
RDE Dick Stafford 2.27 16/44 17/39 +1/-5
FL Gary Ballman 3.26 23/35 25/39 +2/+4
WLB Albert Gursky 4.25 13/31 15/29 +2/-2
SS Larry Vargo 5.24 9/25 9/26 +0/+1
FB Bob Ferguson 6.27 15/26 15/27 +0/+1
QB Glynn Griffing 7.26 3/14 3/18 +0/+4
FB Willie Simpson UDRFA 14/23 14/24 +0/+1

Draft Grade: B+

Very nice uptick from our rookie WRs! I now feel a lot more comfortable about our situation there obviously. Looks like Frazier was the right move to make over Turner, who I haven't checked on.

Stafford is a considerable disappointment, especially for being a 2nd rounder. Gursky looks eh as does Vargo. Griffing interests me and while he's nowhere near ready to be a starting QB or even a backup, I like him enough that he'll get playing time in preseason and become a possible future project.

[Izulde]

Brown, Ed 3 QB 11 34 34 2 yrs
Plum, Milt 11 QB 6 30 41 1 yr.
Baker, Bryant 7 QB 3 12 40 1 yr.
Griffing, Glynn 10 QB 1 3 18 3 yrs

Plum's bars don't look anywhere nearly as good as his current/future split suggests. He's also never been more than a backup. His accuracy and timing's likewise suspect, meaning the quarterback controversy expected to materialize probably won't. Baker's potential is still there, but he won't be the backup this year. Griffing is what he is at this point, 7th round pick and practice squad material.


Sharpe, Tommy 48 RB 6 38 38 1 yr.
Roaches, Zach 47 RB 3 43 43 1 yr.
Cooper, Bill 28 RB 2 31 36 2 yrs
Ameche, Alan 38 FB 8 36 36 3 yrs
Ferguson, Bob 42 FB 1 15 27 3 yrs
Simpson, Willie 36 FB 1 14 24 1 yr.

Roaches, despite having the highest ratings, has the shakiest bars and will be third-string, making him so angry he'll want to be traded. Sharpe will duel it out with Cooper in preseason for the starting job.

Ameche's the obvious starter at FB, though Ferguson and Simpson are backup coinflips. Ferguson's good at special teams, with the potential to get better, but Simpson's the better third down option.


Carson, Johnny 82 TE 10 40 40 2 yrs
Foley, Jim 84 TE 3 27 27 1 yr.
Ingram, Riddick 86 TE 3 33 44 1 yr.

Carson's -still- angry about last season, but he's clearly the top backup this year, so maybe that'll satisfy him. Ingram will start again, as he's got the best skill balance.


Mathews, Ray 87 FL 12 31 31 1 yr.
Ballman, Gary 89 FL 1 25 39 3 yrs
Frazier, Charlie 88 FL 1 26 51 4 yrs
Dugan, Fred 81 SE 6 46 46 4 yrs
Taninecz, Pete 83 SE 3 27 38 1 yr.
Coolbaugh, Bob 15 SE 2 31 46 3 yrs

Dugan was a huge, huge free agent signing for us and I figured he was a major upgrade, but I didn't realize just how big until now. He's far and away the best receiver on the team. He'll start along with Frazier. Ballman and Mathews will fight for the slot job, with the loser the fifth receiver behind Coolbaugh, who's turned into a special teams monster.


Engram, Ken 51 C 6 35 35 3 yrs
Bland, Oronde 57 C 3 51 51 3 yrs
Putnam, Duane 72 LG 11 33 33 1 yr.
Mathias, Mark 60 LG 3 33 55 3 yrs
D'Agostino, Frank 68 RG 7 36 36 2 yrs
Petersen, Ken 64 RG 2 13 18 2 yrs
Skoronski, Bob 76 LT 7 42 42 4 yrs
Kramer, Chad 61 LT 3 22 42 1 yr.
Plunkett, Sherman 63 RT 7 62 62 4 yrs

Bland and Engram are about as perfect a combo as you can get at C. Mathias has now reached a point where he'll supplant Putnam as the starter at LG. Not real thrilled with Petersen, but eh what can you do? Skoronski is a major improvement over Kramer at LT and hopefully Plunkett can start playing up to his ratings.


May, Ricardo 5 P 3 47 49 1 yr.
Green, Allen 2 K 2 46 46 2 yrs

May might actually stick around as our P for a while. Green needs to show he can last a full season, though.


Schau, Mark 98 LDE 4 45 45 4 yrs
Borden, Nate 74 RDE 8 39 39 1 yr.
Novsek, Joe 70 RDE 2 13 20 2 yrs
Stafford, Dick 71 RDE 1 17 39 4 yrs

Schau and Borden will start while Stafford, having the higher upside, will backup both positions and be the RDE in goal-line situations. Really disappointing to see out of a second round pick, but what can you do?


Culpepper, Penguin 77 LDT 8 38 38 5 yrs
Breeden, Cliff 99 RDT 4 34 34 2 yrs
Voight, Bob 78 RDT 2 17 36 3 yrs

They'll all reprise their roles of last season. I'd like to get a chance to upgrade here eventually.


Lynch, Dan 52 MLB 7 36 36 1 yr.
Jackson, Gabe 54 MLB 3 30 42 1 yr.
Loudo, Rommie 90 SLB 7 45 45 1 yr.
Randall, Luther 94 SLB 3 29 40 1 yr.
Spiva, Aaron 95 WLB 3 47 47 4 yrs
Gursky, Albert 96 WLB 1 15 29 4 yrs

Lynch and Jackson will once again stage their starters' battle. Loudo takes over on the strong side, with steady Spiva penciled in again on the weak side. Nice to finally be able to put Randall in a backup role.


Sample, Johnny 43 LCB 5 61 61 4 yrs
Stryzinski, Brent 23 LCB 3 27 40 1 yr.
Gorin, Antonio 31 RCB 3 16 29 1 yr.
Cross, Irv 40 RCB 2 53 53 4 yrs

Sample and Cross form one of the top two starting CB duos in the league according to current ratings. Only the Washington Redskins, who have two guys at 58, can be argued to be better a set. Stryzinski is starting to come into his own as a nickel back, though he'll never be more than that due to his endurance. Gorin won't be re-signed.


Miller, Larry 20 SS 3 36 36 1 yr.
Vargo, Larry 49 SS 1 9 26 3 yrs
Bruney, Fred 45 FS 10 35 35 2 yrs
Woodard, Brett 35 FS 5 40 40 1 yr.

Woodard replaces Bruney as the starter at FS, while Miller's back as the starter. Vargo I don't ever see being anything more than a dime back, if he even reaches that.

Contract Extensions
TE Riddick Ingram: Signed through 1964 ($210k)
LCB Brent Strynzski: Signed through 1963 ($130k)

These are the two guys I know for sure I want to keep on the team for a couple more seasons at least, though I'm less sure of Stryznski, which is why he only gets an extra year tacked on instead of two, like with Ingram.

A bunch of other players will be playing to deserve their extension this year.

I feel good about our chances to get back to the playoffs this season, but we'll just have to see what happens.

[nilodor]

It looks like you've got a good chance at reaching the playoffs, but unfortunately it's going to be tough to do much when you get there. Not alot of skill at the skill positions on the roster, except receiver. How's that positions strength compared to the rest of the league?

[Izulde]

It looks like you've got a good chance at reaching the playoffs, but unfortunately it's going to be tough to do much when you get there. Not alot of skill at the skill positions on the roster, except receiver. How's that positions strength compared to the rest of the league?

In every position group we're middle of the pack or lower, except for a couple Top 10 places that are #9 or #10, with the exception of CB, where it turns out we're #2, behind the Redskins as I figured.

Our WR strength is actually in the lower third of the league right now.

[Izulde]

Preaseason

Miami 13 St. Louis 19
In the battle for starting spots, Tommy Sharpe does a little better in limited duty than Bill Cooper, but Sharpe's also got really low endurance, so he's best off as a backup, settling that decision. Milt Plum and Ed Brown draw even in their contest and will probably be fighting all preseason for the starter's gig. Ray Mathews has a fantastic game with 7 catches for 97 yards and pretty much has the backup flanker job locked up, particularly since I like his bars better.

Ricardo May has a weak opening session as punter and Allen Green is showing alarming power troubles. A bright spot on defense: Free agent signee Nate Borden picks up 2 sacks in his first action in a Dolphins uniform. Rookie Albert Gursky has a fine game with 6 tackles and 5 assists, earning himself the right to backup at WLB, rather than have Luther Randall cover both outside spots. Dan Lynch edges Gabe Jackson in their MLB battle Round 1.

Chicago 3 Miami 24
A thoroughly satisfying Dolphins looking good in preseason victory. Tommy Sharpe dramatically outperforms Bill Cooper and will get the starting spot in our next preseason game. Ed Brown is a perfect 11-11, but Milt Plum is 13-19 for 147 yards and 2 TDs and shows some running skills too.

Ricardo May is continuing to piss me off. Allen Green finds his power stroke but loses his accuracy. Dan Lynch and Gabe Jackson call it a draw on tackles, but Jackson gets a 19 yard interception return. Right now I have Lynch as the starter and the goal-line MLB and Jackson the backup and nickel and dime MLB. Maybe I should keep going with that as they seem to have success that way.

Green Bay 17 Miami 27
Another NFC North giant, another great exhibition win. I forgot to give Tommy Sharpe the start, but he does better than Bill Cooper anyway, particularly with Cooper's 3 fumbles. Milt Plum kicks the stuffing out of Ed Brown with a 15-17 for 110 yard and 2 TD performance and will probably be the starter on Week 1.

We finally get a good game out of Ricardo May's punting, though Allen Green continues to be erratic. Nate Borden continues his freakish preseason with 2.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and a knockdown. Knowing my luck, he'll probably fizzle out in the regular season. Gabe Jackson slightly betters Dan Lynch, but I think I'll go with my current setup. It's working.

Our first injury of the year and it's a huge one. LG Mark Mathias, Mr. Injury Prone himself, wrecks the hell out of his knee and has to have surgery, meaning he's out for the entire season.

I don't want to have to rely on Ken Petersen as a backup, and luckily there's a 3rd year RG, Howard Glenn on the market who's raw in ratings, but had a sickly 64.9 KRB % as a starter two years ago with the Falcons while giving up 7 sacks. 64.9%! How the hell did he not make the All-Pro team? Needless to say, I sign him as a backup to Duane Putnam, the ressurected starter, quickly.

Miami 17 San Francisco 38
So I forgot to make Tommy Sharpe the starter again and ditto Milt Plum, but they both have horrible showings, so it's weakening my resolve again. I think I'll give Bill Cooper the start at halfback and Milt Plum the top QB and monitor the situation as the season goes on.

Regular Season

Miami 31 New England 23
The Milt Plum era begins with a bang, as our new starting QB is 20-27 for 204 yards, 4 TDs and an INT. 1st round draft pick Charlie Frazier catches 4 of those passes for 90 yards and a breathtaking 43 yard TD reception. Riddick Ingram showed why he's the starting TE over Johnny Carson with 2 short yardage TD receptions of his own. Our defense did just well enough to win, with no standouts.

Miami 13 Chicago 16
A gutkicker of a loss that came down to a missed Allen Green field goal that would've tied it and sent it to OT. Penguin Culpepper has 7 tackles, an assist, and half a sack, while fellow DT Cliff Breeden records 2 sacks. This loss wasn't the fault of the defense or of Milt Plum, but rather of the running game. Neither Bill Cooper nor Tommy Sharpe are legitimate starting running backs, it appears.

I belatedly realize I forgot to hit recommend. Oops.

Bob Voight injures his elbow and will miss at least the next game. RDT Jack Jones, a former starter with the Packers, is signed to a one year veteran contract to fill in.

I'm pleased to see that the playing time recommended is variable. Last season, for example, Ed Brown was a 2 and Bill Cooper was 85%. This season, Milt Plum's a 1 and Cooper's a 75%.

Miami 9 Indianapolis 21
Bill Cooper finally starts getting a little untracked, but this is still the defending Super Bowl champs with Johnny Unitas. Milt Plum has his third straight game of 200+ passing yards and throws an interception, only his second on the year. Irv Cross averages an incredible 47 yards on two kick returns, but we can't get anything going with the field position.

Miami 16 Cincinnati 13
A tough, but needed road win against the Bengals. Despite 2 costly interceptions, Milt Plum is still 20-34 for 208 yards, but the big heroes offensively are Bill Cooper, who breaks free for 26 rushes and 110 yards and Fred Dugan, who finally starts earning his paycheck with 10 catches for 107 yards. Allen Green hits a gorgeous 54 yard FG, but was 3/5 overall. Johnny Sample averaged 36.7 yards on 3 kickoff returns.

Irv Cross gives us a scare when he separates his shoulder, but he'll only miss one game it looks like. Bob Voight is ready to come off the inactive list, but I'm liking Jackson's output better, so he'll stay.

Our old friend Doyle Nix comes back for a game or two, taking the starting spot at RCB as Antonio Gorin has been terrible this season. Nix also takes over second kickoff return man duties, with Johnny Sample becoming the top returner in kicks and punts. Our situation for returners is so bad that outside of Sample and Cross, the only guys who have any kick return ability is Nix at 13 and we have nobody with an even a single point in current at punt returns.

Next offseason, I'll have to look for somebody who can take Gorin's spot as a package defensive back and return kicks.

Buffalo 35 Miami 30
We really, really miss Cross this game as we suffer a devastating loss to our archrivals. Our running game stalls and Milt Plum has trouble with his accuracy. Doyle Nix did get an interception in his first game back, but our pass defense hit the drink bigtime. A fumble a piece by Plum and Cooper didn't help matters.

Miami 6 Cleveland 35
Irv Cross returns this game but it doesn't matter. We get killed on all sides and all facets of the game. The Browns are one of the top teams in the league and it shows here.

Pittsburgh 28 Miami 33
Upset special of the week! The Steelers were 6-0 headed into this game and 10 point favorites, but Bill Cooper spoiled plans of 7-0 with 21 rushes for 116 yards and a TD. Milt Plum doesn't have his most accurate game, but 19-30 for 228 yards, 3 TDs and an INT is nothing to sneeze at. Irv Cross averages 34.3 yards on his kickoff returns. Just a nice, solid performance and one we needed to keep our season alive.

New England 10 Miami 27
The Patriots are the worst team in the division and have been since the universe began. Bill Cooper flattens them 21 times for 93 yards and a TD and Milt Plum is a cool 20-27 for 257 yards and a TD. Johnny Sample shows why he's considered one of the top 5 CBs in the league today with 2 interceptions. Mark Schau racks up 2 sacks, a block, 2 hurries and a knockdown. Another important win.

Important enough that it puts us at 4-4.

Unfortunately, it's not without cost. Mark Schau strains his calf muscle and will miss a game. Riddick Ingram is questionable for our next contest as well and will probably be held out as a precaution.

We're also well behind the Jets, who at 6-3 are clearly in front and there's two teams at 6-2 who are significantly ahead in the wild-card chase. The only way we get back to the playoffs is if we get hot and New Jersey starts stumbling.

The halfway stats:


Record 4-4
Winning Pct. .500
All-Time 20-20
Winning Pct. .500
Playoffs 0-1
Playoff Visits 1
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Corey Hammond
Record 15-10
Winning Pct. .600
Off. Coord. R. Fuller
Def. Coord. C. Winters

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.9 9
Rushing Yards 124.4 10
Yards Per Carry 4.16 14
Pass Attempts 29.0 27 (T)
Completions 18.9 25
Completion Pct. 65.1 12 (T)
Passing Yards 209.4 16
Yards Per Attempt 7.22 9
Yards Per Catch 11.09 11
Total Yardage Gained 315.5 15
3rd Down Conversions 34.3 23 (T)
Points Per Game 20.6 13
Pass Rush Pct. 5.8 23
Pass Defense Pct. 61.0 24 (T)
Turnovers 12 13 (T)
Turnover Margin +1 14 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 28.5 20 (T)
Rushing Yards 118.3 19
Yards Per Carry 4.15 23
Pass Attempts 30.4 7
Completions 20.6 17 (T)
Completion Pct. 67.9 25 (T)
Passing Yards 212.3 16
Yards Per Attempt 6.99 22
Yards Per Catch 10.29 13
Total Yardage Gained 316.0 19
3rd Down Conversions 35.8 12
Points Per Game 22.6 23
Pass Rush Pct. 6.2 11 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 65.9 21
Turnovers 13 13 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 31 at NED 23
2 13 at CHI 16
3 9 at IND 21
4 16 at CIN 13
5 30 BUF 35
6 6 at CLE 35
7 33 PIT 28
9 27 NED 10
10 BAL
11 at NJY
12 MIN
13 SDO
14 at DET
15 NJY
16 GBY
17 at BUF

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
11 M. Plum QB 218 144 1619 7.43 11 7 91.5
**Team --- 232 151 1675 7.22 11 7 89.6
$$Opp --- 243 165 1698 6.99 16 6 99.4

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
28 B. Cooper RB 152 639 4.20 3 1
48 T. Sharpe RB 75 309 4.12 3 1
**Team --- 239 995 4.16 6 9
$$Opp --- 228 946 4.15 7 15

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 F. Dugan WR 48 32 393 12.28 8.19 3 1
88 C. Frazier WR 49 29 385 13.28 7.86 2 2
15 B. Coolbaugh WR 39 22 275 12.50 7.05 3 4
87 R. Mathews WR 29 17 237 13.94 8.17 2 1
86 R. Ingram TE 16 14 127 9.07 7.94 0 3
82 J. Carson TE 19 11 89 8.09 4.68 0 0
28 B. Cooper RB 12 10 45 4.50 3.75 0 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
90 R. Loudo OLB 44 9 1.0 0 0 2 70.3
54 G. Jackson ILB 36 12 0.0 0 1 2 77.1
20 L. Miller S 31 10 1.0 0 0 3 78.9
52 D. Lynch ILB 28 16 0.0 0 0 0 65.4
99 C. Breeden DT 26 13 5.5 4 0 0 82.5
95 A. Spiva OLB 26 9 0.5 0 0 1 77.5
43 J. Sample CB 21 8 0.0 0 2 7 82.5
35 B. Woodard S 21 6 0.0 0 1 1 76.8
40 I. Cross CB 21 6 0.0 0 0 4 77.7
77 P. Culpepper DT 17 4 1.0 2 0 0 80.6
74 N. Borden DE 15 9 2.5 4 1 0 82.9
98 M. Schau DE 14 9 3.5 6 0 0 80.4
31 A. Gorin CB 12 0 0.0 0 0 1 65.6
96 A. Gursky OLB 12 2 0.0 0 0 0 73.5
23 B. Stryzinski CB 11 3 0.0 0 0 0 72.5
94 L. Randall OLB 10 5 0.0 0 0 1 80.3
49 L. Vargo S 9 2 0.0 1 0 1 75.7
71 D. Stafford DE 8 4 2.5 2 0 0 81.3

Biggest difference between this year and last? Our pass defense, which was stellar last year, is down this season, way down. We'll have to pick that up in the second half. Milt Plum is also fumble-prone, though not as bad as Bryant Baker. Still, I don't like turnover happy QBs and I'm tempted to give Ed Brown the ball in the second half, particularly as last season's hero is unhappy about having to sit as the main backup.

In happy news, Charlie Frazier is proving a very pleasant surprise at WR, as is Riddick Ingram's sudden nose for the endzone.

So I think I'll let Brown take over from here on out. If he starts sinking and stinking, I can always pull him and let Plum take the spot again.

[Izulde]

Baltimore 10 Miami 37
The Ravens suck this year, but it's still a blowout win and Ed Brown wins Game MVP honors with a 12-16, 119 yard, 2 TD performance. Irv Cross averaged 39 yards on his kickoff returns and it was just a nice, comfortable win.

Nate Borden, the starting RDE, is out for at least next game and we're now missing both of our starting ends. This is not cool.

I cut RG Ken Petersen, as my first-ever 5th round pick looks like a bust and we need the room for him. LDE Torrance Brooks, a 7th year player who started for Tampa Bay in 1960 and was a backup last season for the Redskins, gets pulled in off the street to start at LDE.

Miami 20 New Jersey 14
*HUGE* win over the Jets, captained by an Ed Brown 4th quarter comeback. He's really proving his point about deserving to be the starter. Brown's the man again: 20-38 for 206 yards and a TD. He's not the greatest QB on the planet and he's getting old, but he's got a grittiness that makes him the man you want when the chips are down. 5 forced fumbles, 6 sacks, 2 of the latter by Cliff Breeden and you can tell our defensive line, banged up as it was, was keyed up for this game. Two interceptions by our secondary as well.

Minnesota 20 Miami 12
I want to throw up. 22-38 for 265 yards from Ed Brown can't overcome a piss-poor run game. Dan Lynch's 10 tackles and 2 assists? Nice, but ultimately useless as the Vikings ground it out better than we did.

San Diego 24 Miami 17
Two straight home games and two straight losses as the Chargers overcome 3 interceptions to steal a win late in the 4th quarter. We need a new running back next season. That's become the single-highest priority and one we'll be looking at intensely in the draft.

The loss drops us to 6-6 and puts us a game behind the Jets.

Miami 6 Detroit 13
It looks as though all the magic is gone out of Ed Brown's arm. He struggles for the second straight game, negating Rommie Loudo's 11 tackle, 3 assist showing, as well as a very faint pulse from the running game. Plum will start the rest of the year.

New Jersey 20 Miami 7
Do or die game against the Jets and we die, despite 80 yards rushing from Bill Cooper and a respectable 25-41 for 252 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT from Milt Plum. Charlie Frazier has a fantastic game with 8 catches for 106 yards, but our special teams and defense both took major naps this game, ruining the offensive starbursts.

Green Bay 31 Miami 26
An offensive fireworks game goes the way of the mighty Packers. Despite the closeness of the score, the game really wasn't that much of a competition as our offense was generated largely on Irv Cross and Johnny Sample doing their usual dual 30+ kickoff return yard average.

Miami 10 Buffalo 16
And the losing streak finishes out the year. From 6-4 to 6-10. Gotta love six game losing streaks. We finish third in the division. Charlie Frazier is 6 for 6 on targets and catches, good for 85 yards, but that's about the only highlight.

I'll do the end cap and all that stuff later. I'm too disgusted right now.

[Izulde]

Year 1962
Record 6-10
Winning Pct. .375
All-Time 22-26
Winning Pct. .458
Playoffs 0-1
Playoff Visits 1
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Corey Hammond
Record 17-16
Winning Pct. .515
Off. Coord. R. Fuller
Def. Coord. C. Winters

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.3 19
Rushing Yards 109.4 18
Yards Per Carry 4.02 15
Pass Attempts 31.2 22
Completions 18.8 22
Completion Pct. 60.1 19 (T)
Passing Yards 204.9 14
Yards Per Attempt 6.57 13
Yards Per Catch 10.93 10
Total Yardage Gained 299.1 14
3rd Down Conversions 35.5 18
Points Per Game 18.8 14
Pass Rush Pct. 5.8 23
Pass Defense Pct. 60.7 28
Turnovers 23 11 (T)
Turnover Margin +1 18

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.1 18
Rushing Yards 116.8 22
Yards Per Carry 4.01 19
Pass Attempts 30.7 9
Completions 21.3 29
Completion Pct. 69.2 30
Passing Yards 224.1 26
Yards Per Attempt 7.30 28
Yards Per Catch 10.55 20 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 326.7 27
3rd Down Conversions 38.6 23
Points Per Game 20.6 20 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 6.6 14 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 69.6 24
Turnovers 24 22

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 31 at NED 23
2 13 at CHI 16
3 9 at IND 21
4 16 at CIN 13
5 30 BUF 35
6 6 at CLE 35
7 33 PIT 28
9 27 NED 10
10 37 BAL 10
11 20 at NJY 14
12 12 MIN 20
13 17 SDO 24
14 6 at DET 13
15 7 NJY 20
16 26 GBY 31
17 10 at BUF 16

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
11 M. Plum QB 319 198 2231 6.99 13 12 80.8
3 E. Brown QB 180 102 1047 5.82 4 4 71.7
**Team --- 499 300 3278 6.57 17 16 77.5
$$Opp --- 491 340 3586 7.30 25 13 96.2

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
28 B. Cooper RB 276 1069 3.87 7 5
48 T. Sharpe RB 137 599 4.37 5 8
**Team --- 436 1751 4.02 12 24
$$Opp --- 466 1869 4.01 14 29

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 F. Dugan WR 112 64 711 11.11 6.35 6 1
88 C. Frazier WR 111 60 757 12.62 6.82 6 3
15 B. Coolbaugh WR 74 41 522 12.73 7.05 4 5
87 R. Mathews WR 64 35 433 12.37 6.77 4 2
28 B. Cooper RB 31 24 163 6.79 5.26 0 1
82 J. Carson TE 38 23 196 8.52 5.16 1 0
86 R. Ingram TE 27 21 210 10.00 7.78 0 4

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
90 R. Loudo OLB 90 21 1.0 2 2 4 71.8
54 G. Jackson ILB 73 19 0.0 0 2 3 73.7
20 L. Miller S 71 27 1.0 0 1 6 77.1
52 D. Lynch ILB 69 29 0.0 0 0 2 66.0
95 A. Spiva OLB 55 20 3.5 0 0 1 75.9
40 I. Cross CB 49 12 0.5 0 0 8 75.2
43 J. Sample CB 46 19 0.0 0 3 12 80.3
99 C. Breeden DT 46 21 8.5 10 0 0 81.9
35 B. Woodard S 40 20 0.0 0 2 4 78.3
77 P. Culpepper DT 38 8 2.0 5 0 0 81.7
74 N. Borden DE 27 16 5.0 9 1 0 82.1
98 M. Schau DE 24 12 3.5 9 0 0 81.4
92 J. Jones DT 22 9 2.5 3 0 0 81.8
23 B. Stryzinski CB 21 3 0.0 0 1 1 77.0
94 L. Randall OLB 21 11 1.0 0 0 3 79.7
96 A. Gursky OLB 20 6 0.0 1 0 0 72.3
71 D. Stafford DE 16 4 6.5 3 0 0 82.0
49 L. Vargo S 16 6 0.0 1 0 1 75.7

The difference between last year and this one? As I said at the halfway point, largely a case of our pass defense heading south. Irv Cross in particularl seems to have had a down year, likely attributable to a sophomore slump.

Bill Cooper broke the 1,000 yard mark, but he's not a star back so that's a spot we'll look at upgrading. Charlie Frazier had a very nice rookie season and I expect big things out of him in the future.

I think our receiving corps overall is pretty decent now, but we still need a good quarterback and a good running back.

...Actually, looking at the ratings of the top players by position in the recommend screen, we need help pretty much everywhere except cornerback and center. Ouch. No wonder we're a 6-10 team in a terrible division.

Cliff Breeden had a great year and Dick Stafford was a pleasant surprise as a rookie, but the rest of our defensive line was blah and the linebackers, Rommie Loudo's tackles not withstanding, were a major disappointment.

Oronde Bland had his best year in center, with 42.1% KRB and only 1 sack allowed and Chad Kramer was an incredible 70.6% KRB as a reserve LT, but overall, the offensive line underachieved, particularly Sherman Plunkett, the RT's numbers having continued to drop with each year of the fat deal we gave him. Unfortunately, we're stuck with him for the next three seasons still.

Ricardo May did okay punting, but I'm not sure if I'll re-sign him or not. Allen Green is settling into a kicker we can expect to convert about 76% of his FG a year, somewhere in the 63-69% from 40+. Not the most fantastic numbers and he'll have to have a great year next season to earn another contract.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1962Standings.jpg

You have to love the NFC South in these historical dynasties, you really do. Now once those Saints boys grow into their potential, we could see some serious football in the league's weakest division.

Super Bowl III
Green Bay 38 Cleveland 20

The Packers soundly beat the Browns to go 2-0 against Cleveland in the Super Bowl in this rematch of Super Bowl I. This one was all Bart Starr, with his 27-35 for 383 yards and 3 TDs performance. If there's one thing the Colts and Packers illustrate, it's the critical importance of a franchise QB.

Bart Starr wins MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. LDE Willie Davis completes the major Green Bay sweep with Defensive Player of the Year. RB Larry Ferguson, a 4th round pick of the Oilers, wins Offensive Rookie of the Year and WLB Frank Buncom, taken in the 1st round at #5 overall by the Vikings, wins Defensive Rookie of the Year. Buncom, by the way, looks like he's going to be a damn good player, surprising considering how weak the 1961 draft class is.

Staff hiring time!

Offensive coordinator Randy Fuller goes from Good to Average in QB and every effort will be made to replace him, as he's decreased at the most critical position.

Defensive coordinator Clifton Winters improves for the second straight year, going from Fair to Average in DB. For a guy I was originally hesitant on, he's really coming a long way in his development and I'll do my darndest to re-sign him when his contract expires next year.

I'm going to explore replacing Head Coach Corey Hammond this year, along with Lead Scout Daryl Crane. So basically, the entire staff except Winters may see a turnover.

Crane stays, as I can't find anything better.

This is a damn fine year for finding good, young head coaches to build a team around and I'm salivating over a young offensive coordinator prospect.

I get into a bidding war with our archrivals over the OC prospect, but an extra $20,000 a year is good enough to land him! He's signed to a 4 year deal, unlike the standard 3 year contract.

Offensive Coordinator Jared Thamilarasan (37)
QB: Good
RB: Good
WR: Good
OL: Very Good
K/P: Good
YT: Good

Head Coach Tyrus Treftz (37)
MT: Good
DI: Good
OC: Good
DC: Very Good
IA: Good

I think I'll stop there on that happy, happy note and take on free agency tomorrow/later today :)

[Izulde]

First half of free agency, here we come.

This time I actually remember to check and see who I should send to the Summer League. Since Dick Stafford has the biggest gap between current and future, the difference being that of slub and serviceable, he's the easy selection.

There's not much in the way of our restricted free agents that I'm all that gung-ho about re-signing, but there's a few that I'll return.

Week 1 Re-signings
SS Larry Miller (1 year, $50k)
LT Chad Kramer (2 years, $160k)
P Ricardo May (1 year, $50k)
MLB Gabe Jackson (1 year, $50k)
SLB Luther Randall (1 year, $50k)

By the numbers we need a QB, RB, LB and 8 players overall. We'll be adding a lot more than the minimum 8 between free agency and the draft, I can tell you that much.

Week 2 Losses
RG Gene Hickerson (4 years, $2.28 mill. - Minnesota (Cleveland) )
-Ouch. I wanted this guy really badly and off he goes to the dumbassed Vikings.

LDT Jim Colvin (4 years, $2.42 mill. - Indianapolis Re-Sign)
-Another top-tier free agent goes away. Luckily there's another DT I really like, if he hasn't been snatched up already.

SLB Rommie Loudo (3 years, $1.1 mill. - Denver)
-Cashes in on his high tackle season for us and picks up a nice deal off the Broncos.

SS Andy Nelson (4 years, $1.62 mill. - Jacksonville (Indianapolis) )
-Wow, we just keep getting hammered left and right in our efforts to bring in top notch free agents. Luckily, like with Colvin, there's someone else I'm eyeing up.

Week 3 Signings
SS Ross Fitchener (3 years, $790k - Cleveland)
-Extraordinarily consistent strong safety who averaged exactly 81% pass defense his last three years with the Browns and had 4 interceptions his first two seasons. Great upgrade for our secondary and Larry Miller's immediate replacement.

FS Don Fleming (4 years, $2.10 mill. - Cleveland)
-Say hello to the other Browns' starting safety of the universe's first three years. Apparently these guys are best friends because we've just directly imported both of Cleveland's safety starters and -really- made our secondary a nightmare for opposing QBs. Both Fitchener and Fleming were fantastic in Cleveland, where the cornerbacks weren't as good as Johnny Sample and Irv Cross. Can you say Miami Dolphins #1 secondary in the NFL? I knew you could.

Week 3 Losses
DE Nate Borden (1 year, $100k - Dallas)
-Played okay for us last year, but really, with Dick Stafford showing signs of becoming a pretty good DE, Borden's time was up.

Week 4 Signings
LG Fuzzy Thurston (6 years, $4.18 mill. - Green Bay)
-Long contract and a steep price to pay for the mentor guard, but he's a former 1st Team All-Pro Guard (1961) who has two Super Bowl rings from his Packers days. He's a fantastic player and will allow us to move injury-prone Mark Mathias back to the dual backup role.

SILB Dave Lloyd (4 years, $2.85 mill. - Cleveland)
-Think we're done raiding the Browns' defense? Not a chance in hell as we snag Lloyd, who will be our starting MLB for the next four years. Kept getting better and better the last three years and is due for a real break-out season this year or next.

Week 4 Losses
WR Boyd Dowler (6 years, $5.68 mill. - Green Bay re-sign)
-This guy is sick. You want to know how sick? Two consecutive seasons of 2,000+ receiving yards, including 2,442 yards last year!. That's the kind of record that may never be broken. Then again, it helps having a guy like Bart Starr throwing to you. The dude's incredible and there was some serious cash being floated his way but he took the lesser deal to stay with the Packers, where he's a fan favorite.

Week 5 Signings
DT Henry Jordan (5 years, $3.33 mill. - Green Bay)
-I keep right on raiding the two teams with two Super Bowl appearances and gleefully so. Jordan's a great all-around DT and he'll start alongside Penguin Culpepper for sure. It's just a matter of what side each one will line up on.

Week 5 Losses
FS Brett Woodard (1 year, $60k - Baltimore)
-Played decently for us last season, but the Ravens can have him after the upgrade we made.

And I'll continue this later. Feel fatigued all of a sudden.

[Izulde]

Week 6 Losses
QB Milt Plum (2 years, $320k - San Francisco)
-The 49ers are stacked at QB, so why they're signing Milt is beyond me. He does give them a good third-stringer, though. ...Heh. That's sad. Our main starter last year is a third-stringer for another team.

SLB Bill Forrester (2 years, $990k - Washington - Green Bay)
-11th year mentor vet still plays well and he took less money to play for the Redskins. My guess is he's planning a political career after he retires, since he already has two rings from the Packers.

Week 7 Signings
WLB Jim Houston (3 years, $300k - Cleveland)
-The Browns' D raid continues, though Houston was only a part-timer. He drew considerable interest from a lot of teams, but I like what he did in backup work and his ratings, so I threw him a 3 year deal with a $30,000 bonus, which he happily took. Nice to see, as in a lot of cases, players will take the one year deal anyway.

Correction to be made: RDT Cliff Breeden became the Miami Dolphins' first All-Pro player, as he was named to the All-Pro 2nd Team. Congrats, Cliff!

That fact I discovered makes it easy for me to keep Penguin Culpepper and recent signee Henry Jordan both on the left side.

Houston's signing allows me to switch Aaron Spiva over to the strong side, thus strengthening our overall LB corps.

At this point, I think I'm more or less done with free agency. We've now 42 players, with a QB and RB needed. Obviously those two positions will be our focal point in the draft. Naturally there's other spots we're looking at, but we'll talk about that when the time comes.

Week 9 Losses
RB Tommy Sharpe (1 year, $80k - Baltimore)
-Mentor RB fumbled way too much last season, so the Ravens can have him.

DT Jack Jones (1 year, $80k - Minnesota)
-A solid backup when we needed him last year; I almost considered bringing him back if he fell to late free agency, but he didn't.

Draft up next. Going to take a couple Advil as I got a headache going through player cards to interview. When my headache clears, I'll do the draft. :)

[Izulde]

1963 Draft

The two big names on everyone's lips are CB Willie Brown and OLB Bobby Bell. DT Buck Buchanan and RG Dave Herman look like very quality guys too, but they play lesser positions.

There's also a slow of top-quality tackle prospects, so I may find Sherman Plunkett's replacement who can turn into our future LT.

Daryle Lamonica is looking like the best QB prospect, but #1, he probably won't last to where we are and #2, there's someone I like a lot better than him.

I've researched the hell out of this draft and I've got a pretty good idea of how my board's going to go if things fall the way I plan. We once again get screwed on tiebreakers, so we're picking #12. A trade down is a very real possibility, depending on how things shake out.

1963 Draft Round 1

1. CB Willie Brown - Tucson Titans
2. QB Daryle Lamonica - Buffalo Bills

Wow. Huge reach for Lamonica here by our archrivals. I don't see him as The Franchise at all, but evidently the Bills are desparate.

3. OLB Bobby Bell - Seattle Seahawks
4. QB Don Breaux - Cincinnati Bengals
5. T Steve Barnett - Atlanta Falcons
6. QB Don Trull - New Orleans Saints

Damn it! I was hoping Trull would fall down to me, but there he goes off the board. There's one other QB who looks good, but he's only 5% developed, which is going to scare off a lot of teams. Maybe he'll fall to us?

7. DT Buck Buchanan - Jacksonville Jaguars through New England Patriots

The Jaguars were paranoid that Buchanan wasn't going to drop any more, which they may have been right to believe, as he should've gone Top 5 in my opinion. So what does Jacksonville do? Give up their 1964 and 1965 1st rounders along with their 1965 2nd round pick to our division foes for this pick.

Though I sharply disagree with Jacksonville's tendency to make these kinds of trades, it's hard to dispute the results.

Remember that 1961 draft day trade at #15, when Jacksonsville moved in and give the Saints two 1st rounders? Well, Jimmy Johnson, the guy the Jaguars took, was just named 1st Team All-Pro CB last year and looks sensational.

Meanwhile, the Saints have drafted Bob Soci, who re-defines bust with his now 12/24 rating and this next pick.

8. RG Dave Herman - New Orleans Saints

One of my backup choices, but oh well.

9. DT Jim Kanicki - Washington Redskins
10. S Jerry Logan - Tucson Titans through Minnesota Vikings

The Titans give up their 1965 1st and 7th rounders along with their 1964 3rd rounder to pick up the best safety in the draft. One more pick and the last good QB will be mine.

But then I discover that the Denver Broncos are looking for a new QB themselves, so I contact them to ask about a deal.

I offer them my 4th rounder to flip-flop picks, since that's just over the value difference according to the NFL Draft Value chart I use. They accept and we get our man.

11. QB Mickey Slaughter - Miami Dolphins

I seriously like his skillset, his intelligence, and even his rawness. He'll be able to learn for a year behind Ed Brown before being shipped off to the Summer League and get ready to take over in his second year.

12. OLB Dave Robinson - Denver Broncos
13. TE John Mackey - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. OLB Andy Russell - Oakland Raiders
15. OLB Larry Stallings - Kansas City Chiefs
16. WR Paul Flatley - Carolina Panthers
17. RB Tom Neumann - Buffalo Bills
18. T Frank Laskey - Philadelphia Eagles
19. TE Jackie Smith - Tucson Titans through New York Giants

Okay, this is seriously getting a little silly. The Titans give up their 1964 1st rounder and their 1965 2nd and 4th rounder to grab a TE that I honestly don't think looks all that impressive. Furthermore, to my way of thinking, TE is not one of those spots where you give up that much to get, but we'll see how it goes.

20. T Walter Rock - New Jersey Jets
21. DT John Johnson - San Diego Chargers
22. DE Chuck Walker - St. Louis Cardinals
23. T Lane Howell - Los Angeles Rams
24. S Karl Kassulke - Chicago Bears
25. T Bob Vogel - Dallas Cowboys
26. G Walt Sweeney - Houston Oilers
27. S George Saimes - Detroit Lions
28. TE Marv Fleming - Pittsburgh Steelers
29. ILB Dennis Gaubatz - Indianapolis Colts
30. ILB Jim O'Mahoney - San Francisco 49ers
31. G Ed Budde - Cleveland Browns
32. G Jim Battle - Green Bay Packers

Lot of teams got some seriously good value late in the 1st by my lights and there's some terrific deals still waiting in the 2nd, though it remains to be seen if any of them will drop to me.

Unfortunately, the RBs I had my eye on all get scooped up before my pick comes in the 2nd and furthermore, the best value available is at cornerback, a position I'm already pretty damn well stacked at. But there's also a DE who'd be able to step in as an immediate starter on the right side for me and so DE Don Brumm is the selection.

In the 3rd round, the greatest value is still at CB, though I do see a couple guards I have my eye on. On the other hand, the top CB left in my opinion can return kicks, do some punt return work, which we need, and be a special teams guy, so CB Marshall Starks comes aboard.

By a fluke, or because his combine was shaky except for his Sol test (44), the 100 Vol guard who is one of the guys I was looking at in the 3rd is still there in the 5th. I consider a certain RB, but decide there's somebody I'd rather take in the 6th if they're still there, so G Jim Simon gets the call.

The other RB I looked at is still there in the 6th, leading me to add RB Winfield Sidney, who I take solely on the fact that he appears like he has some small punt and kick return abilities.

CB Charley Warner becomes our last pick in the draft because he looks like he could boom and because he appears to be a terrific punt returner.

I also put ILB Byron Canale on my watch list, simply because he seems decent for a UDRFA pickup for one and for two, he's a UTEP grad, which will raise the Jeeber interest level in this dynasty, if only for a little bit. :D

Although I didn't intend to, following the post-draft review, I find myself planning to be more active in late free agency than I originally intended. I make my offers and wait to see what happens.

Week 2 Signings
RB Chris McBath (1 year, $80k - Tucson)
-Becomes the new backfield leader and has affinity with Alan Ameche. Coming off a very serious ankle injury that sidelined him for much of the year. Power back who will challenge Bill Cooper for the starting job.

Week 2 Losses
RB Zach Roaches (1 year, $80k - New York)
-Was really angry after being shut out of the running game situation, although he probably was a better back than Cooper or Tommy Sharpe. I'm not sad to see him go, though. Hopefully he'll find happiness with the Giants.

Week 3 Signings
DE Paul Miller (2 years, $240k - Kansas City)
-Very solid starter for the Chiefs the last 3 years and in fact leaves Kansas City as the team's leader in sacks. May or may not start for us, but a huge value in terms of what he brings to the table mentorwise.

MLB Dan Lynch (1 year, $50k Re-sign)
-Mentor's brought back for one last season, though he won't be anything more than a backup after we signed Don Lloyd. Returning primarily to educate the next signing.

ILB Byron Canale (1 year, $30k UDRFA)
-Let's be honest. I signed him because he's a UTEP guy for Jeebs and because he looks like he might turn into a backup someday. That's it. Most likely fodder, if you want to know the truth.

CB Doyle Nix (1 year, $50k Re-sign)
-Brought back solely to be a mentor to Marshall Starks and to occupy a spot in our goal line package. I've grown rather attached to him and Lynch to be honest, as the two guys who keep finding a way to just make it back.

Week 2 Losses
WR Pete Taninecz (1 year, $50k - Dallas)
-Once thought to be an up and coming star for us, he just fell out of the rotation as we drafted guys we liked better and brought in improvements via free agency.

MLB Marc Summers (1 year, $50k - Atlanta)
-I would've pursued this guy even harder had I not checked and realized that I signed Lloyd. He's a player who looks like he's developing into a really solid middle linebacker and I'll keep tabs on his career if he keeps popping up in free agency.

Week 3 Signings
FL Ray Mathews (1 year, $50k)
-13 year vet and mentor is being brought back for one more season to keep educating the young guys and serve as the fifth receiver.


QB Mickey Slaughter 1.11 6/63 6/56 +0/-7
RDE Don Brumm 2.11 28/45 30/44 +2/-1
LCB Marshall Starks 3.12 17/52 16/44 -1/-8
RG Jim Simon 5.12 15/30 19/34 +4/+4
RB Winfield Sidney 6.11 1/25 1/16 +0/-9
RCB Charley Warner 7.12 6/15 8/16 +2/+1
MLB Byron Canale UDRFA 2/29 2/24 +0/-5

Draft Grade: B+

Those are some ugly, ugly draft results. Slaughter may not be the answer at QB, but Brumm thankfully appears ready to be a good DE. Starks is looking like career nickel/dimeback material. Simon had a nice leap up and could well be the steal of the draft for us. Sidney is in danger of being cut. Warner's bump was nice and Canale's a busting curiosity.

[nilodor]

The difference between last year and this one? As I said at the halfway point, largely a case of our pass defense heading south. Irv Cross in particularl seems to have had a down year, likely attributable to a sophomore slump.



I'll say. It's like you were playing Joe Montana every week. It actually looks like your corners did a decent job but your linebackers got burned alot, maybe your getting the base defense out there too often in passing situations?

[Izulde]

I'll say. It's like you were playing Joe Montana every week. It actually looks like your corners did a decent job but your linebackers got burned alot, maybe your getting the base defense out there too often in passing situations?

I'm not certain. I have the AI in charge of re-setting the gameplan each week and calling the plays. Then again, Hammond, the head coach I just fired, was only Fair at Defensive Playcalling, so that could explain it.

If that's the case, we should see major improvent this year with Teftz, who's Very Good in Defensive Playcalling. :)

Honestly, after a real quick glance over our roster, I'm initially pretty excited about our '63 chances, but I'll be taking a closer look after work tonight and making the position breakdown post. :)

[Izulde]

Brown, Ed 3 QB 12 34 34 1 yr.
Griffing, Glynn 10 QB 2 4 20 2 yrs
Slaughter, Mickey 8 QB 1 6 56 5 yrs

Brown has to be happy as he's once again the undisputed starter, which should take away his current disgruntled state. Slaughter will, of course, be the top backup and if the season goes downhill, he may find himself tossed in the fire. It'll be interesting seeing how he does in preseason.


McBath, Chris 25 RB 5 34 34 1 yr.
Cooper, Bill 28 RB 3 36 36 1 yr.
Sidney, Winfield 27 RB 1 1 16 3 yrs
Ameche, Alan 38 FB 9 36 36 2 yrs
Ferguson, Bob 42 FB 2 19 27 2 yrs

I wonder if Cooper's sick of having to fight for his starting job year after year yet. He'll have to do it this season as well. We have 54 players on the roster, meaning we'll actually have to cut somebody. Sidney's a prime candidate for that cut as he's all green in punt returns (0/26). Ameche was terrible as a blocker last year, but he remains invaluable on special teams. Ferguson is fodder.


Carson, Johnny 82 TE 11 34 34 1 yr.
Ingram, Riddick 86 TE 4 40 43 2 yrs


Carson is still unhappy, but he's going to have to shut up and deal with it. Ingram is turning into a really nice all-around TE, one who showed a surprising gift in the red zone last year. In fact, I foresee Riddick being a careerlong Dolphins TE. Carson, on the other hand, is out at the end of this year faster than you can say Ed McMahon.


Mathews, Ray 87 FL 13 27 27 1 yr.
Ballman, Gary 89 FL 2 33 41 2 yrs
Frazier, Charlie 88 FL 2 41 50 3 yrs
Dugan, Fred 81 SE 7 45 45 3 yrs
Coolbaugh, Bob 15 SE 3 33 33 2 yrs

In my opinion, this is a pretty solid group of receivers. Frazier and Dugan will start, Mathews will back up Frazier, Ballman will back up Dugan, and Coolbaugh, a major disappointment for a 2nd rounder, will be the fifth receiver and one of our special teams aces.


Engram, Ken 51 C 7 35 35 2 yrs
Bland, Oronde 57 C 4 50 50 2 yrs
Thurston, Fuzzy 73 LG 8 71 71 6 yrs
Mathias, Mark 60 LG 4 32 49 2 yrs
D'Agostino, Frank 68 RG 8 28 28 1 yr.
Simon, Jim 64 RG 1 19 34 3 yrs
Skoronski, Bob 76 LT 8 42 42 3 yrs
Kramer, Chad 61 LT 4 28 42 2 yrs
Plunkett, Sherman 63 RT 8 62 62 3 yrs

Skoronski-Thurston-Bland-Simon-Plunkett will compose our starting five. Simon's boom portends great things and honestly, I've never really been a fan of D'Agostino's and after he tanked it last year, we really need to go with the higher upside guy.

You might be wondering why I don't shift Mathias over to RG. #1, he's extremely injury-prone and #2, he has 70 xp at LG, 50 xp at RG. I'm not willing to take the hit at this point, though if he shows some durability and acquires more experience, I'll consider it. I'd love to replace Plunkett or dump his grossly underachieving ass, but there's the small matter of a $420,000 bonus hit I'd take, which is pretty steep when the total salary cap is $12 million.


May, Ricardo 5 P 4 52 52 1 yr.
Green, Allen 2 K 3 47 47 1 yr.

Both these guys are playing for their chance to stay in a Dolphins uniform this year. If they don't cut the mustard, I have no problems with going in another direction.


Miller, Paul 97 LDE 11 26 26 2 yrs
Schau, Mark 98 LDE 5 44 44 3 yrs
Novsek, Joe 70 RDE 3 17 20 1 yr.
Stafford, Dick 71 RDE 2 22 37 3 yrs
Brumm, Don 75 RDE 1 30 44 4 yrs

Schau will anchor the left side as he has since this universe started. I'm quietly optimistic about Brumm. I really think he could become the first 2nd round pick I've had who doesn't bust. Stafford will probably be the primary backup for both DE spots, since he was our summer league selection.


Culpepper, Penguin 77 LDT 9 38 38 4 yrs
Jordan, Henry 91 LDT 7 66 66 5 yrs
Breeden, Cliff 99 RDT 5 33 33 1 yr.
Voight, Bob 78 RDT 3 19 35 2 yrs

Breeden was our first All-Pro player last year when he made the 2nd Team, so he'll hold down the right side, while Jordan occupies the left. Culpepper probably isn't going to be happy with the backup role, but he'll just have to live with it. Voight is really little more than a goal line package guy who hasn't developed like I'd hope. Call him a busted 3rd rounder.


Canale, Byron 50 MLB 1 2 24 1 yr.
Lloyd, Dave 93 MLB 5 71 71 4 yrs
Lynch, Dan 52 MLB 8 36 36 1 yr.
Jackson, Gabe 54 MLB 4 40 40 1 yr.
Spiva, Aaron 95 SLB 4 46 46 3 yrs
Randall, Luther 94 SLB 4 36 41 1 yr.
Houston, Jim 58 WLB 4 43 48 3 yrs
Gursky, Albert 96 WLB 2 22 29 3 yrs

Lloyd fills a major hole for us. We've never had a truly great MLB until now. Jackson will probably be the backup. Spiva gets the strong side without question, as he's been our most consistent linebacker in this universe. Newcomer Houston takes over Spiva's old spot on the weak side. Backups are likely to be Jackson and Randall, but we'll see how the numbers game plays out as far as inactives go.


Sample, Johnny 43 LCB 6 64 64 3 yrs
Stryzinski, Brent 23 LCB 4 30 40 1 yr.
Starks, Marshall 29 LCB 1 16 44 4 yrs
Nix, Doyle 33 RCB 9 22 22 1 yr.
Cross, Irv 40 RCB 3 49 49 3 yrs
Warner, Charley 30 RCB 1 8 16 3 yrs

Sample and Cross will return as the starters. Warner has to stay active because he's far and away the best punt returner on the team and his presence will take a huge load off of Cross's back. In fact, Warner has the possibility of becoming one of the best punt returners in the league if he develops. I'll take that for a 7th rounder! Starks is a possible dime back and might even push Stryzinski for the nickel spot. Another consideration is to shift Starks over to the right side and have him back Cross up. Lot of possibilities here.


Fichtner, Ross 32 SS 4 60 61 3 yrs
Miller, Larry 20 SS 4 35 35 1 yr.
Vargo, Larry 49 SS 2 14 26 2 yrs
Bruney, Fred 45 FS 11 28 28 1 yr.
Fleming, Don 24 FS 5 67 67 4 yrs

This one's straightforward. Fichtner and Fleming start, Miller and Bruney the backups.

[Izulde]

Ladies and gentlemen, it's a terrible thing when you've fallen for a girl for the first time in four years and you don't dare to tell her how you feel. Lot of sleepless nights, pacing the floorboards, so many cigarettes smoked and not even Dumas helping to take your mind off of her.

My Park High dynasty is too passive a thing for me to update in times like these, sorry to say MrBug and others. I need something active, something that engages me and so I update this one.

My nerves are too jangled to work on my grad school samples right now, anyway.

So on we go, boat swimming in the currents of the past.

RB Winfield Sidney is, as expected, the lone player cut from the team.

1963 Preseason

Miami 27 New York 21
A pleasant preseason opening win. Johnny Sample runs a kickoff 101 yards for a TD and Mickey Slaughter looks quite sharp in his Dolphins debut in going 8-12 for 86 yards and a TD. The running back situation looks worrisome, again, but Marshall Starks makes a claim for nickelback rights with an interception. Allen Green is 2/4. Not a good way to impress me for a new contract. Henry Jordan records 7 tackles, an assist, 4 hurries and 2 knockdowns. Don Brumm looks good with 1.5 sacks. All in all, some promising showings from our rookies and other newcomers.

Fuzzy Thurston pulls his calf and is out 6 weeks, making him iffy for the regular season opener. I'm just glad it happened in preseason. Mark Mathias will take over as the starting LG, with Frank D'Agostino the primary guard backup.

New Orleans 17 Miami 27
Dolphins looking good in preseason. Ed Brown has a nice game and Chris McBath gets a slight edge over Bill Cooper for the starting RB spot. Don Brumm continues his hot exhibition play with a sack, an interception, 2 hurries and a knockdown.

Miami 14 Carolina 27
Surprising upset by the Panthers, caused largely by Ed Brown's 3 interceptions. Mickey Slaughter plays extremely well with 12-20 for 111 yards and a TD. Glynn Griffing even gets in on this one and he's awful: 1-9 for 9 yards and an INT. I'm liking Slaughter's showing in preseason. Gives me hope that he'll be our QB of the future. Charley Warner averages 15 yards a punt return but also has 2 fumbles. Something to keep an eye on in the regular season.

Dallas 6 Miami 20
Another efficient performance by Mickey Slaughter in 10-14 for 95 yards, a TD and an INT. Bill Cooper has pretty much lost his starting job to Chris McBath by this point. Penguin Culpepper records 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and a hurry in winning Game MVP. All in all, I'm really liking how this team is shaping up for this year.

That's until I get the injury report.

Fred Dugan is lost for the year with a high ankle sprain. Well, it's actually 17 weeks, meaning he'd be back in time for the playoffs if we made it, but he'd be too rusty to play, so I put him on the IR and go hunting for a SE.

Bob Ferguson hyperextends his knee and is out 4 weeks. Not a big deal as he's a backup FB.

Unfortunately, the free agent pool for WRs is bare, like completely bare. While I'm deciding what to do, I sign FB Ethan Granger, a terrific blocking fullback whose presence means Ferguson is going to find himself cut next year, if not this year.

Ultimately, I choose to shift Gary Ballman, who I like the more and more I see of him, to SE to start there, with Bob Coolbaugh the backup and Johnny Carson the 5th receiver.

This time I make certain to hit recommended playing time before the opening game.

1963 Regular Season

New Jersey 31 Miami 6
The Jets lower the sonic boom on us to start the year. Our running game combines for a grand total of 35 yards and Mickey Slaughter throws 2 INTs on 4 attempts in mopup. Ricardo May has his best game as a Dolphin, 45.8 average with 4 inside the 20. Allen Green is 2/2, including a 51 yarder. Heh, it figures. Some solid performances from the D. Dave Lloyd has 7 tackles and 9 assists. Don Brumm gets 6 tackles, 2 assists, half a sack and a knockdown. Henry Jordan rings up 4 tackles, 3 assists, 1.5 sacks and a knockdown.

Fuzzy Thurston comes back this next game to give us a big boost on the offensive line (or so I hope).

Miami 24 Dallas 17
Important morale win against the Cowboys as we shut them out in the second half. Bill Cooper scores 2 rushing TDs as he takes over for an ineffective Chris McBath. Jim Houston has 9 tackles and 2 assists. Irv Cross posts a great game with 3 passes defensed and 32 yard kickoff return average.

The injury train continues as starting SS Ross Fichtener separates his shoulder and is due out 6 weeks. Larry Miller takes over as the starting safety, the awful Larry Vargo becomes the backup and Brent Stryzinski takes over as the dime back.

Jacksonville 3 Miami 30
Some home brew against the draft-gambling Jaguars is just what the doctor ordered and we paste them. Bill Cooper erupts for 30 rushes for 127 yards and a TD. I think it's safe to say he's earned his starting job back. Ed Brown is brutally accurate at 18-21 for 156 yards and a TD. His skills are declining fast and there's a chance he may not be back next season, since he seems to demand that he be the starter. 3 interceptions this game: Dave Lloyd (44 yard return), Johnny Sample, and, of all people, Larry Vargo (69 yard return for a TD!). That will probably be the highlight of Vargo's entire career.

Henry Jordan got a tackle, 2 assists, a sack, a block, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns as he was in the Jaguars backfield all day long, harrasing the QB. Johnny Sample showed why he's considered one of the top CBs in the league by defending 3 passes to go with his INT. Just a solid game all-around for our lads.

...And of course, Johnny Sample hyperextends his knee and will miss at least the next game, further banging up our already wobbly secondary. Brent Strynski becomes the starter, Doyle Nix backs up and slides in on goal-line packages, and Marshall Starks, who has a fair amount of kick return talent, becomes the 2nd return man.

Buffalo 13 Miami 17
Big-time win over our archrivals keyed by Charlie Frazier's 5 receptions for 90 yards, some solid pass defense and Charley Warner's 15.5 yard punt return average. The margin of victory should have been more, if Allen Green hadn't decided to have an off day on the FGs.

Irv Cross sprains his knee and is questionable, but I can't afford to weaken my secondary any more than it already is, so I'll have to gamble and start him.

Miami 11 San Diego 21
I keep forgetting to start Bill Cooper. Need to do that. The game wasn't as close as it appeared. Ed Brown threw 2 interceptions and fumbled twice and Mickey Slaughter was a dismal 2-10 in mopup. Dick Stafford was the lone bright spot with 1.5 sacks.

All three of my secondary starters who are hurt are now questionable. I want a shot at the playoffs, so I'm going to say screw it and start them all.

Denver 14 Miami 34
Well, the gamble paid off in, at the very least, a convincing win. I again neglected to start Bill Cooper, but the AI's smart enough to give him the bulk of the carries anyway, so it's all good, though Chris McBath does get 2 rushing TDs. Honestly, this game wasn't about any superstar performances. It was just about our being good enough to find the endzone at the right times.

Fuzzy Thurston hyperextends his elbow, meaning he'll miss the next game. Same subbing drill as before. I do finally remember to make Cooper the starter, though.

Kansas City 7 Miami 22
Great performance by Gary Ballman, with 3 catches for 90 yards. He's been a fine replacement for Fred Dugan, in my opinion, though we'll find out after the next game when I do a half-season review. Allen Green is 5/6 on field goals, including a 51 yarder, but flubs a freebie. Charley Warner continues to earn his paycheck with a 19 yard punt return average. Dave Lloyd notches 8 tackles and 4 assists, but the real defensive star is Henry Jordan with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

Gary Ballman separates his shoulder and will miss at least the next game, while I'm kicking myself for putting Fred Dugan on IR as he's now questionable and would've been a great help here. FL Eric Chaffin is signed as an emergency replacement, which means Bob Ferguson is, as long anticipated, cut from the team.

Bob Coolbaugh finally gets to start at SE again, Johnny Carson backs him up and Chaffin becomes the 5th receiver.

Miami 28 Oakland 24
What a great game to watch. We come back in the second half to pull off the win, secured when Riddick Ingram receives a 25 yard catch from Ed Brown, helping to alleviate Brown's 2 interceptions. Ray Mathews catches 7 balls for 80 yards in a key showing and for once, Allen Green is flawless in FGs. Irv Cross had an electrifying 86 yard kickoff return for a TD and Charley Warner averaged 14.3 yards on 4 punt returns. I don't think it's a stretch to say that having Warner back there is a significant part of our success this season, occasional fumbleitis aside.

Johnny Sample continues his strong play on the year with 2 passes defensed and an interception and Mark Mathias has one of his best games as a Dolphin, 3/4 on key run blocks without a sack surrendered.

All of this translates into our being an excellent 6-2, with a two game lead over the Jets and Patriots, who are both 4-4. As of right now, our playoff chances are looking terrific.

Let's review the halfway tape.


Record 6-2
Winning Pct. .750
All-Time 28-28
Winning Pct. .500
Playoffs 0-1
Playoff Visits 1
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 6-2
Winning Pct. .750
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. C. Winters

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 32.3 5
Rushing Yards 106.1 20
Yards Per Carry 3.29 32
Pass Attempts 30.3 26
Completions 18.4 26 (T)
Completion Pct. 60.7 16
Passing Yards 189.0 23
Yards Per Attempt 6.25 19 (T)
Yards Per Catch 10.29 20
Total Yardage Gained 286.0 20
3rd Down Conversions 35.0 24 (T)
Points Per Game 21.5 9
Pass Rush Pct. 7.9 10 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 70.4 8
Turnovers 13 17 (T)
Turnover Margin -1 17 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 26.4 13
Rushing Yards 106.5 15
Yards Per Carry 4.04 18
Pass Attempts 32.3 13
Completions 18.3 4
Completion Pct. 56.6 7 (T)
Passing Yards 208.0 12
Yards Per Attempt 6.45 14
Yards Per Catch 11.40 26
Total Yardage Gained 299.9 13
3rd Down Conversions 28.8 2
Points Per Game 16.3 7 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 6.5 13 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 67.6 18
Turnovers 12 16 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 6 NJY 31
2 24 at DAL 17
3 30 JAX 3
4 17 BUF 13
5 11 at SDO 21
6 34 DEN 14
8 22 KCY 7
9 28 at OAK 24
10 at NED
11 at NJY
12 PHI
13 at CIN
14 at NYK
15 at BUF
16 WAS
17 NED

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
3 E. Brown QB 228 144 1497 6.57 5 7 76.5
**Team --- 242 147 1512 6.25 6 9 71.5
$$Opp --- 258 146 1664 6.45 8 6 76.7

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
28 B. Cooper RB 153 563 3.68 5 2
25 C. McBath RB 93 268 2.88 4 1
**Team --- 258 849 3.29 9 12
$$Opp --- 211 852 4.04 8 12

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
88 C. Frazier WR 50 25 283 11.32 5.66 1 0
89 G. Ballman WR 43 20 372 18.60 8.65 2 1
87 R. Mathews WR 30 18 227 12.61 7.57 1 0
28 B. Cooper RB 21 18 60 3.33 2.86 0 0
82 J. Carson TE 24 17 184 10.82 7.67 1 0
15 B. Coolbaugh WR 32 17 182 10.71 5.69 4 3
86 R. Ingram TE 19 13 131 10.08 6.89 0 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 J. Houston OLB 47 13 1.5 1 1 2 74.0
93 D. Lloyd ILB 47 26 0.5 2 1 1 78.2
24 D. Fleming S 28 16 0.0 0 0 4 77.5
91 H. Jordan DT 25 9 6.0 9 0 0 82.5
99 C. Breeden DT 22 8 1.5 5 0 0 80.2
32 R. Fichtner S 21 5 0.0 0 0 1 78.9
75 D. Brumm DE 21 10 2.5 3 0 0 80.7
95 A. Spiva OLB 18 9 1.5 1 0 0 73.2
40 I. Cross CB 16 5 0.0 0 0 6 82.4
98 M. Schau DE 15 2 1.5 6 0 1 81.3
29 M. Starks CB 14 1 0.0 0 1 3 81.7
43 J. Sample CB 13 3 0.0 0 2 9 90.1
20 L. Miller S 11 5 0.0 0 0 3 80.9
77 P. Culpepper DT 9 3 0.5 3 0 0 82.5
94 L. Randall OLB 9 6 0.0 0 0 0 67.5
33 D. Nix CB 8 0 0.0 0 0 2 78.9
23 B. Stryzinski CB 8 4 0.0 0 0 2 77.5

Remember the last time we went to the playoffs? It was because of our stellar pass defense and we missed out on the postseason last year when our pass coverage went south. This year, it's back up to fantastic and that's why we're doing so well. We live and die by our pass defense.

Johnny Sample is having a career year. Despite missing a game to injury, he has 2 interceptions, 9 passes defensed and a mind-boggling 90.1% PD! :eek: And he's not even in a contract year! Irv Cross is rebounding nicely after his sophomore slump as well and I suspect having Charley Warner take over punt return duties is a big part of it.

Man, did we ever make out in free agency thus far. I splashed a ton of cash and so far it seems to be worth it, as our top 4 tacklers and our best pass rusher are all brand new Dolphins this year. David Lloyd in particular has been a tackling machine and I can't say enough about Henry Jordan, whose been an absolute beast in the middle of the line.

I'm also very much encouraged by Don Brumm's rookie campaign so far. It's not lights out by any means, but he's showing signs of turning into a nice pick for us. Mark Schau, on the other hand, has seen his level of play drop off noticeably the last couple of years at least in terms of tackling and sacks. But then again, he's also posting respectable hurry and knockdown numbers and is playing alongside much better linemates who are eating a lot of the statistics that'd go to him.

Schau's also signed through 1965, so while he won't be cut, I'll start keeping an eye out for possible replacements.

I seriously can not say enough about Gary Ballman. He might turn out to be the steal of his draft class, possibly outperforming Charlie Frazier, who was taken in the 1st round. What an excellent 3rd round pick up I made with him. Bill Cooper is on pace to break the 1,000 yard mark again and maybe it's about time I just owned up that he's a decent back all in all and stop pushing to replace him. He doesn't fumble much and has a nose for the endzone.

Ed Brown is definitely on his last legs and we're winning in spite of him rather than because of him as was the case two seasons ago when we made our first playoff trip. That being said, while Mickey Slaughter is showing a small amount of improvement (+2 current so far), he's still nowhere near ready to take over the starting reins, which means we'll probably be QB hunting in free agency.

Still, I like this team. I really do. I love the mercanery-overhauled defense and I'm pleased with a lot of our young players.

Now if we can just find a legitimate quarterback, I think we could be on our way to making waves in the playoffs, rather than being a likely one and done team.

[Izulde]

Miami 26 New England 3
The Patriots score a meaningless field goal in the 4th quarter to ruin the shutout in this laugher. Bill Cooper rushes 23 times for 95 yards and a TD. Ed Brown breaks the 200 yard passing mark for the first time this year at 203. Bob Coolbaugh becomes our first century receiver on the year with 5 catches for 115 yards and a TD, most of them coming on a beautiful 52 yard rainbow for the score. Mark Schau picks up 2 tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 hurries to win Game MVP.

I get worried when I see that Ricardo May is 2/4 on FG and sure enough, Allen Green misses at least the next game with a strained patella tendon.

On the bright side, Gary Ballman is now ready to be activated and play again, as he's been upgraded to probable. Goodbye Eric Chaffin. Tom Clark, who has terrible bars, but who averaged 83% and better the last two years in kicking for Dallas and Minnesota, is signed to fill in for Green.

Miami 14 New Jersey 7
A bitter defensive battle against the Jets that needed a 4th quarter comeback and a little magic from Ed Brown, who hit Riddick Ingram from 8 yards out with 1:58 left for the game-winning TD. That's Ingram's second clutch TD of the season and I'm beginning to think him a pretty clutch guy. Brown was just off the hook this game: 28-36 for 290 yards and 2 TDs in his best performance of the year. Charlie Frazier took advantage of every opportunity given to him, with 10 catches for 168 yards and a TD. Not only is that a Dolphins season and Frazier career high for yardage, it's why he was a first rounder.

We had some terrific defensive performances, too. Dave Lloyd rattled the Jets for 12 tackles and 3 assists, Ross Fitchener added 8 tackles and 5 assists to his pass defense, Henry Jordan dominated the line with 6 tackles, 4 assists, 2 sacks and a knockdown and Don Brumm recorded 4 tackles and 2 assists to go along with his 1.5 sacks and two hurries.

This victory is critical for two reasons: First, it guarantees that we finish no worse than .500. Second, since it was over the Jets, it gives us a very comfortable 3 game lead in the AFC East.

Philadelphia 31 Miami 24
Tough loss as the Eagles come from behind in the 4th. Ed Brown was erratic today and threw 3 interceptions besides, negating Chris McBath's 93 yards rushing and another fantastic game by Ross Fitchner, who had 11 tackles, an assist, a pass defense, and an interception.

Bill Cooper separates his shoulder and will miss at least the next game. Since Allen Green was going to be gone at the end of the year anyway, I decide to gamble on Tony Clark and cut Green. I sign the immortal John Henry Johnson, the once-great Steelers back whose now a mentor on his last legs to get another shot at glory. He'll step in as the starting RB and may stay there even after Cooper comes back.

Miami 7 Cincinnati 20
We lose to the lowly Bengals as John Henry Johnson turns out to be not what he once was, at least in this game. 18 rushing yards by the former legend. Yeesh. Jim Houston had 12 tackles and 3 assists in the best showing by a Dolphin all game.

That niggling injury bug won't go away and it hits Ross Fitchner again, prompting the same shuffle as the last time he went out.

Miami 16 New York 19
Our old pal Zach Roaches knifes us in the back with a TD run and we go down in a game that was largely a battle of field goals. Ed Brown has lost it as a starting QB. Legendary 1961 heroics aside, he won't be back.

The loss especially hurts since the Jets are now a game behind and we're floundering with a three-game losing streak and coming off a heartbreaking defeat. I switch the starting RB to Chris McBath because John Henry Johnson just isn't any good anymore.

Miami 23 Buffalo 14
This game against our archrivals was as close to a must-win game as anything we've had all year and John Henry Johnson responds to his demotion by scoring 2 TD runs to key the victory. Gary Ballman catches all 8 balls thrown his way for 93 yards as Ed Brown goes 28-34 for 252 yards. Charley Warner averages 18 yards on 4 punt returns.

Washington 10 Miami 19
I gambled by sitting Fitchner and Cooper another game, though they probably could have returned and it paid off against the lowly Redskins. Charlie Frazier catches 4 passes for 90 yards and a TD, helping to offset Ed Brown's 2 picks. Dave Lloyd picks up 10 tackles and 2 assists and Don Brumm disrupts things at the line with 2 tackles, 2 assists, and 1.5 sacks. Tom Clark shows that the scouts have no idea what they're talking about with a 4/4 FG showing, including a beaut of a 54 yarder.

That win, coupled with the Jets 17-16 nailbiter loss against the Cowboys decides it!

Your Miami Dolphins are the 1963 AFC East Division Champions!!!

Since we've clinched the division and we've got no shot at anything but a wildcard, I sit Fitchner and Cooper again for our last game, who still haven't moved beyond Questionable. Fitchner should be ready for the playoffs, Cooper's a wild card.

New England 10 Miami 24
We coast to an easy win against the Patriots thanks first and foremost to Ed Brown's 21-29 for 217 yards, 3 TD, and 1 INT performance. Charley Warner averages 13.8 yards on 6 punt returns and Dave Lloyd has an excellent all-around game with 8 tackles, 2 assists, half a sack, a hurry and a knockdown.

Thankfully no new injuries crop up and we're in pretty good shape for the playoffs. :)

[Izulde]

A quick update before a 10 hour work shift that I'll be dead for because I did a small thing called get hit with a major manic cycle and so didn't sleep at all.

Good thing I'm only doing a robotic backroom project today and won't see the floor.

Anyway, we're back in the playoffs!

And our opponent is... let's see...

...You have -got- to be fucking kidding me.

That's right... We're against the Houston Oilers, just like last time. They're still relying on George Blanda, who in his 15th season throws for 4,421 yards, 29 TDs and 12 INTs for a career best 96.3 season rating. I think I'm going to vomit. Here this old dude breaks the 4,000 mark for the first time as a 15th year vet and my guy who's four years younger is falling apart at the seams.

Oy.

Well, before the ritual slaughter, here's the final regular season standings:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1963Standings.jpg

Remember the scary offense from last time with the pedestrian running back? Guess what? Every single last one of them is back and the defense is still frightening. The only chink in the Oilers' armor, besides running back, is a vulnerable secondary, thanks to their top safety getting knocked out for the season in Week 14.

Our only shot in this thing is to hope Good Ed shows up and turns this into a shootout, because after our free agent feeding frenzy this offseason, we've got the horses in the secondary to play aerial offense vs. aerial offense. Oh yeah, and if Blanda goes down soon enough? Forget it, it's ours, because George Porgie's backups all blow.

...I can't even pretend to do a game writeup here.

All you need to know are the following lines:

George Blanda: 24-27, 391 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs, 158.3 rating
Charley Hennagan: 7 catches, 169 yards, 1 TD
Miami Dolphins TDs: 0
Final Score: Houston 42 Miami 12

It's incredible. Old Man Blanda carves us like a pumpkin and we can't do a damned thing about it. We're just Swiss Cheese to his Army Knife and I'm running out of really bad cliches.

Jim Houston had 9 tackles, 3 assists, and a sack to be the only Dolphin who didn't suck in this mindboggling defeat.

A team summary:



Record 11-6
Winning Pct. .647
All-Time 33-31
Winning Pct. .515
Playoffs 0-2
Playoff Visits 2
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 11-6
Winning Pct. .647
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. C. Winters

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.8 11
Rushing Yards 103.9 19
Yards Per Carry 3.48 32
Pass Attempts 31.5 22
Completions 19.7 18
Completion Pct. 62.5 14
Passing Yards 205.4 17
Yards Per Attempt 6.52 18
Yards Per Catch 10.43 16 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 299.8 17
3rd Down Conversions 31.1 30
Points Per Game 20.3 16
Pass Rush Pct. 7.9 11
Pass Defense Pct. 71.3 4 (T)
Turnovers 26 15 (T)
Turnover Margin +3 10 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 26.1 16
Rushing Yards 101.6 13
Yards Per Carry 3.89 12
Pass Attempts 32.3 13
Completions 18.6 2 (T)
Completion Pct. 57.6 7 (T)
Passing Yards 198.5 4
Yards Per Attempt 6.16 11
Yards Per Catch 10.69 18
Total Yardage Gained 283.4 6
3rd Down Conversions 30.3 2
Points Per Game 15.3 3
Pass Rush Pct. 6.9 17 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 64.0 12
Turnovers 29 7 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 6 NJY 31
2 24 at DAL 17
3 30 JAX 3
4 17 BUF 13
5 11 at SDO 21
6 34 DEN 14
8 22 KCY 7
9 28 at OAK 24
10 26 at NED 3
11 14 at NJY 7
12 24 PHI 31
13 7 at CIN 20
14 16 at NYK 19
15 23 at BUF 14
16 19 WAS 10
17 24 NED 10
$$WC 12 HOU 42

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
3 E. Brown QB 490 312 3272 6.68 16 15 81.0
**Team --- 504 315 3287 6.52 17 17 78.5
$$Opp --- 516 297 3176 6.16 15 14 74.0

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
28 B. Cooper RB 197 729 3.70 6 5
25 C. McBath RB 192 671 3.49 5 3
42 J. Johnson RB 66 228 3.45 2 2
**Team --- 477 1662 3.48 13 29
$$Opp --- 418 1626 3.89 13 28

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
88 C. Frazier WR 111 56 785 14.02 7.07 1 4
89 G. Ballman WR 87 50 816 16.32 9.38 3 3
15 B. Coolbaugh WR 75 42 493 11.74 6.57 7 4
82 J. Carson TE 49 37 309 8.35 6.31 1 1
87 R. Mathews WR 51 28 322 11.50 6.31 3 0
86 R. Ingram TE 37 28 279 9.96 7.54 1 3
28 B. Cooper RB 27 23 78 3.39 2.89 0 0
42 J. Johnson RB 21 16 81 5.06 3.86 0 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
93 D. Lloyd ILB 112 48 1.0 5 1 6 76.0
58 J. Houston OLB 82 27 2.5 4 2 7 78.5
24 D. Fleming S 59 31 0.0 0 4 9 82.1
32 R. Fichtner S 48 13 0.0 0 1 5 79.2
91 H. Jordan DT 44 22 9.0 13 0 0 82.0
75 D. Brumm DE 42 22 8.5 7 0 0 80.8
99 C. Breeden DT 40 19 4.0 7 0 0 81.5
95 A. Spiva OLB 35 14 2.5 1 1 1 76.9
43 J. Sample CB 34 6 0.0 0 3 13 82.6
40 I. Cross CB 34 10 0.0 0 0 9 79.6
98 M. Schau DE 31 11 7.5 21 0 1 81.7
20 L. Miller S 27 10 0.0 0 0 5 81.0
29 M. Starks CB 26 4 0.0 0 1 6 80.8
77 P. Culpepper DT 23 10 2.5 4 0 0 82.5
94 L. Randall OLB 20 9 0.5 0 0 2 72.9

I'm not going to comment on the irony of one of the league's best pass defenses going south when it counted most. I'll only remark on the positives and a few negatives.

Dave Lloyd becomes our first 100+ season tackler ever and provided a great stabilizing force in the middle, his 7 times caught in the playoff loss notwithstanding. He's considered the top MLB in the league by the scouts and it's not hard to agree with that.

Mark Schau and Don Brumm both exploded in the second half as opponents did their best to try and contain monster in the middle Henry Jordan. Brumm is already close to being Schau's equal after just his rookie season and will probably end up surpassing him. What an absolute steal I made getting him in the second round!

Unlike our DEs, Johnny Sample took a major nose-dive in the second half, but that's okay. He and Irv Cross were still quite respectable as our top two corners. Marshall Starks may rebound to be a respectable nickel back after all, something that's good to see.

Ross Fitchner's injury troubles hampered what otherwise was a spectacular season from our new safety set imported from Cleveland. Don Fleming in particular was with every dollar spent.

Turning to the offense, we're in desparate need of a good QB and a legitimate RB. Bill Cooper is serviceable, but he isn't going to give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares trying to plan against him and while Mickey Slaughter made some small gains this year, he's still extraordinarily raw. He'll go to the summer league of course, but he may need some more seasoning before I give him the reins.

Charlie Frazier will probably never be considered one of the premiere receivers in the league, but I don't expect that out of him. He was a late 1st round pick in a supremely bad draft class. What's astonishing is that Gary Ballman taken in the 3rd round of that same crappy class, has become Frazier's equal on the field and, more importantly, a fan favorite.

So not all that much will change in the upcoming offseason. Our top two priorities will still be a starting QB and a homerun hitting RB. Everything else is going to depend on how the free agent picture looks, both for us and for the league as a whole.

More end season stuff after I go through work and get some sleep.

[Izulde]

Oh, a real quick addition:

Everyone on the offensive line sucked at run blocking this year. The only two to even break 30%: Bob Skoronski, who unfortunately also gave up 10 sacks from the LT spot and, of all ironies, Sherman Plunkett.

Very good pass-protection all around outside of Skoronski, though, with more pancake blocks than I figured would come out of this unit, so all in all, it's not too bad.

Fuzzy Thurston's injuries really prevented him getting in a rhythm and affected the cohesion of the line as a whole, I think.

[nilodor]

George Blanda: 24-27, 391 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs, 158.3 rating
Charley Hennagan: 7 catches, 169 yards, 1 TD
Miami Dolphins TDs: 0
Final Score: Houston 42 Miami 12



Good freaking gawd. What did you guys do to him? Say they should ban his walker in a paper? Someone call him gramps at the coin toss?

You're in a bad position to fix your needs at qb and rb. The good ones will be gone by the time you pick and your team is good enough defensively to insure that you won't pick early. Are you planning on pulling a big trade?

[Izulde]

Good freaking gawd. What did you guys do to him? Say they should ban his walker in a paper? Someone call him gramps at the coin toss?

:D Incredible, isn't it? The dude's that old and he's kicking EVERYBODY's ass this year. I'll post his career card when he finally retires. It's got me tempted to maybe someday try a '60 Oilers dynasty and see if I can win Blanda a ring before he retires, as Houston usually runs into the buzzsaws of Cleveland or Indy.

You're in a bad position to fix your needs at qb and rb. The good ones will be gone by the time you pick and your team is good enough defensively to insure that you won't pick early. Are you planning on pulling a big trade?

I hadn't considered that, but it's something I'll look into. I was going to go the free agent route for our starting QB this year while I wait for Slaughter to develop a little bit more.

But if something comes up that could net me a legit threat at either QB or RB, I'd definitely make the move. I'm certainly not going to wait until the '83 draft to get a good QB :D

I'd go look now, but I've been up for 31 hours straight and I'd be seriously prone to making a dumb move.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl IV
Indianapolis 42 Los Angeles 38

Remember when Johnny Unitas threw for 401 yards in Super Bowl II? In this one, he throws for 412 yards, 5 TDs and an INT, but he was outdueled in the yardage department by Frank Ryan, who passed for 423 yards, 3 TDs, and an INT.

Talk about a shootout! :eek: In fact, this may have been the most exciting Super Bowl ever, with the winning score coming after Unitas threw a 93 yard TD pass to Raymond Berry, who finished with 274! receiving yards and 2 TDs. :eek: On the Rams' side, Red Phillips and Bill Miller both broke the 100+ yard receiving mark.

There was still time for the Rams to come back and tie it up after Johnny U threw the 93 yarder to break the tie and give the Colts the lead, but Los Angeles could only manage a field goal.

Unitas, as you might expect, won his second Super Bowl MVP title and the Colts join the Packers as the only two teams to win the Super Bowl in this universe.

Season Awards:
Despite our fantastic defense's season, only DT Henry Jordan wins an award, that of 2nd Team All-Pro DT. Congratulations, Henry!

Browns QB Len Dawson is the MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. DE Jim Katcavage - New York wins Defensive Player of the Year. Offensive Rookie of the Year goes to WR Ray Poage - Oakland and SS Jerry Logan - Tucson is the very deserving Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Staff Hiring:

Lead Scout Daryl Crane goes from Fair to Average in RB and from Excellent to Very Good in K/P. The increase in RB scouting has saved his job.

Offensive Coordinator Jared Thamilarasan increases from Good to Very Good in RB, a very good sign considering we're looking heavily at RB this offseason.

DC Clifton Winters, he of the two increases over the last two years, didn't improve at all this season and his contract expired.

There's actually some better defensive coordinator candidates out there, but they exceed the amount of money that the owner's looking to spend, which makes the dilemma of what to do a lot easier. As a result, Clifton Winters signs a 3 year deal to stay in Miami as the DC. And honestly, it's hard to argue with the results he's produced and the improvements he's shown. His staying on board also preserves the staff continuity.

Two candidates for summer league emerge: Ultra-raw QB Mickey Slaughter and much more developed, but at less critical CB Marshall Starks.

Let's see here. QB: Biggest need. CB: Johnny Sample and Irv Cross signed for two more seasons and good luck prying them away from their starting spots or this team.

Yeah, Slaughter it is.

So, going into free agency, I notice that we have the #22 pick in the draft and a really, really big name at QB... but said big name is only 8% developed, and after Mickey turned out to be 5% developed, big name or no, I'm not going to make a major play for the dude.

Besides, there's a RB that I'm hoping can drop into the teens, so I can trade up to grab him, as I think he'd be great for us. His endurance is a little low in bars, though...

Ah well, I'll think about it some more later. Free agency tomorrow.

[Izulde]

Free agency was going to be tomorrow, but I'm wide awake and don't feel like playing CK, so FOF2K7 it is.

19 free agents on our roster this year, only 3 of whom are restricted, only 1 of which I have any interest in bringing back.

Week 1 Re-signing
RB Bill Cooper: 3 years, $250k

Needs by the numbers:
QB, RB, TE, P, K, ILB, 10 players

Ed Brown is the top FA QB, which is the bad news. The good news is that there's two legitimate top RBs available: Lenny Moore, who's been fabulous with the Colts, a mentor, and a fantastic chemistry fit and Paul Hornung, the Packers' great who seems to be running low on steam, but who would still be our starting RB and who was one of my dad's favorite players as a kid.

Week 3 Signings
RB Paul Hornung (6 years, $4.32 mill. - Green Bay)
-We manage to grab Hornung after a fight for him. He's an 8th year player with a lot of mileage on him (3rd all-time rushing attempts in this universe), but he'll be our starting back for as long as his legs can hold out and I'll be able to tell my dad we signed him. :D He's also a fan favorite who can put butts in the seats and he gives Mickey Slaughter an affinity.

Week 3 Losses
RB Lenny Moore (3 years, $3.92 mill. - New Jersey (Indianapolis)
-The bidding war on Moore was crazy. He's a 9th year vet with even more carries than Hornung, averaging over 400 carries the last few years. The shorter deal probably makes him a better contract overall, but we're getting kind of scary on our cap numbers, so I wanted Hornung's more modest yearly hit and lesser mileage. A shame Moore's going to the Jets, though. I'm not relishing having to face him twice a year.

Week 4 Signings
QB Ed Brown (3 years, $700k Re-signing)
-I didn't really want to, but I brought Ed back for another few years. There were no other mentor QBs available who could be a reasonable starter if Mickey Slaughter isn't ready.

MLB Brenden Schwartz (1 year, $90k - Buffalo)
-A good backup to have at MLB. Still has a small amount of upside and was a starter for the 49ers from 60-62 and a top backup for our archrivals last year, the same role he'll fill for us.

Week 5 Signings
TE Rod Davis (1 year, $90k - Washington)
-Had serious wrist injury problems last year, but in previous years, he's been a great starter for a couple of teams. Terrific blocker as well, who'll be a fine backup for Riddick Ingram.

Week 5 Losses
SLB Luther Randall (1 year, $80k - Dallas)
-Average backup for us the last few seasons after starting for one year. Probably could've and should've retained him, but those are the breaks.

Those are all the signings I planned on making in the first round of free agency. We're $1.4 million and change under the cap, with roughly $600,000 expected to go in the draft, which would leave us $900,000 in cap room. That's enough to sign a few depth people to 1 year deals, which is fine. I don't want to cut -too- close to the cap.

Week 6 Losses
MLB Gabe Jackson (1 year, $80k - Pittsburgh)
-Never really succeeded in beating Dan Lynch out for the starting MLB job, though he did extremely well as a backup for us. Probably another one I should've tried to re-sign, although I think Schwartz is comparable to him.

Week 7 Losses
RDT Cliff Breeden (1 year, $80k - Baltimore)
-Turned into a DT mentor, our first All-Pro player did, as he went off to the Ravens. A very solid starter that I'm kicking myself for not re-signing in a way, but on the other hand, Penguin Culpepper can start again and be happy.

Week 9 Losses
P Ricardo May (1 year, $80k - New Jersey)
-Damn, I was going to re-sign him. Ah well, I'll pick someone else up in the draft or in late free agency. Not a big deal, really.

Week 10 Losses
K Tom Clark (1 year, $90k - Minnesota)
-Tom kicked 80% of his FGs during the short stint with us, 67% from 40+ yards. Not bad at all, but not enough to make it urgent to re-sign him. The Vikings were only too happy to scoop him back up.

Week 11 Losses
MLB Dan Lynch (1 year, $90k - Seattle)
-Solid starter for us for two seasons, then fell off the earth as a backup last season. It's nice to see him catch on with another team, as I always liked him when he'd constantly beat out Jackson year after year.

Draft time!

....I think I'll keep going.

We hold the #22 pick, as I said earlier. There's a certain WR I have my eye on in the 1st round, who, if he falls to me, he'll be taken. Should he not be available, there's a number of guys I'm looking at there who should improve our team.

Roger Staubach, incidentially, is the extremely raw name QB I mentioned earlier and he's the hot buzz at the top of the draft. DT Tom Keating is the 2nd most hyped prospect and arguably the most NFL ready at a high ceiling and 50% development.

Oh, I just told my dad about signing Hornung. He thought that was really nifty and asked about Jim Taylor, but I didn't see him anywhere when I glanced through.

I don't care if Hornung doesn't turn out a homerun threat, now. That was just a neat moment with my dad that made it worth it. :) I do think Paul -will- be a homerun hitter at RB though, enough that I'm not looking at RB in the first round anymore like I'd originally planned.

1964 Draft 1st Round

1. WR Bob Hayes - New Orleans Saints

Great move by the Saints. They've already got two young QBs on their roster and needed a big-time playmaker for them to throw to. Hayes is that dazzling receiver.

2. QB Roger Staubach - Jacksonville Jaguars through Seattle Seahawks

Anyone else surprised that the Jaguars pulled the trigger? ...Me neither, though what the hell did they give up to get the #2 overall pick in the draft? Their 1966 1st, 3rd and 4th rounders. Wow, did the Seahawks ever get ripped off, because it looks like Staubach, even though he appears as raw as I thought, will be an instant starter for god-awful Jacksonville and will probably be pretty good, the Jaguars out of #2 range by '66.

Man, I love the Jaguars for their bold trades every year. It makes draft day exciting and has created a real sense of tradition each draft so far. I can just see the articles written about the daredevil GM, who trades like this year in and year out.

3. ILB Bill Budness - Baltimore Ravens
4. QB Dick Shiner - Washington Redskins

*laughs* I love that name. One of the best in sports history.

5. S Paul Krause - New England Patriots
6. QB Mike Taliaferro - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. DT Tom Keating - San Diego Chargers through New York Giants

I'm absolutely amazed that Keating managed to fall this far. The Chargers gave the Giants their 1966 1st rounder, their 1965 3rd rounder and this year's 4th round pick. Pretty fair trade on both sides and a shrewd move by San Diego to grab a player that should've been off the board by now. I could see the Chargers switching to a 4-3 D as a result of this deal.

8. RB Leroy Kelly - New England Patriots

Kelly's the top-rated RB, but I honestly like Krause, the Patsies' pick courtesy of the Jaguars, a lot better. Kelly is overrated in my opinion.

9. CB Speedy Duncan - Denver Broncos
10. CB Marv Woodson - Buffalo Bills
11. OLB Ralph Baker - Kansas City Chiefs
12. S Hagood Clarke - Cincinnati Bengals
13. WR Clifton McNeil - Carolina Panthers
14. DE Carl Eller - New York Giants
15. DE Garry Philbin - Chicago Bears
16. DE Ben McGee - New Jersey Jets
17. WR Bucky Pope - Oakland Raiders
18. T Steve Wright - Philadelphia Eagles
19. S Paul Martha - Dallas Cowboys
20. WR Charley Taylor - San Francisco 49ers
21. S Kenny Graham - Atlanta Falcons

Yes!!! He made it!!!! There's a lot bigger holes on the team that need to be filled, but I don't care. After I lost out on Nicky B, I'm drafting this guy.

22. WR Paul Warfield - Miami Dolphins

I feel a sense of completeness now. :)

23. RB Dave Kopay - St. Louis Cardinals
24. CB Mel Renfro - San Diego Chargers
25. DE Larry Hand - Seattle Seahawks through Pittsburgh Steelers

:eek: The Seahawks give up their 1965 1st rounder and both of their 1966 1st rounders! For a late first-round pick, that's absurd. Seattle had damn well better hope that Hand turns out to be the second coming of Jim Katcavage or something, because that's just stupid.

Pittsburgh's 70s dominance may be forthcoming after all. Yeesh.

26. RB Mack Lee Hill - Houston Oilers

Note: Had Warfield been gone and had I still needed a RB, Hill was my likely choice at #22, so the Oilers will finally have the good RB they've been hunting for. George Blanda, who's going to play for a 16th season, certainly appreciates the help.

27. ILB Ed Cummings - Green Bay Packers
28. T Bob Brown - Detroit Lions
29. G Joe O'Donnell - New York Giants
30. C John Schmitt - Cleveland Browns
31. CB Butch Byrd - Los Angeles Rams
32. CB Willie Mitchell - Indianapolis Colts

I'll do rounds 2-7 tomorrow. Feeling sleepy now and I'd like to close out on that happy note of Warfield :)

[Izulde]

1964 Draft Continued

Before my pick in the 2nd round, Jacksonville gives up their 3rd and 4th rounders to Buffalo to get 2.12. Those crazy Jaguars!

Round about 2.16, the outside linebacker that I really, really like is in danger of getting picked up, so I contact Tucson. Since there's still a very good chance of a player I want lasting to our original second rounder, I don't want to trade up, but have a second 2nd rounder, thus I offer the Titans this year's 3rd rounder and next year's 4th rounder.

No go.

I'm not willing to pay more than the Jaguars did, so I just let it go.

Sure enough, they take Jim Purnell, who I wanted. :mad: Oh well, I was going to shift Purnell to the strong side where he had less experience anyway.

My 2nd round pick comes up and there's two players I'm seriously considering: a QB and an OLB who refused to work out at the combine, but who has some seriously nice bars and an incredible Vol and Sol score set.

Mickey Slaughter's ceiling continues to drop and Albert Gursky is an okay, but not great backup LB. On the other hand, Aaron Spiva's numbers have dropped every year and it's not certain that the QB would be able to beat out Ed Brown or have the kind of ceiling that would make him top Slaughter, even though he appears developed enough to at least be the #2 QB.

Making things more difficult is the fact that the Oilers, situated behind me, will probably take whichever of the two I don't select. After hemming and hawing a bit, I offer Houston the same deal as I did Tucson: this year's 3rd round pick and next year's 4th round selection.

They won't take the deal.

I debate the offer of a 3rd and a 3rd, but after looking a little more closely at the two players concerned and my roster, the choice becomes clear and I take QB Bob Berry, reserving the right to go after the OLB, should he continue to drop.

The Patriots sweep in and take the Oilers' 2nd rounder for New England's 1966 1st and 7th rounder and this year's 7th rounder. Wow. Yeah, there's no way I'd give up a 1st rounder for a no-combine guy. What'd the Patriots take with the 2nd rounder? A fullback. Yeah, dumb move in my opinion.

I don't think Jacksonville has any picks left in the 1966 draft after they trade their 2nd rounder, 5th rounder and 6th rounder from that year to the Browns for Cleveland's 2nd round pick.

The OLB I was looking at went with the second to last pick in the second round. Too bad. If he'd lasted until the top of the 3rd, I would've made another push to go up and get him.

Jacksonville grabs another pick in the 3rd round by giving Tampa Bay their 1965 3rd rounder and 5th rounder and their 5th round selection in this draft. At the rate the Jaguars are going, they'll have absolutely zero trade assets left and honestly, this team's not very good to begin with.

Most of the offensive linemen I was looking at for a 3rd round pick are gone by our turn, leaving me with a FB who'd make a good replacement for Alan Ameche when he retires, an intriguing breakout candidate at OLB, a breakout candidate G, who looks to be a great run-blocker with questionable endurance, and a S who'd be a great pickup to replace the departed Larry Miller as a backup.

I narrow it down to the G and the S before deciding that backup safety is a bigger need, given that our only current backup is Larry Vargo and so S Tom Walters becomes the newest Dolphin.

At the beginning of the 4th round, the guard is still there, so I see what it'd take to move up. I contact the Giants and propose we flip-flop 4.1 and 4.22, with New York getting our 5th rounder in addition.

The G-men refuse and I'm wondering how in the hell the AI actually manages to get trades done.

Finally at 4.7, the Vikings take the offer, as Minnesota had only a high 5th and a 7th rounder left and were quite happy to be able to pick up an extra pick, and so I finally take G Lloyd McCoy.

As it turns out, moving up was the right thing to do. Not only would McCoy likely have been taken before my pick came up, but the FB prospect I was eyeing was off the board as well, which would've left me with the OLB prospect that I wasn't all that hot on anyway.

In the 6th, I'm looking at the only decent T prospect left, the top P available, and a K who looks like a breakout. I choose the K and draft Dick Van Raaphorst because of his breakout potential, his Dutch name and because the P looks awfully raw.

Both the T and the P are available with our last pick, so I take the P, who's better developed and put the T on possible UDRFA list. Say hello to P John Seedborg.

Late Free Agency

There's definitely some players I want to bring in, so let's get to it.

Week 2 Signings
T Glenn Cothran 1 year, $30k UDRFA
-This is the tackle prospect I was looking at in the 6th and the 7th. As I expected, he has the highest potential of any non-kicker out of the rookie free agents, so I'm taking a flyer on him.

Week 2 Losses
DT Larry Jackson 1 year $80k - Los Angeles (Pittsburgh)
-Great chemistry guy who would've been a perfect backup, but he chose the Rams over us.

Week 3 Signings
RB Tom Watkins 1 year, $80k - Atlanta
-Signed strictly for his punt return abilities. Really tailed off his first year in Atlanta after being impressive in Cleveland at the return game, but then he was a starter with the Falcons. He won't have that problem in Miami.

DT Bill Herchman 1 year, $90k - Chicago
-Solid run-stuffer who's been a backup his entire pro career. Respectable and not flashy, he'll make a good backup to Henry Jordan and Penguin Culpepper.

We have exactly 46 players, so nobody goes on the inactive list or gets cut. We're also $690,000 under the cap, which will give us enough wiggle room to be able to sign the inevitable injury cover guys that will come up.

Time for a look at our rookies after training camp:


FL Paul Warfield 1.22 27/54 30/61 +3/+7
QB Bob Berry 2.24 15/47 15/45 -0/-2
S Tom Walters 3.23 20/48 20/43 -0/-5
RG Lloyd McCoy 4.7 18/41 20/40 +2/-1
K Dick Van Raaphorst 6.23 21/30 26/32 +5/+2
P John Seedborg 7.22 33/45 32/44 -1/-1
LT Glenn Cothran UDRFA 4/38 4/28 -0/-10


Draft Grade: A

So this is what an A draft looks like! Warfield booms as beautifully as I thought he would. Berry's looking like career backup material and Waters should be a backup as I expected him. McCoy will provide insurance in case Mark Mathias gets hurt. Our Dutch kicker looks fantastic, our punter, not so much. Cothran is fodder.

[Izulde]

Brown, Ed 3 QB 13 34 34 3 yrs
Slaughter, Mickey 8 QB 2 10 52 4 yrs
Griffing, Glynn 10 QB 3 7 22 1 yr.
Berry, Bob 13 QB 1 15 45 4 yrs

Can anyone say QB controversy across the board? Brown's still the most developed QB, but Slaughter recovered a point of potential and looks like the most promising overall QB, but Berry's midpack development and midpack potential. I think what I'll do is have Slaughter start in preseason the first few games and Berry back up, then let Brown start the last two preseason games with the winner of the Slaughter-Berry fight as the backup.. and whoever wins that contest is our starting QB.


Watkins, Tom 21 RB 5 23 33 1 yr.
Cooper, Bill 28 RB 4 37 37 3 yrs
Hornung, Paul 48 RB 8 50 50 6 yrs
Ameche, Alan 38 FB 10 23 23 1 yr.

No trouble here. Hornung starts, Cooper's second-string and Watkins helps return punts. Ameche's old ass brings it for one more season.


Davis, Rod 83 TE 6 36 36 1 yr.
Ingram, Riddick 86 TE 5 42 42 1 yr.
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 1 30 61 4 yrs
Frazier, Charlie 88 FL 3 46 46 2 yrs
Coolbaugh, Bob 15 SE 4 32 32 1 yr.
Dugan, Fred 81 SE 8 43 43 2 yrs
Ballman, Gary 89 SE 3 45 45 1 yr.

Wasn't so long ago that WR was the weakest position group on the team and now look at it. Ingram starts at TE naturally. Frazier may be more polished, but Warfield has elite receiver potential and was a real-life Dolphin, so will start. Dugan and Ballman will battle in preseason for the starting SE job, though I'm inclined to give it to Gary as he was a draftee of mine and he's a fan favorite.

I give Ingram a two year contract extension for an extra $10,000 this year at the standard rates of minsal + $10k bonus to keep him on the team through 1966.


Engram, Ken 51 C 8 36 36 1 yr.
Bland, Oronde 57 C 5 48 48 1 yr.
Mathias, Mark 60 LG 5 35 49 1 yr.
Thurston, Fuzzy 73 LG 9 67 67 5 yrs
Simon, Jim 64 RG 2 32 36 2 yrs
McCoy, Lloyd 67 RG 1 20 40 4 yrs
Kramer, Chad 61 LT 5 32 42 1 yr.
Skoronski, Bob 76 LT 9 43 43 2 yrs
Cothran, Glenn 79 LT 1 4 28 1 yr.
Plunkett, Sherman 63 RT 9 60 60 2 yrs

Skoronski-Thurston-Bland-Simon-Plunkett will be the line, same as it was last year. Mathias was terrible last season and I'm not liking McCoy's bars at all, so Simon continues to be my best 5th round pick ever by holding down the starting RG spot.

We could see a major shakeup after this season with a lot of the guys on the line potential UFAs. Engram gets an extension of another year and I'll probably re-sign Bland, as he wants a multi-year deal and he's been, overall, the most consistent of my linemen.

In fact, I do extend him, making his new contract 4 years, $960k. It's a much more cap friendly contract than what he was operating under, both now and in the future. It also gives us a little more cap room, to the tune of $900k.


Seedborg, John 18 P 1 32 44 3 yrs
Van Raaphorst, Dick 6 K 1 26 32 3 yrs

We'll give these guys a shake.


Schau, Mark 98 LDE 6 44 44 2 yrs
Stafford, Dick 71 RDE 3 26 26 2 yrs
Brumm, Don 75 RDE 2 42 43 3 yrs
Jordan, Henry 91 LDT 8 62 62 4 yrs
Herchman, Bill 94 LDT 9 35 35 1 yr.
Culpepper, Penguin 77 RDT 10 32 32 3 yrs
Voight, Bob 78 RDT 4 27 41 1 yr.

Schau and Brumm are the clear starters at DE. Jordan and Culpepper will hold down the fort in the middle, although Penguin's skills have rapidly declined. Not only that, we're still on the hook for three more years. Voight is finally turning into a useful player and I may end up keeping him. He'll get back up to Culpepper time this season to see. Stafford, like Coolbaugh, is a 2nd round bust. I have real bad luck with 2nd rounders, it seems. Brumm is the only guy I've taken thus far who hasn't busted.


Schwartz, Brenden 92 MLB 5 43 48 1 yr.
Lloyd, Dave 93 MLB 6 70 70 3 yrs
Spiva, Aaron 95 SLB 5 45 45 2 yrs
Houston, Jim 58 WLB 5 48 48 2 yrs
Gursky, Albert 96 WLB 3 24 30 2 yrs

Spiva-Lloyd-Houston the starting set, with Schwartz Lloyd's backup and Gursky getting a chance to be the backup for both outside spots.


Sample, Johnny 43 LCB 7 64 64 2 yrs
Starks, Marshall 29 RCB 2 25 39 3 yrs
Warner, Charley 30 RCB 2 12 17 2 yrs
Cross, Irv 40 RCB 4 47 47 2 yrs
Fichtner, Ross 32 SS 5 60 60 2 yrs
Walters, Tom 34 SS 1 20 43 4 yrs
Fleming, Don 24 FS 6 64 64 3 yrs
Vargo, Larry 49 FS 3 18 26 1 yr.

Cross's steady decline prolongs itself and I have to wonder just when he's going to level out. He and Sample will still start. Starks is the nickel and backup to both corners. Fitcher and Fleming start again at the safety spots, with Walters their primary backup.

It's an awfully thin roster, and one or two bad injuries would kill us, but we'll roll the dice and see what happens.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Tampa Bay 7 Miami 17
Both Mickey Slaughter and Bob Berry have splendid games, but Slaughter's got the edge over Berry right now. I'm a little worried about Paul Hornung, as he looked quite rusty this game. John Seedborg and Dick Van Raaphorst were both horrible, but Mark Schau exploded for 4 tackles, 2 assists, 3.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown. Johnny Sample defended 3 passes and looks poised to have another great year.

Miami 6 Dallas 27
Ouch. Just ouch. Mickey Slaughter has a lot better game than Bob Berry and he's pretty much running away with this competition, so I think I'll switch to Brown vs. Slaughter the rest of the way. Tom Walters is quietly having a pretty nice rookie preseason.

Atlanta 0 Miami 26
Ed Brown and Mickey Slaughter draw even here and it's making things a lot tougher to decide. Fred Dugan has been busting his butt, trying to win the starting SE job from Gary Ballman. I'm still undecided what to do there. Dick Van Raaphorst is 4/4 for on the day, including 2/2 from 40+ range and has been improving over the last couple games.

Miami 6 New York 13
The running game is seriously starting to worry me as neither Paul Hornung nor Bill Cooper have shown much this exhibition season. Ed Brown has an extremely shaky game, putting me on the point of being convinced that Mickey Slaughter needs to start. Fred Dugan outduels Gary Ballman again and will start at SE.

Of course, Fred Dugan then goes and strains his abdominal muscle, leading him to be Doubtful, so he won't start, though he'll stay play. Don Fleming sprains his knee and is listed as Questionable. I have enough interest in Tom Walters that I'll sit Fleming for the season opener. UDRFA Gleen Cothran is out for Week 1, but it's not like I use him anyway.

Miami 17 Buffalo 6
Good win to start the year. Paul Hornung rushes 18 times for 82 yards and a TD, finally showing a hint of the big bucks I'm paying him for. Mickey Slaughter has an awful game at 17-30 for 118 yards and 3 INTs. Ed Brown will take over as the starter from here on out. Mark Schau leads a stiff defensive effort with 2 tackles, 2 sacks and a block.

I belatedly remember to hit Recommend on playing time.

...On the other hand, Mickey Slaughter jumped up 2 points in current after the exhibition season and this first game, did just come off of the summer league, and we did win our first game....

I'll stick with him for as long as we're holding steady in the division.

San Francisco 24 Miami 20
Mickey Slaughter showed some nice accuracy this game, but two late 4th quarter fumbles absolutely killed us. Ed Brown got in for some plays as well, which has me worries about Slaughter's health. Paul Warfield erupts with 5 catches for 114 yards and shows some real promise. Dave Lloyd records 8 tackles and 5 assists and Ross Fitchener isn't far behind with 7 tackles and 3 assists. If it wasn't for those costly fumbles at the end, we win this game.

Mickey Slaughter does indeed have a pulled groin, leading him to be listed as Doubtful for 4 weeks. Tom Walters breaks his fibula and is estimated out 6 weeks, causing me to have to start Don Fleming, despite the fact that he's still questionable.

Ed Brown will start while Mickey recovers, with Bob Berry the #2 man and Glynn Griffing the 3rd stringer.

Miami 20 San Diego 23
Another heartbreaking loss as the Chargers shut down Paul Hornung and come up big on D in the 4th quarter. Ed Brown is 18-31 for 203 yards and 2 TDs and we spoil a great day by Charley Werner, who returns punts for an amazing 26.3 yard average. Dave Lloyd engineers 9 tackles and 2 assists, Ross Fitchener at 8 and 2 respectively, along with 2 pass defenses.

The injuries mount up as Paul Hornung dislocates his elbow and is due out 5 weeks. What a bad investment that's turning out to be! Bill Cooper slots in as the starter, Tom Watkins the backup. Fred Dugan's Probable, but Gary Ballman is playing well enough to stay the starter.

Miami 9 New England 20
This one hurts and hurts a lot. Ed Brown has his worst game as a Dolphin: 14-41 for 103 yards and 3 INTs for a 12.6 rating. On the bright side, Charley Warner averages 14 yards a punt return and Dave Lloyd at 9 and 2 continues his tackling machine efforts.

Mickey Slaughter is ready to come back, but Johnny Sample breaks his toe and is questionable for next week, Bob Skoronski gets a stress fracture in his foot and is out for the next game and Don Brumm hyperextends his knee and will be unavailable for at least the next game.

So that's our best CB and our starters at LT and RDE that get hurt, along with our starting RB and our top backup at S that are all out. You see now why I don't have injuries at 200? 100 is enough of a challenge as it is.

I leave Sample in because I need wins. I sign 10th year vet RT Willie McClung, a exceptional affinity guy with Ken Engram to back up the tackle spots while Chad Kramer takes over at LT. 4th year RDE Jon Cash, a 1961 4th round selection of the Rams, comes in to back up at DE and play the right side in the goal line set, Dick Stafford the replacement starter.

Miami 15 Jacksonville 3
In the midst of all the injury dealing, I forgot to start Mickey Slaughter but that's okay as he was probable anyway. Bill Cooper just misses the century mark at 99 yards on 21 rushes. Dick Van Raaphorst wins Game MVP by going 5/5 on field goals and accounting for the entireity of Dolphins scoring. We basically pull the Jaguars right when we needed them.

Think injuries are done yet? Nope. Starting LG Fuzzy Thurston strains a ligament in his toe and will miss the next game. Mark Mathias steps in at LG and rookie Lloyd McCoy gets assigned double backup duty so I don't have to sign anyone else.

Houston 26 Miami 14
You want to know the real kick in the crotch about this game? Game MVP was none other than Allen Green, my former drafted kicker, who was 4/4 and 2/2 from 40+ range. Making things even worse, after three years of 76% FG kicking, he's 88.2% this year. I think I'm going to throw up. :(

If there's any good news in this game, it's that Mickey Slaughter draws even with George Blanda in going 21-38 for 170 yards, 2 TDs and an INt. Yes, *that* George Blanda, the one who's still a pretty damn good QB in his 16th season. Oh yeah, the Oilers are also 5-1.

Henry Jordan is our first multi-sack Dolphin in the regular season with 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a hurry.

There's a bunch of people listed as questionable, but at this point, I'm like screw it, let them all play, with the exception of Paul Hornung, Bob Skoronski and Don Brumm since I've already subbed out for them and our season's sinking fast anyway.

Buffalo 10 Miami 31
Our most complete game of the season. Bill Cooper rushes 28 times for 100 yards to finally give us a century rusher and we get 3 interceptions, including a Ross Fitchner 27 yard return for a TD! Backup MLB Brendan Schwartz goes apeshit on our archrivals to the tune of 12 tackles and 4 assists.

This of course means that Dave Lloyd the literal and figurative centre of our front seven, has an inguinal hernia that knocks him out for the rest of the season. Sigh.

At least all our other injured guys are now probable, so I go back to as much of my starting lineup as I can. Fifth year journeyman affinity bonus MLB Terrance Doyle joins his fifth team in as many years to be a backup to Brendan Schwartz.

Indianapolis 10 Miami 31
Sweet, sweet victory against one of the powerhouse teams that's caught in a down year. Paul Hornung tears about the Colts' D for 129 yards and 2 TDs on 26 attempts, but Mickey Slaughter wins Game MVP with his 14-17 for 169 yards and 2 TDs showing. He's really starting to come into his own as a QB after the summer league.

This puts us at 4-4 through the halfway mark, which, oddly enough, is good enough to have us not only half a game behind the Jets and the Patriots for the division lead, but very much in the thick of the playoff race as there's been just 3 dominant teams in the AFC in the first half this year: Pittsburgh (6-1), Houston (7-1), and San Diego (6-1), with no 2-loss teams and New Jersey and New England the only 3-loss teams.

Could this be George Blanda's year to get to the Super Bowl?

The halfway tale of the tape:



Record 4-4
Winning Pct. .500
All-Time 37-35
Winning Pct. .513
Playoffs 0-2
Playoff Visits 2
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 15-10
Winning Pct. .600
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. C. Winters

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.8 10
Rushing Yards 122.1 11
Yards Per Carry 3.97 17
Pass Attempts 28.9 24
Completions 16.8 28
Completion Pct. 58.0 21
Passing Yards 159.8 29
Yards Per Attempt 5.53 25
Yards Per Catch 9.54 26
Total Yardage Gained 273.1 26
3rd Down Conversions 31.5 25
Points Per Game 19.6 12
Pass Rush Pct. 9.5 3
Pass Defense Pct. 73.3 8
Turnovers 16 27 (T)
Turnover Margin -4 25 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 26.8 15
Rushing Yards 100.9 13
Yards Per Carry 3.77 7
Pass Attempts 35.9 24 (T)
Completions 18.6 10
Completion Pct. 51.9 2
Passing Yards 180.6 3
Yards Per Attempt 5.03 1
Yards Per Catch 9.70 6
Total Yardage Gained 268.5 6
3rd Down Conversions 24.8 1
Points Per Game 15.3 6
Pass Rush Pct. 7.5 21
Pass Defense Pct. 70.1 20 (T)
Turnovers 12 13 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 17 at BUF 6
2 20 SFO 24
3 20 at SDO 23
4 9 at NED 20
5 15 at JAX 3
6 14 HOU 26
7 31 BUF 10
8 31 IND 10
10 at TUC
11 at NJY
12 at STL
13 CLE
14 LAS
15 NED
16 at SEA
17 NJY

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
8 M. Slaughter QB 122 79 760 6.23 6 5 81.3
3 E. Brown QB 109 55 518 4.75 2 3 58.5
**Team --- 231 134 1278 5.53 8 8 70.6
$$Opp --- 287 149 1445 5.03 8 8 64.0

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
28 B. Cooper RB 137 527 3.85 2 1
48 P. Hornung RB 67 287 4.28 4 1
21 T. Watkins RB 29 154 5.31 0 0
**Team --- 246 977 3.97 6 11
$$Opp --- 214 807 3.77 3 10

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
89 G. Ballman WR 56 31 447 14.42 7.98 5 3
85 P. Warfield WR 48 23 319 13.87 6.65 1 1
88 C. Frazier WR 39 22 188 8.55 4.82 3 0
28 B. Cooper RB 20 14 58 4.14 2.90 2 1
83 R. Davis TE 18 12 78 6.50 4.33 2 1
86 R. Ingram TE 15 10 57 5.70 3.80 1 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
93 D. Lloyd ILB 43 12 0.0 1 1 2 80.6
32 R. Fichtner S 40 18 0.0 1 1 4 80.7
95 A. Spiva OLB 35 12 2.0 1 1 1 72.9
92 B. Schwartz ILB 30 9 0.0 0 0 0 68.7
58 J. Houston OLB 28 6 0.0 0 0 2 72.4
91 H. Jordan DT 22 8 5.0 14 0 0 82.5
24 D. Fleming S 20 9 0.0 0 2 3 84.8
43 J. Sample CB 19 9 0.0 0 2 9 86.5
40 I. Cross CB 19 4 0.0 0 1 6 83.7
77 P. Culpepper DT 17 4 0.0 4 0 0 80.3
96 A. Gursky OLB 14 6 0.0 0 0 0 70.9
29 M. Starks CB 14 7 1.0 0 0 5 83.1
49 L. Vargo S 12 2 1.5 0 0 4 81.5
98 M. Schau DE 11 5 2.5 8 0 0 82.5
75 D. Brumm DE 9 6 1.0 6 0 0 80.7

It's pretty clear what's keeping us alive this year despite all the injuries: our defense, in particular our pass defense, which has been notoriously brutal for our opponents, 1962 notwithstanding. Check out that 24.8% 3rd down conversion for our opponents!

Mickey Slaughter is having a good season for how raw he is. Paul Hornung has been a major disappointment so far, but he also missed a lot of games to injury. I'm not crazy about Gary Ballman or Charlie Frazier's drop totals, but Ballman's a fan favorite and arguably our best receiver right now, though Paul Warfield is doing his best to take that claim away from him.

Henry Jordan is performing his usual juggernaut role in the middle of the line (14 hurries at the halfway point!) and Johnny Sample and Irv Cross are having good years, but it seems like our pass rush is looking pretty anemic this season outside of Jordan. Then again Mark Schau has 8 hurries and he's generally a 2nd half kind of player anyway.

I'm pleased with Larry Vargo's success this year. He played well enough in injury time that he's the backup SS rather than Tom Walters covering both spots and if he continues to improve, he just might steal the dime back slot. Marshall Starks seems to really be growing into his own as a nickel back and perhaps someday he could be a starter.

Our first repeat trip to the playoffs is very much a possibility, especially if Slaughter can continue to develop and if Hornung can start paying more dividends on his cushy contract.

One thing I've already noted for the offseason: I need to find a replacement for Penguin Culpepper at RDT, preferably in the draft.

[nilodor]

You really do feel like the post Marino Dolphins, lots of defense, very little offense. Hopefully you can put some pieces around Warfield so you can make a run before your D gets old like mine is in the save Barry dynasty.

[Izulde]

You really do feel like the post Marino Dolphins, lots of defense, very little offense. Hopefully you can put some pieces around Warfield so you can make a run before your D gets old like mine is in the save Barry dynasty.

Yeah no kidding. The only difference is that I'd argue that we actually have some okay receivers all in all. If somebody big comes up in the next draft that I think could really turn this thing around, I may have to bite the bullet and make the huge trade to go up and get him, because the defense is just sick and I have a nice group of young receivers... and Hornung still has some gas left in the tank, though how much is unclear.

It'll be fun watching though :)

[Izulde]

Miami 3 Tucson 23
How bad did we play in this game? So bad that Brendan Schwartz's 10 tackles and 4 assists was the only real highlight. Paul Hornung's 6 carries for 17 yards was particularly putrid.

Miami 3 New Jersey 31
Suddenly our offense is completely vacant and our defense disappears. 37 total passing yards does not win football games. I'm at a loss here. Charley Warner does have a 14.8 punt return average and Henry Jordan plows the Jets for 11 tackles, 2 assists and hurries, but even those numbers and Ross Fitchner's 9 tackles, assist and sack can't compete when the offense is this bad.

Mickey Slaughter is doubtful after hyperextending his knee and Marshall Starks is questionable after spraining the same body part. Since our season's going south anyway, I decide to throw Bob Berry in to see what he can do.

Miami 3 St. Louis 10
3 points in 3 straight games. Ugly, ugly, ugly! At least this one our defense came fired up to play against a superior Cardinals opponent. Bob Berry is blah in his debut: 18-31 for 141 yards. Some noteworthy defensive players: Mark Schau with 2 tackles, 2 sacks, and a block; Brenden Schwartz with 10 tackles, an assist and an interception; and Ross Fitchner with 7 tackles, 2 assists and a sack.

Mickey Slaughter is upgraded to questionable, but Bob Berry seems to be a quicker study and we're 4-7 right now anyway. Even though the Jets are still tenatively playoff bound at 5-6, I don't want to fight for a playoff spot only to bow out in the first round again and I still want to see Berry in extended action.

Cleveland 10 Miami 19
Credit this win to the following: Jim Brown shut down by our D-line, our own running backs of Bill Cooper and Paul Hornung rush for 98 and 85 yards respectively and Bob Berry plays mistake-free football at 13-16 for 158 yards and a TD. Gary Ballman was the receiving star with 6 catches for 112 yards and a TD and Dick Van Raaphorst wins Game MVP thanks to his 4/4 kicking. John Seedborg has his best punting game at 48.3 yards and Mark Schau racked up 6 hurries and a knockdown.

These also aren't your regular Browns, as they're stuck in a 3-9 quagmire.

Of course with every good news this year has come bad news and in this case, it's starting C Oronde Bland breaking his ankle and tenatively out for the rest of the year, though he still could come back.

Cue the signing of original Dolphin and chemistry bonus C Monty Griffin to back up new starter and offensive line captain Ken Engram.

Mickey Slaughter is ready to come back, but we just won with Bob Berry and I'm interested in the things Mr. Berry has done with his two starts.

Los Angeles 30 Miami 7
I think I've seen enough of Bob Berry. We get behind early and Berry's not the kind of QB that can carry a team as evidenced by his 17-43 for 240 yards, 1 TD and 3 interception performance, the last two interceptions coming late in the fourth as he was trying to hurry the offense. Gary Ballman did have 5 catches for 137 yards, though and both Aaron Spiva and Brenden Schwartz had 9 tackles and 2 assists.

We're now 5-8, with .500 the best we can do. Mickey Slaughter will start the rest of the year, barring injury.

New England 25 Miami 38
This is going to be one of those ugly years where we miss the playoffs but don't do poorly enough to have a high draft pick. Gary Ballman continues to be on fire with 4 catches for 97 yards and a TD, but the real heroes of the game are our starting CBs: Irv Cross, who ran a kickoff return 101 yards for a TD and ran back an interception for another TD! in addition to 4 tackles, an assist and a pass defense.

And Johnny Sample, who had 2 tackles, 2 assists, 3 pass defenses and 2 interceptions. There's a reason why those two are among the most feared cornerback duos in the league.

Mark Schau had a great game as well: 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

Miami 30 Seattle 17
What a time for Mickey Slaughter to put on a passing clinic: 15-17 for 175 yards and 4 touchdowns. He was the highlight of the game, though Paul Hornung's 19 rushes for 80 yards helped to keep the defense honest.

We're now the dreaded 7-8 and the Patriots and the Jets are ahead of us at 8-7. New England plays the Bills and will probably win, which gives them the division. We, on the other hand, play New Jersey and need to win to have any shot at the playoffs.

And we're also going to miss Fuzzy Thurston for the game as he got hurt. Mark Mathias blah blah blah.

The AFC playoff picture is more or less set for the division champs and the first wild card, with only the AFC East questionable, should our archrivals knock off the Patriots.

The second wild-card spot, however, is a dogfight. To wit:
New Jersey (8-7)
Miami (7-8)
Denver (7-8)
Kansas City (7-8)

are all in contention for the last spot. I don't even want to think about the nightmare that figuring out the tiebreaker is going to be. I'm sure there's several long articles being written in newspapers right about now, explaining the detailed scenarios of, if this then this if that then that, etc, etc.

Mickey Slaughter, incidentally, is also questionable, but I'm making him play anyway. It might be our last game this year and he really has been our best QB this season.

New Jersey 27 Miami 31
Holy cow! What a barnburner!!!! With 2 minutes left in the game, Mickey Slaughter throws a 20 yard pass to Paul Warfield to give us the come from behind win!!!!! Paul Hornung was really up for this game: 13 rushes for 83 yards and 2 TDs. Mickey Slaughter fought his injuries to be briskly efficient at 13-22 for 162 yards and that closing TD.

Charley Warner provided a major momentum shift with his 57 yard punt return for his first career TD early in the 4th quarter that gave us the lead back after losing it late in the 3rd.

But the game MVP and the biggest reason we've got a shot at the postseason: Mr. Second Half himself, Mark Schau, who had 5 tackles, 3 assists, 3 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and a knockdown.

New England beat Buffalo as I thought so they win the division. We've done our part, so now we just have to wait and see if it was good enough.

And it was! Denver and Kansas City won their games, but it turned out not to matter, as our 7-5 conference record bettered their 6-6 and 5-7 respectively!

We're going to the playoffs for two consecutive seasons for the first time in Dolphins history!!!!

[Izulde]

And we face... Houston again!

Only kidding. :D

This time we're up against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are remarkably like us: weak at QB and RB, pretty good receivers, decent O-line and a fearsome defense, though theirs is a 3-4 and they have arguably the greatest DE in the game in Willie Davis.

We can certainly win this game. It isn't like the Houston games where their firepower was just too much for us. In this one, both offenses are operating at the same pretty low level and the defenses are nightmarish.

My prediction is that we're going to see a very low-scoring game completely dependant upon the right breaks at the right time.

The oddsmakers favor Pittsburgh by 8 points. I'm pretty sure we can beat the spread.

...I'll let the following statline say it all:

QB Mickey Slaughter:
11-27 for 87 yards and 2 interceptions

Ed Brown was 5-9 for 71 yards and a TD, but who knows how well he'd have done in the long run. Brenden Schwartz was the lone force at 13 tackles and 4 assists.

But it was Willie Davis who showed why he's one of the top DEs in the game. 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a block, 4 hurries, and a knockdown, as he was Slaughter and Brown's faces all afternoon and rightfully won the Game MVP award.

Pittsburgh 20 Miami 7

Was definitely a run-dominated day for the Steelers, as they rushed 49 times in a successful effort to control the time of possession and forestall any hope of an Ed Brown-led comeback.

An extremely disappointing loss that only highlights more than ever what we've known a while now: This team needs a true QB.

But for now, the end season statistics:


Record 8-9
Winning Pct. .470
All-Time 41-39
Winning Pct. .512
Playoffs 0-3
Playoff Visits 3
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 19-15
Winning Pct. .558
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. C. Winters

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.0 20
Rushing Yards 111.4 18
Yards Per Carry 4.13 11
Pass Attempts 29.8 23
Completions 16.3 32
Completion Pct. 54.5 31
Passing Yards 159.6 31
Yards Per Attempt 5.35 26
Yards Per Catch 9.82 20
Total Yardage Gained 257.1 31
3rd Down Conversions 26.3 31
Points Per Game 18.2 17
Pass Rush Pct. 9.3 1
Pass Defense Pct. 67.9 17
Turnovers 30 22 (T)
Turnover Margin -6 22 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.1 23
Rushing Yards 123.6 25
Yards Per Carry 4.11 21
Pass Attempts 34.1 21
Completions 19.5 16
Completion Pct. 57.1 9
Passing Yards 191.5 12
Yards Per Attempt 5.61 7
Yards Per Catch 9.82 9 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 300.3 16
3rd Down Conversions 30.9 9
Points Per Game 18.4 15
Pass Rush Pct. 7.7 24 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 73.6 27
Turnovers 24 20 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 17 at BUF 6
2 20 SFO 24
3 20 at SDO 23
4 9 at NED 20
5 15 at JAX 3
6 14 HOU 26
7 31 BUF 10
8 31 IND 10
10 3 at TUC 23
11 3 at NJY 31
12 3 at STL 10
13 19 CLE 10
14 7 LAS 30
15 38 NED 25
16 30 at SEA 17
17 31 NJY 27
$$WC 7 at PIT 20

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
8 M. Slaughter QB 253 149 1456 5.75 13 8 79.0
3 E. Brown QB 134 63 559 4.17 2 4 51.2
13 B. Berry QB 90 48 539 5.99 2 3 65.0
**Team --- 477 260 2554 5.35 17 15 68.6
$$Opp --- 546 312 3064 5.61 19 14 74.0

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
28 B. Cooper RB 213 914 4.29 3 6
48 P. Hornung RB 158 690 4.37 6 3
**Team --- 432 1783 4.13 9 26
$$Opp --- 481 1977 4.11 9 28

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
89 G. Ballman WR 133 67 1057 15.78 7.95 8 6
85 P. Warfield WR 108 54 588 10.89 5.44 5 3
88 C. Frazier WR 77 45 350 7.78 4.55 3 0
28 B. Cooper RB 34 22 70 3.18 2.06 3 1
83 R. Davis TE 34 19 136 7.16 4.00 3 3
86 R. Ingram TE 27 17 73 4.29 2.70 1 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
32 R. Fichtner S 87 34 2.0 1 2 5 78.4
92 B. Schwartz ILB 87 29 1.0 1 1 0 73.2
95 A. Spiva OLB 76 23 2.0 2 1 5 73.0
58 J. Houston OLB 59 23 1.0 0 0 2 70.4
24 D. Fleming S 57 17 0.0 0 2 6 81.2
91 H. Jordan DT 57 16 9.0 21 0 0 82.5
40 I. Cross CB 46 9 0.0 1 2 8 79.0
93 D. Lloyd ILB 43 12 0.0 1 1 2 80.6
43 J. Sample CB 41 12 0.0 0 4 18 86.3
77 P. Culpepper DT 33 8 2.0 7 0 0 79.9
96 A. Gursky OLB 30 9 0.0 0 1 0 73.0
29 M. Starks CB 30 9 1.0 0 0 7 80.5
98 M. Schau DE 29 12 9.5 20 0 0 82.5
75 D. Brumm DE 26 18 2.5 17 0 0 81.5
78 B. Voight DT 19 15 2.0 1 0 0 82.5

Take a look at those passing rankings. Think it's an even bigger sign that yes, we need a QB? Our defensive numbers were way down in the second half, which is also a little discouraging.

Bill Cooper just misses the 1,000 yard mark, but it's his second-highest yardage total ever and his career-best YPC. Paul Hornung is looking like a huge waste of cap space. I'll have to see if he'll renegotiate to a kinder, more reasonable contract in the offseason.

I forgive Gary Ballman's 8 drops for the following reasons: 1) He becomes the first 1,000 yard receiver in Dolphins history, 2) He's a fan favorite and 3) He had just 1 fumble this year, as opposed to 5 last season. Paul Warfield didn't have as explosive a rookie season as I'd hoped for, but he's still got 20 points worth of developing to do and so will be our summer league player this year.

Henry Jordan, Johnny Sample and Ross Fitchner lead the defense, Jordan with even greater numbers than last year and Sample with the best all-around season he's ever had. Mark Schau just misses becoming the first Dolphin in history with a 10+ sack season and was as explosive in the second half as I thought he'd be. Don Brumm's sack total dropped sharply, but his QB hurries indicate improvement and on top of it, he missed 3 games because of injury. Irv Cross is looking more and more like a high 70s PD% guy with the occasional interception. Not bad, especially not with his kick return skills in the bargain, but we did hope for a little more from a top 10 pick.

In loyalty issue news Ed Brown is angry as you might expect, but the surprising one is Bob Voight, who's disgruntled and feels that he should be starting. A quick comparison of his ratings to Penguin Culpepper's and a brief study of their statistics that this is in fact quite the valid issue.

It's taken him a while, but Voight appears to have finally, in his 4th season, reached the point where he's a legitimate candidate for a starter, especially since he still has upside. This, despite the fact that he didn't play a single down last season and only appeared in 2 games in 1962.

Nice recovery for a 3rd round pick I was just about to give up on.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl V
Detroit 13 Houston 16 (OT)

Do you believe in miracles? I do now after the Oilers squeak out a stunning Super Bowl victory in overtime. On a day when George Blanda couldn't hit a throw to save his life (18-48 for 222 yards and an INT) and the Lions' offense was humming, Houston's defense stiffened up in the end zone at just the right times.

Real-life eventual Dolphin Wahoo McDaniel had 14 tackles and 2 assists. Jim Norton was right behind with 12 tackles, an assist, and most crucially, the 8 yard fumble return for a TD that sparked the Oilers' rally.

The real hero of the game was none other than Allen Green. Cut by us, he had the season of his life this year and entered Super Bowl history by hitting all 3 field goal attempts, including not only the 42 yarder that gave Blanda and the Oilers the win in OT, but a 53 yard boomer with 1:23 left in regulation to get the tie.

It was an incredible storybook season for one of the game's greatest heroes and a former Dolphin, one that I personally drafted.

Season Awards

LDT Henry Jordan - 1st Team All-Pro DT
After the monster season he had, he definitely deserves to be here. This marks the second straight year he's made an All-Pro team, the first Dolphin to ever do so. It's pretty special that both appearances have come in the aqua and orange.

QB Earl Morrall - Detroit wins MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. DE Don Floyd - Houston wins Defensive Player of the Year. Offensive Rookie of the Year goes to RB Leroy Kelly - New England, who also made the All-Pro 1st Team after rushing for 1,698 yards and 13 TDs and serving as the main turnaround for the Patsies into a decent team. MLB Bill Budness - Baltimore is named Defensive Rookie of the Year.

George Blanda, as I suspected, retired after winning a Super Bowl ring at long last. The Oilers will greatly miss him. He was a titan among titans.

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

Staff Hiring

Lead Scout Daryl Crane's contract expires and we'll debate whether or not to bring him back, as he's been pretty solid the last few years. A closer look reveals that he dropped in two areas, so he won't be back.

Defensive Coordinator Clifton Winters has shown no improvement in abilities the last couple seasons and the defense's second half collapse has me worried, especially with the level of talent we have here.

There's a grand total of one truly good scout out there and a massive bidding war erupts over him. We win out in the end, signing him to a $60k per year/4 year deal.

Lead Scout Leon Garibay (53)
QB: Very Good
RB: Very Good
WR: Average
OL: Good
K/P: Excellent
DL: Average
LB: Good
DB: Average
YT: Very Good

The owner really puts the screws to us in terms of how much we can pay out to a DC, but nonetheless we find a good, young upgrade for exactly the amount the owner will dole out.

Defensive Coordinator Royce Womble (34)
K/P: Good
DL: Good
LB: Average
DB: Good
YT: Good

There's two choices for summer league players: QB Bob Berry, who with summer league help could surpass Mickey Slaughter as the starter, and Paul Warfield, who still has 21 points between his current and potential. Given that Warfield could become an All-Pro type of receiver, the choice is pretty easy. Paul goes to the summer league.

[Izulde]

We're seriously up against the cap this year. $1,000,000 under the cap, with only $380,000 for a new player. Worse yet, there's a young man named Gary Ballman who's a restricted free agent this year.

Fortunately there's players who are willing to renegotiate their contracts for the good of the team, including Paul Hornung and Fuzzy Thurston.

We get some contract extensions going too.

Extensions:
CB Johnny Sample: 3 years, $1.59 mill.
MLB Dave Lloyd: 4 years, $1.68 mill.
FS Don Fleming: 5 years, $1.57 mill.
DE Mark Schau: 4 years, $1.36 mill.

By the time we do all of our renegotiations and extensions, we're a much freer $3.09 mill. under the cap, with $2.47 mill. earmarked as the max for a new player. Next year we'll have some serious money to play with, as a lot of guys, including our highest price option, RT Sherman Plunkett come off the books.

Four restricted free agents this season. It doesn't take a genius to figure out one of them we'll re-sign.

Week 1 Re-signings:
WR Gary Ballman: 6 years, $1.92 mill.
FS Larry Vargo: 1 year, $50k

Not a bad contract for our first 1,000 yard receiver in team history. That 85 loyalty really helps, I imagine.

Free Agent Needs By The Numbers:
FB, TE, DT, MLB, 8 bodies total

We're still $2.93 mill. under the cap after signing Ballman and Vargo, so we've got some room to play with here.

A quick look at the draft class reveals some big name players, but all of the top QBs are looking pretty raw. On the other hand, Mickey Slaughter isn't developing worth a damn, Ed Brown is in his 14th season with way diminished skills and Bob Berry will never be a topflight QB.

...On the other hand, my eyes are going like this :eek: when I see what free agents are available. None other than the aging greats Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas as the Packers and Colts go into blowup mode.

Week 2 Signings
QB Johnny Unitas 3 years, $3.97 mill. - Indianapolis
-The legendary and incomparable Johnny U will suit up for the Dolphins for the next three seasons. Who cares that he's an 11 year veteran? He gives us that franchise QB we've been looking for!!!! (Now if we could only find a franchise QB to draft.) He also has an Affinity with Mr. Chemistry himself, Ken Engram.

TE Rod Davis 1 year, $90k - Re-signing
-Solid backup last season, he returns to fill the same role.

Week 2 Losses
DT Jim Colvin 6 years, $6.65 mill. - San Francisco (Indianapolis)
-I tried so damn hard to get this guy, who would've been perfect to pair alongside of Henry Jordan, but the 49ers offered him just enough more money that he went the Red and Gold.

Week 3 Losses
DT Joe Lewis 1 year, $100k - Indianapolis (Pittsburgh)
-Takes less money to sign with a team that's on its way down, rather than rapidly improving like we are. Can't say that I understand it, but it's looking pretty clear that we're going to look at DT in the draft. I do have one other candidate I want to try and lock up, though.

Bart Starr signed in this stage, for $5.21 mill and 3 years to the Baltimore Ravens. I think Unitas is a lot better deal, especially since Starr has an immediate conflict with a team leader.

Week 4 Losses
DT Dick Guesman 1 year, $90k - Baltimore (Re-Signing)
-A combination of his being a fan favorite with the Ravens faithful and excitement over Starr's signing was enough for me to strike out here. We're definitely going to have to go DT in the draft.

Week 5 Signings
MLB Hubert Bobo 1 year, $110k - Tucson
-Probably not as good a backup as Brenden Schwartz, but he has an affinity with Albert Gursky, who somehow became the Defensive Front leader when I wasn't looking. Not that it's a bad thing, because Gursky's got Mild Affinity with Bobo and Mark Schau.

Week 6 Signings
FB Charlie Scales 3 years, $310k - Baltimore
-Great run-blocker with moderate receiving skills. A guy to plug in as a starter for the next 3 years and not have to worry about the fullback spot.

Week 6 Losses
DT Wesley Evans 1 year, $90k - Cleveland (Seattle)
-Turned down more money and a longer contract from us to sign with the still powerful Browns. Had some upside too, so I'm sorry to see him go.

Week 8 Signings
G Mark Mathias 3 years, $290k Re-signing
-Almost forgot to re-sign my favorite combo backup guard, but luckily I remembered in time to get him before anyone else snapped him up.

DT Kelly Reichenberg 1 year, $80k (Philadelphia)
-A marginal upgrade at DT, but he'll have to stay on left side, which means Henry Jordan would shift back over to the right, unless I find somebody in the draft. Another Mild Affinity with Albert Gursky.

DT Austin Dunphy 1 year, $90k - Indianapolis (Tampa Bay)
-I offer him more money on a year deal, but instead of taking that and a surefire starting job, he bolts to the Colts. Annoying.

That's the end of my intended free agent dealings for the first stage, so let's see where everyone else goes.

Week 9 Losses
DT Bob Voight 1 year, $80k - Carolina
-Sorry to see him go after he developed at the rate he did and maybe I should have tried to re-sign him. At least with the Panthers, he has Exceptional Affinity with their defensive front leader, gets to play with Brenden Schwartz and is pretty much guaranteed a starting job.

Week 12 Losses
DE John Cash 1 year, $80k Tucson
-A filler for us last year, his loss doesn't impact us at all.

On to the draft! ...In the next post. :)

[nilodor]

Week 2 Signings
QB Johnny Unitas 3 years, $3.97 mill. - Indianapolis
-The legendary and incomparable Johnny U will suit up for the Dolphins for the next three seasons. Who cares that he's an 11 year veteran? He gives us that franchise QB we've been looking for!!!! (Now if we could only find a franchise QB to draft.) He also has an Affinity with Mr. Chemistry himself, Ken Engram.


:eek: Holy freaking crap!

[Izulde]

:eek: Holy freaking crap!

Exactly my reaction at seeing those two were available in the first place. :) Think our QB problems are gone now? :D

[Izulde]

Good draft if you need a tackle. T Glen Ray Hines and T Maxie Williams are two of the top players availabe, the others being OLB Gus Otto and a certain RB by the name of Gale Sayers. Top QB is the raw, but talented Joe Namath.

I'm still looking at DT here, but I'd also like to go T, as both our starters expire their contract next season and it's not certain that I'll bring either of them back.

We've the 20th pick in the draft.

1965 1st Round NFL Draft
1. QB Joe Namath - Green Bay Packers

With a grand total of 5 players under contract and major cap issues, it's surprising that the Packers didn't trade down. On the other hand, they have 0 QBs on the roster and fans will be clamoring for someone who can go grow into the next Bart Starr.

2. OLB Gus Otto - New Orleans Saints
3. RB Cannonball Butler - Buffalo Bills

Granted, Butler was only a shade behind Sayers, but I think this move is one our archrivals' fans will be talking about for years down the road. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

4. T Glen Ray Hines - Atlanta Falcons
5. CB Miller Farr - New England Patriots
6. DE Verlon Biggs - Cleveland Browns
7. RB Gale Sayers - Indianapolis Colts

The Colts just got the steal of the draft. If Sayers would've fallen much more, I was seriously about to consider trading up to grab him as the eventual replacement to Paul Hornung.

8. ILB Dick Butkus - Cincinnati Bengals
9. ILB Mike Curtis - Carolina Panthers
10. T Maxie Williams - Baltimore Ravens

I really like what the Ravens have done this offseason. They've picked up Starr along with some other quality guys and here they get a player who can protect Bart's backside at a real value spot.

11. OLB John Bramlett - Oakland Raiders
12. WR Roy Jefferson - San Francisco 49ers
13. ILB Al Atkinson - Minnesota Vikings
14. CB Willie Williams - Chicago Bears
15. G Glenn Resslet - Kansas City Chiefs
16. ILB Marty Schottenheimer - Denver Broncos
17. T Harry Schuh - Pittsburgh Steelers
18. CB Clancy Williams - New Jersey Jets
19. WR George Sauer - New York Giants

There's too many players for us to choose from, so I'm going to trade down and see what I can get for it.

I move down to 3 spots to 23, Dallas moves up to 20 and I net Atlanta's 1966 4th rounder for three spots, as nobody would give up even a 3rd rounder to move.

20. DE Chuck Hurston - Dallas Cowboys
21. DE Roy Hilton - Philadelphia Eagles
22. CB Mike Howell - New England Patriots

I could very easily trade down again, but then I'd run the risk of missing out on a player I'd really like to get. There's two DTs I'm spending a lot of time debating between. One is much more NFL-ready and has the somewhat better combine, but his bars have me questioning just how good he is. The other is much more raw, with a slightly worse combine, but better looking bars.

Then I remind myself that I'm looking for a starter and with Johnny Unitas under center and Paul Hornung also getting old, I need to try and win now, so I go with the more ready prospect.

23. DT Walter Johnson - Miami Dolphins
24. S Jim Kearney - Minnesota Vikings
25. CB Kent McCloughan - St. Louis Cardinals
26. ILB Dale Lindsey - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. ILB Tom Good - Los Angeles Rams
28. OLB Chris Hanberger - Washington Redskins
29. WR Otis Taylor - San Diego Chargers
30. T Ralph Neely - Pittsburgh Steelers
31. C Bill Curry - Detroit Lions
32. DE Tim Powell - Houston Oilers

There's one T prospect left that I really, really like when 2.19 comes up, so I snatch T Dick Koepfer off the board so fast, his head must've spun. I really like how the draft played out in the first two rounds. I was able to address my team's biggest needs according to my own personal opinion (the game disagrees with me on that) and get an extra pick next year to boot.

The other DT I was looking at finally comes off the board at 2.30 to the Chargers, after a lot of other position prospects were picked. I think San Diego got themselves a real value pick there.

By the 3rd round, I'm running out of guys I've interviewed, but luckily there's a good looking safety who can, at the very minimum, be Larry Vargo's replacement and so S Dave Plump becomes a Dolphin.

All of my interviewees that I'd have any interest in are exhausted in the 4th, so for my own personal amusement and because he looks like he'd eventually develop into a good 3rd down runner, pass catcher, and special teams guy, I take RB Dan Reeves. What I love most about this guy? His 13 Sol score... way to go future coach. :D

I told myself before the draft that I wasn't going to take a QB, but there's somebody in the 5th round that looks like a boomer, has some good development, and has affinities with 2 of our leaders. There's also a couple of ILBs I have interest in, but the QB is a 2nd-3rd round talent, still here in the 5th and so I give into temptation and draft QB Bob Schweikert.

Both ILBs are off the board before my 6th round pick comes up, one of them two picks after me in the 5th, the other at 6.4. I have two 7th round picks in mind that I've interviewed, but neither one is worth a 6th rounder. After some digging around, I pick up raw, but intriguing C Mike Alford, who could break out (99 Vol). Even if he busts, he's definitely worth taking a 6th round flyer on.

In the last round, I pick up WR Scottie Brown, who looks to have a tiny amount of receiving skills to go with his moderate amount of kick return skills.

Late free agency is all about mentor hunting.

Week 2 Signings
SE Bob Coolbaugh 1 year, $80k - Re-signing
-Yep, our 5th year receiver, my first 2nd round pick, has turned into a prodigal mentor. I probably should've signed him to a 3 year deal, but this way I don't have to pay bonuses for him to be a mentor and our fifth receiver.

Week 3 Signings
C Robert Yates 1 year, $80k (Indianapolis)
-A mentor that I signed only in case Mike Alford booms. If Alford doesn't boom and I have to cut someone, Yates will be the first to go.

DT Riley Gunnels 1 year, $80k (Cincinnati)
-Nice thing about this guy is that if we get slapped by injury problems, he can be a worthwhile contributor, rather than just a warm body as a lot of mentors tend to be.

That ends my free agent shopping for the year.

52 players into camp, the most we've had in a long time, and despite our initial cap fears, we're still $890,000 under the cap. Thank goodness for salary renegotiation!


RDT Walter Johnson 1.23 37/46 41/47 +4/+1
RT Dick Koepfer 2.19 17/60 19/54 +2/-6
S Dave Plump 3.18 16/50 17/47 +1/-3 20/47 after FS switch (+10 XP) +3/+0
RB Dan Reeves 4.17 26/40 25/37 -1/-3
QB Bob Schweickert 5.16 12/41 12/40 -0/-1
C Mike Alford 6.15 11/25 13/27 +2/+2
FL Scottie Brown 7.20 0/21 0/16 -0/-5

Draft Grade: A-

Despite the high draft grade, this is a seriously ouch class. The one saving grace is Johnson, who instantaneously fills a gaping hole in our defensive line and gives Henry Jordan one hell of a ferocious partner.

Still, Koepfer should improve with playing time and after switching positions, Plump is already a brighter prospect than Larry Vargo. Alford could turn into a decent backup. Reeves could become a 3rd down back and already has established his supremacy as a passing down back and a possible special teams player.

So maybe this class isn't as bad as I fear. Only time will tell.

[Izulde]

Brown, Ed 3 QB 14 31 31 2 yrs
Unitas, Johnny 2 QB 11 80 80 3 yrs
Slaughter, Mickey 8 QB 3 13 50 3 yrs
Berry, Bob 13 QB 2 21 47 3 yrs
Schweickert, Bob 12 QB 1 12 40 3 yrs

I've officially given up on Slaughter. He'll go down as a big-time 1st round bust. Unitas is already starting to slip, but even with the slight drop, he's still one of the top QBs in the entire league. Berry keeps quietly improving and is making a push to establish himself as the top backup, perhaps an eventual successor to Johnny U. Schweickert is blah all around. He and Slaughter will hit the inactive list. Brown is still pissed about not being a starter, but he should get over it now that Unitas is here.


Hornung, Paul 48 RB 9 42 42 5 yrs
Cooper, Bill 28 RB 5 36 36 2 yrs
Reeves, Dan 39 RB 1 25 37 4 yrs
Scales, Charlie 41 FB 6 41 41 3 yrs

Well, it didn't take Hornung long to hit the wall. That 24 endurance really sucks, especially with the cap room he eats. Luckily Cooper's a capable backup and Reeves will take over the passing down duties, possibly even the 3rd down back spot so that Hornung's tank can be preserved as much as possible. Reeves could also be one of our special teams guys this year. I seem to be pretty good at finding value RBs in the 4th round so far *makes mental note to update Skydog thread when he gets further along*. Cooper and Reeves are both 4th round guys, after all.

Scales is a great pickup at FB. Can run block like nobody's business and makes a terrific receiver out of the backfield.


Davis, Rod 83 TE 7 37 37 1 yr.
Ingram, Riddick 86 TE 6 37 37 2 yrs
Frazier, Charlie 88 FL 4 45 45 1 yr.
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 2 44 63 3 yrs
Brown, Scottie 82 FL 1 0 16 3 yrs
Dugan, Fred 81 SE 9 37 37 1 yr.
Coolbaugh, Bob 15 SE 5 30 30 1 yr.
Ballman, Gary 89 SE 4 48 48 6 yrs

Ingram guarantees he'll stay on after acquiring mentor status. I'm looking for Warfield to absolutely explode this year after going to the summer league and continuing to make gains. Ballman continues his creep upwards and between him and Warfield, we have a pretty scary pair of receivers, I think.

Frazier's a terrific 3rd receiver and could start for quite a few teams. Dugan will be a solid 4th man and Coolbaugh will occupy his usual 5th receiver role while mentoring Warfield. Brown is an inactive listing, because he's 0 current in punt returns.


Yates, Robert 55 C 6 35 35 1 yr.
Engram, Ken 51 C 9 36 36 1 yr.
Bland, Oronde 57 C 6 47 47 3 yrs
Alford, Mike 56 C 1 13 27 3 yrs
Thurston, Fuzzy 73 LG 10 57 57 4 yrs
Mathias, Mark 60 LG 6 30 41 3 yrs
Simon, Jim 64 RG 3 35 35 1 yr.
McCoy, Lloyd 67 RG 2 24 40 3 yrs
Skoronski, Bob 76 LT 10 36 36 1 yr.
Plunkett, Sherman 63 RT 10 58 58 1 yr.
Koepfer, Dick 66 RT 1 19 54 4 yrs

Skoronski-Thurston-Bland-Simon-Plunkett for one more season. Skoronski won't be asked back and Plunkett's fate is still up in the air. Engram will back up and serve as Mr. Chemistry again. I'll probably extend him for one more season. Mathias will back up LG, McCoy RG, in hopes of keeping Mathias healthy and seeing what McCoy can bring to the table, though he sucks as a passblocker.

Koepfer gets to back up both tackle spots and if he develops enough, I envision the possibility of making him the starting RT next year and re-signing Plunkett to shift over to the left side. That's far from a certainty, however.


Seedborg, John 18 P 2 38 42 2 yrs
Van Raaphorst, Dick 6 K 2 32 33 2 yrs

Not enthused with either one of these guys and they could be replaced after this year. Then again, there is that memory of Allen Green....


Schau, Mark 98 LDE 7 41 41 4 yrs
Stafford, Dick 71 RDE 4 24 24 1 yr.
Brumm, Don 75 RDE 3 42 42 2 yrs
Jordan, Henry 91 LDT 9 62 62 3 yrs
Reichenberg, Kelly 99 LDT 6 41 41 1 yr.
Culpepper, Penguin 77 RDT 11 32 32 2 yrs
Gunnels, Riley 92 RDT 7 35 35 1 yr.
Johnson, Walter 72 RDT 1 41 47 4 yrs

Schau-Jordan-Johnson-Brumm across the front four. We've gone from having a hole at DT, to being very strong there. Stafford will back both DE spots, but the 2nd round bust will be gone after this season. Reichenberg is Jordan's backup, with Culpepper barely edging out Gunnels to back our exciting rookie. Gunnels will be the extra goal-line DT.


Bobo, Hubert 90 MLB 9 40 40 1 yr.
Lloyd, Dave 93 MLB 7 68 68 4 yrs
Spiva, Aaron 95 SLB 6 39 39 1 yr.
Houston, Jim 58 SLB 6 43 50 1 yr.
Gursky, Albert 96 WLB 4 34 34 1 yr.


Houston switches from the weak side to the strong side, as Spiva seems to have finally downgraded to where he's best as a backup, especially with his 0 Endurance. Gursky seriously intrigues me. He's grown into a great chemistry guy and though he hasn't been that spectacular on the field, he showed significant improvement last year after being inactive all of 1963. I may sign another outside linebacker in free agency to back up Gursky, what with Spiva's endurance issues.

Lloyd is still a beast despite that horrible injury and Bobo will be good as a one year rental. We could see a lot of changes at this position group next season. Spiva won't be back and I'm still debating on Houston. Gursky will return, as he's proven a suprisingly effective leader.


Sample, Johnny 43 LCB 8 65 65 3 yrs
Cross, Irv 40 RCB 5 46 46 1 yr.
Starks, Marshall 29 RCB 3 28 32 2 yrs
Warner, Charley 30 RCB 3 13 17 1 yr.

Sample and Cross will start, Starks the nickel, Warner to return punts. I debated long and hard about whether or not to give Cross an extension, but it's pretty damn difficult to dismiss a 29.2 yard career average kick return that's topped the 30 yard average milestone in 2 seasons out of 4 and he's still a good cornerback.

By the way, I think there's a bug. Cross should be #1 in Miami history for kick return yards and it's not showing up on his player card. Come to think of it, it's not showing up for Sample, either, who's the far and away #2. I'll have to mention that, even though it was probably fixed in 6.0e, which I haven't updated to yet.


Fichtner, Ross 32 SS 6 58 58 1 yr.
Walters, Tom 34 SS 2 20 43 3 yrs
Fleming, Don 24 FS 7 55 55 5 yrs
Vargo, Larry 49 FS 4 21 27 1 yr.
Plump, Dave 36 FS 1 20 47 3 yrs

Fichtner and Fleming get the starting spots again. Walters backs up Fichtner and Plump backs up Fleming and becomes the new dime back. Vargo gets to park his ass on the inactive list.

I have to think about it, because he's been a bit of a letdown in the pass defending game, although he was a tackle machine last year, but I finally decide to give Fitchner a 5 year, $1.35 mill. contract extension that will allow him and Fleming to stay together for another 5 seasons.

There's just something that's really nifty about watching a pair of starters play their whole careers together like that, and the affinity Fichtner has with Fleming makes me think that these two guys have become best friends off the field.

And that's just a really cool story. :)

[Izulde]

I decide to sit Johnny Unitas for the first couple preseason games so he can avoid overextending himself and ditto for Paul Hornung

Preseason

Minnesota 7 Miami 27
Bill Cooper picks up 2 rushing TDs to make the difference by himself. Bob Berry outduels Ed Brown in Round 1 of the Backup Battle. Don Brumm picks up 3 tackles, 3 assists, and 2.5 sacks to win Game MVP honors.

Don Fleming bruises his thigh bone and is questionable. He'll go on inactive as there ain't no way I'm letting an injured man start in preseason. Dave Plump starts, Larry Vargo backs up and Tom Walters is the new dime back.

Miami 10 St. Louis 13
Uh oh. Johnny Unitas was 4 for 10 in this game. and Bob Berry threw two interceptions. I smell injury. I'm really getting sick of John Seedborg's sucky punting, but don't want to try and find someone new right now.

Don Fleming is upgraded to probable, but he's the only injury we have. I guess my injury concern was a result of that scoreline from the last game, but we didn't score at all until the 4th quarter. Fleming'll sit this game out too, just to be on the safe side.

Johnny Unitas officially starts this game, Bob Berry the backup despite the turnovers last game. Paul Hornung will also start, Bill Cooper his top backup.

Miami 28 Green Bay 14
Not a blowout by any means, but Paul Hornung rushes for 77 yards and 2 TDs and Johnny Unitas has a much better game at 12-21 for 137 yards, 2 TDs, and an INT. Bob Berry is a perfect 13-13 in a reserve role. Jim Houston intercepts 2 passes.

Don Fleming will start next game. He needs to get the rust off.

San Francisco 0 Miami 16
Dolphins looking good in preseason! Johnny Unitas appears to have shaken the rust off with his 15-20 for 148 yards and a TD performance. Dick Van Raaphorst is 3/3, including a 48 yarder that gives me some small hope for him yet.

Starting RG Jim Simon is probable the next two weeks after breaking his toe, but I'll stick with him.

Regular Season

Miami 13 New England 0
So much for last year's division champions. Johnny Unitas wins Game MVP by going 20-28 for 200 yards and a TD and also scrambles twice for 30 yards, scaring me and all the Dolphins faithful. Gary Ballman picks up right where he left off last year with 9 catches for 111 yards. Dave Lloyd shows no ill effects on last year's devastating injury, amassing 8 tackles and 2 assists to go with his hurry and 2 knockdowns.

Miami 27 Tampa Bay 10
Isn't it great having a franchise QB? Johnny Unitas is the Game MVP for the second contest in a row: 27-36 for 310 yards and 2 TDs. I can't remember the last time we got a 300+ yard game out of our QBs. Gary Ballman breaks the century mark for the second game in a row with 7 catches for 111 yards and 2 TDs. Dave Lloyd also continues his hot streak with 10 tackles and an assist.

Starting SLB Jim Houston separates his shoulder and will miss at least the next game. Ernie Clark, a former 2nd round pick of the Broncos, signs on and I like his all-around game enough that he gets the start ahead of Aaron Spiva.

Miami 31 Denver 6
Can anyone stop the Johnny Unitas train? 20-32 for 190 yards and 2 TDs is an efficient outing that gives him his third straight Game MVP nod. Ernie Clark has a sensational Dolphins debut with a 16 yard interception return for a TD to go with his 4 tackles and pass defense. Don Brumm picks up 4 tackles, 3 assists, 2.5 sacks and a hurry and Henry Jordan isn't far behind at 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a hurry.

Dick Koepfer is questionable with a strained knee, but he's a backup, so he'll play on.

Miami 21 Cincinnati 14
Four straight road games, four straight victories. Johnny Unitas loses his Game MVP streak, though he is brutally accurate at 22-25 for 266 yards, a TD and an INT. Bill Cooper punches the game-winning TD across the line with 1:12 left in the 4th on a 5 yard scamper as the Bengals gave us all we could handle. Dave Lloyd exploded all over the Bengals with 12 tackles, 5 assists and a knockdown.

A bunch of niggling injuries crop up, but everyone will play through them except Jim Houston, who's been slow to recover from his separated shoulder.

Buffalo 17 Miami 34
Our archrivals are playing suprisingly well this year at 3-1, but we knock the stuffing out of them to put them down to 3-2 as we romp in our first home game of the year. Johnny Unitas is the hero of the game at 32-40 for 330 yards and 3 TDs in what may well be the finest game ever by a Dolphins QB. Gary Ballman takes advantage with 9 catches for 112 yards and a TD. Has there ever been a better 3rd round pick that I've made? I don't think so. Dick Van Raaphorst is 4/4 on field goals, including a 47 yarder. Irv Cross averages an amazing 35.3 yards on 4 kickoff returns.

You know how, when things are going really well, something terrible happens to ruin it all?

Irv Cross shreds his MCL. He'll be out 14 weeks.

Since there's a chance he'll come back, rather than IR him, I cut Scottie Brown, who won't ever amount to anything anyway and sign Harry Bonner, a journeyman 7th year CB.

Johnny Sample becomes the backup PR and main KR. Marshall Starks takes the starting RCB slot and second KR spot. Bonner is the new backup CB at both spots, goal-line RCB and nickel back.

Jim Houston's upgraded to questionable, but I'm going to hold off a bit yet.

Miami 13 Cleveland 24
We had to lose some time and at least it was to a damn good Browns team. Gary Ballman has 8 catches for an even 100 yards and a TD as Bob Berry saw extended action in this one and threw 2 INTs. Dave Lloyd tackles his way to 10 and 3 with a hurry to boot.

...I'm going to be sick. Johnny Unitas, our golden boy, our chosen one, breaks his fibula. Estimate time out: 6 weeks. :(

So now who do I go with? The second year player who's looked horrible this year? (Berry) Our once upon a time phenom who looked good last season but still can't reach his potential and likely never will? (Slaughter) The greybeard who still longs to start but who bombed in relief last year? (Brown) Or the rookie with double affinity and awkward skills? (Schweikert)

In the end, it's Bob Berry with Ed Brown second string and Mickey Slaughter third.

Pittsburgh 0 Miami 20
Believe me, this game isn't as close as it looks. Bob Berry looked awful at 13-25 for 170 yards and 2 INTs and our running game wasn't spectacular either. Credit this victory to Ross Fitchner's 2 passes defensed and 61 yard fumble return for a TD.

Ed Brown will start next game, Mickey Slaughter the backup. I'm sick of Bob Berry's interceptions. Jim Houston's ready to come back, too. FS Larry Vargo finally gets cut, after lasting longer with the team than anybody could've expected.

New England 3 Miami 29
When the old man gets mad, watch out! Ed Brown took full advantage of his first start in a long time, 16/24 for 203 yards and a TD, but the real star of the game was Dick Van Raaphorst, as our Dutch kicker was 5/5 on field goals, including a 49 yarder.

That makes us 7-1 at the halfway mark, comfortably ahead of the 6-3 Jets. 3 weeks until Johnny Unitas comes back. This is the single best halfway showing I've ever had.



Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
All-Time 48-40
Winning Pct. .545
Playoffs 0-3
Playoff Visits 3
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 26-16
Winning Pct. .619
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.3 9
Rushing Yards 108.4 12
Yards Per Carry 3.58 23
Pass Attempts 32.6 20
Completions 22.0 5 (T)
Completion Pct. 67.4 1
Passing Yards 240.1 6
Yards Per Attempt 7.36 4
Yards Per Catch 10.91 11
Total Yardage Gained 331.4 5
3rd Down Conversions 36.0 15
Points Per Game 23.5 6
Pass Rush Pct. 8.3 7 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 79.3 2
Turnovers 12 8
Turnover Margin +3 11

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 23.6 8
Rushing Yards 90.6 7
Yards Per Carry 3.84 17
Pass Attempts 36.4 27
Completions 18.6 10
Completion Pct. 51.2 2
Passing Yards 165.0 4
Yards Per Attempt 4.54 2
Yards Per Catch 8.86 2
Total Yardage Gained 242.9 3
3rd Down Conversions 29.1 7
Points Per Game 9.3 2
Pass Rush Pct. 5.8 6 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 60.5 2
Turnovers 15 15 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 13 at NED 0
2 27 at TBY 10
3 31 at DEN 6
4 21 at CIN 14
5 34 BUF 17
6 13 at CLE 24
7 20 PIT 0
9 29 NED 3
10 BAL
11 at NJY
12 CAR
13 TUC
14 ATL
15 NJY
16 at NOS
17 at BUF

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
2 J. Unitas QB 183 134 1454 7.95 10 1 112.1
13 B. Berry QB 54 26 264 4.89 0 4 31.7
3 E. Brown QB 24 16 203 8.46 1 0 106.7
**Team --- 261 176 1921 7.36 11 5 95.0
$$Opp --- 291 149 1320 4.54 5 8 57.9

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
48 P. Hornung RB 115 420 3.65 3 2
28 B. Cooper RB 92 304 3.30 3 1
39 D. Reeves RB 18 65 3.61 0 0
**Team --- 242 867 3.58 6 10
$$Opp --- 189 725 3.84 3 10

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
89 G. Ballman WR 64 42 546 13.00 8.53 2 5
85 P. Warfield WR 56 36 429 11.92 7.66 6 3
81 F. Dugan WR 35 23 285 12.39 8.14 1 1
88 C. Frazier WR 31 19 254 13.37 8.19 1 0
83 R. Davis TE 13 12 116 9.67 8.92 1 0
48 P. Hornung RB 13 11 51 4.64 3.92 0 0
86 R. Ingram TE 12 9 120 13.33 10.00 1 2
28 B. Cooper RB 15 9 36 4.00 2.40 1 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
93 D. Lloyd ILB 64 18 0.5 7 0 1 74.0
24 D. Fleming S 36 10 0.0 0 0 3 76.7
59 E. Clark OLB 28 3 0.0 0 2 2 75.6
96 A. Gursky OLB 23 4 2.5 1 0 2 74.0
32 R. Fichtner S 22 15 0.0 0 1 5 82.4
72 W. Johnson DT 17 7 1.0 3 0 0 81.8
91 H. Jordan DT 16 10 2.5 5 0 0 82.5
43 J. Sample CB 16 6 0.0 0 4 16 97.9
40 I. Cross CB 14 4 0.0 0 0 5 79.8
75 D. Brumm DE 12 6 4.5 8 0 2 84.4
29 M. Starks CB 12 5 0.0 0 1 4 82.5
90 H. Bobo ILB 11 15 0.0 0 0 0 72.8
58 J. Houston OLB 9 2 0.0 0 0 3 81.7
98 M. Schau DE 9 6 2.0 7 0 0 81.5
33 H. Bonner CB 8 3 0.0 0 0 3 86.9

Check out that fantastic defense. Changing coordinators was a good thing. Johnny Sample is a true shutdown corner. 4 interceptions and 16 passes defensed in the first half and a 97.9 pass defense %! :eek: To put it in perspective, 4 interceptions is his season career high and 18 passes defensed is his season career high.

I'm sure those numbers will come down in the second half, but god damn, is that ever sweet!

Johnny Unitas shows there's no such thing as old age by having an insane 10:1 TD to INT ratio. When he comes back from injury, if he can maintain that pace, it'll be his best season since 1962!

Of course, having our corps of receivers has a lot to do with it. Gary Ballman is on pace to become the first Dolphin to have 1,000 yards receiving in consecutive seasons and the first Dolphins receiver to reach double digit TD receptions in a season. Paul Warfield, though with too many drops for my liking, is a rising star and Charlie Frazier and Fred Dugan would be starters on quite a few teams.

The running game hasn't been too impressive this year and we'll probably be looking for a replacement for Paul Hornung soon. Just as a point of comparison: Hornung has 1,413 career carries, Cooper 1,020. Lenny Moore, who's been in the league a year longer than Hornung and who went to the Jets, has 1,773 career carries and is still a powerful force with New Jersey, with higher attributes than Hornung.

I suspect the difference is in part due to endurance: Hornung has 24 Endurance, Moore 58. Since Cooper has an endurace of 42 and has been a split-time back most of his career besides, I'm hoping he'll be in the Moore mold and able to stay our top backup for a long time.

Marshall Starks has been suprisingly adequate in relief of Irv Cross and may turn out better than expected. Our pass rush is looking a little grim right now, but you can't deny the effectiveness of our defense and Don Brumm is on pace to have a career year.

Our offensive line is looking rough on run-blocking, except for Oronde Bland, who continues to be our most consistent offensive lineman. Our pass blocking is terrific, except for Sherman Plunkett, who's having a serious down season in a contract year. Dick Koepfer is making rapid progress in his development and is a prime candidate to start at RT next season if his pace holds up.

[nilodor]

Sample's numbers are insane, I have never seen anyone with a percentage even close to that high. I just checked one of my long dynasties and Ken Riley had a 93.9 in 1975 (dynasty is in 2010) for the single season record. Man that is impressive. At least you lost Unitis in week 6 not 16. How's the rest of your conference looking? You going to rest Unitis the last couple of weeks if you manage a bye?

[Izulde]

Sample's numbers are insane, I have never seen anyone with a percentage even close to that high. I just checked one of my long dynasties and Ken Riley had a 93.9 in 1975 (dynasty is in 2010) for the single season record. Man that is impressive. At least you lost Unitis in week 6 not 16. How's the rest of your conference looking? You going to rest Unitis the last couple of weeks if you manage a bye?

Just a fun tidbit: Sample was the #5 cornerback in the league in current rating when I got him back in 1961. He's still the #10 cornerback in current rating and is a definite shutdown corner.

He's tied for 2nd in all-time pass defenses too.

Now, that being said, he broke the 90s in the first half at least one other season to and finished with 86.3% or something like that, so I predict that he'll take a drop here too. Whether it'll be enough to set the record is up in the air. 93.0% is the single-season pass defense record in my universe, set in 1963 by St. Louis's Freddy Glick, one of 4 players to break the 90% milestone in a season thus far in this universe.

We hold the #1 record in the AFC right now, but there's a slew of 6-2 and 6-3 teams, including three 6-2 teams in the AFC West!

Teams chasing us:
Baltimore (6-2) - I told you I loved what they did this offseason and the Ravens are proving me right.
Oakland (6-2)
Denver (6-2)
Kansas City (6-2)
New Jersey (6-3)
Cleveland (6-3)

The Raiders currently own the tiebreaker in the AFC West, but obviously those teams are going to beat up on each other.

Johnny Unitas presently leads in QB rating with 112.1, but Bart Starr is right behind him at 102.5 and has an amazing 13 touchdowns to 0 INTs ratio. That's even more incredible considering Starr has garbage for receivers relative to Unitas.

Naturally I'm going to sit Unitas until he's fully and completely healthy. I probably won't sit him the last two weeks if we clinch a bye because I don't want him getting rusty, but if the playoff situation doesn't matter any which way, he'll definitely sit the last game.

[Izulde]

Baltimore 10 Miami 24
As fate would have it, we square off against the Starr-led Ravens, only they're starcrossed this game. Baltimore can't find a running game and when Bart Starr tries to do it by himself, this is the result: 17-42 for 169 yards and an INT. Those 5 sacks didn't help him out either.

Meanwhile, Ed Brown is the one who looked like a franchise QB today: 31-38 for 300 yards and 3 TDs. Evidently he was justified at being mad about the whole Mickey Slaughter situation. Not to worry, Ed! You'll be our top backup when Johnny U comes back.

Naturally Gary Ballman is the big receiver with 9 catches for 122 yards and a TD. Don Brumm continues his terrific year with 2 tackles, 2 sacks, a block, 4 hurries and a knockdown. Johnny Sample imitates Irving Cross with a 33 yard kick return average and Marshall Stark and Don Fleming both defend 3 passes, with Fleming tacking on an interception besides.

Miami 17 New Jersey 30
We've been seriously lucky to keep winning without Johnny U and today's the day our luck runs out. Dave Lloyd goes bananas with 15 tackles, an assist and a knockdown and Ross Fitchner records 9 tackles, 4 assists, a sack and a pass defense to be our only stars of the game.

Carolina 10 Miami 30
We draw a cupcake in our last game sans Unitas and we cream-puff them behind a balanced offense led by Ed Brown's laser 15-19 for 187 yards and a TD. Dave Lloyd heads up the defense with 9 tackles, an assist, a sack, a block and a pass defense.

Tucson 9 Miami 27
The layoff shows, as Johnny Unitas is a mortal 15-24 for 225 yards and a TD in his debut, but it's more than enough to get us the win. Ross Fitchner wins Game MVP with 4 tackles, 3 assists, 2 interceptions and 3 pass defenses.

Charlie Frazier strains his quad and is questionable for the next game. We're still not certain of grabbing home-field advantage however, as our 10-2 record is just a game ahead of the 9-3 Kansas City Chiefs. Besides, I really don't want to have to throw in a street free agent at wide receiver unless it's absolutely necessary.

Atlanta 6 Miami 34
A creampuff dessert is just what Johnny Unitas needed to shake the cobwebs off as he pummels the pathetic Falcons: 26-35 for 316 yards and 3 TDs. Harry Bonner, speaking of street free agent pickups, grabs 2 interceptions this game to make up half of the 4 we get as a team. He's been a shockingly effective force in the nickel package.

Charley Warner is done as a Dolphin after this year. I don't care that he's #1 all time in punt return yardage, he's averaging 6.7 yards this year and looks really lost out there.

One more win should be enough to clinch home-field advantage throughout.

New Jersey 0 Miami 26
Wow. Neither the offense nor the defense wanted the Jets to spoil our fun again and they lower the boom on the team that's arguably been the most consistently good franchise in our nascent division. Johnny Unitas is 22-40 for 320 yards and 2 TDs to notch his second straight 300+ yard passing game. Charlie Frazier comes out of nowhere to grab 7 balls for 134 yards.

...And of course, with that amazing effort, Charlie Frazier aggravates his quad muscle enough that he's out for the year. Damn it!

Fred Dugan moves over to backup flanker, Bob Coolbaugh slides in as the backup split end and chemistry signing Jerry Richardson becomes the emergency 5th receiver.

I'm not for certain if that win was enough to clinch home field advantage or not, so I decide to have Johnny Unitas play one more game to ensure the rust stays off and we get that all-important win.

Miami 36 New Orleans 7
The Big Easy is an easy place to win, thanks to 4 different players getting an interception, Dick Van Raaphorst blasting 5/5 FGs and Game MVP Henry Jordan finally having a breakout game with 4 tackles, an assist, 3 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns.

With that win, we have home-field advantage locked up and repeat as AFC East Division Champions!!!!.

Johnny Unitas sits the last game, as does Paul Hornung, who has some knee tendinitis bugging him. I'm curious to see what Dan Reeves can do with more carries anyway. He's had a seriously intriguing rookie season.

Miami 27 Buffalo 31
The Bills win the booby prize of 9-7 and no playoffs, thereby guaranteeing themselves a crappy 1st round pick unless they got someone else's along the way. Dan Reeves continues to intrigue with his 4.00 average on carries today. Ed Brown was 24-39 for 275 yards, a TD, and an INT, so it's not like he played horribly or anything. Johnny Sample averages 30.2 yards on kick returns.

So we've secured home-field advantage and didn't have any major new injuries. Paul Hornung will be 100% by our first playoff game, but that's not the best news.

The best news is that Irv Cross is probable and will be able to play for us in the postseason.

Our nightmare secondary is back.

[Izulde]

In AFC Wildcard action, the Cleveland Browns upset the Starr-led Ravens 29-23 and the Blanda-less Oilers beat our division foes, the Jets, 23-17.

I would've loved to have seen a Starr vs. Unitas matchup in the divisional round, but instead we draw the Cleveland Browns, who have consistently been one of the top teams in the league, but who just can't seem to win the Super Bowl.

The Browns have a fearsome offense, led by great QB Len Dawson and a little RB they call Jim Brown, who has 6 straight seasons of 1,000+ yards rushing, including this year despite missing 3 games due to injury. Bobby Mitchell is a star WR, with 6 straight years of 1,000+ yards receiving, but the wide receivers outside of him really suck. Cleveland has an extremely solid offensive line that looks a lot like ours.

Defense is where things start to break a little bit. DE Verlon Biggs, the #6 overall pick in the draft, had a very good rookie year and NT Wesley Evans is pretty good, as is SILB Lee Roy Jordan, a 3rd year player taken by the Browns is the second round, but the rest of the front seven is mediocre.

The secondary is pretty bad, with SS Jimmy Patton the only truly good player. CB Nemiah Wilson, the Browns' 2nd round pick in the most recent draft, will be good some day, maybe even great, but he's not there yet.

All in all, I'd count this game as very winnable. Johnny Unitas and our talented receiving corps have the ability to shred that weak secondary and give us enough power to win the shootout this could turn into. Mitchell could be difficult, but the rest of our secondary should eat their receivers alive, which could mean that Cleveland will try and turn this into a low-scoring game, backed by Brown.

Incidentally, we're favored by 5.

The game turns into a QB duel as Johnny Unitas and Len Dawson are both on the top of their games, but their FG kicker is better than our Dutchman and Paul Hornung fumbles at an inopportune time so we're down 20-14 going into the final quarter.

Dick Van Raaphorst finally hits his first FG of the day midway through the 4th and we close the gap to 20-17, but then with just under 4 minutes to go, Dawson finds Bobby Mitchell for 6 yards and points, giving Mitchell 100 receiving yards on the day. 27-17.

30 seconds later, thanks to some brilliant passing by Unitas, Paul Warfield gets a TD reception and we're still very much in this thing at 27-24.

We stop them on the ensuing drive and get the ball back at the 2 minute warning. The script is set for another miracle Unitas comeback.

But then, 3 plays later, Johnny U throws his first interception of the game.

And down we go, 27-24. The crowd is stunned and we're all heartbroken on the sidelines.

Our miracle season is over. :(

Johnny Unitas was great outside of that INT, though. 27-35 for 261 yards and 3 TDs to go with that pick. Len Dawson was his equal and the Game MVP at 25-33 for 274 yards and 2 TDs.

Bobby Mitchell had 8 catches for 100 yards and that critical TD, countered on our side by Gary Ballman's 7 receptions for 111 yards and a TD himself.

This game came down to turnovers, not only the Unitas interception, but two fumbles by our running backs. It also pointed to the Ks, where Dick Van Raaphorst was just 1-3, whereas Cleveland's K was 2/2.

This loss is just absolutely crushing. But it was also a thrilling, beautiful game for fans to watch. Two very evenly matched teams going head to head, where things went just enough the Browns' way to win the game.

We have nothing to be ashamed of.

[nilodor]

This is totally how I think my current Lions season is going to go. Look great during the regular season after years of mediocracy, reach new levels of hope, only to get smoked in the playoffs. Hopefully you can get a couple more good years outta Unitas. I figure kickers blow 2 games a season, unfortunately yours chose to decide this one. How'd he do during the season.

[Izulde]

This is totally how I think my current Lions season is going to go. Look great during the regular season after years of mediocracy, reach new levels of hope, only to get smoked in the playoffs. Hopefully you can get a couple more good years outta Unitas. I figure kickers blow 2 games a season, unfortunately yours chose to decide this one. How'd he do during the season.

38/43 (88.4%), 6/9 (66.7%) from 40+, 0/1 from 50+. This compares to 25/34 (73.5%), 3/9 (33.3%) from 40+, 0/2 from 50+ his rookie year. So he's definitely improving. Not quite in Allen Green territory, who finally broke out and kicked 85.7% of his FG, 72.7% from 40+ (16/22) and 4/6 from 50+ (66.7%), but he might get there.

Incidentally, Green's year for the Dallas Cowboys was the only time he's even come close to hitting 80%. In fact, when he joined Houston in 1964, the year after we released him, he converted just 71.5% of his field goals.

So right now, I'd say the Dutchman looks like one of those guys who'll be pretty accurate most of the time unless you try from anything beyond 50. I can handle that.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl VI
Los Angeles 30 Cleveland 27
What a thriller! In the last 3 minutes of the game, both kickers made a 50+ yard field goal, 53 for the Rams and 54 for the Browns before Lou Michaels of the Rams hit his 2nd field goal in three minutes with 4 seconds remaining in the game, a 23 yard chipshot to give Los Angeles the victory!

The win puts the Rams at 1-1 in the Super Bowl (They lost to the Colts in Super Bowl IV), whereas the poor Browns are now 0-3 in the biggest game on earth. There've been a lot of incredible Super Bowls in the six we've seen so far and this is one of them.

Extensions
I made a few extensions to players about to head into free agency and there's a few others I wanted to extend, but they were playing hardball in negotiations. Nonetheless I did get some done:

WLB Albert Gursky 3 years, $250k
C Ken Engram 3 years, $340k
LT Bob Skoronski 3 years, $810k
SLB Jim Houston 4 years, $900k

I overpaid somewhat for Houston and Skoronski, but Skoronski's been quite good for us and well, I'm still not sure what made me extend Houston, except maybe that he's still got a bit of upside and he did pretty well in his first year on the strong side.

Gursky and Engram were chemistry signings as I like what they bring affinity-wise to the team.

The final team stats:


Record 13-4
Winning Pct. .764
All-Time 54-42
Winning Pct. .562
Playoffs 0-4
Playoff Visits 4
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 32-19
Winning Pct. .627
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 31.8 5
Rushing Yards 106.6 19
Yards Per Carry 3.35 32
Pass Attempts 32.4 21
Completions 21.3 8 (T)
Completion Pct. 65.8 2
Passing Yards 244.5 6
Yards Per Attempt 7.55 4
Yards Per Catch 11.47 5
Total Yardage Gained 337.4 6
3rd Down Conversions 38.2 9
Points Per Game 25.6 1
Pass Rush Pct. 9.1 2 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 81.7 1
Turnovers 19 2
Turnover Margin +12 4 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 23.3 5
Rushing Yards 93.1 8
Yards Per Carry 3.99 22
Pass Attempts 34.7 24
Completions 17.4 2
Completion Pct. 50.1 1
Passing Yards 156.9 1
Yards Per Attempt 4.52 1
Yards Per Catch 9.03 2
Total Yardage Gained 231.6 1
3rd Down Conversions 27.6 3
Points Per Game 11.1 1
Pass Rush Pct. 6.1 5 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 60.7 1
Turnovers 31 8 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 13 at NED 0
2 27 at TBY 10
3 31 at DEN 6
4 21 at CIN 14
5 34 BUF 17
6 13 at CLE 24
7 20 PIT 0
9 29 NED 3
10 24 BAL 10
11 17 at NJY 30
12 30 CAR 10
13 27 TUC 9
14 34 ATL 6
15 26 NJY 0
16 36 at NOS 7
17 27 at BUF 31
$$CS 24 CLE 27

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
2 J. Unitas QB 320 216 2557 7.99 17 2 106.7
3 E. Brown QB 144 99 1091 7.58 8 1 106.5
13 B. Berry QB 54 26 264 4.89 0 4 31.7
**Team --- 518 341 3912 7.55 25 7 98.8
$$Opp --- 555 278 2510 4.52 9 21 52.3

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
48 P. Hornung RB 233 751 3.22 7 3
28 B. Cooper RB 210 662 3.15 8 2
39 D. Reeves RB 40 177 4.43 0 0
**Team --- 509 1706 3.35 15 24
$$Opp --- 373 1489 3.99 9 18

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
89 G. Ballman WR 124 77 1049 13.62 8.46 9 8
85 P. Warfield WR 104 70 900 12.86 8.65 8 4
81 F. Dugan WR 67 41 554 13.51 8.27 1 4
88 C. Frazier WR 64 40 545 13.63 8.52 2 3
86 R. Ingram TE 30 22 280 12.73 9.33 1 2
48 P. Hornung RB 27 21 124 5.90 4.59 2 0
83 R. Davis TE 26 20 185 9.25 7.12 3 2
28 B. Cooper RB 26 18 87 4.83 3.35 2 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
93 D. Lloyd ILB 109 30 1.5 10 0 3 75.0
32 R. Fichtner S 62 30 1.0 0 4 11 84.1
24 D. Fleming S 57 21 0.0 0 3 11 82.9
96 A. Gursky OLB 42 12 3.0 1 0 4 73.7
91 H. Jordan DT 38 18 7.5 15 0 0 81.8
59 E. Clark OLB 36 4 0.0 0 3 3 77.4
58 J. Houston OLB 35 13 2.5 1 1 5 80.9
43 J. Sample CB 34 12 0.0 0 5 27 92.1
72 W. Johnson DT 32 17 4.0 6 0 1 82.5
98 M. Schau DE 30 9 9.0 12 0 0 81.5
75 D. Brumm DE 29 12 9.0 18 0 2 81.9
29 M. Starks CB 29 11 0.0 2 2 11 84.0
90 H. Bobo ILB 24 20 1.0 0 0 0 75.7
33 H. Bonner CB 20 8 0.0 0 3 4 85.3

Changing defensive coordinators really was a brilliant move. We didn't make much in the way of changes to our personnel and yet we turn in arguably the top defensive performance in the league.

Johnny Sample didn't break any records, but he did tie Freddy Glick for most passes defensed in a season and his 92.1% pass defense is #2 all-time for a season, behind Glick.

Dan Lloyd becomes the first player to have 100+ tackles a season for two years in a Dolphins uni and Mark Schau had his usual second-half breakout, but both he and Don Brumm fell short of the double-digit sack mark again.

Gary Ballman misses out on double-digit TDs, but does become the first Dolphins receiver ever to post consecutive 1,000 yards receiving seasons and Paul Warfield nearly joins him. I'll take the 9 drops as a pill to swallow for Ballman's productivity and fan favorite status. Warfield did indeed have the kind of rapidly improved season I hoped for and they may both break 1,000 yards next year.

Paul Hornung and Bill Cooper aren't the greatest 1-2 punch in the world, but at least they don't fumble much and can find the endzone. Dan Reeves will get a much closer look next training camp. We'll also be eyeing the RBs in the draft to see if we can find someone late in the 1st who can be our starter the next 10 years.

Johnny Unitas and Ed Brown may be old, but they played brilliantly this year, especially Brown, who was absolutely fantastic in relief of Johnny U when our star signing got hurt. Our QB situation is -still- muddled for the future, however, so anything's possible.

John Seedborg's punting averaged sucked, but he coffin-corners it about a 1/3 of the time, so he may stick around. The Dutchman kicker I discussed in the previous post.

On the offensive line, Bob Skoronski and Oronde Bland had their usual steady seasons. Fuzzy Thurston and Sherman Plunkett were absolutely terrible and Jim Simon improved signifantly over last season. Mark Mathias was fantastic, Lloyd McCoy wretched. Dick Koepfer made major strides in development and actually did a little better than Plunkett.

Overall, I'd count T and RB as our biggest priorities in the offseason and draft. DE depth will be a concern as well, since Dick Stafford isn't coming back.

Season Awards

K Dick Van Raaphorst - 2nd Team All-Pro K

Heh. Want to know who was 1st Team All-Pro K? That's right, Allen Green. I'm not going to hear the end of that one, I think.

Johnny Sample gets screwed hard. So what if he only had 5 interceptions? The guy defended passes left and right and had a terrific pass defense percentage. I can see maybe why he didn't make the 1st Team, cuz both those CBs had double digit interception totals, both the 2nd team guys had 6 and 5 INTs respectively.

W.T.F!

I'm pissed, I'm seriously pissed about Sample getting punked like that. Stupid, bitch-ass voters.

Anyway, Bart Starr wins MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in his new purple and black uniform. DE Carl Eller - New York Giants wins Defensive Player of the Year. Offensive Rookie of the Year is RB Cannonball Butler - Buffalo Bills and Defensive Rookie of the Year goes to DE Roy Hilton - Philadelphia Eagles.

Gale Sayers for those wondering, like me, slightly bettered Butler on yardage, YPC and 100+ rushing games, but had 3 fewer TDs and 4 more fumbles.

Staff Hiring:

Offensive Coordinator Jared Thamilarasan goes from Very Good to Excellent in OL.

Defensive Coordinator Royce Womble rolls up a double improvement!, from Average[/b to [b]Good in LB and from Good to Very Good in Young Talent.

Head Coach Tyrus Treftz also double improves, from Good to Very Good in Motivation and Discipline.

Treftz is also out of contract, so I need to do my damndest to re-sign him, as I love this staff and want to keep it together as long as possible.

He wants 3 years, $480k/yr, so I offer him 4 years, $550k. The owner approves that offer wholeheartedly because of the results he's produced and Tyrus signs the contract so fast it's unbelievable.

Free agency later tonight or tomorrow after work.

[Izulde]

Very tough choice between Dick Koepfer and Dave Plump for the summer league. They both have about the same amount of gap between their current and potential, but on the other hand Koepfer could start at RT this year or in a couple years, whereas Plump will be sitting behind Ross Fitchner and Don Fleming for quite a while yet, so Koepfer it is.

Shit. Charlie Frazier is an unrestricted free agent. On the bright side, Jim Simon, who I wanted to bring back is a RFA. He's really the only RFA I have an interest in bringing back, too, as Charley Warner, leader in all-time punt return yardage aside, really tanked it last year.

Week 1 Re-signings
RG Jim Simon 3 years, $260k

By the numbers
TE, 2 WR, 2 DL, 2 LB - 7 new bodies

It's a pretty weak free agent market this year unless you're looking for C, FB, or S, but we'll see what we can pull out of it. Charlie Frazier's the top WR available, much to my chagrin.

Week 2 Signings
DE Pat Holmes 4 years, $2.24 mill. (Tampa Bay)
-A slight overpay for a guy who's only started two years, his rookie season and last year, but he did break 10 sacks last season and he'll take over on the right side for Don Brumm, who will shift to backup until he gets more experience on the left side and can replace Mark Schau.

Week 3 Signings
WR Gail Cogdill 3 years, $320k (Minnesota)
-Mentor split end who turns into the new receivers leader and gives us a Paul Warfield affinity. Basically he's here to fulfill Fred Dugan's old playing and leadership role, while being Bob Coolbaugh's mentor replacement.

WR Charlie Frazier 3 years, $300k Re-Signing
-Although the money's low and although he's only a backup, retaining Frazier was damn high on my priority list. He's terrific insurance in case something bad happens to somebody and he's a fantastic slot receiver in the event that we all stay healthy.

MLB Artie Kondovski 1 year, $90k (Atlanta)
-Brilliant run-stopper mentor who will back up Dave Lloyd and take over in goal-line situations. A great depth signing.

Week 4 Losses
T Sherman Plunkett 2 years, $790k (Green Bay)
-Sherman was much maligned during his tenure in Miami, but he did give us a solid tackle overall in his years here. Just like he did when he initially signed that long deal with us, he goes to a team that's in building mode.

DT Kelly Reichenberg 1 year, $90k (Indianapolis)
-Tried to re-sign him, but he was pissed about the rookie Walter Johnson starting ahead of him so he refused. Too bad for him, as Johnson put in a respectable rookie season and looks to be even better this year.

Week 6 Signings
TE Bob Crespino 1 year, $90k (New Orleans)
-Good blocking tight end who will make a capable backup for Riddick Ingram this year.

DT Walter Napier 1 year, $90k (Carolina)
-Temporary new defensive front leader who has a couple affinities. Solid reserve guy who can back up both spots. Very much a Penguin Culpepper type.

Week 7 Signings
OLB Maxie Baughan 4 years, $2.86 mill. (Philadelphia)
-The best talent available in free agency this year, he'll slide over to the weak side and allow Albert Gursky to drop back into his more suitable backup role. I can hardly wait to see what this pass-rushing maestro brings to the Dolphins.

Week 7 Losses
MLB Hubert Bobo 1 year, $90k (San Francisco)
-Adequate reserve for us last season, but nothing spectacular.

SLB Aaron Spiva 1 year, $80k (Kansas City)
-5 year starter for us who was once upon a time the heart of the defense, but then we got a lot more talented in the linebacking corps and soon there just wasn't a place for him, as evidenced by his appearing in just 7 games last season. I'll miss this original Dolphin, but I wish him the best of luck with the Chiefs.

Week 8 Signings
CB Jim Shorter 1 year, $90k (New Orleans)
-Not as brilliant a punt returner as Charley Warner, but a much more capable corner in terms of depth. It's a fair tradeoff, in my opinion.

That ends my first stage free agency shopping. Since I filled all my numbers needs, I'll really be able to concentrate on a Best Player Available approach in the draft.

We don't have any really glaring holes in my opinion, but we need T depth and an heir to Paul Hornung at RB. Oh yeah, an eventual successor to Johnny Unitas would be nice too.

I notice we're just $560k under the cap after our free agent spree, so I do some contract renegotiating to give us breathing room.

I get our margin up to $890k, which should be enough for us to sign our draftees, but not much more.

Draft coming up next post!

[Izulde]

The 1966 draft class is oddly fitting, given that I'm running the draft the same night I ran my 1904 free agency and the 1st 2 rounds of the draft in my OOTP 6.5 league where I control all the teams (fictional, with modern era settings FWIW).

Really bland free agent class and even more boring draft class.

Bland and boring are perfect words to describe the 1966 class in my opinion. Low on name star power at least from my limited knowledge of football history and only a few guys who look really good.

G Gale Gillingham and CB Emmitt Thomas are the consensus top two players in the draft and the bottom really drops out after that in my mind. If I had the 1st pick, I'd grab Thomas. If I were picking anything other than #1, I'd trade down as far as I could.

The best value in this draft is going to come late in the 1st, I'm thinking. In fact, there's a number of tackle prospects I'm considering at #30. Beyond that, this is seriously looking like a prime opportunity to trade off a bunch of picks and try to get an extra 1st rounder next year.

1966 NFL Draft 1st Round

1. QB George Wilson - Green Bay Packers

:eek: This once proud franchise is really going to the dogs. Two straight years of the #1 pick, two straight years of picking a QB. Honestly, they drafted Joe Namath last year. What the fuck are the Packers doing taking a guy who's nowhere near worthy of the #1 pick? Stupid, stupid move.

...But maybe they'll be dumb enough to give me next year's 1st round pick. We'll wait and see.

2. WR Ben Hawkins - Atlanta Falcons
3. RB Emerson Boozer - Washington Redskins
4. QB Randy Johnson - Indianapolis Colts
5. CB Emmitt Thomas - Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers get the... steal, heh, of the opening picks here, though to be fair, all of the selections except Hawkins did make sense from a need standpoint. Pittsburgh just happened to get lucky with Thomas falling to them.

6. QB Rick Norton - New York Giants
7. QB Steve Sloan - Atlanta Falcons through New Orleans Saints

Wow. I can't believe anybody would be aggressive in this particular draft. The Saints pick up the Falcons' 1968 1st and 3rd round picks, as well as Atlanta's 3rd rounder in this draft.

8. G Gale Gillingham - Carolina Panthers
9. G John Wilbur - Pittsburgh Steelers
10. DE Rich Jackson - Cincinnati Bengals
11. G Tom Mack - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
12. ILB Fred Forsberg - Chicago Bears
13. RB Mike Garrett - Minnesota Vikings
14. WR Gary Garrison - Atlanta Falcons through Oakland Raiders

The Falcons are the new Jaguars. The Raiders being who they are, they only get Atlanta's 2nd rounders in 1967 and 1968, as well as the Falcons' 4th rounder in '68. Way to screw the market, Oakland. :mad:

15. DT Don Davis - Tucson Titans
16. CB Ken Reaves - Atlanta Falcons through Houston Oilers

Sheesh! The Dirty Birds give up their 1967 1st rounder and 4th rounder along with their 4th rounder in this draft. Hey, Atlanta? Just so you know, the Jaguars didn't turn into a top team either by going this route.

17. OLB Dan Buffone - Buffalo Bills
18. RB Johnny Roland - Pittsburgh Steelers
19. DE Pete Duranko - Kansas City Chiefs
20. G Pat Matson - New York Giants
21. DE Willie Townes - Detroit Lions
22. CB Goldie Sellers - Dallas Cowboys
23. RB Bobby Burnett - New Jersey Jets
24. RB Craig Baynham - Baltimore Ravens
25. CB Joe Beauchamp - St. Louis Cardinals
26. G Randy Beisler - Philadelphia Eagles
27. G Elmer Collett - Washington Redskins through Houston Oilers

The Oilers get the Redskins' 2nd rounder and Washington's 5th rounders in 1967 and 1968. Washington's 2nd rounder is at 2.1, so it's only a 7 slot drop, hence why the relatively low additions.

28. ILB Dan Gulseth - San Francisco 49ers
29. RB Randy Minnear - Denver Broncos

Well, here we are at pick #30 with not even a single tackle off the board. Then again, looking at the available tackles, there's just nobody who jumps out at me as a legitimate pick at this point. In fact, the two guys I like best have second round grades.

So it's off to go trade shopping.

I offer the Packers our 1st round pick this year for their first rounder next year as a starting point for trade negotiations... and they accept it straight up! :eek: I'm not complaining, considering what a hard ass the AI normally is in trades, but hot damn! We may get our franchise QB next year after all!

30. G Jim Vellone - Green Bay Packers
31. OLB Jeff Staggs - Cleveland Browns
32. G Jim Niland - Washington Redskins through Los Angeles Rams

The Rams better me, getting the Redskins' 1967 1st round pick, their 7th round selection this draft, and their 1968 6th rounder. Not that I'm complaining. Green Bay will be worse than Washington this year, I suspect, and I don't hold a high value on late round picks at all.

At 2.30, the T I most like is still available, though a few tackles have gone off the board already. A lot more of them, who had 1st round grades, are seriously dropping. They'll drop some more as I take T Jim Battle, as he's not likely to last much longer.

There's a ton of allegedly 1st round graded talent still available in the 3rd, which leads to no less than 10 trades in the 3rd round before my pick at 3.30!. That's some serious jockeying for position. We were getting a trade just about every single pick during the mid-round.

So what are we left with by the time the swap meet ends? An interesting RB, FB, TE, G and a punt-return guru S who all could go about this time. After a closer look at my roster, I go with the TE and pick TE Tom Mitchell, who looks like he could be good enough to be Riddick Ingram's eventual replacement.

None of the players I'm looking at get taken before our next pick at 4.3 (gotten from our trade down in last year's draft). Oh, there's also a certain name K I've very tempted to take. After much hemming and hawing, I go with the S. The RB doesn't seem all that much better than Dan Reeves, the FB isn't a need area and should drop to us at 4.30 and we're already stacked with youth at G, though I'll consider him should he be there still at 4.30. We need a punt return beast and the S looks like a better contributor than Charlie Warner, so S Rodger Bird is the pick.

The G goes at 4.7 (Giants) and the RB comes off at 4.19 (Seahawks), leaving me with the FB and the K at 4.30. I really like our Dutchman, to be totally honest, though I blame Dumas's The Black Tulip, as well as an authentic Dutch girl at the University of Minnesota who was my first date at 18 and who I might've ended up having a relationship with if I hadn't sunk into that deep depression I've mentioned before on these boards.

So that means I take FB Hoyle Granger, even though it's way too early for him to go. In addition to the reasons for Dutch loyalty, H. Granger = Hermonie Granger. I think you all know the goodness of that. :D

By 5.30, the K *still* hasn't gone. I suddenly notice that I don't have a 5th receiver, so I go looking for one to resist the temptation to pick ye olde footballe kicker. WR John Roderick, who looks to have some small breakout ability, extraordinarily high intelligence, and a skillset appropriate to a 5th man, becomes our 5th round pick.

In the 6th, I notice a RB that I was hoping to be able to pick up late in the draft as he looks like a breakout candidate. Fortunately, he manages to last until 6.30, so I take RB Les Shy. If that K is still available in the 7th, I'm going to take it as a sign and draft his ass.

It's official.

It's fate.

7.30 K Garo Yepremian - Miami Dolphins

...Just lovely. We have two contract holdouts. First is WR Paul Warfield. His demands are quite reasonable and I want him to be a career-long Dolphin, so I sign him to 5 year, $2.70 mill. contract extension that'll put him on the team for another 3 years past his rookie contract.

The other is DE Don Brumm, which I think is pretty ballsy considering he 's lost his starting job for the year. Granted, he's in the final year of his contract and he wants a multi-year deal to stay with the team, but I can't guarantee that he won't be pissed about not starting and Mark Schau is signed for 3 more years at any rate.

So Brumm can sit on his ass until he decides to end his holdout.

On to late free agency.

Week 1 Losses
DT Riley Gunnels 1 year, $100k (Buffalo)
-Really didn't factor in to our defense last year. Strictly a goal-line player who might've gotten more playing time with us this season since Penguin Culpepper retired, which would explain why I suddenly lost $220k in cap room at the start of free agency, but so it goes.

Week 3 Signings
WR Fred Dugan 1 year, $100k Re-signing
-The rookie we picked up to be our 5th receiver doesn't look so hot, so I've retained Dugan as insurance.

Don Brumm is still holding out after training camp. Screw him.


RT Jim Battle 2.30 23/58 24/52 +1/-6
TE Tom Mitchell 3.30 20/40 22/43 +2/+3
SS Rodger Bird 4.3 15/28 15/29 +0/+1
FB Hoyle Granger 4.30 14/25 15/27 +1/+2
FL John Roderick 5.30 13/25 14/24 +1/-1
RB Les Shy 6.30 18/33 18/32 -0/-1
K Garo Yepremian 7.30 28/58 32/58 +4/+0

Draft Grade: B

Battle's regression is disappointing, but I'm extremely pleased with Garo and Mitchell's results and cautiously optimistic about Bird and Granger. Roderick and Shy are meh, but that's all right.

We've got a big problem at K now. It's more than just the Dutchman vs. the greatest Dolphins kicker of all-time not named Pete Stoyanovich (who will appear in some later draft class).

It's that... well, you'll see when I review the team later today or tomorrow. :)

[Izulde]

Brown, Ed 3 QB 15 29 29 1 yr.
Unitas, Johnny 2 QB 12 75 75 2 yrs
Slaughter, Mickey 8 QB 4 15 51 2 yrs
Berry, Bob 13 QB 3 24 45 2 yrs
Schweickert, Bob 12 QB 2 13 41 2 yrs

Unitas will start, Brown the 2nd string and well, probably Slaughter as the 3rd man. The nice thing about having two 1st rounders next year is that I'll be able to find Johnny U's replacement and blow up this entire position once everyone's contract runs out. Berry and Schweickert will sit on inactive and one of them could be cut.


Hornung, Paul 48 RB 10 36 36 4 yrs
Cooper, Bill 28 RB 6 37 37 1 yr.
Reeves, Dan 39 RB 2 26 35 3 yrs
Shy, Les 31 RB 1 18 32 3 yrs
Scales, Charlie 41 FB 7 45 45 2 yrs
Granger, Hoyle 45 FB 1 15 27 4 yrs

Cooper and Hornung will fight it out for the starting job, whereas Reeves will be the passing guy. Shy is an inactive guy, one who probably won't ever contribute much and who actually may be cut, since he comes with no bonus ramifications. Scales starts, Granger his backup.


Ingram, Riddick 86 TE 7 29 29 1 yr.
Crespino, Bob 80 TE 6 38 38 1 yr.
Mitchell, Tom 87 TE 1 22 43 4 yrs
Frazier, Charlie 88 FL 5 46 46 3 yrs
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 3 63 65 5 yrs
Roderick, John 4 FL 1 14 24 3 yrs
Cogdill, Gail 82 SE 7 44 44 3 yrs
Dugan, Fred 81 SE 10 36 36 1 yr.
Ballman, Gary 89 SE 5 48 48 5 yrs

I'm surprised at Ingram's drop in ratings, but he's still the better all-around TE than Crespino. Mitchell's a great long snapper and he'll get a couple starts in preseason as I have a good feeling about his ability to step in as the regular season starter next year.

Warfield and Ballman start again, Frazier and Cogdill the backups, Dugan the 5th receiver. Roderick gets inactive ticketed with possibly shipped out of town. This is probably the single best wide receiver group I've ever had in this particular universe.


Engram, Ken 51 C 10 37 37 2 yrs
Bland, Oronde 57 C 7 45 45 2 yrs
Alford, Mike 56 C 2 16 28 2 yrs
Thurston, Fuzzy 73 LG 11 53 53 3 yrs
Mathias, Mark 60 LG 7 31 31 2 yrs
Simon, Jim 64 RG 4 39 39 3 yrs
McCoy, Lloyd 67 RG 3 32 38 2 yrs
Skoronski, Bob 76 LT 11 31 31 2 yrs
Koepfer, Dick 66 RT 2 34 51 3 yrs
Battle, Jim 70 RT 1 24 52 3 yrs

Skoronski-Thurston-Bland-Simon-Koepfer with Mathias, McCoy, and Battle the reserves. Switching Battle over to LT would mean a small drop in ratings and a slight experience reduction, neither of which I'm willing to take at this point. Next season could see one of the two of Battle and Koepfer moving over to the left, though, the small hit be damned, as Skoronski's skills are fading.

Nice to see that Simon keeps creeping up, by the way.


Seedborg, John 18 P 3 46 46 1 yr.
Van Raaphorst, Dick 6 K 3 39 39 1 yr.
Yepremian, Garo 16 K 1 32 58 3 yrs

See my dilemma at K? The Dutchman shot up considerably in current over last year and yet there's Garo, who looks a lot like Allen Green at the moment: good power, low accuracy. On the other hand, GY has the potential to become an even better version of the Dutchman.


Schau, Mark 98 LDE 8 37 37 3 yrs
Holmes, Pat 94 RDE 5 52 52 4 yrs
$$Brumm, Don 75 RDE 4 41 41 1 yr.
Jordan, Henry 91 LDT 10 55 55 2 yrs
Napier, Walter 97 LDT 7 39 39 1 yr.
Johnson, Walter 72 RDT 2 52 52 3 yrs

Heh, it looks like Brumm's forced my hand. I sign him to a 4 year, $1.49 mill. contract extension and switch him over to the left side, whereupon he drops to 35/39.

...Shit. Now what? I don't know, but it's definitely not cool.

Oh well, they can fight it out for the starting job I guess. Jordan and Johnson will team up in the middle again, Napier their backup. Once Jordan retires, I'll be tempted to switch to a 3-4.


Lloyd, Dave 93 MLB 8 61 61 3 yrs
Kondovski, Artie 50 MLB 7 49 49 1 yr.
Houston, Jim 58 SLB 7 40 40 3 yrs
Baughan, Maxie 53 WLB 7 64 64 4 yrs
Gursky, Albert 96 WLB 5 35 35 2 yrs

Pretty damn good linebacking corps here with Houston-Lloyd-Baughan the starters, Kondovski and Gursky the reserves. In fact, it's arguably the best set we've had since I've been here.


Sample, Johnny 43 LCB 9 53 53 2 yrs
Shorter, Jim 26 LCB 5 32 32 1 yr.
Cross, Irv 40 RCB 6 45 45 4 yrs
Starks, Marshall 29 RCB 4 28 28 1 yr.
Fichtner, Ross 32 SS 7 57 57 4 yrs
Walters, Tom 34 SS 3 21 37 2 yrs
Bird, Rodger 46 SS 1 15 29 4 yrs
Fleming, Don 24 FS 8 54 54 4 yrs
Plump, Dave 36 FS 2 28 46 2 yrs

Sample-Cross-Fitchner-Fleming will be our starter secondary, Shorter the nickel and Plump the dime. Bird needs to be active since he looks like an even punt returner than Warner did. Starks and Walters go on the inactive list.

All in all, I really like the makeup of the team this year. We should be able to repeat as division champions and maybe get deeper in the playoffs.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Miami 19 Minnesota 6
Not the most brilliant debut in the world, but Bill Cooper outduels Paul Hornung in Round 1 and Garo Yepremian is 4/5 in FG. Jim Houston wins Game MVP with 2 interceptions.

St. Louis 3 Miami 34
Well, lookie here. Johnny Unitas 26-35 for 305 yards and 3 TDs in this preseason laugher, Paul Warfield with 10 catches for 149 yards and a TD. If he can turn in performances like that in the regular season, Warfield will be our new top WR. Garo Yepramin was 2/3, including a missed 50+ yarder. Time to switch to the Dutchman next game to see what he can do.

Miami 27 Detroit 0
Our starters and our depth continue to roll to 3-0. Gail Cogdill is proving to be an absolutely great new addition to the receiving corps in preseason, both as a receiver and as a kick returner. Pat Holmes gets 2 tackles, 2 sacks, a block, a hurry and a knockdown in another fine display by a new Dolphin. Dick Van Raaphorst is 2/3 in this game and Bill Cooper has Paul Hornung beat for the starting job at RB.

Ross Fitchner will miss the next preseason game and Dan Reeves should be back for the regular season opener.

Los Angeles 21 Miami 38
Charlie Frazier grabs 10 receptions for 114 yards, Johnny Sample gets 2 interceptions, returning one back 24 yards for a TD, and Jim Houston and Henry Jordan get in the multi-sack action with 2 and 1.5 respectively. Garo Yepremian wins the kicker job as the Dutchman just doesn't have the leg we're looking for. Don Brumm gets the starting left DE job from Mark Schau.

Regular Season

Miami 34 New Jersey 17
We open the regular season with a bang over the Jets. Johnny Unitas is 22-29 for 199 yards and 3 TDs and our running game amasses a ton of yardage between the 3 backs, though I forgot to put recommended PT on. Just a solid effort all around.

Jim Simon hyperextends his knee and is out for the next game. Mark Mathias will start in his place.

Chicago 7 Miami 10
The score's not as close as it looks. The Bears' TD was a fourth quarter interception return that was Johnny Unitas's only miscue of the day: 25-35 for 259 yards, 1 TD and that INT. Pat Holmes led the defensive effort with 2 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks and a knockdown.

Dan Reeves is ready to come back, punting Les Shy back to inactive status.

Miami 30 Houston 14
The Oilers came in as 2 point favorites in this battle of unbeatens, but Irv Cross set the tone with an opening 82 yard kickoff return for a TD and we never looked back. Cross wound up with 2 kickoff returns for TDs on the day, in fact, the other one for 86 yards. In more craziness, Bill Cooper had a career day, rushing 15 times for 160 yards, our first century rusher in about two years. Garo Yepremian was 3/3 on FG, including a 51 yarder that the Dutchman never would have made. Dave Lloyd had 8 tackles, 4 assists and a hurry. Just a dominating performance by a few key players.

Jim Simon's upgraded to Probable, so he'll come back.

Miami 37 Buffalo 31
This one -was- as close as it looked, going into OT. We won after Johnny Unitas threw a 35 yarder to Gary Ballman for the clutch TD. Last week it was the special teams and running game that went crazy. This week it's the passing game. Johnny Unitas was 31 of 42 for 432 yards, 3 TDs and an INT. It set a franchise record for passing yardage that may never be broken. Paul Warfield was Unitas's main man, with 16 catches for 198 yards. Don Fleming had 8 tackles and 4 assists in this Classic between us and our archrivals.

San Diego 14 Miami 17
Another very close game, this time won in regulation against the fellow undefeated Chargers. Johnny Unitas was Game MVP with a TD pass and, of all things, a TD run. Bill Cooper broke the century mark for the second time this year, 19 rushes for 108 yards.

Johnny Unitas is doubtful for two weeks and Ed Brown is questionable. I'm damn sure not going to risk either of them getting hurt, so it's a swapout of Mickey Slaughter the starter, Bob Berry the backup, and Bob Schweickert as 3rd string.

Denver 6 Miami 20
Mickey Slaughter surprises everyone by coming up big in this game: 22-32 for 251 yards and a TD en route to MVP honors. Our defense also had an exceptional collobrative effort to keep our undefeated season alive despite the absence of our top two QBs.

Both Brown and Unitas are probable, but I'm not going to risk the season just for the sake of staying undefeated. Fuzzy Thurston is out for 8 weeks with a broken arm, though, so Mark Mathias gets called into starting duty again.

Luckily we catch a bye week at just the right time and so Johnny Unitas is able to get to 100% and start our next game. Ed Brown's still probable, so Mickey Slaughter is #2, Bob Berry the 3rd stringer.

Miami 35 Kansas City 14
Holy shit! :eek: Johnny Unitas shatters his own team record. 26-38 for 484 yards and 3 TDs! We have our first ever pair of 100 yard receivers too! Paul Warfield catches 8 passes for 193 yards and a TD and Gail Cogdill has 5 receptions for 124 yards. Dave Lloyd has a great all-round game: 7 tackles, 2 assists, a sack, and a knockdown, and Don Brumm records 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and a safety, the first I've ever seen for one of my players. What an awesome game! :)

Dave Plump is out for at least the next game with a busted toe ligament. Tom Walters takes over his roles.

Miami 31 Oakland 21
We polish off the Raiders and finish the first half with a perfect record behind Bill Cooper's 23 rushes for 104 yards and 2 TDs and Johnny Unitas's 32-42 for 367 yards, a TD and an INT. Gary Ballman and Paul Warfield at long last break the 100 yard barrier together: Ballman with 9 catches for 131 yards, Warfield with 9 catches for 118 yards and a TD.

We had 4 interceptions on the day, each by a different player and our defense played just well enough for us to win against a Raiders team that played a lot tougher than their 2-5 record indicated.

Incidentally, we're the only undefeated team at the halfway point. The Houston Oilers are 7-1, their lone blemish against us and the Dallas Cowboys are also 7-1.

A look at a perfect team halfway through:


Record 8-0
Winning Pct. 1.000
All-Time 62-42
Winning Pct. .596
Playoffs 0-4
Playoff Visits 4
Bowl Wins 0
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 40-19
Winning Pct. .677
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.6 10
Rushing Yards 124.9 8
Yards Per Carry 4.08 9
Pass Attempts 33.9 9
Completions 23.8 2
Completion Pct. 70.1 3
Passing Yards 292.4 1
Yards Per Attempt 8.63 2
Yards Per Catch 12.31 1
Total Yardage Gained 405.5 1
3rd Down Conversions 38.9 6
Points Per Game 26.8 2
Pass Rush Pct. 9.0 4
Pass Defense Pct. 73.9 4
Turnovers 11 5 (T)
Turnover Margin +3 8 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 23.4 5
Rushing Yards 95.4 9
Yards Per Carry 4.08 21
Pass Attempts 38.3 30 (T)
Completions 20.5 21 (T)
Completion Pct. 53.6 2
Passing Yards 208.9 19
Yards Per Attempt 5.46 3 (T)
Yards Per Catch 10.19 17 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 291.1 14
3rd Down Conversions 36.6 16
Points Per Game 16.8 13
Pass Rush Pct. 5.3 6
Pass Defense Pct. 57.2 3
Turnovers 14 12 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 34 at NJY 17
2 10 CHI 7
3 30 at HOU 24
4 37 at BUF 31
5 17 SDO 14
6 20 DEN 6
8 35 at KCY 14
9 31 at OAK 21
10 NED
11 NJY
12 at MIN
13 BAL
14 DET
15 BUF
16 at GBY
17 at NED

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
2 J. Unitas QB 231 162 2048 8.87 13 4 109.0
8 M. Slaughter QB 32 22 251 7.84 1 0 102.4
**Team --- 271 190 2339 8.63 14 4 107.5
$$Opp --- 306 164 1671 5.46 9 10 65.7

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
28 B. Cooper RB 135 647 4.79 5 2
48 P. Hornung RB 72 258 3.58 2 2
2 J. Unitas QB 18 63 3.50 1 4
**Team --- 245 999 4.08 8 11
$$Opp --- 187 763 4.08 6 14

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 85 55 814 14.80 9.58 8 5
89 G. Ballman WR 49 37 464 12.54 9.47 2 3
82 G. Cogdill WR 39 23 386 16.78 9.90 5 1
88 C. Frazier WR 33 23 347 15.09 10.52 0 3
87 T. Mitchell TE 19 15 132 8.80 6.95 0 1
28 B. Cooper RB 17 13 39 3.00 2.29 1 0
48 P. Hornung RB 9 8 27 3.38 3.00 0 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
93 D. Lloyd ILB 44 18 1.0 2 0 4 76.5
32 R. Fichtner S 39 11 1.0 0 1 7 83.9
43 J. Sample CB 32 4 0.0 0 4 7 84.3
24 D. Fleming S 31 12 0.0 0 0 5 79.8
58 J. Houston OLB 31 8 1.0 4 0 3 75.7
91 H. Jordan DT 20 7 1.5 8 0 0 79.4
53 M. Baughan OLB 19 14 0.0 0 1 1 82.0
75 D. Brumm DE 19 2 2.0 12 0 0 78.6
50 A. Kondovski ILB 18 4 0.0 0 0 1 71.8
40 I. Cross CB 16 5 2.0 1 1 6 82.3
94 P. Holmes DE 16 6 5.5 10 0 0 82.1
72 W. Johnson DT 15 9 2.0 0 0 0 82.5
26 J. Shorter CB 14 1 0.0 0 3 3 85.4
97 W. Napier DT 12 3 0.5 1 0 0 81.3
96 A. Gursky OLB 11 10 0.0 0 0 1 74.1
36 D. Plump S 9 2 1.0 0 0 1 77.0

For the first time, it's not a sensational defense that's pulling us through. Oh sure, our D is still good, particularly given that we're 3rd in pass defense, but it's been the passing game, led by Unitas and our stellar wide receiving corps that's gotten us to this point.

I said this was the best group of receivers I've ever assembled and the evidence is bearing that out, Warfield's 8 drops notwithstanding. Still, with 814 yards receiving at the halfway point, I can forgive Paul's drops.

Unitas is on pace to break 4,000 yards passing, something he hasn't done since 1963 and Warfield is certain to shatter the Dolphins single season receiving yardage record. Holmes is right in line to become the first Miami pasrusher with 10+ sacks in a season.

But as amazing as Unitas and Warfield have been, it's Bill Cooper who's been the real shock. After sitting behind Hornung for a couple seasons, he's taken his starting job back and literally run away with it, putting himself in position to break the 1,000 yard barrier for the second time in his career.

Not bad for a 4th round pick, no? :)

It would be really, really awesome if we went undefeated and won the Super Bowl in the year that the real-life Dolphins first played. I'm not saying it's going to happen, because anything can happen in the playoffs, but this is the best team I've ever assembled in any FOF game.

And that makes me proud. :)

[nilodor]

It sure is one hell of a team. Maybe your only weakness is the lack of a dominant pass rush and possibly your running game is better than it should be through some combo of your insane air attack and luck. Good luck with the rest of the season.

[Izulde]

It sure is one hell of a team. Maybe your only weakness is the lack of a dominant pass rush and possibly your running game is better than it should be through some combo of your insane air attack and luck. Good luck with the rest of the season.

Thanks. :) I just realized I've been starting the roookie Tom Mitchell at TE when I didn't intend to. I've also accidentally been starting Ken Engram over Oronde Bland, both from the preseason. Oops.

Fortunately, only Bland's upset and I'm able to rectify that right quick.

Be interesting seeing how the rest of the year goes.

[Izulde]

New England 10 Miami 34
As a side note, I decided to keep Tom Mitchell as the TE starter, because he's got better potential. We cruise to an easy win here behind Johnny Unitas's 22-33 for 337 yards, 3 TDs and an INT. Gary Ballman and Charlie Frazier both top the century mark at 6 catches for 110 yards and a TD for Ballman and 5 catches for 100 yards and 2 TDs for Frazier. Pat Holmes tears into the Patriots for 5 tackles, 1 assist, 3 sacks, a block, 4 hurries, and 5 knockdowns. Guess he's been reading in the press about how we don't have a dominant pass rush. :D

New Jersey 13 Miami 30
Think you can stop the Dolphins train? Not when Johnny Unitas throws 344 yards on 27-37 passing with 3 TDs and an INT and not when our top two receivers both break 100 yards: Gary Ballman with 9 catches for 110 yards and a TD and Paul Warfield with 7 catches for 152 yards. This passing game is so scary, it makes the real-life Marino-Clayton-Duper-Edmunds years look tame in comparison (though to be fair, Ferrell was overrated at TE).

Miami 19 Minnesota 7
This game came down to Garo Yepremian nailing 4 of 5 FGs and Rodger Bird averaging 17.3 yards a punt return, along with a team effort on defense. Not a pretty win by any means, but enough to keep our undefeated season alive.

Baltimore 20 Miami 41
This loss put a major hurt on Bart Starr's Ravens' playoff hopes, as it drops them to 5-7. This victory comes on Bill Cooper's 2 rushing TDs, Johnny Unitas's efficient 16-22 for 222 yards and 3 TDs passing on offense and Irv Cross's 2 interceptions and Pat Holmes's 3 tackles, 1 assist, 2.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown on defense. With those sacks, Holmes becomes the first player in franchise history to reach double digits in sacks! Congratulations, Pat!

Charlie Frazier and Don Fleming are questionable for the next game and Tom Walters is out. Frazier and Fleming will play and Dave Plump, who I forgot to check and see that he was healthy, so he's disgruntled, will take his old roles back. Bob Crespino is pissed that Mitchell's starting, but he'll just have to deal.

Detroit 7 Miami 33
23-32 for 271 yards, 3 TDs and an INT for our main man, Johnny Unitas, in this laugher. Garo Yepremian was 3/3, including a 50 yarder and we just plain and simple kept the Lions out of the end zone.

Dave Lloyd is doubtful for our next game, but I'm confident enough in our backup that he'll play on. Fuzzy Thurston's ready to come back as well, since he's upgraded to probable.

Buffalo 38 Miami 41
Another dramatic classic between the AFC East archrivals, with Garo Yepremian kicking the game-winner with just 4 seconds left in the game. Johnny Unitas was on a tear: 30-47 for 349 yards and a record 5 TDs. Gail Cogdill was the main beneficiary with 7 catches for 109 yards.

14-0 and we're guaranteed home-field advantage, even if we lose both games. Good time to sit my guys, right?

Wrong! I want the undefeated record, damn it!

Miami 28 Green Bay 31
If I told you that Johnny Unitas was going to throw for over 400 yards and Paul Warfield and Gary Ballman would have 192 yards and 176 yards and 2 TDs respectively, you'd say it's another blowout win, right?

Not this time. Garo Yepremian shanks 2 field goals and instead of celebrating one step away from an undefeated season, we're left with the heartbreak of 14-1 in a damn close game, against a team whose 1st round pick next year we own, no less.

Remember how I said the Packers were stupid for drafting another QB with the #1 overall pick? Well, they were, only Joe Namath is really turning it on this year and they're currently 10-5, sitting atop the NFC North. So much for my giddy dreams of a top 10 pick.

I throw in as many scrubs as possible for the last game, since it doesn't matter anymore.

Miami 7 New England 17
Ross Fitchner was the only highlight of this game with 10 tackles, a sack, and 2 defensed passes.

The Packers won the division with an 11-5 record. Oh well, as long as it's higher than the 30th pick, I'm not going to mind too terribly much. Of course, it won't give me much of a package then, but I'll see who's there and what I can put together.

For now, there's the postseason to think about and the playoff dreams that come with it.

[Izulde]

Wildcard Round
Denver 27 Pittsburgh 17
Detroit 16 Los Angeles 10
Indianapolis 13 San Diego 10
San Francisco 31 Atlanta 6

We draw, of all teams, the Colts in the divisional round. Johnny U's former team's offense starts and ends with Gale Sayers, who in just his second season is already #2 on the Colts' career rushing total, as well as 3rd on the Colts' career all-purpose yardage list. He ran for 1,539 yards and 10 TDs in the regular season, along with 2 punt return TDs and a kick return TD.

Their QB is terrible, a journeyman who got his first starting time this year with Indianapolis and their receivers are the very definition of mediocre. Offensive line is solid both in starters and in depth, including original Dolphin Bob Breunig at LG.

Indy's defensive line is essentially a mirror image of our own and their linebacking corps and defensive backfield are adequate without being spectacular.

In short, this should be a runaway victory for us, even though we're only favored by a TD.

We strike first with an early field goal by Garo Yepremian and they respond with a FG of their own towards the end of the first. Then Johnny Unitas hits Paul Hornung from 6 yards out for a TD and we never look back.

Miami 20 Indianapolis 9

Indianapolis's offense was exactly how I predicted it would go. Gale Sayers rushed 19 times for 119 yards and Joe Kapp, the QB I mentioned, was 13/40 and was intercepted 3 times, twice by Johnny Sample, who won Game MVP honors for those brilliant interceptions and his 2 passes defensed.

We countered with our 100 yard rusher as Bill Cooper ran 22 times for 101 yards, but he also fumbled four times as the Colts' D hit him hard time and time again. Johnny Unitas was efficient but not brilliant in his 17-25 for 193 yards and 2 TD performance.

We've made it through to the AFC Championship!!!

But Fuzzy Thurston wrecks his calf muscle and is lost for the rest of the year. Mark Mathias will have to start again.

[Izulde]

AFC Championship

The Denver Broncos will be a lot tougher test than the Colts were.

It all starts with Roman Gabriel, who, talentwise, is close to the equal of Johnny U (68/74). That being said, the 5th year QB hasn't had Unitas's kind of success on the field, never breaking 3,000 passing yards a season, in part because the Broncos only have one good receiver, Lionel Taylor, a two-time All-Pro 2nd Team WR. The rest of his targets are crap.

Tom Matte has been the Broncos' starting RB since he was a first round pick in 1961 and he's a solid, but not spectacular back, in spite of his winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in '61. He had his worst year ever this season, rushing for just 884 yards and 4 TDs, career lows.

The real success of the offense comes down to their fantastic line, which has great players all along the starting five: LT Eldon Danehauer, LG Ken Adamson, C Jerry Sturm, RG Jim Skaggs and RT George Preas form a unit that makes our pretty good line look pretty weak in comparison.

Defensive line is a real weak point for the Broncos, with DT Orville Trask, a 1st Team All-Pro in 1964, the lone standout. They've got a very good linebacking corps, the equal of ours in fact, and CB Ed Sharockman and S Goose Gonsoulin are All-Pros in a fantastic secondary that again, equals ours.

This is going to be a seriously tough matchup. I think this game's going to come down to whoever gets the right breaks at the right time, as we're pretty even talentwise, unless our superior edge at wide receiver is enough to make the difference.

We'll see. We're favored by 7, for what it's worth.

...And it turns out to not even be a contest. Garo Yepremian boots a 50 yarder on the first drive of the game and a 24 yard TD pass from Johnny Unitas to Paul Warfield puts us up 10-0 in the 2nd quarter. Our defense savages the Broncos' offense and they don't even come close as we blow them out 27-3.

Johnny Unitas takes home AFC Championship MVP honors for his 17-22 for 248 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT performance, but it really should have gone to Paul Warfield, who snagged 7 passes for 119 yards and the 2 TDs that Unitas threw.

John Seedborg helped out as well with his best game as a Dolphin: 5 punts for a 45.6 yard average and 3 touchbacks, killing Denver in the field position game.

The 1966 Miami Dolphins are the AFC Champions!!! WE'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!!! :) :) :) :) :)

[nilodor]

Let me guess, you're playing the Packers so you can get the 31st and 32nd pick. Good luck in the big game, it's amazing how only a couple of moves can put you over the top. Alot of times you think you only need to make a couple of moves and it turns out that you were alot worse than you thought. Raiders anyone?

[Izulde]

Let me guess, you're playing the Packers so you can get the 31st and 32nd pick. Good luck in the big game, it's amazing how only a couple of moves can put you over the top. Alot of times you think you only need to make a couple of moves and it turns out that you were alot worse than you thought. Raiders anyone?

Believe it or not, that very scenario passed through my mind. :D Fortunately, Green Bay got knocked out in the divisional round.

And yeah, I knew we had a good team that was only lacking a franchise QB to do well. I guess picking up the starter upgrade at DE and the depth increase at WR really made this team. I can't really say for sure what impact Maxie's had on the team at OLB, but I know Pat Holmes and Gail Cogdill at starting RDE and backup WR respectively have been a big, big reason of why we've done so well this year.

Thanks for the luck. :)

[Izulde]

Super Bowl VII Preview
Miami Dolphins vs. Dallas Cowboys

Miami Out List
WR Gary Ballman (Starter)
LG Fuzzy Thurston (Starter)

Dallas Out List
NT Sam Silas (Reserve)
SILB Gabe Jackson (Reserve)

Position Breakdown

Quarterback
Miami has Johnny Unitas, the legendary QB who, even in his 12th season, is still one of the top 5 signalcallers in the league, coming off a regular season in which he threw for 4,146 yards and 33 TD vs 8 INT. Johnny U is also a two-time Super Bowl MVP with championship rings in 1961 and 1963 with the Indianapolis Colts.

The Cowboys counter with Don Meredith, a 7th year veteran who's been Dallas's starting QB since the league began play in 1960. A good, but not great quarterback, he set a career high in TDs this year with 25 en route to passing for 3,353 yards and 15 INTs against those 25 TDs.

Advantage: Dolphins

Running Back
A 4th round steal in the 1961 rookie draft, Bill Cooper has been an integral part of the Dolphins running game since his rookie year. A steady, but not flashy runner, he regained his starting job this season and rushed for a career high 1,104 yards, along with 7 TDs. Paul Hornung has been a faded star since coming to Miami via free agency in 1964, but he's still a solid backup and a good third-down back. 2nd year man Dan Reeves is the passing down back.

Dallas signed speedy back Don Perkins to a lavish, multi-year deal in free agency this past offseason and thus far, the contract has paid off huge dividends. Last year's 1st Team All-Pro RB had an equally fantastic regular season his first year in Dallas, rushing for career highs in yardage and TDs with 1,583 and 11 respectively. He also had a mind-boggling 5.01 average yards a carry. Bill Triplett is a respectable reserve and 3rd down running back.

Advantage: Cowboys

Wide Receiver
Even without Gary Ballman Miami still features a deadly pair of receivers in Paul Warfield, the third year pro who had a breakout season of 1,522 yards and 8 TDs this year, establishing him as of the top young rising stars in the league and Gail Cogdill, one of the best reserve receivers in the NFL, who will now have to step up as the starting split end in place of Ballman. Former 1st round pick Charlie Frazier is a dynamite force as the third receiver, a surehanded player who could start for many of the teams in the league.

Once one of the most feared receivers in the league, age appears to have caught up to 11 year vet Fred Clarke, as he had his worst season ever this year, with just 568 receiving yards and only 3 TDs. Free agent pickup Bernie Casey, on the other hand, blossomed as a starter this year, with 1,193 yards and 8 TDs. Second year receiver Fred Biletnikoff is steadily improving and looks to have been a great find in the 4th round a year ago. Bo Roberson is a former starter with the Giants and Bills who appears to have struggled in his first year as a reserve.

Advantage: Dolphins

Tight End
3rd round selection Tom Mitchell has been adequate as a starter in his rookie year, but is still quite green and looks to be more of a blocker than a pass-catching tight end for the Dolphins.

9th year vet Willard Dewveal is one of the most underrated tight ends in the game, a terrific, do-everything player for the Cowboys who can both catch passes and block with authority.

Advantage: Cowboys

Center
The Dolphins have one of their few original players in Oronde Bland at center, a steady and consistent player who runblocks well and very rarely gives up a sack. Backup Ken Engram is almost as good at pass protection and is a team captain, one of the squad's most influential players.

Dallas has bad boy Mike Connolly in the middle, a fiery, strong player known just as much for his off the field drunken antics as he is his trademark Hammer Slam pancake blocks. He's averaged 13 pancake blocks a season and is widely regarded as one of the most feared centers in the league. Sidney Young is a smart reserve who overchieves relative to his talent.

Advantage: Cowboys

Guard
Miami's offensive line suffered a huge blow when it lost Fuzzy Thurston for the season in the divisional round. Mark Mathias is best served as a reserve and despite the Dolphins' staff's infatuation with him, Jim Simon is only a borderline starter on the right side. Lloyd McCoy is a subpar backup.

Billy Neighbors is a classic underachiever on the left side for the Cowboys, whereas Marv Terrell proved a great free agent find in his first year as a starter. Backup Tom Nomina is essentially a clone of Mathias.

Advantage: Cowboys

Tackle
Greybeard Bob Skoronski is losing a step, but is still a solid left tackle. RT Dick Koepfer is a vastly improved run-blocker from his rookie season a year ago, but gives up too many sacks. Rookie Jim Battle had an adequate first year and shows signs of being a better all-around right tackle than Koepfer.

Bob Vogel is a young, good left tackle, the kind half the teams in the league would kill for. Riley Mattson has greatly improved his pass protection since coming to Dallas, but still isn't exceptional by any means. Reserve Dan James is a one-dimensional player, strictly a passblocker.

Advantage: Draw

Kickers/Punters
Miami found the replacement for Allen Green in rookie Garo Yepremian, who converted 80% of his FGs from 50+ yards (4/5) and will only get more accurate as he gains more experience. John Seedborg doesn't have the strongest leg in the game, but he has a knack for pinning kicks inside the opponents' 20 yard line.

Dave Braziel has really gone downhill since he left the Packers, with only minimal accuracy and power. Pat Studstill has a cannon leg, but doesn't have the placement talent that Seedborg does.

Advantage: Dolphins

Defensive Ends
Don Brumm struggled in his first year on the left side, but Pat Holmes was a force on the right after coming over in free agency, ringing up 13.5 sacks, 4 blocks, 23 hurries and 18 QB knockdowns. Original Dolphin Mark Schau reacted badly to demotion this year, but is still a high quality backup.

Mel Branch had a career high 9 sacks in the regular season and second year RDE Chuck Hurston is on the verge of greatness. Backup Kelvin Duffy is simply awful.

Advantage: Draw

Defensive Tackles
Age is starting to catch up to Henry Jordan, but the two-time All-Pro is still one of the most feared DTs in the AFC. Second year pro Walter Johnson has learned well from Jordan and is developing into an equally powerful force in the middle. Backup Walter Napier is a run-stuffing beast, but not much of a pass-rusher.

Karl McKnight had major problems switching to a 3-4 D after having played his entire career in 4-3 defenses. Walt Barnes is a promising young rookie who's still too green to take over the starting spot yet.

Advantage: Dolphins

Linebackers
Dave Lloyd is one of the best MLBs in the NFL. Jim Houston set a career high in sacks and hurries this season as he grew acclimated to the strong side. Maxie Baughan, the Dolphins' highest priced free agent addition, struggled after moving to the weak side, posting career lows in virtually every category. Artie Kondovski is the top backup MLB in the league, one who should've gotten a starting opportunity by now. Albert Gursky is an adequate reserve.

Dallas is strong and deep all across the board at linebacker, both in starters and the reserves. The biggest star is 4th year SLB Johnny Baker who exploded this season with a sensational breakout of 82 tackles, 26 assists, and 12 sacks. There are no real weak links in this Cowboys 'backer corps.

Advantage: Cowboys

Cornerbacks
Johnny Sample is easily one of the league's top 5 cornerbacks and Irv Cross had a career high 4 interceptions in the regular season. Jim Shorter also had a career high with 5 interceptions and an 82% PD, as he blossomed in the nickel role.

Third year man Jimmy Warren is a rising star, a ferocious competitor known for his highlight hits and ability to knock passes away. Don Bishop crashed back down to earth after a sensational, career year last season. Kendall Reeves is a pedestrian free agent pickup, a nickel back best suited for goal-line packages.

Advantage: Dolphins

Safeties
Miami has one of the top starting safety tandems in the league in Ross Fitchner and Don Fleming, career-long teammates. Only the St. Louis Cardinals better the Dolphins in safety starters. Tom Walters is JAG, but Dave Plump is Fleming's heir apparent, quietly learning from the masters ahead of him.

Bill Butler and Paul Martha are highly praised by scouts around the league, but their performance on the field indicates they're the most overrated pair of safeties in the NFL. Jerry Stovall is a better player than Martha and should have his spot at free safety.

Advantage: Dolphins

Keys to the Game: Miami
* Turn the game into a track meet and take advantage of superiority at QB and WR.
* Stack up against the run and force the Cowboys to go to the air.
* Protect Johnny Unitas and give him time to throw.

Keys to the Game: Dallas
* Slow the pace of the game as much as possible. Play smart, ball-control offense by going to the run and short passes.
* Mix up the blitz packages and take advantage of Miami's weakness at guard and RT to get to Unitas.
* Double team Paul Warfield on 2 WR sets. Avoid blitzing the DBs against Miami's 3 Wide sets or Charlie Frazier will burn you.

[Izulde]

I'm nervous, damn nervous.

I've never made it to a Super Bowl in any version of FOF where I actively controlled the team, much less won it.

I know this probably isn't a big deal to those of you who win Super Bowls by the truckloads in SP mode, but this is a big, big deal for me.

It'd be even sweeter if I won here because, as I said, 1966 is the real-life Dolphins' first year of existence.

We're favored by 2.

I close my eyes and click Sim Week.

I don't look at the score as I click Log and scroll down to the actual start of action.

The Cowboys win the toss and elect to receive. The ball's returned to the 28 yard line. A holding penalty ruins what would've been a a first down run by Don Perkins and Irv Cross intercepts the ball on 3rd and 13, returning it back to our 40 yard line!

We exchange a pair of 3 and outs and then Johnny Unitas puts together a series of great passes, including a 52 yard bomb to Gail Cogdill that takes us down to the Cowboys 4 yard line. Two plays later, a 3 yard pass falls into Bill Cooper's hands for the TD and we strike first!

Miami 7 Dallas 0 - 8:19 1st Quarter

Dallas gets another 3 and out and then we put together a long drive, where Johnny Unitas's brilliant passes are ruined by no less than 5 penalties in the same bloody drive. Worse yet, Charlie Frazier gets hurt, but they don't know the extent of the injury right away.

Our defense stifles Dallas to another 3 and out though, and we're driving again as the first quarter comes to a close.

End 1st Quarter: Miami 7 Dallas 0

Bill Cooper fumbles on the first play of the second quarter and the Cowboys recover on their own 48. Some tough Don Perkins runs and a great pass from Don Meredith to Bo Roberson has Dallas on the verge of scoring, but Irv Cross gets his second interception of the game at our 3 yard line to snuff out the threat.

We then churn out another long drive with a lot of highlight plays, including Johnny Unitas's 36 yard pass to Gail Cogdill to get us out of the danger zone, an 18 yard run by Bill Cooper to put us in field goal range thanks to a great run block by Jim Battle and a 13 yard scramble by Johnny Unitas himself to get us inside the 20.

Unfortunately, there are also some real boneheaded plays. Paul Warfield drops 2 passes and gets an offensive pass interference call (one of 3 penalties on the drive) on him to boot, one that took us from 2nd and goal lon the 4 yard line all the way back to 2nd and goal from the 14 yard line. We weren't able to convert for the TD and had to settle for a 23 yard FG by Garo Yepremian.

Miami 10 Dallas 0 - 4:13 2nd Quarter

Don Meredith and Bernie Casey put on a Unitas and Warfield impersonator clinic during the next drive, connecting on two straight passes for a combined 44 yards. Fortunately, our defense stiffens up at the right time, limiting them to a 32 yard FG by Dave Braziel with just under a minute left in the half and that's the score as we head into the locker room.

Miami 10 Dallas 3 - Halftime

At this particular point in the game, I'd make Irv Cross the MVP. His two interceptions really saved our butts thus far, but there's still a whole half to go and there's only one possession's difference between us.

Bill Cooper atones for his opening 2nd quarter fumble by bursting through for a 17 yard gain to start the second half. My heart jumps up into my throat when I see Miami's Johnny Unitas was hurt on the play during the next line, but fortunately it's a minor injury. We follow this scare up with another 2 straight penalties (Note to self: Post in Mythbusters about excess user team penalties for them to look into it.) and so have to punt.

Dallas starts marching down the field with a small change grinding drive when Don Meredith forgets his name isn't Johnny Unitas and he throws a Hail Mary from the Cowboys' 29 to our 29. Jim Shorter jumps up and snags the ball for an interception of his own, giving Meredith his 3rd interception of the game so far.

We counter with a time-chewing drive of our own, highlighted by a 9 yard run by Dan Reeves (all 3 of our RBs got at least one carry on the possession) and 2 key run blocks by Jim Simon, who was pissed at all the negative press around him in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. One of those blocks came on the 6 yard run by Bill Cooper for the TD! This may be Dallas's breaking point.

Miami 17 Dallas 3 - 2:28 3rd Quarter

The Cowboys finally get hit with two straight penalties to open their next possession, but manage to get enough yards to keep the drive alive and they're in Miami territory when Dave Lloyd lowers the boom and forces Bill Triplett to fumble, Lloyd scooping up the fumble himself on our 37.

The third quarter ends midway through Dallas's drive, with the score still Miami 17 Dallas 3.

We make just enough headway on the ensuing drive for Garo Yepremian to blast a 52 yarder through the uprights. You wouldn't see the Dutchman make that kind of awesome kick. Jim Simon continues his great play with another key run block on the drive, flattening Paul Martha for a pancake block.

Miami 20 Dallas 3 - 9:07 4th Quarter

This is exactly the situation the Cowboys didn't want to get into. Now they're forced to desperation mode where they have to rely on their passing game to have any hope of winning. Don Meredith already is having nightmares about Irv Cross.

Let's see what happens when you have a deep, great secondary going up a panicked QB. From Dallas's next possession:

2nd and 3: Intended for Bo Roberson. Jim Shorter defended the pass.
3rd and 3: Intended for Bernie Casey. Jim Shorter defended the pass.
4th and 3: Intended for Frank Clarke. Tom Walters defended the pass (Defensive Pass Interference)
1st and 10: Intended for Frank Clarke. Tom Walters defended the pass.
3rd and 5: Intended for Fred Biletnikoff. Dave Plump defended the pass.

Needless to say, Dallas turned it over on downs.

5:08 left in the game and Ed Brown's getting some playing time. It looks like this thread's finally played out, folks.

After our 3 and out, Pat Holmes hurries Don Meredith into 3 straight bad throws on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th down. Did I mention that I love picking that guy up in free agency? He and Cogdill were definitely our biggest pickups of the offseason.

This puts us on the Dallas 20 yard line with just over 2 minutes to play. We put on some runs and the Cowboys get frustrated, leading Bill Butler of Dallas to positively rip Bill Cooper's helmet off after a tackle, earning him an Unsportsmanlike Conduct call.

We settle for a 25 yard field goal from Garo Yepremian and are happy to do so, because we've got this thing locked up.

Miami 23 Dallas 3 - 2:10 4th Quarter

And that's all she wrote, as Dallas turns the ball over on downs and Ed Brown takes a couple knees.

WE DID IT!!! WE DID IT!!!! WE WON THE SUPER BOWL!!!! GO DOLPHINS!!! GO DOLPHINS!!!!! GOOOOO DOLPHINS!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :)

Bill Cooper rushed 19 times for 94 yards and had the 2 combined TDs and Gail Cogdill put on a brilliant performance in relief of Gary Ballman, posting a Ballman-esque 10 catches for 204 yards. Irv Cross had 2 interceptions, John Seedborg punted a 46.8 yard punt average, with one inside the 20 and Garo Yepremian was 3/3 on field goals. Pat Holmes was in Don Meredith's face all day, with 4 tackles, an assist, a sack, 5 hurries and a knockdown.

But the real hero of the game was the man who's done it before, who lifted us up from a one and done playoff team to a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The man who even in these, the twilight years of his career, is still one of the greatest men to play the game.

Your Super Bowl MVP is none other than Johnny Unitas.
26 of 34 for 310 yards and a TD, giving him his third Super Bowl ring and first with Miami.

I found out after the game that he sprained his neck just after halftime in that scare and is listed as Questionable for the next 3 weeks. That makes his MVP award all the more special, because he played through the pain, at a time when the game was still just a touchdown's difference.

Oh how sweet this is.

But this all wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for me, the GM that put this team together. So let's see where the starters and key reserves of this Super Bowl championship team came from.

1966 Miami Dolphins Starting Lineup
QB Johnny Unitas (FA - 1965)
RB Bill Cooper (1961 Draft - 4th round, 7th pick)
FB Charlie Scales (FA - 1965)
TE Tom Mitchell (1966 Draft - 3rd round, 30th pick)
FL Paul Warfield (1964 Draft - 1st round, 22nd pick)
SE Gary Ballman (1962 Draft - 3rd round, 26th pick)
LT Bill Skoronski (FA - 1962)
LG Fuzzy Thurston (FA - 1963)
C Oronde Bland (Original Dolphin)
RG Jim Simon (1963 Draft - 5th round, 12th pick)
RT Dick Koepfer (1965 Draft - 2nd round, 19th pick)

LDE Don Brumm (1963 Draft - 2nd round, 11th pick)
LDT Henry Jordan (FA - 1963)
RDT Walter Johnson (1965 Draft - 1st round, 23rd pick)
RDE Pat Holmes (FA - 1966)
SLB Jim Houston (FA - 1963)
MLB Dave Lloyd (FA - 1963)
WLB Maxie Baughan (FA - 1966)
LCB Johnny Sample (FA - 1961)
RCB Irv Cross (1961 Draft - 1st round, 10th pick)
SS Ross Fitchner (FA - 1963)
FS Don Fleming (FA - 1963)
P John Seedborg (1964 Draft - 7th round, 22nd pick)
K Garo Yepremian (1966 Draft - 7th round, 30th pick)

1963 was a big year in terms of landing starters. That's the offseason when we really overhauled our defense and it paid off great, as you can see.

1966 Miami Dolphins Key Reserves
RB Paul Hornung (FA - 1964)
TE Riddick Ingram (Original Dolphin)
FL Charlie Frazier (1962 Draft - 1st round, 22nd pick)
SE Gail Cogdill (FA - 1966)
C Ken Engram (Original Dolphin)
LG Mark Mathias (FA - 1961)
RT Jim Battle (1966 Draft - 2nd round, 30th pick)
LDE Mark Schau (Original Dolphin)
LDT Walter Napier (FA - 1966)
MLB Artie Kondvoski (FA - 1966)
WLB Albert Gursky (1962 Draft - 4th round, 25 pick)
LCB Jim Shorter (FA - 1966)
SS Tom Walters (1964 Draft - 3rd round, 23rd pick)
FS Dave Plump (1965 Draft - 3rd round, 18th pick)
SS Rodger Bird (1966 Draft - 4th round, 3rd pick)

What a fantastic team and what a way to get our first Super Bowl championship. :)

[nilodor]

Wow, way to go. That was quite a game. Now can you do it again?

[Izulde]

Wow, way to go. That was quite a game. Now can you do it again?

Thanks! :)

Repeating is going to be tough. I predict another salary cap crunch coming up this offseason and with two 1st round picks, I'll have to do some creative renegotiations again.

I'm also not certain who all we're losing or potentially losing in free agency just yet other than Ed Brown who certainly won't be back.

[Izulde]

In the midst of my delerious glee at winning the Super Bowl, I forgot to post the Team Summary, so here it is.



Record 17-2
Winning Pct. .894
All-Time 68-44
Winning Pct. .607
Playoffs 3-4
Playoff Visits 5
Bowl Wins 1
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 49-21
Winning Pct. .700
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 28.7 15
Rushing Yards 115.9 13
Yards Per Carry 4.04 10
Pass Attempts 34.9 7
Completions 23.3 4
Completion Pct. 66.7 3
Passing Yards 292.2 2
Yards Per Attempt 8.36 1
Yards Per Catch 12.53 1
Total Yardage Gained 392.9 1
3rd Down Conversions 38.1 8 (T)
Points Per Game 27.9 1
Pass Rush Pct. 7.8 5 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 74.1 4
Turnovers 19 4 (T)
Turnover Margin +10 6

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 23.5 3
Rushing Yards 89.0 3
Yards Per Carry 3.79 9
Pass Attempts 35.9 29
Completions 19.4 17 (T)
Completion Pct. 54.2 2
Passing Yards 206.8 20
Yards Per Attempt 5.76 9
Yards Per Catch 10.64 25 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 279.7 7
3rd Down Conversions 34.2 12
Points Per Game 17.3 13
Pass Rush Pct. 6.7 14
Pass Defense Pct. 58.4 1
Turnovers 29 9 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 34 at NJY 17
2 10 CHI 7
3 30 at HOU 24
4 37 at BUF 31
5 17 SDO 14
6 20 DEN 6
8 35 at KCY 14
9 31 at OAK 21
10 34 NED 10
11 30 NJY 13
12 19 at MIN 7
13 41 BAL 20
14 33 DET 7
15 41 BUF 38
16 28 at GBY 31
17 7 at NED 17
$$CS 20 IND 9
$$CF 27 DEN 3
**FB 23 vs DAL 3

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
2 J. Unitas QB 486 326 4146 8.53 33 8 109.3
8 M. Slaughter QB 65 41 489 7.52 2 0 96.2
**Team --- 559 373 4675 8.36 35 8 107.4
$$Opp --- 574 311 3308 5.76 20 20 68.3

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
28 B. Cooper RB 251 1104 4.40 7 4
48 P. Hornung RB 143 568 3.97 4 2
**Team --- 459 1855 4.04 12 22
$$Opp --- 376 1424 3.79 9 26

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 162 101 1522 15.07 9.40 13 8
89 G. Ballman WR 112 78 1079 13.83 9.63 7 11
88 C. Frazier WR 71 46 693 15.07 9.76 3 7
82 G. Cogdill WR 71 40 686 17.15 9.66 9 3
28 B. Cooper RB 35 27 110 4.07 3.14 2 1
87 T. Mitchell TE 27 20 176 8.80 6.52 1 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
93 D. Lloyd ILB 85 41 1.5 2 0 6 77.8
32 R. Fichtner S 84 27 2.5 0 3 14 82.8
58 J. Houston OLB 53 24 3.0 5 0 5 76.9
24 D. Fleming S 51 19 0.5 0 1 8 79.6
43 J. Sample CB 47 7 0.0 0 5 16 85.1
53 M. Baughan OLB 38 22 1.0 0 1 2 78.5
72 W. Johnson DT 37 14 5.0 5 0 0 81.5
91 H. Jordan DT 36 14 4.0 10 0 0 80.9
50 A. Kondovski ILB 33 7 0.5 0 0 1 72.5
40 I. Cross CB 33 10 3.0 2 4 12 84.0
96 A. Gursky OLB 31 14 0.0 0 1 1 72.0
26 J. Shorter CB 31 4 0.0 0 5 3 82.9
97 W. Napier DT 30 10 0.5 2 0 0 80.5
75 D. Brumm DE 30 7 3.0 19 0 0 80.2
94 P. Holmes DE 29 16 13.5 23 0 0 82.0

Johnny U got his 4,000+ yard season, Cooper his 1,000 yard+ one. Warfield and Ballman became the first pair of 1,000 yard+ receivers in team history, with Warfield setting a franchise record along with Johnny U in yardage. Come to think of it, Cooper may have set his own single season team record for rushing yardage. Ballman also becomes the first Dolphin to have double digit TD receptions.

Unfortunately, Gary doesn't have a ring, even though he was active for the Super Bowl, because he was Out. :( Hopefully someone out there can get us a player card editor because that still really, really bothers me.

Frazier was a real end zone target this year and we all know about Cogdill's Super Bowl exploits.

We got a lot more sack production out of the secondary this year than we ever have and that's not counting the great job they did in pass defense. Sure we gave up a lot of passing yardage in the second half, but that was more a function of teams trying to play catchup with us than anything else. The 1st in pass defense percentage tells the real story.

Cross finally had the kind of career year people have been expecting out of him for a long time and his 2 critical Super Bowl interceptions went a long way to silencing his critics who claim he wasn't worth a Top 10 pick. Incidentally, Cross had a 97.6% Pass Defense in the playoffs and Johnny Sample was literally perfect with a 100% Pass Defense in our Super Bowl run.

What a great find Holmes turned out to be, the kind of impact player on the level of Jordan, who though fading, was still a powerful force in the middle along with Johnson.

I wonder if we'll see any retirements. Ah well, time to head on and see how we did in the awards.

As one might expect from the Super Bowl champions, we get quite a few season awards this year.

Dolphins Season Awards

QB Johnny Unitas
NFL MVP
Super Bowl MVP
Offensive Player of the Year
1st Team All-Pro QB

Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Coach of the Year

WR Paul Warfield
1st Team All-Pro WR

K Garo Yepremian
2nd Team All-Pro K

SS Ross Fitchner
2nd Team All-Pro S

I expected the Unitas and Treftz nods, but Warfield getting a 1st Team selection and Yepremian and Fitchner's selections were extremely pleasant surprises. :)

Nobody retires after our Super Bowl championship.

Staff Hiring

Lead Scout Leon Garibay goes from Average to Fair in Defensive Linemen, so we'll be on the lookout to replace him.

Offensive Coordinator Jared Thamilarasan goes from Good to Very Good in Kickers/Punters and he's out of contract. We'll fight like hell to retain him, though.

Defensive Coordinator Royce Womble has the first ever 4 area increase I've seen!
-Good to VG in Kickers/Punters
-Good to VG in Defensive Line
-Average to Good in Linebackers
-Good to VG in Young Talent

I'm happier than ever that I gambled by bringing him in. :)

Head Coach Tyrus Treftz improves from Very Good to Excellent in Defensive Playcalling.

Despite the fact that our owner only let us offer $580k a year compared to the $660 he wanted, we sign Thamilarasan to a new 4 year contract and land a new Lead Scout for $60k a year at 3 years.

Lead Scout Edwin Turnbull - 43
QB: Good
RB: Average
WR: Good
OL: Average
KP: Good
DL: Average
LB: Good
DB: Average
YT: Good

I briefly consider raising ticket prices, as we're ranked 21st out of 30 in terms of average cost for family of four and our fan loyalty is through the roof, but then I notice that our stadium's in pretty bad shape, so I decide to keep costs low in hopes of garnering support for a new stadium when the time is right. (Support's a shade under 50% right now)

It's a toss-up between Garo Yepremian and Tom Mitchell as to who goes to the Summer League, but Garo has a wider gap between current and future and will make the biggest impact on the team, so he's the selection.

Free agency I'll do later tonight or tomorrow. Feeling tired and a nap sounds good right about now.

[Izulde]

We've got salary cap hell.

$50,000 under the salary cap.

We can't even afford our draft picks this year.

Negotiations lead to extensions in a few cases, as we're sitting in excellent financial shape after this season and can afford to extend.

Extensions
LCB Johnny Sample: 2 years, $630k
LDT Henry Jordan: 2 years, $960k

Also, QB Bob Schweikert is released, putting us at $910k under the salary cap, with $230k the max for a new player.

Position Needs:
TE, P, DT, MLB, CB

The good news is that we're shopping for depth in all these cases and not starters, except P.

Week 1 Re-Signings
P John Seedborg: 1 year, $70k

It's actually a veteran minimum deal and he'll be an okay stopgap.

I'm putting out a bunch of vet min sal contracts out there, one year stopgaps to tide us over until we can better restructure the team.

Week 2 Signings
TE Sammie Hicks: 1 year, $100k* (Baltimore)
-* denotes that it's actually only $50k under cap because of non-bonus veteran rules etc. Dynamite run-blocker who'll fit in well as a backup to Tom Mitchell. Also a chemistry guy, with affinity with Gail Cogdill.

DT John Baker: 1 year, $100k* (Los Angeles)
-10 year veteran mentor who's a great backup DT. I'm really pleased to land him, especially since he won a ring with the Rams a couple years ago.

Week 4 Signings
CB Kendall Reeves: 1 year, $100k* (Dallas)
-Not the most electrifying player in the world, but he's a big-time chemistry guy as our new secondary leader and is a mentor to boot. I find it highly amusing that he played against us in the Super Bowl. Talk about if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Week 8 Losses
DT Walter Napier: 1 year, $100k* (Tucson)
-Did pretty well as a defensive front leader and backup for us last season, but I liked Baker's skill set and production a lot better.

Week 9 Signings
MLB Artie Kondovski: 1 year, $100k* Re-Signing
-Brought back the guy who's one of my favorite backups on the team as he turned down more money from the Vikings to stay with us.

That's the end of free agent shopping for us. We're now $660k under the cap, and -$20k as far as adding new players, so we may have to do another contract negotiation to get under the cap for our rookies.

We've got 46 players under contract.

Wait, we have some more negotiation to do because I suddenly realized we forgot someone very important.

Week 9 Extension
QB Johnny Unitas: 3 years, $3.22 mill.

Week 10 Signings
RB Bill Cooper: 1 year, $80k* Re-signing
-Can't believe I almost left behind our starting RB, the only one to ever reach 1,000 yards rushing in Dolphins history (twice). Not to mention he's a mentor!

Week 10 Losses
SE Fred Dugan: 1 year, $110k* (Cincinnati)
-I hate to lose this guy. He was a great mentor and a solid backup receiver for us, but life goes on.

Draft up next, which I may do tonight yet.

[Izulde]

You wouldn't think a Super Bowl champion that's returning all of its starters would have any holes to fill, but we do.

We need, among other things, a homerun RB, a LG to replace Fuzzy Thurston after this year, a LT to replace the ancient Bob Skoronski as well as heirs at QB, C, reserve DE, DT, all 3 LB slots, and LCB. A better 5th receiver would be nice as well.

So basically we're looking to upgrade at RB, replace the entire left side of our OL, and start building for the future.

This is an excellent draft for top flight cornerbacks, but the genuine blue-chip talent drops pretty quickly after the first 6 or so picks. If you're looking for skill position players in the draft, forget about it. It's by and large 2nd round or lower type talent here.

There's a certain young man who's the top QB available, but he looks terrible and I've always considered him an extremely overrated QB, so we won't be taking him.

The big names are ILB Willie Lanier and CB Zeke Moore as far as most hyped prospects go. We have the 29th and 32nd picks, but see absolutely no reason to move up.

A trade certainly remains a possibility, but I'm going to see how the 1st round shakes out first.

1967 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. ILB Willie Lanier - Cincinnati Bengals
2. DT Alan Page - Minnesota Vikings
3. CB Zeke Moore - Jacksonville Jaguars
4. RB Mel Farr - Seattle Seahawks
5. CB Bobby Bryant - Cleveland Browns
6. CB Lem Barney - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. CB Leroy Mitchell - Carolina Panthers
8. OLB Pete Barnes - Kansas City Chiefs
9. G Larry Little - Buffalo Bills
10. CB Larry Carwell - New York Giants
11. S Mike Weger - Oakland Raiders
12. OLB Paul Naumoff - New England Patriots
13. S Ken Houston - Philadelphia Eagles
14. RB Floyd Little - St. Louis Cardinals
15. T Rayfield Wright - Chicago Bears
16. RB Dickie Post - New Orleans Saints
17. OLB Ed Philpott - Baltimore Ravens
18. DE Bubba Smith - Tucson Titans
19. ILB Frank Nunley - New Jersey Jets
20. RB Clint Jones - Los Angeles Rams
21. T Bob Rowe - Houston Oilers
22. OLB Chip Myrtle - Pittsburgh Steelers
23. OLB Jim Lynch - Los Angeles Rams
24. T Tom Cichowski - Indianapolis Colts
25. RB Travis Williams - Detroit Lions
26. CB Charlie Stukes - San Francisco 49ers
27. RB Don McCall - Denver Broncos
28. G Dick Hart - San Francisco 49ers

A very quiet 1st round with no major surprises and no trades to speak of. There's one guy I've been eyeing for this selection and he managed to fall down to this level. He'll be a mainstay for at least the next 10 years, so I snatch him up so fast his head spins round.

29. G Gene Upshaw - Miami Dolphins
30. DT Dave Rowe - Houston Oilers
31. CB Ben Davis - Dallas Cowboys

Interesting side note: Oronde Bland has become the new offensive line captain, despite Ken Engram's still being there and Jim Simon has an Extreme Conflict with him, as does Lloyd McCoy. Just-drafted Upshaw, on the other hand, has an Exceptional Affinity. So it appears the changing of the guard may happen sooner than I thought, even though Upshaw is still quite raw.

There's a tough call to make with this 32nd pick. Do we trade it away for a future 1st rounder, or do we gamble with one of the guys who look like they could break out? There's a player I feel who could break out to be the answer at LT, possibly as soon as this season. On the other hand, he's a second round talent, really and should drop some more.

So I decide to go trading.

My first few offers to teams get turned down as they want more value, but then the Minnesota Vikings are only too happy to accept the 32nd pick in exchange for their next year's 1st rounder.

32. S Jon Charles - Minnesota Vikings

There's a flurry of trades in the second round as if to make up for the lack of first round action to the point where something like 10 straight picks are traded off. Round about the 23rd pick, I'm getting nervous that the guy I eyed is about to be picked up.

This leads me to contact Indianapolis about a trade. I offer them my 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th rounders to move up, which is overpaying a little bit according to the NFL Draft Value chart I use, but there's nobody in the lower rounds I was really fond of and if this guy's the answer, then I need LT
Dick Cunningham.

The trading frenzy finally stops at 2.28, which leads me to go look and see what all teams gave up and see how we did comparatively. ...It turns out we overpaid by a fair bit, but on the other hand, we didn't surrender any 3rd rounders, which every other team did, so go figure.

Indianapolis flips that 32nd pick of ours into a 1969 2nd rounder from Carolina and the Panthers select some DE. Nice haul by the Colts there.

...I can't help but die of laughter when the first QB finally goes in the 3rd round.

3.7 QB Bob Griese - Buffalo Bills

That's right, Griese, the signal-caller during the Super Bowl years of '72 and '73, the overrated QB I was talking about, will don our archrivals' uniform. Talk about hilarious! :D

The C I was hoping to land in the 3rd got taken before our pick comes up, so I go with a fellow I think could be our nickel back sooner or later and who could break out in CB Carl Ward.

Late free agency here we come.

Week 2 Losses
WR Jim Colclough - 1 year, $100k* Detroit Lions (Green Bay Packers)
-Would've been a great fifth receiver and mentor for us, but he wants to stay where it's cold.

Week 3 Signings
WR Eric Cedeno - 1 year, $100k* (Indianapolis Colts)
-Mentor wide receiver who becomes our new receivers captain and a chemistry guy with Charlie Frazier and Mickey Slaughter. Respectable 5th receiver.


RG Gene Upshaw 1.29 37/72 45/74 +8/+2
LT Dick Cunningham 2.23 14/39 14/39 +0/+0
RCB Carl Ward 3.32 13/35 14/31 +1/-6

Draft Grade: B+

It's a sign of just how weak the draft was that with only 3 players and 2 of them looking like busts, we were able to get a B+ grade and the #9 ranked draft class.

Lot of C+, C and C- grades from this draft, the most I've ever seen.

Upshaw is even better than I predicted he'd be. He instantly turns into our RG starter and he'll sit there for the next 10 years. Jim Simon moves to backup, but he's good enough to move to LG after Fuzzy Thurston leaves town.

[nilodor]

You'll have to keep us up to date on Griese's progress in Buffalo to see if you made the right decision.

[Izulde]

You'll have to keep us up to date on Griese's progress in Buffalo to see if you made the right decision.

Will do. I forgot to grab his initial post-draft ratings, but after training camp, he's sitting at 13/38, well behind 5th year man Daryle Lamonica (56/56, #2 overall pick in the 1963 draft, who showed signs of breaking out last year in his 2nd season as a starter) and 9th year journeyman vet Joe Kapp (27/41), who embarassed as the Colts' starting QB last year.

Things don't look good for Bob right now and I don't think they'll get any better unless he starts making major strides. No mentor QBs on the Bills' roster yet, though I think Lamonica stands an outside chance of becoming one.

[bbgunn]

Congrats on that Super Bowl!

[Izulde]

Congrats on that Super Bowl!

Thank you! :)

[Izulde]

Unitas, Johnny 2 QB 13 70 70 3 yrs
Slaughter, Mickey 8 QB 5 15 47 1 yr.
Berry, Bob 13 QB 4 27 44 1 yr.

Unitas continues his drop, but he's still a terrific QB. Berry likes to pretend he's a better quarterback than Slaughter, but such is not the case. Case in point: 12 points difference, but Berry has 70 experience vs 40 for Slaughter. Furthermore, Mickey's just flat-out outplayed Bob at every opportunity.


Hornung, Paul 48 RB 11 30 30 3 yrs
Cooper, Bill 28 RB 7 33 33 1 yr.
Reeves, Dan 39 RB 3 26 27 2 yrs
Shy, Les 31 RB 2 16 27 2 yrs
Scales, Charlie 41 FB 8 36 36 1 yr.
Granger, Hoyle 45 FB 2 19 30 3 yrs

I'll be so glad when Hornung's contract comes off the books. Worst free agent signing I've ever made. Cooper will start again and I'm going to make Reeves the backup this year. He's shown enough in his first two seasons to seriously intrigue me. Hornung will be the 3rd down back only this season, maybe a special teams gunner too. Shy sits on the inactive list.

Scales is still an adequate FB, but Granger doesn't look like he's going to pan out ever. Oh well, not a big deal.


Hicks, Sammie 83 TE 8 39 39 1 yr.
Mitchell, Tom 87 TE 2 30 39 3 yrs
Cedeno, Eric 81 FL 8 36 36 1 yr.
Frazier, Charlie 88 FL 6 46 46 2 yrs
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 4 68 68 4 yrs
Roderick, John 4 FL 2 14 24 2 yrs
Cogdill, Gail 82 SE 8 33 33 2 yrs
Ballman, Gary 89 SE 6 48 48 4 yrs

Hicks and Mitchell are going to fight it out in preseason for the starting TE job. No problems at WR though, with Warfield and Ballman starting, Frazier and Cogdill the backups and Cedeno the 5th receiver. Roderick gets to be on the practice squad. I really want Ballman to get a ring this year. I'm pissed that he got left out of the ceremony last season.

Incidentally, Warfield is the 4th best receiver in the NFL by current.


Engram, Ken 51 C 11 32 32 1 yr.
Bland, Oronde 57 C 8 45 45 1 yr.
Alford, Mike 56 C 3 19 30 1 yr.
Thurston, Fuzzy 73 LG 12 51 51 2 yrs
Mathias, Mark 60 LG 8 28 28 1 yr.
Simon, Jim 64 RG 5 39 39 2 yrs
McCoy, Lloyd 67 RG 4 35 35 1 yr.
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 1 45 74 4 yrs
Skoronski, Bob 76 LT 12 29 29 1 yr.
Cunningham, Dick 68 LT 1 14 39 3 yrs
Koepfer, Dick 66 RT 3 34 34 2 yrs
Battle, Jim 70 RT 2 37 37 2 yrs

Skoronski-Thurston-Bland-Upshaw-Battle will be the starting five, as Battle is a more balanced blocker than Koepfer and with better endurance besides. Who the active reserves are going to be is a real tossup right now. I think Cunningham's a lot better than what his numbers show, he just needs the playing time. I'll sit Alford for sure, McCoy too, as I'm not liking that Extreme Conflict. Mathias, Simon, and Cunningham will all be active backups; Koepfer is on the bubble.


Seedborg, John 18 P 4 50 50 1 yr.
Yepremian, Garo 16 K 2 51 51 2 yrs

I'm fine with both of these players. Seedborg's directional knack makes him more worthwhile than his raw numbers would suggest.


Schau, Mark 98 LDE 9 27 27 2 yrs
Brumm, Don 75 LDE 5 39 39 3 yrs
Holmes, Pat 94 RDE 6 53 53 3 yrs
Baker, John 95 LDT 10 34 34 1 yr.
Jordan, Henry 91 LDT 11 51 51 2 yrs
Johnson, Walter 72 RDT 3 48 48 2 yrs

No issues here. Brumm-Jordan-Johnson-Holmes, with Schau and Baker in reserve.


Lloyd, Dave 93 MLB 9 57 57 2 yrs
Kondovski, Artie 50 MLB 8 40 40 1 yr.
Houston, Jim 58 SLB 8 35 35 2 yrs
Baughan, Maxie 53 WLB 8 59 59 3 yrs
Gursky, Albert 96 WLB 6 32 32 1 yr.

I really need to upgrade the strong side, but we'll go with the same Houston-Lloyd-Baughan starters as last year, with Kondvoski and Gursky the backups again.


Sample, Johnny 43 LCB 10 45 45 2 yrs
Reeves, Kendall 38 RCB 8 30 30 1 yr.
Cross, Irv 40 RCB 7 42 42 3 yrs
Ward, Carl 49 RCB 1 14 31 3 yrs
Fichtner, Ross 32 SS 8 49 49 3 yrs
Walters, Tom 34 SS 4 24 35 1 yr.
Bird, Rodger 46 SS 2 21 30 3 yrs
Fleming, Don 24 FS 9 51 51 3 yrs
Plump, Dave 36 FS 3 35 35 1 yr.

We need a serious infusion of talented youth here. None of the young bodies really cut it, though Plump I suspect of being better than his current rating suggets. Bird is strictly backup material and punt return extraordinnare and I don't hold out hope for Ward.

So for another year, we'll go with the Fantastic Four of Sample-Cross-Fichtner-Fleming. Only the fact that our nickel back keeps changing keeps us from a higher cohesion rating in the secondary than we have (89, 8th in the league).

We've definitely got the stuff for another playoff run, but this team's getting older and didn't improve significantly in the offseason, save for Upshaw. A Super Bowl defense is possible, but I wouldn't bet the farm on us this year.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Miami 37 Atlanta 10
Bill Cooper runs for 2 TDs and Garo Yepremian is 3/3 for FG, including a 51 yarder. Sammie Hicks tops Tom Mitchell and the closer I look at them, the more Hicks stands out to be as the one who should start.

Mitchell, ironically, injures his Achilles tendon and may miss the rest of preseason, ditto Mark Schau, who breaks his foot.

Fortunately I have two open spots on the team, so no changes need to be made in order to sign TE mentor Marvin Baker and affinity rookie Andrew Weathersby. Want to know how bad the free agent market is? Baker and Weathersby were among the top free agents and their ratings are 14 and 5 respectively.

Ouch, no?

Dallas 7 Miami 16
No standout performances at all here, save for Dave Lloyd who wins Game MVP honors with 7 tackles, 3 assists, a sack and a knockdown.

Tom Mitchell is now probable, but he'll sit another game. Johnny Unitas will start the last two preseason games. Gene Upshaw hyperextends his knee and will miss the rest of the preseason. Jim Simon will start in his place at RG, Lloyd McCoy his backup.

Tampa Bay 27 Miami 31
Tough game against our in-state foes, but it's only preseason and we still won. Gary Ballman gets 5 catches for 93 yards, pretty good for preseason. Johnny Unitas is flawless at 12 for 16 for 177 yards and 2 TDs. Walter Johnson notched 4 tackles, 2 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown.

Tom Mitchell is ready to come back, so Baker goes on inactive.

Miami 7 Philadelphia 31
A surprise upset by the Eagles and a sour ending note to the preseason. Johnny Unitas and Mickey Slaughter combined for 5 interceptions, ruining Dave Lloyd's 12 tackle, 3 assist showcase.

Gene Upshaw is still questionable as we go into Week 1 so I decide to sit him. No sense is risking a great player's career for a couple regular season games that we can easily make up should we lose.

I didn't think this was going to end up being the case, but Dick Cunningham improved 2 points just in preseason and I think he played well enough to deserve the starting spot, so in the biggest shock of the exhibition period, Cunningham becomes our starting LT.

Mark Schau is ready to come back thankfully. Our backup situation at DE was looking really hairy with a 5 rated guy there.

Regular Season

Buffalo 16 Miami 30
We open the year with a very comfortable win over our archivals. Johnny Unitas is Game MVP at 22-31 for 249 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. Gary Ballman has 7 catches for 104 yards. Johnny Sample returns an interception 23 yards for a TD.

But the real fireworks were in the kicking game. Garo Yepremian and former Dolphins K Allen Green were both 3/3, with Green nailing a 50 yarder and Yepremian bettering him.

To wit:
1Q Garo Yepremian 54 yard field goal
1Q Garo Yepremian 50 yard field goal
4Q Garo Yepremian 50 yard field goal.

That's right. 3/3 from 50+ range. Absolutely amazing. :)

Gene Upshaw is upgraded to Probable, so he'll start. Ross Fitchner is questionable after getting tendinitis in the knee, so Tom Walters will start, Rodger Bird the backup.

Miami 31 Dallas 28
In the Super Bowl rematch, we top the favored Cowboys pretty easily. The score only looks as close as it does because they got a late fumble return for a TD. Johnny Unitas was once again the hero: 25-33 for 332 yards and 3 TDs. Paul Warfield had 10 catches for 136 yards and a TD, and running mate Gary Ballman put on a deep threat clinic with 5 catches for 131 yards and a TD.

Ross Fichtner is up to probable, so he's back in the game.

San Diego 14 Miami 9
A great day for the passing game again as Johnny Unitas is 24-39 for 315 yards and a TD, Gary Ballman the deep man again with 5 catches for 129 yards, but the weakness in our running game was exposed today and it killed us. Dave Lloyd had 13 tackles and 5 assists in a rare individual standout for the defense thus far in the young year.

Sammie Hicks is doubtful and Fuzzy Thurston is questionable. They'll both sit, Tom Mitchell and Mark Mathias their replacements.

Miami 17 New England 20
...I don't get this upset at all. The Patriots pick up their first win of the year against us on 2 FGs in the last 2 minutes of the game. I'm freaking pissed. Paul Warfield has 6 catches for 115 yards and Dave Lloyd picks up 10 tackles, an assist and 2 sacks, but that's all she wrote for good performances this game.

Sammie Hicks is fully healed and Fuzzy Thurston is probable, so back on the field they come after that embarassing loss to New England.

Miami 27 Jacksonville 20
We finally break the losing streak, but it was a come from behind victory only secured by Bill Cooper's 8 yard TD run with under a minute to play. Paul Warfield does his usual heroics with 7 catches for 100 yards and Irv Cross started the game with an electrifying 87 yard kickoff return for a TD, but I'm wondering what the hell is wrong with this team. Walter Johnson puts on a great game with 5 tackles, 2 assists, and 2 sacks.

The revolving door at LG can't be helping as Fuzzy Thurston is questionable again. Sad thing is, he's signed on for another year after this one. Sigh. On comes Mark Mathias.

Houston 17 Miami 10
This is freaking disgusting. Johnny Unitas has been looking seriously mortal and our running game isn't cutting it at all. Dave Lloyd amasses 11 tackles and 4 assists in our lone highlight.

Fuzzy Thurston's probable and it couldn't come at a better time as Mark Mathias is now out. Irv Cross is questionable too, so he'll sit while Kendall Reeves takes his turn as a starter and Gail Cogdill assumes primary kick return duties.

There's no way in hell we should be 3-3 right now. We're a lot better than that.

Miami 21 Buffalo 38
God motherfucking asscrotchet DAMN IT!!! We couldn't afford to lose this game to our archrivals, who were 4-2 and on top of the division, so of course we blow it. Is there some fucking stupid ass Super Bowl hangover season code in this damn game?! Paul Warfield tags 7 balls for 115 yards and Rodger Bird returns a punt 77 yards for a TD. Jim Houston gets 10 tackles and an assist and this season is going downhill fast.

Irv Cross goes to Probable and his ass is on the field so fast his head spins, but then, this season being what it is Dave Lloyd will miss the next game. :rolleyes:

MLB Les Vahata, mentor and new defensive front captain for all of 1 or 2 games, :rolleyes:, is signed to back Artie Kondovski while Lloyd is out. At least I have the sadistic pleasure of cutting John Roderick to make room for Vahata.

Indianapolis 17 Miami 31
This is the kind of morale-building win we needed. An efficient game from Johnny Unitas, 2 interceptions by our secondary and Walter Johnson having his finest day as a pro with 8 tackles, 4 assists, 1.5 sacks, a block, a hurry and a knockdown bring us to .500 at the halfway point.

We've also got a bye week coming up that we very much need.

Buffalo's still atop the division at 5-2 and Oakland is only a game up for the second wild-card spot at 5-3. This season is still very much salvageable, but we need to snap out of the funk we're in and get it done.

On the bright side, Minnesota is one of three teams at the bottom of the league with a 1-6 record. KUTGW, Vikings!

Let's look at the tape.


Record 4-4
Winning Pct. .500
All-Time 72-48
Winning Pct. .600
Playoffs 3-4
Playoff Visits 5
Bowl Wins 1
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 53-25
Winning Pct. .679
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 22.3 28
Rushing Yards 84.5 28
Yards Per Carry 3.80 18
Pass Attempts 34.4 14
Completions 22.0 9
Completion Pct. 64.0 13
Passing Yards 254.0 6
Yards Per Attempt 7.39 6
Yards Per Catch 11.55 8
Total Yardage Gained 312.3 14
3rd Down Conversions 38.0 14
Points Per Game 22.0 11
Pass Rush Pct. 6.4 19
Pass Defense Pct. 61.1 29
Turnovers 9 9 (T)
Turnover Margin +1 15 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.9 16 (T)
Rushing Yards 96.4 7
Yards Per Carry 3.46 4
Pass Attempts 34.6 24
Completions 23.4 29
Completion Pct. 67.5 30
Passing Yards 243.1 27
Yards Per Attempt 7.02 24
Yards Per Catch 10.40 13 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 329.9 21
3rd Down Conversions 42.5 29
Points Per Game 21.3 26 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 8.6 24 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 62.8 12
Turnovers 10 17 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 30 BUF 16
2 31 at DAL 28
3 9 SDO 14
4 17 at NED 20
5 27 at JAX 20
6 10 HOU 17
7 21 at BUF 38
8 31 IND 17
10 at TUC
11 at NJY
12 PHI
13 at PIT
14 at NYK
15 NED
16 WAS
17 NJY

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
2 J. Unitas QB 275 176 2032 7.39 11 3 95.0
**Team --- 275 176 2032 7.39 11 3 95.0
$$Opp --- 277 187 1945 7.02 10 6 90.6

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
28 B. Cooper RB 94 331 3.52 3 4
39 D. Reeves RB 69 296 4.29 3 1
**Team --- 178 676 3.80 6 12
$$Opp --- 223 771 3.46 9 13

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 78 51 735 14.41 9.42 1 3
89 G. Ballman WR 74 43 627 14.58 8.47 3 4
88 C. Frazier WR 39 22 266 12.09 6.82 2 3
28 B. Cooper RB 21 18 111 6.17 5.29 0 0
82 G. Cogdill WR 18 8 77 9.63 4.28 1 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
93 D. Lloyd ILB 54 18 2.0 0 0 4 78.2
58 J. Houston OLB 40 5 0.0 0 0 5 71.1
72 W. Johnson DT 34 13 4.5 5 0 0 77.6
32 R. Fichtner S 29 16 0.0 0 0 2 77.0
43 J. Sample CB 27 7 0.0 0 3 6 82.5
24 D. Fleming S 24 17 1.0 0 1 1 78.3
94 P. Holmes DE 24 7 0.0 9 0 0 79.1
38 K. Reeves CB 22 5 0.0 0 0 0 72.1
40 I. Cross CB 22 9 0.0 0 1 2 75.4
53 M. Baughan OLB 20 9 1.0 1 0 3 77.1
50 A. Kondovski ILB 20 3 0.0 0 0 0 67.4
91 H. Jordan DT 17 6 0.5 5 0 0 81.9
75 D. Brumm DE 16 5 2.0 6 0 0 80.9
96 A. Gursky OLB 15 5 0.0 0 0 0 70.3
95 J. Baker DT 8 7 1.0 2 0 0 80.1

Some things jump out immediately: Our running game is putrid (rather like the Marino-era Dolphins in real life) and our defense has taken a turn for the worse, especially the pass defense, which those of you've been reading this all along know has traditionally been our money area.

Another telling statistic: Pat Holmes, such a big part of our season last year, is still waiting on his first sack, although Walter Johnson is having an awesome season to partially atone for it.

The one area that isn't troubling is our passing game. Unitas may be fading, but he still has it and Warfield is truly an elite receiver now. Ballman's on a mission to get that ring he was unjustly denied last year.

I think I'll start Bob Skoronski at LT from here on out. Maybe having a veteran there will alleviate some of the pressure. Besides, he's pissed about not starting and I don't really blame him, to be honest.

The season's still very salvageable. Playoffs and the division crown are both within reach, but our margin for error is pretty slim.

[nilodor]

Is Griese starting in Buffalo? It looks like you got to the big game in the right season, it's amazing how fast a team can look old, which your running game and pass rush sure look. Even between Johnson and Holmes you haven't gotten alot of heat with only 18.5 pressures, when you should be looking at closer to 30 combined for your top two guys.

[Izulde]

Is Griese starting in Buffalo? It looks like you got to the big game in the right season, it's amazing how fast a team can look old, which your running game and pass rush sure look. Even between Johnson and Holmes you haven't gotten alot of heat with only 18.5 pressures, when you should be looking at closer to 30 combined for your top two guys.

Nope, it's still Lamonica starting, though Griese is up to 15/38 as of right now.

And yes, our running game does look ancient right now. I'm somewhat tempted to give Reeves the starting job, but I won't. Pass rushing has traditionally been a weakness for us, as I've never had a topflight DE to date. Schau was good for a few years, but never dominant and Brumm has been awful since switching over to the left side.

So while the team is still good overall, I think, we've got a lot of holes to fill, more than we did last year. You're right about us catching lightning in a bottle last year, it seems.

I'd just hate to think our Super Bowl victory was a fluke.

On the other hand, we're primed to reload this next offseason with the cap room we'll get and the draft picks we'll have. :)

[Izulde]

In the attitude advisory report, Bob Skoronski is angry as I said before, but he'll start so his fury should go away. Dick Koepfer is disgruntled, which is fair, since he and Jim Battle are pretty equal, but the curious one is Dave Plump, who seems to think he should be starting over Don Fleming. Sorry Dave, it ain't happening.

Miami 24 Tucson 7
If there's one player who has reason more than any other to want to get back to the Super Bowl, it's Gary Ballman and he proved it today. All 9 passes thrown his way, he caught, for 182 yards and a TD on his way to Game MVP honors. Pat Holmes finally gets on the sack board with a tackle, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a block and 3 hurries.

Miami 14 New Jersey 10
Extremely critical victory over the Jets, who had the tiebreaker advantage over us. The come from behind win came courtesy of Irv Cross, who raced up the field 97 yards with just under 5 minutes in the game for a KR TD. Johnny Unitas was 18-32 for 316 yards, a TD and an INT. Don Brumm gets in the multi-sack game with 4 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a block, and 2 hurries.

Dave Lloyd comes back to give our D a much needed boost, but Maxie Baughan is questionable with a pulled hamstring and 5th receiver Eric Cedeno is out with a separated shoulder.

Baughan will play on as we're in the thick of a playoff and division hunt. Oscar Lofton, an 8 year vet released by the Seahawks earlier this year, becomes the stopgap 5th receiver and C Mike Alford is cut.

Philadelphia 9 Miami 23
A solid running game today as Bill Cooper and Dan Reeves run for 89 and 75 yards respectively, Tyrus Treftz going with a balanced rushing attack. Dave Lloyd gets an interception in his first game back and Don Brumm continues his hot streak with 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 3 hurries.

We're now tied with Buffalo for the division lead at 7-4, but they hold the tiebreaker advantage. There's also a bunch of 7-4 teams all fighting for the last playoff spot. As of right now, we're out.

Miami 0 Pittsburgh 20
Shut out by the Steelers. ARGH! Dave Lloyd with 13 tackles, 3 assists and a hurry. Johnny Unitas completed 25 of 50 passes, but it wasn't enough to even get us on the scoreboard.

Albert Gursky is doubtful, but at this point, I'm throwing everyone into the fire unless they're definitely out.

Miami 35 New York 34
Our running game continues to blow, but Johnny Unitas bails us out with a 28-45, 425 yard, 5 TD, 2 INT performance. Gary Ballman has 13 catches for 187 yards and 3 TDs, Paul Warfield 8 balls for 137 yards and a TD. We're guaranteed a .500 record after that nailbiter win that was again a come from behind effort.

Of course, not even a win can come easy. Charlie Frazier misses the next game, though Eric Cedeno comes back. But the biggest blow is Bill Cooper who has a compound leg fracture and won't be back until Late 1968. His fine career with the Dolphins looks to sadly be over.

Cooper goes on IR, Dan Reeves starts and RB mentor and Bills castoff Larry Garron is signed to be the top backup and split passing downs with Reeves.

New England 9 Miami 26
We punish the Patriots for their temerity in upsetting us earlier in the year. Gary Ballman has 6 catches for 122 yards and Garo Yepremian hits 4/5 FGs, including a franchise record 57 yarder. Walter Johnson paces the pass rush with 4 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 knockdowns.

Washington 7 Miami 27
With a ton of teams at 9-5, we really needed this win and we get it, lowering the boom on the Redskins. Johnny Unitas is 26-33 for 306 yards, 2 TDs and an INT, Gary Ballman again the end-zone man with 10 catches for 129 yards and both TDs. Paul Warfield catches 8 passes for 110 yards himself as our dynamite duo at WR does it again. Johnny Sample gets 2 interceptions, returning one back for a TD and Don Fleming has 10 tackles, 2 assists, a pass defense, and an interception. Don Brumm picks up 4 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown, continuing his second-half Mark Schau-esque surge.

Unbelivably, we're still not in the playoffs at 10-5, as we're the odd man out in the 3 way tie of 10-5. We need to win and one of Houston or Oakland to lose. At least we get Charlie Frazier back.

New Jersey 28 Miami 34
The Jets came in bound and determined to play the spoiler role, but they weren't quite able to pull it off as Larry Garron surprises everyone by rushing for 2 TDs. Paul Warfield catches 7 passes for 121 yards, but the Game MVP was none other than Pat Holmes. Chained all season long, he had a breakout game today with 5 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown.

Oakland loses so we're in the playoffs! Even better, Buffalo loses, so we repeat as the AFC East Champions!.

Unfortunately, we lose the tiebreaker for a first round bye, so we're playing in the wild card round.

But that's okay. The important thing is, the defending Super Bowl champions have made the playoffs after a rough first half.

[Izulde]

We draw a very familiar opponent in the Wild Card round, none other than the Houston Oilers, who we're 0-2 against in the playoffs.

Norman McNeil is no George Blanda and he's particularly notorious for being interception-prone, which will be huge against our secondary.

I said in the 1964 draft that if Paul Warfield hadn't fallen to me, I would've taken Mack Lee Hill, who's rushed for over 1,200 yards in his first 3 seasons and over 1,000 yards this year, his 4th season. He's hit double digit TDs as well and is adequate in ball protection. Nice to know that I still have a nose for picking RBs in the draft. :)

Billy Cannon, Charley Hennigan and Bill Groman are still around and still brilliant receivers, giving the Oilers the firepower to match up with ours at that position.

Their offensive line is just sick, it's so good, though their kickers leave much to be desired. Don Floyd is the all-time sacks leader and had 15.5 this preseason. Fortunately, the rest of the defensive line features two rookies who are still developing at the DT spots and Tim Powell, a third year player who... well damn, he got 12.5 sacks in his first year as a starter.

Wahoo McDaniel is a force at MLB, but the rest of the linebacking corps is nothing frightening. Houston's secondary is scary, however, with a trio of fairly talented cornerbacks and SS Jim Norton, the 1960 Defensive Rookie of the Year and 4-time 1st Team-All Pro.

In short, this game isn't going to be easy. Either one of us could win as the Oilers really do have a talented ballclub.

So talented, in fact, that Houston's favored by 4.

But it turns out to not even be close.

Dan Reeves runs for the first 2 TDs of the game en route to a 30 carry, 113 yard performance, his finest for Miami and at just the right time. Johnny Unitas is a laser at 23-28 for 240 yards and 2 TDs.

Walter Johnson records 2 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns to pace the defense.

Most telling defensive statistic: Houston's two QBs combined for less than 50% completion of their passes at 15/32.

Final Score:
Houston 7 Miami 34

We've excised the Oiler curse and are back to the divisional round!

[Izulde]

Although we had a remarkably easy time of it against the Houston Oilers, that won't be the case against our foes in the Divisional Round, the San Diego Chargers.

Fran Tarkenton, the #1 overall pick in the first ever rookie draft, 1961, has blossomed into a truly great QB (73/73), one who's really entered the prime of his career and has thrown for over 3,000 yards the last two seasons, with 20+ TDs and single digit interceptions in that same time span.

Unfortunately for Tarkenton and the reason why he hasn't been an All-Pro yet, he has some real scrubby receivers. Marv Fleming is a blocking machine and not a pass catcher at TE, Don Norton is one of the worst starting flankers in the league and Otis Taylor just had his first year as a starter this season.

For the running game, Paul Lowe has rushed for over 1,000 yards every year in this universe except 1960. I'd call him underrated, but he's notorious for his fumbleitis, breaking double digit cough-ups in two years.

What Tarkenton does have is a pair of extremely gifted tackles in LT Ernie Wright, who's made the last 4 All-Pro teams and RT Ron Mix, an All-Pro 3 of the last 4 years. However San Diego's starting guards are even worse than ours and one of them, along with their first string C, are Red Flag players.

You know a P is bad when he consistently averages in the mid to high 30s, but for some reason the bum still has his job. K George Blair is one of the most underrated in the league, however.

The Chargers run a 3-4 and have absolutely horrible DEs, their starters so bad they'd be cut from our team. NT Tom Keating is a bright young star, however, and just made the All-Pro team last season (2nd Team) and looks to make the 1st Team this year after a 14 sack regular season.

SILB Mike Lucci is the best of a mediocre to poor linebacking corps, but San Diego's secondary is impressive, spearheaded by 1965's Fastest Man Dick Harris at CB and 2-time All-Pro SS Charlie McNeil. A major injury blow for the Chargers occurred in Week 1 when CB Mel Renfro was lost for the year due to reconstructive knee surgery, but they played well even without him.

Can we win this game? Of course, but it's not going to be easy. Tarkenton is the equal of Unitas in talent, their secondary equivalent to ours and their offensive line somewhat better.

They're favored by 2.

It's as tight a game as I and the oddmakers figured, with the score tied at halftime and at the end of the 3rd quarter at 10-10 and 17-17 respectively.

And then... well I'll tell you at the end of the post. I'll mention the individual highlights first.

Johnny Unitas was 26-37 for 332 yards and 2 TDs, Paul Warfield catching 9 passes for 129 yards.

Early in the fourth quarter, Unitas found Gary Ballman from 9 yards out for the TD and we hold on for the victory!

Unitas was Game MVP as you can imagine, but the real reason we won this game was absolute mastery in a total team effort on defense. Fran Tarkenton completed just 50% of his passes and we held the Chargers to 58 total yards rushing as a team, Walter Johnson and Henry Jordan doing a fantastic job of stuffing up the middle.

Miami 24 San Diego 17

We're going back to the AFC Championship!!!

[Izulde]

Things are tough as we attempt to get back to the Super Bowl, as you might expect at this point in the playoffs. We're facing off against the Cleveland Browns, they of the 0-3 Super Bowl record, who are returning to the playoffs after missing out last season and losing Super Bowl VI to the Los Angeles Rams.

Len Dawson's numbers may have declined the last couple of years, but the 11 year vet is still one of the top QBs in the game and a worthy equal to Johnny Unitas. Unlike Tarkenton, he's actually delivered on his ability with two All-Pro appearances, the last in 1965, along with the 1963 MVP Award.

The almighty Jim Brown is showing his age as well, as the 11th year runner posted his first sub-4.00 YPC in a season this year (3.93) and had his string of consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons broken last year with 954 rushing yards. That being said, he rebounded for 1,151 yards and 9 TDs in the regular season and had a career low in fumbles with 1. Not bad at all for a position that traditionally has the shortest shelf life in the NFL.

TE Milt Morin is in just his 2nd season, but he's already emerged as one of the top pass-catching tight ends in the league and is an extremely valuable safety valve for Dawson.

Bobby Mitchell is another greybeard at 10 years of experience, but he's never had below 1,000 yards receiving in a season. Unfortunately for the Browns, he and Morin are the only reliable receivers on Cleveland's roster, as everyone else is just filler.

Dick Schafrath, Ed Budde and John Schmitt form a terrific left side of the line at LT, LG, and C respectively, but there's gaping holes on the right side that we should be able to take advantage of.

Curley Johnson is the best punter in the game, as evidenced by his two consecutive 1st Team All-Pro P selections the last two years.

The defensive front is Cleveland's biggest weakness. They run a 3-4, but have an awful defensive line and their best linebacker, SILB Bob Matheson, is a rookie who's still growing into his considerable potential and has an Extreme Conflict with the front seven leader besides.

The Browns redeem themselves in the secondary, though. Rookie Bobby Bryant and second year man Tony King form an exceptional pair of young, talented cornerbacks who look like they could become the next great duo. Safety is a weak spot, however, especially since starting SS George Saimes, who broke out in the regular season, will miss this game.

It'll be another rough ride, but this game is extremely winnable. The Browns have a pretty porous defense, which should translate into a high scoring affair, given their offensive weapons and ours.

We're favored by 2, in a reversal of the last game.

Cleveland goes up 17-14 at the half, thanks to some absolutely stellar passing by Len Dawson and some amazing runs by Jim Brown, but then our coaching staff makes some adjustments at the break and the second half, particularly the 3rd quarter is all Miami.

In actuality, it's all Johnny Unitas, who throws for 3 TD passes in the second half on his way to winning Game MVP honors with a beautiful line of 27-34 for 327 yards, 5 TDs and 0 INTs, 146.3 rating, which may be a new franchise playoff record.

Gary Ballman can smell the ring in front of him and like he has all season long, comes up huge with 10 catches for 162 yards and a TD.

Johnny U's 3rd quarter firestorm took the Browns out of their gameplan. They'd intended to keep relying on Brown, but were forced to go to the air and that wasn't going to work with Cleveland's handicap at WR and our formidable secondary. Dawson threw 2 second half interceptions and misfired on a lot of passes, ending the Browns' hopes of ending the Super Bowl curse.

Miami 35 Cleveland 24

We're going back to the Super Bowl!!!! We have a shot at our second straight championship!!!!!

I really, really want this ring for Gary Ballman.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl VIII Preview
Miami Dolphins vs. San Francisco 49ers

The Miami Dolphins become the first team in NFL History to make it to two consecutive Super Bowls and are the defending champs. San Francisco appears in its second bowl game in team history. They lost to Johnny Unitas's Indianapolis Colts 34-31 in Super Bowl II.

Miami Dolphins Out List
RB Bill Cooper (Starter)
FS Don Fleming (Starter)

San Francisco 49ers Out List
WILB Greg Keshishyan (Starter)
CB Bobby Boyd (Reserve)

Position Comparison

Quarterback
You wouldn't guess that Johnny Unitas is in his 13th season. The Dolphins great still looks like a legend in his prime, with 4,234 passing yards, 23 TDs and 9 INTs during the regular season and an incredible 134.2 QB rating in this postseason run, with 9 TDs and 0 INTs. 3 Super Bowl games, 3 rings, 3 Super Bowl MVPs. Johnny U beat the 49ers in Super Bowl II. Can he repeat the magic one more time?

John Brodie is no youngster himself, an 11 year veteran who has only been a starter for 3 years as he played behind a man they called Y.A. Tittle. Despite the short time leading the 49ers attack, he's been absolutely sensational, posting two straight 4,000+ yard seasons. Last year, he was the 2nd Team All-Pro QB behind Unitas and this year, Brodie threw for 4,406 yards, 34 TDs and 8 INTs. All that John lacks to be compared to Unitas's stature is postseason success and taking San Franciso to the Super Bowl goes a long way to that end.

Advantage: Draw

Running Back
When Miami lost Bill Cooper for the year in Week 15, many people thought the Dolphins' playoff hopes were over, but third year RB Dan Reeves has been far more effective in the postseason than anyone could have hoped for, rushing for 255 yards in the run to the Super Bowl, including a masterful 113 yard, 2 TD performance in the Wild Card round against the Houston Oilers. Larry Garron, the late season replacement signed to back Reeves, has proven a fantastic find. The 8th year vet's blazing speed gave the Dolphins an excellent change of pace back and he's been an invaluable safety valve for Unitas in the playoffs.

The 49ers also have a third year back starting in the big game, hard-running overachiever Gene Foster, who's run for over 1,000 yards in each of his first three pro seasons. He ran for a career high 1,203 yards and 14 TDs in the regular season and also caught 40 passes for 274 yards. Larry Ferguson is a pedestrian backup with the critical ability to hang on to the football.

Advantage: 49ers

Wide Receivers
Miami hosts block maestro Sammie Hicks at TE, but he's only a minor part of the receiving game. The lion's share of passes go to 1st Team All-Pro Paul Warfield, who experienced a slight dropoff from last year, but still had 100 receptions for 1,428 yards and 5 TDs while majorly cutting his drops. The vastly underrated Gary Ballman mans the other side and he had a career year in the regular season, with 100 catches for 1,509 yards and 11 TDs, his 4th straight year of at least 1,000 yards receiving. He's hungry to win the Super Bowl ring he didn't get last season after being forced to miss the title game due to injury. Charlie Frazier continues to be one of the best backup wide receivers in the game. Gail Cogdill, such a hero last year in the playoffs and the Super Bowl, appears to have fallen off the map in the Dolphins' passing game.

San Francisco's Gene Prebola is one of the most underrated tight ends in the league, able to both catch passes and block. Roy Jefferson is only in his third year, but the young star has over 1,100 yards in each of his 3 seasons and he's caught at least 8 TD passes a year. Charley Taylor, in his fourth season, has been even more spectacular since taking over the split end job for good two years ago. With at least 1,300 yards and 10 TDs in the last two seasons, he's dynamite and Taylor proved it beyond a doubt this year when he had career highs of 1,504 yards and 14 TDs in the regular season with just 4 drops. He reminds people a lot of a younger version of Warfield and Ballman. Unfortunately for the 49ers, there's only warm bodies in the way of backups. Should Jefferson or Taylor go down in the game, there's no one who can fill the void like Frazier can for the Dolphins.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
With 2 rookies and a second year player on the starting line when the Dolphins broke camp, cohesion problems were bound to occur and many blame the offensive line's poor play for Miam's struggles in the first half of the season. Then, the aging Bob Skoronski was handed his starting job back at LT and rookie RG Gene Upshaw continued his rapid progress in the second half. Instantly, the line gelled and played fantastically better in the second half and have done well as a unit in the playoffs thus far.

Skoronski's physical skills may be eroded, but the 12th year vet is a brilliant strategist, relying on his experience and intelligence to be the most reliable player on the Dolphins' line. LG Fuzzy Thurston was finally healthy for most of a season, which did much to improve the performance of the offensive line. C Oronde Bland, however, had his worst performance ever in a Dolphins uniform, both in the regular season and the playoffs. His contract is up this season and he may well not be back next year. Upshaw struggled in pass protection in the first half of the regular season, but has been on fire since then and is averaging 40% on run blocks in the playoffs, with 0 sacks allowed and a pancake block. He'll be a great guard for the next 10 years. RT Jim Battle is arguably the weakest link in the line, a good run blocker, but a sieve in pass protection.

The 49ers build their line on a group of physically strong blockers who are solid all-around players without being exceptionally great or weak in any area. The one exception is RT Joe Carallo, who is an even bigger hole in the passing game than Battle. Most telling statistic for San Francisco's line philosophy: LT Monte Clark, with 6 pancake blocks in the regular season, has more than all of Miami's offensive line together.

Advantage: 49ers

Defensive Line
Miami's pass rush, anemic in the first half, bloomed in the second half. DE Don Brumm bounced back from a rough year and a half of adjustment to the left side to record 8 sacks. On the opposite Pat Holmes regressed from his 13.5 sack a year ago. Truthfully, the DEs are only adequate for the Dolphins, though reserve Mark Schau is a great backup option. The real strength of Miami's defensive line is in the tackles, with the ageless Henry Jordan still a force and third year pro Walter Johnson getting better and better with each passing season. In fact, in the regular season Johnson had 54 tackles, almost double his previous career high, and 8 sacks, another career high, tying him for the team lead.

Ben Davidson is extraordinarily gifted at LDE for the 49ers, but he's notorious for his inconsistency and underachievement relative to his talent. RDE Dick Evey is just another body. Injury problems limited NT Jim Colvin to 11 starts in the regular season, but he's a vacuum in the middle of the line, a real tackle machine who hits runners hard.

Advantage: Dolphins

Linebackers
Dave Lloyd is one of the most underappreciated MLBs in the league. The guy does nothing but perform fantastically year in and year out and he doesn't get the recognition he deserves. SLB Jim Houston overachieves relative to his mediocre talent, contrary to WLB Maxie Baugham, who has been a major disappointment since signing a lucrative free agent deal with the Dolphins in 1966 free agency. Artie Kondovski is a run-stopping force at backup MLB. Albert Gursky is adequate reserve on the outside, but nothing more.

San Franciso has a bunch of stiffs at linebacker, the noteable exceptions being second year WLB Crawfish Guidry, who is a terrific player against both the run and the pass and SLB Roy Winston, who stunned everyone with a 9.5 sack season in his first year as a starter after signing with the 49ers in free agency.

Advantage: Draw

Secondary
There's no question that Johnny Sample is he most underappreciated cornerbacks in all of football. The all-time passes defensed leader has never made the Pro Bowl and is considered on the decline by scouts. All he did was intercept a career high 6 passes in the regular season, returning 2 for TDs while putting up his usual consistent tackle numbers and phenomenal pass defense both in the regular season and the playoffs. Running mate Irv Cross never did live up to the lofty expectations that made him the #10 overall pick in the 1961 draft, but he's still a respectable corner and one of the greatest kick returners in the game. Nickelback Kendall Reeves is just another guy. The loss of FS Don Fleming for the Super Bowl is huge, although Dave Plump is one of the better reserve free safeties in the NFL. SS Ross Fichtner is a terrific tackler and good in the pass defense to boot.

Rookie Charlie Stukes still has some growing to do, but the 1st rounder flashed some exciting ability during the regular season and looks like he could be a shutdown corner someday. Left corner Warren Livingston is extremely overrated. SS Dave Baker is one of the best strong safeties in the league, even better than Fichtner, but FS Jim Welch is nowhere near starter-level.

Advantage: Dolphins

Line: San Francisco favored by 6

[Izulde]

If we win this game, it'll be because of our advantage on defense, I'm thinking.

Same setup as last time with regards to simming.

San Francisco gets the ball first on their own 16. John Brodie scrambles for 9 yards and throws a 34 yard pass to Zack Kaplan, but then the 49ers get hit with a holding penalty that sets them back as they near the 50 yard line and a Walter Johnson sack ends the burgeoning threat.

Unfortunately, Johnny Unitas gets intercepted on our very first play of the game by Dave Baker and it's returned to our 28 yard line. A few great passes by John Brodie and two short runs by Larry Ferguson later and San Fran draws first blood.

San Francisco 7 Miami 0 8:21 1st Quarter

Irv Cross returns the ensuing kickoff to the 50 yard line, but we go 3 and out and punt it away. John Brodie then goes 6 of 7 on the drive that follows and another short Larry Ferguson run results in a TD. We're floundering and floundering fast.

San Francisco 14 Miami 0 14:24 2nd Quarter

The teams exchange a pair of 3 and out series, when Dan Reeves rushes for 12 yards and our offense is suddenly showing signs of life as Johnny Unitas finally starts getting untracked, completing three straight passes, including a 20 yarder to Paul Warfield for the TD! We're back in the game now.

San Francisco 14 Miami 7 5:59 2nd Quarter

San Francisco threatens again as their offense is running extremely well, but then another timely Walter Johnson sack again snuffs out the danger and we get the ball back around the 2 minute warning.

We drive down to the San Francisco 32, but aren't able to get the FG try off in time before the half expires. There's a lot of double coverage going on here, which I find interesting. Dave Baker gets hurt on the drive and it looks like a bad knee injury. He may not be back the rest of the game.

San Francisco 14 Miami 7 Halftime

Not the greatest of first halves, but we'll take it as we're still in this thing.

...And of course we get a holding penalty and Johnny Unitas gets sacked to make a 3 and out.

Once more the 49ers push down the field and it's looking like they're going to score, but another key sack, this time by Pat Holmes, pushes them out of field goal range and we're still alive.

Sadly, it's yet another 3 and out as San Francisco's defense is just playing with absolute fire and intensity right now.

My heart's in my throat as John Brodie puts together another run of brilliantly executed passes, bringing them down to our 3 yard line, but then Albert Gursky bursts through the line to slam Gene Foster so hard he fumbles the ball. Dave Lloyd picks it up and in one of the most amazing plays in Super Bowl history, returns it 99 yards down the field for the TD!!!!!!!!

The tie is in effect!!! The 3rd quarter ends with that scoreline.

San Francisco 14 Miami 14 End 3rd

But of course, Gene Foster then goes apeshit on the next drive, with 3 runs of 10 yards or more, including an 11 yard rumble for the TD. Way to make up for your fumble, Gene.

San Francisco 21 Miami 14 9:05 4th Quarter

We're starting to run out of time and we've honestly been lucky to score the points we have.

Three incomplete passes later, we punt again. Johnny Unitas is having the worst game of his career at the worst possible time.

Two penalties on the 49ers next drive kill them and we get the ball at midfield, an excellent opportunity before us to tie it up again. We put together a series of short run and pass plays and escape a 4th and 3 with a little Johnny Unitas to Paul Warfield magic just before the two minute warning.

First play after we get back from the 2:00 mark, Johnny Unitas again finds Paul Warfield, for 13 yards and the TD!!! We're tied again!!!!

San Francisco 21 Miami 21 2:00 left in the game

Inspired by the miracle, Johnny Sample and Dave Plump defend two passes and Don Brumm hurries John Brodie into a bad throw on 3rd down to force a 3 and out.

With 1:04 left in the game, Johnny Unitas gets the ball back on our 44. Can he do it?

1st and 10 - Miami 44: Johnny Unitas to Paul Warfield 33 yards.
1st and 10 - SF 23: Johnny Unitas to Gary Ballman 11 yards.

A holding penalty puts us back to the 22, but then Johnny Unitas connects with Paul Warfield for 21 yards, a shoestring tackle by the S Oliver Mathis all that prevents us from the go-ahead TD!

We're on the 1 yard line, 4 seconds left in the game.

Out trots Garo Yepremian for the 18 yard FG attempt. If he makes it, we become the first repeat Super Bowl champions in NFL history and Gary Ballman gets his ring. If he misses, we go into OT, where anything can happen.

Nothing but upright.

Final Score: Miami 24 San Francisco 21

The stadium explodes and we're all screaming and jumping for joy. I'm screaming and jumping for joy.

We've done it!!!! We've done it!!!

We've won the Super Bowl for the second year in a row!!!!

DT Walter Johnson is named Super Bowl MVP and rightly so. 5 tackles, an assist, a forced fumble, a hurry... but most importantly, those two crucial sacks that killed San Francisco drives.

I think back to that 1965 draft and I can't help but smile. If you remember, I was debating between Johnson and another DT for the first round pick. The other guy looked to have more upside, but Walter was more NFL ready, so I took him.

And now, three years later, I have a DT who's gotten better and better with each year and who was just named the Super Bowl MVP, an extremely rare occassion for a defensive lineman.

I'm grinning all the more when I see Championship Ring: 1 by Gary Ballman's name. It's for him that I most wanted this Super Bowl and I'm ecstactic to see him get it.

You have to feel sorry for John Brodie and the 49ers though. It's the second time they've had their hearts broken in the Super Bowl. Brodie was 26-35 for 307 yards and Roy Jefferson had 9 catches for 131 yards, Zach Kaplan 7 for 105.

But we're the winners. We're the ones who have our banner flying.

This is the single sweetest championship I've ever had in a sports sim.

When we were 4-4, I thought we were done. We looked old, we looked mortal and our playoff prospects looked grimmer than I wanted to admit. But then we caught on fire and surprised everyone by marching to the Super Bowl and winning again.

In fact, the Super Bowl was emblematic of our regular season. Johnny Unitas struggled, our running game was going nowhere and our defense was suddenly underachieving.

But we turned it all around at just the right moment and Johnny U found his Super Bowl magic one more time precisely when we needed him to.

Oh, how beautiful it is.

[nilodor]

That is possibly one of the finest games I've seen. If that actually happend in a superbowl it would be one of the best, maybe even the best ever rivaled by what the second 49ers Bengals one, Broncos-Packers? Really you were getting it handed to you the entire game and somehow, you pull it out of the fire. That fumble return was rediculous, unbelievable, if you were a Niners fan watching on tv you'd have thrown your shoe through a wall or something. Now can you pull off the big one, become the only team to win three in a row? It'll be quite the challange considering the team is getting pretty old and the lack of any real running game.

Good luck to you sir.

[Izulde]

That is possibly one of the finest games I've seen. If that actually happend in a superbowl it would be one of the best, maybe even the best ever rivaled by what the second 49ers Bengals one, Broncos-Packers? Really you were getting it handed to you the entire game and somehow, you pull it out of the fire. That fumble return was rediculous, unbelievable, if you were a Niners fan watching on tv you'd have thrown your shoe through a wall or something. Now can you pull off the big one, become the only team to win three in a row? It'll be quite the challange considering the team is getting pretty old and the lack of any real running game.

Good luck to you sir.

Thanks :) I really did jump up and down and scream in delight when I got to the end of the log and saw we won. I thought sure the way things were going we'd lose.

I agree that Dave Lloyd fumble return is going to be one of those plays that gets mentioned and remembered a lot, probably even a youtube video today. :D

The team's liable to undergo some major changes in the offseason. We've got a slew of free agents coming up and a significant portion of the offseason depends on what Johnny U does.

In fact, I think it's fairly safe to say that we're at a pretty major crossroads right now.

Luckily, I have not only our own #32 pick, but the Vikings' pick in the upcoming draft. :)

So we'll see what kind of players are available (No, I don't want to know... that's part of the fun of this for me, finding out when exactly certain players become available) draftwise.

I've already made a short list of top priorities for this offseason. In fact, they're three in number right now.

#1. Find an heir to Johnny Unitas.
#2. Upgrade at RB
#3. Locate Bob Skoronski's replacement at LT.

[Izulde]

Record 15-5
Winning Pct. .750
All-Time 79-49
Winning Pct. .617
Playoffs 7-4
Playoff Visits 6
Bowl Wins 2
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 64-26
Winning Pct. .711
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 25.1 23
Rushing Yards 94.9 28
Yards Per Carry 3.79 23
Pass Attempts 35.1 9
Completions 21.9 9
Completion Pct. 62.3 14
Passing Yards 264.6 2
Yards Per Attempt 7.53 3
Yards Per Catch 12.10 2
Total Yardage Gained 340.1 5
3rd Down Conversions 36.2 14 (T)
Points Per Game 22.4 7
Pass Rush Pct. 7.8 13
Pass Defense Pct. 67.9 14
Turnovers 20 8
Turnover Margin +7 9

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 26.3 9 (T)
Rushing Yards 92.0 3
Yards Per Carry 3.50 3
Pass Attempts 35.8 27 (T)
Completions 21.9 29
Completion Pct. 61.1 14
Passing Yards 231.6 28
Yards Per Attempt 6.47 17
Yards Per Catch 10.59 21
Total Yardage Gained 308.2 20
3rd Down Conversions 36.8 23
Points Per Game 18.4 18
Pass Rush Pct. 8.4 26 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 64.6 9 (T)
Turnovers 27 10 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 30 BUF 16
2 31 at DAL 28
3 9 SDO 14
4 17 at NED 20
5 27 at JAX 20
6 10 HOU 17
7 21 at BUF 38
8 31 IND 17
10 24 at TUC 7
11 14 at NJY 10
12 23 PHI 9
13 0 at PIT 20
14 35 at NYK 34
15 26 NED 9
16 27 WAS 7
17 34 NJY 28
$$WC 34 HOU 7
$$CS 24 at SDO 17
$$CF 35 CLE 24
**FB 24 vs SFO 21

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
2 J. Unitas QB 562 350 4234 7.53 23 9 92.3
**Team --- 562 350 4234 7.53 23 9 92.3
$$Opp --- 573 350 3706 6.47 17 17 77.4

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
39 D. Reeves RB 183 693 3.79 6 3
28 B. Cooper RB 159 630 3.96 4 4
**Team --- 401 1518 3.79 14 18
$$Opp --- 421 1472 3.50 15 26

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
89 G. Ballman WR 154 100 1509 15.09 9.80 8 11
85 P. Warfield WR 169 100 1428 14.28 8.45 4 5
88 C. Frazier WR 65 35 413 11.80 6.35 4 5
28 B. Cooper RB 32 24 134 5.58 4.19 1 0
82 G. Cogdill WR 42 20 288 14.40 6.86 6 1
83 S. Hicks TE 25 17 152 8.94 6.08 0 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
93 D. Lloyd ILB 94 30 2.5 2 1 5 78.5
58 J. Houston OLB 72 14 2.0 0 1 9 74.7
24 D. Fleming S 66 33 2.0 0 2 4 79.0
32 R. Fichtner S 60 26 0.0 0 1 8 78.6
72 W. Johnson DT 54 20 8.0 9 0 0 79.7
50 A. Kondovski ILB 48 6 1.0 0 0 1 69.2
43 J. Sample CB 46 9 0.0 0 6 12 83.6
94 P. Holmes DE 45 14 7.0 25 0 0 80.4
40 I. Cross CB 39 14 0.0 0 3 7 80.1
53 M. Baughan OLB 38 17 2.0 1 1 5 77.8
38 K. Reeves CB 38 8 0.0 1 0 5 76.4
96 A. Gursky OLB 38 12 1.0 0 0 1 71.6
75 D. Brumm DE 36 12 8.0 16 0 0 81.5
91 H. Jordan DT 33 13 1.5 9 0 2 82.4
95 J. Baker DT 21 14 1.5 5 0 0 81.3

We did as well as we did because of our passing game and, in a rare change from the years that our pass defense led us, our run defense. Johnny Unitas and his band of merry receivers, Paul Warfield, Gary Ballman and Charlie Frazier were as fantastic as ever and Walter Johnson was sensational in the middle.

Johnny Sample had his usual superb season and Pat Holmes bounced back in a big way in the second half, as did Don Brumm. Dave Lloyd also had his typical great season and Jim Houston was an unexpected surprise.

John Seedborg had his usual consistent season, but Garo Yepremian connected on just 62.9% of his FG, 50% from 40+ range and 42.9% from 50+. It's something to keep an eye on...

I've already mentioned my top priorities for the offseason, but I'd really like to inject some more starter quality youth on defense, particularly at CB and all 3 linebacker slots. We'll probably target a linebacker in the draft, potentially with our #32 pick, as my current intention is to spend our Vikings pick on QB, RB or LT if we don't address those needs in free agency.

Miami Dolphins Awards

DT Walter Johnson
Super Bowl MVP

WR Gary Ballman
1st Team All-Pro WR

What a terrific year for Ballman. Gets his ring and on the All-Pro team all in the same season.

I'm honestly surprised that we didn't get more nods, but c'est la vie.

MVP
QB John Brodie - San Francisco 49ers
Offensive Player of the Year
QB John Brodie - San Francisco 49ers
Defensive Player of the Year
SLB Chris Hanburger - Washington Redskins
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Dickie Post - New Orleans Saints
Defensive Rookie of the Year
SS Ken Houston - Philadelphia Eagles

Staff Hiring

Lead Scout Edwin Turnbull
WR: Good to Average

Offensive Coordinator Jared Thamilarasan
QB: Good to VG

Defensive Coordinator Royce Womble
KP: VG to Good
DB: Good to VG

Womble is out of contract, so we'll be surfing the market to see what's there. Turnbull, who I wasn't impressed with in the first place, is gone.

There's some great DC talent out there, but most are former coordinators of other teams, which violates my rule of home-grown staff and the top newbies are all clones of Womble, so it's better just to keep continuity and cohesion than change it up.

Womble immediately inks a 3 year, $400k per year deal, but the Scout I'm trying to get has 6 offers on the table, including an offer that's so high my owner won't allow me to match it.

There's no one else who matches my house rule that I feel comfortable with, so we get Turnbull for another year.

LT Dick Cunningham is the easy choice for the Summer League, because if he improves enough, he'll get another shot at the starting tackle spot and hopefully play better this time if we don't get an improvement.

Fan loyalty is maxed out and public support for a new stadium is pretty good, but it's a long way off to 1975, so I'm not going to mess with ticket prices.

Going into free agency, we have 30 players under contract and we're $2.5 million under the cap, $1.5 which can be used to sign new players. Fortunately, most of the guys who have expired contracts are backups, with the exception of Bob Skoronski, Oronde Bland and most of the time he's been with us, Bill Cooper.

Position Needs
QB (x 2), TE, C, P, DT, MLB, OLB - 14 new bodies altogether

Week 1 Re-signings
FS Dave Plump: 1 year, $50k

Week 2 Signings
RB Bill Cooper - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-I couldn't stand to let him go to another team, especially not when there wasn't anybody really great ahead of him, so back he comes.

TE Billy Cannon - 3 years, $800k (Houston)
-Former 2nd Team All-Pro TE who can both block and receive. He becomes the immediate starter and provides yet another weapon for Unitas. The fact that he's a mentor is nice too, as Tom Mitchell still has some potential to be filled.

C John Schmitt - 3 years, $320k (Cleveland)
-I can't believe I got him this cheaply. While he's most noted for his exceptional pass blocking, he's not far off from Oronde Bland in terms of run-blocking. Just a solid, solid player who's a pretty big improvement over Bland if you want to know the truth.

CB Billy Baird - 4 years, $1.37 mill. (Atlanta)
-Say hello to our new starting RCB. A phenomenal player who only got to start one season in all the years he played for the Falcons, he makes our secondary scary again, for Irv Cross now slides down to the nickel slot. He's also a 6th year player whose original position is on the left side, making him the heir apparent to Johnny Sample.

SS George Saimes - 3 years, $1.05 mill. (Cleveland)
-Exploded last year with 81 tackles and has the talent to be able to supplant Ross Fitchner as a starter right now. Gives us the luxury of 3 great safeties, which means that somebody's likely to be unhappy, but we'll manage it somehow. Another 6th year player and insurance against aging.

Week 3 Signings
P Paul Maguire - 1 year, $100k* (Detroit)
-Two All-Pro appearances says it all. A terrific punter and one I'm very excited to rent for a year.

Week 4 Signings
DT Gary Larson - 1 year, $80k* (Buffalo)
-Very intriguing 5th year player scabbed from our rivals who might well be the heir to Henry Jordan on the left side. I like this pickup and I'm glad I took the time to look at him once the other player I tabbed got a higher offer.

Week 5 Losses
P John Seedborg - 1 year, $80k* (New Jersey)
-Seedborg goes to our division foes. The Jets will be pretty happy with him, I think. Although I bitched about him a lot, he really was a pretty good punter all in all.

Week 6 Signings
C Winston Berosik - 1 year, $100k* (St. Louis)
-9th year veteran mentor who's a terrific backup C to have. Reminds me a lot of Ken Engram before Engram started declining.

MLB Garland Boyette - 3 years, $320k (Seattle)
-Missed the 1964 season to a drug suspension, so he's a bit of a gamble, but he was a great starter in the middle for the Seahawks and he'll be an excellent backup and possible stop-gap for when Dave Lloyd is done.

SLB Dave Meggyesy - 3 years, $310k (Indianapolis)
-I'm absolutely thrilled to get this 6th year man. An extremely solid all-around player who steps in as our new starter at SLB, allowing us to push Jim Houston to a reserve role.

Week 6 Contract Extensions
DT Walter Johnson - 3 years, $950k
-I wasn't going to let our Super Bowl MVP walk next year, so I quickly signed him to an extension. His asking price was quite reasonable in my opinion.

RG Jim Simon - 2 years, $180k
-Tacking on another year as he's a great backup to have.

That's it for this first half of free agency as far as my signings and extensions go.

There's a lot of other players who have one year left on their contracts, including some pretty major names, but I'm going to hold off on them until I see what they or those who have been brought in as possible replacements for them bring us next season.

One guy who I probably won't be able to re-sign next year is Charlie Frazier, who when I inquired about an extension demanded starter money, but frankly, though he's good enough to be a starter, he won't ever be more than the third receiver while Paul Warfield and Gary Ballman are around.

I'll finish reporting the rest of free agency in the next post, to tell you if we lost any other guys. I've got a lot of interviewing to do before the draft hits.

But I leave you with this wonderful, wonderful bit of news.

We have the #1 overall pick in the upcoming draft. :)

[nilodor]

[code]

We have the #1 overall pick in the upcoming draft. :)

I think this is an exciting draft to have it and there should be 3 worthy players.

[Izulde]

Three players are exactly who we're having trouble deciding between in the draft, but more on that in a bit. :)

Week 9 Losses
DT John Baker - 1 year, $100k* (Dallas)
-Was a good backup DT for us last year, but we upgraded there, so not a big loss at all.

Week 11 Losses
RG Lloyd McCoy - 1 year, $80k* (Green Bay)
-Never panned out like we hoped he would and with Gene Upshaw and Jim Simon on the roster, he became more than superfluous.

On to the draft!

I was going to wait to do this, but my sister's in town for a few days starting tomorrow, I can't sleep and I keep thinking about this #1 overall pick of ours and the 3 guys we're trying to decide between.

Mock drafts are pretty evenly split between the three guys, so let's look at a draft that purports each one.

Sports Illustrated
QB Ken Stabler - Alabama
The Dolphins signified a youth movement this offseason as they signed some key free agents who will eventually replace, if not start over right now, some veterans from their two Super Bowl contenders. Stabler fits this youth movement. Yes, he's extremely raw, but Johnny Unitas is signed for two more seasons and can mentor the heir apparent. Stabler's blessed an extraordinary amount of potential and has the accuracy that Miami's GM covets in his QBs. He also had the highest prospect score in the whole entire draft class. This is the Dolphins' chance to banish the mistakes of Mickey Slaughter and Bob Berry. They can't afford to miss it.

Sporting News
LT Russ Washington
Miami's biggest hole is at LT and Washington has the talent to be the cornerstone there for the next 10 years. More importantly, he's polished enough to be a Week One starter, one who could greatly improve the Dolphins' chances of winning their third straight Super Bowl title.

Playboy Magazine
RT Art Shell
The Dolphins' weakness on offensive line was exposed during the Super Bowl and though they signed John Schmitt in free agency, center wasn't the problem for Miami anyway. Russ Washington is a popular pick in other mock drafts, but he performed terribly on the Sol Test and the Dolphins GM is notorious for demanding a smart player at that critical position. Shell reminds scouts a lot of Gene Upshaw, Miami's 1st round pick last year, only in a tackle's body. Not only would Shell be a Week One starter, but between him and Upshaw, the Dolphins wouldn't have to worry about the right side of the line for the next decade.

As you can see, there's compelling arguments for each pick. But then I remind myself that we only started winning and winning big when we got Johnny U and furthermore, the chance to get a possible franchise QB like Stabler only comes once in a decade, maybe even less. Bob Skoronski's proven that you don't need a top-shelf LT to win a Super Bowl, but Unitas has proven that you can't win it all without a great QB. And I would never spend the #1 overall pick on a right tackle unless it was unquestionably the biggest area of need on the team.

So I make the choice.

1968 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. QB Ken Stabler - Miami Dolphins

Incidentally, this draft is just sick with talent. There's a lot of players I like who could help us out right away, who I'm hoping to get in later rounds. There's two other big names besides the three I mentioned who should go soon: DE Elvin Bethea, the highest graded player in the draft (I hate his endurance though) and DT Manny Fernandez, who looks like a franchise DT.

2. DE Elvin Bethea - Indianapolis Colts
3. QB Bob Lee - Jacksonville Jaguars
4. QB Gary Beban - Cincinnati Bengals
5. T Russ Washington - Chicago Bears

Great pickup for Chicago. Lee actually looks like a great QB, too... Beban, not so much.

6. QB Harry Theofiledes - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. DE Larry Cole - Philadelphia Eagles
8. T Art Shell - Green Bay Packers

If he'd dropped much lower, I was seriously considering putting together a package to move up and grab him. Very nice job by the two NFC North archrivals here.

9. DT Manny Fernandez - Kansas City Chiefs

KC would like to thank all the teams who threw away their pick on QBs who aren't going to pan out.

10. DE Coy Bacon - New England Patriots
11. DE Tim Rossovich - Washington Redskins
12. RB Paul Robinson - New York Giants
13. T Ron Yary - New Jersey Jets
14. S Bob Atkins - Seattle Seahawks
15. OLB Terry Miller - Pittsburgh Steelers
16. DT Bill Staley - Los Angeles Rams
17. DE Claude Humphrey - Carolina Panthers
18. WR Marlin Briscoe - Baltimore Ravens
19. DE Marvin Upshaw - New Orleans Saints
20. S George Atkinson - New Orleans Saints
21. RB Rocky Bleier - Dallas Cowboys
22. WR Harold Jackson - Denver Broncos
23. ILB Jim Cheyunski - Oakland Raiders
24. OLB Al Beauchamp - St. Louis Cardinals
25. DT Curley Culp - Cleveland Browns
26. TE Bob Trumpy - Buffalo Bills
27. CB John Dockery - Houston Oilers
28. S Dick Anderson - Tucson Titans
29. ILB Edgar Chandler - San Diego Chargers
30. DE Tommy Hart - Detroit Lions
31. OLB Dwight Lewis - San Francisco 49ers

A lot of players to choose from here, including 3 LT I was looking at. None of these guys are going to survive to my second round pick, but on the other hand I don't know if any of them is the answer. There's a replacement LG for Fuzzy Thurston who looks really good too. I also like a DE, though I'm less high on him. On the other hand, Dick Cunningham could turn out to be the real deal this year and if nothing else, I can always re-sign Bob Skoronski for one more season.

That decides it.

32. G Mo Moorman - Miami Dolphins

The two tackles I was looking most closely at come off the board at 2.2 and 2.8, with the third tackle going at 2.9. No worries as there's players I have my eye on for our pick in the second round, including one of my favorite RL Dolphins.

That DE I was eying is still on the board when our second round pick comes up, along with that Dolphin and the RB I was most interested in drafting. There's also a MLB who attracted my attention. Some tough choices to make here to be sure. I throw the MLB out because we're established there thanks to our free agency moves. We desparately need a RB and I'd love to pick up that Dolphin. We could also use a lot better backup DE than Mark Schau, who's a shell of what he once was.

Looking more closely at the roster, the DE has a skill set very similiar to Don Brumm's, though he has the potential to be a much better run defender with better pass rush technique. The RB looks like an immediate second string, but on the other hand, he's more likely to bust than boom with that worrisome 4.80 40.

So it's down to the DE and the Dolphin. In that case, it's clear. I take the Dolphin, who is one of my favorites of all time, though Marino is still my favorite. I take FB Larry Csonka and immediately plot to move him to RB. Hell, his 40 time is 4.58, better than any of the RBs and with a 37 strength and 7.16 Agility, also crushing the RBs, he might well make the switch. The only reason I considered not taking him is because I don't know how he'll handle moving to RB.

But it's damned sure worth a try.

Good thing I took him. Two FBs go early in the third round and I'll be perfectly honest.. I'd have been pissed if I missed out on Csonka. Even if he won't switch over to RB well, he'll still be in my lineup as FB until he retires.

Fuck! Just as I'm about to move up to grab the DE who's still sitting there at 3.24, the Chiefs snap him up. Guess I should've moved faster. :( Ah well. By the time we do pick, I'm down to a DT and a CB as my top choices, my craving for RB greatly diminished. That MLB I was considering back in the 2nd round is still on the board too, but there's someone I like equally as well who should be there in the 4th. I decide to gamble on the CB, who could break out and pick Jim Duncan, who could see time as a punt returner in his rookie year.

The MLB I expected to drop to the 4th round is still there and so I pick Rudy Barber, who might possibly break out. He's also good insurance in case Garland Boyette gets suspended again.

In the 5th round, I start getting nervous that the WR I was looking at is going to get taken and besides all the RBs I wanted are gone, but everyone wants my 6th round pick in addition to the 5th rounder and I'm not quite willing to do that. Fortunately, this time it pays to sit tight and I'm able to grab WR Jerry Daanen for our 5th round pick. He looks like a breakout candidate and he should be our 5th receiver.

I'm about to take a flyer on a raw but intriguing DT in the 6th when I swerve and take DE Harry Gunner, who looks like a potential replacement for Mark Schau as a reserve. I normally don't take players who have that low a Sol score and the 59% development suggests he's got a limited ceiling, but hell, it's a 6th rounder.

Mr. Irrelevant is OLB Dave Ogas, who I drafted only because he runs a 4.64 40, which I thought was pretty damn good for this point in the draft. He's also got a 90 Vol, so maybe he'll turn into something.

Going into the second half of free agency, we still need a warm body at QB, plus there's some other areas I'd like to shore up if possible.

Week 1 Signings
DE Dick Evey - 1 year, $80k* (San Francisco)
-Got a sack of Johnny Unitas in the Super Bowl and he's a pretty good backup DE, though not starter quality. I almost signed him to a longer deal, but I wanted to see how he and the rookie we got pan out first.

Week 3 Signings
QB Curtis Montgomery - 1 year, $100k* (Atlanta)
-Strictly a mentor and third string body.

LT Bob Skoronski - 1 year, $110k* (Re-signing)
-He'll come back for one more season, likely his last.

Week 3 Losses
RB Abner Hayes - 2 years, $1.19 mill. - New York Giants (Kansas City Chiefs)
-Great short-term solution RB and he turns us down for the Giants. Bah! Am I doomed never to have a franchise RB? Said he preferred the cold weather and didn't like the heat in Miami.

Week 4 Signings
RB Gene Foster - 1 year, $70k* (San Francisco)
-Definitely worth taking a flyer on a guy who's run for over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons. He'll battle Bill Cooper for the starting job and we'll get a chance to see if it was him or the 49ers offensive line that made him so good.

Pre-Training Camp Extension
MLB Dave Lloyd - 3 years, $700k
-The extension turned out to be a necessity because we needed to free up cap room to sign our rookies. #1 overall picks don't come cheap, you know.

Speaking of which....


QB Ken Stabler 1.1 15/72 14/71 -1/-1
LG Mo Moorman 1.32 30/58 33/59 +3/+1
FB Larry Csonka 2.32 31/39 33/44 +3/+5
RCB Jim Duncan 3.32 14/33 16/35 +2/+2
MLB Rudy Barber 4.32 13/50 14/42 +1/-8
FL Jerry Daanen 5.32 7/44 7/37 -0/-7
LDE Harry Gunner 6.32 14/25 14/25 -0/-0
WLB Dave Ogas 7.32 8/29 9/27 +1/-2

Draft Grade: B+ (4th ranked)

Stabler's drop is slightly worrisome, but Moorman does indeed look like the heir to Fuzzy Thurston. Csonka would have 74% of his ratings if he switched to RB and I just can't bring myself to do it, especially not after signing Gene Foster. Hopefully our old head coach will find a way to use him. I'm cautiously optimistic about Duncan, who will take on kickoff return duties in the preseason to give him some experience.

The rest of the guys are pretty much fodder.

[nilodor]

I think you should seriously consider leaving Csonka at FB then starting him at RB. The three I thought you'd be picking between were Shell, Stabler and Bethea. I would have thought passing on Bethea would be real tough because he could really anchor your defense for a long time, but the endurance is worrysome and QB is so very important and you may not get another chance like this.

[nilodor]

Dola: I say you should consider playing him at RB because he's looking at ~60 carries a season even if you set the FB run percentage to the max.

[Izulde]

I place such a premium on endurance for my starters that Bethea was honestly never really in the running. It was a tough choice to give up Shell, though, especially after looking at Stabler's raw numbers.

But then again, that's damned sexy potential, Unitas-like even. :)

Your idea about starting Csonka at RB is a good one and I'll try it out. :)


Stabler, Ken 10 QB 1 14 71 5 yrs
Unitas, Johnny 2 QB 14 64 64 2 yrs
Montgomery, Curtis 4 QB 9 16 38 1 yr.

I think it's safe to say that our season rests entirely on the arm of Unitas. He goes down, everything else goes down the tubes with him.


Foster, Gene 20 RB 4 34 34 1 yr.
Cooper, Bill 28 RB 8 33 33 1 yr.
Reeves, Dan 39 RB 4 28 28 1 yr.
Shy, Les 31 RB 3 16 27 1 yr.
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 1 33 44 3 yrs
Granger, Hoyle 45 FB 3 27 32 2 yrs

This is an interesting dilemma here. Foster's got the statistical pedigree, Cooper has the ratings, but Csonka looks like a better RB than either of them, especially after slimming down to 226 from his original playing weight of 238. So it'll be Csonka starting with Foster the backup and Reeves the 3rd down and passing down back. We'll probably bring another FB as Granger simply isn't suited for our scheme, to be perfectly honest.


Cannon, Billy 86 TE 9 54 54 3 yrs
Mitchell, Tom 87 TE 3 40 40 2 yrs
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 5 69 69 3 yrs
Frazier, Charlie 88 FL 7 46 46 1 yr.
Daanen, Jerry 12 FL 1 7 37 3 yrs
Ballman, Gary 89 SE 7 48 48 3 yrs
Cogdill, Gail 82 SE 9 34 34 1 yr.

This is the best shape we've been in at TE in years. Cannon will start, along with Warfield and Ballman, with Frazier and Cogdill their respective backups. Daanen, despite his low current, will be our 5th receiver, as I really like his potential to develop into a solid reserve WR.


Schmitt, John 56 C 5 57 57 3 yrs
Berosik, Winston 52 C 9 44 44 1 yr.
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 1 33 59 4 yrs
Thurston, Fuzzy 73 LG 13 40 40 1 yr.
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 2 80 80 3 yrs
Simon, Jim 64 RG 6 39 39 2 yrs
Cunningham, Dick 68 LT 2 22 39 2 yrs
Skoronski, Bob 76 LT 13 23 23 1 yr.
Battle, Jim 70 RT 3 35 35 1 yr.
Koepfer, Dick 66 RT 4 33 33 1 yr.

Cunningham is going to be given every chance possible in the preseason to win the starting LT job from Skoronski. Thurston-Schmitt-Upshaw-Battle will form the other four spots on the line. If Moorman can develop under Thurston's tutelage, he'll be a starter next year. We may be shopping for a new RT as well.


Maguire, Paul 9 P 9 72 72 1 yr.
Yepremian, Garo 16 K 3 52 52 1 yr.

It's make or break year for Garo, I think.


Brumm, Don 75 LDE 6 29 29 2 yrs
Schau, Mark 98 LDE 10 26 26 1 yr.
Gunner, Harry 78 LDE 1 14 25 3 yrs
Holmes, Pat 94 RDE 7 52 52 2 yrs
Evey, Dick 95 RDE 5 34 34 1 yr.

Talk about a worrisome situation. Holmes might get switched over to the left side, allowing him and Evey to be the starters, or I may stick with Brumm and Holmes as the starters and let Evey, who frankly has never been impressive as a starter with the 49ers, sit as a reserve. One thing's for sure, Schau won't be back next year.


Larson, Gary 71 LDT 5 44 44 1 yr.
Jordan, Henry 91 LDT 12 42 42 1 yr.
Johnson, Walter 72 RDT 4 49 49 3 yrs

A happy situation here. Jordan and Johnson will start again, though Larson could end up replacing Jordan in the starting lineup if need be.


Lloyd, Dave 93 MLB 10 52 52 3 yrs
Boyette, Garland 97 MLB 7 43 43 3 yrs
Barber, Rudy 90 MLB 1 14 42 4 yrs
Meggyesy, Dave 59 SLB 6 40 40 3 yrs
Houston, Jim 58 SLB 9 36 36 1 yr.
Baughan, Maxie 53 WLB 9 54 54 2 yrs
Ogas, Dave 92 WLB 1 9 27 3 yrs

Meggyesy-Lloyd-Baughan across the border, with Boyette and Houston the backups. I'm extremely intrigued by Barber's potential and I'll probably give him a couple starts in the preseason game. In fact, I'm planning on giving a lot of our raw rookies preseason starts the first two games... Stabler, Csonka, Deenan, Moorman, Meggyesy, probably Duncan too.


Sample, Johnny 43 LCB 11 41 41 1 yr.
Baird, Billy 25 RCB 6 42 42 4 yrs
Cross, Irv 40 RCB 8 35 35 2 yrs
Duncan, Jim 29 RCB 1 16 35 3 yrs
Ward, Carl 49 RCB 2 16 29 2 yrs

Sample and Baird will start, with Cross the nickel. First time since 1961 that it won't be Sample and Cross as the starters. Duncan looks like a possible ballhawk who could grow into a nickel or dime role with time.


Saimes, George 21 SS 6 54 54 3 yrs
Fichtner, Ross 32 SS 9 44 44 2 yrs
Bird, Rodger 46 SS 3 25 31 2 yrs
Fleming, Don 24 FS 10 51 51 2 yrs
Plump, Dave 36 FS 4 33 33 1 yr.

For the first time since 1960, Fichtner and Fleming will not start together. Instead, it'll be Saimes and Fleming, with Fichtner and Plump the reserves. Bird is here strictly for his punt return talents.

On paper, we're a significantly improved team from a year ago. We've upgraded at linebacker and secondary pretty majorly, have a stronger corps of runners and are tenatively improved on the offensive line.

The pieces appear to be there for another Super Bowl run, but it may take time for everything to gel together.

[Izulde]

We sell out our season tickets, which is always nice.

6th round pick DE Harry Gunner is cut to make room for FB mentor Theron Sapp, who takes over as the starting FB.

Preseason

Carolina 24 Miami 30
We start off the preseason with a narrow win over the Panthers, as we have a slew of raw rookies in the starters spots. Gene Foster looks terrible in backup duty and so Bill Cooper will get a backup chance. Ken Stabler was 7 of 10 for 60 yards and a TD in his Dolphins debut, but Curtis Montgomery was the MVP at 12-23 for 220 yards, 3 TDs and an INT. Don Brumm put a stamp on keeping his job with 6 tackles, 4 assists, and 1.5 sacks, but Dick Evey kept it close with 5 tackles and 1.5 sacks of his own.

Miami 26 Washington 21
You know we're a good team when we're winning in exhibition games with only half our regular startes in. Ken Stabler continues to play pretty well. Larry Csonka was awful, but he'll get one more shot. Jerry Daanen was absolutely amazing, with 8 catches for 144 yards, but Garo Yepremian got the Game MVP at 4/6 in FG, including 2/3 from 50+ range.

Backup FS Dave Plump breaks his foot and will miss the next preseason game. All the regular starters go back in now.

New Orleans 17 Miami 27
Larry Csonka has his second straight bad game, so the experiment of him at RB is over. Bill Cooper will start the final preseason game, with Dan Reeves backing. Csonka slides over to starting FB. Ken Stabler[//b] had a pretty rough game at 16-29 for 187 yards, a TD and 2 INTs, but that's to be expected.

[b]Gary Ballman acquires a turf toe injury, making him doubtful, but he'll play through it because he's tough.

Miami 9 Dallas 0
We go undefeated in the preseason in this ugly, ugly win. Dan Reeves outplays Bill Cooper and will be our starting RB to begin the year. Neither Ken Stabler nor Johnny Unitas looked particularly on this game, which is troubling.

Theron Sapp is out after dislocating his shoulder, so Hoyle Granger will assume backup and passing down duties at FB. Dave Plump is back at reserve FS.

Regular Season

Miami 17 New England 14
Our struggles in the preseason continue on into the regular season as Johnny Unitas throws 2 interceptions and has to play come from behind in the fourth quarter, which he does, getting the win on an 8 yard TD pass to Jerry Daanen of all people. No individual stars this game.

Injuries start piling up as Johnny Sample hyperextends his elbow and is estimate out 3 weeks. In a major blow to our receiving corps, Gail Cogdill tears his deltoid muscle and he's lost for the year. Cogdill gets put on IR and Mike Miller, a journeyman SE, gets signed to back up Gary Ballman.

Billy Baird moves to the left corner spot, Irv Cross elevated back to the starting right corner side. Suddenly our corner situation looks pretty perilious, but I think we can fight through it.

San Francisco 14 Miami 41
Surprisingly, we absolutely massacre the 49ers in a rematch of the Super Bowl, sending SF to an 0-2 record to open the year. Dan Reeves rushes 25 times for 104 yards and a TD. Johnny Unitas is a laser beam MVP at 20-23 for 187 yards and 3 TDs. Walter Johnson picks up 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown.

Miami 27 Tucson 20
Despite our injury problems, we're still finding ways to win, mostly Johnny Unitas who is 31-41 for 374 yards and 2 TDs in his finest regular season performance on the year. Paul Warfield becomes our first century receiver this season with 9 catches for 148 yards and a TD. Don Brumm hits the Titans for 3 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Johnny Sample is up to Probable and so he'll be coming back this week.

Miami 24 Cincinnati 7
The Bengals were also undefeated going into this game, but we trounce them behind Dan Reeves's 21 rushes for 95 yards and 2 TDs and Paul Warfield's 11 catches for 165 yards and a TD. Johnny Unitas's 22-29 for 246 yards and a TD vs INT doesn't hurt either.

Ross Fichtner is Doubtful and Jim Battle is Questionable, but since neither one would be terribly critical if we lost them, they'll play through their injuries.

Buffalo 0 Miami 24
He's waited a long time for his chance to be a starter and now that he's gotten it, Dan Reeves is making the most of it as he runs 25 times for 100 yards even and a TD this game. Johnny Unitas is Game MVP by throwing 235 yards and 2 TDs on 23-29 passing. Henry Jordan, who's been put in a reserve role, picks up 2 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown, while Pat Holmes does some pressuring of his own with a tackle, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 3 blocks, a hurry and a knockdown.

Don Fleming misses at least the next game with a strained foot ligament. Dave Plump gets the start with Ross Fitchner backing him up.

Miami 31 Cleveland 20
If you'd told me we'd have the injuries we've had and that we'd still go on a major tear to start the year, I'd have said you were crazy. Sure this team's improved a fair bit from last year, but I didn't think it was -that- good. Johnny Sample finally gets a little recognition with a Game MVP as he returned an interception 79 yards for a TD with just under 2 minutes left to seal the deal for us. He also defended a pass and wasn't burned a single time. No stars other than that.

Don Fleming is now ready to come back.

Pittsburgh 13 Miami 14
The Steelers throw a major scare into us, but we stay undefeated thanks to Paul Warfield catching 5 passes for 129 yards and a TD and Game MVP Billy Baird picking off 2 interceptions. Dave Lloyd had 10 tackles and 4 assists and Walter Johnson was right behind him with 10 tackles and an assist himself. Baird also defended 2 passes.

We get a nice breather of a bye week that allows us to heal some nagging injuries and get over the near shock of losing our improbable undefeated season.

New England 20 Miami 10
You knew we had to lose at some point and here it comes. Johnny Unitas was off all game long and threw 2 costly interceptions and that was all she wrote.

There's absolutely nothing to stress out about, though. At 7-1, we'd get out of the wild card round. The Baltimore Ravens would have home field advantage throughout the playoffs right now at 8-0, as Bart Starr actually has wide receivers to throw to now.

Even better, the next closest team to us in the AFC East are the Jets, who are 4-5, so we're so far in the driver's seat for yet another division title that it's not even funny.

The halfway stats:


Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
All-Time 86-50
Winning Pct. .632
Playoffs 7-4
Playoff Visits 6
Bowl Wins 2
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 71-27
Winning Pct. .724
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.0 9
Rushing Yards 117.6 14
Yards Per Carry 3.92 20
Pass Attempts 31.6 22
Completions 21.8 9
Completion Pct. 68.8 3
Passing Yards 232.6 8
Yards Per Attempt 7.36 3
Yards Per Catch 10.70 12
Total Yardage Gained 344.9 5
3rd Down Conversions 42.9 7
Points Per Game 23.5 3
Pass Rush Pct. 10.7 2
Pass Defense Pct. 69.5 10
Turnovers 15 17 (T)
Turnover Margin -2 21 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 24.3 7
Rushing Yards 107.5 16
Yards Per Carry 4.43 26
Pass Attempts 37.5 29
Completions 20.8 23 (T)
Completion Pct. 55.3 2
Passing Yards 198.4 13
Yards Per Attempt 5.29 3
Yards Per Catch 9.56 9
Total Yardage Gained 287.4 9
3rd Down Conversions 31.5 5
Points Per Game 13.5 5
Pass Rush Pct. 5.1 3
Pass Defense Pct. 62.4 4
Turnovers 13 16 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 17 at NED 14
2 41 SFO 14
3 27 at TUC 20
4 24 at CIN 7
5 24 BUF 0
6 31 at CLE 20
7 14 PIT 13
9 10 NED 20
10 BAL
11 at NJY
12 at STL
13 SDO
14 LAS
15 NJY
16 at SEA
17 at BUF

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
2 J. Unitas QB 253 174 1861 7.36 12 7 94.3
**Team --- 253 174 1861 7.36 12 7 94.3
$$Opp --- 300 166 1587 5.29 6 8 65.8

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
39 D. Reeves RB 153 621 4.06 8 3
28 B. Cooper RB 74 294 3.97 2 1
**Team --- 240 941 3.92 10 13
$$Opp --- 194 860 4.43 6 7

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 83 50 776 15.52 9.35 5 6
81 M. Miller WR 45 28 301 10.75 6.69 5 0
86 B. Cannon TE 28 24 212 8.83 7.57 1 1
88 C. Frazier WR 29 20 238 11.90 8.21 0 2
39 D. Reeves RB 21 16 119 7.44 5.67 1 0
48 L. Csonka FB 9 9 27 3.00 3.00 0 2

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
93 D. Lloyd ILB 42 21 0.0 0 0 2 74.1
21 G. Saimes S 37 15 0.5 0 2 6 82.2
91 H. Jordan DT 29 8 3.5 7 0 0 81.3
72 W. Johnson DT 25 10 4.0 8 0 0 82.1
25 B. Baird CB 24 6 0.0 0 3 6 81.6
59 D. Meggyesy OLB 24 13 1.0 0 0 3 75.8
53 M. Baughan OLB 22 8 0.0 1 0 0 74.5
24 D. Fleming S 21 13 0.0 0 0 5 81.3
40 I. Cross CB 20 7 2.0 0 0 4 76.9
94 P. Holmes DE 19 3 4.0 12 0 1 82.8
75 D. Brumm DE 17 6 3.0 14 0 0 81.2
46 R. Bird S 12 1 0.0 0 0 0 64.1
29 J. Duncan CB 11 3 0.5 1 0 2 76.7
36 D. Plump S 10 3 0.0 1 0 2 77.8
97 G. Boyette ILB 9 2 0.0 1 0 1 78.8
71 G. Larson DT 9 5 0.0 0 0 0 82.5
43 J. Sample CB 8 3 0.0 0 1 1 81.4

We're winning as much as we are because Dan Reeves is the new Bill Cooper and our total team defense, while not having any individual stars this year, is playing absolutely fantastically as a unit. Oh yeah, Paul Warfield is a beast at WR as usual. Gary Ballman has been so bothered by his turf toe that he hasn't caught a pass yet. If he ever gets back to good health, we'll be even scarier.

Oh yeah, one other huge, huge reason we're winning: our offensive line play. Dick Cunningham and Jim Battle have both figured out how to do this thing called pass block, John Schmitt is a hell of a lot better than Oronde Bland ever was in center and Mo Moorman is on the fast track to being ready to replace Fuzzy Thurston as the starting LG next year.

There's no more emblematic player of the offensive line play's improvement than Gene Upshaw, however. Last year, he had a 31.9% KRB with 0 pancake blocks and 9 sacks allowed.

Through 8 starts this season: 46.0% KRB, 4 pancake blocks, which is more than our entire line has had in a year a lot of seasons, and 0 sacks allowed.

His scouted ratings:
Overall: 91/91
Run Blocking: 100
Pass Blocking: 87
Blocking Strength: 82
Endurance: 89

I've never drafted a player that terrific before. Makes me feel pretty damned proud. :)

[nilodor]

Upshaw is stellar, but what is up with your guys and fumbles? Butter instead of stickum?

[Izulde]

Upshaw is stellar, but what is up with your guys and fumbles? Butter instead of stickum?

Fumbles
Dan Reeves - 3
Billy Cannon - 2
Johnny Unitas - 2
Rodger Bird - 2
Paul Warfield - 1
Bill Cooper - 1
Jim Duncan - 1
Charlie Frazier - 1

[Izulde]

As we gear up for the second half of the season, I notice that Ross Fichtner is only playing in the dime package as I accidentally left Rodger Bird as the backup SS. Since Fichtner has a 91.4% pass defense as opposed to Bird's 64.7%, I make the switch.

Dick Evey is unhappy and Winston Berosik, Dick Koepfer and Garland Boyette are all disgruntled, but sorry boys, none of you is getting any more PT than you already are, or, in the case of Koepfer, any period.

Baltimore 17 Miami 21
Majorly critical showdown that was the NFL Game of the Week. We pull off the upset and seize the lead for homefield advantage in the playoffs while sending the Ravens to their first loss of the season. Bart Starr I think smashed some records by throwing 64 pass attempts. He completed 38 of them for 414 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. Opposite him was Johnny Unitas, who was Game MVP with at 18-27 for 170 yards and a TD. Johnny Sample surprised with 11 tackles.

Miami 0 New Jersey 13
A win here would've pretty much secured us the AFC East, but the Jets are going to try and make us earn it as they shut us out. Although our defense certainly played well enough to win, our offense couldn't do a damned thing right all day long.

Our already suffering WR corps gets hurt some more when Mike Miller strains a foot ligament and is estimated out 4 weeks. Rookie WLB Dave Olgas gets cut and SE Allen Doxzon is signed, as rookie Jerry Daanen, while making significant strides, still isn't ready to be a 4th receiver and Doxzon has starting experience in his 11 years.

Miami 30 St. Louis 27
It takes OT to beat the 3-8 Cardinals. Johnny Unitas is 31-48 for 350 yards, a TD and an INT. Paul Warfield catches 8 passes for 148 yards. Allen Doxzon has a great Dolphins debut with 6 catches for 83 yards. Rodger Bird averages an amazing 19.3 yards on 4 punt returns and Dave Lloyd racks up 10 tackles and an assist. Game MVP honors went to Don Brumm, however, for his 4 tackle, 2 sack, 2 hurry and a knockdown performance. Garo Yepremian, incidentally, has been erratic this season and had he made one of two earlier field goals, this game doesn't go to OT. In fact, he's only completed 57.1% of his FGs and is an atrocious 1 of 7 from 50+ range. That's not what I drafted him for. He won't be re-signed unless he makes a major rebound.

Ironically enough, Garo Yepremian has shin splits and is questionable for the next 2 games, but luckily for him, the free agent wire is so bad I prefer just to stick with the devil I know.

San Diego 10 Miami 20
No OT needed here. Paul Warfield catches 11 balls for 125 yards, we intercept Fran Tarkenton 3 times, Rodger Bird averages 21.3 yards a punt return and Maxie Baughan finally starts earning a little of his rich free agent contract with 7 tackles, 2 assists, a sack, an interception and 2 pass defenses on his way to the Game MVP. Pat Holmes had 4 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 knockdowns.

Tom Mitchell will miss a game with injury and Mike Miller is probable. Les Shy gets cut and Devin Reedster is signed as a one game fill-in for Mitchell. My salary cap is being wonked with, what with having to sign and cut all these guys, and we're only $50k under right now.

Los Angeles 16 Miami 7
It's honestly amazing that the game was even as close as it was, considering Johnny Unitas threw 4 interceptions, a career worst. Running game went nowhere too. All in all, just a horrible offensive game against a very good Rams team.

It sure would be nice to get Gary Ballman back. He hasn't appeared in a game yet this year, though I still have him listed as the SE starter. Fucking turf toe.

Back comes Tom Mitchell, out goes Devin Reedster. As a result of having to cut Reedster, we're now $20k over the cap. I really, really hate these nagging injuries. ...Then I realize I didn't need to cut him. Damn it. This sucks. Anyway, in hopes of getting Gary Ballman back to full health by the playoffs, I put him on the inactive list, move Charlie Frazier over to SE and have him start, shift Mike Miller to FL and have him back Paul Warfield. Wow, what an ugly fall for our mighty receiving corps.

New Jersey 20 Miami 16
Sigh. The Jets not only prevent us from clinching the division, they continue their amazing win streak and are now at 9-5, a game behind 10-4 us. No individual stars, but also no real reason we should've lost this game either. It was just one of those games where the breaks happened to go the Jets way.

#@%@#%%!%!%!@!!!!!!!!

Charlie Frazier: Out 4 weeks (Severe Wrist Sprain)

Can we please find some way to get a healthy fucking WR?! This was the strongest and deepest damned position on the whole flipping team!!!!

...I have no salary cap money and any one I release will cost more money against the cap than I would save. Un-fucking-believable. Allen Doxzon starts at SE, Jerry Daanen moves up to 4th receiver and Tom Mitchell gets pressed into emergency 5th receiver status.

Miami 13 Seattle 31
Irv Cross averages 30.3 yards on 5 kick returns and Garo Yepremian makes both FGs. We are seriously, seriously screwed for the playoffs.

The good news is we've clinched a playoff spot. The bad news is that we're guaranteed to be playing in the wild-card round. The Jets lost at least, meaning a win by us or a loss by New Jersey keeps our AFC East championship streak alive.

Miami 35 Buffalo 7
There's no way to overstate this solid, solid win. Not only did it clinch the AFC East, but it was a great victory that we needed to give us a major morale boost going into the playoffs. Johnny Unitas was 21-28 for 269 yards and 2 TDs as the Game MVP and Paul Warfield took 10 of those passes for 169 yards and a TD.

We're seriously limping as we go into the playoffs, but fortunately, there's no one else who's listed as Out for the wildcard round.

What a hell of a way to start the postseason trek for our third straight Super Bowl championship.

[nilodor]

Wow that was really a flip of last season where you were cold to start off then caught fire down the stretch. Maybe you're just like the colts last year? A little bored with the regular season?

[Izulde]

Wow that was really a flip of last season where you were cold to start off then caught fire down the stretch. Maybe you're just like the colts last year? A little bored with the regular season?

I think it's more the fact that we got seriously snakebit with regards to the WR injury situation this year. With Warfield our only legitimate threat at the position, we're suddenly looking a lot like some of last year's teams we faced in the playoffs.

[Izulde]

Wild Card Round

Our playoff opponent is none other than the New Jersey Jets, who swept us in the regular season. I'm not bothered about this for the following reasons: 1) It's damned hard to beat a team thrice in a season and 2) Al Dorow, the Jets' 17th year! QB, is out, leaving New Jersey forced to start Jim Hart, a third year pro with a 9/38 rating, who after being signed as an emergency QB in Week 16 to start for the injured Dorow, promptly threw for 1 TD and 4 INTs in the last two regular season games, putting up an 0-2 mark.

In fact, I'm so confident that I'm going to sit Charlie Frazier, who's upgraded to Questionable. Is it risky? Certainly, especially since the Jets have 3 stars on defense: 5-time All-Pro SLB Larry Grantham, who's made the Pro Bowl all of the last four seasons, CB Clancy Williams and FS Joe Scarpati. Second year SILB Frank Nunley is a rising young star himself.

On offense, the Jets have still dangerous FL Don Maynard and 3rd year RB Bobby Burnett broke the 1,000 yard mark this season, but outside of that, I think we're okay.

We're favored by 4.

And it turns out a rout.

Dan Reeves finds his wild card mastery for the second straight year, running 32 times for 130 yards and a TD. Dave Meggyesy shows why I was excited to get him in free agency with 2 interceptions, including running one back 33 yards for a TD in the game's final scoring. He also had 7 tackles, 2 assists and 2 sacks in winning Game MVP honors.

One cause for concern: Johnny Unitas was just 8-19, though he did get 2 TDs vs the 1 INT.

Final Score: New Jersey 3 Miami 31

A couple more niggling injuries, but those'll be addressed in the Divisional Round post.

The most important thing: Charlie Frazier is upgraded to Probable and he'll start next game.

We need him.

[Izulde]

Divisional Round

No luck in the divisional draw as we go against Bart Starr, who, unlike Johnny Unitas isn't showing any effects of age at all and in fact just threw for another 4,000+ yards, 28 TDs and 7 INTs in the regular season. Scouts rate him as the top QB in the league still, even though he's in his 13th season.

Of course, having impact rookie WR Marlin Briscoe, who's looking like an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate after a fantastic first season and free-agent signee Johnny Morris late of the Chicago Bears to give Starr his first genuine pair of threats since donning the Purple and Black doesn't hurt either.

Maxie Williams is a beast at LT and DT Ernie Ladd is a lot like Walter Johnson. Solid young corps of linebackers is mitigated by the fact that their top two CBs are out with injuries, including 3-time All-Pro Dave Grayson.

All in all, a pretty solid team. Sure they've got a spare part at RB, Ladd is the only force on the D-line, their top 2 CBs are gone and their depth overall is pretty bad, but this is a lot better Ravens team than we've faced off against in recent years and it won't be easy, especially not with our own injuries.

Baltimore's favored by 2.

And this time, our magic finally runs out.

Our running game gets absolutely hosed and not even Johnny Unitas throwing for 349 yards, 2 TDs and an INT on 30-54 with Charlie Frazier putting on a heroic 10 catch, 171 yard, 2 TD performance can win you the ball game when Craig Baynham displays Bill Cooper over-achievement in rushing for 111 yards and Bart Starr matches your star's passing performance at 22-30 for 328 yards and 3 TDs.

Not when the opponents' D rises to the challenge and heroically defends 10 passes.

Final: Miami 17 Baltimore 30

Honestly, we're lucky to have made it this far and so I don't feel anger or disappointment at not getting our third straight Super Bowl title. I feel pride that we overcame serious adversity when the strength of our team turned into an Achille's heel.

Good luck to the Ravens. They've got the horses to win the Super Bowl this year and give Bart Starr what he doesn't have that Johnny Unitas does.

A ring with his second team.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl IX
Baltimore 24 Dallas 17

The poor Cowboys. Like the Browns, they've been to two Super Bowls and lost both. Funny thing was, this game wasn't about Bart Starr lighting it up. In fact, Don Meredith was Super Bowl MVP in the losing effort at 24-38 for 266 yards and 2 TDs.

What really won this Super Bowl for the Ravens was great special teams play. A blocked punt in the endzone for a TD in the second quarter and the Cowboys' punter harassed so much that he averaged just 35 yards a punt... and that's not even net (which was 26.4). This was a game of field position. Starr's Ravens had it and Meredith's Cowboys didn't.

So at long last, Bart Starr has a Super Bowl ring with his new team. I'm sure Johnny U called him to congratulate him and simultaneously remind him that he's got 2 with the new team. :D

Before we roll on to the awards, a final look at Miami's stats:



Record 12-6
Winning Pct. .666
All-Time 90-54
Winning Pct. .625
Playoffs 8-5
Playoff Visits 7
Bowl Wins 2
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 76-32
Winning Pct. .703
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.3 15
Rushing Yards 106.6 19
Yards Per Carry 3.90 21
Pass Attempts 34.9 10 (T)
Completions 22.1 7
Completion Pct. 63.3 9
Passing Yards 232.9 7
Yards Per Attempt 6.68 11 (T)
Yards Per Catch 10.56 16
Total Yardage Gained 328.9 9
3rd Down Conversions 42.0 3
Points Per Game 20.6 9
Pass Rush Pct. 8.8 4
Pass Defense Pct. 67.1 17 (T)
Turnovers 31 29 (T)
Turnover Margin -6 27 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 26.2 10
Rushing Yards 117.3 21
Yards Per Carry 4.48 31
Pass Attempts 37.0 28
Completions 22.1 27
Completion Pct. 59.8 8 (T)
Passing Yards 213.8 18
Yards Per Attempt 5.78 5
Yards Per Catch 9.66 6
Total Yardage Gained 315.2 22
3rd Down Conversions 35.7 14
Points Per Game 15.6 7
Pass Rush Pct. 7.4 18
Pass Defense Pct. 65.6 12
Turnovers 25 15 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 17 at NED 14
2 41 SFO 14
3 27 at TUC 20
4 24 at CIN 7
5 24 BUF 0
6 31 at CLE 20
7 14 PIT 13
9 10 NED 20
10 21 BAL 17
11 0 at NJY 13
12 30 at STL 27
13 20 SDO 10
14 7 LAS 16
15 16 NJY 20
16 13 at SEA 31
17 35 at BUF 7
$$WC 31 NJY 3
$$CS 17 at BAL 30

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
2 J. Unitas QB 558 353 3727 6.68 18 15 82.2
**Team --- 558 353 3727 6.68 18 15 82.2
$$Opp --- 592 354 3421 5.78 16 15 74.4

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
39 D. Reeves RB 276 1108 4.01 14 6
28 B. Cooper RB 132 525 3.98 4 2
**Team --- 437 1706 3.90 19 25
$$Opp --- 419 1876 4.48 10 18

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 187 106 1580 14.91 8.45 8 7
86 B. Cannon TE 59 46 352 7.65 5.97 1 4
81 M. Miller WR 66 37 379 10.24 5.74 7 1
88 C. Frazier WR 57 37 406 10.97 7.12 1 2
39 D. Reeves RB 45 32 224 7.00 4.98 2 0
83 A. Doxzon WR 46 26 335 12.88 7.28 3 0
12 J. Daanen WR 35 18 179 9.94 5.11 3 2

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
93 D. Lloyd ILB 89 38 0.0 0 0 5 74.3
21 G. Saimes S 77 26 2.0 0 2 13 81.3
59 D. Meggyesy OLB 66 28 1.0 1 0 8 75.8
53 M. Baughan OLB 58 26 2.0 1 2 5 80.7
25 B. Baird CB 53 13 0.0 1 4 8 76.0
72 W. Johnson DT 50 24 6.0 13 0 0 80.6
91 H. Jordan DT 47 15 6.0 11 0 0 81.6
24 D. Fleming S 45 33 0.0 0 1 8 81.5
43 J. Sample CB 43 12 0.0 0 3 7 79.0
75 D. Brumm DE 35 11 6.0 21 0 0 81.1
40 I. Cross CB 32 11 3.0 0 1 6 78.0
94 P. Holmes DE 32 12 6.5 18 0 1 82.5
97 G. Boyette ILB 26 4 0.0 1 0 1 72.9
58 J. Houston OLB 22 10 0.0 2 0 2 74.8
71 G. Larson DT 18 9 1.0 2 0 0 80.9
29 J. Duncan CB 17 5 0.5 1 0 2 75.5
95 D. Evey DE 16 5 2.0 3 0 0 79.3

Turnovers killed us. Johnny Unitas appears to be done as an elite QB. Admittedly, a large part of the problem was the absolutely devastating injuries at WR, but our offensive line was greatly improved this season and he simply should've been better.

That fantastic offensive line played a big role in Dan Reeves becoming the second 1,000 rusher in team history. Imagine what would happen if we had a legitimate RB threat back there! It will be a huge priority in the offseason.

What a great signing Billy Cannon was in the offseason. He really helped make up a lot of the deficiences we had at WR, where the injury situation got so bad, Paul Warfield got double-teamed a lot, which I'm sure led to a lot of those drops. We may have to look at new blood at WR.

Garo Yepremian is out as our K. 61% is not acceptable and he didn't convert nearly enough from 40+ and 50+ to make up the difference. I love his power, but I can't take that kind of inaccuracy. Paul Maguire was terrific at P and I'll try to re-sign him.

We'll be going DE shopping in the offseason. Don Brumm has just hit a wall and Pat Holmes, while good, isn't the kind of DE that can take over a game. I'm still happy with Walter Johnson and Henry Jordan was a great backup. Gary Larson played himself out of a contract.

Maxie Baughan had his best season as a Dolphin, but Dave Meggyesy wasn't an improvement over Jim Houston on the strong side. Dave Lloyd continued his magnificient middle play.

Johnny Sample is definitely on the way down and he'll only be re-signed if the price is low enough. Honestly, it's not even certain that he'll start for us next season. Billy Baird was something of a disappointment relative to his free agent deal, but we'll probably switch him back to his native position of the left side and see how he does. Irv Cross looked a lot more comfortable in the nickel slot and he continued his terrific return exploits.

One guy who definitely earned his paycheck was George Saimes. What a fantastic year. He eases my concerns about the SS spot for the next few years for sure. Don Fleming put in another quality season and Ross Fichtner's pass defense flourished without the pressure of starting.

So we definitely have some holes to fill as we go into the offseason, but the nice thing is, we're not going to be stuck with old guys all at once. We laid a lot of transition groundwork last year, but the biggest piece of the puzzle isn't going to be known for another year or two yet.

1968 Miami Dolphins Awards

Paul Warfield - 1st Team All-Pro WR
Paul's second 1st Team nod in 3 years. He's also on Gary Ballman's trail with 3 straight 1,000 yard receiving seasons. Ballman currently has 4 consecutive 1,000 yard receiving seasons, a streak that was broken this past season because of the turf toe. Paul's going to be called a steal of the draft when the 10 year review comes up, I'm sure. To find a legit #1 WR that late in the first round is awesome.

Gene Upshaw - 2nd Team All-Pro G
Another late first-round gem earns his first All-Pro nod. He's now up to 94/94, with 100 RB, 97 PB, 82 BS, 92 Endurance. 39.1% in KRB, 8 pancakes and just one sack allowed. Just a phenomenal, phenomenal player who gave instant credibility to the weakest link on our line.

Other Awards
MVP
QB Bart Starr - Baltimore Ravens
Offensive Player of the Year
QB Bart Starr - Baltimore Ravens
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Chuck Hurston - Dallas Cowboys
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Cyril Pinder - San Diego Chargers
Defensive Rookie of the Year
DE Elvin Bethea - Indianapolis Colts

Note: Elvin Bethea has a 66 Endurance Rating. Guess it wasn't so low. Whoops! Oh well. Franchise QB was more important.

And now it's on to the offseason proper.

OC Jared Thamilarasan
RB: VG to Excellent
YT: Good to VG

DC Royce Womble
KP: Good to VG

I'd bet all the money I have that Thamilarasan is the best OC in the entire NFL. What an offensive whiz.. and he's only 43! He'll hopefully be with this team for a long, long time. He and Tyrus Treftz have been together on the staff for 6 years, Womble 4.

Once again I will try to replace my Lead Scout, by the way. But then, after a quick look at what's available, I decide I'm better off sticking with Edwin Turnbull.

No surprise on our Summer League choice. It's Ken Stabler, who made some really nice strides last year, but who's still quite raw and in need of some seasoning before he's ready to take over for Johnny Unitas.

I normally don't report on player retirements, but in this case, I feel compelled to, as 3 pretty significant guys retired.

1968 Miami Dolphins Retirements

SS Ross Fichtner
Years Pro: 9
Years with Miami: 6 (1963-1968)
Dolphins Awards:
1966 2nd Team All-Pro S
1966 Super Bowl Champions
1967 Super Bowl Champions

Came over with fellow Browns S Don Fleming, his best friend, in 1963 free agency. Started 5 years for the Dolphins and was known as a ferocious tackler and talented defender. Best season was 1966, his All-Pro year, when he had 84 tackles, 27 assists, 2.5 sacks, 3 interceptions and an 82.8% PD.

Dolphins Records:
T-2nd Interceptions
2nd Tackles
3rd Assists
4th Passes Defensed

I'm not going to post his player card, as I'm going to reserve that honor for Dolphins draftees and those who have started 7 years or more with the team.

LT Bob Skoronski
Years Pro: 9
Years with Miami: 7 (1962-1968)
Dolphins Awards:
1966 Super Bowl Champions
1967 Super Bowl Champions

Signed in 1962 free agency as he was the best LT available on the market and we had a huge hole to sign. Originally regarded as a fairly mediocre LT, he went on to become our most consistent lineman for the duration of his years here and a great mentor for Dick Cunningham, his eventual replacement. Really turned the offensive line around in 1967, when we were on the skids at the halfway point and he got his starting job back. One of the great unsung heroes of our Super Bowl teams of '66 and '67.

Dolphins Records:
3rd Key Run Opportunities
T-2nd Pancake Blocks

LG Fuzzy Thurston
Years Pro: 9
Years with Miami: 6 (1963-1968)
Dolphins Awards:
1966 Super Bowl Champions
1967 Super Bowl Champions

Never regained the All-Pro form he had with the Green Bay Packers (1961 1st Team) and was roundly criticized as being a free agent bust relative to his massive contract. He in fact, did underperform compared to expectations and was notoriously injury-prone, but the simple fact of the matter was that the Dolphins played better when he started than when he was not. Did a fantastic job of tutoring Mo Moorman, his eventually replacement, so well that the line should have no problems adjusting to the loss of Fuzzy. Started all 6 seasons he was with Miami.

Dolphins Records:
2nd Key Run Opportunities
1st Pancake Blocks

Note: I won't do this will all retirees, obviously. Only the ones that were a significant part of the team for a sustained period of time. :)

On to free agency!

We have a -ton- of free agents on the roster, 21 in fact. Most won't be coming back unless it's on a min-sal deal.

Week 1 Re-signings
RT Jim Battle: 2 years, $170k
K Garo Yepremian: 1 year, $70k*

Heh, I couldn't resist the min-sal with no bonus attached. That way, I don't -have- to find another kicker.

Position Needs
QB, RB x 2, WR x 2, C, T, P, DE, DT x 2, OLB (13 new players)

RB is obviously our biggest need as we have zero RBs on our roster. I also would really like to find an elite DE as well as a starting DT and yet another upgrade at SLB if it can be found. And of course, our tackles could still use some serious improvements and backup WR is now a big concern. But overall, I'd say we're in pretty good shape.

Week 2 Signings
C Frank Marchlewski - 2 years, $200k (New York)
-Great backup C to have. Not quite the chemistry genius as our backup Cs usually are, but oh well. He's young (5th year) and solid and that's important.

DT Robert Brown - 3 years, $310k (Cincinnati)
-6th year DT looked pretty good last year as a one year starter rental with the Bengals and he's still got upside left to accomplish. A bit of a gamble, given that he's only been a starter for one season, but I'd like to try him out anyway.

Week 3 Signings
P Paul Maguire - 2 years, $240k (Re-signing)
-Couldn't pass up the opportunity to retain one of the top P in the game. Simple as that.

DT Henry Jordan - 1 year, $110k* (Re-signing)
-Comes back for what may be his last season to be a reserve DT and mentor for Brown. He's become one of my favorite free agent signings and I really hated the idea of letting him go.

OLB Ralph Baker - 1 year, $90k (New Orleans)
-Possible starter on the strong side, but more likely a backup to both OLB spots.

FS Jerry Stoval - 1 year, $90k (Atlanta)
-Hasn't lived up to his reputation as a ballhawk, so he'll probably be the backup FS and a tryout for Don Fleming's replacement

Week 3 Losses
CB Johnny Sample - 1 year, $110k* (Washington)
-My heart just broke. :(

I'll see if I can get him back.

:( I offer the Redskins either one of our young CBs, because they're concerned about losing a CB, but they won't take the salaries of either one, even though they're on short-term contracts. :(

FUCK YOU WASHINGTON!!!!!!

...Okay, I feel a little better, but not much though. It's my own god damned fault. He'll be a nickel back with the Redskins, whereas he'd have a shot at keeping his starting job with us.

All I can hope is that he decides to play for one more season after this next one, but I have a sickening feeling he's going to retire. :(

Oh well, not much I can do about it now.

Week 5 Losses
DT Gary Larson - 1 year, $90k (Minnesota)
-The Vikings are welcome to his bust ass.

Bleh, I'll stop here and pick up the other part of first free agency tomorrow.

I'm seriously pissed about losing Sample.

[Izulde]

So after some very fitful sleep (Although I sleep during the day a lot, sunlight makes for a very inconvenient slumber), Dasani grape water, and a couple of Advil, the suckiness of losing Johnny Sample is diminished somewhat.

It's a testament to how great a game FOF is and how much I've become invested in this dynasty that I care that much about a player who hasn't even played his entire career with me and who was seriously on the downside.

Week 6 Signings
CB Willie Mitchell - 1 year, $90k (Minnesota)
-Really good kick returner and the best free agent cover corner left. A 6th year mentor who could eventually replace Irv Cross as our main KR guy.

Week 7 Signings
RB Bill Cooper - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-I just couldn't stand to see Bill on another team. Not after the whole Johnny Sample situation.

WR Charlie Frazier - 2 years, $220k (Re-signing)
-Held out for a long, long time hoping to get a lucrative deal, but nobody was willing to pay him what he wanted, so he stays with us, where he'll have a very active role in the offense.

DE Frank Mallick - 1 year, $80k* (Indianapolis)
-Big upgrade at backup DE over Dick Evey who sucked for us last year. Okay, not so big-time according to ratings, but in performance in my opinion. In fact, may even start over Don Brumm on the left side.

Week 9 Signings
WR Odell Barry - 1 year, $80k* (Chicago)
-Respectable backup WR who I think is a pretty good find, all in all.

Week 10 Signings
QB King Hill - 1 year, $110k* (Baltimore)
-I love his name and his mentor status. The perfect 3rd stringer option.

Week 10 Losses
C Winston Berosik - 1 year, $100k* (Washington)
-The Redskins continue their poaching of old Dolphins. Then again, considering they've only been to the playoffs once (1964) and got hammered (34-10 loss to St. Louis), they need all the help they can get.

That's going to be it for the first half of free agency as far as signings go. We'll be more active in the second half.

Time for the draft.

Obviously priority #1 is RB, RB, RB, RB.

Fortunately, this is a good draft year for RB and there's a real-life Dolphin that I'm hoping will do enough falling that I'll be tempted to trade up for him. Three big names at the top of the draft: T Roger Finnie, DT Joe Greene (who was a Dolphins DL coach for a while at least, in addition to being a great RL pro :D), and RB O.J. Simpson (I would never draft him even if we had the #1 pick and the crying need at RB we do. Still too bothered by that whole debacle.)

1969 NFL Draft 1st Round

1. RB O.J. Simpson - Indianapolis Colts

Curious choice, considering they still have Gale Sayers on the roster, but this franchise hit the tank the last couple years.

2. OLB Ted Hendricks - Houston Oilers

Not as WTF as you might expect. While I wouldn't have passed on Finnie if I were the Oilers, as they've no depth at LT and their starter is a 10 year player, Houston has exactly 0 OLBs that I would consider even remotely reputable.

3. T Roger Finnie - Kansas City Chiefs

Should've been the first pick in the draft. KC benefits big-time.

4. RB Ron Johnson - Buffalo Bills
5. RB Mercury Morris - Atlanta Falcons

:( There goes Mercury. No way either of these guys should be a Top 5 pick, though. I guess we're not the only team that's thirsty for a RB.

6. WR Charlie Joiner - Chicago Bears
7. DT Joe Greene - Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings get a gift and the Men in Purple suddenly look a lot better on D.

8. CB Nate Wright - St. Louis Cardinals
9. ILB Bill Bergey - San Diego Chargers
10. DE Bill Stanfill - New York Giants
11. WR Jerry LeVias - New England Patriots
12. CB Jim Maralis - New Orleans Saints through Cincinnati Bengals

:eek: To move up 5 spots, the Saints give the #17 pick, plus their 1970 and 1971 1st rounders. Cincy just made out like crazy in this deal. The Bengals are one of 3 teams not to have made the playoffs in this universe (Kansas City and Minnesota are the other two). A deal like this just put them a long way towards that goal.

13. RB Larry Brown - San Francisco 49ers

And the RBs continue to run off the board. There's maybe two guys left I'd consider worthy of drafting in the 1st round and even they aren't great.

14. G Bob Kuechenberg - Cleveland Browns
15. RB Warren Bankston - Denver Broncos
16. DE Richard Neal - Detroit Lions
17. S Clarence Scott - Cincinnati Bengals
18. WR Gene Washington - Pittsburgh Steelers
19. DE John Zook - Washington Redskins
20. DT Art Thoms - New Orleans Saints through Carolina Panthers

One thing you can always count on the NFC West for is for a team to go crazy with trades in the draft every now and then. The Panthers get both of the Saints' 2nd round picks and their 5th round in this draft. Although it amounts to 2.8 and 2.16, I still say Carolina let themselves get ripped off here.

21. T Ron Yary - New Jersey Jets

The Jets don't learn. Yary wouldn't sign with them last year and re-entered the draft, so what does New Jersey do? Why, draft him again! Pfft. Dumbasses.

22. CB Roger Wherli - Minnesota Vikings through Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars get the Vikings' 1971 1st and 7th rounders and their 1970 7th rounder. A fair deal, I'd say, as I don't anticipate Minnesota being a powerhouse in the next two years, even though they've majorly upgraded their defense this draft.

23. CB Ken Riley - Green Bay Packers
24. S Billy Thompson - Oakland Raiders
25. CB Walt Sumner - Seattle Seahawks

Our turn. There's a number of really good players available and I'm almost tempted to stray from our primary area of need, but the more and more I look at the two RBs that I was hoping would drop to this spot, the more and more the one stands out and so the choice is clear.

26. RB Calvin Hill - Miami Dolphins
27. DT Earl Edwards - Philadelphia Eagles
28. RB Jimmy Thomas - Los Angeles Rams
29. CB Robert James - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30. T George Kunz - Tucson Titans
31. ILB Jim Sniadecki - Dallas Cowboys
32. DE Sweeny Williams - Baltimore Ravens

The second round is proving a bitch to draft. There's a DE who looks great except A) he's raw and B) he's dumb. But on the other hand, he's a big-time name DE and frankly, you don't necessarily need to be smart to rush the QB. Other than his stupid score, his combines are just sick and I need a guy who could pan out to be a HR hitter at DE so I take DE L.C. Greenwood.

There was also a DT I strongly looked at, but I'm set there and a RT who got a long look, but who has really bad combine scores relative to his high Vol. Both of them are gone in the 3rd round and I'm left being torn between a CB and a S, both of whom look like seriously good breakout candidates. I eventually go with the corner and take CB Al Lavan, with the willingness of moving up to get the S in the 4th.

I start getting nervous midway through the 4th when a S goes off the board and the 49ers look like they're thinking about taking him, so I call San Francisco and offer them our 4th and 5th rounders for their 4.14 pick. They accept and I take S Richmond Flowers.

As it turns out, the next safety doesn't get taken until early in the 6th round, so maybe I jumped the gun there, but that's okay. Better to pay a little bit more and grab a guy who could break out than to lose out. I grab WR Bob Campbell in the 6th, who was taken because he looks like he could break out, he ran a 4.49 40 and he has an affinity with a team leader. Plus, he was the only one who really interested me much at this point in the draft.

7th round, nobody interests me that much, so I try and get Johnny Sample off the Redskins. Sadly, they won't do it, so I take a flyer out of the blue on TE Ron Jones. (He's a UTEP guy, Jeebs. :D)

I accidentally had Scouts sign Rookies automatically turned on from something or the other... I think I was toying with the idea of continuing my Park High dynasty. The upshot was, though I didn't get the players signed to the deals I'd preferred, all my rookies were signed at the start of late free agency.

There's still a couple holes I'm looking to fill in late free agency and we have cap room to burn. No major moves are planned really, just some patchwork signings.

Week 1 Losses
CB Butch Byrd - 4 years, $1.82 mill. - Washington (Los Angeles)
-Would've immediately become a starter for us, but the Redskins came through with a slightly more lucrative offer. I'm really starting to hate Washington, you know that? Wasn't stealing Johnny Sample enough?

Week 3 Signings
RB Dan Reeves - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Returns to be our passing down back and provide continuity in the backfield along with Bill Coopers

T John Mattox - 2 years, $340k (Washington)
-Had to fight Green Bay to get him, but he's a mentor who'll be a good backup T to have.

K Horst Muhlmann - 1 year, $30k (UDRFA)
-Undrafted rookie who will compete with Garo Yepremian for the starting K job.

Speaking of which, rookies after TC


RB Calvin Hill 1.26 35/56 35/55 -0/-1
DE L.C. Greenwood 2.25 26/60 26/60 -0/-0
CB Al Lavan 3.27 20/39 22/37 +2/-2
S Richmond Flowers 4.14 14/30 15/31 +1/+1
WR Bob Campbell 6.27 9/17 11/20 +2/+3
TE Ron Jones 7.26 12/20 13/21 +1/+1
K Horst Muhlmann UDRFA 48/51 54/54 +6/+3

Draft Grade: A- (5th best)

Pretty nice draft class all in all. Hill will start from Week 1, as will Greenwood. Lavan probably won't be anything more than a package back, but I'm quietly intrigued with Flowers and Campbell. Muhlmann may have just taken Garo Yepremian's job away.

Some interesting choices to make this upcoming year.

Oh yeah, the Redskins are more willing to talk about Johnny Sample now. Not for a 7th rounder they won't trade him, but possibly a 6th (I didn't try).

Now the question remains, do I try and trade for him and do I let him stay a Redskin?

At this point, I don't know. I -really- dislike having a mediocre scout, because some of his ratings are making me :mad:, as I don't know if they're reliable or not. One player in particular has experience a drop I don't understand.

[nilodor]

I think it's worth sending a 6, maybe even a 5 to a guy who will help your cohesion, played well in the past (although not so much in the near past) and you seem to enjoy having him around. A late 5 or a 6 for a possible 2, probable 1 year guy at nickle back isn't too bad, especially considering how often the nickle package is played if you don't set your own gameplan.

[Izulde]

Thanks for the advice :)

Unfortunately, the Redskins won't budge even for 2 6th rounders and as much as I love Johnny Sample, I'm not going to part with 3 draft picks for him, no matter how low. He's also really hit a low point, too.

So it's on to our own team, then.


Hill, King 17 QB 12 26 36 1 yr.
Unitas, Johnny 2 QB 15 59 59 1 yr.
Stabler, Ken 10 QB 2 25 70 4 yrs

I have a feeling Unitas is going to retire after this season. He'll have one more year as a starter and from then on, it'll be the Stabler era in Miami, as by this time next year, Kenny should be developed enough to where he's ready to step in as a starter and not do too badly.


Cooper, Bill 28 RB 9 26 26 1 yr.
Reeves, Dan 39 RB 5 18 18 1 yr.
Hill, Calvin 38 RB 1 35 55 4 yrs
Granger, Hoyle 45 FB 4 33 33 1 yr.
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 2 49 49 2 yrs

How Reeves dropped 10 points, I'll never know. Hill will obviously be the starter, Cooper the backup and Reeves the passing down back. Interestingly enough, Reeves has a conflict with Cooper. Csonka the starting FB, Granger the backup who also conflicts with Cooper.


Cannon, Billy 86 TE 10 54 54 2 yrs
Mitchell, Tom 87 TE 4 42 42 1 yr.
Jones, Ron 7 TE 1 13 21 3 yrs
Frazier, Charlie 88 FL 8 46 46 2 yrs
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 6 69 69 2 yrs
Daanen, Jerry 12 FL 2 13 35 2 yrs
Ballman, Gary 89 SE 8 47 47 2 yrs
Barry, Odell 84 SE 6 34 34 1 yr.
Campbell, Bob 80 SE 1 11 20 3 yrs

Cannon, Warfield and Ballman will be the starters with Mitchell, Frazier and Barry the reserves. The 5th receiver spot is going to be a dogfight between Daanen and Campbell. Inside edge goes to Daanen, who did pretty well last year and who has an affinity with Frazier besides, even though there's conflicts elsewhere with him. Jones will be inactive.


Schmitt, John 56 C 6 57 57 2 yrs
Marchlewski, Frank 55 C 5 44 44 2 yrs
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 2 44 59 3 yrs
Simon, Jim 64 RG 7 34 34 1 yr.
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 3 91 91 2 yrs
Cunningham, Dick 68 LT 3 31 40 1 yr.
Mattox, John 62 RT 9 32 32 2 yrs
Battle, Jim 70 RT 4 36 36 2 yrs

Cunningham-Moorman-Schmitt-Upshaw-Battle across the board, with Marchlewski, Simon and Mattox in reserve. I'm actually pretty comfortable with this unit, especially after last year's fantastic performance. I'd still like some better tackle options, but they'll do for now.


Maguire, Paul 9 P 10 72 72 2 yrs
Yepremian, Garo 16 K 4 52 52 1 yr.
Muhlmann, Horst 19 K 1 54 54 1 yr.

Garo and Horst will each get 2 preseason games to prove themselves, Yepremian the first two, Muhlmann the second two. The loser either gets cut or put on inactive.


Brumm, Don 75 LDE 7 29 29 1 yr.
Mallick, Frank 99 LDE 5 37 37 1 yr.
Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 1 26 60 3 yrs
Holmes, Pat 94 RDE 8 52 52 1 yr.
Jordan, Henry 91 LDT 13 39 39 1 yr.
Brown, Robert 92 LDT 6 48 48 3 yrs
Johnson, Walter 72 RDT 5 35 35 2 yrs

Mallick is going to bitch and complain, but Greenwood wins the left side because of his upside and Holmes mans the right again, with Mallick the backup and Brumm sitting on inactive. Johnson's another WTF drop. Goes from 49 to 35? Unreal. He and Brown will start with Jordan the backup unless Henry complains or Walter stumbles.


Lloyd, Dave 93 MLB 11 44 44 2 yrs
Boyette, Garland 97 MLB 8 43 43 2 yrs
Barber, Rudy 90 MLB 2 18 37 3 yrs
Meggyesy, Dave 59 SLB 7 40 40 2 yrs
Baughan, Maxie 53 WLB 10 49 49 1 yr.
Baker, Ralph 54 WLB 6 44 44 1 yr.

I still really like Barber for some reason, but he'll join the practice squad while Lloyd starts again and Boyette plays second string. Meggyesy withstands a challenge from Baker and will stay the starting SLB, with Baughan occupying the weak side again. Baker plays backup for both outside spots.


Mitchell, Willie 31 LCB 6 41 41 1 yr.
Cross, Irv 40 RCB 9 30 30 1 yr.
Baird, Billy 25 RCB 7 42 42 3 yrs
Ward, Carl 49 RCB 3 16 25 1 yr.
Duncan, Jim 29 RCB 2 24 35 2 yrs
Lavan, Al 27 RCB 1 22 37 3 yrs
Saimes, George 21 SS 7 51 51 2 yrs
Bird, Rodger 46 SS 4 29 31 1 yr.
Flowers, Richmond 30 SS 1 15 31 4 yrs
Fleming, Don 24 FS 11 52 52 1 yr.
Stovall, Jerry 34 FS 7 44 44 1 yr.

The secondary is seriously a mess, but my initial hunch says to start Mitchell and Baird and Saimes and Fleming. Stovall is the backup FS obviously. Reserve SS is probably going to be Bird, who's quietly turned into a somewhat passable backup, though I'd still rather have someone better there.

Toughest choice is what to do at nickel back. Cross's skills have declined more, even though he's 3rd in All-Time Pass Defense %, so I'll probably drop him from the nickel package. Ward is a bust through and through, so this really boils down to Duncan vs Lavan. The preseason will decide it, though I'm tenatively leaning towards Lavan, who looks like a better playmaker option.

Hard to say just what I feel about the team this season. I don't think we're legitimate Super Bowl contenders, but we should be able to win our 5th straight AFC East division title.

And from there, anything can happen in the playoffs.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Green Bay 31 Miami 17
Ugly performance by rookie RB Calvin Hill and Johnny Unitas looked dreadful as well. Willie Mitchell showed off some return game flare, returning a kickoff 92 yards for a TD in the 4th quarter. Jim Duncan was caught 3 times, but defended a pass, with a tackle and an assist and Al Lavan was caught twice, with 3 tackles and an assist. Garo Yepremian kicked his only FG, a 23 yarder. Jerry Daanen was targeted 10 times, but only caught 3 passes. On the other hand Bob Campbell, targeted 5 times, caught just one pass. A point in Daanen's favor: he's a pretty good special teams player.

A few injuries hit. Bill Cooper and Jim Simon are out approximately 3 weeks and John Mattox will miss the next game. Fortunately I have a couple open spots left in order to sign some backups, but free agent G Will Banks is my only signee, as Mattox is only out a game and we don't need a third back.

Miami 30 Los Angeles 13
Dan Reeves rushes 21 times for 109 yards and Jerry Daanen is pretty good with 4 catches (7 targets) for 71 yards and 2 TDs. Bob Campbell caught 2 of 3 passes. Garo Yepremian hit 3/4 field goals, all 40 or under, leaving the door open. Pat Holmes recorded 2 tackles, 3 assists, 2 sacks and 2 blocks. Al Lavan had 5 tackles and an assist, but was also caught 5 times. Conversely Jim Duncan had 3 tackles and 2 assists, versus being caught 3 times.

Jerry Daanen will be the 5th receiver and Jim Duncan wins the nickel slot.

Big-time injury as starting SS George Saimes rips up his knee and is gone for 9 weeks. I've been starting Rodger Bird at SS with rookie Richmond Flowers as the backup anyway for the first two preseason games, but it means we won't be able to switch over and it severely hurts what'd been a strong position for us.

Miami 34 Minnesota 7
Terrific game by Ken Stabler who was 16 of 16 for 154 yards and 2 TDs. Willie Mitchell tagged 2 interceptions and Horst Muhlmann was 2/2 on field goals. I'm really liking how the first team unit is doing now that everyone's back in.

Bill Cooper and Jim Simon are both probable, so they go back in their respective spots.

San Francisco 23 Miami 7
Ugly end to the preseason as the 49ers wallop us. Horst Muhlmann was 0/1 from 40+ range, meaning we'll cut him and go with the devil we know at K rather than the one we don't. Willie Mitchell had another 2 interceptions, though, and he might turn out to be the surprise of the season.

Horst Muhlmann is officially released, giving us a roster spot to play with that I'm not going to fill right now. I hit Recommend for Playing Time and we're off to the races!

Regular Season

Miami 21 New Jersey 24
You don't want to start the year with a 21-10 halftime lead evaporating as you get shut out in the second half, but that's exactly what happened here as we fall in OT. Paul Warfield had 8 catches for 126 yards and Garo Yepremian screwed us, with 0/2 on FGs, both from 40+ range, which I know the bastard can hit.

Miami 10 Tampa Bay 27
When Johnny Unitas goes 17-42 and throws 2 INTs, you know you're in for a long day and in for a long day we were. If things get much worse, we may see Ken Stabler as soon as this year.

Tucson 41 Miami 21
Johnny Unitas is 21-41 for 220 yards and 3 TDs, but that's offset by his 5 interceptions. We can't afford to have that kind of performance, especially not when it drops us to 0-3. Bye-bye, Johnny U. You hung on for one year too long.

Buffalo 20 Miami 3
Our AFC East title run is over. That's the story after this game where everyone played horribly and we've gone from looking like a perenniel playoff team to an also-ran.

Miami 30 San Diego 27
Don't get too excited. This was an OT win against the equally winless Chargers. But do get happy about Ken Stabler's 32-42 for 366 yards and 2 TDs, Paul Warfield his main man with 13 catches for 188 yards and 2 TDs. Garo Yepremian was 5/7, including the 44 yard game-winner in OT. Pat Holmes had 5 tackles, 2 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown, while L.C. Greenwood contributed 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a hurry.

Denver 20 Miami 14
I don't feel too badly about this loss. The Broncos were 5-0 and 12 point favorites so we did well here. Paul Warfield had 8 catches for 108 yards and we're playing a lot better.

George Saimes is ready to come back after our bye week, so our pass defense will get a shot in the arm at least.

Kansas City 37 Miami 14
The Chiefs are playing for their first playoff spot. We're playing essentially for next season. Paul Warfield caught 6 passes for 104 yards and a TD to keep his streak of 100+ receiving yard games alive.

Pat Holmes hyperextends his knee and is out 4 weeks and George Saimes is doubtful again. He'll play through the injury, though. Frank Mallick will take over for Holmes as the starter on the right side, Don Brumm ressurrected from inactive to be the main reserve.

Miami 14 Oakland 7
We score a huge upset at the halfway mark that wasn't the result of any individual star, but rather a collobrative team effort where the breaks just happened to bounce our way.

We're 2-6 at halfseason, putting us in the bottom 6 teams. Look for us to significantly improve the second half, though, enough to probably end up with a sucky mid-tier 1st rounder rather than a top 5 or top 10 selection.

Halfway stats:


Record 2-6
Winning Pct. .250
All-Time 92-60
Winning Pct. .605
Playoffs 8-5
Playoff Visits 7
Bowl Wins 2
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 78-38
Winning Pct. .672
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 21.1 30 (T)
Rushing Yards 90.9 28
Yards Per Carry 4.30 8
Pass Attempts 36.4 6
Completions 19.5 20
Completion Pct. 53.6 30
Passing Yards 206.6 18
Yards Per Attempt 5.68 25
Yards Per Catch 10.60 12
Total Yardage Gained 279.4 24
3rd Down Conversions 33.3 25
Points Per Game 15.9 20
Pass Rush Pct. 6.0 27
Pass Defense Pct. 60.2 30
Turnovers 17 22 (T)
Turnover Margin -9 31

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 36.5 32
Rushing Yards 125.8 24
Yards Per Carry 3.45 3
Pass Attempts 32.6 13
Completions 22.3 30
Completion Pct. 68.2 29 (T)
Passing Yards 227.0 27
Yards Per Attempt 6.96 26 (T)
Yards Per Catch 10.20 14
Total Yardage Gained 341.6 30
3rd Down Conversions 44.1 30
Points Per Game 25.4 30
Pass Rush Pct. 9.2 29 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 72.7 25
Turnovers 8 29 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 21 at NJY 24
2 10 at TBY 27
3 21 TUC 41
4 3 BUF 20
5 30 at SDO 27
6 14 DEN 20
8 14 KCY 37
9 14 at OAK 7
10 at NED
11 NJY
12 CAR
13 at BAL
14 ATL
15 at BUF
16 at NOS
17 NED

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 K. Stabler QB 166 94 995 5.99 7 2 83.3
2 J. Unitas QB 125 62 658 5.26 6 8 54.7
**Team --- 291 156 1653 5.68 13 10 71.0
$$Opp --- 261 178 1816 6.96 10 6 91.1

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
38 C. Hill RB 92 415 4.51 2 1
28 B. Cooper RB 56 216 3.86 0 3
**Team --- 169 727 4.30 2 15
$$Opp --- 292 1006 3.45 9 9

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 93 52 734 14.12 7.89 9 7
89 G. Ballman WR 82 44 542 12.32 6.61 5 4
86 B. Cannon TE 21 12 84 7.00 4.00 3 0
38 C. Hill RB 20 11 28 2.55 1.40 1 0
88 C. Frazier WR 28 9 104 11.56 3.71 3 0
28 B. Cooper RB 8 8 33 4.13 4.13 0 0
84 O. Barry WR 21 8 67 8.38 3.19 2 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
59 D. Meggyesy OLB 47 13 1.0 0 1 2 73.5
53 M. Baughan OLB 45 17 1.0 0 1 1 72.9
24 D. Fleming S 42 13 0.0 0 0 5 76.5
93 D. Lloyd ILB 42 25 1.0 2 0 2 79.1
46 R. Bird S 35 8 0.0 0 0 1 70.8
92 R. Brown DT 27 12 1.5 5 0 1 82.5
97 G. Boyette ILB 26 9 0.0 0 1 0 73.0
31 W. Mitchell CB 24 6 1.0 0 2 3 77.8
54 R. Baker OLB 22 4 0.0 0 0 0 68.0
72 W. Johnson DT 22 15 1.5 3 0 0 80.5
94 P. Holmes DE 18 5 2.0 7 0 0 82.5
91 H. Jordan DT 17 6 0.5 1 0 0 78.4
25 B. Baird CB 17 10 0.0 0 0 1 76.6
29 J. Duncan CB 15 5 0.0 0 0 3 74.7
99 F. Mallick DE 14 4 2.5 2 0 0 80.5
21 G. Saimes S 10 3 0.0 0 0 1 83.9
30 R. Flowers S 9 4 0.0 0 0 0 73.5
96 L. Greenwood DE 9 8 2.0 7 0 0 82.0
34 J. Stovall S 8 3 0.0 0 0 0 72.2
27 A. Lavan CB 8 2 0.0 0 1 2 83.1

Turnovers and a porous defense are the biggest issues here. My transistion efforts haven't gone so well there.

On the other hand, Ken Stabler is rapidly improving and should be a pretty good starting QB within a year or two. I already love his TD to INT ratio. Calvin Hill isn't looking like a franchise back, but at least he's hanging on to the football. Paul Warfield and Gary Ballman are their usual stellar selves, but the rest of the receiving corps is seriously underwhelming.

Our defense really has been putrid, withe the biggest culprit a lack of ballhawks in the secondary, which was originally my main focus in selecting DBs, and an absolute absence of pass rush. L.C. Greenwood will get to around Pat Holmes level, I think, and by that I mean prime Holmes level, but it's going to take another year or two of seasoning. The rest of the D needs a pretty major overhaul.

Garo Yepremian is a big part of the problem, converting only 41.2% of his FGs this year. I -will- replace him after this season, there's no doubt about that. Another area of difficulty is the offensive line, which hasn't been anywhere near as lockdown as last year.

The pieces are there to repair this team for next year and become contenders for the next several seasons again... It's just going to take some more addition and some more seasoning before we're ready to get back to the top.

[Izulde]

FS Jerry Stoval, QB Johnny Unitas and RT John Mattox are all angry about not starting. Stoval can get stuffed, Johnny U I apologize to, but we're going nowhere...As for Mattox, he gets the start, as he's outplayed Jim Battle.

Miami 7 New England 19
The more and more I play this season, the more and more I regret keeping Garo Yepremian as he puts in another 0/2 day. Paul Maguire's been off the hook at punter, though. Calvin Hill is starting to show flashes of being a good RB. 16 carries for 82 yards, a 5.13 ypc average.

New Jersey 23 Miami 24
A nice bit of payback for the Jets here. Ken Stabler is 21-31 for 298 yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs, Gary Ballman his main man with 7 catches for 107 yards and a TD. Robert Brown is Game MVP and a rare burst of pass rush with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown.

Being on a suddenly bad team severely depresses inactive MLB Rudy Barber and he gets a medical leave of absence. Pat Holmes is upgraded to Probable and returns to the starting lineup.

Carolina 16 Miami 13
At least we're playing teams close now. Paul Warfield catches 7 passes for 116 yards. Ken Stabler is starting to struggle with interceptions the last few games, but it's all part of the learning curve. Incidentally, the loss drops us to 3-8, guaranteeing that we'll finish no better than .500.

Miami 17 Baltimore 27
Last year's Super Bowl champions are struggling through a hangover season themselves. This victory puts them up to 5-7, putting a little boost in their much-faded playoff hopes. Paul Warfield goes bananas this game, with 15 catches for 209 receiving yards. He's been the lone bright spot in a dismal season.

Atlanta 31 Miami 3
Ouch! It's that kind of a year when a 1-11 team spanks you. Ken Stabler's line says it all: 9-26 for 56 yards and an INT. I just have to keep reminding myself that this is a learning year for some of our young, hopeful stars and that a high draft pick would go a long way to solidifying this team.

With the loss, we're officially eliminated from postseason play. We're also guaranteed of having our worst season since 1962 and are in danger of setting a franchise record for losses in a season (11 in 1960, our expansion year).

Don Fleming[/'b] is Questionable, but at this point, everybody plays. I'm not going to tank my remaining games, because I insist on playing fair.

Miami 13 [b]Buffalo 17
Although I believe our defense to be the problem, our offense is what's showing signs of futility. Again, I attribute that to the youth of our QB and RB, though admittedly, it's getting to the point where we should start seeing a little bit better results. Garo Yepremian is 2/2 on field goals, but at this point, it's too little, too late.

Pat Holmes is done for the year with an Inguinal Hernia and George Saimes is out with a pulled calf muscle. Insert Frank Mallick and Rodger Bird in the starting spots.

Miami 30 New Orleans 27
We destroy the Saints' playoff hopes with a win that wasn't as close as the scoreline says. Paul Warfield scooped up 6 catches for 136 yards and a TD and we got 3 interceptions on the day, the biggest from Dave Meggyesy, who was a rare Dolphins Game MVP with 4 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks and the INT.

Starting CB Willie Mitchell breaks his foot and so rookie Al Lavan will get his first NFL start in the final game of the year.

The AFC East is as tight as you might expect in a Miami down year. Our archival Bills are 9-6, with the Patriots and Jets right behind them at 8-7. New England holds the tiebreaker edge over New Jersey and the right to the second wildcard.

And we play the Patriots in the final game, giving us a chance to play spoiler.

New England 17 Miami 48
We play spoiler and we play it big. Buffalo thrashed the Jets to clinch the division, but we whomp the Patriots so bad, they're knocked off out of the playoffs and have to sit home. That makes me smile. Ken Stabler had his best game in a Dolphins uniform today: 14-19 for 271 yards and 4 TDs. Rodger Bird ran a punt back 90 yards for a TD and Jerry Stovall, who I realized too late is the best kick returner on our team now, took a kickoff back 94 yards for a TD of his own. Paul Warfield took in 6 of Stabler's passes for 171 yards and 2 TDs. I think it's pretty safe to say that he'll be an All-Pro again this year. Frank Mallick recorded 3 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks and 2 blocks.

So for the first time since 1962, there won't be a playoff game for the Dolphins. 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968... that's 6 straight playoff trips, which I think is pretty damned good. I think future generations will look back on the Miami teams of the mid-late 60s as a seriously talented squad.

But for now, let's look at the tale of the tape for the season. At least we didn't set a franchise record for losses in a season.


Record 5-11
Winning Pct. .312
All-Time 95-65
Winning Pct. .593
Playoffs 8-5
Playoff Visits 7
Bowl Wins 2
Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
Record 81-43
Winning Pct. .653
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 23.2 27
Rushing Yards 91.3 30
Yards Per Carry 3.94 24
Pass Attempts 34.5 7
Completions 19.1 21 (T)
Completion Pct. 55.4 27
Passing Yards 217.3 10
Yards Per Attempt 6.30 13
Yards Per Catch 11.36 4
Total Yardage Gained 294.7 19
3rd Down Conversions 34.6 19 (T)
Points Per Game 17.6 20
Pass Rush Pct. 6.8 22
Pass Defense Pct. 61.4 29
Turnovers 35 25 (T)
Turnover Margin -18 31

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 33.4 30
Rushing Yards 128.0 26
Yards Per Carry 3.84 7
Pass Attempts 31.8 8
Completions 20.8 25
Completion Pct. 65.6 29
Passing Yards 207.1 19
Yards Per Attempt 6.52 24
Yards Per Catch 9.95 12
Total Yardage Gained 322.3 25
3rd Down Conversions 39.1 28
Points Per Game 23.8 29
Pass Rush Pct. 8.7 25 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 71.3 22 (T)
Turnovers 17 31

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 21 at NJY 24
2 10 at TBY 27
3 21 TUC 41
4 3 BUF 20
5 30 at SDO 27
6 14 DEN 20
8 14 KCY 37
9 14 at OAK 7
10 7 at NED 19
11 24 NJY 23
12 13 CAR 16
13 17 at BAL 27
14 3 ATL 31
15 13 at BUF 17
16 30 at NOS 27
17 48 NED 17

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 K. Stabler QB 427 244 2819 6.60 19 11 81.3
2 J. Unitas QB 125 62 658 5.26 6 8 54.7
**Team --- 552 306 3477 6.30 25 19 75.2
$$Opp --- 508 333 3313 6.52 20 11 88.0

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
38 C. Hill RB 199 772 3.88 4 4
28 B. Cooper RB 114 461 4.04 2 4
39 D. Reeves RB 32 164 5.13 0 1
**Team --- 371 1460 3.94 6 28
$$Opp --- 534 2048 3.84 14 21

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 186 101 1503 14.88 8.08 13 11
89 G. Ballman WR 137 78 971 12.45 7.09 6 7
38 C. Hill RB 38 25 93 3.72 2.45 2 0
86 B. Cannon TE 34 23 166 7.22 4.88 3 1
88 C. Frazier WR 61 23 294 12.78 4.82 3 1
84 O. Barry WR 43 18 215 11.94 5.00 4 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
59 D. Meggyesy OLB 89 26 4.5 0 2 2 75.0
93 D. Lloyd ILB 82 45 1.0 3 0 3 73.6
24 D. Fleming S 77 24 1.0 0 2 9 78.8
53 M. Baughan OLB 76 29 2.0 3 1 2 72.4
46 R. Bird S 62 16 0.0 0 0 1 72.9
92 R. Brown DT 57 21 5.0 8 0 2 82.6
72 W. Johnson DT 47 20 3.0 6 0 0 81.1
97 G. Boyette ILB 41 17 0.5 0 1 1 70.8
25 B. Baird CB 41 20 0.0 0 1 5 78.0
21 G. Saimes S 37 10 0.0 1 0 2 78.4
31 W. Mitchell CB 36 13 1.0 0 2 4 76.3
54 R. Baker OLB 35 8 1.0 0 0 1 69.4
94 P. Holmes DE 32 14 2.0 8 0 0 80.5
91 H. Jordan DT 29 11 0.5 3 0 0 80.4
99 F. Mallick DE 27 7 6.0 5 0 0 80.9
29 J. Duncan CB 26 10 0.5 0 0 8 79.8
27 A. Lavan CB 16 6 0.0 0 1 2 77.5

Biggest thing that stands out: We need a playmaker on defense, someone who can electrify with a timely interception or hard-hitting sack. The guys we have just aren't cutting it anymore, although Dave Meggyesy had a career year.

Ken Stabler is going to be pretty good, I think. He's got a ways to go yet, but in a year or two, my expectation is that he'll be among the elite QBs of the league for quite a number of years. Calvin Hill I'm a lot less sold on, but he should be improved next season. Gary Ballman bounced back pretty well from missing all of last year with a turf toe injury, but he's in his 8th season. I'm going to try and trade Charlie Frazier this offseason. His chemistry issues are pissing me off.

The offensive line play improve noticeably with [b]John Mattox[/b in as the starting RT, but both tackle spots remain serious issues with this franchise and we need to protect Ken Stabler's backside. Garo Yepremian won't be back next year, but Paul Maguire had another great year.

L.C. Greenwood just missed appearing on the team stats list, but he did finish with 4 sacks, 3 blocks, 19 hurries and 2 knockdowns in his rookie year. Not bad considering just how raw he was. Like Stabler, give him another year or two and I think he'll turn out to be really pretty good. I'm stunned at Walter Johnson's drop. I just don't understand how a 5th year player would hit a wall that early, especially a DT.

As much as it saddens me to say it, Irv Cross probably won't be re-signed. My first ever draft pick just can't cut it as a pass defender anymore and he's been surpassed as a returner as well. Still, it's hard to argue with 8 very solid seasons and one bad one. There have been a lot worse #10 overall picks in the history of the draft, both IRL and in this universe I'm sure. My hunch is, even though kick return records aren't tracked on this version's player cards, that he'll rank at the top in those categories when he hangs them up.

Al Lavan and Jim Duncan are showing flashes of being capable backup CBs, Lavan moreso than Duncan. I wouldn't want either of them starting any time soon though. Our safety situation isn't too bad. Jerry Stovall is pissed and won't be back, but George Saimes is good, if injury-prone and Don Fleming continues to defy age. Rodger Bird had a career year and is a decent backup, though I hate having to start him.

So yeah, we'll see some overhauls in the offseason I think. 23 players come off the books and if no one retires who has money coming, we're looking at approximately $6 mill in cap room to play with, enough to make a serious run at some top-tier free agents.

I'm really looking forward to this offseason. It's got that 1963 feeling about it, where we picked up a ton of the players that played major roles in our 1966 and 1967 Super Bowl championship seasons.

But only time will tell. :)

[Izulde]

Super Bowl X
San Francisco 34 Cleveland 24

The Browns get to their fourth Super Bowl in team history, but again fall short of the mark. Rookie RB Larry Brown carves Cleveland's D 23 times for 101 yards and a TD, but it's QB John Brodie who's the hero of the game and Super Bowl MVP with a great 26-32 for 343 yards, 3 TD performance. He's really proven himself worthy of inheriting Y.A. Tittle's mantle and finally has the Super Bowl ring needed to answer his critics.

Incidentally, the win was a franchise first for the 49ers, who earned their first Super Bowl title in their third try, whereas the hard-luck Browns fall to 0-4 in the big game.

Dolphins Season Awards

Paul Warfield - 1st Team All-Pro WR
Warfield gets his second straight 1st Team nomination and third overall. Not bad for a guy who fell to the #22 overall pick, eh? He's considered one of the top 3 WRs in the entire league by the scouts, which is a pretty fair assessment. He's also now tied Gary Ballman for the team record for most consecutive 1,000+ yard receiving seasons at four and has at least 1,4000 receiving yards in each of those seasons. This was the first year he broke double digits in receiving TDs, however, which is awesome to see.

Other Awards
MVP:
QB John Brodie - San Francisco 49ers
Offensive Player of the Year
QB John Brodie - San Francisco 49ers
Defensive Player of the Year
SLB Dave Wilcox - Philadelphia Eagles
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Ron Johnson - Buffalo Bills
Defensive Rookie of the Year
WLB Ron Pritchard - Cleveland Browns

Five retirements of note this season.

1970 Miami Dolphins Significant Retirements

DT Henry Jordan
Years Pro: 10
Years with Miami: 7 (1963-1969)
Dolphins Awards:
1963 2nd Team All-Pro DT
1964 1st Team All-Pro DT
1966 Super Bowl Champions
1967 Super Bowl Champions

Part of the great 1963 free agent class, he was absolutely phenomenal his first two years in Miami and gave our D-line a legitimacy and power that it'd never had before. After that, his numbers started going downhill pretty quickly, but he'll always be remembered for those first two seasons of greatness.

Dolphins Records:
2nd Sacks
3rd Hurries
4th Blocked Passes

RB Bill Cooper
Years Pro: 9
Years with Miami: All (1961-1969)
Drafted: 4.7 - 1961 Draft (Miami Dolphins)
Dolphins Awards:
1966 Super Bowl Champions
1967 Super Bowl Champions

First-ever Dolphins 1,000 yard rusher in a season and still the only back to it twice in a career. Never considered an elite player, he nonetheless produced far beyond expectations and repeatedly defied the scouts that de-valued him. Also the biggest breakout player I've had in this dynasty, with a +9/+9 post-draft breakout.

Dolphins Records:
1st Rushing Attempts
1st Rushing Yards
5th Yards Per Carry
1st Rushing TDs
1st Rushing 100+ Games
4th Receptions
5th Targeted Passes
2nd Points Scored
1st Yards From Scrimmage
2nd All-Purpose Yards

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

CB Irv Cross
Years Pro: 9
Years with Miami: All (1961-1969)
Drafted: 1.10 - 1961 Draft (Miami Dolphins)
Dolphin Awards:
1966 Super Bowl Champions
1967 Super Bowl Champions

The Dolphins' first-ever draft pick, never became the elite shutdown corner that everyone hoped for. Did, however, become a solid cover man in teaming with Johnny Sample in the secondary and, more importantly, became the greatest kick returner in the history of the league, with a 29.5 average on 292 returns and an incredible 7 returns for TDs. Had 5 straight year of 30+ return yard average. Not a likely candidate for the NFL Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible, but certainly a possibility for the Dolphins Hall of Fame when it opens up.

Dolphins Records:
3rd-T Interceptions
2nd Passes Defensed
3rd Punt Return Yards
1st All-Purpose Yards
1st Kick Return Yards
1st Kick Return TDs
2nd Kick Return Average

All-Time Records:
1st Kick Return Yards
1st Kick Return TDs
6th Kick Return Average

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/Cross1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/Cross2.jpg

G Jim Simon
Years Pro: 7
Years with Miami: All (1963-1969)
Drafted: 5.12 - 1963 Draft (Miami Dolphins)
Dolphins Awards:
1966 Super Bowl Champions
1967 Super Bowl Champions

Four-year starter at RG, constantly blasted by scouts, but played quite well for a 5th rounder. Made critical blocks in 1966 Super Bowl, his last season as a starter. Replaced by Gene Upshaw in the 1967 season and continued as a capable backup until his surprisingly early retirement.

Dolphins Records:
4th Key Run Opportunities

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

CB Johnny Sample
Years Pro: 10
Years with Miami: 8 (1961-1968)
Dolphins Awards:
1966 Super Bowl Champions
1967 Super Bowl Champions

The greatest CB to ever put on a Dolphins uniform, one criminally unrecognized throughout his career. Fantastic shutdown corner who was overlooked because of relatively low interception numbers. A true cornerstone of the Miami D all eight years he played here, a starter in every season and a brilliant mentor. Had 100% Pass Defense during the 1966 Super Bowl championship run. Career-high 92.1% Pass Defense season ranks 3rd all-time. Also played a small role in the return game for a few seasons. A first-ballot Dolphin Hall of Famer, who should draw consideration from the NFL as well to make up for the injustices while he played.

Dolphins Records:
1st Interceptions
2nd Pass Defense %
4th Tackles
1st Passes Defensed
5th Punt Return Yards
2nd Kick Return Yards
1st Kick Return Average

All-Time Records:
1st Passes Defensed

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

It's sure going to be a different team without any of those guys around, though to be fair Sample wasn't with us last season.

Staff Hiring

Lead Scout Edwin Turnbull
RB: Average to Fair
WR: Average to Good

Offensive Coordinator Jared Thamilarasan
WR: Good to VG

Head Coach Tyrus Treftz
IA: Good to VG

Turnbull and Treftz are both out of contract. Turnbull I've been trying to replace for years, Treftz must be retained at all costs.

:( Tyrus Treftz takes the money and runs, cashing in on an $810,000 a year, 4 year deal from the Dallas Cowboys.

We do find an upgrade at Scout though, and the new head coach is better than I thought I'd get.

Lead Scout Kenny Gordon (33)
QB: Fair
RB: VG
WR: Average
OL: Good
KP: Good
DL: VG
LB: Good
DB: Average
YT: Average

Okay so he's really just about Turnbull's level. But he's 33, so there's hope that this youngster will improve. $50,000 for 3 years.

Head Coach Dave Hanner (40)
MT: VG
DI: Good
OC: Good
DC: Good
IA: Good

Looks a lot like Treftz when we first hired him, though granted Tyrus was younger. Still, not a bad downgrade at all, though $500,000 for 4 years is a little steep.

There's really only one semi-legitimate option for the summer league and that's L.C. Greenwood, so off he goes. Richmond Flowers was a possibility for a few seconds, but his ceiling is too low.

Free Agency

19 players out of contract and $5.1 mill. in cash to play with after taking expected draft expenses out. That's a serious load of money to burn.

Position Needs
QB x 2, RB, FB, G, T, K, DE x 2, DT, OLB x 2, CB, S x 2 (15 bodies)

Lots of shopping to do. This is going to be fun! :)

Week 2 Signings
T Bob Vogel - 3 years, $1.13 mill. (Dallas)
-Huge upgrade at LT that fulfills a major hole on our offensive line. Considerable Super Bowl experience with the Cowboys helps too, as we want to get back to that level.

DT Jim Harris - 1 year, $100k (Indianapolis)
-One year rental that can start if need be. New defensive front leader and great chemistry guy.

S Don Fleming - 2 years, $480k (Re-signing)
-Way, way overpaid for him I'll admit, but I had the Johnny Sample nightmare hanging over my head and unlike Sample last season, Fleming should still be the unchallenged starter this year.

Week 2 Losses
K Garo Yepremian - 1 year, $80k* (Chicago)
-Yeah, you go and enjoy his cruddy accuracy, Bears. You do that.

WLB Andy Russell - 5 years, $3.99 mill. - Philadelphia (Oakland)
-While Russell would've been an amazing improvement on the weak side, I'm not too fussed about the Eagles getting him for a couple hundred thousand more. A 5 year contract on an 8th year player with a big bonus is kinda sketchy anyway.

Week 3 Signings
WR Roy Jefferson - 4 years, $4.75 mill. (San Francisco)
-What am I doing signing a receiver to a megadeal like this? Simple. Jefferson's only in his 6th season and he'll team up with Paul Warfield to form the scariest pair of receivers in the league. How scary? #2 and #6 current WR in the entire NFL by the scouts scary. Jefferson's also coming off his first All-Pro appearance, a 2nd Team placement.

CB W.B. Hicks - 1 year, $80k* (Carolina)
-We're awfully thin at cornerback and Hicks gives us an average starter to play opposite Billy Baird. I'm going to be looking very heavily at CB in the draft, as I'm not happy with any of the guys we have there. No one even close to a shutdown, actually.

Jefferson's signing reminds me that I was going to shop Charlie Frazier around, but nobody's strongly interested in him. Luckily, there's quite a few teams with a crying need for WR, so I see if I can get something for him. Unfortunately, nobody wants to take on his salary, even though he's only making $10k more than the veteran minimum, which is really stupid.

Week 4 Signings
WR Gail Cogdill - 1 year, $110k* (Tampa Bay)
-We welcome back one of the heroes of the 1966 Super Bowl after he spent a year with the Buccaneers. Signed largely because he's a captain that generates nothing but affinities and gets rid of the conflicts we had.

DE Aaron Brown - 2 years, $210k (Oakland)
-Had 12.5 sacks two years ago, but it appears to have been a fluke. Signed largely because he's a mentor and a 5th year, so if need be, he can be the starter for a couple years. Ideally I'd like to target this position in the draft, however.

Week 4 Losses
CB Willie Mitchell - 1 year, $80k* (Los Angeles)
-Completely unimpressive as a fill-in starter for us last year, so the Rams are more than welcome to him.

S Jerry Stovall - 1 year, $100k* (Indianapolis)
-Was pissed about playing time, so he wouldn't re-sign with me. A damn shame too, as he was a great backup and probably should've gotten a starting opportunity. Oh well, live and learn.

Week 5 Signings
RB Brian Piccolo - 1 year, $90k (New York)
-Signed mostly for the name factor, to be perfectly honest. A decent backup, but you wouldn't want him to be your starter unless it was absolutely neccessary. Then again, I don't really know the state of the G-men line during those years either.

Week 5 Losses
TE Tom Mitchell - 1 year, $80k* (Minnesota)
-Wanted the chance to be a starter again, so he signed with the Vikings, turning down our offer to retain him. Can't say as I blame him, to be perfectly honest, though losing this draft pick of mine not only costs us our future starter, but our top long snapper.

Week 6 Signings
FB Tom Woodeschick - 1 year, 100k* (Chicago)
-Great blocking fullback who can catch passes out of the backfield as well. Really, really good backup to have. I'm pleased with this pickup.

Week 6 Losses
DE Pat Holmes - 3 years, $890k (San Diego)
-Really declined the last few seasons in terms of his production, so I'm not sorry to see him go, especially at that salary, which I consider outrageous compared to his value.

OLB Maxie Baughan - 2 years, $530k (Indianapolis)
-Never really produced the kind of numbers that I expected when I signed him to that lucrative deal some years back. Like Holmes, I'm not really sorry to see him out of the picture.

S Al Randolph - 1 year, $80k* - Indianapolis (Re-signing)
-Chose to stay with the Colts rather than take our offer. Understandable, given that he's a starter there and he'd be just a backup with us.

Week 7 Signings
QB Jerry Nichols - 1 year, $110k* (Pittsburgh)
-Signed strictly for his mentor and kick-holding talents. Guaranteed 3rd stringer.

OLB Ralph Baker - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-I'm not real thrilled with him, especially in pass coverage where he's a sieve, but honestly, there weren't any other options to speak of. We'll be looking at this spot closely in the draft, too.

S Jim Hudson - 1 year, $80k* (Buffalo)
-Average quality backup safety from our archrivals.

S Rodger Bird - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-I couldn't stand to lose our punt return maestro, so he's back in the fold. His presence could spell the end of Richmond Flowers on the team, but we'll just have to see.

Week 7 Extensions
FL Paul Warfield - 4 years, $3.38 mill.
SE Gary Ballman - 4 years, $1.34 mill.
C John Schmitt - 3 years, $670k
RG Gene Upshaw - 4 years, $2.37 mill.

All these guys were in the last year of their contract and by locking them, I secure stability in my offensive line and my receiving corps, the latter especially as Warfield, Ballman, and Jefferson are now all on 4 year contracts, which should send my cohesion through the roof.

I think that's a good stopping point. I'll resume with the rest of free agency and the draft next time.

[Izulde]

Week 8 Signings
TE Kent Kramer - 3 years, $270k (Denver)
-Great blocker and adequate receiver who will be our starter after Billy Cannon hangs it up. Dynamite long snapper, too, even better than Tom Mitchell ever was. Kramer's a guy I usually sign in my Dolphins dynasties anyway and does pretty well.

Week 9 Signings
G Howard Fest - 3 years, $230k (Cincinnati)
-Terrific young bargain basement pickup from the Bengals who can be our backup guard for the next 3 years and maybe beyond that, since he's only in his third season. I really like how the offensive line is starting to shape up.

Week 9 Losses
QB Johnny Unitas - 2 years, $240k (Indianapolis)
-With 13 offers on the table, Johnny U chooses to return to the Colts. He'll rescue an anemic Indy passing offense to some degree, but when his starters are inferior to our backups, you get the feeling it's going to be a long two years of homecoming for the great one.

FB Hoyle Granger - 1 year, $80k* (Green Bay)
-Never figured much in our plans after we drafted Csonka.

DE Frank Mallick - 1 year, $90k (Los Angeles)
-Substandard DE for us last year, the Rams are perfectly free to have him.

That's it for the first half of free agency as far as my shopping goes. Time to interview people and prepare for the draft.

Week 10 Losses
WR Odell Barry - 1 year, $80k* (New England)
-Didn't contribute much of anything, so he can go to the Patriots, no problem.

Draft time!

We hold the #6 overall pick and there's a very good chance we'll try and trade up to #2 if the player that I think is going to go #1 does. I'm not going to mention that player's name in case we get him, but I will say the consensus top picks are all on defense, with the exception of a WR that I anticipate will go first.

1970 NFL Draft 1st Round

1. G Doug Wilkerson - San Diego Chargers

A guard as the #1 overall pick?! When WR was San Diego's biggest need and there's one sitting at the top of the board?! Un-fricking-believable! True, Wilkerson looks like the second coming of Gene Upshaw, but you think the Chargers would've traded down in that case. Wow, just wow.

I'm tempted to trade up, but the Falcons look like they're going to go DE, so I'll sit on their pick.

2. DE Dennis Wirgowski - Atlanta Falcons

The Rams look like they're ready to nab the player I'm ardently targeting, so I chat with them about a trade up, but they refuse to budge, even when I offer to overpay them somewhat for the move. So it's with considerable disappointment and regret that I let them go on and draft who I think they will.

3. CB Mel Blount - Los Angeles Rams

...Bastards. I -knew- they were going to take Blount... They probably knew I wanted him too, so there's no way in hell they were giving up that pick.

4. OLB Steve Zabel - Minnesota Vikings

...Okay, now I'm pissed. Both guys I had #1 and #2 on my board just went. Zabel was a guy I thought would drop to me if I couldn't pick up Blount. Damn it!

5. WR Ken Burrough - Cincinnati Bengals

Cincy fans are no doubt beside themselves with delerious glee. Burrough should've gone #1 overall to the Chargers, so for him to drop this far is amazing.

I'm sorely tempted to trade down a spot, but there's a tackle available that I really, really like. More importantly, he's a LT with breakout potential and some very fine development, which means he could be a Week 1 Starter on either side, with Bob Vogel taking the side that he doesn't. The guy would also solidify that tackle spot for the next 10 years and play a big role in my line along with John Schmitt, Mo Moorman and Gene Upshaw. That would be 4 of 5 positions. So the choice is made.

6. T Ed George - Miami Dolphins
7. DE Pat Toomay - Oakland Raiders
8. C Jim Langer - Cincinnati Bengals
9. ILB John Ebersole - St. Louis Cardinals
10. CB Lemar Parrish - Baltimore Ravens
11. TE Bob Tucker - Detroit Lions
12. S Hugo Hollas - Houston Oilers
13. QB Dennis Shaw - Indianapolis Colts through New Jersey Jets

Indy and the Jets flip-flop picks #13 and #19 and all the Colts had to pay was their 1972 3rd round for the transaction fee. Indy got away really cheaply here, but by the same token, Shaw is nowhere close to a franchise QB IMO and the guy who should be the class of this draft imported as a terrible QB.

14. RB Duane Thomas - Kansas City Chiefs
15. RB Mack Herron - Carolina Panthers
16. G Andy Maurer - New England Patriots
17. DE Jim Mitchell - Jackonsville Jaguars
18. OLB Pat Hughes - Dallas Cowboys
19. CB Ken Ellis - Indianapolis Colts through New Jersey Jets

This time the Jets get the Colts' 1972 1st round pick, which may not be a bad pick up for the Broadway squad, as I don't anticipate Indy being back on top by '72.

20. ILB Jack Reynolds - Pittsburgh Steelers
21. TE Raymond Chester - New York Giants
22. CB Ron Gardin - Seattle Seahawks
23. CB Pete Athas - Green Bay Packers
24. CB Jim Harris - Philadelphia Eagles
25. DE Ron Carpenter - Buffalo Bills
26. DT Jerry Sherk - Chicago Bears
27. DE Al Cowlings - Washington Redskins
28. RB Jeff Jordan - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
29. DE Cedrick Hardeman - Tucson Titans
30. WR Linzy Cole - Indianapolis Colts through Denver Broncos

The Broncos pick up the Colts' 1971 and 1972 2nd rounders in exchange for their 1.30. This may not be too good a deal for Denver, as Cole will give Johnny Unitas somebody to throw the ball to.

31. WR Glenn Alexander - Cleveland Browns
32. DT John Little - San Francisco 49ers

I'm strongly tempted to trade down when my second round pick comes up, but that was before the OLB I was hoping to get got grabbed two picks before mine by the Bengals, who are having an absolute knockout draft so far. So I don't trade down and instead, after reviewing my roster pretty closely, nab the last DE who looks like he could turn into something, picking Wes Grant.

The CB I wanted in the 3rd goes late in the 2nd, but luckily, there's still two CBs sitting there that I have strong interest in. I took a long, hard look at some other players, too, but in the end, my need at CB is just too great and so after more hemming and hawing, I select Billie Hayes, who I suspect of having considerable more upside.

Terry Bradshaw, the famed Steelers QB and later pro announcer, who imported awfully, goes at 3.9 to the St. Louis Cardinals.

A S tempts me in the 4th, but we've got a serious glut at the position, so I'd like to avoid it if possible. Fortunately, there's an OLB who intrigues me that I'm not sure would be around for the 5th, so Cleo Walker becomes the newest Dolphin.

Just about everyone I was looking at for the 5th, including the S, a RB I was looking at, an ILB I had my eye on, and the other CB that I didn't take in the 3rd who I was pondering for the 5th who was taken by the Bengals just before me. I take RB Charlie Pittman, a real value pick who looks like he can play special teams, return kicks and be a passing down back. In my opinion, he's got late 2nd/early 3rd round type talent, so to see him here in the 5th is a small steal and I usually do pretty well with these late round RBs.

The ILB I wanted to take a flyer on in the 6th was taken at 5.31 by Cleveland, so it's a little hard looking for someone when my pick comes up. After some hunting, it's down to a C and a S, both of whom look like breakout candidates, neither of whom look particularly exceptional to be honest. On the other hand, the C has no chance of getting any real playing time, whereas the S could fight with Rodger Bird and Richmond Flowers for PT, so S Ted Provost is the pick.

OLB Jess Lewis is my last pick, because he's got a 99 Vol score and his 4.66 40 seriously intrigues me.

I get the first trade offer I can remember getting after the draft. San Diego wants DT Robert Brown for a 5th rounder. Gee, let me think... one of my starting DTs for a 5th? Yeah, I'm thinking no.

Still some shopping to do in late free agency, namely a K, a legit #2 QB and mentors at RB, CB, and OLB.

Oh look, Seattle wants to give me a 5th rounder for John Schmitt. Had I drafted a C, this would actually be a mildly tempting offer. I didn't, so it's not. MLB Dave Lloyd, that ungrateful bastard, is holding out. Fine, let him hold out. Garland Boyette can replace him as the starter and I've always wanted to see what Rudy Barber can do with extended PT.

Week 1 Signings
K Wayne Walker - 1 year, $70k* (Cleveland)
-A pretty accurate K with a modicum of power. Probably should've signed him to a longer deal, but I wanted to give him a rental first.

Week 2 Signings
CB Tony Banfield - 1 year, 110k* (Seattle)
-He's old, but he's a former 3-time 1st Team All-Pro, a mentor and the NFL career leader in interceptions, with some pretty good pass defense numbers. Has a very good chance at starting and could result in W.K. Hicks being cut, which would make me happy.

Week 3 Signings
QB Don Breaux - 1 year, $150k (Atlanta)
-Insisted on a bonus and I reluctantly gave it to him, as he's a mentor and really the only remotely solid backup QB left on the market. Thankfully he's a one year rental.

RB Junior Coffey - 1 year, $80k* (Indianapolis)
-Attractive passing down back option and mentor. New backfield leader and really good chemistry guy.

OLB E.J. Holub - 1 year, $100k* (New York)
-Mentor and defensive front guy who has some good affinities as captain. Likely a one year rental, one I'd rather not put on the field unless I absolutely had to.

After training camp, the Browns try and trade me a scrub young QB and a 4th rounder for Larry Csonka. I laugh in their faces and tell them to go to hell.

The rookies, Post-TC


LT Ed George 1.6 30/59 29/54 -1/-5
RDE Wes Grant 2.7 13/55 16/51 +3/-4
LCB Billie Hayes 3.6 22/43 21/41 -1/-2
SLB Cleo Walker 4.7 16/38 17/38 +1/+0
RB Charlie Pittman 5.6 24/44 23/42 -1/-2
FS Ted Provost 6.7 13/23 15/23 +2/+0
SLB Jess Lewis 7.6 11/23 11/24 +0/+1

Draft Grade: A- (11th)

Ugh. Despite the high grade, these aren't looking like good results at all. The curse of 2nd round DEs continues, it looks like. Only Provost gives me a faint glimmer of hope and he's not going to get PT. George does, on the other hand, look like he'll be a good LT some day, drop notwithstanding, so I may start him on the left side from the get-go and shift Bob Vogel over to RT. Grant is raw, but he'll get PT as he's the 3rd DE on the roster.

Hard telling what I'll do with the other rookies. My initial hunch says that we'll possibly compete for the playoffs this year, but we're a far cry from a Super Bowl contender.

But we'll see when I do the team review sometime this week.

[Izulde]

Nichols, Jerry 6 QB 11 18 39 1 yr.
Stabler, Ken 10 QB 3 43 66 3 yrs
Breaux, Don 13 QB 8 31 41 1 yr.

I'm expecting big things out of Stabler this year, especially with the corps of receivers he has. He's no Johnny U yet, but he's headed in the right direction.


Coffey, Junior 33 RB 6 29 35 1 yr.
Hill, Calvin 38 RB 2 42 56 3 yrs
Pittman, Charlie 41 RB 1 23 42 3 yrs
Piccolo, Brian 44 RB 5 41 41 1 yr.
Woodeshick, Tom 43 FB 8 36 36 1 yr.
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 3 57 57 1 yr.

Piccolo and Hill are going to battle it out for the starting job. Coffey's the passing down back. I really like Pittman, but unless he develops quickly, he's not liable to see the field this year. Csonka starts and Woodeschick backs up, obviously.


Jones, Ron 7 TE 2 15 21 2 yrs
Cannon, Billy 86 TE 11 51 51 1 yr.
Kramer, Kent 87 TE 5 39 39 3 yrs
Daanen, Jerry 12 FL 3 15 25 1 yr.
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 7 69 69 4 yrs
Frazier, Charlie 88 FL 9 45 45 1 yr.
Campbell, Bob 80 SE 2 14 23 2 yrs
Jefferson, Roy 81 SE 6 64 64 4 yrs
Cogdill, Gail 83 SE 11 34 34 1 yr.
Ballman, Gary 89 SE 9 47 47 4 yrs

I dare you to find me a group of receivers this good. Cannon, Warfield and Jefferson are the starters, Frazier and Ballman the reserves, Cogdill the 5th receiver. Jones, Daanen and Campbell are all in danger of being cut, as we're at 56 players.


Marchlewski, Frank 55 C 6 45 45 1 yr.
Schmitt, John 56 C 7 58 58 3 yrs
Fest, Howard 71 LG 3 45 50 3 yrs
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 3 59 59 2 yrs
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 4 91 91 4 yrs
George, Ed 65 LT 1 29 54 5 yrs
Vogel, Bob 76 RT 8 54 54 3 yrs
Mattox, John 62 RT 10 26 26 1 yr.
Battle, Jim 70 RT 5 36 36 1 yr.

George-Moorman-Schmitt-Upshaw-Vogel the starters, Marchlewski, Fest and Battle the backups. Mattox will be an inactive. I'm a little nervous about George's rawness, but we need to see if he can be the man there.


Maguire, Paul 9 P 11 72 72 1 yr.
Walker, Wayne 19 K 4 64 64 1 yr.

Maguire's a great P and I look forward to seeing what Walker can do.


Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 2 42 61 2 yrs
Brown, Aaron 74 RDE 5 50 50 2 yrs
Grant, Wes 78 RDE 1 16 51 3 yrs
Harris, Jim 73 RDT 6 49 49 1 yr.
Brown, Robert 92 LDT 7 53 53 2 yrs
Johnson, Walter 72 RDT 6 39 39 1 yr.

Greenwood-Brown-Harris-Brown should be the best front 4 on the D-line that we've had here since the heyday of Jordan and Johnson in the middle... at least on paper anyway. Grant's a lot like Greenwood was last year, extremely raw, but with good talent. Johnson's decline still amazes me, but shit happens.


Barber, Rudy 90 MLB 3 20 31 2 yrs
$$Lloyd, Dave 93 MLB 12 32 32 1 yr.
Boyette, Garland 97 MLB 9 36 36 1 yr.
Meggyesy, Dave 59 SLB 8 42 42 1 yr.
Walker, Cleo 91 SLB 1 17 38 4 yrs
Lewis, Jess 94 SLB 1 11 24 3 yrs
Holub, E.J. 50 WLB 10 23 23 1 yr.
Baker, Ralph 54 WLB 7 42 42 1 yr.

What an ugly, ugly situation. Lloyd won't be given a contract extension. Boyette starts, Barber backs up. The strong side will have Meggyesy, the weak side Baker. Lewis is another one in danger of getting cut. Our backup OLB is likely to be Walker. Yeah, we're that thin at the LB spots this year. One injury to a starter could well destroy our season.


Lavan, Al 27 LCB 2 23 36 2 yrs
Hicks, W.K. 28 LCB 7 46 46 1 yr.
Hayes, Billie 36 LCB 1 21 41 3 yrs
Banfield, Tony 42 LCB 11 30 30 1 yr.
Baird, Billy 25 RCB 8 43 43 2 yrs
Duncan, Jim 29 RCB 3 36 40 1 yr.
Saimes, George 21 SS 8 52 52 1 yr.
Flowers, Richmond 30 SS 2 21 31 3 yrs
Bird, Rodger 46 SS 5 31 31 1 yr.
Hudson, Jim 20 FS 6 36 36 1 yr.
Fleming, Don 24 FS 12 40 40 2 yrs
Provost, Ted 40 FS 1 15 23 3 yrs


We've got a huge numbers game here. Banfield and Hicks would normally fight over the starting spot, but I'm sorely tempted to either cut Hicks or shift him over to the right side to start over Baird. On the other hand, Banfield keeps declining. What is clear is that Duncan has at least the nickel spot wrapped up and could be a candidate for the starting right corner. Hayes makes the team as a special teamer. Lavan could get cut.

Safety is much less muddled. Saimes and, well, probably Hudson to be honest, start, with Fleming and Bird the backups in all likelihood, though I may give Flowers an extended reserve spot to see what he can do.

There's a lot of tough decisions to be made and I've got just 4 games to make them in.

[Izulde]

SE Bob Campbell and FS Ted Provost get their pink slips before the first preseason game, giving us one more cut to make before the preseason's over. Much will depend on Rudy Barber's play and Dave Lloyd's holdout situation.

Preseason

Miami 17 Green Bay 16
Ken Stabler looked pretty sharp: 12-21 for 195 yards and a TD on his way to Game MVP honors. Brian Piccolo and Calvin Hill is still too close to call. W.K. Hicks appears on his way to securing the left cornerback starting job, but a controversy has developed at right corner between Billy Baird and Jim Duncan.

Seattle 21 Miami 13
Calvin Hill is starting to pull away in the starting RB race, but it's Brian Piccolo's two starts after this. Billy Baird is beating out Jim Duncan for the starting right corner spot. Incidentally, we're in trouble if Ken Stabler goes down. Don Breaux has looked lost in this offense.

Miami 13 Minnesota 35
It's official: Calvin Hill will be our starting RB and Billy Baird will be our starting RCB. Don Breaux continues to look terrible, Ken Stabler pretty good.

Los Angeles 9 Miami 17
Preseason closes out with a comfortable win absent any individual stars. I think we'll be all right this year, I really do.

Dave Lloyd finally ended his holdout, but it's a little too late, as Rudy Barber looked good in preseason. Fortunately for Dave, he's a mentor, which is the only thing that saves him from being cut. Instead, it's TE Ron Jones we say goodbye to.

Regular Season

Miami 21 Buffalo 28
Heh. Ken Stabler is 21-32 for 221 yards and 3 TDs, but Bob Griese gets revenge for our passing on him by a 30-40 for 332 yard, 4 TD, 2 INT performance. It appears he's finally earned the starting job with our archrivals. I'm pretty disgusted by this loss.

Larry Csonka is out for approximately 3 weeks.

Chicago 24 Miami 6
Our offense evaporates as Ken Stabler throws 2 INTs and fumbles twice. 4 turnovers by the QB = asskicking that could've been made worse if Garo Yepremian hadn't been 1/3 for FGs. At least I was right in not re-signing him.

Cincinnati 16 Miami 27
We finally get on the winning track thanks to an efficient 17-28 for 170 yards and 2 TD performance from Game MVP Ken Stabler. Rodger Bird averaged 16.5 yards a punt return, Jim Duncan 33.5 yards a kick return to let us control the field position battle. Our receivers haven't turned in the explosive performance I expected out of them so far and that leaves me puzzled.

Larry Csonka is ready to come back but Garland Boyette hyperextends his knee and is due out 4 weeks. Good thing I didn't cut Dave Lloyd, who slides into the starting MLB spot.

Miami 27 New England 6
Major, major win against the Patriots, who were 3-0 before this game and in danger of setting themselves up to run away with the division. No more after Roy Jefferson catches 6 passes for 100 yards and a TD and Jim Hudson wins Game MVP with 3 interceptions, validating my decision to make him the starting FS over Don Fleming. Hudson also had 5 tackles and an assist.

Rookie starting LT Ed George will miss at least the next game with a strained calf muscle. Bob Vogel will start at LT, with Jim Battle the RT starter and John Mattox the main reserve.

Miami 27 Jacksonville 24
Nailbiting OT win that only went to extra minutes when Roger Staubach connected with Gene Washington on a 21 yard pass with 30 seconds left in regulation. Staubach played out of his mind, incidentally: 34-52 for 385 yards and 3 TDs. Fortunately we had Paul Warfield finally breaking out with 7 catches for 125 yards and a TD, Rodger Bird with an electrifying 49 yard punt return for a TD and Dave Meggyesy exploding on defense with 7 tackles, 2 assists, and 2.5 sacks. L.C. Greenwood added to the ferocious pass rush with 3 tackles, 4 assists, 2.5 sacks and a knockdown.

Charlie Frazier hyperextends his elbow and is out, necessitating Gary Ballman to shift to backup flanker, Gail Cogdill to backup split end and Jerry Daanen as the 5th receiver.

Houston 7 Miami 38
Calvin Hill feasts on the Oilers for 129 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 17 attempts and Ken Stabler is crisp at 13-16 for 161 yards and 2 TDs. Both those TDs and 112 of those yards were courtesy of Paul Warfield, who's hungry to re-establish himself as one of the top WRs in the league. Credit also goes to Aaron Brown, who had 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 4 knockdowns.

Ed George and Garland Boyette are ready to come back, but Mo Moorman goes down with a pulled calf muscle. George and Boyette resume their respective starting spots, but Dave Lloyd stays active to take over as a special teams gunner. I jury-rig a backup guard solution that has John Mattox situated at backup LG and Frank Marchlewski at backup RG.

Buffalo 28 Miami 24
Sigh. Bob Griese continues to be a pain in my ass, ruining Ken Stabler's fantastic 24-42, 354 yard, 3 TD performance. Paul Warfield had 8 catches for 185 yards and a TD and Roy Jefferson took in 6 balls for 102 yards and a TD.

Indianapolis 27 Miami 31
Calvin Hill just misses the century mark with 92 yards and a TD on 19 attempts, but it's our pass rush that won this game. Game MVP Aaron Brown had 4 tackles, a franchise record 3.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown and fellow DE L.C. Greenwood chimed in with 4 tackles, an assist, 2.5 sacks and a knockdown of his own.

Charlie Frazier's cleared to return and none too soon as Roy Jefferson is out 5 weeks with a severe wrist sprain. Gary Ballman starts at SE, Charlie Frazier backs up Paul Warfield and Gail Cogdill and Jerry Daanen stay at their respective spots.

Our 5-3 record at the halfway point currently gives us the second wildcard spot. The division title is still within our grasp since we're only a game behind the 6-2 New England Patriots.

Let's take a look at the tape:



Record 5-3
Winning Pct. .625
All-Time 100-68
Winning Pct. .595
Playoffs 8-5
Playoff Visits 7
Bowl Wins 2
Head Coach Dave Hanner
Record 5-3
Winning Pct. .625
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 28.5 13
Rushing Yards 120.5 13
Yards Per Carry 4.23 13
Pass Attempts 31.6 22
Completions 19.4 18 (T)
Completion Pct. 61.3 18
Passing Yards 229.1 9
Yards Per Attempt 7.25 8
Yards Per Catch 11.83 3
Total Yardage Gained 326.1 11
3rd Down Conversions 34.3 18
Points Per Game 25.1 3
Pass Rush Pct. 7.8 13 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 65.2 14 (T)
Turnovers 7 1
Turnover Margin +6 7

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.8 17
Rushing Yards 108.9 12
Yards Per Carry 3.92 9
Pass Attempts 35.8 23
Completions 22.0 26
Completion Pct. 61.5 17 (T)
Passing Yards 237.8 28
Yards Per Attempt 6.65 22
Yards Per Catch 10.81 23
Total Yardage Gained 329.1 22
3rd Down Conversions 39.8 24
Points Per Game 20.0 20
Pass Rush Pct. 6.4 7
Pass Defense Pct. 64.9 13
Turnovers 13 18 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 21 at BUF 28
2 6 CHI 24
3 27 CIN 16
4 27 at NED 6
5 27 at JAX 24
6 38 HOU 7
7 24 BUF 28
8 31 IND 27
10 at TUC
11 at NJY
12 at MIN
13 at SDO
14 DET
15 NED
16 at GBY
17 NJY

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 K. Stabler QB 253 155 1833 7.25 15 4 96.5
**Team --- 253 155 1833 7.25 15 4 96.5
$$Opp --- 286 176 1902 6.65 14 9 84.3

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
38 C. Hill RB 122 591 4.84 6 1
44 B. Piccolo RB 76 291 3.83 2 0
10 K. Stabler QB 19 37 1.95 0 4
**Team --- 228 964 4.23 8 10
$$Opp --- 222 871 3.92 5 12

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 75 39 657 16.85 8.76 4 7
81 R. Jefferson WR 55 33 433 13.12 7.87 7 4
89 G. Ballman WR 36 23 250 10.87 6.94 3 0
86 B. Cannon TE 14 12 94 7.83 6.71 0 1
38 C. Hill RB 13 10 81 8.10 6.23 0 1
88 C. Frazier WR 19 9 79 8.78 4.16 0 0
44 B. Piccolo RB 10 8 29 3.63 2.90 1 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
54 R. Baker OLB 44 8 0.0 0 1 2 65.9
59 D. Meggyesy OLB 39 14 2.5 1 2 6 80.2
21 G. Saimes S 38 15 0.0 0 0 2 76.1
20 J. Hudson S 33 9 0.0 0 3 1 77.1
92 R. Brown DT 27 6 1.5 9 0 0 81.6
93 D. Lloyd ILB 21 10 0.0 1 0 1 74.2
73 J. Harris DT 20 5 0.0 2 0 0 81.9
96 L. Greenwood DE 19 12 8.0 6 0 1 82.8
74 A. Brown DE 18 5 6.0 11 0 0 82.0
90 R. Barber ILB 18 9 0.0 2 0 1 72.6
25 B. Baird CB 17 6 1.0 0 0 0 69.8
28 W. Hicks CB 17 7 0.0 0 0 7 81.8
91 C. Walker OLB 16 3 0.0 0 0 0 66.5
72 W. Johnson DT 14 2 1.5 1 0 0 82.5
42 T. Banfield CB 11 3 1.0 0 1 0 80.7
97 G. Boyette ILB 11 6 0.0 0 1 0 84.2
46 R. Bird S 11 6 0.0 0 0 2 85.9
29 J. Duncan CB 11 5 0.0 0 1 3 84.2

Our pass defense is what's keeping us from being an elite team. Jim Duncan will be taking over for Billy Baird at the right CB spot in the second half of the season. If I had a legitimate replacement for Dave Baker on the weak side, I'd put him in there now. Dave Meggyesy is having a phenonemal season and L.C. Greenwood is also playing fantastically.

Greenwood's rise to excellence coincides with Ken Stabler's brilliant first half. To be sure, a lot of that is the receivers he has to work with, including the ever sensational Paul Warfield, but the simple fact of the matter is, he's becoming the kind of starting QB you -want- to have on your team. Same with Calvin Hill, who's coming to look remarkably like a bona fide starting NFL RB, something we've never really had here, to be totally honest.

[Izulde]

Only one guy complaining about PT and that's Garland Boyette, who I forgot to put back in as the starting MLB after he got back from injury. I've corrected it though and made him the starter.

Miami 35 Tucson 10
Ken Stabler goes 15-16 for 165 yards and 3 TDs to win Game MVP, but L.C. Greenwood deserves a lot of the credit for his 4 tackle, 2 assist, 2 sack, 2 hurry and forced fumble game. Rookie DE Wes Grant also had a sack and 2 forced fumbles to set up some big plays. I really hope he'll turn out to be in the Greenwood mold.

Garland Boyette is Doubtful with a Pulled Groin, but I'll see if he can play through it.

Miami 17 New Jersey 16
The teams in the AFC East are all real close to each other this year and this comeback win over the Jets illustrates it. No real stars in this one; we were honestly lucky to escape with the victory.

Miami 17 Minnesota 21
Gary Ballman[b/] catches 5 passes for 104 yards and a TD and [b]Calvin Hill just misses the century mark with 94 yards rushing. L.C. Greenwood continues his torrid play with 5 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns and Aaron Brown does decently himself with 2 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and a hurry, but this is just one of those games where the opponents got the last big play in.

We lose CB Billy Baird for the season with ACL damage to the knee and starting FB Larry Csonka will miss a game, but Roy Jefferson is ready to come back. Baird goes on the IR, Jim Duncan becomes the starting right CB, Al Lavan coming off the inactive list to be his backup and the dime back.

Miami 6 San Diego 30
We fall behind early and Ken Stabler has a terrible day. Tough to win under those conditions, especially when you're playing Fran Tarkenton, who's turned out to be a really good QB overall.

Detroit 24 Miami 27
This game was as close to a must-win as we've had all season. It was another comeback win, capped off by a gorgeous 32 yarder from Ken Stabler to Charlie Frazier with a minute left in the fourth quarter. Although Stabler was Game MVP at 27-37 for 345 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs, a lot of credit has to go to Paul Warfield who snagged 9 passes for 156 yards and a TD.

The tightness of the win worries me, so I do some checking and find that Don Fleming is now unhappy about not starting. A quick look at him and Jim Hudson shows he's right to be and so Fleming gets his starting spot back. Dave Lloyd is also complaining about not being ahead of Rudy Barber in the depth chart, but he'll just have to shut up and deal.

Fleming's promotion means he's off special teams as a gunner, replaced by rookie CB Billie Hayes.

New England 7 Miami 38
Majorly important win that draws us to within one of the Patriots for the division lead and presumably gives us the tiebreaker edge, since we've now swept New England. Brian Piccolo surprises with a breakout performance of 21 attempts for 101 yards rushing and 2 TDs. Ken Stabler has one of his accurate games at 16-21 for 165 yards and 2 TDs. Rodger Bird averaged 12 yards a punt return, Roy Jefferson 15. Just some nice performances all-around, really. Oh yeah, Rudy Barber vindicated my decision to say screw you to Dave Lloyd by getting an interception.

A win in either of the next two games should clinch us the second wildcard spot. We'd obviously need to win at least one to have any hope of winning the division and I'd like to see us win out. Larry Csonka is at long last ready to rejoin the lineup.

Miami 20 Green Bay 14
Impressive win over a very good Packers team propelled by Paul Warfield's 9 catches for 131 yards and a TD. The victory, coupled with the Chiefs' loss, clinches us at least a playoff spot after a one year absence, and we're still within sight of the divison, but Buffalo must beat New England in order for us to have a shot at it.

Backup TE Kent Kramer will miss at least the final game of the regular season and fortunately I have a spot on the roster opened up by Billy Baird's IR status, so I'm able to just freely sign greybeard Eddie Tyson (11th year vet) to be the backup TE and long snapper.

New Jersey 7 Miami 23
Ken Stabler terrorizes the Jets with a 23-32 for 375 yards and 2 TD performance, Paul Warfield his main partner in crime with 9 catches for 197 yards and 2 TDs. Aaron Brown led the defensive effort with 2 tackles, an assist, 2.5 sacks and a hurry.

We did our part and the Buffalo Bills do theirs, upsetting the New England Patriots with Daryle Lamonica under center!

The 1970 Miami Dophins are your AFC East Champions!!!!!

I'm thrilled. This -really- helps take the tooth pain away and I'm grinning up a storm. :)

But there's bad news on the injury front. Don Fleming is lost for the year with a hyperxtended elbow and Frank Marchlewski will miss at least the opening game of the playoffs with a lesser version of the same injury.

Worse yet, we're drawing the one team I didn't want to get for the opening round.

But at least we made it this far.

[Izulde]

We draw the New England Patriots for the wild-card round and we all know how tough it is to beat a team three times in the same year in football.

New England's QB, Bill Munson had a 22 TD to 10 INT ratio in the regular season, the first year he's had more TDs than INTs. It's not about him becoming a great QB though--it's about the rapid development of second year receivers Jerry LeVias and Ron Sellers, taken in the first and second round of last year's draft respectively.

RB Leroy Kelly never has achieved the greatness of his 1,698 yard, 13 TD rookie season, but he has broken the 1,000 yard plateau 6 of his 7 years in the league and this year he rushed for 1,162 yards and 10 TDs, the first time since his rookie year in 1964 that he's broken double-digit rushing TDs.

The offensive line is solid without being great. DE Coy Bacon is a rising star on the 3-4 line and NT Bob Lilly is still one of the best in the league. Paul Naumoff is deadly at SLB, though the rest of the linebacking corps is mediocre and the secondary, like the o-line is solid without being terrific, with the exception of CB Miller Farr, who resembles very much a shutdown corner even though, like Johnny Sample, he's never gotten the recognition he deserves.

All in all, I'd consider this game to very winnable. It's our first postseason trip of the Ken Stabler era, one of many more, I hope.

The Patriots are favored by 4.

Oh yes, that reminds me. Our injury situation. Mo Moorman is ready to come back, which allows us to shift Howard Fest as a backup at LG and C, with John Mattox the reserve RG. Don Fleming is put on IR, allowing us to sign FS Rickie Harris as an emergency backup to Jim Hudson.

New England erupts for 21 points in the second quarter and though we try our damndest, we can't make up the 28-10 halftime deficit and fall, 31-25.

Leroy Kelly chewed us up for 122 yards and a TD on 30 carries, Bill Munson continued his miracle season with a 21-28 for 280 yards and 3 TDs performance and Coy Bacon had 6 tackles, an assist, 3 sacks and a block.

Highlights for our side? Paul Maguire averaged 62.3 yards a punt. :eek: That's the first time I've seen a punter break 60. L.C. Greenwood was a paler version of Bacon with 5 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks and a knockdown.

The turning point of the game was early in the 2nd quarter when Coy Bacon rattled Ken Stabler for his first sack and forced a fumble on our own 20 yard line. The Patriots recovered and the ensuing TD put them up 21-7.

What a disappointing loss. The Patriots aren't that good a team, but today they were. :(

But games like this happen in football. Only thing we can do is say there's always next year.

[MizzouRah]

Reading this has inspired me to start a historical dynasty. I took the Baltimore Ravens.. which means an "expansion" team so to speak, but it's been fun so far slowly building this team.

You're coming up to my inaugural year "1971" - I'm in 1972 now, but it will be neat to see where some of these players end up and how they play in your universe.

Keep up the good work!!

[Izulde]

Reading this has inspired me to start a historical dynasty. I took the Baltimore Ravens.. which means an "expansion" team so to speak, but it's been fun so far slowly building this team.

You're coming up to my inaugural year "1971" - I'm in 1972 now, but it will be neat to see where some of these players end up and how they play in your universe.

Keep up the good work!!

Thank you! :)

That's awesome to hear, by the way. Good luck with building up the Ravens. I honestly got lucky because Johnny Unitas hit free agency. Without that opportunity, I'd still be a one and done playoff team like what we're looking like right now.

It's an interesting challenge in its own right going from a two-time Super Bowl champion team to trying to get back to that level. In many ways, I'd say it's harder than trying to build a team from expansion scratch.

[MizzouRah]

Thank you! :)

That's awesome to hear, by the way. Good luck with building up the Ravens. I honestly got lucky because Johnny Unitas hit free agency. Without that opportunity, I'd still be a one and done playoff team like what we're looking like right now.

It's an interesting challenge in its own right going from a two-time Super Bowl champion team to trying to get back to that level. In many ways, I'd say it's harder than trying to build a team from expansion scratch.

Most definitely. Taking over an expansion team isn't that bad really.. as I have a ton of cash to throw around, but cohesion is going to take a bit of time to develop.

[Izulde]

Not only the cash to flash, but the high draft picks. :)

Moving on, my teeth are killing me still and I have a small headache after last night's annual Victoria's Secret Summer Bash, but it was an excellent time, to be sure. I'm spending the day packing, but before I do that, I want to get another update done.

Super Bowl XI
Baltimore 6 Green Bay 31
The Packers become the first team in this universe to win 3 Super Bowls as Joe Namath wins Super Bowl MVP, an incredible 24-26 for 258 yards and 2 TDs. Bart Starr was simply awful against his former team, throwing 4 interceptions as he failed to equal Johnny Unitas in the 4 Rings Quest.

As for the Miami Dolphins statistically on the year:



Record 11-6
Winning Pct. .647
All-Time 106-70
Winning Pct. .602
Playoffs 8-6
Playoff Visits 8
Bowl Wins 2
Head Coach Dave Hanner
Record 11-6
Winning Pct. .647
Off. Coord. J. Thamilarasan
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.4 11 (T)
Rushing Yards 116.8 17
Yards Per Carry 3.97 23
Pass Attempts 30.4 26
Completions 19.4 22
Completion Pct. 63.8 10
Passing Yards 236.3 5
Yards Per Attempt 7.78 2
Yards Per Catch 12.20 2
Total Yardage Gained 332.6 6
3rd Down Conversions 37.9 11
Points Per Game 24.0 4
Pass Rush Pct. 7.7 13 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 65.7 18
Turnovers 20 4 (T)
Turnover Margin +4 10 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 26.8 16
Rushing Yards 110.6 14
Yards Per Carry 4.13 17
Pass Attempts 33.2 18
Completions 20.2 17 (T)
Completion Pct. 60.8 15
Passing Yards 203.3 13
Yards Per Attempt 6.12 12
Yards Per Catch 10.07 9
Total Yardage Gained 296.8 8
3rd Down Conversions 36.6 21
Points Per Game 18.1 13
Pass Rush Pct. 5.9 4 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 65.7 16
Turnovers 24 22

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 21 at BUF 28
2 6 CHI 24
3 27 CIN 16
4 27 at NED 6
5 27 at JAX 24
6 38 HOU 7
7 24 BUF 28
8 31 IND 27
10 35 at TUC 10
11 17 at NJY 16
12 17 at MIN 21
13 6 at SDO 30
14 27 DET 24
15 38 NED 7
16 20 at GBY 14
17 23 NJY 7
$$WC 25 NED 31

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 K. Stabler QB 486 310 3781 7.78 28 12 96.6
**Team --- 486 310 3781 7.78 28 12 96.6
$$Opp --- 531 323 3252 6.12 26 15 82.8

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
38 C. Hill RB 235 1061 4.51 10 4
44 B. Piccolo RB 175 612 3.50 5 3
10 K. Stabler QB 34 86 2.53 1 5
**Team --- 470 1868 3.97 16 21
$$Opp --- 429 1770 4.13 7 28

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 156 88 1394 15.84 8.94 8 14
81 R. Jefferson WR 78 49 623 12.71 7.99 8 4
89 G. Ballman WR 72 47 653 13.89 9.07 6 3
38 C. Hill RB 33 29 119 4.10 3.61 0 1
88 C. Frazier WR 45 26 319 12.27 7.09 1 2
44 B. Piccolo RB 24 19 108 5.68 4.50 1 1
86 B. Cannon TE 22 18 176 9.78 8.00 0 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
21 G. Saimes S 77 24 0.0 1 0 5 74.9
59 D. Meggyesy OLB 76 26 2.5 5 2 9 78.9
54 R. Baker OLB 71 15 1.0 0 1 4 71.6
20 J. Hudson S 52 16 0.0 0 4 3 79.3
92 R. Brown DT 49 16 3.0 14 0 0 80.9
96 L. Greenwood DE 45 24 14.0 15 0 2 82.2
73 J. Harris DT 39 13 1.0 4 0 0 81.8
28 W. Hicks CB 38 14 0.0 0 2 11 81.4
74 A. Brown DE 36 10 11.0 16 0 0 81.7
90 R. Barber ILB 36 18 1.0 2 1 2 75.9
97 G. Boyette ILB 31 11 0.0 0 1 2 78.7
91 C. Walker OLB 30 11 0.0 0 0 0 66.9
42 T. Banfield CB 26 6 2.0 0 1 1 78.2
93 D. Lloyd ILB 24 10 0.0 1 0 1 73.5
72 W. Johnson DT 23 8 3.5 4 0 0 81.9
25 B. Baird CB 22 9 1.0 0 0 2 72.3
29 J. Duncan CB 19 8 0.0 1 2 6 83.7
24 D. Fleming S 18 12 0.0 0 0 3 77.0
46 R. Bird S 18 11 1.0 0 0 2 80.8

I really think we're going to be all right with Stabler. He gets better and better with each year and he's still got some upside according to my cruddy scout. Hill becomes our first 1,000 yard, 10+ TD RB since Dan Reeves, though he still has yet to break Reeves' 14 TD single-season record.

Warfield was Warfield, but Jefferson was a huge disappointment relative to the megadeal he got in free agency. I expect to see a lot more out of him for that kind of money. The fact that Ballman out-performed him says an awful lot, I'd say.

Far too many sacks given up by the right side of the line this year and Upshaw's 7 sacks allowed were particularly discouraging. George gave up 9 sacks from the LT slot, but showed significant gains in development as the season wore on, so there's hope for him yet.

Maguire was good but not fantastic this year at P and I'm getting the feeling he's on the downside. Walker converted a disappointing 71.9% of his FG, but the good news is, he was 53% from 40+ range.

Meggyesy went a long, long way to our attempts to re-sign him in upcoming free agency with that stellar season. The rest of the linebackers were fairly underwhelming, though to be fair we played musical chairs at MLB. Linebacker will be a big-time priority in the offseason, especially in the middle.

Greenwood and Brown make the first pair of double-digit sack pass-rushers ever in Dolphins history, Greenwood smashing the franchise single season sacks record. Hicks and Duncan were suprisingly effective on pass defense and our numbers improved markedly in the second half, but the secondary is still primed for an upgrade in the offseason.

In fact, the defense in general will be our top target. Can't think of any areas on offense that demand a drastic upgrade, especially not with the money we've sunk into them.

Ah well, on to the awards.

1970 Miami Dolphins Awards

Paul Warfield - 1st Team All-Pro WR
Warfield not only wins his 3rd straight 1st Team All-Pro nod, he breaks Gary Ballman's franchise record of consecutive 1,000 yard receiving seasons with 5. I think it's fairly safe to say that he's on his way to being a sure-fire Hall of Famer.

Other Awards
MVP
QB John Hadl (Seattle Seahawks)
Offensive Player of the Year
QB John Hadl (Seattle Seahawks)
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Garry Philbin (Chicago Bears)
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Duane Thomas (Kansas City Chiefs)
Defensive Rookie of the Year
DE Jim Mitchell (Jacksonville Jaguars)

I think I'll take a break there. 4 Dolphins-related retirements, 3 significant, 1 not. I'll report on them and start doing stuff in the offseason tomorrow. Need to get a temporary put in tomorrow from when they pulled my molar, cuz the gap is seriously bugging me and I leave Tuesday morning.

[Izulde]

dola,

nilodor, is there a fast and easy way to find the drafted players from any draft? Like I want to do a 10 year review of the 1961 1st round picks, but don't know where there's a quick and easy way to find the order and the player cards.

[nilodor]

dola,

nilodor, is there a fast and easy way to find the drafted players from any draft? Like I want to do a 10 year review of the 1961 1st round picks, but don't know where there's a quick and easy way to find the order and the player cards.

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I've been on vacation. Unfortunately there isn't a fast way to do it that I have found. I just wound up going to the career stats page and working through there. Although thinking about it now I'm sure you could do it pretty fast through the html dump option. I'd imagine that all of the players will be hotlinked on the draft pages to their player cards and that should be pretty quick, except for the whole html creation process. But after the first dump they are typically pretty quick.

[Izulde]

how do I do HTML dump? And would I need to do it after each draft? So I'm screwed for doing that method for 1961-1970 drafts?

[nilodor]

At the bottom of the almanac box the last option, below GM history is create html. Once it generates the html you can go into the folder and find the index.html. From there you should at least be able to find the draft history.

[Izulde]

Thanks :) I'll experiment with it this evening.

[Izulde]

A Look Back: 1961 Draft - 1st Round

1. QB Fran Tarkenton - San Diego Chargers
Earned his 1st All-Pro nod this season (1970) when he was named to the 2nd Team. Thrown for 3,000+ yards the last 5 seasons, but is considerably interception prone, with 103 career INTs in 10 seasons, including two straight 10+ interception years in 1968 and 1969. Still, when he's on, he's on and only a lack of quality WRs has prevented him from becoming one of the truly elite QBs of the league.

Afterthoughts:
A QB who's still going strong and who has suffered his entire career from a poor corps to throw to. A worthy #1 overall pick.

2. RB Amos Marsh - Jacksonville Jaguars
Played from 1961-1969, all with the Jaguars, but only broke 1,000 yards rushing 3 times and never had double-digit TDs. Best season was 1964, when he rushed for 1,275 yards and 7 TDs, with 5 100+ yard games. Extremely valuable safety valve out of the backfield, averaging over 300 receiving yards a season. Also averaged over 20+ yards a kick return in his first three seasons.

Afterthoughts:
Major disappointment and were this draft to be recast, he certainly wouldn't go here. Never came close to being the franchise back Jacksonville hoped to build around, although he did have considerable versatility.

3. QB Billy Kilmer - Minnesota Vikings
Struggled terribly his first two seasons, thrown into the fire for a woeful franchise. Light came on in his third season and 1963-1965 were productive years where he showed signs of becoming a good NFL QB. Inexplicably lost his starting job in 1966 after a new coach came in and in 1967, he was back to the early years upon getting his starting spot back. Benched thereafter and released by the Vikings in 1969, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and has revived his career there as the starter for the last two years, throwing for a career high 3,512 yards this past season along with 16 TDs to 11 INTs, his first positive ratio since 1965.

Afterthoughts:
The lost year of development appears to have really hurt him. A case of what might've been, had something not gone wrong with the new coach.

4. NT Bob Lilly - New England Patriots
Two-time All-Pro 2nd Team NT and the Patriots' career leader in sacks. Uniformly acknowledged as one of the top DTs in the league and a perfect fit for New England's 3-4 defense. A starter from the moment he stepped on the field.

Afterthoughts
The perfect pick for the Patriots and the leader of their defense. Went exactly where he should and would go about the same spot in a re-draft.

5. LCB Herb Adderly - Cincinnati Bengals
Blessed with an incredible amount of talent, but has thus far been a horrible 10 year underachiever for the Bengals. Just 4 seasons of 80+ pass defense % and career season high interceptions is 4. Averaged 25+ yards a kick return his first three years in the league.

Afterthoughts
The most frustrating pick in the top 5. All of that ability and none of the production. Greatest value now is most likely as a mentor.

6. QB Norm Snead - Seattle Seahawks
Spot starter in his rookie season, with bad results. Lost his job the next year to John Hadl and has been permanently benched since. Started 4 games in 1968 after Hadl went down and went 2-2, throwing for 779 yards, 3 TDs and 4 INTs in that span. Still with the Seahawks as a 3rd stringer.

[u]Afterthoughts[u]
Another mentor, but unquestionably the biggest bust to date in this draft.

7. LT Errol Linden - Kansas City Chiefs
Extraordinarily strong tackler who plays better as a run-blocker than a pass protector. Spent his first 6 seasons with the Chiefs before a disasterous ankle injury cost him most of 1966, leading Kansas City to release him in the offseason. He promptly signed with the Buffalo Bills, where he's started the last four seasons and shown not only little, if any decline in his runblocking talents, but actually shown improvement in his passblocking, using his powerful strength much more effectively and getting at least 1 pancake block a season. Free agent this offseason who figures to cash in big.

Afterthoughts
Not a franchise LT by any means, but certainly a serviceable one. Not sure if the top 10 pick would repeat itself.

8. LCB Dave Grayson - Baltimore Ravens
3-time 2nd Team All-Pro who's shown terrific ballhawk ability (4 seasons of 5+ interceptions) and coverage talents throughout his career with the Ravens. Also a hard tackler and respectable kick returner (25.2 career average). Free agent this season and rumors are that he may retire, causing the Ravens to lose their secondary leader and cornerback mentor.

Afterthoughts
Definitely worth the pick here and could conceivably go higher in a re-draft. 10 quality years out of a CB is a great thing.

9. LT Stew Barber - Oakland Raiders
Took several years to really get comfortable with the NFL level, but was absolutely brilliant in 1968 and 1969, allowing just 3 sacks in each season while recording 4 and 2 pancake blocks respectively, earning him his lone All-Pro bid in 1968 (2nd Team). Reverted back to form last season, giving up 9 sacks. Mediocre run-blocker. Career-long Raider, signed on for 3 more seasons.

Afterthoughts
Too many sacks surrendered to be a franchise LT, although his peak is far better than that Linden's.

10. RCB Irv Cross - Miami Dolphins
Played from 1961-1969. Never became an elite defensive back, with only 3 season of 80+ pass defense % and a career high of 4 interceptions, but he is unquestionably the greatest kick returner in the NFL, averaging almost 30 yards a kick return (29.5 - 1st all-time) for his entire career while serving as the Dolphins' top kick return every year he played. 7 career kick return TDs, which also ranks 1st all time.

Afterthoughts
His coverage underperformance says bust, his kick return talents say he went right about where he should've. Would probably go a little lower in a re-draft.

*****************************************************

I'll do the rest of the first round tomorrow, guys. They're closing up shop here at the university and urging us all out.

[Izulde]

I have about half the first round written up. Pondering if I should finish off the recap or just go ahead with the offseason. :)

[nilodor]

I have about half the first round written up. Pondering if I should finish off the recap or just go ahead with the offseason. :)

The recaps are cool and all, but I found them fairly consuming to do and I would rather see more season stuff than recap stuff.

[Izulde]

The recaps are cool and all, but I found them fairly consuming to do and I would rather see more season stuff than recap stuff.

Sounds good to me! :)

[Izulde]

3 Dolphins retired, including Dave Lloyd our long-time starting MLB and Walter Johnson our 1965 1st round pick who had a surprisingly short career and never won a Pro Bowl award despite being one of the best DTs in the league during his day. Johnson was, at least, the 1967 Super Bowl MVP, in a performance we'll never forget.

Johnny Unitas also retired after a pedestrian season with the Colts (2,787 yards, 11 TDs, 8 INTs in 14 starts). I don't see how he won't be selected to the Hall of Fame. Not with 4 Super Bowl rings, numerous awards and cult hero status in both Indianapolis and Miami.

I don't have my staff notes on this comp, but we'll be looking for a new Lead Scout as always. Jared Thamilarasan, our superstar offensive coordinator, and Royce Womble, our good defensive coordinator, are both out of contract so we have to try and sign them.

Unfortunately there's no good Lead Scouts available and our team owner handcuffs us on the contracts we can offer Thamilarasan and Womble, both way below what they're asking for.

...I don't believe it! Jared Thamilarasan takes a $610,000, 4 year deal from... the Dallas Cowboys, the same damn team that stole Tyrus Treftz last year!.

Ugh. I frigging HATE the Cowboys.

Royce Womble accepts the low offer we give him, thankfully preserving continuity for the defense that's going to need it, as we're expecting a lot of changes.

Offensive Coordinator Edwin Buckley (43)
QB: VG
RG: Good
WR: Good
OL: Fair
KP: Excellent
YT: Average

He was the best of a really poor crop of offensive coordinators this offseason. Hopefully he'll grow over time.

As Ed George will be a starter again this year and doesn't have all that big a gap between his current and his potential, last year's 2nd round pick, DE Wes Grant, gets the summer league nod.

And with that, I'm going to wait until I can fix the image things with reshacker back to what they were and possibly download the 6.1 patch before continuing.

Or would it be better to just keep going on the version that I am?

[nilodor]

3 Ugh. I frigging HATE the Cowboys.


Or would it be better to just keep going on the version that I am?

You and me both. And I don't see any reason to not upgrade to the new version.

[Izulde]

You and me both. And I don't see any reason to not upgrade to the new version.

Okay :)

[Izulde]

As stated before, our primary need this offseason is defense, defense, defense, particularly in the linebacking corps and the secondary.

I raise the prices slightly on tickets, because our fan loyalty is through the roof and we need to be able to retain our coaching staffs.

On to free agency!

Week 1 Re-Signings
FB Larry Csonka – 5 years, $1.18 mil.
CB Jim Duncan – 3 years, $260k

Csonka is one of the best FBs in the game and Duncan is a serviceable nickel/dime back, as well as one of our best kick returners.

By the numbers:
QB x 2, TE, WR, OL, P, K, DT, DL x 2, LB x 2, 17 new bodies total

Week 2 Signings
RDT Scott Appleton – 1 year, $110k (Jackonsville)
-Improving player should fill in nicely on our defensive line. Also a chemistry addition, though he may lose his leader status if the other DT we're targeting signs.

FS Hagood Clarke – 4 years, $1.83 mil. (Cincinnati)
-Huge, huge boost to our secondary and the top free agent safety available. He'll move over to his original position of SS and become an instant starter there.

Week 2 Losses
LCB W.K. Hicks – 1 year, 100k* (Detroit)
-Probably should've tried to retain him, as he played well for us last year, but honestly something about him just told me not to pursue him. Probably because it was a career year for him and I was leery of that.

SS George Saimes – 3 years, $960k (Green Bay)
-Good riddance. A significant free agent bust for us, I'm frankly happy to see him go and will quite cheerfully let the Packers overpay him.

Week 3 Signings
FL Charlie Frazier – 1 year, $110k (Re-signing)
-Frazier comes back for yet another year as our backup flanker, though I'm sure he would love an opportunity to start somewhere.

Week 3 Losses
TE Milt Morin – 4 years, $1.16 mil. (Los Angeles) (Re-signing)
-Despite the offer of money on the table from us and a couple other teams, Morin, who's been on the All-Pro team the last 3 seasons, opts to stay with the Rams. Can't really fault him for that.

K Wayne Walker – 1 year, $90k* (Buffalo)
-Last year's kicker goes to our archrivals, which wouldn't be an issue, except...

K Dennis Patera – 2 years, $180k (Cleveland) (Oakland)
-The top kicker on the market spurns more money from us and the Giants to hook on with the Browns. Ugh. Guess I'll be drafting a kicker.

RCB Mike Bass – 4 years, $1.36 mil. (New Jersey) (Re-signing)
-Another case of losing out on one of the top players available because of a re-signing. The fact that it's a division foe makes it sting all the more. I'm going to have to be scrambling from here on out to try and find secondary targets (and yes, pun intentional :D)

Week 4 Signings
TE Billy Cannon – 2 years, $360k (Re-signing)
-After Morin fell through, getting Cannon back was our best option. Thankfully, he accepted the offer despite being our second choice.

RT Joe Taffoni – 3 years, $300k (Oakland)
-Good pickup to be a reserve T, in my opinion. Not suited to be a starter as he showed with the Raiders last year, but a nice backup.

LDT Houston Antwine – 1 year, $120k (Green Bay)
-Reserve DT and mentor. Also our new defensive front leader, with less affinities than Appleton. Oh well.

LCB Nemiah Wilson – 1 year, $100k (Houston)
-Emergency backup option and one year rental. Had a career year with the Browns 2 seasons ago that showed absolutely brilliant play, but was merely pedestrian with the Oilers last season. For a rental, I'll take mediocre. He'll step in as the starter for now, simply because we have nothing better.

Week 5 Signings
SLB Dave Meggyesy – 1 year, $110k (Re-signing)
-He comes back for another season, most likely as the starter unless something drastic happens in the draft.

Week 5 Losses
RB Brian Piccolo – 1 year, $80k* (Chicago)
-This signing made me smile. Good to see him finally with Da Bears. Probably should've tried to retain him, as he was quite the serviceable backup for us, but oh well.

Week 6 Signings
P Paul Maguire – 1 year, $120k (Re-signing)
-It just occurred to me that I should've been trying for min-sal deals on a lot of these guys to cut down on the cap costs, but oh well... they're mostly one year deals anyway. Maguire returns for another season after taking forever to choose us.

Week 6 Losses
RDT Jim Harris – 4 years, $1.21 mil. (Cleveland)
-Major bust as a one year rental for us, so the Browns can have him at that inflated price.

Week 7 Signings
MLB Willie Lanier – 4 years, $3.36 mil. (Cincinnati)
-HALLEJUAH!!!! HALLEJUAH!!!! The top free agent in the entire damn class chooses us over a whole host of suitors!!! Why am I so excited? This guy was a #1 overall pick and is just coming into his prime as one of the top MLBs in the NFL. One of our biggest holes has just been filled in a major, major way. It's certainly not as big as the Johnny Unitas signing of some years ago, but it isn't that far off the mark. He's a 5th year player and his addition changes our entire 1st round strategy in the draft.

Week 7 Losses
FS Jim Hudson – 1 year, $80k* (Washington)
-Had a career year for us last season, but it honestly looked like a fluke, so the Redskins can have him.

Week 9 Signings
C Frank Marchlewski – 1 year, $100k (Re-signing)
-Quality backup C, chemistry bonus, and mentor.

Week 10 Signings
SS Rodger Bird – 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Acceptable reserve safety and our best punt returner by far.

Week 10 Losses
RT Jim Battle – 1 year, $100k (Minnesota)
-Never lived up to lofty 2nd round expectations and busted like most of my second round picks do.

QB Ken Anderson and DE Jack Youngblood are the talk of this year's class, though some whisper that QB Archie Manning could be a worthwhile player as well.

1971 Draft 1st Round

1. OLB Phil Villapiano – Cincinnati Bengals

A surprise #1 overall pick. Villapiano looks good, but nowhere near worthy of the first overall selection.

2. QB Ken Anderson - San Francisco 49ers

The Bengals get a thank you card from San Fran.

3. QB Archie Manning - Houston Oilers
4. CB Clarence Scott - Cincinnati Bengals
5. QB Lynn Dickey - Detroit Lions
6. DE Jack Youngblood - St. Louis Cardinals

Youngblood is going to make the others pay for passing on him. Nice drop to the Cardinals, who have to be ecstatic about landing one of the top 2 players in the draft.

7. CB Lemarr Parrish - Cleveland Browns
8. OLB Jack Ham - Carolina Panthers through Oakland Raiders

Oakland gives away this pick cheaply, getting only this year's 3rd rounder, the Panthers' 1972 2nd rounder and their 1973 3rd rounder for a top 10 pick. Raiders looking bad in drafting.

9. WR J.D. Hill - New Jersey Jets
10. DT Mike Lewis - Atlanta Falcons
11. RB Josh Aston - Denver Broncos
12. DE Vern Den Herder - Jacksonville Jaguars
13. OLB Isiah Robertson - New York Giants
14. S Jack Tatum - Los Angeles Rams
15. WR Harold Carmichael - Washington Redskins
16. DE Lyle Alzado - Tucson Titans
17. CB Kerry Reardon - Carolina Panthers
18. DE Ron Yankowski - Buffalo Bills
19. S Phil Wise - Indianapolis Colts
20. DT Bill Dustan - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
21. CB Tom Hayes - Kansas City Chiefs
22. WR Frank Lewis - Philadelphia Eagles
23. OLB Floyd Rice - Jacksonville Jaguars
24. T George Starke - Dallas Cowboys

It's our pick now and it's down to a CB or a S. While cornerback is our primary need, the available safeties look a lot better than the CBs, and there's CBs in the later rounds I've got my eye on. Not so at safety, where there's 3 players grouped together right now and nothing below them.

After a close inspection of all three players, one of them finally wins out and so I take...

25. S Glen Edwards - Miami Dolphins
26. CB Willie Alexander - Seattle Seahawks

Had I taken a CB, Alexander would've been the one.

27. RB Bob Gresham - Chicago Bears
28. ILB Rick Kingrea - New England Patriots
29. S Bryant Salter - Pittsburgh Steelers
30. WR Ricky Jarvis - San Diego Chargers
31. DE Tony McGee - Baltimore Ravens
32. DE Dwight White - Green Bay Packers

Almost every single CB I was eyeing gets taken before my 2nd round pick, so I'm forced to pick one of the remaining three out of desparation. I take Charlie Ford, who looks like the best prospect out of the trio.

SILB Dennis Coleman, a player I had my eye on to shift to one of the LB spots, lasts until my 3rd round pick, but he's due to go any time soon, so I grab him before I miss out.

A run on RBs in the 4th denies me the precise one I wanted, but Leon Burns, with an affinity and breakout potential, isn't a bad Plan B, as I need a backup RB.

Not wanting to lose out on all the decent kickers, I take Tim Webster in the 5th. I really don't want to go the re-tread route there.

QB Scott Hunter is my flyer pick in the 6th, both because he could break out and because I need two more QBs on my roster. I'm thinking I'll snag a mentor backup in the late free agent period.

I'm all out of players I've interviewed in the 7th, except for a QB, so on a whim, I pick WR Elmo Wright, who I'm hoping can be a 5th receiver.

Late Free Agency

Week 1 Losses
OLB Ralph Baker - 1 year, $100k* (San Francisco)
-It doesn't hurt so much to lose Baker, as there's someone else who we like more.

Week 2 Signings
QB Billy Kilmer - 2 years, $350k (Kansas City)
-Admittedly we overpaid, but he's a mentor who showed last year with the Chiefs that he still has something left in the tank. I think we can say goodbye to our Super Bowl aspirations if we have to turn to him, though.

Week 2 Losses
WR Gail Cogdill - 1 year, $120k (Tucson)
-I really like Cogdill, but he showed last season his skills are declining fast. Still, I'm happy for him. He gets above a min-sal deal with the Titans and a chance to be a starter for the very first time in his career. He's got two Super Bowl rings courtesy of us, so a starting spot is the only thing lacking in his career resume.

Week 3 Signings
WR Otto Stowe - 1 year, $30k (UDRFA)
-He's performed extremely well for me in previous universes, so I said what the hell, why not?

OLB Dick Hermann - 1 year, $80k* (Dallas)
-Had a lights out year with the Cowboys last season, so I thought I'd give him a chance to occupy Baker's spot.

Week 4 Signings
MLB Dave Harding - 1 year, 110k* (Atlanta)
-Following Hermann's signing, I shifted Dennis Coleman to WLB, necessitating a void to be filled at backup MLB. Enter Harding.

Training Camp


S Glen Edwards 1.25 30/57 35/60 +5/+3
CB Charlie Ford 2.28 23/50 25/46 +2/-4 22/46 after switching to LCB
ILB Dennis Coleman 3.27 19/54 (PS) 21/45 +2/-9
RB Leon Burns 4.26 20/29 20/28 -0/-1
K Tim Webster 5.25 32/68 34/61 +2/-7
QB Scott Hunter 6.28 3/21 4/25 +1/+4
WR Elmo Wright 7.27 7/23 7/20 -0/-3
WR Otto Stowe UDRFA 9/13 10/15 +1/+2

Draft Grade: A (#2 draft!!!!)

Despite the glowing draft grade, I'm a bit wary of this unit. Edwards will be an immediate starter and looks destined to be very good. Ford will be the backup LCB, hence the switch.

The rest of this batch looks quite questionable, though Stowe's primed to be our 5th receiver and Hunter could potentially quietly develop into a capable third stringer, if he ever gets enough PT.

[Izulde]

Kilmer, Billy 11 QB 11 28 28 2 yrs
Stabler, Ken 10 QB 4 57 66 2 yrs
Hunter, Scott 2 QB 1 4 25 3 yrs

Stabler-Kilmer-Hunter right down the row, obviously, though if Ken goes down, our season is done.


Hill, Calvin 38 RB 3 49 55 2 yrs
Pittman, Charlie 41 RB 2 24 41 2 yrs
Burns, Leon 35 RB 1 20 28 4 yrs
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 4 60 60 5 yrs

Hill and Csonka start, with Pittman the second string halfback. Burns could well be worth a move to FB. It says his ratings could improve if he makes the switch and it's the direction I'm leaning in, as I don't see anything that says he'll be able to get past Pittman.


Cannon, Billy 86 TE 12 43 43 2 yrs
Kramer, Kent 87 TE 6 38 38 2 yrs
Frazier, Charlie 88 FL 10 45 45 1 yr.
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 8 65 65 3 yrs
Stowe, Otto 82 FL 1 10 15 1 yr.
Wright, Elmo 84 FL 1 7 20 3 yrs
Ballman, Gary 89 SE 10 38 38 3 yrs
Jefferson, Roy 81 SE 7 62 62 3 yrs

Cannon will begin the year as the starter, but he's going downhill fast and Kramer stands a good chance of taking over the TE spot by midseason. Warfield and Jefferson the flanker and split end respectively, with Frazier and Ballman the reserves. Stowe and Wright will fight it out in preseason for the 5th receiver spot, though my hunch has Stowe down.

This is actually turning into an area of concern, strange as it sounds for the top receiving corps in the league. They're starting to get old and we need some new blood here that's actually talented.

Schmitt, John 56 C 8 56 56 2 yrs
Marchlewski, Frank 55 C 7 44 44 1 yr.
Fest, Howard 71 LG 4 47 47 2 yrs
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 4 59 59 1 yr.
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 5 90 90 3 yrs
George, Ed 65 LT 2 30 45 4 yrs
Vogel, Bob 76 RT 9 49 49 2 yrs
Taffoni, Joe 68 RT 5 44 44 3 yrs

George-Moorman-Schmitt-Upshaw-Vogel as the starting five. George is starting to not look as good as he did originally in my opinion, so we may be looking to upgrade there next offseason.


Maguire, Paul 9 P 12 73 73 1 yr.
Webster, Tim 16 K 1 34 61 3 yrs

Maguire great, Webster raw. I think Webster does have the potential to become a pretty good all-around kicker, however.


Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 3 53 53 1 yr.
Brown, Aaron 74 RDE 6 49 49 1 yr.
Grant, Wes 78 RDE 2 34 52 2 yrs
Antwine, Houston 75 LDT 11 33 33 1 yr.
Brown, Robert 92 LDT 8 40 40 1 yr.
Appleton, Scott 72 RDT 8 34 34 1 yr.

We're dangerously soft up the middle, though Greenwood and A. Brown will provide pressure. Grant has horrible endurance, so he's really suited for nothing more than a supersub role. R. Brown and Appleton are the likely DT starters, though Antwine will try to knock off Appleton.

Greenwood's looking for a big contract after his sensational season last year. We'll see how he performs this season before spending the cash on him. In any case, this unit is going to undergo an overhaul next offseason.


Harding, Dave 51 MLB 12 28 28 1 yr.
Lanier, Willie 58 MLB 5 76 76 4 yrs
Barber, Rudy 90 MLB 4 23 23 1 yr.
Meggyesy, Dave 59 SLB 9 36 36 1 yr.
Lewis, Jess 94 SLB 2 12 24 2 yrs
Walker, Cleo 91 SLB 2 21 37 3 yrs
Hermann, Dick 53 WLB 7 37 37 1 yr.
Coleman, Dennis 57 WLB 1 21 45 4 yrs

The only surefire starter is Lanier. Meggyesy has the inside track on keeping his starting SLB spot, but Walker will challenge him for it. Hermann had a great season in Dallas last year, but Coleman's potential intrigues. Without Lanier, this is one of the weakest position groups on the team. Thank God we got him.


Wilson, Nemiah 45 LCB 7 50 50 1 yr.
Lavan, Al 27 LCB 3 22 36 1 yr.
Hayes, Billie 36 LCB 2 24 39 2 yrs
Ford, Charlie 34 LCB 1 22 46 3 yrs
Baird, Billy 25 RCB 9 33 33 1 yr.
Duncan, Jim 29 RCB 4 39 39 3 yrs

Wilson and Duncan will be the starters, though the nickel corner is really going to be anyone's guess. A lot of young players here, but none of them very good. Ford's potential just may be enough to win him the nickel slot over Lavan, who currently has the inside track.


Bird, Rodger 46 SS 6 32 32 1 yr.
Flowers, Richmond 30 SS 3 22 32 2 yrs
Edwards, Glen 20 SS 1 35 60 4 yrs
Fleming, Don 24 FS 13 35 35 1 yr.
Clarke, Hagood 21 FS 8 60 60 4 yrs

Clarke and Edwards are the clear-cut starters. Flowers will be the reserve SS, as Bird's numbers are inflated by his incredible PR ability. That'll also allow Rodger to focus exclusively on returning punts. Fleming, obviously, is the backup FS.

Overall, the team's being hailed as a Super Bowl contender by a lot of preseason press, but that's because of the additions of Lanier, Edwards and Clarke. I keep getting the feeling that we're looking like a bit of a paper tiger, though. One injury would be enough to blow this team apart.

While the papers are saying Super Bowl, I'm saying a division title and a playoff run to the divisional round or AFC Championship is much more likely. I'd love another Super Bowl title though, obviously. :)

[Izulde]

I switched Leo Burns to FB. He dropped to 15/21. Oops. I also may have forgotten to mention that the Tucson Titans offered me a 2nd round pick for Calvin Hill. It was momentarily tempting, but since we should be pretty good this year, I turn it down.

Preseason

Tampa Bay 23 Miami 7
An ugly game, caused by having rookie flyer QB Scott Hunter get some PT, along with some other bad players in the lineup. Paul Warfield was also held out as a precaution. Scott Appleton got 4 tackles, an assist, a sack and 2 hurries to put in a claim for the starting RDT job.

Miami 7 Dallas 17
If nothing else, these first two preseason games have shown how weak we are without All-Pro genius WR Paul Warfield and just how quickly our season would go to hell if we had to turn to our backup QBs. While Scott Hunter made minimal improvements, Billy Kilmer was 0-3 with an INT. I think I'm going to stick Hunter in as the #2 QB to start the year. Oh yeah, Otto Stowe has the 5th WR spot locked up.

Less certain is DT, where the 3 guys we're rotating in and out are failing to clearly establish leaders and determine just who should start there. We'll keep tinkering throughout the rest of the preseason. While we're trying to figure that out, though, we'll unleash the full starters for the last two exhibition contests.

Miami 17 Atlanta 19
Our finest offensive output of the young year was marred by four turnovers, 2 by Ken Stabler (INT, fumble). Willie Lanier impressed, though, with 11 tackles and an assist. Robert Brown also nailed down the LDT spot, leaving only RDT a riddle, though I'm leaning towards Scott Appleton.

Starting LT Ed George will miss the final preseason game and possibly Week 1 with a strained foot ligament. LT Steve Barnett, a former Top 5 pick and major bust, is signed as emergency cover.

Washington 17 Miami 24
We finally get untracked and spoil the Redskins' bid for a perfect preseason in the process. Paul Warfield announced that he's ready to go for the regular season after a masterful 8 catch, 148 yard, 2 TD performance that earned him Player of the Game honors. KR maestro Jim Duncan showed why we're making him the starting RCB this year after snagging 2 interceptions and Willie Lanier looks primed to deliver on his huge contract after defending 2 passes and getting an INT of his own.

Scott Appleton wins the starting RDT job just because. There's really that little difference between him and Houston Antwine.

Ed George is Probable for Week 1, thankfully, though we lose starting SLB Dave Meggyesy for 3 weeks with a back injury. Cleo Walker steps in as the starting SLB in his absence after a pretty decent exhibition showing.

New England 3 Miami 20
Preseason means nothing! Calvin Hill rushes 18 times for 81 yards and a TD, splitting carries evenly with Charlie Pittman because I forgot to hit Recommend Time and Jim Duncan averages 42 yards a kick return. But the real hero of the game was L.C. Greenwood, who ravaged the Patriots' O-line for 3 tackles, an assist, 3.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown.

Dallas 27 Miami 14
Ouch. Despite our being 12 point favorites, the Cowboys pull off a huge upset, shutting down our running game and watching some guy named Jason LaFleur throw for 240 yards and 2 TDs. If a positive can be taken from this game, it's Willie Lanier's 11 tackles, assist and sack.

Jim Duncan will miss our next game with a calf injury, possibly two more games. Rodger Bird takes over as the top KR, Billy Baird the temporary starting RCB.

Jacksonville 13 Miami 31
We take out our anger on the hapless Jaguars, or rather, Roy Jefferson does, with 5 catches for 123 yards and 2 TDs. Rodger Bird contributes to the slaughter with an 82 yard punt return for a TD and L.C. Greenwood goes bananas, with 7 tackles, 3 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown. Fellow DE Aaron Brown added 1.5 sacks and a hurry of his own.

Dave Meggyesy returns for the next game.

Miami 34 Cincinnati 7
The Bengals hoped to exorcise their 0-3 start with an upset, but we dashed their hopes in a thrashing, led by Ken Stabler's 3 TDs, 2 of them to Paul Warfield, 3 interceptions, and 7 coffin-corner punts by Paul Maguire.

Bad news visits when Charlie Frazier goes out 4 weeks with a high ankle sprain, countering Jim Duncan's return. Ah well, it all balances out. Otto Stowe slips over to backup flanker, meaning we're looking a little weak at WR right now.

Miami 27 Buffalo 23
Games like this give me heart attacks. We're down 23-7 with 6:51 left in the game and I'm thinking we're going to lose this critical early season contest with our archivals. Then the following happens:

05:08 MIA Calvin Hill 2 yard pass from Ken Stabler (TD)
01:54 MIA Calvin Hill 75 yard pass from Ken Stabler (TD)
00:07 MIA Paul Warfield 40 yard pass from Ken Stabler (TD)

This is why we made him the #1 overall pick in the draft! Ken Stabler had one of his absolute finest days as a pro, with 21-37 for 397 yards, 3 TDs and an INT, but it was Calvin Hill who was Player of the Game, with 42 rushing yards and a rushing TD to go with 93 receiving yards and 2 receiving TDs. Jim Brown he isn't, but he's a good dual threat back. Paul Warfield finally broke the century mark for the first time this season, with 5 catches for 114 yards and the game-winning TD. Willie Lanier powered the defense with 11 tackles and an assist.

Miami 14 Cleveland 27
The euphoria from the Buffalo game translated into exhaustion against the Browns, who school us behind Don Shy's 140 yards rushing and TD and Len Dawson's 27-35 for 312 yards and 2 TD performance. Willie Lanier had a franchise-record setting day in the defeat with 16 tackles, 8 assists, and a sack.

Pittsburgh 14 Miami 28
A balanced offense game in terms of yardage, but Calvin Hill was the star on that side of the ball, with 2 rushing TDs and a receiving TD. I think I'll call him this universe's version of the RL Brian Westbrook. Aaron Brown provided the pass-rush on defense with 3 tackles, 2 sacks, and a hurry.

The bye week allows us to get Charlie Frazier back to full health and restore our WR corps to full health as well.

Miami 10 New England 34
The Patriots catch us napping and some QB named Marty Domres shreds us for 318 yards and 4 TDs. Can you say we'll be focusing on the secondary in the next offseason? I think you can! We're just getting eaten alive through the air this year and our own aerial firepower just isn't what it used to be. Ken Stabler's 2 interceptions and 3 fumbles didn't help either.

With the loss, the AFC East has suddenly become a tighter race. We're leading the division at 5-3, but the Bills and the Patriots are within striking distance at 4-5 each. New England is particularly hot, having won 4 straight games after starting the year 0-5.

Halfway stats:


Record 5-3
Winning Pct. .625
All-Time 111-73
Winning Pct. .603
Playoffs 8-6
Playoff Visits 8
Bowl Wins 2
Head Coach Dave Hanner
Record 16-9
Winning Pct. .640
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.4 20
Rushing Yards 101.8 25
Yards Per Carry 3.72 30
Pass Attempts 31.3 22
Completions 18.0 27
Completion Pct. 57.6 27
Passing Yards 234.4 9
Yards Per Attempt 7.50 2
Yards Per Catch 13.02 1
Total Yardage Gained 314.9 14
3rd Down Conversions 30.6 27
Points Per Game 22.3 7
Pass Rush Pct. 7.6 10 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 64.6 24
Turnovers 6 1
Turnover Margin +7 2 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 28.6 19
Rushing Yards 127.8 29 (T)
Yards Per Carry 4.46 26
Pass Attempts 36.4 30
Completions 21.5 27
Completion Pct. 59.1 11 (T)
Passing Yards 240.1 30
Yards Per Attempt 6.60 21
Yards Per Catch 11.17 25
Total Yardage Gained 354.0 32
3rd Down Conversions 35.9 12 (T)
Points Per Game 18.5 16
Pass Rush Pct. 9.0 27 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 70.0 25
Turnovers 13 12 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 20 NED 3
2 14 DAL 27
3 31 JAX 13
4 34 at CIN 7
5 27 at BUF 23
6 14 at CLE 27
7 28 PIT 14
9 10 at NED 34
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
10 K. Stabler QB 250 144 1875 7.50 12 6 87.3
**Team --- 250 144 1875 7.50 12 6 87.3
$$Opp --- 291 172 1921 6.60 12 5 85.4

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
38 C. Hill RB 112 410 3.66 6 3
41 C. Pittman RB 90 380 4.22 3 0
**Team --- 219 814 3.72 9 11
$$Opp --- 229 1022 4.46 3 13

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 R. Jefferson WR 59 32 521 16.28 8.83 4 2
85 P. Warfield WR 61 30 460 15.33 7.54 2 4
38 C. Hill RB 26 23 194 8.43 7.46 1 3
89 G. Ballman WR 26 17 243 14.29 9.35 1 1
88 C. Frazier WR 30 15 202 13.47 6.73 1 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 69 23 2.0 2 1 3 78.4
20 G. Edwards S 41 11 0.0 3 0 5 77.5
57 D. Coleman OLB 31 9 0.0 2 0 0 66.3
96 L. Greenwood DE 27 6 7.0 9 0 1 82.5
45 N. Wilson CB 26 9 0.0 0 0 4 75.4
21 H. Clarke S 20 8 0.0 0 0 6 79.8
53 D. Hermann OLB 20 8 0.0 0 0 4 77.7
59 D. Meggyesy OLB 15 4 0.0 0 1 1 80.5
92 R. Brown DT 15 7 0.5 2 0 0 81.6
29 J. Duncan CB 15 7 0.0 1 1 2 81.2
91 C. Walker OLB 15 5 0.0 0 0 0 69.4
78 W. Grant DE 14 2 0.5 2 0 0 80.4
36 B. Hayes CB 14 4 0.0 1 0 1 75.1
74 A. Brown DE 13 8 5.0 10 0 0 82.1
72 S. Appleton DT 12 5 0.0 1 0 0 81.3
25 B. Baird CB 11 9 0.0 1 0 1 73.7
24 D. Fleming S 8 6 1.0 0 2 1 90.0
51 D. Harding ILB 8 0 0.0 0 0 0 65.7
75 H. Antwine DT 8 3 0.0 3 0 0 81.3

We're winning games because we're not turning the ball over that much? I'm not sure how they define that turnover stat, because we've had 13 fumbles and it seems a little peculiar that we wouldn't lose a single one.

Also, Rex, or better said, Hanner and Buckley, have changed our offensive game plan to one that relies on vertical passing, which plays to Stabler's strengths. Warfield is off to a comparatively slow start, but hopefully he'll pick it up in the second half of the season. I'm considering giving Pittman a longer look at RB.

Lanier is the glue that's holding our otherwise porous defense together. Without him, we'd probably be something like 2-6 right now. Greenwood is having a solid pass-rushing year and Edwards is playing even better than I'd anticipated. Maybe he'll get talked up as a possible Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.

I still have that paper tiger feeling, but we do currently hold a game and a half lead in the AFC East and are presently in position to have a first round bye, so we'll see how things go in the second half.

[Izulde]

Don Fleming, Billy Kilmer, Billy Baird, and Joe Taffoni are all disgruntled and Dick Hermann is angry.

I see Kilmer's point and promote him to 2nd string. Hermann wins the starting WLB job after a closer review of both him and rookie Dennis Coleman, but Baird is staying where he is and Taffoni would lose too much by switching over to LT, so he stays as well.

Baltimore 31 Miami 14
Craig Baynham and Jim Kiick both run for 120+ yards and Bart Starr throws 3 TDs to massacre us. Our 2 TDs came in the fourth quarter, when the game was already long decided. Willie Lanier provided the lone Dolphins highlight with 11 tackles and 2 assists.

New Jersey 0 Miami 28
The thumping we got at the hands of the Ravens translates into a fury-laden shutout of the Jets. Calvin Hill runs for 94 yards and a TD to pace the offense and Rodger Bird averages 24 yards on 4 punt returns. The win was very much needed, as the Bills are just a game behind at 5-5.

Haygood Clarke, our starting FS is out for the next game, meaning Don Fleming finally gets his wish to start again.

Miami 17 Philadelphia 24
Another day where our defense let us down, as Charlie Smith rushes for 133 yards and Sonny Jurgeson throws 3 TDs against our toothless secondary. Dolphins highlights: Charlie Frazier with 81 receiving yards and a 43 yard fumble return for a TD and Willie Lanier with 10 tackles and an assist. A paper tiger, we definitely are.

As if things weren't bad enough, Don Fleming herniates his disc and will be out 6 weeks, forcing us to start the questionable status Haygood Clarke.

Miami 41 San Diego 14
The schizophrenic nature of this team is driving me crazy, but I'll definitely take this blowout win over the Chargers. Charlie Pittman had an absolutely electrifying 99 yard kickoff return for a TD that really changed the momentum of the game and Dave Meggyesy made an equally thrilling play, returning an interception 70 yards for a TD. L.C. Greenwood keyed the defense with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 blocks, 2 hurries and a knockdown.

New York 17 Miami 31
We guarantee at least a .500 finish against the Giants, courtesy of Calvin Hill's 153 rushing yards and TD. I'm really glad we didn't trade him to the Titans and I'm also glad I opted to leave him as the starting RB after his low numbers in the first half. Charlie Pittman also had 2 rushing TDs, in what was probably the most balanced offensive game we've had all year.

Dennis Coleman separates his shoulder and is gone for 4 weeks. Cleo Walker will just get double backup duty for the time being.

Miami 24 New Jersey 21
It wasn't anywhere near as close a game as the final score indicates. Ken Stabler finally had a good game for the first time in a long time, 19-31 for 248 yards and 3 TDs. I still can't work out why we can't seem to get consistent games out of him, but I'll take what we have for now, which is...
The 1971 Miami Dolphins as the AFC East Champions!

It's also an extraordinarily tight race for playoff positioning in the AFC.

To wit:

Cleveland leads the AFC North with a 9-5 record.
Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and Tucson are all 9-5 in the AFC South.
We're 9-5 in the AFC East.
Denver and Kansas City are both 7-7 in the AFC West.

In the NFC, there's 3 teams at 8-6 fighting for the second playoff spot, but the division and playoff position chases aren't quite as interesting to me.

Billy Hayes strains a tendon and is out roughly 3 weeks, requiring us to put in the raw rookie Charlie Ford as the backup at left corner.

Miami 36 Washington 9
Ken Stabler appears to be peaking at about the right time, as he wins Player of the Game on 19-24 for 280 yards and 3 TDs. Tim Webster also dazzled, going 5/5 on FGs, including 3/3 from 40+ range. Willie Lanier led the defense with 9 tackles, 2 assists, a sack and a hurry, while Jim Duncan defended an incredible 4 passes.

And then disaster strikes.

Paul Warfield has a strained hamstring and while he's questionable, it's not certain when he'll be back to full strength. Haygood Clarke is also out roughly 4 weeks with a back strain, meaning Don Fleming, still questionable, as the starter at FS.

Unfortunately, I can't afford to sit Paul, as we're still fighting for, well, everything in playoff positioning.

Buffalo 17 Miami 27
Our archrivals try to play spoilers, but Paul Warfield quickly ends that talk with 7 catches for 97 yards and a TD, showing no ill effects from his hamstring injury. Tim Webster also booted a pair of long field goals, including a rainbow of a 52 yarder.

Don Fleming aggravates his injury and the longtime free safety is gone for the rest of the year, a problem since Hagood Clarke is still out himself.

But there's one thing we can be thankful for...

We've secured a first round bye. :)

[Izulde]

We draw the most difficult matchup possible in the Cleveland Browns. Fortunately, Hagood Clarke and Don Fleming have both made miraculous recoveries in the bye week so they'll both be able to play. Fleming's story was particularly compelling, as we thought him shelved for the rest of the season.

The Browns destroyed the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-3 in the wild card round and are led by 15th year QB Len Dawson, who's revived his greatness from prior seasons, passing for just shy of 4,000 yards this season, with a 21 TD to 15 INT ratio. 5th year RB Don Shy broke the 1,000 yard barrier for the first time in his career, his second as a starter, and had 13 rushing TDs to go with it. What a key free agent pickup from our archrivals he turned out to be!

Cleveland's WRs are terrible, which will be critical against our own weak secondary. Their offensive line also suffered a major blow when LT Dick Schafrath, their franchise player, suffered a concussion so severe in Week 15, that it'll be two years before he can even think about football again, and he's likely to retire.

Curley Culp is a very good NT in the Browns' 3-4 scheme and rookie Lemarr Parrish forms a solid corner duo with 1970 1st Team All-Pro CB and fellow Top 10 pick Bobby Bryant. They also have some talented run-stopping LBs, notably tackle-master SILB Bob Matheson.

If there's a silver lining, it's that their defense doesn't have any worthwhile passrushers outside of Culp, so if we can neutralize him, we'll be able to give Ken Stabler time to dissect the defense.

This will be a tough battle and I mean tough as in last battle of Luminous Arc tough (I just got my ass handed to me there, actually).

Bookies have Browns by 1.

And the miracle happens!!!

Ken Stabler continues his peak form, a pinpoint 21-26 for 289 yards and a TD, most of which went to Paul Warfield, who continues to shrug off his hamstring injury and subpar regular season by catching 8 passes for 125 yards and a TD. Tim Webster maintained his hot kicking, going 3/3 on FGs, including a 46 yarder. Nemiah Wilson, the unsung hero of our much-maligned secondary, defended 3 passes in a sensational performance.

But the real hero of the game to me is none other than Don Fleming, who snuffed out a Browns drive with an interception that he returned 37 yards.

Miami 22 Cleveland 17

It's on to the AFC Championship!

Fleming's interception was all the more touching, because we received word after the game that he'll once again be out and it's not certain if he can come back at all, even if we make it to the Super Bowl.

[Izulde]

Our opponents in the AFC Championship game are the Tucson Titans, who've been to the playoffs five times in the history of the universe, but have never gotten past the divisional round. This is their first conference championship game ever.

Their offense lives and dies by FL Lance Alworth, a career-long Titan (10th season), who is a two-time Fastest Man Award winner, as well as a one-time First Team All-Pro selection. He's easily the equal of Paul Warfield.

But then there's RB John Fuqua, who rushed for over 1,000 yards and 14 TDs in the regular season in his first season as a starter. Not to mention the fact that the Titans have a very solid, young offensive line.

Rookie DE Lyle Alzado has energized Tucson's D-line, with 10.5 sacks in his first season. 6th year DT Don Davis had a career year with an astounding 14.5 sacks, giving the Titans a left side D-line that's going to cause our offensive line nightmares. Fortunately the right side is weak.

MLB Chuck Allen has only missed 100 tackles twice in his long, illustrious career with the Titans and this season wasn't one of them. The rest of the linebacking corps is about like ours, though. LCB Willie Brown is one of the greatest corners in the league, with four straight 1st Team All-Pro selections to his credit ((1966-1969), but is also the only star of an otherwise anemic secondary.

In short, the Titans are a team built around a few terrific players and a supporting cast that's just good enough to win them ballgames. They're certainly beatable, if we can contain Alworth and that scary left side of the D-line.

We're favored by 1 in Vegas.

We contain them in the first half and put up a 14-6 lead by halftime, but from there, it's all Titans.

Roy Jefferson's 8 catches for 100 yards weren't enough and the Titans ate up the clock with long drives and Jim Turner kicking 5 of 5 field goals. Lyle Alzado sacked Ken Stabler twice, Don Davis reaching him for another 1.5 sacks.

But the real heartbreaker was this:

The difference in the game was Gail Cogdill, the former WR I loved so much as a mentor and a backup WR/occasional KR, racing down the field 92 yards for a TD on the very first kickoff of the second half.

The momentum changed entirely Tucson's way after that, and all we're left with is heartbreak, in a game where we could have very easily won and made it back to the Super Bowl.

Tucson 22 Miami 14

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XII
Seattle 17 Tucson 20

For the first time since Super Bowl V (1964), it's two new teams in the world's greatest championship. The Tucson Titans complete their miracle season, beating the Seattle Seahawks behind 12th year veteran QB Norman McNeil's TD pass and TD run, as well as some incredibly stingy defense that came up with turnovers at just the right times.

A look at the Dolphins:



Record 12-6
Winning Pct. .666
All-Time 117-75
Winning Pct. .609
Playoffs 9-7
Playoff Visits 9
Bowl Wins 2
Head Coach Dave Hanner
Record 23-12
Winning Pct. .657
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.9 8 (T)
Rushing Yards 115.6 16
Yards Per Carry 3.74 30
Pass Attempts 28.6 26
Completions 17.4 27
Completion Pct. 60.8 16
Passing Yards 219.9 9
Yards Per Attempt 7.70 1
Yards Per Catch 12.65 1
Total Yardage Gained 316.1 14
3rd Down Conversions 36.1 15
Points Per Game 24.7 4
Pass Rush Pct. 9.4 1 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 66.9 18
Turnovers 14 2
Turnover Margin +7 7 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 26.4 9
Rushing Yards 120.8 24
Yards Per Carry 4.58 31
Pass Attempts 37.1 32
Completions 20.9 27 (T)
Completion Pct. 56.2 5
Passing Yards 228.3 30
Yards Per Attempt 6.15 10 (T)
Yards Per Catch 10.93 23 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 336.8 30
3rd Down Conversions 33.3 7
Points Per Game 17.6 10
Pass Rush Pct. 7.9 22
Pass Defense Pct. 66.8 14
Turnovers 21 25 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 20 NED 3
2 14 DAL 27
3 31 JAX 13
4 34 at CIN 7
5 27 at BUF 23
6 14 at CLE 27
7 28 PIT 14
9 10 at NED 34
10 14 BAL 31
11 27 NJY 0
12 17 at PHI 24
13 41 at SDO 14
14 31 NYK 17
15 24 at NJY 21
16 36 at WAS 9
17 27 BUF 17
$$CS 22 CLE 17
$$CF 14 TUC 22

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 K. Stabler QB 457 278 3518 7.70 25 9 94.9
**Team --- 457 278 3518 7.70 25 9 94.9
$$Opp --- 594 334 3652 6.15 24 10 81.0

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
38 C. Hill RB 273 1064 3.90 9 4
41 C. Pittman RB 189 732 3.87 8 2
**Team --- 495 1850 3.74 18 25
$$Opp --- 422 1933 4.58 8 22

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 109 63 886 14.06 8.13 4 9
81 R. Jefferson WR 97 58 892 15.38 9.20 7 5
38 C. Hill RB 54 42 307 7.31 5.69 1 4
88 C. Frazier WR 59 34 518 15.24 8.78 2 2
89 G. Ballman WR 59 32 524 16.38 8.88 6 3

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 123 37 5.0 4 1 4 77.3
20 G. Edwards S 68 25 0.0 3 0 8 78.6
45 N. Wilson CB 47 16 0.0 0 1 11 79.0
96 L. Greenwood DE 44 11 11.0 21 0 2 82.2
53 D. Hermann OLB 43 21 0.0 1 0 5 75.2
59 D. Meggyesy OLB 41 16 0.0 3 4 2 81.9
29 J. Duncan CB 41 11 0.0 1 1 10 79.0
92 R. Brown DT 40 16 1.0 6 0 0 81.1
74 A. Brown DE 40 10 10.5 25 0 0 81.3
57 D. Coleman OLB 36 11 0.0 2 0 0 65.9
21 H. Clarke S 31 11 0.0 0 1 12 82.6
72 S. Appleton DT 27 13 1.5 3 0 0 81.2
36 B. Hayes CB 26 6 0.0 1 0 4 76.4
91 C. Walker OLB 24 6 0.0 2 0 1 70.5
25 B. Baird CB 23 11 0.0 1 0 4 75.0
78 W. Grant DE 22 6 0.5 5 0 0 80.8

We really can't ask much more about Ken Stabler than we've been getting, which is pretty damn good. Calvin Hill will never be an All-Pro RB, but his combination of running and receiving skills fits in well. Paul Warfield had a down season, but here's to hoping he'll bounce back.

L.C. Greenwood and Aaron Brown make an effective pair of pass-rushers, but something needs to be done about the middle of the D-line. Willie Lanier proved he was worthy every single cent of his mega-deal and Dave Meggyesy continues to defy scouts' perceptions of him with solid play.

Nemiah Wilson and Jim Duncan were better corners than I expected and of course rookie SS Glen Edwards was the most pleasant surprise of the secondary's season.

Paul Maguire turned in his usual strong performance, but the real shocker was Tim Webster. The rookie kicker was 20/22 for FG, 10/11 from 40+ range and 1/1 from 50+ range. It's not often that a 5th rounder comes along who can surprise like that, but Tim did.

The offensive line gave up too many sacks, but they also had a ton of pancake blocks, so it's hard telling what's what there. I do know that we're still on the hunt for a quality LT, as Ed George is clearly not the answer.

Looking ahead to the offseason I'd rate DT, LT, OLB are as our 3 most pressing needs, with CB and, perhaps surprisingly, WR as our next biggest concerns.

WR, long the strongest position group on this team, is getting somewhat old and the young guys we have there aren't exactly stellar. I'd like to inject some quality young blood in there to turn things around.

1971 Miami Dolphins Season Awards

P Paul Maguire - 2nd Team All-Pro Punter
Paul's first All-Pro award in a Dolphins uniform, his third overall. Nothing helps you out like winning the field position battle.

MLB Willie Lanier - 2nd Team All-Pro ILB
It took leaving the hapless Bengals to do it, but Lanier finally gets his first All-Pro nomination after a stellar season. With any luck, he'll have many more similiar performances in his time wearing the aqua and orange.

Dave Hanner - Coach of the Year
Say what? This one I don't get at all, but as one newspaper article wrote praising him:

"Hanner came into an unenviable situation two years ago. He was replacing the enormously popular Tyrus Treftz, who led the Dolphins to two straight Super Bowl victories. All that he's done is take the Dolphins to the playoffs his first two years, with two straight AFC East division crowns, and had them just short of the Super Bowl this year.

For a team that still finds itself in transition from the Johnny Unitas and Johnny Sample days, that is truly a miracle, one worthy of a Coach of the Year."

Fittingly enough, it's staff hiring time.

I don't have my notes from before, so I'll have to reconstruct them and start over next season. I will say though that Royce Womble has become the Jared Thamilrassen of defensive coordinators, which probably means we'll lose him to Dallas when his contract is up. :rolleyes:

I do go shopping for a new Lead Scout though and get one, an improvement over our current one.

Lead Scout Dexter Carmody (51)
QB: Good
RB: VG
WR: Good
OL: Good
KP: Good
DL: Good
DL: Average
DB: Average
YT: Good

I raise ticket prices a tiny amount across the board, but it's still enough to jump our family of four price up to $41, 3rd highest in the league. Oops. But at least they're seeing a quality game for their money. Not like the Carolina Panthers, #4 at $36 average, with a terrible product.

We have a good number of candidates for the summer league, but as last year's 2nd rounder, CB Charlie Ford, stands the greatest chance of cracking the lineup this season, he's the one to go off to Europe.

Four players retired this offseason, including Don Fleming as we all expected. It's going to be tough not seeing him out there on the field, because he's been a part of this organization for the past 9 seasons, and was a starter for 7 straight years. With his retirement, we've lost the last player from our once mighty secondary.

By The Numbers
QB, TE, C, DE, DT x 2, 5 DL, MLB, 15 new players total

We're going to be pretty busy on the defensive side of the ball here, but I said we were going to be anyway.

Week 1 Re-signings
DE L.C. Greenwood - 4 years, $2.2 mill.
FL Otto Stowe - 1 year, $40k

Greenwood's contract was a stiff price to pay, but premium pass-rushers are so rare in this league that I had to pony up the cash. Stowe is just a cheap precautionary measure in case we don't find anyone else.

Week 2 Signings
FL Dick Gordon - 1 year, 100k* (Seattle)
-Journeyman WR who looks like a perfect fit as our third receiver. I'm ironically actually doing this to try and get Charlie Frazier off the team, who has a conflict with Ken Stabler.

P Paul Maguire - 1 year, $120k (Re-Signing)
-This guy continues to defy age and earn his way onto our team. He's a great safety blanket to have.

DE Aaron Brown - 4 years, $1.53 mil. (Re-signing)
-Sure his ratings aren't necessarily that great, but the fact of the matter is, he and Greenwood play extremely well together and that's not a tandem I'm about to break up when they're producing that well.

Week 2 Losses
CB Nemiah Wilson - 1 year, $110k (Indianapolis)
-Turns a solid year for us into a slight payraise from the Colts. I probably should've attempted to re-sign him, but really, we got burnt way too much last year not to want a change.

Week 3 Signings
TE Tom Mitchell - 3 years, $320k (Seattle)
-Good receiving TE who will fill the void left by Billy Cannon's retirement. I was tempted to grab Mike Ditka instead, as he was available, but Mitchell has the surer hands, which I value highly in my TEs.

WLB George Webster - 4 years, $1.46 mill. (Tampa Bay)
-My efforts to improve our linebacking corps continue with this guy, who's shown some major tackling instincts in his years as a Buccaneer. He likes the girls and the weather of South Florida, so he'll stay in the region with us and become an immediate starter.

Week 3 Losses
CB Mel Renfro - 4 years, $4.26 mill. (Houston) (San Diego)
-The top prize in free agency, he takes the longer deal from the Oilers despite having the chance to turn us into odds-on Super Bowl favorites. I'm honestly not all that upset about being outbid, because the guy's in his 9th year and I don't like shelling out that kind of cash and years on older players.

Week 4 Signings
G Mo Moorman - 3 years, $730k (Re-signing)
-Big, big re-signing, as Moorman's been a key part of our offensive line and a solid player ever since his rookie year. The Patriots made a run for him, but in the end, he stayed faithful to us, a big relief.

DT Garry Pettigrew - 1 year, $80k* (Seattle)
-Not an exceptional player by any means, but he's a lot better than the offal we had here last season. He figures in as a starter, of course, and reduces our concern with the position from extreme emergency to major crisis.

CB Goldie Sellers - 3 years, $310k (Indianapolis)
-A Jim Duncan clone, only not quite as good a kick returner by the statistics and a major, major ballhawk. Since generating turnovers was a big problem for our defense last year, Sellers will instantly take over the right corner spot or possibly shift to the left side, if we can't find anyone else.

Week 5 Signings
C Frank Marchlewski - 1 year, $120k (Re-signing)
-Paid more than the veteran minimum because he's the glue that holds our offensive line together chemistry speaking and because he's simply a damn solid backup center to have.

MLB Mike Ciccolella - 1 year, $100k* (New York)
-Strictly a backup MLB. More of a body than anything else, really.

S Rodger Bird - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-He may not be happy about not seeing the field more, but damned if he isn't the greatest punt returner in this universe's history. He's worth the price of admission just for that alone.

Week 6 Signings
DT Ron East - 1 year, $80k* (Green Bay)
-Heaven help us if we actually have to start this guy, though he's a decent backup, relatively speaking.

LCB Ron Beverly - 1 year, $110k (Washington)
-Beat out the Oilers and Browns by throwing in a little extra money. Overcheiver who really hustles to compensate for his meager talents. A good pickup to resolve the left corner crisis.

Week 6 Losses
WR Charlie Frazier - 2 years, $470k (Houston)
-You knew it had to happen sooner or later. Eventually somebody was going to come along and offer Frazier something more than the min-sal to become a starter again, and it's finally happened. Not only does he get a very nice deal, but he goes to the Oilers, where he has an exceptional affinity with the WR leader and, more importantly, he gets some young guy named Archie Manning throwing him the pigskin.

SLB Dave Meggyesy - 1 year, $100k* (Indianapolis)
-Boy, do I feel stupid about this one. A really solid performer for us who would've come cheap and what do I do? Forget that he's there and let him escape off to the Colts. Oh well, can we say this makes up for the Johnny Unitas thing, Colts? :D

Oops, time to head to class. I'll tackle the rest of free agency in the next post.

[Izulde]

Week 8 Signings
QB Warren Rabb - 1 year, 110k* (Green Bay)
-Journeyman 13th year QB who started for 2 seasons in Tampa Bay way back when. QB mentor who has considerable talent and upside still, but just never got the opportunity to be a full-time player outside of the Buccaneers. A mentor and a very comfortable #2 option, though he took forever to accept.

Week 9 Signings
OLB Mike Stratton - 1 year, $110k* (Detroit)
-Respectable SLB, roughly equivalent to Dave Meggyesy. He's been a starter in the league since he was drafted in the 1962 draft (2nd round) by the Jaguars. Jacksonville wanted him back, but Stratton chose us, as we're a much better team.

Week 9 Losses
DT Scott Appleton - 1 year, 100k* (Cleveland)
-Yeah, you go and have fun with that guy, Browns.

OLB Dick Hermann - 1 year, $100k* (Houston)
-1970 was a fluke, I'm sure, after last year's meh performance for us. The Oilers can take him.

Week 11 Losses
DT Robert Brown - 1 year, 100k* (New Jersey)
-Haha, way to guarantee you'll continue sucking, Jets! I'm so glad to be rid of those two starting DTs from last year.

Draft up next, in its own post!

[Izulde]

This is a pretty poor draft to have a Top 10 pick in, in my opinion, as the bottom falls out fairly quickly after the first few players. That said S Thom Darden and OLB Stan White look like quality men. A horrible draft for a high pick on offense. The WR pool in particular is lacking in anything close to top-shelf talent. We're picking at #28 throughout the draft to start and I feel good about landing a player or two who can contribute right away.

1972 Draft 1st Round

1. OLB Stan White - Atlanta Falcons
2. QB Brian Sipe - Minnesota Vikings
3. S Thom Darden - New Jersey Jets
4. ILB Jim LeClair - Houston Oilers
5. CB Willie Buchanon - Cincinnati Bengals
6. RB Lawrence McCutcheon - Philadelphia Eagles
7. RB Lydell Mitchell - Cincinnati Bengals through Oakland Raiders

And now you know why the Bengals are so bad a team, one of only two franchises never to make the playoffs in this universe (The Vikings the other one). They make stupid moves like this. The cost was ridiculous: Oakland gets the Bengals' 2nd rounder in this draft, along with Cincy's 1973 and 1974 1st round picks. Raiders looking good in draft trade.

8. TE Riley Odoms - St. Louis Cardinals
9. ILB Mark Arneson - New Orleans Saints
10. WR Glenn Doughty - Carolina Panthers
11. WR Cliff Branch - Buffalo Bills
12. DT Mike Kadish - San Diego Chargers
13. S Ralph McGill - Washington Redskins
14. ILB Ed Bradley - New York Giants
15. CB Nelson Munsey - Detroit Lions
16. QB John Reaves - New England Patriots
17. T Greg Sampson - Denver Broncos
18. ILB Jeff Siemon - San Francisco 49ers
19. S Tommy Casanova - Baltimore Ravens
20. OLB John Bunting - New Jersey Jets
21. ILB Tim Kearney - Dallas Cowboys
22. G Conrad Dobler - Kansas City Chiefs
23. RB Franco Harris - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
24. DT Otis Sistrunk - Pittsburgh Steelers
25. WR Ahmad Rashad - Jacksonville Jaguars
26. DE Sherman White - New Jersey Jets through Cleveland Browns

The Jets are really re-making themselves defensively here in this draft. 3 1st rounders and 3 defensive picks. The cost was a bizzare one, with New Jersey surrendering their 1974 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounders. If they don't pick up some extra picks along the way, 1974 will be a quiet draft year for our division opponents.

27. C John Hill - Chicago Bears

We're now in a tough spot, as there's a number of players we didn't think would fall down this far have. The smart money says to trade down, but the more and more I look at the players available, the more and more one guy stands out to me, a guy who can ressurect the glory days of Don Fleming and Ross Fitchner with Glen Edwards and so S Chuck Crist is our newest Dolphin.

28. S Chuck Crist - Miami Dolphins
29. DE Martin Imhof - Green Bay Packers
30. ILB Joe Caroll - Los Angeles Rams
31. DT Larry Brooks - Seattle Seahawks
32. RB Henry Matthews - Tucson Titans

In round 2, I decide it's time to address our gaping hole at DT and take Don Croft, who I have a hunch can step in and start right away for our shoddy line, even though there's probably better players available on the board.

The tackle I was hoping would drop to me in round 3 didn't, so I snag ILB Tom Graham, who not only looks like a breakout candidate, but should be able to contribute immediately on special teams.

I got hosed again in the 4th, when the WRs I thought would drop that far both went off the board, as did the RB I was looking mostly heavily at. I grab RB Herb Mul-Key, who looks like a returner extraordinnare and a possible contributor on special teams. He actually could get a look on passing downs as well.

P Bob Parsons, Paul Maguire's eventual replacement, gets snapped up in the 5th as the last truly useful player available to this team.

I take DT Kelvin Korver in the 6th, just to throw another body into the mix at our weakest position and because hey, maybe he'll break out.

Finally, TE Ethan Staat in the 7th, just on the offchance that he becomes a useful long-snapper.

Late Free Agency

Week 2 Signings
RB Junior Coffey - 1 year, $100k* (Oakland)
-Was a one year rental back in 1970 for us as well. Returns to serve as a mentor to our young guys and be an incredible chemistry captain. No less than 2 strong affinities and 1 exceptional affinity!

Week 3 Signings
MLB Robert Leake - 1 year, $110k* (Oakland)
-Signed strictly as a mentor for Tom Graham. If the mentorship doesn't work out, Leake will be the first guy cut.

S David Plump - 1 year, 100k* (New Jersey)
-An original Dolphin returns home. Our 1965 3rd round pick could see himself in the mix at backup safety and will definitely help mentor Chuck Crist, our 1st round pick.

Post Training Camp


S Chuck Crist 1.28 33/75 35/72 +2/-3
DT Don Croft 2.28 24/49 25/47 +1/-2
ILB Tom Graham 3.28 14/45 15/42 +1/-3
RB Herb Mul-Key 4.28 24/46 24/42 -0/-4
P Bob Parsons 5.28 40/45 40/47 +0/+2
DT Kelvin Korver 6.28 12/26 12/24 -0/-2
TE Ethan Staat 7.28 0/0 0/0 -0/-0

Draft Grade: A- (#5 draft)

Staat actually has a fair shot of making the team, as his LS skill is 61. Crist's potential may have dropped, but it's hard to ignore that beautiful a number. We'll have problems though, as Hagood Clarke, our current FS starter, is 50/50.

So I'm not sure whether to start Clarke or roll the dice on Crist.

Parsons will be an adequate replacement for Maguire, but Paul has to retire first. Mul-Key is everything I hoped for in terms of return ability and more, but I'll discuss that when I post the roster analysis.

[Izulde]

Hunter, Scott 2 QB 2 7 27 2 yrs
Rabb, Warren 7 QB 13 28 46 1 yr.
Stabler, Ken 10 QB 5 64 68 1 yr.

Stabler the starter with Raab and Hunter 2nd and 3rd string obviously. Ken's in the final year of his deal, which makes re-signing him a #1 priority, so much so that I'm going to try and get it done before the preseason's over with.


Mul-key, Herb 43 RB 1 24 42 4 yrs
Coffey, Junior 42 RB 8 30 36 1 yr.
Hill, Calvin 38 RB 4 53 53 1 yr.
Pittman, Charlie 41 RB 3 27 41 1 yr.
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 5 60 60 4 yrs
Burns, Leon 35 FB 2 16 22 3 yrs

We'll have all four RBs active, with each one taking a role. Hill starts, Pittman's the #2 back, Coffey's the passing down back and Mul-key will, with his 99 kick return rating and 90 special teams rating be our top KR and one of our gunners. With his 58/73 punt return rating, look for him to be in the mix there as well. Csonka starting FB, Burns backup. Hill's another one that's a priority to re-sign.

Mitchell, Tom 86 TE 7 44 44 3 yrs
Staat, Ethan 88 TE 1 0 0 3 yrs
Kramer, Kent 87 TE 7 37 37 1 yr.
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 9 63 63 2 yrs
Wright, Elmo 84 FL 2 6 19 2 yrs
Gordon, Dick 83 FL 8 47 47 1 yr.
Stowe, Otto 82 FL 2 14 15 1 yr.
Ballman, Gary 89 SE 11 38 38 2 yrs
Jefferson, Roy 81 SE 8 64 64 2 yrs

Mitchell the starter, Kramer the backup and long snapper, which means Staat is going to get cut to try and free up more room to re-sign our starting QB, who, being one of the best in the game, is liable to command a considerable salary.

Nothing changes here. Warfield and Jefferson the starters, Gordon the replacement for Frazier, Ballman the reserve SE and Stowe the 5th WR. We still need to get some more youth here, but that'll be next offseason's target.

Schmitt, John 56 C 9 53 53 1 yr.
Marchlewski, Frank 55 C 8 44 44 1 yr.
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 5 60 60 3 yrs
Fest, Howard 71 LG 5 47 47 1 yr.
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 6 89 89 2 yrs
George, Ed 65 LT 3 32 43 3 yrs
Taffoni, Joe 68 RT 6 43 43 2 yrs
Vogel, Bob 76 RT 10 47 47 1 yr.

Moorman-Schmitt-Upshaw are the only three positions that are set. Vogel could switch over to the left side (90% ratings), with Taffoni then the new RT and George the backup T at both spots. That's probably what I'll do, as I'm less and less happy with George each year. Marchlewski and Fest reprise their reserve roles.

Parsons, Bob 15 P 1 40 47 3 yrs
Maguire, Paul 9 P 13 73 73 1 yr.
Webster, Tim 16 K 2 45 58 2 yrs

Parsons hits the inactive list and waits for Maguire to retire. Wonderboy Webster stays obviously.

Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 4 56 56 4 yrs
Brown, Aaron 74 RDE 7 47 47 4 yrs
Grant, Wes 78 RDE 3 41 41 1 yr.
Korver, Kelvin 97 LDT 1 12 24 3 yrs
Pettigrew, Garry 73 LDT 7 41 41 1 yr.
Croft, Don 95 RDT 1 25 47 4 yrs
East, Ron 70 RDT 6 37 37 1 yr.

Greenwood and Brown start, Grant the reserve. Korver inactive, Pettigrew the starter at LDT, with Croft going to be given every opportunity to win the starting RDT job from East.

Graham, Tom 92 MLB 1 16 42 4 yrs
Lanier, Willie 58 MLB 6 71 71 3 yrs
Leake, Robert 51 MLB 13 17 17 1 yr.
Ciccolella, Mike 93 MLB 8 37 37 1 yr.
Walker, Cleo 91 SLB 3 23 37 2 yrs
Stratton, Mike 98 SLB 11 31 31 1 yr.
Lewis, Jess 94 SLB 3 13 25 1 yr.
Webster, George 50 WLB 6 50 50 4 yrs
Coleman, Dennis 57 WLB 2 25 40 3 yrs

Stratton-Lanier-Webster our starting 3. Leake gets cut, Ciccolella backs up Lanier and then there's a whole mess of fighting to determine who goes where. Lewis is a candidate to get cut as well, as we keep trying to free up more room.

Ford, Charlie 34 LCB 2 23 45 2 yrs
Beverly, Randy 28 LCB 6 45 45 1 yr.
Hayes, Billie 36 LCB 3 26 37 1 yr.
Sellers, Goldie 47 RCB 7 43 43 3 yrs
Duncan, Jim 29 RCB 5 40 40 2 yrs
Edwards, Glen 20 SS 2 62 62 3 yrs
Bird, Rodger 46 SS 7 21 21 1 yr.
Flowers, Richmond 30 SS 4 28 32 1 yr.
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 1 35 72 4 yrs
Clarke, Hagood 21 FS 9 50 50 3 yrs
Plump, Dave 23 FS 8 27 27 1 yr.

Beverly and Sellers are our obvious starters at CB and Edwards has the starting SS spot nailed down. But what to do at FS, where Clarke is pretty good, but Crist has All-Pro type potential? I'm leaning towards Crist, but we'll see. Plump parks his butt on the inactive list, with Flowers and whoever loses the FS fight the reserves. Duncan will be the backup RCB, whereas Ford has the inside track on the reserve LCB slot.

Actually change that around a bit. Coffey hits the inactive list, as Hill can be the passing down back again and we need the active roster spot.

Re-signings
RB Calvin Hill: 5 years, $1.24 mill.
C John Schmitt: 3 years, $660k
QB Ken Stabler: 5 years, $4.92 mill.

A fair price for Stabler, considering the average Top 5 QB salary is $720,000, a number which would be higher if it weren't for the fact that a few of the top QBs recently renegotiated their deals to get a pittance this year and next in exchange for getting close to $2.6 million in third season. Just a shade under a mill a year for salary + bonus for one of the top QBs in the game = A-OK by me, though we won't have much cap room to spare next year, about $1.8 mill and that's if we're not hit by any bad retirements.

Oh yeah, another part of the equation: Stabler's one of the top 5 QBs in the game and the rest of that group include a 9th year player (Roger Staubach), a 12th year QB (Fran Tarkenton) and two 11th year QBs (John Hadl and Roman Gabriel). The next two closest to Ken are Joe Namath (8th year 57/71) and Don Horn (6th year, 53/53), so we're in fantastic shape at QB for at least the next 5 years relative to everyone else in the league.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Miami 38 New Orleans 7
Warren Rabb looked extremely sharp today at 10-14 for 131 yards and 2 TDs, but Calvin Hill performed his usual two-sided act, with 73 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs alongside 3 catches for 48 yards and a TD. It was a dominating performance to start the exhibition season.

But FS Hagood Clarke will miss at least the next game and, in the worst injury we've had in Dolphins franchise history C John Schmitt, recent receipient of a nice contract extension, will be out for an entire year with a compound leg fracture.

Frank Marchlewski steps in as the new starting C and Donnie Bumgarner, a 13th year vet and chemistry addition who defines journeyman, having played for no less than 11 different teams including us, becomes the reserve.

Dave Plump is the reserve FS and Richmond Flowers becomes the dime safety in Clarke's absence.

Washington 20 Miami 13
Despite Jim Duncan's 46 yard kick return average, we just couldn't get anything going on either offense or defense today. I'm not worried about it, though. It's only preseason.

Miami 6 Tampa Bay 30
Credit this blowout to Warren Rabb[/g] getting intercepted 4 times and posting a [b]3.8 rating, the worst I've ever seen. Man, I sure hope Ken Stabler stays healthy.

Hagood Clarke's ready to come back, upgraded to Probable.

In starter news, although Don Croft didn't win the starting RDT spot, he did muscle his way into the nickel package, in addition to being the top backup DT.

Dallas 7 Miami 34
With all our starters in for the final game, we hammer the hell out of the Cowboys. Warren Rabb was 5/5 for 68 yards and 2 TDs, but Ken Stabler was the Player of the Game, looking sharp in his final tuneup at 16 of 19 for 184 yards and a TD.

With no new major injuries, we're good to go for the regular season! Except for one small thing. We have to cut 2 players. So it's goodbye to TE Ethan Staat and SLB Jess Lewis.

Regular Season

Miami 9 New Jersey 20
The Jets beat us as Ken Stabler can't connect with anybody, finishing a dismal 14 of 36. Those 5 sacks he received didn't help either, two of which translated into fumbles that New Jersey eagerly gobbled up for points. The only bright side of this game was Tim Webster's 3/3 FGs, including 2 from 40+ range.

Miami 10 San Francisco 7
It's an ugly win, but we'll take ugly at this point. Gary Ballman reaches into what's left of his greatly aging body for 5 catches and 109 yards to save the day. Ken Stabler continues to take a pounding, getting reached 6 times this game. I'm not sure what's up with our offensive line protection, but it needs to step up and fast.

Miami 31 Tucson 25
As I'm reading the box score for this game, it hits me. I never hit the Recommend Playing Time button. Oops! Despite my faux pas, Ken Stabler finally breaks out, with a 21 of 29 for 271 yards, 2 TDs and an INT on his way to Player of the Game Honors. Roy Jefferson makes 7 receptions for 123 yards and a TD.

Ouch. Brutal, brutal game for injuries. Reserve FL Dick Gordon and FS Hagood Clarke are both lost for the year and Gary Ballman's questionable. Ballman will stay in, out of necessity.

As before, the Dave Plump and Richmond Flowers combo to replace Clarke. WR Jack Clancy, a drop-prone former 1,000 yard receiver, is signed to take Gordon's place. This time I remember to hit the Recommend Time button.

Buffalo 33 Miami 21
Ken Stabler is 31-51 for 313 yards and 2 TDs... but he also throws 3 interceptions, including one that was returned 80 yards for a TD. Paul Warfield gets 10 catches for 104 yards and a TD and Willie Lanier had 13 tackles and 3 assists, but on the whole, our defense took a nap today.

Miami 31 San Diego 21
It's not overstating the case to say that every win is critical right now, especially since the rest of the division started off as hot as we did cold. Paul Warfield continues his torrid play with 5 catches for 106 yards and a TD and Jim Duncan averaged 42.5 yards a kick return, but the real master of the game was Aaron Brown with 4 tackles, 3 sacks and a knockdown.

Paul Warfield strained his calf muscle and will miss our next game. On top of it, Jack Clancy has a hamstring injury which makes him iffy, so out of sheer desperation, I start Otto Stowe, in hopes that he'll find the magic he's had for me in other dynasties.

Denver 3 Miami 17
Roy Jefferson does his best to remind people that he's a good receiver too, with 5 catches for 81 yards and 2 TDs, but it's L.C. Greenwood who takes over and follows Aaron Brown's suit from last game, with 6 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 hurries to really save our bacon.

Thankfully a bye week intervenes, allowing Paul Warfield to get fully healed up.

Miami 24 Kansas City 17
Ken Stabler finally takes over a game again, with 17-28 for 229 yards and 3 TDs in this fantastic come from behind victory. Maybe it's possible for us to right the ship after all. *knocks on wood*

Oakland 6 Miami 33
It's Ken Stabler again, this time 20-30 for 246 yards, 3 TDs and an INT. Roy Jefferson continues his quest to be the best, with 8 catches for 139 yards and a TD. We also picked up 3 interceptions on the day as we destroy the Raiders, who are playing pretty well this year, this game aside.

With the victory we've propelled ourselves to 6-2, a game behind the 7-1 Patriots, who are riding a solid all-around team to a tie with the defending Super Bowl champion Tucson Titans for the league's best record at 7-1.

I'd like to point out the Titans' only loss is to us. :D


Record 6-2
Winning Pct. .750
All-Time 123-77
Winning Pct. .615
Playoffs 9-7
Playoff Visits 9
Bowl Wins 2
Head Coach Dave Hanner
Record 29-14
Winning Pct. .674
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 28.9 15
Rushing Yards 105.6 22
Yards Per Carry 3.66 31
Pass Attempts 32.9 12 (T)
Completions 20.1 12
Completion Pct. 61.2 16 (T)
Passing Yards 240.3 1
Yards Per Attempt 7.31 1
Yards Per Catch 11.94 1
Total Yardage Gained 324.9 3
3rd Down Conversions 43.8 3
Points Per Game 22.0 6
Pass Rush Pct. 6.9 16 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 68.5 16 (T)
Turnovers 14 18 (T)
Turnover Margin +1 15 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 24.1 6 (T)
Rushing Yards 102.3 11
Yards Per Carry 4.24 22
Pass Attempts 35.5 31
Completions 21.6 31
Completion Pct. 60.9 18
Passing Yards 198.6 18
Yards Per Attempt 5.60 10 (T)
Yards Per Catch 9.18 4
Total Yardage Gained 285.6 14
3rd Down Conversions 35.1 13
Points Per Game 16.5 10
Pass Rush Pct. 6.7 14
Pass Defense Pct. 69.7 22
Turnovers 15 13 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 9 at NJY 20
2 10 at SFO 7
3 31 at TUC 25
4 21 BUF 33
5 31 at SDO 21
6 17 DEN 3
8 24 at KCY 17
9 33 OAK 6
10 at NED
11 NJY
12 STL
13 PIT
14 at LAS
15 at BUF
16 SEA
17 NED

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 K. Stabler QB 263 161 1922 7.31 14 7 90.2
**Team --- 263 161 1922 7.31 14 7 90.2
$$Opp --- 284 173 1589 5.60 11 8 77.3

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
38 C. Hill RB 117 488 4.17 2 2
41 C. Pittman RB 88 311 3.53 4 1
10 K. Stabler QB 21 37 1.76 0 6
**Team --- 231 845 3.66 7 13
$$Opp --- 193 818 4.24 3 16

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 R. Jefferson WR 47 32 509 15.91 10.83 2 5
85 P. Warfield WR 53 30 418 13.93 7.89 4 4
89 G. Ballman WR 40 24 311 12.96 7.78 1 3
86 T. Mitchell TE 22 18 179 9.94 8.14 0 1
38 C. Hill RB 20 13 55 4.23 2.75 2 0
88 J. Clancy WR 28 10 130 13.00 4.64 4 1
41 C. Pittman RB 11 10 49 4.90 4.45 0 0
83 D. Gordon WR 19 8 92 11.50 4.84 4 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 50 19 1.0 0 1 4 80.4
20 G. Edwards S 40 10 1.0 1 0 2 75.6
50 G. Webster OLB 32 5 1.0 0 1 5 73.7
91 C. Walker OLB 26 2 1.0 2 0 1 67.2
98 M. Stratton OLB 24 7 0.0 1 0 5 73.6
96 L. Greenwood DE 24 2 6.0 8 0 0 81.5
73 G. Pettigrew DT 19 6 0.0 1 0 0 81.5
74 A. Brown DE 18 2 6.0 7 0 0 81.4
28 R. Beverly CB 17 5 1.0 0 1 9 84.7
31 C. Crist S 16 11 0.0 0 2 1 82.6
47 G. Sellers CB 15 3 0.0 1 3 4 86.6
29 J. Duncan CB 13 6 0.0 0 0 2 77.9
30 R. Flowers S 13 3 0.0 0 0 2 76.3
95 D. Croft DT 11 6 0.5 5 0 0 81.9
93 M. Ciccolella ILB 10 1 0.0 0 0 0 68.3
70 R. East DT 10 2 1.0 1 0 0 81.3
78 W. Grant DE 8 2 0.5 2 0 0 76.5

The numbers are skewed by my stupid recommend error the first few games, but overall, I'd have to say I'm pretty happy with how the team's performing. Ken Stabler's INT #s are a bit high, but remember 3 of them came in one game.

Our pass defense has improved tremendously and I'd like to credit our new corners and shiny new rookie FS for that one. I'm thinking I need to find a new RB, though. Hill's endurance sucks and is only going to get worse... and to think I gave him a fat extension too, doh!

Still, we're sitting in good shape right now. Not only are the Patriots still in our sights, but we've got the #1 wildcard spot if the season ended today.

[Izulde]

For the first time in years, nobody's complaining about PT at the halfway point. Yay!

Miami 3 New England 23
Another 2 interception, 2 fumble day by Ken Stabler, who's starting to get a reputation for streakiness, I think. He killed us today, as did our offensive line, who gave up 6 sacks. Willie Lanier picked up 12 tackles and 3 assists to lead the defense.

New Jersey 7 Miami 37
Revenge for our opening week loss and a reminder that though we're now two games behind in the division, we still have the playoffs to fight for. Calvin Hill has his first century mark of the season: 24 rushes for 127 yards and a TD. Good Ken showed up today, 17-29 for 279 yards and 2 TDs, the bulk yardage going to Roy Jefferson, who had 5 catches for 104 yards and a TD. Willie Lanier notched 10 tackles and 2 assists.

St. Louis 27 Miami 10
Stop me if you've heard this before. 2 fumbles, 2 interceptions by the 6-times sacked Ken Stabler to have us fall to a 1-9 team. Ugly, ugly stuff. Willie Lanier continues to be a tackle machine with 11 and 4, and L.C. Greenwood records 6 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown. We must improve on the offensive line next offseason, that's all there is to it.

Pittsburgh 22 Miami 21
Ouch! This loss HURTS! With 2:23 left in the game, the Steelers get a safety and a FG to put themselves in major playoff contention, sending us both to 7-5 records. Despite 22-30 for 296 yards, Ken Stabler again tosses 2 picks and fumbles twice, (3 sacks) and I'm beginning to think we're going to find a new coaching staff next year.

Miami 24 Los Angeles 10
A critical win, keyed by Ken Stabler's 18-25 for 316 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT performance, Paul Warfield's 6 catches for 105 yards and a TD and a fine game from our defense, including Willie Lanier with 9 tackles, 2 assists and a sack, and Gary Pettigrew and Wes Grant each with 3 tackles and 2 sacks.

Miami 32 Buffalo 24
We slam the door on the Bills behind, of all things, the following: Warren Rabb with 331 yards and 4 TDs after Ken Stabler's migraines kept him out of the game. Calvin Hill had a monster yardage game as well, with 93 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards, and a receiving TD to boot. L.C. Greenwood also had an incredible game, with 5 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 hurries, and 2 knockdowns. Talk about rising to the occasion!

Seattle 10 Miami 34
Paul Warfield catches 7 passes for 114 yards and Calvin Hill runs for 92 yards and 2 TDs as we demolish the Seahawks. Our defense was headed up by Willie Lanier's 10 tackles, 2 assists and half sack and Aaron Brown's following L.C. Greenwood's play last game with 4 tackles, 3 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown. You see now why I re-signed both Brown and Greenwood? They feed perfectly off of each other.

We've appeared to guarantee ourselves a playoff spot with the victory, which puts us at 10-5, a good thing because we face the Patriots in our final game of the regular season.

New England 16 Miami 27
And we send an emphatic message by roundly beating the Patriots! Goldie Sellers showed why I was so enthusiastic about his signing as he gets 3 interceptions by himself. Terrific second-year SS Glen Edwards gets 2 interceptions of his own, as we absolutely feast on Harold Stephens.

We're back in the playoffs, but the road is tough as we have a lot of niggling little injuries and we don't get the advantage of a bye week this season.

But who knows? Maybe miracles can happen.

[Izulde]

We win a first-round playoff date with the Denver Broncos, who have an absolutely brilliant QB in 11th year man Roman Gabriel and a trio of good receivers in TE Charlie Sanders, FL Otis Taylor and SE Harold Jackson.

Their offensive line is thankfully low on chemistry, with two rookies and a second year player, and they gave up a lot of sacks this season. The Broncos also have no depth to speak of at WR. Terry Swanson is a terrific punter, but K Gene Mingo underachieves terribly. LDT Paul Smith anchors a solid, young defensive line, but the linebacking corps is merely adequate. LCB Ed Sharockman is a fine cornerback, but the rest of the secondary is suspect, particularly a pair of very atrocious safeties.

This game, in my opinion, is going to come down to whose aerial assault is the best. I like our seconday a hell of a lot better than Denver's, and even with our injuries, I'll take our receiving corps over the Broncos'.

Vegas has us favored by 3.

Oh what a thriller! Down 22-13 with two minutes left in the game and it looks like goodbye, Miami, but then Ken Stabler connects with Paul Warfield for a 5 yard TD and our defense comes up with a big stop on the ensuing drive. Our offense then marches down the field and with 12 seconds left on the clock, Tim Webster hits the game-winning 43 yard FG!

Ken Stabler was 28-52 for 383 yards and a TD, but he also threw 3 picks to put us in serious danger of losing the game. Paul Warfield won Player of the Game with 8 catches for 127 yards and that critical late TD. Tim Webster hit 3/3 of FGs, including that game-winner and a 49 yarder. What a great pick he turned out to be! Finally, Rodger Bird averaged 16.3 yards a punt return.

FS Dave Plump hyperextends his elbow and is gone for the next round, necessitating the signing of S Doug Hart, a Week 17 cut by the Dallas Cowboys, to step in and play backup FS for the divisional game. We also have some other injuries still plaguing us, but the guys will just have to play through them as everything's do or die right now.

[Izulde]

We get another tough draw for the divisional round, the Patriots in Foxboro. Yeah, the Dolphins winter curse looms large.

New England's offense honestly isn't that good and only has achieved the sort of production it has because of their fantastic line, spearheaded by C Jim Otto. This talented unit was a big reason for rookie RB Tom Sullivan having a great first year with 1,104 yards and 7 TDs rushing in the regular season. FB MacArthur Lane is also a critical component of the blocking needed to engineer Sullivan.

DEs Coy Bacon, Dennis Byrd and ageless NT Bob Lilly form the scariest front 3 of a 3-4 in the entire NFL. Their linebacking corps is pretty pedestrian however, save for SLB Paul Naumoff, who gives opposing offenses nightmares.

RCB Miller Farr and SS Charlie West head up a pretty good secondary, though FS Warren Powers is ancient and a weak link that can be exposed.

Unlike the game against Denver, which looked like offense, the test here will be defense vs. defense and that matchup overwhemingly favors the Patriots.

Vegas agrees, having New England favored by 3.

And what a defensive matchup it was! The two units bottlenecked one another's offenses all day long, but in the end, the good guys prevailed, with a 21 yard pass from Ken Stabler to Paul Warfield the deciding score.

We were so effective at blocking the Patriots that their only points came on a 16 yard interception return by LCB Mike Howell. Both of our own new starting CBs continue their fine play, each one picking off Harold Stephens to kill Patriots drives. Paul Maguire pinned 6 of his punts inside New England's 20 yard line to keep them backed up against the wall.

To give you an example of how close this game was, the Player of the Game went to Patriots SLB Paul Naumoff, who had 5 tackles, 3 assists, 2.5 sacks and 2 hurries.

But in the end, it's the scoreboard that counts and the scoreboard says...

We're back in the AFC Championship game!

Miami 10 New England 7

[Izulde]

As it turns out, we've got a rematch with the defending Super Bowl champion Tucson Titans in the AFC title game.

How does this year's unit stack up against last year's?

Well, they've a new QB, Bill Munson, who's average, and horrible new starting WRs. But they also have a new FB, Cid Edwards, who's a brilliant blocker and they still boast RB John Fuqua, who ran for 1,620 yards and 13 TDs in the regular season.

The Titans also have a nasty set of lines. Their offensive line is still really good and their defensive line is just sick, with DE Lyle Alzado, Cedrick Hardeman and DT Don Davis all exceptional pass-rushers. Remember, Alzado and Davis gave us fits last year in the AFC Championship game.

Tucson's linebacking corps is definitely showing their age this season, but CB Willie Brown is as deadly as ever and his new partner, CB Earsell Mackbee, was a fantastic free agent acquistion. The safeties are fortunately still weak, with rookie SS Jack Mildren promising, but raw.

Like the Patriots game, this is going to come down to a battle of defenses and I hate to say it, but the Titans look like they have the advantage on us again.

The bookies are calling this game Even Odds, the first time that's happened in Dolphins postseason history.

But then, along the way, Ken Stabler got mad. Mad at all the press calling him erratic, furious at some fans who are questioning if maybe we shouldn't trade him and start over again, sick of opponents calling him Interception Ken.

And Ken Stabler plays well mad. To the tune of 17-26 for 290 yards, 2 TDs and an INT on his way to Player of the Game honors. He took full advantage of his receiving targets, distributing passes out quite evenly.

On the defensive side, L.C. Greenwood harrassed Bill Munson all game long. Although Greenwood didn't get a sack, his 3 hurries and 4 knockdowns show just how often he was in that Titans backfield.

In short, it was a blowout.

Miami 31 Tucson 10

WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!!! :) :) :) :) :)

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XIII Preview

Miami Dolphins vs. Atlanta Falcons

Quarterback
The Dolphins feature Ken Stabler as their starting QB, who's thrown for over 3,000 yards and more than 20 TDs the last three seasons. Although he's been sharply criticized for his increased interceptions this season, particularly in the postseason, the fact remains that he's the one of the top QBs in the game in just his 5th season. This despite the pressures of being a #1 overall pick and having to replace the legendary Johnny Unitas, who's as revered in South Florida as he is in Indiana. This is Stabler's first Super Bowl and he's hungry to prove his critics wrong.

Atlanta counters with 13th year vet Norman McNeil, who carried the Tucson Titans to their first ever Super Bowl title last season with some dazzling postseason heroics. McNeil has again displayed incredible grit and phenomenal leadership in helping guide this Falcons franchise to its first ever Super Bowl game and he's got the moxie and the experience to pull off the victory here, in spite of not having Stabler's talent.

Advantage: Slight edge Dolphins

Running Backs
Miami has a two-back attack in Calvin Hill and Charlie Pittman. Hill is a two-threat back, able to both run the ball and be a dangerous receiver out of the backfield. He's rushed for over 1,000 yards each of his last three seasons and is a critical component of the Dolphins' passing game. Pittman is one of the best reserve RBs in the game, able to spell Hill effectively enough to run for around 700 yards each of the past two years. Larry Csonka is bar none, the best FB in the NFL today.

There's no two back system for the Falcons, which relies solely on the incredible Mercury Morris, a 4th year back who's never run for less than 1,100 yards in a season. This year, he's been practically the whole offense for Atlanta, with 398 rushes, the 6th highest total in league history. In those attempts, he's amassed 1,746 yards and 19 TDs, good for 6th highest season total and 4th highest season total respectively in the history of the NFL. Those are MVP numbers! Joe Burgess is only a body at FB, making Morris's accomplishments all the more impressive.

Advantage: Falcons

Wide Receivers
In Paul Warfield, a 4-time 1st Team All-Pro, and Roy Jefferson, the Dolphins have two of the most talented starting receivers in the league. Jefferson struggled his first few seasons in Miami, but had his best year in the aqua and orange during the regular season, finally breaking the 1,000 yard receiving mark with more TDs (8) than drops (3). Warfield is slowing down with age, but he's still a force to be reckoned with. TE Tom Mitchell, Miami's 1966 3rd round pick, returned to the Dolphins this year after stints in Minnesota and Seattle and is an adequate athlete. Reserve WR Gary Ballman, a careerlong Dolphin, continues to be a significant presence and Jack Clancy, an emergency pickup after Dick Gordon went down with a season-ending injury, surprised by far exceeding expectations.

Ben Hawkins and Gary Garrison, in counterpoint, have talent, but neither one has ever been able to put it together, despite the high 1st round picks spent on them. TE Ted Kwalick is a superb blocker who should be used more in the passing game than he is. Bubba Thornton is the lone Falcons backup wideout who's more than a warm body.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
When starting C John Schmitt was lost for the year in preseason, Miami counted itself very fortunate to have re-signed Frank Marchlewski, the league's best backup center and the team's offensive line leader. With Marchlewski in, the Dolphins' line needed little time to gel together. Mo Moorman and Gene Upshaw are the best pair of starting guards in the NFL. Far less impressive are tackles Bob Vogel and Joe Taffoni, who combined to give up 24 sacks in the regular season.

Undrafted rookie free agent C Eugene Kinard shocked everyone by not only making the team, but winning the starting job in preseason. He then stunned watchers further by putting together a surprisingly adequate season. Kinard was one of two rookie starters on the line, the other 4th round pick Ralph Miller at RG. Much of the success of the young line can be attributed to superlative LT Glen Ray Hines, who held mandatory meetings after practice to meet with his linemates and mentor them. RT Tony Liscio is a good run-blocker, but suffers in pass protection.

Advantage: Dolphins

Defensive Line
L.C. Greenwood is a sack maestro, with at least 11 sacks in each of the past three seasons. He credits a lot of his results to fellow DE Aaron Brown, who also has double-digit sacks each of the last three years, all of them with the Dolphins. Between the two, Miami has arguably the most feared pair of ends in the league. DT is ugly in comparison, as Gary Pettigrew and Ron East are little more than filler.

3rd year DE Dennis Wirgowski is slowly putting it together, but he's not quite there yet. 2nd year DE Mike Walker is a body. Bill Nelson is an average DT and 2nd year DT Mike Lewis has the type of talent that should make him one of the best in the league at the position, but he hasn't achieved the mental ability yet, for he's worse than Nelson in terms of performance.

Advantage: Dolphins

Linebackers
Miami's linebacking corps rests almost entirely on incredible MLB Willie Lanier, although WLB George Webster is a tackle machine. SLB Mike Stratton scares no one and neither do the Dolphins' reserve backers.

The Falcons have a good MLB in Jimmy Carter and one of the league's brightest young linebackers in rookie SLB Stan White, who suffered a hamstring injury that limited him to 6 starts, but who played well in that time and who's been a major, major reason why Atlanta's in the Super Bowl, tackling people at will in the postseason. WLB Dick Blanchard is better-suited to the strong side and has looked extremely uncomfortable playing weakside.

Advantage: Falcons

Secondary
The Dolphins made it a mission to overhaul their secondary last offseason and they did, bringing in Randy Beverly and Goldie Sellers as new starters at cornerback. Both played brilliantly in the preseason, but Beverly's looked lost in the playoffs. Sellers, on the other hand, not only set a franchise record with 7 interceptions in the regular season, but has continued his torrid play in the postseason, making him a free agency steal. Miami also completed its quest to find the next Ross Fichtner and Don Fleming by adding Chuck Crist in the 1st round of the draft to team up with already accomplished second year SS Glen Edwards. Crist and Edwards both had sterling regular seasons and look to have Miami set with the best pair of safeties in the league for years to come.

Atlanta lost its best CB in Week 15 when Ken Reaves went down with a torn knee ligament, but Pat Fischer has played adequately in his stead. The other corner, 2nd year CB Rich Sowells, has turned this playoffs into his coming out party, with an incredible 90.4% pass defense after not even breaking 80% his first two regular seasons. SS Kenny Graham is a beast, a four-time All-Pro who's the leader of the secondary both on and off the field. FS Terry Brown is average.

Advantage: Dolphins

Special Teams
Paul Maguire may be a 13th year vet, but he's a three-time All-Pro punter, including a 2nd Team nod last season and he's shown no signs of slowing down this year. K Tim Webster was brilliant as a rookie, but struggled this season with more opportunities. That said, he's quite dependable at the longer distances.

The Falcons have two rookies at their kicking spots. P Dave Green is league average, while 3rd round pick K Toni Linhart has a boomer leg and an accurate one, as he was 8/12 from 50+ range.

Advantage: Draw

Synopsis
Atlanta's only hope in this game is to force it into one of long drives that eat up a lot of time on the clock and allow the Falcons to continue ramming Mercury Morris down the weak middle of the Dolphins' defensive line.

Unfortunately, the Falcons don't have the pass-rushers needed to get to Ken Stabler and throw him off-stride, even given Miami's problems at tackle and ultimately, the simple fact of the matter is that the Dolphins just have far too much talent for Atlanta to be able to cope with.

Look for a banner day from Paul Warfield as he uses his vast talent advantage to abuse the overachieving Pat Fischer and Ken Stabler uses the time the Dolphins' line will give him to throw to Warfield. Miami's aerial firepower will be too fast and too furious for the Falcons to counter with the points they need.

Prediction: Miami by 9

[Izulde]

We get the opening kickoff and after the touchback, Ken Stabler goes to work, going an incredible 6-6 on the first drive, most of them to Paul Warfield. Calvin Hill gets in a few decent runs as well, but it's a 2 yard pass from Ken Stabler to Gary Ballman that gives us the TD and first strike of the game!

Miami 7 Atlanta 0 - 9:41 1st Quarter

On Atlanta's very first play, a 14 yard QB sweep by Norman McNeil, he's belted hard by Aaron Brown and George Webster, so hard that he fumbles the ball and Gary Pettigrew recovers, putting us on Atlanta's 41 yard line.

We nearly have a heart attack when Jack Clancy fumbles the ball on a 9 yard reception following a 6 yard run by Charlie Pittman, but Ken Stabler recovers to keep us deep in Falcons' territory. It's then that Ken Stabler has his first incompletions of the game, three straight, with a blocked pass, a pass defended, and a drop by Jack Clancy, so we have to settle for the 43 yard FG by Tim Webster.

Miami 10 Atlanta 0 - 7:03 1st Quarter

An costly unsportsmanlike conduct nullifies a promising start to the Falcons' next drive and after the 3 and out, Rodger Bird returns the punt to our own 47 yard line. Despite a brilliant 39 yard reception by Calvin Hill that was all Hill after the screen pass at the line of scrimmage, we fail to turn it into points after Tim Webster shanks a 32 yarder, much to the whole stadium's disbelief.

Our defense continues to dominate, a George Webster sack of Norman McNeil forcing another 3 and out, but Rodger Bird fumbles the punt return and Lewis Jolley gets the ball to give the Falcons some small hope as the first quarter draws to a close.

End 1st Quarter: Miami 10 Atlanta 0

But Royce Womble has his boys trained up too well and so another 3 and out ensues, highlighted by a Dan Croft sack. We get hammered with ugly penalties on the next drive that force us to punt, despite some fantastic passes by Ken Stabler, some of which got called back. Norman McNeil starts putting together a small drive for the Falcons, but it turns into another 3 and out after Ben Hawkins drops an easy pass.

From there, it's a trade of 3 and outs, until Ken Stabler throws a horrible interception to Falcons S Kenny Graham, who returns it all the way back to our 27 yard line. This time, we can't stop Atlanta and Mercury Morris celebrates after squirting in a 3 yard TD run. And that margin ends up as the halftime score.

Halftime: Miami 10 Atlanta 7

The third quarter is a continous exchange of 3 and outs until Lewis Jolley rips off a 35 yard run around the left side that has the Falcons on the Dolphins 35 and I'm wanting to tear my hair out here. We should be dominating, but we just can't do it. Luckily, we stiffen up and Toni Linhart misses the 44 yarder, the rookie no doubt feeling the Super Bowl pressure.

Another 3 and out follows, but Paul Maguire pins the Atlanta inside their own 20 and a Glen Edwards sack serves as a prelude to a 10 yard run by Lewis Jolley that's nullified by a brutal hit from George Webster and Willie Lanier that causes a fumble. Richmond Flowers comes up with it and races downfield, the TD only prevented by a shoestring tackle from Frank Johnson on the Falcons' 3 yard line.

But a 3 yard pass from Ken Stabler to Charlie Pittman for the TD takes care of that and we finally have some breathing room!

Miami 17 Atlanta 7 - 2:17 3rd quarter

On the second play of the Falcons' next drive, Norman McNeil throws a beautiful 33 yard pass to Barry Pearson, but Glen Edwards lowers the boom to force the fumble and George Webster, a consistent presence in fumbles this Super Bowl, recovers on our 47 yard line. But Atlanta gets the ball right back after John Gordon and Bill Nelson ring Calvin Hill's bell, Nelson recovering the fumble and getting back down to just inside our territory before Larry Csonka takes him down.

End 3rd Quarter: Miami 17 Atlanta 7

It's then that Norman McNeil starts showing his veteran savvy and how he managed to carry the Titans to the Super Bowl last season, with textbook passes that take advantage of the men left open against our double coverage scheme. Unfortunately, a holding penalty denies Atlanta the TD and so they have to settle for Toni Linhart's 33 yard FG.

Miami 17 Atlanta 10 - 11:33 4th Quarter

We're nowhere near safe yet, particularly not when the defense recognizes our pass play on 3rd down, forcing a 3 and out. Norman McNeil continues making throws into the holes left on our defense, but then L.C. Greenwood disrupts his rhythm by forcing him into a bad throw and Toni Linhart absolutely shanks the ensuing 46 yarder.

But it turns out not to matter as a false start penalty and Ken Stabler's 2nd interception of the game has the Falcons back on our 42 yard line. Rookie Stan White came up with the critical pick. Then it's Norman McNeil passing for 10 yards to Mercury Morris, Norman McNeil scrambling for 13 yards and Mercury Morris finally breaking past the chains of our defense for 19 yards, the TD, and the tied game.

Miami 17 Atlanta 17 - 5:27 4th Quarter

Atlanta's fans are going crazy in the stands and the broadcasters are talking about what a thrilling finish this is turning out to be and it continues when Jim Duncan looks like a homerun threat as he returns the kickoff 33 yards, followed by Ken Stabler making two crisp passes to put us in field goal range.

But then the Falcons' defense stiffens up and we get hit by two penalties, forcing Tim Webster into the most critical FG try of his young career, a 49 yarder, no less. But the Wonder nails it and we've regained the lead!

Miami 20 Atlanta 17 - 3:04 4th Quarter

There's still time left on the clock, though and Norman McNeil's been able to handle the pressure situations before. Can he do it again?

Willie Lanier and L.C. Greenwood turn the answer to that question into a temporary no, sacking Norman McNeil on the opening play of the drive to cause the 3 and out. Glen Edwards contributed with a clutch pass defense on third down to deny the surefire first down.

With the ball back on our own 46 yard line, we run off 3 runs that don't go anywhere and Paul Maguire booms a punt into the endzone for a touchback.

1:24 left in the game. Falcons ball on their own 20 yard line. One last chance for an Atlanta miracle.

Norman McNeil throws a rainbow, a Hail Mary that looks destined to land in Bubba Thornton's hands. The field before Thornton is clear for the TD...

But then Goldie Sellers races over and leaps up to pick off the pass!!!! Amazing!!! The new single-season Dolphins' record holder in interceptions has done it!!! He's won the game!!!!

And indeed, he has, for we do a run and a knee, and that's all over.

Final Score: Miami 20 Atlanta 17

The whole team douses Head Coach Dave Hanner in Gatorade and the celebration is beautiful to watch. I'm feeling gleeful too, because unlike our last two Super Bowl wins, when I got lucky with Johnny Unitas coming open in free agency, this team was a hell of a lot harder to put together.

Ken Stabler is the Super Bowl MVP with his 21-39, 251 yard, 2 TD, 2 INT, 2 fumble recovery performance. I'd have chosen Willie Lanier who had 12 tackles, 4 assists, and a critical half-sack, but in a way, it's only fitting that Stabler wins the award. This represents not only finally bringing a Super Bowl championship to a non-Unitas Dolphins team, but it answers all the critics who said he's too turnover-prone to be an elite QB.

While he did throw two interceptions, I don't blame it on Stabler. I put it up to OC Edwin Buckley, who may be looking for another job this offseason.

But let's just enjoy this Super Bowl win for now. It's not only a vindication for Ken, but for Dave Hanner as well, who had to follow the ultra-popular Tyrus Treftz. He'll be a serious candidate for his second straight Coach of the Year award. Royce Womble gets some glory, too, because this victory wouldn't have happened without his becoming, through the years on our staff, the best DC in the game.

And finally, it's a sweet victory for me as a GM. I had to rebuild this team after Johnny Unitas started declining and eventually left back to the Colts and sure, I got lucky when the Vikings' 1st round pick I traded one of my own 1st rounders for turned out to be the #1 pick that became Ken Stabler, but this Dolphins team not only featured a lot of great late 1st round picks I made, but was deep enough to overcome losses to Dick Gordon, our #3 WR, John Schmitt, our starting C and Hagood Clarke, a player good enough to be our starting FS at the beginning of the year.

Here's a look at the starters and where I got them, just like I did the previous Super Bowl champions:

Offensive Starters
QB Ken Stabler - 1st round (1.1) 1968 Draft
RB Calvin Hill - 1st round (1.26) 1969 Draft
FB Larry Csonka - 2nd round (2.32) 1968 Draft
TE Tom Mitchell - 3rd round (3.30) 1966 Draft - FA Signing 1972
FL Paul Warfield - 1st round (2.22) 1964 Draft
SE Roy Jefferson - FA Signing 1970
LT Bob Vogel - FA Signing 1970
LG Mo Moorman - 1st round (1.32) 1968 Draft
C Frank Marchlewski - FA Signing 1969
RG Gene Upshaw - 1st round (1.29) 1967 Draft
RT Joe Taffoni - FA Signing 1971
K Tim Webster - 5th round (5.25) 1971 Draft

Defensive Starters
LDE L.C. Greenwood - 2nd round (2.25) 1969 Draft
LDT Garry Pettigrew - FA Signing 1972
RDT Ron East - FA Signing 1972
RDE Aaron Brown - FA Signing 1970
SLB Mike Stratton - FA Signing 1972
MLB Willie Lanier - FA Signing 1971
WLB George Webster - FA Signing 1972
LCB Randy Beverly - FA Signing 1972
RCB Goldie Sellers - FA Signing 1972
SS Glen Edwards - 1st round (1.25) 1971 Draft
FS Chuck Crist - 1st round (1.28) 1972 Draft
P Paul Maguire - FA Signing 1968

[Izulde]

After the celebrations, it's time to review this season statistically.

Ken Stabler did throw a lot of interceptions this year, but I blame that in part on our poor tackle situation and plan to make the position one of our top priorities in the offseason. Calvin Hill broke 1,000 yards rushing again and Paul Warfield and Roy Jefferson each broke the 1,000 yard receiving barrier and Charlie Pittman continues to really impress as a #2 back. I wouldn't ever want him to be the feature RB, but he continues in our Dolphins tradition of 4th and 5th round finds at RB.

Will Lanier is a terrific MLB and George Webster was a pleasant surprise, both in the regular season and the playoffs at WLB, but we're still lacking a SLB. Glen Edwards and Chuck Crist are our present and future at S and of course, we all know the Goldie Sellers story, but I'd like to find a multi-year solution at the other CB spot, possibly a rookie. L.C. Greenwood and Aaron Brown make a terrific pair of ends, but we're still extremely weak at DT.

I'm also planning on finding new blood at WR, because our group is getting old.

So for right now, my offseason priorities look like this: Better starters at both T spots and SLB as the most critical needs, a young WR a shade below that, and a young starting CB as a much lesser concern.

Dolphins Awards

QB Ken Stabler - Super Bowl MVP
Covered in the previous post.

CB Goldie Sellers - 2nd Team All-Pro CB
I remember being really, really excited about getting Sellers and raving that he was the perfect fit for our team, but in no way did I expect he would set a franchise single-season record for interceptions, make a clutch Super Bowl-saving pick, or make an All-Pro team. What a fantastic, fantastic signing. I'm thrilled to have him as a Dolphin and hope to keep him until he retires.

No changes in statistics for our staff and although I consider a new OC, there's nobody available on the market that holds my interest, so we bypass all that.

Last year's 2nd round pick DT Don Croft gets the summer league invitation, as he's going to be given every opportunity possible to win one of the starting DT spots this year after failing to in his rookie season.

Needs by the Numbers
QB, TE, C, G, T, DE, DT (11 new bodies total)

Week 1 Re-signings
RB Charlie Pittman - 1 year, $70k*
DE Wes Grant - 1 year, $70k*
FL Otto Stowe - 1 year, $50k

Week 2 Signings
QB Ron Meyer - 1 year, $100k* (Houston)
-Been a starter, both full and part-time before and is actually pretty good, in my opinion. Underrated and a good fit for our #2 spot. I also like his mentor abilities.

P Danny Villaneuva - 1 year, $110k* (New York)
-Paul Maguire wanted boku bucks and I'm not quite ready to give our 2nd year P the job yet, so I snagged this guy on a min-sal deal. He's a former 1st Team All-Pro P and I think he'll be decent enough for us.

SLB Ed Philpott - 1 year, $80k* (Baltimore)
-Until now career-long Raven, a starter ever since his rookie season (1.17 in 1967) who can tackle and play pass defense. Not a pass-rusher, though, which won't be too big a concern, with Greenwood and Brown up front.

Week 4 Signings
S Rodger Bird - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-I'll keep bringing him back until a better punt returner comes along. End of story.

Week 4 Losses
DT Ron East - 1 year, $80k* (Carolina)
-The Panthers must be desparate for DT help to go and sign East. Enjoy him!

Week 5 Signings
CB Randy Beverly - 1 year, $100k (Re-signing)
-A small bidding war broke out over him, so I had to spend some of the money I saved on min-sal contracts elsewhere to bring Beverly back. Playoff difficulties aside, he was great for us in the regular season and I'd be comfortable with having him start again if need be.

Week 6 Signings
C Frank Marchlewski - 1 year, $120k (Re-signing)
-Every year he asks for a little more than the minimum to re-sign with us and every year he gets his wish, especially after last season when he saved our butts following John Schmitt going down for the season. He's just a fantastic guy to have on the team. Mentor, terrific affinity captain, quality backup.. it's great.

Week 6 Losses
WR Dick Gordon - 1 year, 100k* (Green Bay)
-Contributed virtually nothing last season because of injury, but 4 drops in 3 games, especially as a backup, is a fast way to punch your ticket out of any town one of my teams plays in.

T Bob Vogel - 1 year, $180k (Cleveland)
-The Browns get desparate and offer a really fat check to a player who frankly has done nothing to deserve it the last few years. Vogel just set himself up very nicely for retirement with this scam. Enjoy his suckitude, Cleveland!

DT Garry Pettigrew - 1 year, $100k* (Pittsburgh)
-Was a major disappointment as a starter last season, so I'm not all that sorry to see him go. I still think there's a good player lurking in there somewhere, though.

NT George Wright - 1 year, $80k* (New England - Re-signing)
-Ouch. Low loyalty but he still re-ups with the Patriots. I was really counting on him to be my other starting DT this year too if I didn't get help from the draft. Oh well.

MLB Mike Ciccolella - 1 year, $100k* (New England)
-Respectable reserve MLB for us last season, but he had a conflict with Ken Stabler, which I'm sure caused some issues, so it's not that big a deal. It does remind me, however, that I need to find myself a new backup MLB.

Week 7 Signings
DT Bob Rowe - 1 year, $100k (Houston)
-Extremely solid DT for the Oilers ever since he came into the league, he provides us a definite starter at DT, one we sorely needed after all the curious raiding on that spot of our sucky guys. I think he'll be a really good pickup.

S Richmond Flowers - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Some other teams started sniffing around him so I quickly snatched him up. Always a solid backup S in the regular season, he really turned it on last year in the playoffs, which is what generated considerable interest in him. One of those 4th round picks I've made who surprises everyone by turning out better than expected.

Week 8 Signings
G Howard Fest - 2 years, $190k (Re-signing)
-I consider him on par with Frank Marchlewski in terms of his value as a backup G, so I put in the extra money to lock him up for a couple of seasons. Not a fantastic player, but one definitely capable of filling in, should something happen to a starter.

MLB Jamie Rivers - 1 year, $100k (New York)
-Gave up the chance to start elsewhere in order to earn a little bit more money and have a shot at a Super Bowl title with us. A solid starter for the Giants, he'll fit in well as the backup MLB and defensive front leader with us; has a chemistry bonus with Willie Lanier!

Week 8 Losses
P Paul Maguire - 2 years, $280k (San Diego)
-Teams fought over the opportunity to offer him the ridiculous amount of money he was looking for and the Chargers win the sweepstakes. Yeah, I love Paul and he was fantastic for us and everything, but no way to I assign a P that old a two year deal of that kind of cash, including a $60k bonus. Sorry, that just doesn't work.

Week 9 Signings
TE Kent Kramer - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Quality backup TE and a fantastic long snapper. No reason not to keep him around, especially on a min-sal deal.

T Roger Shoals - 2 years, $240k (Cleveland)
-Spent 11 years as the starting LT in Philadelphia before becoming a reserve with the Browns last season. Wanted a ridiculous amount of money and a two year deal, but I talked him down to a reasonable price for 2 years. Still more money than I want to pay, but we need somebody to man the left tackle spot if I don't find someone in the draft and I'm not about to hand it back over to Mr. Bust himself, Ed George. Besides, if need be, I can always cut his ass. $10,000 a year isn't a bad hit at all.

That'll do for my shopping before the draft, I think.

[nilodor]

Congrats on the third title. You did an amazing job of retooling the team after your previous championships. Great work.

[Izulde]

Congrats on the third title. You did an amazing job of retooling the team after your previous championships. Great work.

Thanks :) Though to be fair, I got insanely lucky with the opportunity to draft Stabler. That being said, I'm quite proud of some of the other moves I made. :)

[Izulde]

Record 15-5
Winning Pct. .750
All-Time 128-80
Winning Pct. .615
Playoffs 13-7
Playoff Visits 10
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Dave Hanner
Record 38-17
Winning Pct. .690
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.1 10
Rushing Yards 116.3 14
Yards Per Carry 3.86 25
Pass Attempts 30.4 22
Completions 18.6 22
Completion Pct. 61.1 14 (T)
Passing Yards 242.3 1
Yards Per Attempt 7.98 1
Yards Per Catch 13.05 1
Total Yardage Gained 337.1 3
3rd Down Conversions 38.6 7 (T)
Points Per Game 22.8 4
Pass Rush Pct. 7.2 12 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 71.3 8
Turnovers 30 22 (T)
Turnover Margin 0 19

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 24.8 5
Rushing Yards 110.1 13
Yards Per Carry 4.44 26
Pass Attempts 35.2 29
Completions 20.5 26
Completion Pct. 58.3 9
Passing Yards 198.0 17
Yards Per Attempt 5.63 6
Yards Per Catch 9.66 6
Total Yardage Gained 290.0 14
3rd Down Conversions 34.5 10 (T)
Points Per Game 16.9 11
Pass Rush Pct. 7.2 17 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 69.0 15
Turnovers 30 11 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 9 at NJY 20
2 10 at SFO 7
3 31 at TUC 25
4 21 BUF 33
5 31 at SDO 21
6 17 DEN 3
8 24 at KCY 17
9 33 OAK 6
10 3 at NED 23
11 37 NJY 7
12 10 STL 27
13 21 PIT 22
14 24 at LAS 10
15 32 at BUF 24
16 34 SEA 10
17 27 NED 16
$$WC 22 at DEN 21
$$CS 10 at NED 7
$$CF 31 at TUC 10
**FB 20 vs ATL 17

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 K. Stabler QB 459 278 3546 7.73 23 14 88.7
**Team --- 486 297 3877 7.98 27 14 92.7
$$Opp --- 563 328 3168 5.63 16 20 68.7

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
38 C. Hill RB 253 1074 4.25 7 6
41 C. Pittman RB 183 697 3.81 8 1
10 K. Stabler QB 37 67 1.81 0 17
**Team --- 482 1861 3.86 16 31
$$Opp --- 397 1761 4.44 11 30

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 117 71 1015 14.30 8.68 10 7
81 R. Jefferson WR 106 61 1018 16.69 9.60 3 8
89 G. Ballman WR 62 35 489 13.97 7.89 3 4
88 J. Clancy WR 61 35 506 14.46 8.30 4 3
38 C. Hill RB 38 28 203 7.25 5.34 2 3
86 T. Mitchell TE 27 21 231 11.00 8.56 0 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 118 42 3.0 1 1 9 78.0
50 G. Webster OLB 70 17 1.0 1 1 6 71.9
20 G. Edwards S 66 16 1.0 1 4 6 82.7
98 M. Stratton OLB 48 10 1.0 1 0 9 77.4
31 C. Crist S 47 18 1.0 0 3 6 80.5
96 L. Greenwood DE 45 4 11.5 18 1 0 82.5
47 G. Sellers CB 44 8 0.0 1 7 9 84.2
74 A. Brown DE 40 12 12.0 18 0 0 81.7
73 G. Pettigrew DT 36 14 2.0 1 0 0 81.5
91 C. Walker OLB 33 8 1.0 2 0 2 71.6
28 R. Beverly CB 31 18 2.0 0 3 15 84.5
70 R. East DT 24 7 2.0 4 0 0 81.9
29 J. Duncan CB 24 11 1.0 2 0 3 78.0
95 D. Croft DT 21 13 1.0 6 0 0 81.9
78 W. Grant DE 16 4 3.5 3 0 0 78.5

There's the 1972 stats in detail after I forgot to post them in the last post. Oops! :)

High quality draft this year. The four big names on top of the board are DT Sugar Bear Hamilton, QB Joe Ferguson, T Leon Gray and RB Chuck Foreman, all with 7.0+ adjusted scores. Also be on the look for QBs Don Strock, Dan Fouts (who imported terribly) and Ron Jaworski.

1973 Draft 1st Round

1. RB Chuck Foreman - New Orleans Saints
2. QB Joe Ferguson - San Francisco 49ers
3. QB Don Strock - Seattle Seahawks
4. T Leon Gray - St. Louis Cardinals
5. DT Sugar Bear Hamilton - Washington Redskins
6. ILB Monte Johnson - Philadelphia Eagles
7. OLB Brad Van Pelt - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8. WR Drew Pearson - Minnesota Vikings
9. OLB John Skorupan - New Jersey Jets
10. TE Charlie Young - Kansas City Chiefs
11. QB Dan Fouts - Chicago Bears
12. G Paul Howard - San Diego Chargers
13. RB Terry Metcalf - Oakland Raiders
14. QB Dennis Morrison - Cleveland Browns
15. QB Ron Jaworski - New York Giants
16. WR Johnny Rodgers - Oakland Raiders
17. DT Wally Chambers - Baltimore Ravens
18. OLB Steve King - Buffalo Bills
19. CB Levi Johnson - Houston Oilers
20. G John Hannah - Jackonsville Jaguars
21. OLB Brad Dusek - Detroit Lions
22. RB Cullen Bryant (Carolina Panthers through Los Angeles Rams)

This is the longest drought we've ever had with a trade, and the Rams pick up Carolina's 2nd round pick in this draft and the Panthers' 1975 1st and 5th rounders. Not a bad haul for L.A. here.

23. S Burgess Owens - Indianapolis Colts
24. S Dick Jauron - Denver Broncos
25. RB Greg Pruitt - Green Bay Packers
26. S Lyle Blackwood - Carolina Panthers
27. C Guy Morriss - Pittsburgh Steelers
28. OLB Rick Kay - Tucson Titans
29. S Jackie Wallace - Dallas Cowboys
30. ILB Willie Harper - New England Patriots
31. ILB Merv Krakau - Atlanta Falcons

It's our turn, but to be honest, none of these guys is really doing anything for us as a 1st round possiblity. There's a couple RTs, but they have low development. On the other hand, there's a CB who looks a lot like Goldie Sellers sitting there and there's another CB who reminds us very much of Johnny Sample. I'm leaning mostly towards one of the two corners, but the Saints and the Seahawks, who hold the first two picks in the 2nd round, are damned eager to snatch them up, so trading down isn't really an option, either. It's too tough a call to decide right now, so I'm going to sit on it a while.

After thinking about it, 6'4", 190, which is what the Sample-esque CB is at, is really too thin to be a long-term solution. To me, it smacks more of an Irv Cross type pick, only without the superlative return abilities. He also doesn't have the high intelligence that the playmaker type corner does, nor the breakout possiblity and so CB Rolland Lawrence is our man.

32. CB Rolland Lawrence - Miami Dolphins

As expected, the Saints take the Sample-esque corner with the next pick. The 2nd round isn't really any easier, as there's a grand total of one WR left I have even a remote interest in, one T that looks really intriguing as a possible LT, a good looking RT, and a handful of promising DTs. The LT for some reason has me wary, whereas the RT strikes me a potential Week One starter, so RT Ron Mikolajcyzk gets the call.

The 3rd round is going by and every single DT option I was looking at is flying off the board. Finally, there's only one left and there's still 10 picks to go. Since there's nobody in the lower rounds of the draft that intrigues me at all, I phone the Colts and give them my 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th round picks in the draft to move up from 3.32 to 3.23 and take DT Bob Maddox. This pisses off the Packers, who wanted him at 3.26, but I don't care.

Interestingly enough, my move sets off a run of trades that lasts until the end of the 3rd round, with almost every pick being traded as teams jockey for the last good group of players before the drivel starts piling in. The Patriots and the Bengals, maybe the Raiders were the only teams who didn't overpay to move up, using my trade as a barometer. Wow, Cincy not being dumb... could they possibly be in the hunt for their first playoff berth eventually? They and the Vikings are still the only teams not to have made the playoffs ever in this universe.

For my final pick in the draft, I take a flyer in the 4th round on WR Doug Winslow, because there's just something about the guy that makes me like him, though I can't quite put my finger on just why exactly.

All-Pro CB Goldie Sellers holds out at the start of free agency, but really he just wanted a little extra money and another year, which I had no problem at all giving him.

Late Free Agency

Week 1 Signings
QB Ron Powell - 1 year, $30k (UDRFA)
-He has me curious to see what he can do and to see if he can win the #3 starting job in camp.

DT Curt Farrier - 1 year, $110k* (Tucson)
-Signed strictly as a mentor. I don't foresee him taking the field at all.

Week 3 Signings
WR Russell Arneson - 1 year, $30k (UDRFA)
-Some really sweet potential, but extremely raw. Considering the glut of WR mentors we have on the team, I'm going to give him a shot to be our fifth receiver.

Post Training Camp


CB Rolland Lawrence 1.32 28/43 29/45 +1/+2
RT Ron Mikolajczyk 2.32 23/45 26/45 +3/+0
NT Bob Maddox 3.23 27/46 35/47 +8/+1 33/47 +6/+1 after switch to RDT
FL Doug Winslow 4.32 13/27 13/27 -0/-0
QB Ron Powell UDRFA 3/48 3/37 -0/-11
SE Russell Arneson UDRFA 0/49 0/35 -0/-14

Draft Grade: B

Despite the lower draft grade, I really do like this draft. Lawrence should fit in as a backup cornerback right away and could see time in the dime package by mid-season. Mikolajczyk is going to at bare minimum be a backup tackle, possibly a starter depending on how he does in preseason. Maddox looks like the best 3rd round pick since a guy named Gary Ballman and will be the starting RDT from Week One. Winslow is disappointing and Powell and Arneson look like scrubs, but hey, they were fliers anyway.

[Izulde]

Meyer, Ron 12 QB 8 22 36 1 yr.
Stabler, Ken 10 QB 6 74 74 4 yrs
Hunter, Scott 2 QB 3 12 28 1 yr.
Powell, Ron 13 QB 1 3 37 1 yr.

Stabler and Meyer are #1 and #2, obviously. Hunter and Powell will joust in preseason for the #3 spot and to make the team.

Hill, Calvin 38 RB 5 53 53 4 yrs
Pittman, Charlie 41 RB 4 33 41 1 yr.
Mul-key, Herb 43 RB 2 25 40 3 yrs
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 6 61 61 3 yrs
Burns, Leon 35 FB 3 17 23 2 yrs

Hill and Csonka start, Pittman and Burns the reserves, Mul-key the returner and special teams guru.

Kramer, Kent 87 TE 8 29 29 1 yr.
Mitchell, Tom 86 TE 8 38 38 2 yrs
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 10 56 56 1 yr.
Stowe, Otto 82 FL 3 19 19 1 yr.
Wright, Elmo 84 FL 3 6 16 1 yr.
Winslow, Doug 83 FL 1 13 27 3 yrs
Ballman, Gary 89 SE 12 35 35 1 yr.
Jefferson, Roy 81 SE 9 61 61 1 yr.
Arneson, Russell 80 SE 1 0 35 1 yr.

Warfield and Jefferson start, naturally. Ballman shifts back over to his original position of flanker to occupy the #3 WR spot. Fourth receiver is looking like Stowe, with Winslow the 5th receiver. Obviously not as strong a group as in previous seasons, but it should still rate as one of the better groups in the league. Mitchell the TE, Kramer the backup.

I should probably re-sign Warfield and Jefferson as well. Ballman I can afford to wait on to see if he stays or if he retires, I think.

Schmitt, John 56 C 10 45 45 2 yrs
Marchlewski, Frank 55 C 9 44 44 1 yr.
Fest, Howard 71 LG 6 46 46 2 yrs
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 6 59 59 2 yrs
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 7 86 86 1 yr.
Shoals, Roger 64 LT 13 36 36 2 yrs
George, Ed 65 LT 4 34 34 2 yrs
Taffoni, Joe 68 RT 7 43 43 1 yr.
Mikolajczyk, Ron 67 RT 1 26 45 3 yrs

Shoals-Moorman-Schmitt-Upshaw are more or less set. RT is a battle between Taffoni and Mikolajczyk, though the rookie is probably going to win out because I absolutely hate Taffoni's lack of production last season and besides Mik had a slight boom. You know the reserves by now.

Oh yeah, gotta resign Upshaw. He's our best offensive lineman.


Villaneuva, Danny 8 P 14 66 66 1 yr.
Parsons, Bob 15 P 2 41 49 2 yrs
Webster, Tim 16 K 3 48 48 1 yr.

Villaneuva and Webster. Parsons gets his chance next year, I've decided. Webster will probably re-signed as well.

Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 5 58 58 3 yrs
Brown, Aaron 74 RDE 8 48 48 3 yrs
Grant, Wes 78 RDE 4 40 40 1 yr.
Farrier, Curt 75 LDT 11 32 32 1 yr.
Rowe, Bob 73 LDT 7 41 41 1 yr.
Korver, Kelvin 97 LDT 2 13 23 2 yrs
Croft, Don 95 RDT 2 27 39 3 yrs
Maddox, Bob 76 RDT 1 33 47 4 yrs

Greenwood-Rowe-Maddox-Brown for our front 4. Korver's ass gets cut, while Croft and Farrier fight it out for reserve DT duty.

Lanier, Willie 58 MLB 7 71 71 2 yrs
Rivers, Jamie 99 MLB 7 42 42 1 yr.
Graham, Tom 92 MLB 2 17 39 3 yrs
Philpott, Ed 59 SLB 7 42 42 1 yr.
Walker, Cleo 91 SLB 4 28 28 1 yr.
Webster, George 50 WLB 7 50 50 3 yrs
Coleman, Dennis 57 WLB 3 28 28 2 yrs

Philpott-Lanier-Webster, with Rivers and probably Walker as the backups, unless I can free another roster spot for Coleman. Probably not though, as Coleman's a sieve against the run, whereas Walker is a pretty consistent tackler and he's been getting better at his pass defense.

Beverly, Randy 28 LCB 7 38 38 1 yr.
Ford, Charlie 34 LCB 3 29 42 1 yr.
Lawrence, Rolland 24 LCB 1 29 45 4 yrs
Sellers, Goldie 47 RCB 8 39 39 3 yrs
Duncan, Jim 29 RCB 6 40 40 1 yr.
Bird, Rodger 46 SS 8 10 10 1 yr.
Flowers, Richmond 30 SS 5 33 33 1 yr.
Edwards, Glen 20 SS 3 59 59 2 yrs
Clarke, Hagood 21 FS 10 39 39 2 yrs
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 2 71 71 3 yrs

Very tough choices here. Beverly or Lawrence as the starting LCB? Despite the drop, Sellers will be the RCB and Duncan will just have to bitch about it. Ford is actually decent ratings-wise, but I've never had a good feeling about him on the field. No enigmas at safety. Edwards and Crist starters, Flowers and Clarke reserves, Bird the PR man.

Overall I feel pretty good about our chances to repeat. We'll probably struggle a little bit with pass protection again, although to be honest, now that I think about it, our receiving corps isn't that much different from last year's, and I've been wanting to give Stowe some expanded PT anyway. Our defense should be improved with the addition of Maddox and Philpott, though I'm not sure how our secondary is going to look with our muddled corner situation.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Miami 7 Detroit 13
Not a terribly big concern here as our two third-string QBs were fighting it out. Scott Hunter has a slight edge on Ron Powell, but they've still each got a game more to decide it. Gary Ballman had 12 catches for 161 yards and a TD to be a surprising preseason star.

St. Louis 32 Miami 22
Ron Powell passes for 230 yards and 2 TDs vs 2 INTs, unlike Scott Hunter, who played horribly all game. The decision's made. Bye-bye, Scott. Hello, Ron! Wes Grant had a nice game with 7 tackles and 1.5 sacks and Gary Ballman picked up 97 receiving yards and a TD.

Starting SS Glen Edwards will miss the next preseason game and reserve T Joe Taffoni is gone for the preseason, necessitating Ed George's ressurection to active status. Ken Stabler gets back on the field now too.

Minnesota 14 Miami 13
If this were the regular season, I'd be pissed about this loss. As is, I'm merely philosophical about Ron Meyer's 4 interceptions that cost us the game and Ken Stabler's rustiness. Gary Ballman continues to be on fire with 138 yards receiving and a TD.

My philosophical attitude changes the moment I learn our star WR Paul Warfield broke his ankle and will be out for approximately 6 weeks. That just put a huge, huge, huge dent in our offense.

Miami 28 Seattle 14
On the bright side, we avoid our first-ever winless preseason and Roy Jefferson looks capable of shouldering the WR load with 9 catches for 180 yards and a TD and Jim Duncan got 2 interceptions.

On the dark side, Paul Warfield is still out, 5th WR Russell Arneson goes down for roughly 4 weeks with a strained back and FS Chuck Crist is gone for at least Week 1. SE Ron Goodwin, a journeyman, is signed to be the 5th receiver and 2nd year FS Ron Saunders gets inked to be the backup FS.

Then I look at Goodwin some more and decide to cut him, using back up TE Kent Kramer as our 5th WR. Hagood Clarke becomes the starting FS, naturally.

Here goes nothing...

Regular Season

Buffalo 23 Miami 14
Our defense sorely misses Chuck Crist and our offense desparately needs Paul Warfield back. The Bills ate our running game alive and Daryl Lamonica threw for 304 yards and 2 TDs. Willie Lanier had 10 tackles and 2 assists and L.C. Greenwood recorded 4 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns to get our defensive stars off to a good start.

Joe Taffoni and Chuck Crist are ready to come back for Week 2, thankfully.

Tampa Bay 14 Miami 27
Two big plays proved the difference maker in this one. Reserve SLB Cleo Walker made the first score of the game, returning a fumble 81 yards for a TD and almost two exact quarters later Jim Duncan took a kickoff return back 89 yards for another TD! Our offense is really struggling without Warfield though and this is the worst our running game has looked since an old Paul Hornung was our main back.

Starting TE Tom Mitchell hyperextends his knee and is out, forcing us to bring Paul Warfield back, even though he's questionable. We simply need him out there on the field. Russell Arneson gets cut so we can sign warm body second year TE Lee Johnson to be make the minimum roster requirements.

Miami 21 Baltimore 24
The game's honestly not as close as the score says. Reserve DE Wes Grant returned a blocked FG back 72 yards for a late 4th quarter TD to pull the margin within 3 and that was all she wrote. Willie Lanier was the lone highlight with 13 tackles and 3 assists.

New England 19 Miami 3
This season's going to hell in a hurry. Our whole offense has vanished more or less completely, even with Warfield back, and our defense doesn't have the killer instinct that it did last season.

Worse yet, Paul Warfield re-breaks his ankle and won't be back until the second half of the season. Sure, Tom Mitchell's ready to come back, but that won't be enough.

Miami 3 Jackonsville 28
Roger Staubach hangs 3 TDs on us and I'm getting really disgusted. Willie Lanier amasses 11 tackles, 7 assists and a sack for a great statistical all-around game.

Charlie Pittman will now be starting at RB and I'm shopping Calvin Hill. Hill has been horrible this year and I've been iffy on him to begin with. Unfortunately, we're already past the trade deadline. :( This sucks, because I had 3 teams who were maxed out interest in him (The Browns, the Vikings and the Ravens, for what it's worth)

Houston 7 Miami 36
Glen Edwards picks off 2 passes, Willie Lanier gets 12 tackles, 2 assists and a hurry and L.C. Greenwood and rookie Bob Maddox each get 1.5 sacks as our defense absolutely swarms all over the Oilers in this beatdown. It's a victory we sorely needed if we have any hope at all of salvaging this season.

Miami 38 Buffalo 14
Like night and day. Ken Stabler finally has an authentically good game this year with a 20-27 for 259 yards and 4 TDs performance and our defense manages to contain the beastly Daryl Lamonica.

Miami 30 Indianapolis 0
Our defense is on a mission as they record a shutout of the Colts. Charlie Pittman rushes for 104 yards and a TD, justifying my faith in starting him. Incidentally, our three game win streak coincides with the shift in RBs. Glen Edwards returns an interception 52 yards for a TD and SLB Ed Philpott snags 2 interceptions of his own on his way to Player of the Game honors. Willie Lanier hits Indy for 14 tackles and an assist and L.C. Greenwood records 4 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown.

We've clawed all the way back to 4-4, good enough for 2nd place in the AFC East behind the astonishing 6-1 New Jersey Jets. Although we don't have a playoff spot by our name if the season ended today, we're right back in the hunt now.

Oh yeah, a guy named Paul Warfield is back to probable again. :)

The first half story


Record 4-4
Winning Pct. .500
All-Time 132-84
Winning Pct. .611
Playoffs 13-7
Playoff Visits 10
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Dave Hanner
Record 42-21
Winning Pct. .666
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 23.0 29
Rushing Yards 93.5 26
Yards Per Carry 4.07 17
Pass Attempts 31.4 23
Completions 17.5 30
Completion Pct. 55.8 28 (T)
Passing Yards 185.8 24
Yards Per Attempt 5.92 20
Yards Per Catch 10.61 14
Total Yardage Gained 257.0 29
3rd Down Conversions 27.6 29
Points Per Game 21.5 8
Pass Rush Pct. 8.6 7
Pass Defense Pct. 72.5 7
Turnovers 7 2 (T)
Turnover Margin +10 2

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.5 24
Rushing Yards 108.4 16
Yards Per Carry 3.67 5
Pass Attempts 35.8 28
Completions 20.1 21
Completion Pct. 56.3 7
Passing Yards 221.3 23
Yards Per Attempt 6.19 17
Yards Per Catch 10.99 24
Total Yardage Gained 316.4 19
3rd Down Conversions 40.6 27
Points Per Game 16.1 10
Pass Rush Pct. 10.5 32
Pass Defense Pct. 64.6 10
Turnovers 17 3 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 14 BUF 23
2 27 TBY 14
3 21 at BAL 24
4 3 NED 19
5 3 at JAX 28
6 36 HOU 7
7 38 at BUF 14
8 30 at IND 0
10 TUC
11 NJY
12 at CAR
13 OAK
14 at ATL
15 at NED
16 NOS
17 at NJY

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 K. Stabler QB 251 140 1486 5.92 11 3 82.9
**Team --- 251 140 1486 5.92 11 3 82.9
$$Opp --- 286 161 1770 6.19 11 12 70.1

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
38 C. Hill RB 94 353 3.76 1 4
41 C. Pittman RB 79 354 4.48 3 2
**Team --- 184 748 4.07 4 13
$$Opp --- 236 867 3.67 4 9

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 R. Jefferson WR 54 32 376 11.75 6.96 4 3
89 G. Ballman WR 49 24 307 12.79 6.27 3 2
82 O. Stowe WR 35 19 245 12.89 7.00 4 2
38 C. Hill RB 16 15 88 5.87 5.50 0 0
83 D. Winslow WR 38 15 198 13.20 5.21 4 1
87 K. Kramer TE 17 10 59 5.90 3.47 2 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 81 19 2.0 4 0 6 76.9
20 G. Edwards S 41 19 0.5 0 4 5 83.9
59 E. Philpott OLB 38 8 0.0 0 2 2 80.0
50 G. Webster OLB 30 12 0.0 0 0 2 72.5
31 C. Crist S 29 13 0.5 1 2 2 81.0
96 L. Greenwood DE 23 8 7.0 11 0 0 82.1
74 A. Brown DE 21 8 3.0 14 0 0 79.8
76 B. Maddox DT 21 5 1.5 1 0 0 79.6
73 B. Rowe DT 18 10 0.5 2 0 0 80.9
47 G. Sellers CB 15 6 0.0 1 1 2 77.2
29 J. Duncan CB 15 4 0.0 0 0 4 79.3
24 R. Lawrence CB 12 0 0.0 0 2 5 85.9
75 C. Farrier DT 10 4 0.0 2 0 0 82.5
28 R. Beverly CB 9 3 0.0 0 0 0 74.5
91 C. Walker OLB 9 1 0.0 0 1 1 81.4
57 D. Coleman OLB 8 0 0.0 0 0 1 73.8

Let's be honest. We're still in this thing because Ken Stabler has cut way down on his interceptions this year and our defense has turned into a bunch of playmakers, with Glen Edwards in particular playing out of his mind. Also give credit to rookie Rolland Lawrence, who's been sensational in pass defense as the starting LCB.

[Izulde]

RT Joe Taffoni and SLB Cleo Walker are complaining about PT, but they can just put a sock in it, especially since they're only disgruntled.

Midseason Contract Extensions
WR Paul Warfield - 3 years, $1.82 mill.
RG Gene Upshaw - 5 years, $3.21 mill.

Roy Jefferson's contract is up after this season too, but he wanted even more money and a longer contract than Warfield. Considering he's been a huge underachiever relative to his contract in a Dolphins uniform, telling him no wasn't too hard.

A bye week later and the Jets are 7-1, with all 3 of the other AFC East teams at 4-4. The Ravens are 6-3, the Steelers 5-3, in the AFC North, to currently hold both playoff spots. The second half is going to be crazy this season, it seems.

Tucson 23 Miami 13
The Titans exact revenge for last year's AFC Championship loss and all but sink our playoff hopes. L.C. Greenwood played great with 8 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks and a knockdown, but everyone else was frankly quite uninspiring. I'm not sure what's wrong with the team this year.

Goldie Sellers tears cartilage in his knee and is gone for 6 weeks. Jim Duncan steps in as the starter.

New Jersey 21 Miami 41
Although our playoff chances are slim to none, it was nice to see Ken Stabler put the hurt on the Jets here: 23-28 for 239 yards and 4 TDs. Paul Warfield was the main hookup with 11 catches for 136 yards and 2 TDs. Willie Lanier played splendidly with 11 tackles, 3 assists and a sack.

Miami 24 Carolina 30 (OT)
This is the kind of loss that's a real kick in the teeth. If we'd won, maybe we could have started building momentum to make a late-season run for the playoffs. Instead, the Panthers score 10 points with 1:28 left in the game to force the OT and then score first in sudden death. Willie Lanier notched 17 tackles and 2 assists and L.C. Greenwood posted an 8 tackle, one assist,1.5 sack, one hurry line, but they'd both hand in that glittering performance for a win here.

Oakland 3 Miami 26
No joy in this win, as the Raiders have just 1 victory this whole entire season. Calvin Hill rushes for 139 yards and a TD, but Tim Webster shanks 3 FGs and this game is more about showing both what might've been and what the reality of this dismal season is.

Miami 27 Atlanta 13
Or is there life yet? We hammer our Super Bowl opponents behind Ken Stabler's 26-37 for 251 yard, 3 TD, 1 INT performance, most of the receiving work by Roy Jefferson (9 catches, 134 yards). Can we still make the playoffs?

The next game will decide it. New England's 8-5 and playoff bound. We're 7-6 and homeward bound. Beat them, and the door opens a little more. Lose and it's closed for the rest of the year.

Miami 16 New England 10
Count that door open!!!! Tim Webster goes back to the Wonder role, kicking 3/3 FGs and Calvin Hill rushes in the game-winning TD in the 4th. Roy Jefferson gobbled up 8 passes for 115 yards as he continues putting on a show for other GMs around the league and Willie Lanier had 10 tackles and an assist.

Goldie Sellers is ready to return, but Charlie Pittman is doubtful, so I start Calvin Hill and put Herb Mul-key in as the #2 back. It's a gamble, but one I feel may pay off. Sellers, by the way, is now demoted to nickel status, as Jim Duncan has been playing superbly.

New Orleans 13 Miami 42
Holy cow!!!! Ken Stabler has one of his finest days ever: 26-33 for 331 yards and 4 TDs, Paul Warfield putting on an amazing 10 catch, 163 yard, 3 TD receiving performance. Let's not discount Herb Mul-key shocking everyone by running 10 times for 80 yards in his rushing debut, either. This is the most incredible late-season beating I've ever seen and the Saints are bad, but not -that- bad.

One game left. The Patriots got destroyed 24-6 by the Buccaneers. Cleveland has the #1 wild-card spot sewn up at 10-5. Then there's the following:

Miami: 9-6
New England: 8-7
Pittsburgh: 8-7
Houston: 8-7
Denver: 8-7

Concentrating solely on the AFC East, the Patriots play the 4-11 Bills. We play....

the 12-3 Jets, who are hungry to avenge their loss to us earlier in the year.

Herb Mul-key hyperextended his knee and will miss at least the final game of the regular season, should we make the playoffs, but Charlie Pittman's ready to return. Calvin Hill gets the start at RB, because Pittman's only probable. Backup FB Leon Burns takes Mul-key's gunner spot, Goldie Sellers the two #2 returner spots.

It's all down to this....

Miami 24 New Jersey 14
WE DID IT!!!!!! Ken Stabler wins Game MVP by putting on his second straight 300 yard game: 22-38 for 308 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. Otto Stowe showed his magic with 6 catches for 93 yards and, most importantly, the go-ahead TD late in the 2nd quarter. Rookie Rolland Lawrence sets a new franchise record by getting an interception in his third straight game. I'm looking smarter and smarter a GM for picking him.

We're back in the playoffs to defend our Super Bowl title!!!!!!

But we'll have to do it without Jim Duncan, lost for the season with torn knee cartilage. He's not only our #1 kick returner, but over the years, he's blossomed into a surprisingly good CB, better than I thought he'd be after his first couple of seasons. He's definitely a legitimate starter, not bad for the last pick of the 3rd round. :)

[Izulde]

For our incredible second half, we win the right to play the San Diego Chargers in the wild card round.

Fran Tarkenton has been an incredibly solid QB since he was taken with the #1 overall pick in this universe's first rookie draft in 1961. A 13 year veteran, he's thrown for over 3,000 passing yards the last straight 8 seasons and has at least 20 passing TDs the last 4 consecutive years. The feats are all the more impressive this season, since he has no running game to back him up and Darryl Stingley and Isaac Curtis, his starting WRs, are both rookies (3rd and 2nd round respectively).

The Chargers' offensive line is a lot like ours - a good C, fantastic G, San Diego's being a rookie named Paul Howard, their 1st round selection, and mediocre OTs. Curiously enough, former Dolphins' 2nd round pick Jim Battle is their starting LT and did a surprisingly effective job despite the position shift.

2nd year DT Mike Kadish is a rising star, a perfect fit for the Chargers' 3-4 defense and SILB Bill Bergey is a two-time 1st Team All-Pro ILB. SLB Mel Rogers is a sack artist and CB Al Nelson is an effective cover corner. San Diego also boasts a pair of young safeties almost as good as our own in SS Mike Wagner (3rd year) and FS Charlie Waters (2nd year). Both were 2nd round picks as opposed to our guys, who were 1st rounders.

If there's a weakness in San Diego's impressive defense, it's that their ends scare absolutely no one and Nelson is the only cornerback really worthy of his uniform. Provided Ken Stabler can get time to throw, we've got a good chance at coming out on top in this battle featuring two quite similiar teams.

Vegas is seeing the similarity as well, favoring us by a single point.

It turns out not to even be close.

Ken Stabler throws two very quick TDs to put us up 14-0 early in the 1st quarter and that was pretty much the ballgame right there. Stabler won Game MVP for his 23-40, 266 yard, 3 TD performance and Roy Jefferson put on a primetime performance with 7 catches for 117 yards and 2 TDs. Tim Webster contributed a wonderful 3/3 FGs and Bob Rowe provided rare pressure from the DT spot with 1.5 sacks and 2 hurries. It should be noted that though L.C. Greenwood was held sackless, he had 5 QB hurries to really harrass Fran Tarkenton.

Miami 30 San Diego 13

It's on to the Divisional Round!

[Izulde]

We face the New Jersey Jets in the divisional round.

QB Greg Landry, a 1968 4th round pick of the Detroit Lions, surprised everyone by not only winning the starting QB job for the Jets this year, but throwing for 3,205 yards and an astonishing 25 TD/14 INT ratio. Jim Kiick is, like Calvin Hill, a solid but not great RB. WR J.D. Hill broke the 1,000 yard receiving barrier with 10 TDs in his third season and looks to be on the fast track to superstardom.

The real reason for the Jets' offensive success, though, is their offensive line. Ron Yary, Jim Harvey, Mike Evans, George Daney, and Bob McKay form a solid unit that's arguably the best starting five in the league.

P Julian Fagan and K Mark Moseley make a solid ST combo.

New Jersey does have its weak points, though. Hill is their only legitimate wide receiver and the front 3 of their 3-4 is riddled by underachievers.

On the other hand, SILB Tommy Nobis, rookie SLB John Skorupan and WLB John Bunting form a dangerous 3/4ths of the 3-4, CB Clancy Williams and Mike Bass make a solid DB pairing and SS Thom Darden, in just his second season, is arguably the best strong safety in the entire NFL.

This is no longer the doormat team that it used to be. In fact, I'd say that this is going to come down to the defenses, as I think we'd be able to stop their offense, even given their great o-line, but by the same token, that's one scary looking defense against the pass, which is still our strength.

Bookies are calling this close as well, with the Dolphins favored by 2.

Once again, it's not even close.

This time, J.D. Hill abuses our lack of a lockdown corner, catching 4 passes for 108 yards, including a breathtaking 59 yarder for a TD. Mark Moseley hits all 3 field goals in the second half to put us away and we're left to face the heartache of losing.

Our lone star was L.C. Greenwood, who had 7 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Ken Stabler got sacked 6 times and was never able to establish a consistent rhythm and our running game was decimated by the Jets' speedy defense.

Miami 13 New Jersey 30

Despite the disappointing loss, though, I'm proud of this team. They overcame a lot of injuries and adversity to go from 4-4 and looking like they might suffer a post-Super Bowl hangover all the way to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

But like the real life 1973 Dolphins team actually being more talented than the perfect '72 team, I can't help but think what might have been.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XIV
New York 17 Cleveland 12

It's heartbreak again on Lake Erie, as Browns QB Wayne Clark throws 3 costly interceptions, while Giants counterpart QB Steve Ramsay passes for 2 TDs on his way to Super Bowl MVP honors. This one was all Giants D, though, as they not only picked Clark off 3 times, but they got consistent pressure on him.

This makes Cleveland not only the team to go to the most Super Bowls in this universe, with 5, but they've gone 0-5 in the Super Bowl. So close, yet so far.

Dolphins Final Season Statistics


Record 11-7
Winning Pct. .611
All-Time 138-86
Winning Pct. .616
Playoffs 14-8
Playoff Visits 11
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Dave Hanner
Record 49-24
Winning Pct. .671
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 26.0 21 (T)
Rushing Yards 107.5 23
Yards Per Carry 4.13 16
Pass Attempts 31.6 21
Completions 19.7 15
Completion Pct. 62.4 10 (T)
Passing Yards 221.1 7
Yards Per Attempt 7.00 4
Yards Per Catch 11.23 5 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 311.0 12
3rd Down Conversions 31.0 30
Points Per Game 24.1 1 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 8.3 8
Pass Defense Pct. 72.1 4
Turnovers 14 1
Turnover Margin +15 4

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.3 18
Rushing Yards 108.4 15
Yards Per Carry 3.97 12
Pass Attempts 35.8 31
Completions 19.8 16
Completion Pct. 55.1 4 (T)
Passing Yards 204.5 18
Yards Per Attempt 5.71 8
Yards Per Catch 10.35 19 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 298.0 13
3rd Down Conversions 36.9 21 (T)
Points Per Game 16.0 7 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 8.1 24
Pass Defense Pct. 60.8 3
Turnovers 29 10 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 14 BUF 23
2 27 TBY 14
3 21 at BAL 24
4 3 NED 19
5 3 at JAX 28
6 36 HOU 7
7 38 at BUF 14
8 30 at IND 0
10 13 TUC 23
11 41 NJY 21
12 24 at CAR 30
13 26 OAK 3
14 27 at ATL 13
15 16 at NED 10
16 42 NOS 13
17 24 at NJY 14
$$WC 30 at SDO 13
$$CS 13 at NJY 30

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 K. Stabler QB 505 315 3537 7.00 26 6 95.4
**Team --- 505 315 3537 7.00 26 6 95.4
$$Opp --- 573 316 3272 5.71 19 22 66.9

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
38 C. Hill RB 201 872 4.34 8 5
41 C. Pittman RB 170 690 4.06 4 4
**Team --- 416 1720 4.13 12 23
$$Opp --- 437 1735 3.97 9 24

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 R. Jefferson WR 119 75 1024 13.65 8.61 11 3
85 P. Warfield WR 79 51 652 12.78 8.25 1 7
89 G. Ballman WR 79 40 499 12.48 6.32 8 3
82 O. Stowe WR 63 38 570 15.00 9.05 6 5
38 C. Hill RB 43 36 187 5.19 4.35 0 3
83 D. Winslow WR 48 22 278 12.64 5.79 4 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 146 39 5.0 7 1 11 76.6
20 G. Edwards S 81 34 1.5 0 4 9 79.6
59 E. Philpott OLB 70 20 0.0 0 2 4 77.4
50 G. Webster OLB 62 25 1.0 4 0 3 72.2
31 C. Crist S 59 21 1.5 1 4 8 83.5
96 L. Greenwood DE 48 16 12.5 21 0 0 80.9
74 A. Brown DE 41 13 7.5 24 0 1 80.9
76 B. Maddox DT 37 17 4.5 3 1 0 81.9
73 B. Rowe DT 34 15 2.5 7 0 0 80.9
29 J. Duncan CB 28 5 0.0 0 1 11 83.2
24 R. Lawrence CB 25 9 0.0 0 7 7 86.5
28 R. Beverly CB 23 4 0.0 0 0 2 78.5
47 G. Sellers CB 19 7 0.0 1 1 3 77.2
91 C. Walker OLB 17 3 0.0 0 1 1 77.1

Splendid season from Ken Stabler, especially not having Paul Warfield for much of it. Roy Jefferson got his 1,000 yards, but those drop numbers are far too high, especially considering his TD production. I really need a franchise RB and will be looking to trade Calvin Hill this offseason for a draft pick or two.

The real star of this team was the defense. Willie Lanier had an absolutely incredible season, Glen Edwards and Chuck Crist continued their strong play at the safety spots and Rolland Lawrence electrified the league in his rookie season with 7 interceptions, tying Goldie Sellers's franchise season mark. Oh yeah, L.C. Greenwood also continued to rack up the sacks.

1973 Dolphins Awards

QB Ken Stabler - MVP and 1st Team All-Pro QB
:eek: I knew Stabler had a fantastic season, but I never expected him to get the MVP award! It makes sense, though, for without him playing so brilliantly despite the mess of our wide receiving corps for much of the year, we never would've made the playoffs, much less made it to the divisional round. A fine, fine achievement for a QB that's just starting to come into his own.

MLB Willie Lanier - 1st Team All-Pro ILB
Lanier never won an All-Pro award with the Bengals, but since coming to Miami, he's won two: a 2nd Team All-Pro nod and now this, the rightfully deserved 1st Team bid. He was a contender for Defensive Player of the Year, too, I imagine. Just an absolute beast of a year. He's one signing I've been ecstatic with, the Johnny Unitas of the defense.

Other Major Awards
Super Bowl MVP
QB Steve Ramsay (New York Giants)
Legend of the Game
QB Sonny Jurgeson (Philadelphia Eagles) - 17 year veteran has a ton of career passing records thanks to his incredible longevity, but has just one All-Pro mark, and that was a 2nd Team one at that.
Offensive Player of the Year
RB Rocky Bleier (Dallas Cowboys)
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Jim Mitchell (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Chuck Foreman (New Orleans Saints)
Defensive Rookie of the Year
SLB John Skorupan (New Jersey Jets)

We also have our first Hall of Fame inductee: RB Jim Brown, the eternal Cleveland Brown, who still holds the career record in rushing TDs and is in the top 3 all-time of Rushing Yards, 100+ Rushing Games, and Yards from Scrimmage. A 6-time All-Pro and winner of the 1960 MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards, he was truly a great, great RB, the kind I'd kill to have on our team.

Staff Hiring
Bad news. All of my staff, save my Lead Scout is out of contract. I predict a Cowboys-style raid.

Staff Attribute Changes
Lead Scout Dexter Carmody:
Good to VG in QB

OC Edwin Buckley:
VG to Excellent in QB
Average to Good in YT

Head Coach Dave Hanner:
VG to Good in Offensive Play-calling

Some tough choices to make here, especially since the bastard owner is once again low-balling me in terms of the money I can offer. :mad:

Royce Womble stays faithful to the aqua and orange, taking a 4 year, $420,000 deal to stay with us even though he could've commanded big money elsewhere. Edwin Buckley returns as well, at $550,000 a year, for 3 years. I probably should've looked elsewhere, but his improvement this offseason gave me hope for him.

And finally, the Dave Hanner era in Miami is over. His downgrade has me worried and I found someone better. So say hello to:

Head Coach Harris Wilcox (59)
MT: Good
DI: Good
OC: Excellent
DC: Good
IA: Good

He signed a 4 year, $450,000 per year deal, moving up from the college ranks to become the new Dolphins head coach.

By the way Tyrus Treftz inked a $810,000 per year, 5 year deal to stay with the Cowboys as he hunts for a Super Bowl in Dallas. Bastard. I hope he never gets it.

Jared Thamilarasan, the wunderkind OC, on the other hand, flipped Texas teams, going from Dallas to Houston for $520,000 a year and 5 years. It's times like this that I regret my house rule of either being a new coach, or only having been a part of the Dolphins staff.

Don't feel too bad for Dave Hanner, though. He's the new head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, at a cool $510,000 a year for 3 years. He'll be able to do a rebuilding project there, as the Chiefs have only been to the playoffs once in this universe, 1971, where they were defeated in the wild card round.

It's a coin-flip between Rolland Lawrence and Ron Mikolajczyk as to who goes to the Summer League, but I don't want to mess with Lawrence's mojo and we need more help at tackle anyway, so Ron gets the call over Rolland.

Needs by the Numbers
QB x 2, TE, WR x 2, C, T, K, DE, DT, OLB, CB (16 new players)

Calvin Hill Watch
After shopping him, the Browns, Ravens, and Eagles are all very interested in landing him. Where will he go and for how much?

Wait until next update to find out!

[Izulde]

Philadelphia Eagles receive:
RB Calvin Hill

Miami Dolphins receive:
WR Frank Lewis

What this means for the Eagles
With QB Sonny Jurgeson's retirement, Philadelphia was going to be concentrating on their running game, anyway. What Calvin Hill brings to the table is a proven NFL starting RB who can be the Eagles' 3rd down back, passing back, and solid #2 RB behind 3rd year rising star RB Lawrence McCutcheon. On the negative side, dealing away Frank Lewis means that Philadelphia lost their best WR, leaving Eddie Bell as the only WR under contract with the team. On the other hand, Lewis was in the last year of his rookie contract and made no secret of his desire to leave the rebuilding Eagles for a winning team.

What this means for the Dolphins
G.M. Tim Moungey has been trying for a few years now to bring in some young, quality talent to a fearsome, but aging WR group and in acquiring Frank Lewis he's done exactly that. Lewis has improved steadily each of his 3 seasons in the NFL and the 4th year receiver figures to flourish with Ken Stabler throwing to him. More importantly, he gives the Dolphins flexibility in their offseason plans. While Miami is still believed to be looking for Paul Warfield's heir apparent in the draft, Lewis can, at absolute worst, be the team's #3 receiver and future starting split end, or, if the Dolphins' draft plans don't pan out, the starter at split end immediately. Losing Calvin Hill does hurt the Dolphins, but not as much as Lewis upgrades the receiving corps.

What this means for Calvin Hill
Winning has never been first and foremost on Hill's mind and even if it were, he has a Super Bowl ring already. His career gets a fresh start in Philadelphia after Miami's front office, notably G.M. Tim Moungey soured on him. Free from the starting RB controversy that surrounded him and Charlie Pittman in Miami, he'll be able to take the #2, third down, and receiving RB roles that are much more suited to his skill set.

What this means for Frank Lewis
Lewis has never been on a winning team. The last time Philadelphia went to the playoffs was 1970, the year before he was drafted. Since then, the Eagles have gone 5-11, 6-10, and 6-10 and they look to be under a prolonged rebuilding project after Jurgeson's retirement. He now flies to Miami, where he has one of the best QBs in the game throwing to him in Stabler, on one of the winningest franchises in the NFL. In fact, Lewis was so enthused at hearing that he'd been traded to Miami that he signed a 5 year, $1.22 million contract extension with the Dolphins two days later.

Free Agency

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
K Tim Webster: 1 year, $70k*
CB Charlie Ford: 1 year, $70k*
WR Otto Stowe: 1 year, $70k*
SS Glen Edwards: 4 years, $1.34 mill.
MLB Willie Lanier: 4 years, $2.34 mill.
LG Mo Moorman: 3 years, $650k

Week 2 Signings
RB Jim Kiick - 1 year, $110k (New Jersey)
-Say goodbye to our RB troubles for at least this season! Double bonus points for his being an RL Dolphin, as well as a University of Wyoming Cowboy. :D Granted, he's a one-year rental until we find something better, but he's the perfect fit for us right now.

WR Gary Ballman - 1 year, $110k* (Re-signing)
-You've got to be crazy if you thought I wasn't going to re-sign my favorite 3rd round pick ever. His skills are really eroded as you'd expect a 13th year WR's to be, but as long as he feels like playing, he'll be a Dolphin, even if it's only as the 5th receiver.

C Tom Banks - 4 years, $1.19 mill. (New England)
-Meet our new starting C for the next 4 years, stolen from the Patriots. John Schmitt's getting old and it was time to find his heir, only in this case, the replacement turned out even better than he did. Unfortunately, this means I won't be bringing back Frank Marchlewski, so the chemistry effects will be interesting to see.

LT Levery Carr - 2 years, $340k (Philadelphia)
-Another former Eagle signs on board with us. He played extremely well as the starting LT in Philadelphia last season and I really think he's an underrated player. In any case, there wasn't much out on there on the market, so I grabbed who I thought looked the best.

DT Mike Rengel - 1 year, $80k* (New York)
-Got put on the IR list during the Giants' postseason run so he doesn't officially have a ring. Intriguing possibility for a starting DT, as he's been solid the last 4 seasons as a starter in New York. I liked the looks of him better than Bob Rowe.

Week 2 Losses
WR Roy Jefferson - 4 years, $1.9 mill. (Chicago)
-I'm really ticked at Jefferson. This is a really cheap deal for a receiver that's still one of the best in the league. Then I realize this is still the smartest move for us. Sure, the Bears landed him, but they also handed over a $920,000 signing bonus to a 10th year WR. Sorry, but very few players that old would get that kind of cash from me and the underachieving Jefferson isn't one of them.

DE Dennis Wirgowski - 1 year, $100k (Buffalo) (Atlanta)
-For $10k more, the Bills steal the guy I was hoping would be my backup DE this year. Slightly annoying, but not a major blow to our offseason plans or anything.

Week 3 Signings
DE Royce Berry - 1 year, $80k* (Denver)
-Our secondary target after Wirgowski got snatched up. Nothing exceptional, as he's about on par with Wes Grant, our former backup DE. He'll do, as he's adequate.

Week 3 Losses
TE Stu Voight - 1 year, $80k* (Oakland) (Re-Signing)
-I really wanted this guy to come be my new starting TE, but he stayed loyal to the Silver and Black. Again, annoying, but not a dealbreaker in terms of our offseason, to say the least.

Week 4 Signings
RB Charlie Pittman - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Hey, he's a new RB mentor in addition to being a solid backfield captain and #2 RB. I'm happy to still have him on the team, even though his skills are already starting to dip a bit. For a min-sal deal, I'll take that, especially for a season-by-season situation.

Week 4 Losses
P Danny Villaneuva - 1 year, $110k* (Houston)
Yeah he did well for us last year, but I really should see what that P I drafted is like first before I start throwing more money and roster spots at 15th year punters.

Week 5 Losses
C Frank Marchlewski - 1 year, $100k* (Minnesota)
-And so the Marchlewski era in Miami comes to an end. I'm honestly quite sorry to see him go, even though it was getting to the point where it was time he found a new place to play. Our new offensive line leader is new LT Levery Carr, who doesn't impact anybody either way. Oh well, better than conflicts.

DE Wes Grant - 1 year, $80k* (Baltimore)
-Talented guy, but no endurance, and after it dropped from 20 to 11 this offseason, I decided it was time to look elsewhere for a backup. Good luck with the Ravens, Wes!

DT Bob Rowe - 1 year, $100k* (Pittsburgh)
-A pretty big disappointment last season for us, outside of his 1.5 sack showing in the wild card game against the Chargers. Have fun with that, Steelers.

Week 6 Signings
MLB Jamie Rivers - 1 year, $120k (Re-Signing)
-I had to pay a little extra money and lose the veteran cap exemption to bring him back, but you're nuts if you don't think I'm bringing back the guy who has an affinity with Willie Lanier and is a solid backup MLB to boot.

CB Jim Duncan - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Okay, so he gets eaten alive in the playoffs. He's still a good cornerback to have around, not to mention one of the most dangerous kickoff returners in the league. I'd like to have him be the nickel or dime back, but that all depends on if I can find an upgrade.

Week 7 Losses
TE Bob Klein - 1 year, $80k* (Houston - Resigning)
-Ugh. That's twice now I've been bitten in my search for a new starting TE. Damn those loyal guys!

RT Joe Taffoni - 3 years, $520k (Houston)
-I was amused to see a fierce bidding war erupt over Taffoni's services and in the end, it was the Texans who won out. I think they're trying to turn themselves into Dolphins Texas or something. Pretty funny to see, especially since Joe T. was terrible in Miami.

CB Randy Beverly - 1 year, $100k* (Cincinnati)
-Nice guy who was fantastic for us his first season, but then after I re-signed him, he was league-average. The Bengals can have him.

CB Lloyd Mumphord - 1 year, $80k* (Jacksonville re-signing)
-Ugh x 2. This is the guy I wanted as my new upgrade starting CB, but he spits out the extra money we offered him to stay with the Jaguars. Talk about an ugly week. 4 lost players, 2 of whom I really wanted to get.

Week 8 Signings
SLB Ed Philpott - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-He is what he is, a solid tackler and cover man with no pass rush skills and a mentor. You could do worse for a min-sal deal or a starter.

S Rodger Bird - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-The all-time career leader in punt return yardage is damn well staying in a Dolphins uniform.

Week 9 Signings
TE Billy Masters - 1 year, $100k* (New Orleans)
-Not a great tight end by any stretch of the imagination, but passable and one with an affinity with receivers leader Kent Kramer. Except there's one small problem: Kramer's out of contract. Ah well, Masters is an improvement as a backup TE anyway.

S Richmond Flowers - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-He's a solid backup S and that's really all I ask out of him.

Week 10 Signings
QB Ron Meyer - 1 year, 100k* (Re-signing)
-Eh, he's a mentor and a respectable enough kickholder. He'll do to stay as my #2.

That'll be it for my free agency shopping.

Time to go draft searching.

Week 12 Losses
DT Curt Farrier - 1 year, 110k* (Carolina)
-Was pissed about not starting last season in place of Bob Rowe, which I can't exactly blame him for. He did an absolutely fantastic job of tutoring Bob Maddox though, to the point where last year's 3rd round pick is our top DT and a respectable one at that.

[Izulde]

Draft time.

We've the #26 pick in the 1st round, but don't expect us to stay there. Pretty much my whole strategy in the 1st revolves around one guy who, if he drops out of the Top 10, I'm trading up to grab him no matter what it costs me.

The problem is he's #2 in his position group and this draft is top heavy at T, QB, DE, and CB and if you're not a team that has any of those areas as needs, you're not going to go that route. LT Jim Nicholson and OLB Matt Blair are the top two players in the draft, but there's a slew of other great players available, including a certain QB who imported in far less stellar than one might expect.

Here goes nothing.

1974 NFL Draft 1st Round

1. T Jim Nicholson - Oakland Raiders
2. OLB Matt Blair - Atlanta Falcons
3. QB Larry Cipa - New Orleans Saints
4. ILB Randy Gradishar - Buffalo Bills
5. ILB Jack Lambert - Indianapolis Colts
6. ILB Frank LeMaster - Los Angeles Rams
7. CB Jeris White - San Diego through Kansas City

The Chiefs give this away far too cheaply, for the Chargers' 1976 1st, 3rd, and 7th rounders. K.C.'s going to be staying in the basement with deals like that, even with Dave Hanner coaching them.

8. S Donnie Shell - San Francisco 49ers
9. CB Rick Byas - Detroit Lions
10. QB Bill Troup - Philadelphia Eagles

I said I was going to trade up, but honestly, I can afford to hold off a few more picks here. There's still a lot of talent up on the board.

11. DE Too Tall Jones - Minnesota Vikings
12. CB Doug Nettles - Oakland Raiders
13. ILB Ed O'Neill - Jacksonville Jaguars

Okay, now it's time to move up. The Cardinals look a sure-fire bet to take from the position group I want and I can't risk losing my guy, so I contact Green Bay. I dangle my 1st and 2nd round picks in this draft for their #14. They want more.

I offer them my 1st and 2nd rounder in this draft, plus next year's 3rd rounder and this deal they take. It's a stiff price to pay, but on the one hand, I have a history of bad luck with 2nd round picks other than L.C. Greenwood and on the other hand, it's actually cheaper than what I thought it was going to cost me.

I hurry in the pick.

14. WR Lynn Swann - Miami Dolphins

Our future at WR is now secured between Frank Lewis and our newly drafted rookie.

15. WR Billy Johnson - St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals were quite happy to take the other top-flight WR, though I'd bet Swann has a better career.

16. ILB Charles Anthony - Tucson Titans
17. RB Delvin Williams - New England Patriots
18. G Tom Condon - Denver Broncos
19. T Keith Fahnhorst - Pittsburgh Steelers
20. DE John Dutton - Houston Oilers
21. RB Eric Torkelson - Chicago Bears
22. RB Rod McNeil - New Jersey Jets through Carolina Panthers

Desperate to land a RB after a run starts on them, the Jets ship off their 1976 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounders to the Panthers in order to grab McNeil. Overpaid in my opinion, but they're hoping to keep their success from last season going.

23. T Jeff Sevy - San Diego Chargers
24. DE Fred Cook - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
25. T Steve Riley - Seattle Seahawks
26. DT Steve George - Green Bay Packers
27. CB Danny Colbert - Dallas Cowboys
28. OLB Marv Kellum - Baltimore Ravens
29. T Claude Minor - Cincinnati Bengals through Washington Redskins

The Bengals trade their 3rd and 7th round picks in this draft, along with next year's 1st rounder to take the last remaining stellar T in the draft. He's a RT naturally, but he'll fit in well on the line of a team that's one of just 2 never to make the playoffs in the 14 seasons in this universe.

30. WR Ike Harris - Cleveland Browns
31. TE George Latta - Cleveland Browns

Smart move by the Browns to go and get Wayne Clark some receiving help, but I think they'd have been better off finding a new QB. Oh well, their choice!

32. ILB Sam Hunt - New York Giants

Joe Theismann finally gets taken at 3.19 by the Oakland Raiders.

The CB I would've taken in the 2nd round gets snapped up by our archival Buffalo in at 3.4, so I take DT Randy Crowder with our 3rd round pick to see if we can strike gold twice in two seasons.

There's one CB left who I even have the remotest interest in when our turn comes up in the 4th round and so CB Randy Poltl becomes the newest Dolphin.

In the 5th, I'm torn between a TE and an OLB. I go with OLB Mike Varty, because our depth at the position is really weak for one, and for two, he looks like the better breakout option.

Luck's with me! The TE is still around in the 6th and so I take TE J.V. Cain.

Our 7th round pick is RB Gary Hayman, who looks to have 3rd round type-talent and be an excellent passing down, 3rd down, KR and ST back and if he isn't, it's only a 7th round pick.

Late Free Agency

Week 3 Signings
QB Scotty Glacken - 1 year, $100k* (Green Bay)
-Strictly a #3 QB signed because he has double affinities.

DT Dick Ardnt - 1 year, $120k (Cincinnati)
-I had to overpay to get him, but he's a mentor. Same deal as with Farrier last season. If he doesn't pan out, he's the first to go.

Rookies Post-TC


WR Lynn Swann 1.14 26/36 29/43 +3/+7
DT Randy Crowder 3.24 18/38 20/39 +2/+1
CB Randy Poltl 4.23 17/42 19/39 +2/-3
WLB Mike Varty 5.22 11/29 16/38 +5/+9
TE J.V. Cain 6.26 18/50 19/46 +1/-4
RB Gary Hayman 7.25 23/59 22/51 -1/-8

Draft Grade: B

I'll be the first one to admit I had a heart attack when I saw Swann's 26/36 rating, but then he boomed more properly like I expected. He'll be the #3 receiver this year, for sure. Crowder it's a little hard to get a read on, nor is it certain where he'll end up. Poltl looks like one of many mid-round CBs I've drafted over the years. Varty's boom is absolutely fantastic and unexpected. He'll be the backup OLB this season, but don't be surprised if he sneaks in a starting job before the year's out. Cain and Hayman dropped like I figured they would, but Cain still could end up in a TE mix and I wouldn't count Hayman out of the RB picture either.

[Izulde]

Glacken, Scotty 17 QB 9 17 33 1 yr.
Meyer, Ron 12 QB 9 22 36 1 yr.
Stabler, Ken 10 QB 7 74 74 3 yrs

Stabler, Meyer, Glacken obviously, with once again our entire season pretty much riding on Stabler's ability to stay healthy.


Kiick, Jim 22 RB 7 28 28 1 yr.
Pittman, Charlie 41 RB 5 27 27 1 yr.
Mul-key, Herb 43 RB 3 23 37 2 yrs
Hayman, Gary 37 RB 1 22 51 3 yrs
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 7 62 62 2 yrs
Burns, Leon 35 FB 4 16 23 1 yr.

In a shocking turn of events, it looks like Hayman might be our best back, but Kiick is going to get the start, with Hayman the #2, 3rd down and passing back until we see what he's really made of. Mul-key takes his usual returner/ST role, while Pittman gets to sit on the inactive list. Incidentally, Hayman is also a ST demon, but I don't want to spread him too thinly. Csonka and Burns the FBs, though Burns will be replaced next season.


Mitchell, Tom 86 TE 9 33 33 1 yr.
Masters, Billy 84 TE 8 37 37 1 yr.
Cain, J.V. 2 TE 1 19 46 3 yrs
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 11 54 54 2 yrs
Winslow, Doug 83 FL 2 19 28 2 yrs
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 1 29 43 4 yrs
Ballman, Gary 89 SE 13 27 27 1 yr.
Lewis, Frank 88 SE 4 48 48 5 yrs
Stowe, Otto 82 SE 4 19 19 1 yr.

Masters is our best TE, but he's getting cut. Why? Because he has an Extreme Conflict with Lynn Swann and a conflict with Gary Ballman and that just ain't gonna fly. This means that Warfield, in addition to being our starting flanker, is now our receivers captain, with an exceptional affinity with Stowe. Yay! Mitchell starts at TE and the rookie Cain will get #2 spot. Surprising that both our 6th and 7th round picks will play significant roles on the team, though I can't tell if that's because it was that deep a draft or if it's a problem with the roster. In any case, Warfield and the newly traded for Lewis are the receiver starters, rookie Swann and Ballman the backups and Stowe the 5th receiver. Winslow gets punted to inactive.


Schmitt, John 56 C 11 39 39 1 yr.
Banks, Tom 51 C 5 55 55 4 yrs
Fest, Howard 71 LG 7 43 43 1 yr.
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 7 56 56 3 yrs
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 8 81 81 4 yrs
Carr, Levery 60 LT 6 38 38 2 yrs
George, Ed 65 LT 5 33 33 1 yr.
Mikolajczyk, Ron 67 RT 2 39 44 2 yrs

Carr-Moorman-Banks-Upshaw-Mikolajczyk as the starting 5, Fest the reserve G, George the reserve T, Schmitt the backup C. I feel like that unit can hang together for a few more years at least to give us a capable o-line, but naturally I'm always looking to upgrade, especially at LT, where #6 overall pick George was an absolute bust and where we've never had a legitimate solid guy.


Parsons, Bob 15 P 3 37 46 1 yr.
Webster, Tim 16 K 4 47 47 1 yr.

Parsons has a lot of rust on him from sitting two years, and Webster hasn't been as consistent the last couple seasons, but Wonder still finds a way to get it done in the playoffs.


Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 6 59 59 2 yrs
Brown, Aaron 74 RDE 9 40 40 2 yrs
Berry, Royce 70 RDE 6 40 40 1 yr.
Ardnt, Dick 72 LDT 9 33 33 1 yr.
Rengel, Mike 97 LDT 6 42 42 1 yr.
Croft, Don 95 RDT 3 26 35 2 yrs
Maddox, Bob 76 RDT 2 46 46 3 yrs
Crowder, Randy 75 RDT 1 20 39 3 yrs

Mildly interesting dilemma at DE, but let's be honest here. Greenwood and Brown play extremely well off of each other and there's no way in hell I'm disrupting that chemistry, so sorry Berry, but you take a reserve role. Rengel and Maddox are the definitive DT starters, but who to back them up? There's not much to distinguish the three candidates, so I'll probably go with the rookie Crowder, who had a small boom and has some upside.


Lanier, Willie 58 MLB 8 71 71 4 yrs
Rivers, Jamie 99 MLB 8 41 41 1 yr.
Graham, Tom 92 MLB 3 18 37 2 yrs
Philpott, Ed 59 SLB 8 41 41 1 yr.
Webster, George 50 WLB 8 39 39 2 yrs
Coleman, Dennis 57 WLB 4 27 27 1 yr.
Varty, Mike 90 WLB 1 16 38 3 yrs

Philpott-Lanier-Webster, with Rivers, Graham and Varty the backups. What's that you say? Graham? That's right! I changed him over to SLB and he went to 11/38. He's quite raw at the position, but let's be honest, he's never going to get a shot at MLB and if he improves quickly enough in the preseason, he'll be the backup SLB for this year.


Ford, Charlie 34 LCB 4 30 40 1 yr.
Lawrence, Rolland 24 LCB 2 36 47 3 yrs
Sellers, Goldie 47 RCB 9 30 30 2 yrs
Duncan, Jim 29 RCB 7 40 40 1 yr.
Poltl, Randy 38 RCB 1 19 39 4 yrs
Bird, Rodger 46 SS 9 10 10 1 yr.
Flowers, Richmond 30 SS 6 33 33 1 yr.
Edwards, Glen 20 SS 4 59 59 4 yrs
Clarke, Hagood 21 FS 11 29 29 1 yr.
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 3 73 73 2 yrs

Lawrence and Duncan start, Sellers and Ford the backups. Poltl goes on inactive list. Edwards and Crist the starters at S, Clarke and Flowers the reserves, Bird the PR maestro.

Overall, I feel better about our WR and offensive line situation than last year. Our running game probably went down a notch, as did our special teams. Defense probably went down a little too, but if our rookies and new position guys can improve quickly enough, we should have a shot at getting hot down the stretch.

All in all, I'd say we look like a playoff team again, but not a Super Bowl contender.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Detroit 13 Miami 26
Gary Hayman rushes for 93 yards in his Dolphins debut and will get the starting nod for the next preseason game. Lynn Swann appears to be gelling with Ken Stabler early, hooking up with him for a 28 yard TD. Bob Parsons averaged 54 yards a punt and Tim Webster was Player of the Game with 4/4 FGs. L.C. Greenwood and Aaron Brown each had 1.5 sacks, Greenwood tacking on 2 tackles, an assist, a hurry and 3 knockdowns, Brown with 3 tackles, a hurry and a knockdown. All in all, a -very- encouraging start.

RG Gene Upshaw strains his foot and is out 3 weeks and LCB Rolland Lawrence will miss the rest of preseason with an appendectomy. Howard Fest and Charlie Ford take their place as starters respectively.

Miami 38 Los Angeles 7
L.C. Greenwood took home Player of the Game honors with 5 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 7 hurries and a knockdown and Bob Maddox added 2 tackles, 2 assists, and 1.5 sacks as we just absolutely beat down the Rams behind solid, solid team effort.

Green Bay 17 Miami 10
Tough preseason loss to the Packers. Ken Stabler had a rough game: 10-21 for 64 yards and an interception. That's fine. I'd rather he get the junk out of his system early in the year, so he can play well in the regular season.

Gene Upshaw's up to Probable and I'm going to start him the final preseason game to kick the rust off of him.

Miami 14 St. Louis 38
Ken Stabler looked sharp in the final tune-up: 13-21 for 217 yards and a TD and Lynn Swann had 6 catches for 118 yards. Bob Maddox picked up 6 tackles, 4 assists and 1.5 sacks. DE Jack Youngblood just killed us: 8 tackles, 5 sacks, 4 hurries and 4 knockdowns, as we gave up 9 sacks as a team. That's some ugly, ugly stuff, but it'll hopefully improve in the regular season.

On to the regular season! And I make damn sure I hit recommend this time.

Regular Season

Miami 27 New England 17
Ken Stabler gets Game MVP for his 21-35 for 286 yard, 3 TD, 1 INT performance. He did an excellent job of distributing the ball. Glen Edwards had 10 tackles and an assist to highlight the defense as we kick off the season with a solid victory.

Jim Duncan strains his calf muscle, further weakening our secondary. Fortunately he'll only miss one game. Goldie Sellers gets the start in his place and Herb Mul-key moves in as the top kick returner.

Miami 10 Chicago 19
One of those tough losses that happens every now and then. Paul Warfield played brilliantly, with 8 catches for 168 yards and a TD and Willie Lanier put up 13 tackles and 4 assists. Considerng the Bears are a decent team and we're missing both our starting corners, I'm pretty amazed the score was that close.

Sheesh! We get our starting corners back only to lose Goldie Sellers for 2 weeks to a strained foot ligament and Randy Poltl to the same injury for 4 weeks. Oh well, better the backups than the starters.

Denver 11 Miami 30
Super Ken Stabler shows up, getting a rare 300+ game with a 23-29 for 336 yards and a TD performance, good for Player of the Game. Paul Warfield continues his lights out play with 9 catches for 187 yards. L.C. Greenwood had 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, a block, a hurry and 2 knockdowns, but Mike Rengel was just as impressive with 4 tackles, 2 sacks and a knockdown.

LG Mo Moorman's doubtful with an abdominal strain, but I'm going to ask him to play through it as we need the offensive line to stay gelled together.

Miami 31 Cincinnati 6
Another fine performance from Ken Stabler, this one 17-22 for 283 yards and 3 TDs. Both Paul Warfield and Lynn Swann were just short of 100 receiving yards, with the rookie Swann grabbing 2 TDs, including an impressive 52 yarder. Charlie Ford was terrific in the nickel role, with 2 interceptions.

Backup S Hagood Clarke hyperextends his elbow and is out 3 weeks, but Goldie Sellers is ready to return.

Buffalo 13 Miami 31
Gary Hayman showed why he won the starting RB job despite being a 7th round pick today when he rushed for 131 yards and 2 TDs on just 16 carries, but Ken Stabler won Player of the Game with a 19-28 for 269 yards and 2 TDs line. Another new Dolphin, Frank Lewis, had 8 catches for 135 yards and a TD, making people say Roy who? (Incidentally, Jefferson was held to 4 catches for 47 yards in our game against the Bears). Charlie Ford also got an interception in his second straight game.

Howard Fest goes down with a strained foot ligament, requiring us to bring in G Harvey Mudd, an 11th year vet, who started for Cincinnati and Denver the past two seasons, to serve as the stopgap backup. Mudd's got an affinity with our offensive line captain, which is a nice bonus.

Miami 42 Cleveland 34
Holy shootout, Batman! Well, not a shoot-out per se... just high-scoring. Gary Hayman keeps his hot play up with 90 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs, meaning PotG Ken Stabler got a light workout: 15-25 for 184 yards and 3 TDs.

Gene Upshaw is doubtful with an abdominal strain, but with Howard Fest still out, I can't afford to replace him in the lineup. Hagood Clarke is back to probable, however.

Pittsburgh 20 Miami 27
A heart-pounding game that wasn't decided until Gary Hayman churned his way across the line for the goal-line go-ahead score with 1:18 left in the game. Ken Stabler wins Player of the Game again: 20-30 for 211 yards and 2 TDs. The boo birds that were calling for his head a couple seasons ago sure have shut up fast. Willie Lanier has a fantastic all-around game with 9 tackles, 6 assists, a sack and a knockdown.

Gary Ballman's out with a strained elbow tendon, but he can hopefully heal up enough during the bye week to play. Charlie Ford, on the other hand, looks to be gone for a significant chunk of time: Torn knee cartilage has him potentially on the shelf for 7 weeks. Randy Poltl becomes the backup LCB and Goldie Sellers takes over nickel duties.

Just as I'd hoped, Gary Ballman is back up to probable after the bye week and more importantly, Howard Fest is ready to come back. I'll keep Harvey Mudd around though, just in case we have need of him.

New England 25 Miami 34
Talk about your big plays! This game was chock full of them, including a 36 yard TD run by Gary Hayman to open scoring, a safety by the Patriots, an 82 yard kickoff return for a TD by Patriot Cecil Turner, and, best of all, an incredible 18 yard TD pass from Ken Stabler to Paul Warfield with 18 seconds left on the game clock to seal the victory. Gary Hayman had 16 rushes for 108 yards and the TD, but Ken Stabler was PotG yet again, thanks to a 17-32 for 205 yards and 3 TDs line.

Unfortunately starting WLB George Webster breaks his tibia and is gone for roughly 6 weeks and neither rookie Mike Varty, who has been dreadful against the pass as a reserve, nor Dennis Coleman, who hasn't played a down this season, is ready to step in the starting lineup in his place.

This means we'll have to look in free agency.

But for now, let's bask in the fact that we're 7-1 at the break and the fact that the Jets lost this week to put them half a game behind us at 7-2. Want to know how lopsided the division is? Buffalo's 2-7 and the Patriots are 1-8.

Want to know how top-heavy the AFC as a whole is? Indianapolis is 6-2 and if the season ended today, they wouldn't be going to the playoffs.

Halfway Point


Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
All-Time 145-87
Winning Pct. .625
Playoffs 14-8
Playoff Visits 11
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 7-1
Winning Pct. .875
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.4 13
Rushing Yards 120.8 10
Yards Per Carry 4.11 13
Pass Attempts 29.0 25 (T)
Completions 18.8 22
Completion Pct. 64.7 7
Passing Yards 253.8 2
Yards Per Attempt 8.75 1
Yards Per Catch 13.53 1
Total Yardage Gained 351.5 2
3rd Down Conversions 42.2 2 (T)
Points Per Game 29.0 1
Pass Rush Pct. 9.3 4
Pass Defense Pct. 67.2 13
Turnovers 6 2 (T)
Turnover Margin +10 4

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 23.0 5
Rushing Yards 90.0 4
Yards Per Carry 3.91 13
Pass Attempts 38.8 31
Completions 22.4 30
Completion Pct. 57.7 7 (T)
Passing Yards 205.5 21
Yards Per Attempt 5.30 4
Yards Per Catch 9.18 4
Total Yardage Gained 278.6 10
3rd Down Conversions 33.6 10
Points Per Game 18.1 15
Pass Rush Pct. 6.4 12
Pass Defense Pct. 63.6 11
Turnovers 16 9 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 27 at NED 17
2 10 at CHI 19
3 30 DEN 11
4 31 at CIN 6
5 31 BUF 13
6 42 at CLE 34
7 27 PIT 20
9 34 NED 25
10 BAL
11 at NJY
12 MIN
13 at TUC
14 at DET
15 NJY
16 GBY
17 at BUF

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 K. Stabler QB 232 150 2030 8.75 18 1 116.4
**Team --- 232 150 2030 8.75 18 1 116.4
$$Opp --- 310 179 1644 5.30 8 11 66.1

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
37 G. Hayman RB 132 606 4.59 9 1
22 J. Kiick RB 82 345 4.21 1 1
10 K. Stabler QB 20 14 0.70 0 3
**Team --- 235 966 4.11 10 8
$$Opp --- 184 720 3.91 4 17

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 62 42 782 18.62 12.61 3 3
88 F. Lewis WR 49 29 406 14.00 8.29 3 4
81 L. Swann WR 38 21 318 15.14 8.37 2 6
37 G. Hayman RB 18 15 80 5.33 4.44 1 0
89 G. Ballman WR 23 14 257 18.36 11.17 1 3

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 57 27 3.0 1 1 1 77.2
20 G. Edwards S 47 7 0.0 0 2 3 74.0
59 E. Philpott OLB 32 14 0.0 0 1 3 76.1
31 C. Crist S 32 12 0.0 1 0 6 80.3
50 G. Webster OLB 24 9 3.0 1 1 1 78.2
97 M. Rengel DT 22 6 4.0 5 0 0 81.5
24 R. Lawrence CB 19 2 0.0 0 0 3 76.7
76 B. Maddox DT 19 8 0.5 4 0 0 80.7
34 C. Ford CB 17 5 0.0 0 3 2 83.2
74 A. Brown DE 16 2 4.0 5 0 0 81.5
96 L. Greenwood DE 16 7 4.5 15 0 0 81.7
47 G. Sellers CB 12 2 0.0 0 1 1 79.1
29 J. Duncan CB 12 3 0.0 0 2 5 87.3
90 M. Varty OLB 9 0 0.0 0 0 0 55.7

Raise your hand if you miss Calvin Hill.

Anybody?

No, we don't either.

I think we can file that 18 TD to 1 INT ratio at the halfway point by Ken Stabler as absolutely sick. For what few critics of his remain, I'd like to point out that Stabler's also on pace to break 4,000 yards for the season for the first time in his career.

Another thing I didn't expect was Gary Hayman to not only be on pace to break 1,000 yards rushing in his rookie year (Hell I didn't expect him to win the starting RB job in preseason), but he's also on pace to absolutely shatter the team single-season record in rushing TDs.

Oh yeah, the old Paul Warfield is back with a venegance, Frank Lewis is every bit as good as Roy Jefferson at a fraction of the price and Lynn Swann is learning very, very quickly how to play this game.

Now, what do we attribute to this phenomenon? I'd say it's a combination of hiring Harris Wilcox, the offensive playcalling guru and getting rid of Calvin Hill. Not only did trading Hill bring in Frank Lewis, but Hill had a ridiculously high route running skill, which took away passes from our receiving corps. Oh yeah, adding Swann certainly helped too. :D

On the defensive side of the ball, Willie Lanier is well in line to break the 100+ tackle mark again and L.C. Greenwood continues to be a beastly pass-rusher, even though he's just short of hitting 10+ sacks for the season at his current rate. Although our defense isn't really posting mind-boggling statistics, Royce Womble has his boys playing extremely well, particularly since we don't have a true shut-down corner, or any truly good linebackers outside of Mr. Lanier.

[Izulde]

Jim Kiick is understandably disgruntled about losing his starting job to a 7th round rookie, but Gary Hayman's been the surprise sensation of the season and a super story for the press to cover. Sorry, Jim, but you'll have to stay in the #2 spot.

Dennis Coleman finally gets cut, as we have the cap room to eat the dead space he'll give us this year. 5th year WLB Ross Brupbacher is signed to be the emergency starter while George Webster is out. Although Brupbacher has never been a starter, he's looked decent enough as a reserve to fill in until Webster gets healthy again.

Baltimore 9 Miami 7
A ton of yardage on both sides, but neither one of us was able to score for some reason. The Ravens' K, Bob Jencks nailed all 3 FGs to give Baltimore the win, despite Aaron Brown's 3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, block and hurry and Mike Rengel's tackle, 2 assists and 1.5 sacks.

Miami 6 New Jersey 29
Ouch! We get reamed and the Jets power ahead to the division lead. Ken Stabler was god-awful: 14-42 for 181 yards and an INT as Jets K Mark Moseley belted 5/5 FGs to beat us single-handedly. Willie Lanier had 13 tackles, 2 assists and a hurry in the lone noteworthy Dolphins performance. Honestly, I'm not sure what's with our offense all of a sudden, but it needs to get sorted out and fast.

Minnesota 20 Miami 45
Oh, there's where our offense went! Though to be fair, a lot of credit goes to the defense. Rolland Lawrence returned an interception 92 yards for a TD and Bob Maddox picked up a fumble and rumbled downfield 14 yards for a TD of his own. Ken Stabler won Game MVP with a 12-21 for 187 yards and 3 TDs, but really this game was about Royce Womble's boys. Ed Philpott racked up 12 tackles, 3 assists and a hurry and Aaron Brown was magnificient with 9 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and a knockdown as we pulverized one of the league's sorriest franchises.

Gary Hayman's questionable, so we'll give Jim Kiick the start and move Hayman to the #2 spot.

Miami 28 Tucson 26
The game wasn't as close as the score indicates, as the Titans scored a TD with just over a minute left to draw within two. Ken Stabler was on form today at 16-27 for 254 yards and 4 TDs vs 1 INT, good enough to net him Player of the Game honors. Aaron Brown continued his second half surge with 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2 hurries.

Miami 20 Detroit 17
Again, our opponents score a late TD to make it look close, this time with 9 seconds left on the game clock. These sudden late scores have me a little worried, but as long as we keep on winning, it's okay. Ken Stabler again won PotG: 21-30 for 273 yards and 2 TDs. He's really showing that last season's surprise MVP award was no fluke. Paul Warfield gobbled up 7 balls for 120 yards and Willie Lanier had 10 tackles and 2 assists.

Charlie Ford is back to probable, as is Gary Hayman. George Webster is questionable. I decide to sit Webster, even though we have a season-defining game coming up, but Hayman will start again and Ford steps back into the reserve LCB and nickel back role.

New Jersey 0 Miami 27
Our defense was pissed about the Jets hammering us last time, so what do they do? Go out and shut out New Jersey! Willie Lanier had an 11 yard fumble return for a TD in addition to his 9 tackles. Gary Hayman and Jim Kiick both had 95 yards rushing exactly, leaving Ken Stabler little to do as his 11-21 for 76 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT line testifies. Rolland Lawrence picked off 2 passes and Ross Brupbacher thanked me for letting him start again by getting an interception of his own. L.C. Greenwood provided notable defense as well with 2 tackles, a sack, 5 hurries and a knockdown.

Despite the victory, the Jets still hold the tiebreaker advantage over us. We're both 11-3, a situation matched in the AFC North, where the Steelers and Ravens hold the same record. The AFC South has the Jaguars and the Oilers both at 9-5, while Dave Hanner's worked a miracle in Kansas City, leading the Chiefs to a current 10-4 mark and a clinched AFC West title. (The rest of the division is presently 5-9).

Green Bay 10 Miami 28
Craziest play of this game?

3Q: 07:01 MIA - Gene Upshaw 18 fumble return (Tim Webster extra point)

What happened was, super-stud special teamer Herb Mul-key hammered the hell out of Greg Pruitt, the Packers' PR. Gene Upshaw recovered the ensuing fumble and waddled his ass down the field 18 yards for the TD. That play really made me smile.

Otherwise, 3 interceptions by the good guys, 2 TDs by Ken Stabler and L.C. Greenwood's 2 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 blocks and 2 hurries tells the tale of how we won this one pretty handily.

We draw the Bills in our last game, the Jets the Patriots. If New England can pull off the upset and we can win, we get the division title. Otherwise, we'll have to slog through the wild-card route.

Miami 20 Buffalo 6
Well, we did our part. Paul Warfield had 7 catches for 106 yards and 2 TDs and our defense sacked Daryle Lamonica 10 times, a franchise record. To wit: PotG Mike Rengel with 6 tackles, an assist, 3.5 sacks and 2 hurries, L.C. Greenwood with 6 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown, Willie Lanier with 5 tackles, 4 assists, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns and Aaron Brown with 3 tackles, 2 sacks and a knockdown (Rookie Randy Crowder had the other half-sack).

Was it enough?

....No.

New Jersey 14 New England 3

That's not even the worst part. Despite finishing with an identical 13-3 record to the Ravens, Baltimore beat us in the regular season so they get the #1 wildcard spot. We get the #2 wildcard and a very ironic matchup in the first round.

[Izulde]

Dave Hanner has worked such a miracle in Kansas City that we play the Chiefs in the wild-card round.

Hanner turned Leo Hart into a decent enough QB, but Hart got hurt, so 6th year scrub Terry Hanratty is the emergency starter. He sucks and he's got two extreme conflicts with team leaders, but he pulled off a victory in the last game of the season. Duane Thomas is just sick at RB. He's never had less than 1,300 yards rushing a season. This year he had almost 1,700 yards and 14 TDs in the regular season.

TE Charlie Young, FL Mac Haik, and SE Karl Noonan are all solid, to say nothing of Dick Witcher. Conrad Dobler is incredible at RG, but LT Roger Finnie has been an underachiever relative to his talent ever since he entered the NFL. K George Hunt has a dangerous leg and Pete Duranko and Manny Fernandez form a respectable pair on the left side of the D-line at DE and DT respectively.

The Chiefs have as solid a corps of starting linebackers as anyone else in the league, notably MLB Ron Hornsby who played great in his first season as a full-time starter his year. However, Kansas City's secondary isn't that good, which plays to our strengths.

Vegas has us favored by a single point, but even though we're on the road and this is a pretty decent team coached by our former head coach hungry to beat us, I'd say we can cover the spread and then some, provided our man behind center gets time to throw the ball.

As it turned out, Vegas was right to call it a close one.

The Chiefs concentrated on shutting down Paul Warfield, forcing Ken Stabler to spread the ball out more often. Although Stabler was 25-35 for 229 yards and a TD, he was sacked 5 times, fumbled 3 times and appeared to have trouble against a defense that knows our offense quite well.

But a couple of Tim Webster field goals and a 4th quarter rushing TD by Gary Hayman that put us ahead for good and earned him Player of the Game honors, combined with stout defense on our part secured us through to the divisional round.

Miami 20 Kansas City 14

[Izulde]

The divisional round gives us a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are the winningest franchise in this universe with a current 163-77 all-time record (.679 percentage), and have been to the playoffs 11 times, second only to our 12.

Unfortunately, they're also 5-11 in the playoffs and have yet to make a Super Bowl, much less win it all.

Don Horn is a very solid QB. Not the type to go out and throw a lot of yardage, with only 3,000+ yards in 2 of his 6 seasons as the Steelers' signal-caller, but by the same token, he's very good at not throwing interceptions and has a sterling TD/INT ratio just about every season.

RB Jimmy Thomas rushed for 1,300 yards and 11 TDs in his first season as a starter since his rookie year in 1969 and was a key pickup in free agency for Pittsburgh. The wide receiving corps is pretty pedestrian, save for SE Bob Chandler, who came close to breaking 1,000 yards receiving this season.

2nd year C Guy Morriss is already one of the best in the league and John Wilbur is a terrific LG. RG is a weakness and the tackles are getting old, but overall, this is an exceptional offensive line.

The defensive front 7 are all mediocre to terrible, with the exception of SLB Tom Macleod, who in his second season, first as a starter, exploded with 13 sacks. Emmitt Thomas and Bobby Howard are a lot like Johnny Sample and Irv Cross used to be for us at CB--Not much for interceptions, but good luck trying to complete a pass against them.

Making matters even worse, Bryant Salter and Tommy Myers are a deadly pair of safeties. Myers in particular was other-worldly this season, with 9 interceptions, 2 returned for TDs and an 83.6% pass defense.

The fact that the Steelers secondary is so damn strong makes this a really tough battle. If we were a running team, this wouldn't even be close, as we'd eat that porous line alive.

But we aren't and we're also again on the road, both of which have Pittsburgh favored by 1. Can we beat them? Sure, but this is going to come down to the defenses and it's going to be really close.

It's not even close.

Jimmy Thomas rips through our defense for 115 yards and a TD and their short-yardage RB, Charlie Davis, punches in 3 TDs on the ground. Ken Stabler was sacked 6 times, as Pittsburgh's secondary played our receivers so well, he had difficulty locating anyone open and finished 25-46 for 259 yards and an INT.

It also didn't help that we got behind early and so had to completely abandon any attempt at a running game.

Our lone star: Willie Lanier with 11 tackles and 3 assists.

We finished the season about where I expected we would. We're still just too weak at LT and at OLB to reasonably expect to challenge for the Super Bowl title year in and year out.

Maybe this is Pittsburgh's year. In any case, ours is done.

Miami 6 Pittsburgh 28

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XV
The defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants make it back to the big game and try to become the only other team since the 1966 and 1967 Miami Dolphins to win two straight Super Bowls.

It doesn't happen, as Pittsburgh's superlative secondary continues their mindboggling play. CB Emmitt Thomas had 2 interceptions and returned a fumble 43 yards for a TD and SLB Tom Macleod won the MVP award with 8 tackles and a timely sack and block that changed the momentum of the whole game.

Still, the Giants can take consolation in the fact that they're the only team besides the Dolphins to have appeared in two straight Super Bowls.

New York 7 Pittsburgh 30

Final Dolphins Statistics



Record 14-4
Winning Pct. .777
All-Time 151-89
Winning Pct. .629
Playoffs 15-9
Playoff Visits 12
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 14-4
Winning Pct. .777
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 28.5 14
Rushing Yards 111.1 14
Yards Per Carry 3.90 19
Pass Attempts 27.9 31
Completions 16.8 31
Completion Pct. 60.3 13
Passing Yards 220.8 8
Yards Per Attempt 7.92 1
Yards Per Catch 13.13 2
Total Yardage Gained 312.7 9
3rd Down Conversions 39.9 7 (T)
Points Per Game 25.8 1
Pass Rush Pct. 10.0 1
Pass Defense Pct. 67.9 13
Turnovers 17 1 (T)
Turnover Margin +21 1

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 23.9 6
Rushing Yards 97.4 6
Yards Per Carry 4.08 22
Pass Attempts 39.9 32
Completions 23.1 30
Completion Pct. 57.7 10
Passing Yards 233.3 28
Yards Per Attempt 5.84 8
Yards Per Catch 10.11 10 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 309.4 19
3rd Down Conversions 33.8 7
Points Per Game 16.4 6
Pass Rush Pct. 6.6 12
Pass Defense Pct. 70.2 25
Turnovers 38 2

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 27 at NED 17
2 10 at CHI 19
3 30 DEN 11
4 31 at CIN 6
5 31 BUF 13
6 42 at CLE 34
7 27 PIT 20
9 34 NED 25
10 7 BAL 9
11 6 at NJY 29
12 45 MIN 20
13 28 at TUC 26
14 20 at DET 17
15 27 NJY 0
16 28 GBY 10
17 20 at BUF 6
$$WC 20 at KCY 14
$$CS 6 at PIT 28

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
10 K. Stabler QB 446 269 3532 7.92 34 6 105.1
**Team --- 446 269 3532 7.92 34 6 105.1
$$Opp --- 639 369 3732 5.84 14 23 66.9

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
37 G. Hayman RB 231 974 4.22 10 4
22 J. Kiick RB 182 750 4.12 2 3
10 K. Stabler QB 37 39 1.05 0 3
**Team --- 456 1778 3.90 12 20
$$Opp --- 382 1559 4.08 7 36

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 128 83 1331 16.04 10.40 3 9
88 F. Lewis WR 96 52 749 14.40 7.80 6 8
81 L. Swann WR 80 42 547 13.02 6.84 9 9
89 G. Ballman WR 42 26 488 18.77 11.62 2 4
37 G. Hayman RB 27 23 142 6.17 5.26 1 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 122 40 5.0 7 2 9 77.2
20 G. Edwards S 90 26 1.0 1 3 7 76.8
59 E. Philpott OLB 72 24 0.0 1 2 9 75.4
31 C. Crist S 71 17 0.0 1 3 14 82.2
97 M. Rengel DT 44 12 9.5 9 0 0 81.6
24 R. Lawrence CB 42 7 0.5 0 4 5 79.8
74 A. Brown DE 41 9 14.0 20 0 0 81.6
76 B. Maddox DT 38 19 4.0 8 0 0 80.8
96 L. Greenwood DE 36 14 11.0 32 0 0 81.5
47 G. Sellers CB 27 5 0.0 0 1 1 76.5
29 J. Duncan CB 25 14 0.0 0 3 9 84.4
50 G. Webster OLB 24 9 3.0 1 1 1 78.2
55 R. Brupbacher OLB 24 3 1.0 2 1 3 83.3
34 C. Ford CB 23 5 0.0 0 3 2 80.8
90 M. Varty OLB 18 2 0.0 0 0 0 65.4

That turnover ratio is absolutely beautiful and our defense was fantastic this season: Lanier, Greenwood, Brown, Crist... they were all absolutely brilliant in their play. We definitely need some help at OLB though and we still lack the sort of top-flight shutdown corner we once had in Johnny Sample.

Ken Stabler put together a magnificient season, even more incredible when you consider we didn't throw the ball all that much overall. Our receivers were great, in particular Warfield back to his old form, Lewis an excellent acquisition, and Swann quite promising. Hayman would've made the 1,000 yard mark if it wasn't for injuries.

1974 Dolphins Season Awards

QB Ken Stabler - MVP and 1st Team All-Pro QB
Stabler wins his second straight MVP award, though honestly, I'm still kind of iffy about him. He's not all that consistent and he gets sacked a ton because he can't avoid the rush worth a damn. That being said, he's becoming an extraordinarily efficient QB and with this past season (105.1 rating!), he finally passed Unitas in career Dolphins QB yardage, as well as in QB rating.

DT Mike Rengel - 1st Team All-Pro DT
Not bad for a one year signing! Rengel was the biggest FA surprise of this offseason, turning in an amazing season that no one could've anticipated before this year. 9.5 sacks out of the DT spot is incredible, especially in a 4-3 D like we run. That said, I don't know if I'll re-sign him. Seems too much a flash in the pan.

MLB Willie Lanier - 1st Team All-Pro ILB
Lanier wins his second straight 1st Team All-Pro award and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down any time soon. He's the heart and soul of our defense and it's no exaggeration to say that without him, we wouldn't have won the Super Bowl in '72, nor would we be consistently appearing in the divisional round the last couple seasons.

FL Paul Warfield - 2nd Team All-Pro WR
After Warfield's injury troubles last season, a lot of people wanted to write him off as finished, but Paul came roaring back this year to have his highest yardage total since 1970 and his most TDs and fewest 16 games drops since 1971. His skills are gradually starting to decline, but the descent is so gradual that it's hard to notice it.

DE Aaron Brown - 2nd Team All-Pro DE
Brown doesn't get anywhere near the recognition he deserves, with all the attention and superlatives reserved for L.C. Greenwood, but Aaron's a critical part of our defense and he and L.C. have a chemistry together that, while not official, certainly plays out in the statistics. It's nice to see him finally get some accolades he so richly deserves.

Other Major Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
RB Duane Thomas - Kansas City Chiefs
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Vern Den Herder - Jacksonville Jaguars
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Delvin Williams - New England Patriots
Defensive Rookie of the Year
MLB Frank LeMaster - Los Angeles Rams

[Izulde]

It's now 1975, which means I can submit a stadium proposal! Yay!

Dolphins Stadium is in average shape, with fair turf and poor parking condition. It also has 75,000 seating capacity, with 10,200 club seats and 195 luxury boxes. The average attendance last year was 61,600 and it honestly never got much above 70,000, even in our greatest years.

Support for stadium work is fantastic, as a lot of people have complained about the parking situation. I'd love to get a brand new stadium in place altogether, so I make a plan to contract a high-quality construction firm, with 72,000 seats, 12,000 club seats and an even 200 luxury boxes.

The price tag is a cool $39 million. The team offers to put up $10 million of it, which would leave the fine citizens of Miami on the hook for almost $30 million, but hey, this is one of two franchises to win 3 Super Bowls, darn it. We deserve it!

Staff Changes and Hiring

Lead Scout Dexter Carmody
QB: VG to Good
WR: Good to Average

He's out of contract anyway, but the double drop is more than enough to eliminate him even if he was still under a deal. Unfortunately, I stupidly offered him a contract extension without checking his drops first. AAAARGGGGHHH!

OC Edwin Buckley
OL: Fair to Average

Buckley improves in his worst area, making my re-signing of him a worthwhile move, though I worried I'd made a mistake at the time.

DC Royce Womble
DB: VG to Excellent

Womble continues to be the best guy on my whole staff, as well as the longest-running Dolphins staff member. This year is his 10th season as our defensive coordinator and he's only 44. Seriously, I absolutely love this guy.

I get lucky and the Seattle Seahawks pay Carmody $50,000 a year for 5 years to be their scout. This frees me to go after the guy I liked the best, but the Jets scoop him out from underneath me for a mere $10,000 a year more. :mad:

This means I have to pick through the garbage that's left, so I pick the least ugly looking scout.

Lead Scout William McGinnis (54)
QB: Average
RB: Good
WR: Fair
OL: Good
KP: Fair
DL: Average
LB: Good
DB: Good
YT: Good

That said, he's not bad for a one year rental, actually. Our positions of need are going to be LT, OLB and CB anyway, so he fits in well with our offseason plans.

As we're already the #2 highest price for a family of four and I'm trying to get the stadium referendum passed, I don't touch ticket prices.

There's a number of candidates worth considering for the summer league, but our 6th rounder from last season, TE J.V. Cain gets the nod, as I really want him to try and lock down the starting TE spot this season.

Position Needs by the Numbers
QB x 2, FB, TE, C, G, T, P, K, DE, MLB, FS, SS (16 overall)

I'm really, really going to be looking at LT, OLB, and CB, obviously. Most of our position needs are reserve spots. RB might get a look, too, as I'm not sure Gary Hayman won't fizzle out.

Week 1 Re-Signings/Extensions

Oh yes, before I do this, I have to mention something. A dear old friend and career-long Dolphin finally retired this season.

That's right, Gary Ballman hung it up after 13 seasons and a marvelous career for a 3rd round pick. He finishes 2nd in Dolphins career history in receptions, yards from scrimmage, all-purpose yards and 4th in YPC and points scored. He won two Super Bowl rings (1967, 1972 - missed the 1966 game because of an injury) and an All-Pro award (1st Team - 1967). His peak years were from 1964-1967, when he had 1,000+ yards receiving each season and had not a foot injury cost him all of 1968, he might not've started his decline after that. As it was, he was our starting SE from 1963-1969 (minus 1968) and again in 1973. From 1970 on, he was mainly our fourth receiver and a mentor for the young guys that came in, most recently Lynn Swann.

Here's a look at his career statistics in full. Not bad for a guy who was taken at 3.26 in the 1962 draft, eh? He certainly superseded Charlie Frazier, who we took in the 1st round of the same draft. Ballman's easily one of my favorite players in this entire dynasty so far and I'll be sure to look for him in future historical dynasties.

On to the free agency!

P Bob Parsons - 1 year, 70k*
WR Paul Warfield - 2 years, $1.12 mill.
FS Chuck Crist - 4 years, $1.51 mill.
DE L.C. Greenwood - 3 years, $2.3 mill.
FB Larry Csonka - 3 years, $680k

Re-signing Warfield may have been a small mistake, as I have Swann waiting in the wings, but I can't bear the thought of Paul going to play for another team, so I'll pay the little extra money.

Week 2 Signings
WR Dennis Homan - 1 year, $100k* (Seattle)
-Solid reserve SE to have. Won't remind anyone of Gary Ballman obviously, but he has an Exceptional Affinity with Paul Warfield and comes cheap.

G Howard Fest - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-This year, I don't have to sweat it out. He signs right back on the dotted line as he senses this team could have serious Super Bowl aspirations next year.

S Gus Hollomon - 1 year, $100k* (Detroit)
-Has been an average starter his entire time in the NFL, so he should make a great backup, certainly better than the muchly eroded Hagood Clarke. This free agency period isn't necessarily about finding that big star player. It's about filling in the gaps in depth.

Week 3 Signings
CB Jim Duncan - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-I'm still really, really comfortable with him as a starting corner and kick returner, much in the same mold as Irv Cross all those years ago. Only Cross started from Week One and was a top 10 pick, whereas Duncan very quietly developed and was the last pick in the 3rd round.

Week 3 Losses
DE Bill Gregory - 1 year, $110k (San Francisco Re-signing)
-I offered him a 3 year deal and the chance to replace one of our DEs when they retire, but he spurned me to stay with the 49ers. Darn, he would've made a great reserve.

Week 4 Signings
DE Rolf Krueger - 1 year, 80k* (New England)
-Had 10.5 sacks two years ago for the Patriots and looks like a decent roll of the dice for a reserve. Not exceptional by any means, but should have the endurance to back up both DE spots.

S Pete Richardson - 1 year, $80k* (Minnesota)
-As much as I like Richmond Flowers, he got owned hard in the playoffs last year, leading me to believe his time is done. Richardson's been okay in the postseason and he's one of those guys who's never been a reserve before. Unfortunately, he has a conflict with new DB leader Hollomon, so I may have to cut him.

Week 4 Losses
DE Royce Berry - 1 year, $100k (San Francisco)
-Was a real disappointment last year in my opinion, so the 49ers can take him at higher than min-sal. I think the only reason they did this was because they were pissed I tried to gank Gregory from them.

Week 5 Signings
RB Leo Bouggess - 1 year, $80k* (New Jersey)
-Ran for 1,386 yards and 10 TDs with the Jets last season. May or may not be our starter this year, as it depends on Hayman's development. The good news is that he's a mentor, so he'll be able to boost his rival up in any case.

K Tim Webster - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Found his kicking stroke again last year as he converted 80% of his FGs without sacrificing any distance ability and honestly, there's no one I trust more in the playoffs: 90.5% career average, 7/7 from 40+ land in the postseason. There's a reason why I nickname him Wonder.

MLB Jamie Rivers - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Just keep making Will Lanier happy and you'll always have a job here, Jamie. Worth noting that he's disgruntled, I suppose. Not sure what that's all about.

Week 5 Losses
DT Mike Rengel - 3 years, $830k (Cleveland)
-Rengel cashes in huge on his All-Pro nomination, scooping up a fat check from the Browns. Not bad for a guy who was having to go from min-sal contract to min-sal contract before he broke out last season.

Week 6 Signings
TE Pete Lammons - 1 year, $100k* (San Diego)
-Just in case J.V. Cain isn't ready to be the starting TE, I picked up Lammons, a mentor who's an average all around TE. It's not a position that features very heavily in our offense, so it's all good.

OLB Ed Philpott - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-We really do need to upgrade at OLB, but for now, Philpott was the best available at the strong side in free agency, so he'll suit up once again for the Dolphins.

Week 6 Losses
S Hagood Clarke - 1 year, $110k* (San Francisco)
-Okay, now this is getting a little silly. The 49ers are going after our scrub defensive players? Yeah, you go on and do that, San Fran. Let me know how it works out when you're sitting at home come December.

Week 7 Signings
C Rich Coady - 1 year, $80k* (Atlanta)
-Young C mentor and new offensive line captain. I wouldn't want him to start necessarily, but he makes a very capable backup. Ironically enough, Frank Marchlewski was available again, but wanted way more money than what I was willing to pay.

CB Willie Alexander - 5 years, $2.3 mill. (Seattle)
-Remember how I said this free agency was about filling the gaps and not getting a star player? Well, say hello to a star player in Alexander! Sure his overall rating isn't that great, but his bars are superb and the statistics bear out the fact that he's a great, relatively young (5th year) corner. I had to get into a major bidding war for him. He'll start immediately and allows us the luxury of pushing Rolland Lawrence to a much more suitable nickel spot, cuz frankly, Lawrence can't defend the run worth a damn and Alexander specializes in it.

Week 8 Signings
DT Diron Talbert - 1 year, $130k (Washington)
-I saw this guy sitting in the free agent pool with a ton of teams fighting over him. He's a terrific pass-rusher and would go great with our DE demons Greenwood and A. Brown, so I paid a little extra money and he gleefully signed on the dotted line. He'll plug in the hole left by Rengel and should do quite well.

OLB Clyde Werner - 1 year, $80k* (Baltimore)
-I wanted to get somebody to challenge George Webster and Werner looked like he could do it. In any case, it's a big improvement in our LB depth and will allow me to do some tinkering with the position group if need be.

S Tom McCauley - 1 year, $80k* (New Orleans)
-Say hi, Tom and say bye, Pete. Richardson's conflicting ass gets cut immediately in favor of the much more cheerful McCauley, who's just as good a backup, in my opinion.

Week 8 Losses
S Richmond Flowers - 1 year, $80k* (Detroit)
-Speaking of backups, I'm happy to report that Flowers was able to catch on with the Lions. I did hate to let him go, but after how horrible he looked in the playoffs last year and wanting to upgrade the situation anyway, I had no other choice. He's been a pretty good player for a 4th round pick altogether, though and I'm glad to see he'll get a chance to extend his NFL career with the Lions.

Week 9 Signings
DT John Little - 1 year, $80k* (Houston)
-Well, now this is a nice surprise. I figured for sure he was going to the Titans, part of my motivation for grabbing Talbert. While I do believe Talbert will still start, Little gives us the best backup we've had at the position in years. This spells doom for our young guys, but honestly, I'm not sold on them anyway.

Week 10 Signings
FB Henry Dyer - 1 year, $100k* (San Francisco)
-This wasn't done to spite the 49ers. It was a plan in case I didn't find a backup FB in the draft. I grabbed the best blocking FB that was left in free agency and he just happened to be a 49er.

Although we still need a reserve T, I'll see if I can find one in the draft rather than overpay for somebody in this free agency period or go hunting in the second half, when the prices are a lot more reasonable.

[Izulde]

The Trade That Shocked The NFL
On one side, you have the two-time defending NFL MVP QB, a hero to the fans of his team. On the other side, you have the #1 overall pick in this year's draft and the chance to select the greatest RB since a man they call Jim Brown.

The two crossed paths today as the Miami Dolphins stunned the league by sending twice reigning MVP QB Ken Stabler along with the 1.29 pick in this year's draft and their first rounders for the next two seasons to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for the #1 overall pick, which Miami's front office has made no secret of that it will be RB Walter Payton out of Jackson State.

The trade prompted cries of outrage from Dolphins fans across the country furious at trading a beloved QB long considered one of the best in the league.

"I just don't understand it. Why the heck do you trade a guy who's won the MVP award the last two years and a bunch of first rounders? Kenny won us the Super Bowl just a couple years ago. It makes me not want to be a Dolphins fan anymore", said Julio Gonzalez, a Miami bartender.

Dolphins G.M. Tim Moungey was quick to react to the criticism.

"I understand the fans' anger and frustration, and while Ken is certainly a talented player who has a done lot for this city and this Dolphins organization, we felt it was time to go in another direction. We wish him the best of luck with the Saints and we believe our fans will see that we're as strongly committed to maintaining the proud winning tradition this franchise has always been known for."

News of the trade prompted a flurry of Saints' merchandise sales all throughout Louisiana, with impromptu celebrations held throughout the streets of New Orleans.

"We're going to the Super Bowl, baby!" shouted one fan as he danced with his coworkers outside an office building.

While a Super Bowl appearance may still be out of teach, the deal electrified a long-suffering franchise, one with a career .337 winning percentage, 3rd worst in the league, and with just one playoff appearance, in 1967. The Saints lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 22-16 in the wild-card round.

For the Dolphins, the trade gives them the opportunity to have the first true franchise RB in team history, although trading away the team's most popular player could spell doom for the new stadium referendum set for the April elections.

*****

All right, so everybody and their brother is pissed at me. I don't care. I was sick at the idea of Stabler owning all our team passing records, which he was fast on the verge of doing. At least this way, there's a chance we could get another super QB someday who has a reasonable chance of smashing every damn last one of those records.

Of course, this trade also means that I have to go QB hunting and at this late stage in free agency, there's not much left to choose from.

Week 11 Signings
QB Ron Meyer - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Hey, he's a mentor and he's shown flashes of talent in preseason before. There are worse stopgap options we could go with, particularly since he has three affinities with team leaders.

That -will- end my pre-draft shopping. I still need to find two more bodies at QB, but one will come in the draft, the other in second free agency period.

[Izulde]

1975 NFL Draft

There's going to be no surprises about the #1 overall pick, obviously. But there's a lot of talk about who's going to go after that. RB Walter Payton, QB Steve Bartkowski, DT Randy White, and CB Louis Wright are all getting heavy press, along with QB Steve Grogan.

1975 1st Round

1. RB Walter Payton - Miami Dolphins
2. QB Steve Bartowski - Washington Redskins
3. CB Louis Wright - Buffalo Bills
4. OLB Thomas Henderson - San Francisco 49ers
5. RB Rickey Young - Minnesota Vikings
6. QB Steve Grogan - Philadelphia Eagles
7. CB Dave Brown - Green Bay Packers
8. G Robert Jackson - Los Angeles Rams
9. OLB Dallas Hickman - San Diego Chargers
10. DT Randy White - Cleveland Browns
11. ILB Ralph Ortega - Denver Broncos
12. ILB Bruce Elia - New England Patriots
13. G Dennis Harrah - Oakland Raiders
14. DE George Martin - Dallas Cowboys
15. WR Freddie Solomon - Los Angeles Rams
16. ILB Richard Wood - Washington Redskins
17. ILB Tom Hicks - Tucson Titans
18. S Ken Schroy - Atlanta Falcons
19. DT Cleveland Elam - Indianapolis Colts
20. RB Mike Franckowiak - Detroit Lions
21. DE Leroy Jones - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
22. RB Stan Fritts - Jacksonville Jaguars
23. OLB Robert Braziel - Seattle Seahawks
24. G Herbert Scott - Houston Oilers
25. DT Jimmy Webb - St. Louis Cardinals
26. S Steve Foley - Kansas City Chiefs
27. ILB Bob Breunig - Chicago Bears
28. OLB Dale Mitchell - Baltimore Ravens

It's the year of the LB, obviously. The Saints have our pick next. Had we stayed put and drafted here, I'd have grabbed OLB Drew Mahalic.

29. OLB Drew Mahalic - New Orleans Saints

Wow, just wow. They took exactly who I would've taken! Talk about eerieness, especially since I think the Saints had more pressing needs.

30. DE Mack Mitchell - New Jersey Jets
31. WR Willie Miller - New York Giants
32. DE Jeff Merrow - Pittsburgh Steelers

By the time our 2nd round pick rolls around, I've narrowed down our options to OLB or T. There's a few OLB options that look like they could start for us, none of which will last to the 3rd round. There's also a T that intrigues me, but then I take a closer look at his combine and decide he's not worth the effort. So after hemming and hawing, I take OLB Rod Shoate. A terribly low Vol score (7), but considering what horrible luck I have drafting in that position group, going with a safe pick seems the best option.

We don't pick again until the 4th because I traded away our 3rd round pick last year so I could move up to grab Lynn Swann. I take P Neil Clabo because I'm not sold on Bob Parsons and the players I'm looking at that are left don't seem quite good enough. If they're around in the 5th, I'll flyer on them, though.

Both players are still there on the 5th, but I notice the one QB I was thinking about taking is still around as well. Then again, closer inspection tells me he's not worth it here, so I instead grab ILB Greg Collins, who has an affinity and who could possibly break out.

Finally, in the 6th, I take QB Don Milan, who is actually one of the two QBs I was most strongly considering for my filler. He's a breakout candidate and highly intelligent. More importantly, he can avoid a freaking sack.

The FB I wanted with my 7th round pick goes before my turn comes up, so I take a flyer on C Ralph Perretta as a breakout possibility.

I get an email shortly after the trade regarding the stadium vote.

Stadium Referendum
In Favor - 1,480,165 - 50.2%
Against - 1,464,774 - 49.7%

Referendum Passed

YES!!!!! WE'RE GETTING A NEW STADIUM!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

Honestly, I'm shocked that it passed. Between the fact that we're only contributing a 1/4th of the bill and that we pissed off so many people with the Ken Stabler trade, I thought there was no way in hell that it'd go through, but it did!

And in ironically fitting news, I'm also informed that QB Johnny Unitas, our savior of the Super Bowl years, has made the Hall of Fame! Congratulations, Johnny U!!!!

I just now realized I never posted Gary Ballman's career card, so here it is.

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

Johnny Unitas
What more can be said about the man that hasn't already throughout this universe? I think I'll let his awards and numbers speak for themselves.

Super Bowls Rings: 4
1966 MVP, Super Bowl MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, All-Pro First Team QB (Miami)
1963 Super Bowl MVP (Indianapolis)
1962 All-Pro Second Team QB (Indianapolis)
1961 Super Bowl MVP, All-Pro 2nd Team QB (Indianapolis)
1960 All-Pro 1st Team QB (Indianapolis)

Indianapolis Colts Records
Quarterback Rating -1st
Attempts - 1st
Completions - 1st
Completion % -1st
Passing Yards -1st
YPA - 1st
Passing TDs - 1st
300 Yards Passing - 1st

Miami Dolphins Records
Quarterback Rating - 2nd
Attempts - 2nd
Completions - 2nd
Completion % -1st
Passing Yards -2nd
YPA -1st
Passing TDs - 2nd
300 Yards Passing -1st

All-Time Records
Quarterback Rating - 2nd
YPA - 1st
300 yards Passing - 3rd (T)

Two-Mile Club Appearances
1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968

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

What a magnificient QB. I'm glad he still has some of our team records, which makes me even happier that I traded Stabler.

Second Half Free Agency

Week 1 Signings
QB Manch Wheeler - 2 years, $360k (Chicago)
-Popular player and mentor who, even in his 14th season, still has the ability to get it done. A possible, maybe even probable starter for us. Has an affinity with our WRs captain.

Week 1 Losses
C John Schmitt - 1 year, $120k (Atlanta)
-Still has the skills to be a competitive C in this league and is a mentor besides. Good pickup for the Falcons, though we had better options, so we said goodbye to a guy who was a starter for 5 seasons.

Week 2 Signings
MLB Bill Budness - 1 year, $110k* (Baltimore)
-Mentor and career-long Raven who never quite lived up to the hype that made him the #3 overall pick and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1964. Could potentially make the team, but far more likely to get cut.

Week 3 Signings
T Dick Cunningham - 2 years, $340k (San Diego)
-A former Dolphin returns home as our 1967 2nd round pick comes back after a tour of duty around several teams in the league. He almost re-signed with the Chargers, but a little extra money returned him to the Aqua and Orange to fight for the starting LT job he once held for us.

Week 3 Losses
T Bob Duncum - 3 years, $520k (Detroit Re-signing)
-I was only willing to offer him a one year deal, but the Lions take him back for 3 years and way too much money. Yeah, okay, enjoy that, Detroit.


RB Walter Payton 1.1 56/76 55/76 -1/-0
WLB Rod Shoate 2.28 23/66 25/60 +2/-6
P Neil Clabo 4.29 31/52 31/52 -0/-0
MLB Greg Collins 5.28 13/38 15/35 +2/-3
QB Don Milan 6.30 3/15 4/17 +1/+2
C Ralph Perretta 7.29 10/17 12/21 +2/+4

Draft Grade: A- (#4 overall draft)

I'm only a little worried about Payton's drop. I'll attribute it to scouting error. Shoate's decline is definitely disappointing, but he still looks like he can be a starting OLB for us someday, even with the drop. Clabo will fight with Bob Parsons for the starting P job. Collins disappointed. Milan looks unfortunately like a scrub, while Perretta pleasantly upticked.

[Izulde]

Wheeler, Manch 3 QB 14 30 30 2 yrs
Meyer, Ron 12 QB 10 16 27 1 yr.
Milan, Don 19 QB 1 4 17 3 yrs

Now that's what we call an ugly QB situation. Wheeler will be our main starter obviously, though I may sit him the first two preseason games to give Meyer and Milan some reps. Milan certainly isn't our QB of the future, but maybe he can turn into a half-assed okay backup.


Bouggess, Lee 25 RB 6 37 37 1 yr.
Mul-key, Herb 43 RB 4 25 36 1 yr.
Hayman, Gary 37 RB 2 26 43 2 yrs
Payton, Walter 27 RB 1 55 76 5 yrs
Dyer, Henry 40 FB 10 19 19 1 yr.
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 8 63 63 3 yrs

We're going to ride Payton hard all season long. Bouggess will be the #2 man and both Hayman and Mul-key could see time on ST, but if I have to put one of them on inactive, it'll be Hayman, as Mul-key is much more versatile, able to return kicks and punts in addition to special teams prowess. Csonka and Dyer 1,2 at FB naturally.


Lammons, Pete 89 TE 10 34 34 1 yr.
Cain, J.V. 2 TE 2 24 42 2 yrs
Warfield, Paul 85 FL 12 51 51 2 yrs
Winslow, Doug 83 FL 3 16 23 1 yr.
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 2 48 48 3 yrs
Homan, Dennis 84 SE 8 36 36 1 yr.
Lewis, Frank 88 SE 5 44 44 4 yrs

I've switched Warfield over to SE after examining the roster a little more closely. This will free us up to have Swann and Warfield both starting. Lewis has better hands than Homan, so he'll switch over to FL, with the intent of changing him back over to SE once Warfield retires. Yeah, it's a lot of switching around, but I think it'll be worth in the end. Actually, I take back what I said earlier about Wheeler resting. He'll play all four preseason games and we'll switch out the #2 QB each game. I'm going to start Cain over Lammons, simply because I have a feeling about him.


Banks, Tom 51 C 6 55 55 3 yrs
Coady, Rich 53 C 6 36 36 1 yr.
Perretta, Ralph 52 C 1 12 21 3 yrs
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 8 55 55 2 yrs
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 9 77 77 3 yrs
Fest, Howard 71 RG 8 43 43 1 yr.
Cunningham, Dick 61 LT 9 32 32 2 yrs
Carr, Levery 60 LT 7 37 37 1 yr.
Mikolajczyk, Ron 67 RT 3 40 40 1 yr.

Carr-Moorman-Banks-Upshaw-Mikolajczyk as the starters, Coady, Fest, and Cunningham the respective reserves. This unit's starting to look a little old in terms of our best players and we may be hit hard the next few years, with no 1st rounder to replenish the blood.


Parsons, Bob 15 P 4 48 48 1 yr.
Clabo, Neil 13 P 1 31 52 3 yrs
Webster, Tim 16 K 5 44 44 1 yr.

Clabo and Parsons each get 2 preseason games to impress me. Webster maintains his job.


Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 7 57 57 3 yrs
Brown, Aaron 74 RDE 10 37 37 1 yr.
Krueger, Rolf 70 RDE 7 40 40 1 yr.

What do you do when a 2nd team All-Pro DE starts showing his age? Still play him! Krueger could pass him up by midseason, but for now, I'm not going to mess with the chemistry that Brown and Greenwood have shown through the years.


Talbert, Diron 93 LDT 10 44 44 1 yr.
Little, John 98 LDT 6 41 41 1 yr.
Croft, Don 95 RDT 4 26 26 1 yr.
Maddox, Bob 76 RDT 3 44 44 2 yrs
Crowder, Randy 75 RDT 2 28 39 2 yrs

Talbert and Maddox start, with Little the reserve. I'll try to free up a spot for Crowder, as I still have some faith in his ability. Croft parks his butt on inactive and goes bye-bye at the end of next season.


Budness, Bill 56 MLB 12 31 31 1 yr.
Lanier, Willie 58 MLB 9 72 72 3 yrs
Rivers, Jamie 99 MLB 9 35 35 1 yr.
Collins, Greg 94 MLB 1 15 35 3 yrs
Philpott, Ed 59 SLB 9 42 42 1 yr.
Graham, Tom 92 SLB 4 23 47 1 yr.
Webster, George 50 WLB 9 35 35 1 yr.
Werner, Clyde 97 WLB 6 42 42 1 yr.
Varty, Mike 90 WLB 2 22 38 2 yrs
Shoate, Rod 54 WLB 1 25 60 3 yrs

I changed Shoate over to the strong side and he dropped to 24/60. I'm going to give him every chance possible to beat out Philpott for the starting SLB spot. Lanier occupies the middle again naturally and Werner slots in on the weak side. Rivers is a backup at MLB, but for the OLB spots, it's hard to say if I'll go with one player or two. If Shoate loses the battle, I'll probably have him play both spots to maximize his playing time. If he wins, it'll be Philpott the backup on the strong side, Webster the reserve on the weak side.


Alexander, Willie 21 LCB 5 44 44 5 yrs
Lawrence, Rolland 24 LCB 3 45 45 2 yrs
Poltl, Randy 38 LCB 2 20 39 3 yrs
Sellers, Goldie 47 RCB 10 26 26 1 yr.
Duncan, Jim 29 RCB 8 30 30 1 yr.
McCauley, Tom 42 SS 7 38 38 1 yr.
Edwards, Glen 20 SS 5 59 59 3 yrs
Hollomon, Gus 39 FS 8 42 42 1 yr.
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 4 72 72 4 yrs

I changed Lawrence to the right side and shifted Duncan over to the left side, allowing me to have Alexander and Lawrence the starting CBs, Duncan backing Alexander up and Sellers the reserve for Lawrence. Edwards and Crist start at S, McCauley and Hollomon the reserves.

This is going to be a -very- interesting team to watch this season. While I can't say for sure that we've made the moves to be a Super Bowl team, at the very least we should be at the same level we were last season: Playoff quality, but probably just short of Super Bowl talent.

[MizzouRah]

Gutsy move.

[Izulde]

Gutsy move.

Yeah I know. :) I'm still wondering if I made the right move and I'll really be wondering it if Stabler transforms the 'Aints into a legitimate playoff team. :D

On the other hand, if Sweetness turns out to be everything that he's been cracked up to be, we could be looking at one or two more Super Bowls in his career.

[Izulde]

MLB Bill Budness and 5th round pick MLB Greg Collins both get the axe before the preseason.

Exhibition

Atlanta 10 Miami 34
A fantastic rushing performance as Walter Payton has 93 yards in his debut, with Lee Bouggess contributing 72 yards and 2 TDs. This is definitely a ground attack team now. L.C. Greenwood wins Player of the Game with 3 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a knockdown. Rolf Krueger is putting a claim in for the starting RDE job, with 1.5 sacks and 2 hurries. Rod Shoate went a long way to proving he deserves the starting SLB job with 4 tackles, an interception and a sack.

Miami 27 Washington 17
A special teams dream and defense dream, with a Bob Maddox 72 yard fumble return for a TD, a Chuck Crist 88 yeard interception return for a TD and this curious line:

4Q: 04:09 MIA - Doug Winslow 4 pass from Bob Parsons

That's right, a fake FG attempt for a TD.

In other news, Manch Wheeler has looked awful the first two preseason games. Ron Meyer's been good in one and bad in another, so I may give Meyer the start next game and let Don Milan be #2. L.C. Greenwood had another 1.5 sacks, as our defense is looking splendid thus far.

Goldie Sellers is out for the next game and Ron Meyer is questionable the next 4 weeks. Great, we'll stick with Manch Wheeler then and Don Milan will be the 2nd string QB. Randy Poltl is the new backup RCB.

Miami 26 New Orleans 0
Manch Wheeler looked much more comfortable this game and Don Milan wasn't half-bad. Ken Stabler wasn't in the game for very long, only making 6 pass attempts before they pulled him in front of Larry Cipa who promptly went a hilarious 11-41 for 94 yards and 4 interceptions. Tim Webster made 4/5 FGs and Rolph Krueger and Bob Parsons have officially sewn up starting jobs.

Goldie Sellers comes back.

Philadelphia 10 Miami 14
Paul Warfield was the star of this one. Not only did he catch a 31 yard TD pass from Manch Wheeler, but he returned a fumble 69 yards for a TD to score all of our points. Diron Talbert paced the defense with 4 tackles, an assist, 2.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown.

Starting LCB Willie Alexander separated his shoulder and is out roughly 4 weeks. Ironically enough, Bob Parsons pulls his calf muscle and is due to be gone for 5 weeks as well. Suddenly I feel smart for drafting Neil Clabo, who becomes the punter. Jim Duncan takes over starting LCB duties. We'll see how he handles the new side.

Ron Meyer is back to probable, by the way, meaning we won't have a total trainwreck at QB, should something happen to Manch Wheeler.

I hit recommend and off we go.

Regular Season

New Jersey 13 Miami 20
Say hello to Player of the Game Walter Payton, who, in his official Dolphins debut, ran for 107 yards on just 20 carries. He didn't score, but he was fantastic nonetheless. Paul Warfield just missed the century mark himself, with 7 catches for 94 yards and a TD. Willie Lanier was on fire with 10 tackles, 7 assists, and half a sack to be the Man on defense as always.

Miami 17 Dallas 41
Ugly, ugly, ugly game. We need Willie Alexander back. Charley Johnson ate us up for 351 yards passing and 4 TDs on a 25-29 day. Willie Lanier did set a new Dolphins record, though with 18 tackles and 2 assits. We can't afford to get behind early, it seems. Manch Wheeler is just not the man for that.

Chuck Crist is out 2 weeks, further damaging our secondary. Gus Holloman steps in as the starting FS.

Miami 14 Baltimore 10
Walter Payton capped the come-back with an electrifying 24 yard TD run in the 4th quarter to win us the game. Although he missed the century mark with 91 yards, he played well and won Player of the Game.

Chuck Crist is back up to probable and Willie Alexander is questionable. Crist will come back in, Alexander will sit. I can't risk losing our top corner for the whole season after all.

Buffalo 10 Miami 35
Our offense finally wakes up and I'm grinning after this beatdown of our rivals. For the first time since 1960, we have not one, but two RBs with 100+ yards rushing. Walter Payton had 111 yards rushing and 2 TDs on 332 carries and Lee Bouggess ran the ball 17 times for 116 yards and 2 TDs. Paul Warfield got in on the fun as well, with 7 catches for 102 yards and a TD.

Even better, Willie Alexander is probable. Rich Coady breaks his tumb and is out 4 weeks, which means rookie C Ralph Perretta gets his first NFL snaps as a backup.

Oh yeah, Bob Parsons is probable, but we'll let Neil Clabo continue to stay where he is.

Miami 0 San Diego 27
Ouch. I can't remember the last time we were shut out. Willie Lanier had 11 tackles and an assist and Aaron Brown had 4 tackles and 2 sacks, but that was the extent of our success on the day.

Bob Parsons will be our P again after Neil Clabo blew it in the last game.

Denver 10 Miami 31
A refreshing victory as Walter Payton rushes 28 times for 142 yards and a TD and Willie Alexander returns an interception 53 yards for a TD. Bob Maddox highlighted the defense with 5 tackles, 3 assists, 1.5 sacks and a hurry.

Kansas City 16 Miami 7
Manch Wheeler was 16-42 for 161 yards and 2 interceptions. That's all you really need to know about this game. Oh yeah, Rolf Krueger's 4 yard fumble return for a TD was our lone score. Dave Hanner got his revenge this game.

Rich Coady is back to probable, but Gus Holloman tears up his knee and is out approximately 4 weeks, meaning Tom McCauley has to pull double duty as a S backup.

Miami 3 Oakland 17
Glen Edwards had 10 tackles and 3 assists. Manch Wheeler threw 3 interceptions and I think it's time for a QB change.

We're 4-4 at the halfway point, behind both the Patriots and the Jets, who are 5-3. We're definitely still in the playoff hunt, though as the AFC is pretty even in terms of a conference this year.

The halfway stats:


Record 4-4
Winning Pct. .500
All-Time 155-93
Winning Pct. .625
Playoffs 15-9
Playoff Visits 12
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 18-8
Winning Pct. .692
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 25.5 24
Rushing Yards 122.8 11 (T)
Yards Per Carry 4.81 1
Pass Attempts 35.5 7 (T)
Completions 18.1 25
Completion Pct. 51.1 29
Passing Yards 196.5 16 (T)
Yards Per Attempt 5.54 26 (T)
Yards Per Catch 10.84 14
Total Yardage Gained 303.3 17
3rd Down Conversions 34.2 19
Points Per Game 15.9 23
Pass Rush Pct. 6.0 28
Pass Defense Pct. 68.4 18
Turnovers 13 10 (T)
Turnover Margin 0 16

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 30.1 27
Rushing Yards 114.1 18
Yards Per Carry 3.79 7
Pass Attempts 28.9 2
Completions 17.9 4
Completion Pct. 61.9 24
Passing Yards 189.3 8
Yards Per Attempt 6.55 24
Yards Per Catch 10.59 19
Total Yardage Gained 284.3 8
3rd Down Conversions 37.1 20
Points Per Game 18.0 19
Pass Rush Pct. 11.8 31 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 73.3 28
Turnovers 13 15 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 20 NJY 13
2 17 at DAL 41
3 14 at BAL 10
4 35 BUF 10
5 0 at SDO 27
6 31 DEN 10
8 7 KCY 16
9 3 at OAK 17
10 at NED
11 at NJY
12 PHI
13 JAX
14 at NYK
15 at BUF
16 WAS
17 NED

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
3 M. Wheeler QB 268 142 1543 5.76 6 9 63.7
12 R. Meyer QB 16 3 29 1.81 0 2 0.0
**Team --- 284 145 1572 5.54 6 11 58.6
$$Opp --- 231 143 1514 6.55 8 8 78.1

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 145 666 4.59 4 2
25 L. Bouggess RB 47 298 6.34 2 0
**Team --- 204 982 4.81 6 8
$$Opp --- 241 913 3.79 5 8

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 70 40 501 12.53 7.16 3 3
81 L. Swann WR 60 28 385 13.75 6.42 6 1
88 F. Lewis WR 53 27 354 13.11 6.68 3 2
27 W. Payton RB 23 19 118 6.21 5.13 2 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 71 23 0.5 0 0 5 74.3
20 G. Edwards S 41 11 0.5 0 1 2 76.8
97 C. Werner OLB 30 15 1.5 1 1 1 77.3
54 R. Shoate OLB 26 13 1.0 0 1 1 75.3
24 R. Lawrence CB 24 3 0.0 0 2 4 81.2
74 A. Brown DE 22 2 5.0 1 0 0 82.5
76 B. Maddox DT 21 12 3.0 5 0 0 81.8
96 L. Greenwood DE 19 6 5.5 9 0 0 81.3
31 C. Crist S 17 21 0.0 0 1 3 84.0
29 J. Duncan CB 16 6 0.0 0 0 2 77.2
93 D. Talbert DT 15 6 1.0 5 0 0 81.9
75 R. Crowder DT 12 3 0.5 0 0 0 77.4
39 G. Hollomon S 11 3 0.0 0 0 2 80.2
70 R. Krueger DE 11 4 3.0 4 0 0 82.5
59 E. Philpott OLB 10 4 0.0 0 0 1 77.9
50 G. Webster OLB 10 1 0.5 1 0 0 68.3
42 T. McCauley S 8 3 0.0 1 0 0 74.7

This is why I don't like having an offense that relies so much on the run. You get behind early, if you've got bad QBs, you're hosed trying to catch up. I don't know why we aren't running the ball more, I really don't.

That being said, Payton looks like he was worth the cost to get him and Warfield continues to defy age and our terrible QB situation to put up good numbers. Lanier is a beast as ever and Brown is still going strong.

I'm sorely tempted to start Don Milan, even though he's rated 5/17 or go looking in free agency. Harold Stephens, the Patriots' QB the last two seasons, is there.

What do you guys think?

[Izulde]

After a lot of thought over the past several days, I've decided to switch QBs and go with Ron Meyer and his triple affinities for the rest of the season. SLB Ed Philpott, DT John Little and SLB Tom Graham are all unhappy or disgruntled about their PT, but they'll just have to deal with it.

Miami 14 New England 3
Mass-critical away win highlighted by Walter Payton's 30 rushes for 111 yards and a TD, but Rolland Lawrence was the Game MVP with 4 tackles, an assist, 2 pass defenses and 2 very timely interceptions.

#2 RB Lee Bouggess strains his calf muscle and will miss at least the next game, resulting in Gary Hayman's return to active duty and the #2 RB spot.

Miami 9 New Jersey 34
Walter Payton rushes 16 times for 116 yards, but fumbles twice as part of a set of 5 team fumbles and an interception, giving the Jets short field to work with. Glen Edwards had 11 tackles and 3 assists to lead the defense.

Philadelphia 10 Miami 6
Ron Meyer throws 3 interceptions and we just couldn't get anything going on offense, spoiling a 3 sack day by L.C. Greenwood. I'll be switching back to Manch Wheeler for the rest of the year.

Lee Bouggess is ready to come back.

Jacksonville 10 Miami 16
Well, I forgot to change QBs, but it turns out not to matter, as Tim Webster boots in 3/4 field goals and Paul Warfield breaks his scoring drought with a 14 yard TD pass from Ron Meyer.

S Gus Holloman is back in the game now, too.

Miami 20 New York 7
Walter Payton rushes 32 times for 108 yards but the Player of the Game was Manch Wheeler, who was 17-24 for 218 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. One of those TD passes was a beautiful 88 yard catch and run to Pete Lammons, our popular receivers captain and TE.

Miami 13 Buffalo 23
That's it. Our season's over. A 17-0 4th quarter score is what tips this in the Bills' favor. Walter Payton sets a franchise single-game record with 170 yards on 24 carries, with 1 rushing TD, but Manch Wheeler throws 3 INTs. Willie Lanier recorded 11 tackles, an assist and a block.

Just because it isn't raining enough, CB Rolland Lawrence breaks his fibula and is gone for the rest of the year. Goldie Sellers steps in as the starting RCB.

Since we're eliminated from the playoffs at 7-7, I go ahead and start the rookie QB Don Milan the rest of the way.

Washington 6 Miami 35
Walter Payton rushes 35 times for 154 yards and 3 TDs and Don Milan, of all people, wins Game MVP, with a 20-23 for 222 yards and 2 TD performance. Maybe this kid's going to be worth a closer look after all. Rolf Krueger records 2 sacks, and John Little has 1.5 himself.

Bob Maddox and Goldie Sellers both go down with ankle injuries for our last game of the year, earning DT Randy Crowder the start and forcing me to sign CB Rocky Turner to be our starting right corner for the last game of the season.

New England 3 Miami 12
Tim Webster hits all 4 FGs. The Patriots kicker hits 1. That's all the scoring. Walter Payton wins Game MVP, rushing 24 times for 113 yards and Don Milan continues to be astonishingly accurate: 20-26 for 184 yards and an INT. Willie Lanier led the defense with 10 tackles, 6 assists, and a sack.

And so we finish the dreaded 9-7 with no playoff berth.

On the other hand, it doesn't matter, because we don't have a 1st round pick the next two years anyway.

Although Walter Payton crushed the franchise single-season rushing record, I'm not so sure about the trade I made to get him now.

On the other hand, the fact that we went 9-7 despite having an absolute black hole at QB all season long tells me that if we get something even close to an average QB somewhere in the offseason, we'll have a good shot at getting back to the postseason next year.

Oh yeah, the Saints went 6-10 and Ken Stabler had his worst full year ever: 265/506 (52.4%) for 2,754 yards, 19 TDs and 9 INTs. He also didn't have a single 300 yard game all season long. This despite the fact that while New Orleans's receivers, while nowhere near our level, are still not that bad a set.

That makes me feel a little better.

[nilodor]

The Trade That Shocked The NFL
On one side, you have the two-time defending NFL MVP QB, a hero to the fans of his team. On the other side, you have the #1 overall pick in this year's draft and the chance to select the greatest RB since a man they call Jim Brown.

The two crossed paths today as the Miami Dolphins stunned the league by sending twice reigning MVP QB Ken Stabler along with the 1.29 pick in this year's draft and their first rounders for the next two seasons to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for the #1 overall pick, which Miami's front office has made no secret of that it will be RB Walter Payton out of Jackson State.

The trade prompted cries of outrage from Dolphins fans across the country furious at trading a beloved QB long considered one of the best in the league.

"I just don't understand it. Why the heck do you trade a guy who's won the MVP award the last two years and a bunch of first rounders? Kenny won us the Super Bowl just a couple years ago. It makes me not want to be a Dolphins fan anymore", said Julio Gonzalez, a Miami bartender.

Dolphins G.M. Tim Moungey was quick to react to the criticism.

"I understand the fans' anger and frustration, and while Ken is certainly a talented player who has a done lot for this city and this Dolphins organization, we felt it was time to go in another direction. We wish him the best of luck with the Saints and we believe our fans will see that we're as strongly committed to maintaining the proud winning tradition this franchise has always been known for."

News of the trade prompted a flurry of Saints' merchandise sales all throughout Louisiana, with impromptu celebrations held throughout the streets of New Orleans.

"We're going to the Super Bowl, baby!" shouted one fan as he danced with his coworkers outside an office building.

While a Super Bowl appearance may still be out of teach, the deal electrified a long-suffering franchise, one with a career .337 winning percentage, 3rd worst in the league, and with just one playoff appearance, in 1967. The Saints lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 22-16 in the wild-card round.

For the Dolphins, the trade gives them the opportunity to have the first true franchise RB in team history, although trading away the team's most popular player could spell doom for the new stadium referendum set for the April elections.

*****


:eek: Wow, hope it works out since Walter's one of my favourite players.

[Izulde]

:eek: Wow, hope it works out since Walter's one of my favourite players.

Early returns are mixed. :) A lot of it is going to depend on who we can find to plug the hole in at QB over the next few years.

[Autumn]

How do your rookies look rating-wise at the end of the season? Did Walter or the QB increase any?

[Izulde]

How do your rookies look rating-wise at the end of the season? Did Walter or the QB increase any?

Walter - 69/76
Don Milan - 6/17

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XVI
A pair of surprise teams made it to the Super Bowl in the Carolina Panthers and the Houston Oilers, and a turnover heavy game resulted in several short fields and a higher-scoring game than this battle of defenses should've produced. In the end, two 4th quarter FGs by Bill Bell were sufficient to give Archie Manning and the Oilers their first Super Bowl title since 1964.

Carolina 17 Houston 27

The Dolphins' end season statistics


Record 9-7
Winning Pct. .562
All-Time 160-96
Winning Pct. .625
Playoffs 15-9
Playoff Visits 12
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 23-11
Winning Pct. .676
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.6 9
Rushing Yards 135.9 3
Yards Per Carry 4.60 4
Pass Attempts 30.8 26 (T)
Completions 18.2 25 (T)
Completion Pct. 59.0 18 (T)
Passing Yards 187.0 23
Yards Per Attempt 6.07 17 (T)
Yards Per Catch 10.28 17
Total Yardage Gained 302.2 18
3rd Down Conversions 37.4 9
Points Per Game 15.8 27
Pass Rush Pct. 6.9 22
Pass Defense Pct. 70.7 7
Turnovers 28 19
Turnover Margin -5 21 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.9 18
Rushing Yards 113.3 15
Yards Per Carry 4.06 11
Pass Attempts 29.8 4
Completions 17.4 3 (T)
Completion Pct. 58.6 12
Passing Yards 175.3 1
Yards Per Attempt 5.89 8 (T)
Yards Per Catch 10.05 7 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 270.1 2
3rd Down Conversions 33.2 7
Points Per Game 15.0 4
Pass Rush Pct. 7.8 20 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 70.0 24
Turnovers 23 24 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 20 NJY 13
2 17 at DAL 41
3 14 at BAL 10
4 35 BUF 10
5 0 at SDO 27
6 31 DEN 10
8 7 KCY 16
9 3 at OAK 17
10 14 at NED 3
11 9 at NJY 34
12 6 PHI 10
13 16 JAX 10
14 20 at NYK 7
15 13 at BUF 23
16 35 WAS 6
17 12 NED 3

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
3 M. Wheeler QB 316 172 1882 5.96 8 13 63.5
12 R. Meyer QB 128 79 704 5.50 2 8 55.6
19 D. Milan QB 49 40 406 8.29 2 1 106.3
**Team --- 493 291 2992 6.07 12 22 66.0
$$Opp --- 476 279 2805 5.89 12 15 70.7

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 349 1562 4.48 9 8
25 L. Bouggess RB 89 543 6.10 2 1
**Team --- 473 2174 4.60 11 25
$$Opp --- 446 1812 4.06 10 16

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
85 P. Warfield WR 127 76 860 11.32 6.77 5 4
81 L. Swann WR 105 56 714 12.75 6.80 8 3
27 W. Payton RB 56 48 290 6.04 5.18 3 0
88 F. Lewis WR 77 43 557 12.95 7.23 3 2
84 D. Homan WR 52 18 210 11.67 4.04 2 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 128 48 1.5 2 0 9 75.9
20 G. Edwards S 82 23 0.5 1 1 6 77.4
97 C. Werner OLB 59 26 1.5 3 1 5 76.8
54 R. Shoate OLB 56 16 3.0 1 1 1 71.2
31 C. Crist S 49 30 1.0 0 3 7 82.5
24 R. Lawrence CB 38 6 1.0 0 5 9 86.6
74 A. Brown DE 37 8 6.0 4 0 0 82.1
96 L. Greenwood DE 36 13 11.0 15 0 0 81.7
29 J. Duncan CB 35 13 0.0 0 0 4 77.1
76 B. Maddox DT 31 19 4.5 5 0 0 82.1
93 D. Talbert DT 30 10 4.0 9 0 0 82.2
21 W. Alexander CB 25 9 0.0 0 2 7 82.2
59 E. Philpott OLB 21 5 0.5 2 1 2 82.8
70 R. Krueger DE 18 10 5.5 10 0 0 82.5
50 G. Webster OLB 17 7 2.0 1 0 0 70.9
75 R. Crowder DT 17 6 0.5 0 0 0 79.3

If we can find ourselves a decent QB, our offense will be pretty darn scary. Walter Payton's as good as advertised, though I wouldn't mind seeing him cut down those fumble numbers. Our defense wasn't as spectacular this year, though L.C. Greenwood and Willie Lanier remain forces.

It's looking like our priority for the offseason will be: QB, OT, and DE in roughly that order.

1975 Dolphins Seasons Awards

RB Walter Payton - Offensive Rookie of the Year
A foregone conclusion, really, as he was more or less the sole focus of our offense this year, since we had an absolute zero under center. I'm looking forward to many more successful seasons from Sweetness.

CB Rolland Lawrence - 2nd Team All-Pro CB
Although he missed the last two games, he was a force at CB playing against the #2 receivers of most teams. Willie Alexander's signing becomes even more important for the reduced pressure it put on Lawrence.

Other Major Awards
MVP
QB Mike Livingston - Los Angeles Rams (was a 4th round pick to boot!)
Super Bowl MVP
DE Larry Horton - Houston Oilers
Offensive Player of the Year
RB Rocky Bleier - Dallas Cowboys (a puzzling pick to be sure)
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Vern Den Herder - Jacksonville Jaguars (2 time defending DPotY)

I'd move on to staff hiring but I've got a headache, so I'll do it later tonight, after supper most likely.

[damnMikeBrown]

I love Payton..my favorite player...but DAMN! A franchise QB, and multiple #1 picks...that is a STEEP price to pay for anybody...except maybe Herschel Walker (which I think should be on your team in another decade..)

[Izulde]

I love Payton..my favorite player...but DAMN! A franchise QB, and multiple #1 picks...that is a STEEP price to pay for anybody...except maybe Herschel Walker (which I think should be on your team in another decade..)

:D Yeah, it was definitely a steep price, though to be honest, it didn't cost us this year at all. In fact, it wound up saving us money as you'll find out in the next post. :)

And the fact of the matter is, I'd grown to really, really dislike Ken Stabler. He got sacked way too often and he just didn't project the Johnny Unitas aura to me. The fact that his numbers went significantly south after going to New Orleans shows I may have been right in trading him after all.

[Izulde]

Staff Hiring

Offensive Coordinator Edwin Buckley
RB: Good to VG

Scouting Director Emmitt McGee (60)
QB: Excellent
RB: Good
WR: Average
OL: Average
KP: Average
DL: Good
LB: Good
DB: Good
YT: Average

McGee's probably a one-year stop-gap to help us plug in the hole we've got at QB, but if we get the right signal-caller the switch will have been more than worth it.

P Neil Clabo wins the summer league award, as I really want him to be a top-quality P as soon as possible.

By the Numbers
QB, FB, TE, WR x 2, G, T, K, DE x 2, DT, MLB, OLB, CB, S x 2 (18 new players overall)

Lot of shopping to do, but fortunately we're got over $4 million to play with in cap room.

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
RT Ron Mikolajczyk - 1 year, $100k
LG Mo Moorman - 3 years, $720k
SE Paul Warfield - 2 years, $980k
RDT Bob Maddox - 3 years, $590k
RCB Rolland Lawrence - 6 years, $1.74 mill.

Week 2 Signings
K Tim Webster - 1 year, $90k (Re-Signing)
-As long as he stays solid, Wonder will stay a Dolphin.

WLB Clyde Werner - 1 year, $90k (Re-signing)
-Wasn't anything better available on the free agent market, so back he comes.

Week 3 Signings
QB Steve Ramsey - 2 years, $420k (New York)
-Led the Giants to two straight Super Bowls and was the MVP in one of them, so why not try him out as a short-term solution? Thrown for over 3,000 yards each of the last three seasons. Last year's 13 TD to 17 INT ratio may prove slightly worrying, but he was the best of the lot available.

WR Walker Gillette - 1 year, $90k (Los Angeles)
-Solid backup SE to have. I'm all about giving Ramsey or whoever our QB is next year the most complete set of WRs possible.

CB Walt Sumner - 1 year, $130k (Seattle)
-Got into a bidding war with Minnesota over him. A solid nickel back. Not flashy, but decent.

Week 4 Signings
C Rich Coady - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Not sure why I brought him back as there's probably better backup C's on the market. Oh well. It's just for one year.

Week 4 Losses
DE Rolf Krueger - 1 year, $100k* (Atlanta)
-The Falcons are more than welcome to him. After a hot preseason, he got real cold in the regular season and wound up losing his starting spot to Aaron Brown.

Week 5 Signings
G Howard Fest - 1 year, $120k (Re-signing)
-Had to overpay to bring him back thanks to the Panthers. Not quite as good as he used to be, but still a nice security blanket at guard.

MLB Jamie Rivers - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-The day Willie Lanier retires is the day Rivers is no longer useful to us.

FS Gus Holloman - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Respectable defensive backfield captain and reserve FS and goal-line package guy, especially for the price.

SS Tony Greene - 1 year, $90k (Indianapolis)
-I'm really excited about him as a depth signing. Played well as a starter for the Colts and instantly steps in as the dime safety on our squad. May be the most critical pickup we make this offseason in some ways.

Week 6 Signings
LT Levery Carr - 1 year, $160k (Re-signing)
-There's never any good LT options in free agency, so we were forced to bring Carr back.

DE Julius Adams - 5 years, $2.2 mill. (Denver)
-I hated having to open up the pocketbook like this, but the fact of the matter is, Aaron Brown is on his last legs and Adams was the best of a pretty mediocre lot in free agency as far as a long-term replacement goes. That's not to say Adams is terrible. He's a great run defender and an average pass-rusher.

Week 6 Losses
DT Diron Talbet - 1 year, $110k* (Cleveland)
-A pretty big disappointment for us last year, the Browns can take him without our feeling depressed about it.

Week 8 Signings
WR Dennis Homan - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
He'll slot in as our 5th WR this season and he was decent last year.

Week 8 Losses
P Bob Parsons - 1 year, $80k* (San Francisco)
-Not a big deal. We wanted to see what Clabo can do anyway.

Week 9 Signings
TE Mack Alston - 1 year, $90k (Dallas)
-Solid TE and new WRs leader who doesn't really excite anyone. He'll become our starter and provide another target for our new QB.

DE Aaron Brown - 1 year, $110k* (Re-Signing)
-The old man comes back for one more year to be our backup DE.

Week 9 Losses
DT John Little - 1 year, $80k* (Baltimore)
-Average fill-in guy at backup DT. Ravens can take him.

DT Jim Osborne - 1 year, $90k (San Diego Re-signing)
-Bastard! He toyed with us for weeks and weeks before going back to the Chargers. This puts us in bad shape for DT and makes the position a priority in the draft.

OLB Ed Philpott - 1 year, $110k (Detroit)
-The emergence of Rod Shoate meant Philpott's days as a starter were done, so off he goes to the Lions. Not a bad player by any means, but not a great one, either.

OLB George Webster - 1 year, $100k* (Philadelphia)
-Like Philpott, saw his value to the team decline as we brought in better talent. Pretty bad in pass coverage, if you want to know the truth, so I'm not sorry to see him go.

Week 10 Signings
DT Dave Roller - 1 year, $80k* (Pittsburgh)
-Not a bad one year rental to have at all. Steps in as the starting LDT.

On to the draft!

I can count on one hand the number of players who really thrill me in this draft that we'd have a realistic shot at late in the 2nd round. After that, it's all a bunch of crap. This is really a bad draft to get hosed out of the 1st round, as there's simply not much talent available in the later rounds. T Jackie Slater is pretty much the consensus #1 pick in this draft.

1976 NFL Draft - 1st Round
1. OLB Linden King - Philadelphia Eagles
2. CB Mike Haynes - Washington Redskins
3. T Jackie Slater - Atlanta Falcons

Falcons fans everywhere would like to thank the Eagles and the Redskins for their stupidity.

4. RB Chuck Muncie - Tucson Titans
5. ILB Dan Lloyd - Kansas City Chiefs
6. DE Lawrence Pilers - Pittsburgh Steelers
7. DT Mike Dawson - Cincinnati Bengals
8. CB Mario Clark - New Orleans Saints
9. ILB Bob Horn - New York Giants
10. OLB Mike Hegman - Indianapolis Colts
11. WR Theo Bell - San Francisco 49ers
12. ILB Harry Carson - Baltimore Ravens
13. RB Joe Washington - Cleveland Browns through Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs get the Browns' 2nd round pick in this draft, plus their 1978 2nd and 4th rounders. That's actually not all that bad a deal for Tampa Bay, given how poor the draft pool is this year, but on the other hand, there's some very good talents still on the board that I find it hard to believe the Bucs passed on.

14. OLB Woodrow Lowe - Oakland Raiders
15. OLB Larry Gordon - Green Bay Packers
16. G Bob Simmons - New Jersey Jets through Chicago Bears

The Jets give up their 2nd round picks for 1977 and 1978 to land a guy I really like myself. Smart move by New Jersey to take advantage of the buyers' market this year and really bolster their offensive line.

17. DT John Woodcock - Dallas Cowboys
18. QB Dave Mays - Tucson Titans through New England Patriots

Damn it! The Patriots successfully rip off the Titans, getting Tucson's 1977 and 1978 1st rounders, in addition to their 4th round pick in this draft. :mad: This was especially a dumbass move for the Titans, as none of the QBs in this draft is anywhere close to a franchise player.

19. S Mike Reinfeldt - New Jersey Jets through New Orleans Saints

The Jets surrender their 1st round pick next year, their 3rd rounder in 1978, and this year's 5th round pick to improve their secondary. Evidently they're really hungry to go deep in the playoffs and want to lock down the AFC East for the next few years. Incidentally, this was also the pick that would've been ours and if I'd had it, I would've taken a certain WR.

20. CB Pat Thomas - Kansas City Chiefs
21. T Joe Devlin - Cleveland Browns
22. TE Bennie Cunningham - Minnesota Vikings
23. S Gary Fencik - Detroit Lions
24. DT James White - Jacksonville Jaguars
25. S Scott Perry - Buffalo Bills
26. ILB Carl Ekern - Seattle Seahawks
27. DE Ben Williams - Denver Broncos
28. S Cedric Brown - St. Louis Cardinals
29. OLB Donnie Thomas - Los Angeles Rams
30. DT Willie Lee - Carolina Panthers
31. TE David Hill - Carolina Panthers
32. RB Herb Lusk - Houston Oilers

That certain WR is -still- sitting there at the top of the 2nd round, when he should've been a 1st rounder. Amazed, and unable to resist the possibility of grabbing another rising young star for our offense, I call up the Eagles to see what they say. They won't deal for a reasonable situation, but wind up taking a CB anyway.

Atlanta won't listen either, but luckily the WR they take isn't the one I wanted. Tucson finally bites, taking our 3rd, 5th and 6th rounders in this draft and our 2nd and 4th round picks in 1978, allowing me to take WR Steve Largent at 2.3! With Largent, Lynn Swann, and Frank Lewis, we've got a corps that will ensure our aerial supremacy long after Paul Warfield's retired.

QB Scott Bull becomes our second 2nd round pick, as he's the only QB that looked remotely like he was worth anything in this draft to me. It turned out to be a good thing I made the pick when I did because there's no way he would've lasted to the 4th round. A flurry of QBs went in the third and he certainly would've been among them.

Things have already started thinning out rapidly by the 4th, but I see enough in C Ralph Hill to take a flyer on him. Another flyer gets taken with our last pick, in the 7th, with TE Richard Osborne.

Late Free Agency

Week 1 Signings
FB Bobby Anderson - 1 year, $80k* (Carolina)
-A good backup FB for Larry Csonka.

Week 3 Signings
RB Herb Mul-Key - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Extremely good value for his ST work. He'll have a place on the Dolphins for as long as he can keep that up.

RB Otis Armstrong - 1 year, $110k (Indianapolis)
-Terrific #2 back, only in his 4th season. A serious 1973 ACL injury that cost him the last four games is what scared a lot of teams off of him, but he showed with the Colts last year that he can produce.

TE Pete Lammons - 1 year, $110k* (Re-signing)
-Strictly a mentor signing. Will be cut after training camp most likely.

Week 3 Losses
RB Lee Bouggess - 1 year, $80k* (Houston)
-Solid #2 back for us last year and would've been re-signed if the more attractive Armstrong wasn't available. I wish him good luck.

DT Joe Ehrman - 1 year, $80k (Kansas City Re-signing)
-Turned down some seriously good money from us to stay with the Chiefs. Why he'd do that when he has low loyalty is beyond me, but it hosed us out of a new starting LDT.



SE Steve Largent 2.3 38/57 43/57 +5/+0
QB Scott Bull 2.18 13/58 12/52 -1/-6
C Ralph Hill 4.20 18/34 20/31 +2/-3
TE Richard Osborne 7.21 18/26 19/26 +1/+0

Draft Grade: A-

So Bull doesn't look like the QB we'd hoped we were getting. He'll get his chances in preseason though, as I intend to have him as the #2 QB all throughout. Hill and Osborne are what they are, scrubs in a pathetically weak draft.

Largent, on the other hand, should've gone in the 1st round. Like I said, I'd have taken him at #19 in the 1st if we'd still retained that pick, so to get him at 2.3 testifies just how moronic the other GMs were.

[MizzouRah]

RB Chuck Muncie - Tucson Titans

Chuck was my pick at #15 in 1976, although he was a bust (35/37 this year)

[Izulde]

RB Chuck Muncie - Tucson Titans

Chuck was my pick at #15 in 1976, although he was a bust (35/37 this year)

Not sure what he was after the draft, but after TC, he's 38/48, so a slight tick better than in your case it looks like, but certainly not worth the #4 overall pick in the draft.

[Izulde]

Wheeler, Manch 3 QB 15 32 32 1 yr.
Ramsey, Steve 5 QB 7 38 38 2 yrs
Milan, Don 19 QB 2 6 18 2 yrs
Bull, Scott 8 QB 1 12 52 3 yrs

Ramsey's our starter and Bull will be given every chance possible to be the #2 QB this year. It'll tick Wheeler off, but I really don't care. Milan may have been 2-0 last season, but he's not going to get a further look with us.


Mul-key, Herb 43 RB 5 20 30 1 yr.
Armstrong, Otis 34 RB 4 43 50 1 yr.
Hayman, Gary 37 RB 3 24 36 1 yr.
Payton, Walter 27 RB 2 69 78 4 yrs
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 9 64 64 2 yrs
Anderson, Bobby 33 FB 7 33 33 1 yr.

Payton looking good in preseason. He and Csonka start obviously, Anderson and Armstrong the A team backups. Mul-key is here for special team talents and Hayman, our flash in the pan, goes on inactive or gets cut.


Lammons, Pete 89 TE 11 29 29 1 yr.
Alston, Mack 82 TE 7 33 33 1 yr.
Cain, J.V. 2 TE 3 33 40 1 yr.
Osborne, Richard 87 TE 1 19 26 3 yrs
Lewis, Frank 88 FL 6 45 45 3 yrs
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 3 56 56 2 yrs
Warfield, Paul 85 SE 13 44 44 2 yrs
Homan, Dennis 84 SE 9 26 26 1 yr.
Gillette, Walker 86 SE 7 38 38 1 yr.
Largent, Steve 80 SE 1 43 57 3 yrs

Lammons and Osborne will both be cut most likely. Cain vs Alston is a real tough call to make, though I'm leaning towards Cain. The future is now at WR, where Swann and Largent will start, Lewis and Warfield the reserves and Gillette the 5th receiver. Can you say stacked? I knew you could!


Banks, Tom 51 C 7 56 56 2 yrs
Coady, Rich 53 C 7 36 36 1 yr.
Perretta, Ralph 52 C 2 19 27 2 yrs
Hill, Ralph 59 C 1 20 31 3 yrs
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 9 54 54 3 yrs
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 10 63 63 2 yrs
Fest, Howard 71 RG 9 36 36 1 yr.
Cunningham, Dick 61 LT 10 32 32 1 yr.
Carr, Levery 60 LT 8 34 34 1 yr.
Mikolajczyk, Ron 67 RT 4 39 39 1 yr.

Carr-Moorman-Banks-Upshaw-Mikolajczyk the starting 5, with Coady, Fest, and Cunningham the reserves. This unit's starting to look awfully long in the teeth and we really need to get some quality young blood in here. Look for us to really target the offensive line heavily the next few years, especially at guard.


Clabo, Neil 13 P 2 34 53 2 yrs
Webster, Tim 16 K 6 45 45 1 yr.

Looking forward to seeing what these two guys bring to the table.


Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 8 56 56 2 yrs
Brown, Aaron 74 RDE 11 33 33 1 yr.
Adams, Julius 93 RDE 6 49 49 5 yrs
Roller, Dave 94 LDT 6 42 42 1 yr.
Maddox, Bob 76 RDT 4 43 43 3 yrs
Crowder, Randy 75 RDT 3 35 38 1 yr.

Greenwood-Roller-Maddox-Adams with Brown and Crowder as double-duty backups. Yes, Adams has a ridiculously long and expensive contract, but DE talent is in extraordinarily short supply and he gives us a major boost at the position group.


Lanier, Willie 58 MLB 10 64 64 2 yrs
Rivers, Jamie 99 MLB 10 27 27 1 yr.
Shoate, Rod 54 SLB 2 43 55 2 yrs
Werner, Clyde 97 WLB 7 33 33 1 yr.
Varty, Mike 90 WLB 3 25 39 1 yr.

Oops. Guess I should have looked more closely at OLB. In any case, Shoate-Lanier are set, but Werner and Varty is a tough call, though I'll likely go with Werner. It appears last season's gamble of starting Shoate paid off, because he looks primed to have a really good season this year. Need to find new blood at MLB too, because Lanier isn't going to last forever.


Sumner, Walt 41 LCB 8 39 39 1 yr.
Alexander, Willie 21 LCB 6 44 44 4 yrs
Poltl, Randy 38 LCB 3 22 38 2 yrs
Lawrence, Rolland 24 RCB 4 40 40 6 yrs
Edwards, Glen 20 SS 6 59 59 2 yrs
Greene, Tony 36 SS 6 40 40 1 yr.
Hollomon, Gus 39 FS 9 30 30 1 yr.
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 5 70 70 3 yrs

Should've found another backup CB as well. While Sumner makes a quality backup, I like Poltl to get as little PT as possible. Ah well, it'll be Alexander-Lawrence-Edwards-Crist as the starting four in backfield, Sumner as the nickel, Greene and Hollomon the backup safeties, with Greene the dime back.

All in all, it's hard to tell how I feel about this team. Sure, we made enough improvements in our offense that we should be able to outscore most teams, but our defense is looking awfully old, even with the key additions we made in free agency.

Do we have enough to go Super Bowl challenging? According to the preseason mags, yes. They've got us ranked as one of the top 5 teams in the league and runaway favorites for the AFC East.

Though to be honest, this is largely because Daryle Lamonica is in a holdout with the Buffalo Bills. If and when he ends his holdout, it becomes a whole new ballgame.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Carolina 23 Miami 10
Rusty showing all around by our boys, though Paul Warfield did have 99 receiving yards. I just now realized that I forgot to re-sign Jim Duncan, who's playing for the Panthers now and got an interception off of us. Oops.

Miami 7 Dallas 19
Our struggles on offense continue, for some reason. Walter Payton has been just terrible the first two games, averaging 2.5 YPC.

Special teams genius Gary Hayman rips up his elbow tendon and is out roughly 5 weeks. Not that big a deal, since we'll just move further on down to the next guy, who turns out to have an 83 ST rating.

New Orleans 30 Miami 24
Man, am I glad preseason games don't count for anything! Scott Bull has looked as raw as you might expect a rookie of his stature to be and Steve Ramsey hasn't looked that great, either. Walter Payton's finally starting to get a little untracked, though.

Interesting note: Ken Stabler broke his fibula last week and after the 3rd preseason game, he's due out another 6 weeks, meaning the Saints are going to have to play the first few games without him.

Miami 37 Washington 14
We beat up on the helpless Redskins to avoid a winless preseason. Willie Lanier returns an interception 5 yards for a TD, Walter Payton rushes for 104 yards and a TD, a 21 yard burner, and Tim Webster nails 3/3 FGs, including a 42 yarder.

Otis Armstrong breaks his ribs and will miss the first four games of the season. 3rd year Houston Oilers castoff RB Charley Young is signed to be an emergency #2 back as Gary Hayman is still out and Herb Mul-key is nobody's idea of a legit RB.

I hit recommend and we're off to the races!

Regular Season

Miami 30 Buffalo 3
A sweet, sweet crushing victory over our archrivals to open the year. Walter Payton smashes the Dolphins single-game rushing record with 33 runs for 205 yards and a TD. Willie Lanier records 13 tackles and 4 assists and Steve Ramsey does enough not to lose the game at 15-21 for 196 yards, a TD and an INT. Tim Webster was also 3/3 on FGs. Making this game even better was that Daryle Lamonica ended his holdout in time for the regular season, but couldn't get anything going.

Side note: Sweetness's 200+ yard game was the 13th in this universe's history and the record is 268 yards, held by Lenny Moore of the Colts in a 1962 game against the Oakland Raiders. Interestingly enough, the 2nd highest Dolphins total was also Payton, also against the Bills, last season. The highest non-Walter Dolphins game rushing total? Bill Cooper, with 160 yards, all the way back in 1966 against the Houston Oilers.

Speaking of RBs, Gary Hayman's back up to Probable, so he'll slide in to his ST role. Charley Young actuallly really pretty good last game, with 7 rushes for 38 yards and no fumbles. I'll take a 5.43 rushing average, thanks.

San Francisco 3 Miami 19
This is Tim "Wonder" Webster. This is Tim "Wonder" Webster booting 4/4 FGs and Rolland Lawrence returning an interception 87 yards for a TD to put the icing on the 49er beatdown cake. Lynn Swann has 5 catches for 99 yards, just missing the century mark. Willie Lanier hit the Niners for 10 tackles, 2 assists and a sack and Julius Adams starts earning that long contract with 3 tackles, 2 sacks and Player of the Game honors.

Miami 21 Oakland 5
Yep, the Raiders got a safety, thanks to a blocked punt in the endzone, but it turned out not to matter. Walter Payton rushes 24 times for 111 yards and Steve Ramsey throws for 2 TDs and 0 picks as we just destroy Oakland.

Otis Armstrong is back to Probable, so back as the #2 back he comes.

Miami 36 New England 7
The giddy roller coaster ride continues as Otis Armstrong rips off a 24 yard TD run to open up the scoring, Tim Webster nails 5/5 FGs and Steve Ramsey has his most productive day as a Dolphin: 26/35 for 278 yards, 2 TDs and an INT, earning him PotG honors.. Frank Lewis is our first receiver to break the century mark, with 4 catches for 103 yards and a TD, most of them coming on a gorgeous 65 yard TD reception in the third quarter. For the defense, Old Man Aaron Brown had 2 tackles and 2 sacks, showing there's still life in him yet.

Miami 27 Jacksonville 10
You knew it had to happen sooner or later. After four straight games of holding the opponents under 10 points, we finally give up exactly that, 10. But considering it's against a Roger Staubach-led team, that's nothing to be ashamed of. Walter Payton scored 3 short-yardage rushing TDs, but it was Steve Ramsey who earned Player of the Game with his 22-27 for 273 yards performance. Willie Lanier led the defense with 11 tackles, 4 assists, a hurry and a knockdown.

Houston 21 Miami 3
Archie Manning and the defending Super Bowl champion Houston Oilers ruin our chances for a perfect season. We couldn't get anything going on offense, so we took a look at Scott Bull in garbage duty. He was a dreadful 1/7 for 11 yards. Nothing much to say about this game, really. It was just an out and out ass-kicking.

Buffalo 21 Miami 27
Breathe easy. The game was nowhere near as close as the score looks. A last second 4th quarter TD is the only reason Buffalo appeared to make this a real game. Steve Ramsey dissected the defense with a 21/29 for 217 yard, 2 TD performance, winning him Player of the Game. Scott Bull got another look in crunch time and was 4/5 for 42 yards. So maybe he could be our QB of the future after all.

And then my heart breaks.

Our entire season flushes down the drain.

No, it isn't Chuck Crist's separated shoulder shelving him for 6 weeks that does it.

It's this:

QB Steve Ramsey: Ankle Surgery - Out - Full Strength in 1977

I can't do it. I can't go back to Manch Wheeler and his interception-prone ways. It's going to have to be Scott Bull the rest of the way... hope that Walter Payton, our gifted receivers, and our defense can carry us and that Bull can either turn out brilliant or Ramsey can get back in time for the postseason.

If indeed we have a postseason.

Fuck! It was such a great story, too... Ramsey with the chip on his shoulder after the Giants dismissed him, disregarding the two Super Bowls he led them to and playing incredibly for us... Aargh!

In any case, 10th year vet mentor S Rich Volk is signed to be the backup SS, Tony Greene moved over to FS to fill in for Chuck Crist as he's our best reserve S.

Indianapolis 24 Miami 19
...And so it begins. Well, to be fair, O.J. Simpson ran for 158 yards and Scott Bull wasn't all that bad at 21/37 for 213 yards and a TD. Tim Webster was also 4/4 on FGs including 3/3 from 40+ range. Walt Sumner averaged 17.5 yards a punt return, Herb Mul-key 31.8 yards a kick return... and the Colts -are- a really good team, but I can't help but have this creeping feeling that our season is pretty much finished.

Here's the situation: We're tied with the Jets atop the AFC East at 6-2, though they hold tiebreaker advantage over us for some reason. The 6-3 Baltimore Ravens hold the #2 wild-card spot and the team behind them is the 5-4 Colts, who just beat us.

Scott Bull is 16/52 and Manch Wheeler is now angry that he's not starting.

A once-promising season is in danger of going up in smoke.

The halfway tale of the tape:


Record 6-2
Winning Pct. .750
All-Time 166-98
Winning Pct. .628
Playoffs 15-9
Playoff Visits 12
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 29-13
Winning Pct. .690
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 32.1 6
Rushing Yards 132.5 2
Yards Per Carry 4.12 12
Pass Attempts 29.4 30
Completions 19.3 19 (T)
Completion Pct. 65.5 4
Passing Yards 217.0 14
Yards Per Attempt 7.39 4
Yards Per Catch 11.27 10
Total Yardage Gained 333.4 6
3rd Down Conversions 37.5 5
Points Per Game 22.8 5
Pass Rush Pct. 8.7 7
Pass Defense Pct. 74.3 7
Turnovers 6 1 (T)
Turnover Margin +14 1

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 22.9 3 (T)
Rushing Yards 89.1 1
Yards Per Carry 3.90 9
Pass Attempts 34.5 21
Completions 19.8 17 (T)
Completion Pct. 57.2 9
Passing Yards 176.9 1
Yards Per Attempt 5.13 2
Yards Per Catch 8.96 1
Total Yardage Gained 249.1 1
3rd Down Conversions 31.3 7
Points Per Game 11.8 2
Pass Rush Pct. 6.9 10 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 62.2 4
Turnovers 20 5

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 30 at BUF 3
2 19 SFO 3
3 21 at OAK 5
4 36 at NED 7
5 27 at JAX 10
6 3 HOU 21
7 27 BUF 21
8 19 IND 24
10 at TUC
11 at NJY
12 at STL
13 CIN
14 LAS
15 NED
16 at SEA
17 NJY

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
5 S. Ramsey QB 186 128 1470 7.90 7 4 95.9
8 S. Bull QB 49 26 266 5.43 1 0 75.7
**Team --- 235 154 1736 7.39 8 4 91.7
$$Opp --- 276 158 1415 5.13 8 12 62.7

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 177 766 4.33 4 2
34 O. Armstrong RB 45 171 3.80 2 3
25 C. Young RB 21 81 3.86 1 1
**Team --- 257 1060 4.12 8 12
$$Opp --- 183 713 3.90 3 13

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 L. Swann WR 49 32 491 15.34 10.02 0 3
80 S. Largent WR 43 23 240 10.43 5.58 2 0
88 F. Lewis WR 36 22 354 16.09 9.83 0 2
85 P. Warfield WR 29 18 225 12.50 7.76 2 0
27 W. Payton RB 24 17 126 7.41 5.25 0 0
2 J. Cain TE 19 16 114 7.13 6.00 0 2

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 60 18 1.0 2 1 4 75.8
31 C. Crist S 29 8 1.0 0 3 7 86.8
54 R. Shoate OLB 26 8 1.0 2 0 8 83.2
90 M. Varty OLB 23 9 1.0 1 1 0 72.1
93 J. Adams DE 22 2 4.0 11 0 0 81.5
96 L. Greenwood DE 20 5 5.5 10 0 0 81.0
36 T. Greene S 20 7 0.5 0 2 1 80.6
20 G. Edwards S 19 12 1.0 0 1 3 85.1
94 D. Roller DT 19 6 2.0 1 0 0 82.5
21 W. Alexander CB 17 3 0.0 0 0 3 76.9
76 B. Maddox DT 17 5 1.5 6 0 0 82.1
97 C. Werner OLB 15 5 0.0 1 0 1 74.2
41 W. Sumner CB 12 0 0.0 0 0 0 73.1
24 R. Lawrence CB 12 11 0.0 0 3 6 88.5
39 G. Hollomon S 8 0 0.0 0 0 0 64.1

It's amazing just how good Steve Ramsey was for us. He kept the ball from being picked off, distributed well to his receivers and was just all-around the perfect game managing QB.

Walter Payton is having another fine season and our WRs only have such low statistics because there's so many options for our QBs to throw to. Chuck Crist's absence really hurts as you can see. Rod Shoate just keeps getting better and better and Rolland Lawrence is off to another dynamite season.

Don't get me wrong, even without Ramsey, we're still a good team. It's just that with him, we looked like Super Bowl contenders. Without him, we're likely a one and done playoff team, if even that.

Everything hinges on Scott Bull's development.

That's not a promising prospect.

[Izulde]

WLB Clyde Werner and FS Gus Holloman are disgruntled, along with angry QB Manch Wheeler. Werner has a point and gets moved into the starting spot. Holloman's 64.1% PD tells me no way in hell. Wheeler's too interception prone so he can just stuff it.

Miami 3 Tucson 17
...On the other hand, when Scott Bull throws 4 interceptions, maybe it's time to reconsider. Willie Lanier was the only highlight of this game with 10 tackles, 2 assists, and a knockdown.

I surrender and name Manch Wheeler the starter for the rest of the year. Bull simply isn't ready.

Miami 30 New Jersey 36 OT
Ugh! I hate this loss. Manch Wheeler is 22/40 for 337 yards and a TD and Clyde Werner returns an interception 40 yards for a TD. Rod Shoate has 12 tackles and Willie Lanier has 11 tackles and 5 assists. Bob Maddox picks up 6 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks and 3 hurries and we still lose. To the frigging JETS! This just gave them the bloody division.

Chuck Crist is questionable, but we're bringing him back anyway, particularly since Lynn Swann hyperextends his elbow and will miss at least the next game.

Miami 23 St. Louis 14
We finally snap our three game losing skid thanks to Walter Payton rushing 26 times for 117 yards and a TD and Otis Armstrong putting up 107 rushing yards and a TD on just 11 carries, negating Manch Wheeler's 2 interceptions. L.C. Greenwood led the defense with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, a block, 3 hurries and a knockdown.

Chuck Crist re-separates his shoulder and is out. Lynn Swann is back up to questionable, but we're not likely to beat the 10-1 Bengals in any case, so I keep him on the shelf.

Cincinnati 10 Miami 16
Put this one down to a miracle and Tim "Wonder" Webster's 3 field goals (though he did miss two). Oh yeah, Manch Wheeler also continued his mission to prove he doesn't suck by making Player of the Game on a 25/35 for 293 yard, 1 TD performance. Not that anybody believes he doesn't suck, of course. We're just happy he's still pissed off and playing to prove something. I'll admit, this is one upset I did -not- see coming.

This puts us into a tie with those dastardly Jets for the AFC East lead at 8-4. Lynn Swann is now Probable again, so he can slide back in as the starting FL.

Los Angeles 7 Miami 19
Greatest play of the game: Willie Alexander sacking Mike Livingston in the endzone for a safety with 4 minutes left. Player of the Game: Walter Payton with 24 rushes for 100 yards even. Continuing to surprise: Manch Wheeler with 23/34 for 242 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs.

Frank Lewis gets a stress fracture in his foot and is out 5 weeks. I'm feeling better and better about my decision to beef up the wide receiving corps after the injuries we've had. Paul Warfield slides in as the backup flanker.

New England 0 Miami 30
Raise your hand if you thought we'd goose-egg the Patriots with Manch Wheeler at QB. ....Yeah, I didn't see this coming either. Wheeler threw a 76 yard TD pass to backup TE Mack Alston and Dave Roller one of our starting DTs, blocked a punt in the endzone for a TD. Walter Payton ran 28 times for 117 yards, but Manch Wheeler wins Player of the Game for his 12/16, 195 yard, TD pass showing. Of course, you have to credit the secondary with 4 interceptions, including 2 from ballhawk emergency starting FS Tony Greene. L.C. Greenwood also had 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

Chuck Crist is up to Probable! Just in time to keep our season going! (I hope).

Miami 34 Seattle 14
30 times did Walter Payton carry the football and for these efforts, he ran for 129 yards and a rushing TD on his way to Player of the Game honors. Otis Armstrong contributed 2 rushing TDs himself and Manch Wheeler managed not to throw an interception.

With that win, we're 11-4 and a playoff spot is guaranteed!

But the Jets are also 11-4.

Guess who we play the last game of the season?

That's right. New Jersey.

Come on guys, win this damn game!

New Jersey 3 Miami 20
It's a testament to just how this season's gone that the first two scores are none other than Manch Wheeler TD passes and in fact, Wheeler was solid all game, but the Jets stacking up against the run and holding Walter Payton to 47 rushing yards on 24 carries probably has a lot to do with that. L.C. Greenwood picked a great time to have his best day ever: 7 tackles, an assist, 3.5 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown.

If you'd have told me before the season we'd end up 12-4 and the 1976 AFC East Division Champions!!!! :) :) :), I probably would've believed you.

If you'd told me that after Steve Ramsey went down for the year, we would go 6-2 in the second half of the season and win the division, I'd have called you crazy.

But here it is and here we are.

And the season's getting even crazier, because....

We play the Jets in the wild-card round.

[Izulde]

For all the traditional rivalry with the Buffalo Bills, it's been the New Jersey Jets who have been our biggest AFC East rivals in this universe, with their .544 win % and 8 playoff appearances. The Bills and Patriots have only been to the playoffs 3 times a piece and both have a sub-.500 all-time record.

That Miami-New Jersey rivalry continues with this matchup.

QB Alan Pastrana went down in Week 10, so the Jets have been forced to ride the arm of former Dallas Cowboys' 5th round pick and 3rd year QB Kim McQuilken. McQ's been suprisingly decent: 61.3% for 1,475 yards and 7 TDs vs 5 picks in 7 games, posting a 4-3 record in the process, but he's nowhere near the level of Pastrana.

RB Rod McNeill is better than the scouting reports on him suggest as he's run for at least 820 yards each of his three years and just missed the 1,000 yard mark by 2 yards this regular season. He also has 11 rushing TDs. WR J.D. Hill is a superlative flanker, on the level of our boys and perhaps even better, with 4 straight seasons of 1,000+ yards and 10+ TDs, but the rest of the receiving corps frightens no one.

LT Dave Foley, LG Jim Harvey, C Ted Fritsch, rookie RG Bob Simmons, and RT Bob McKay are an absolutely dominating unit and the single pass starting offensive line in the entire AFC, if not the whole NFL. They're living proof of the importance of building the o-line.

P Julian Fagan is an underachiever, but K Mark Moseley is a leg to be feared and respected.

DE Sherman White and rising 2nd year DE Mack Mitchell are a pair to be feared, on the level of L.C. Greenwood and Aaron Brown a few years ago, but NT Phil Olsen is just a body.

SILB Tommy Noblis is a tackle machine and SLB John Skorupan is arguably the scariest at his position in the NFL, as the 4th year pro and 1973 Defensive Rookie of the Year just keeps getting better and better, earning two All-Pro nods the last two seasons, but the weak side is just that, weak.

We caught a huge break when CB Mike Bass went out in Week 15, as he's an All-Pro quality cornerback. Instead we'll be facing a couple of old players who used to be good, but are mediocre now, including none other than Randy Beverly, the former Dolphin who's been team-jumping the last few years.

SS Thom Darden is the Chuck Crist of the Jets' defense, the kind of safety that gives you nightmares to go up against. FS Ike Thomas is a major overachiever, using veteran savvy and a high innate football intelligence to play far above what his physical gifts say he should be capable of.

You almost have to feel sorry for the Jets' defensive coordinator. He did the right thing in shutting down Walter Payton last week and daring Manch Wheeler and our All-World WR posse to beat them. The problem is, they did. It's not going to be easy to try and contain Sweetness twice, either.

This is an extremely winnable game for us. Vegas thinks so, too, favoring the Dolphins by 5.

It was a fight for the ages.

The Jets went up 14-0 in the second quarter, but we come back to get a TD on an 18 yard pass from Manch Wheeler to Walter Payton and tie it up early in the 3rd with another Manch Wheeler to Walter Payton TD pass, this time for 45 yards.

Then, with the clock reading 00:08 in the 4th quarter, Tim "Wonder" Webster steps up for a 41 yard FG.....

and nails it!!!!

Dolphins win! Dolphins win!!!

Walter Payton won Player of the Game, rushing 13 times for 59 yards and catching 6 passes for 93 yards and those TDs. Manch Wheeler played a turn-over free game, with 19/31 for 254 yards and the 2 TDs.

New Jersey 14 Miami 17

Frank Lewis is back up to probable, meaning he'll be back next game.

But there's bad news.

Paul Warfield is doubtful with a pulled groin and it's going to be a tough choice to make whether to play him or not, even though he's only the reserve SE and we're well-off enough at WR that we could sit him most likely.

But the real ballpuncher is that the heart of our defense, MLB Willie Lanier, is gone for next game. While he'd be back for the AFC Championship if we make it that far, his absence leaves a gaping hole in the middle.

[Izulde]

MLB Jim Sniadecki, an 8th year vet, cut by the Titans in Week 16, so he's therefore ready to go, is signed to be the emergency starting MLB for our divisional game. SS Rich Volk is released to make room for Sniadecki.

Our matchup in the divisional round is versus the defending Super Bowl champion Houston Oilers. Not the easiest matchup by any means.

6th year QB Archie Manning already has two 4,000+ yard, 30+ TD seasons to his credit (1974, 1975) and threw for 3,723 yards and 28 TDs/20 INTs this season. He was also a 1st Team All-Pro QB last year and invokes favorable comparisons to the legendary George Blanda.

Rookie RB Herb Lusk ran for 1,022 yards and 8 TDs while fumbling just 4 times. Not a bad player at all for the last pick in the first round. He's really given the Oilers a second dimension to their offense and he's not done developing yet.

FL Bob Hayes may be a 13th year vet akin to Paul Warfield, but he's had 1,000+ yards receiving the last 9 straight years and is a four time All-Pro selection, three of the four with the First Team.

The offensive line is very good, led by C John Fitzgerald, who might well be the best center in the league. Fortunately, the tackles are the weak links, particularly LT Jon Kolb, so our DEs might have a chance at a great game.

DT Dave Rowe had 10 sacks this season, fellow DT Cody Jones 7, making up the absolute waste of space on the end spots. MLB Jim LeClair is scary good and SLB Ted Hendricks is extremely talented. Thankfully WLB Ken Hutcherson is worthless.

We catch a huge, huge, HUGE break with regards to the secondary as CB Levi Johnson, an All-Pro type CB is out with an injury as is otherworldly SS Hugo Hollas. CB Don Martin, Johnson's replacement, is merely decent, and SS Carl Capria, Hollas's sub, is a 3rd year player who's still quite raw and just can't seem to put it together. FS Randy Logan is great, the other starting CB serviceable.

Can we win this game? Yeah, we definitely can. Sure we're missing Willie Lanier and I've decided to sit Paul Warfield, but the Oilers are missing the two best players in their secondary, which spells trouble against our receivers, who are deadly even without Warfield.

The bookies have this one as a tight one, the defending Super Bowl champs favored by a single point. It's an assessment I agree with.

And then there was the coming out party.

Walter Payton shreds through the Oilers' defense 30 times for 164 yards and 2 TDs en route to winning Player of the Game. Walker Gillette, filling in for Paul Warfield in the backup SE spot, pulls a Warfield in grabbing 4 catches for 106 yards and 2 TDs. Manch Wheeler goes 16/28 for 258 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs, being sacked only once as our line held up great all game. L.C. Greenwood had 2 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a block and hurry and [b]Tim "Wonder" Webster nailed a 50 yarder.

Miami 31 Houston 18

We're going back to the AFC Championship Game!

But then a horrible thing happens. QB Manch Wheeler, under the stress of the postseason and all the criticism he's had to face all season long, flips out in his hotel room. A trip to a psychiatrist later and the diagnosis is grim:

Severe Anxiety. He's out for the AFC Championship.

Steve Ramsey is still out with ankle surgery.

That means... either the rookie Scott Bull or 2-0 last season Don Milan.

[MizzouRah]

Should be an interesting next game.

[Izulde]

Should be an interesting next game.

No kidding! I haven't played it because I have no idea who in the heck to start.

[Izulde]

Before we reveal our starting QB for the game, let's take a look at our opponents for this 1976 AFC Championship Game: The Baltimore Ravens.

QB Leo Hart is listed as the starter, but he's also listed as Out. He's a surprisingly solid QB, having unexpectedly won the starting QB job as a 6th rounder for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1971. With 3,000+ yards every year he's been in the leagues and a positive TD/INT career ratio, he's what we call a late-round gem. If he can't start, which he shouldn't be able to, the job falls to 9th year vet King Corcoran and the only thing he royally does is suck.

The Ravens don't have a running game to speak of, but FL Marlin Briscoe is a real threat at WR. Baltimore's offensive line is good on the interior, absolutely wretched at T, most notably LT Maxie Williams, an All-Pro fixture in the late '60s, who has given up at least 10 sacks the last four seasons, including 20 sacks two years ago.

It's defense that Baltimore starts shining. LDE Sweeny Williams and RDE Tony McGee are a pair of bookends equally as good as our old tandem of L.C. Greenwood and Aaron Brown. LDT Wally Chambers is one of the best DTs in the league, with the 4th year player having earned 1st Team All-Pro DT honors the last two years, with a mindboggling 15.5 sacks as a DT last year. RDT Mike Barnes is an impressive force as well and in fact, it's widely acknowledged that the Ravens have the best defensive line in the NFL, period.

Rookie MLB Harry Carson had 113 tackles in his first year. Fellow rookie SLB Reggie Williams and 2nd year WLB Dale Mitchell are average, but the three together are an interesting young group, just not all that great yet.

The Thomas boys, Skip Thomas and Earlie Thomas man the corner spots and are decent, though Skip is definitely better than Earlie. SS Al Matthews is a punishing hitter and a terrific pass defender, but Baltimore's sorely missing FS Jeff Severson, who's out with an injury.

As for us, we're starting QB Don Milan and putting Questionable SE Paul Warfield in as the 5th receiver.

Why Milan? He has a 76 Sense Rush rating versus Scott Bull's 26 and against that Baltimore front four, we need a guy who can avoid the sack and pressure as much as possible.

Can we win this game? Yeah, but it's going to come down to who can take advantage of the breaks. This is going to be an ugly defensive battle by the looks of things.

Vegas agrees the game's going to be close, favoring the Ravens by 1.

The early game opens with a 2 yard TD pass from King Corcoran to Marlin Briscoe and I'm dreading a long day.

But then the defenses settle in and we tie it on the first play of the second quarter as Don Milan throws a 14 yard TD pass to backup TE Mack Alston.

The 3rd quarter's scoreless and in the 4th quarter we exchange a pair of FGs.

Then, with just under 3 minutes left in the game, reserve RB Otis Armstrong punches it in from 2 yards out and we win!

It was a victory where credit went to the reserves, with Don Milan winning Game MVP thanks to his usual accurate game: 15/19 for 153 yards and a TD. More importantly, he was only sacked twice.

But the stars were also in force. Walter Payton ran 24 times for 143 yards and L.C. Greenwood had 4 tackles, 2 assists, a sack, a block and 4 hurries.

It's a miracle. A true miracle, but it's happened.

WE'RE THE 1976 AFC CHAMPIONS AND WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

[Balldog]

I must say this is quite an impressive read, well done and congrats on another Super Bowl appearance. :)

[Izulde]

I must say this is quite an impressive read, well done and congrats on another Super Bowl appearance. :)

Thanks :) I'm stunned myself at the development. Looks like that trade for the #1 overall pick and the chance to draft Sweetness was worth it after all :)

[SFL Cat]

This continues to be a really engaging dynasty. Good job.

[Izulde]

This continues to be a really engaging dynasty. Good job.

Thanks :) I think a large part of it is that there's always some new story that's cropping up as I play or some new challenge.

[nilodor]

Wow, I still can't believe that Manch led you to the title game, then Barrett Robbins it and is gone, now you're stuck with scrap and the new guy. Maybe you can convince Unitas to come out of retirement?

[Izulde]

Wow, I still can't believe that Manch led you to the title game, then Barrett Robbins it and is gone, now you're stuck with scrap and the new guy. Maybe you can convince Unitas to come out of retirement?

Well, as it turns out, the Manch saga isn't over yet. I'm also secretly convinced Don Milan is being heavily masked, because he plays a hell of a lot better than a 6/17 guy and has the statistics and the 3-0 record to prove it.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XVII Preview

Miami Dolphins Out
QB Steve Ramsey
DT Dave Roller
SS Glen Edwards

New York Giants Out
CB Larry Carwell

Quarterbacks
What a hectic season it's been in Miami, where no less than four QBs have seen gametime snaps. Steve Ramsey, the former Giants' starting QB, was off to a sensational start before shattering his ankle in Week 7, thus ending his season. Rookie Scott Bull had 2 starts, but was pulled in favor of Manch Wheeler following a 4 interception performance against the Tucson Titans. Wheeler then went on to stun the league by showing something left in the tank, leading the Dolphins to the AFC East title and the AFC Championship game before a well-publicized mental breakdown in his hotel room following the Divisional Round victory over over the defending Super Bowl champion Houston Oilers. This meant second-year man Don Milan got the nod, who went on to win Player of the Game in the AFC Championship game and improve his career record to an amazing 3-0. Wheeler has recovered from his anxiety attack, however, and will get the start in the Super Bowl. He has a huge chip on his shoulder and the 15th year vet is determined to win a Super Bowl ring.

No such drama existed in New York, where the Giants had 9th year veteran Greg Landry at the helm all season long. He compiled 3,109 yards and 19 TDs vs 6 INTs while completing over 60% of his passes. Surprisingly, this is only Landry's second season as a full-time starter, the other in 1973 with the New Jersey Jets. He won't ever be a yardage king, but he's accurate and manages the game well.

Advantage: Giants

Running Backs
Once upon a time, the Miami Dolphins had a two-time defending MVP QB in Ken Stabler. That was before they shipped Stabler and 3 1st round picks to the New Orleans Saints for the #1 pick in the 1975 draft. That pick was Walter Payton, who has established himself as a dominant, franchise RB in his first two years in the league, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1975 with 1,562 yards and 9 TDs. Though his numbers were slightly down this season at 1,468 yards and 7 TDs, he cut his fumbles in half, from 8 to 4 and has been an absolute monster in the postseason. #2 back Otis Armstrong is good enough to be a starter on a lot of teams and the tandem give opposing defenses a headache. Herb Mul-key is a special teams ace. FB Larry Csonka is still among the league's best.

Charlie Smith has only broken 1,000 yards once in his 9 years in the league and he fumbled 14 times in the regular season. He's fumbled twice this postseason as well and his inability to hang on to the football will be a worry for the Giants. Doug Dressler or rookie Bubba Bean would actually likely be better starters, but the Giants coaching staff swears by Smith for now. John Keyworth is the equal of Csonka.

Advantage: Dolphins

Wide Receivers
A major reason why Miami has continued to play well despite the QB carousel is their wide receiving corps, the single-best group in the NFL. Dolphins GM Tim Moungey is known to prize WRs and it shows: 3rd year Lynn Swann and rookie Steve Largent are an exciting, talented pair of starters who should have the Dolphins set for years to come and 6th year man Frank Lewis is a fantastic 3rd receiver. Things don't get any easier for opposing defenses in four WR sets, as 13 year vet and career-long Dolphin Paul Warfield, a 5-time All-Pro is waiting for them. TE is much less stellar, where J.V. Cain is the starter over the much-more deserving Mack Alston.

The Giants are young at starting WR as well in second year men Willie Miller and Alfred Jenkins. Much like with Charlie Frazier[b] and [b]Gary Ballman from the same Dolphins draft, however, the later-round player is the superior one, as the 3rd rounder Jenkins has over 1,000 yards receiving in his first two seasons, whereas 1st round Miller has just 500. 3rd WR John Gilliam is league average. TE Raymond Chester is sorely underutilized in the passing game and has absolutely no blocking talent.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
Miami boasts a strong interior line in C Tom Banks and long-time Dolphins starting guards Mo Moorman and Gene Upshaw. Tackle is an Achilles heel, however, with Levery Carr a notorious revolving door on the left side and Ron Mikolajcyzk finally reaching league average in his fourth season. Backup C Rich Coady is a top-shelf long-snapper, reserve long-time Dolphins guard Howard Fest is adequate, and Dick Cunningham plays above his greybeard years as the backup tackle.

The Giants are the exact same as Miami, with a strong inside in C Tom De Leone and guards Pat Matson and Steve Lawson. The problem is that Lawson is no Upshaw. LT John Williams is almost as bad as Carr, but RT Doug France plays exceptionally well, particularly for a second year former late 3rd round pick. Bryce Darrow and Bill Ellenbogen are superior to their Dolphins counterparts.

Advantage: Draw

Defensive Line
Losing Dave Roller for the season really hurts, as it required the Dolphins to sign DT Vern Vanoy, who hasn't played since being cut by the 49ers after the preseason, as an emergency backup. That said, this is still a respectable line, with L.C. Greenwood having a career season in tackles and sacks at 49 and 14.5, continuing a streak of 7 straight 10+ sack seasons. He's one of the best DEs in the game. The other end, Julius Adams, is a run-stopper and not much on the pass rush, though Bob Maddox, whom Miami GM Tim Moungey calls "Our best 3rd round pick since Gary Ballman" is coming off a banner regular season himself. Randy Crowder, who will start in place of Roller, has shown nothing. Aging Aaron Brown, Greenwood's best friend on the team and opposite end-mate got 3.5 sacks out of his old legs as the backup DE this season.

Billy Stanfill is a DE who's even more superior than Greenwood and has the 3 All-Pro awards to prove it. Fellow DE Steve Baumgartner had 10.5 sacks in his first season as a full-time starter, after 3 seasons as a backup with the Packers. LDT Bob Heinz had 10 sacks himself and RDT Ernie Holmes is equally adept at the pass-rush and the run defense. The G-men's reserve players, both at end and tackle, are better than the Dolphins as well.

Advantage: Giants

Linebackers
MLB Willie Lanier has lost a step or two, but the 10th year veteran is still the literal and figurative heart of the Dolphins defense, and has posted at least 111 tackles all 7 years he's worn the aqua and orange. While he isn't likely to add any of his 3 All-Pro awards, all earned in Miami, he's still a fearsome competitor. SLB Rod Shoate continued his steady improvement in his second year, but WLB Clyde Warner is replacement-level and the backup situation awful.

MLB Ed Bradley is okay, but no Lanier and WLB Charlie Weaver is, like the other CW, essentially a waste of space. SLB Isiah Robertson broke 100 tackles this season though and is a steady, consistent threat in the pass-rush, the only 'backer on either team to be so in fact. The Giants boast a much stronger backup corps than the Dolphins, with some even going so far as to argue that reserve MLB Sam Hunt should be the starter over Bradley.

Advantage: Giants

Secondary
Willie Alexander has not been the playmaker the Dolphins were hoping to get when they lavished him with a 5 year, $2.3 million dollar contract two seasons ago and his pass defense looked alarming during the regular season, the 0 INTs particularly troubling. He's re-discovered his pass defense skills in the playoffs however, and has an interception. Fellow CB Rolland Lawrence is just the opposite, a 1975 All-Pro CB who's played fantastically for the Dolphins each of his four seasons, but he's been repeatedly picked on this postseason. Nickelback Walt Sumner has also been a target during the playoffs. Losing starting SS Glen Edwards for the Super Bowl is really going to hurt Miami, for his replacement Tony Greene, was brilliant in the regular season, with 5 interceptions and an 82.5% pass defense in just 8 starts, but he's been terrible in the postseason, with a ghastly 73.5% pass defense and no interceptions. FS Chuck Crist is one of the most criminally underrated free safeties in the game. He gets his turnovers, plays terrific pass defense and shows occasional pass-rush skills, but he gets snubbed every year in All-Pro voting. Backup Gus Holloman is a zero, however.

Charlie Ford has been sensational in the playoffs after replacing Larry Carwell on one corner spot. Alvin Wyatt's been effective as well, though not superlative. There's no talent to speak of in the nickel package, however. SS Ray Brown is a very, very good player and Ken Stone is a hard worker with a tremendous nasty streak that helps him overachieve relative to his talent. Backup S rookie Ernie Jones is still raw, though, and has been a weak point during the playoffs.

Advantage: Giants

Overall Opinion:
This is going to be a very, very close game, one of the closest Super Bowls we've ever witnessed. It's going to come down to the following keys:

Keys for the Dolphins:

1. Mix up the play-calling on offense.
While it'd be natural to rely on gamebreaker Walter Payton, calling his number too many times against this Giants D will result in a long, long day.

2. Dare New York to beat you on the ground.
The Giants have a gaping turnover-infested hole at RB, so by going heavy on the pass-coverage, Miami can force New York to go on long drives that lean too heavily on Charlie Smith.

3. Give Manch Wheeler time to throw.
When Wheeler isn't rushed, he can be pretty effective if you give him time in the pocket. Apply pressure on him, though, and he'll hurry throws, leading to turnovers.

Keys for the Giants

1. Get pressure on Wheeler
Miami's weak on the tackle spots and New York can use their superiority on the defensive line to absolutely manhandle the Dolphins o-line and harass Wheeler all day long.

2. Take advantage of the weak spots in the Dolphins' secondary
Glen Edwards is out and a lot of Miami's defensive backfield has been playing poorly this postseason. By going to the air often, with multiple receiver sets, holes can be found and exploited for the points the Giants need.

3. Keep a body on Walter Payton at all times
He's proven to be just as dangerous a receiver as he has a runner, so penetration is going to be key to both pressuring Wheeler and stopping Payton. Even then, one or two hits may not be enough to bring him down, so someone is going to have focus solely on Payton ever single play. He's that much of a gamechanger.

Final Opinion
The Giants' defense is just too good for Miami's offense to beat. New York will be in Manch Wheeler's face all day and the resulting turnovers will put the G-men in position to win.

Not even Walter Payton can save the Dolphins.

Giants by 2

[Izulde]

The Giants win the toss and elect to receive. It's a touchback and New York starts going on a long, time-consuming drive of dinky runs and passes, but it ends on the Giants 47 when Gus Holloman picks off a Greg Landry pass, setting us up in beautiful position.

Sadly, we do nothing and it's a 3 and out, but Neil Clabo rescues us somewhat by pinning New York at their own 5 yard line.

Greg Landry starts making some longer passes and things are starting to look a little scary. Then, on a 1st and 10 from the Giants 29, Landry uncorks a long bomb to the Miami 34... where it's intercepted by Rolland Lawrence! That's two drives, two interceptions, as our pass defense has suddenly come alive in this Super Bowl.

We keep going to Walter Payton, but he can't do all that much, and Manch Wheeler keeps throwing into double coverage. So it's another Neil Clabo punt that nails the Giants to their own 4 yard line.

I start getting scared when Greg Landry heats up again and Charlie Smith picks up several decent runs to get a drive going, but then a clipping penalty is the drive-killer.

Unfortunately, Walter Sumner fumbles on the punt return and the Giants recover on the Miami 42. Three runs later, the 1st quarter ends on an ominous 15-yard run by Charlie Smith that puts them on the Dolphins 25.

End 1st Quarter - Miami 0 New York 0

11 seconds later, Charlie Smith follows a Jon Keyworth key run block for a 17 yard TD run. Suddenly things are looking precarious for us, even though we're only down by a TD and it's early in the 2nd.

14:49 2nd Quarter - New York 7 Miami 0

Special teams continues to be a nightmare as we get called for an illegal block on the kickoff return, but then Manch Wheeler completes a 44 yard pass to Lynn Swann and hits Swann for a 17 yard pass later in the drive. Walter Payton acquires some grinding yardage as well, but then we stall and we're forced to settle for a Tim Webster 24 yard FG.

9:39 2nd Quarter - Miami 7 Miami 3

A critical stop on 3rd and 1 prevents another Giants drive from going further and I'm surprised they didn't go for it on 4th and 1, since they were on the 50 yard line, but they punt for the touchback.

Walter Payton finally starts getting untracked, but then Manch Wheeler throws an interception and I'm swearing and cursing. Things go from bad to worse as Charlie Smith continues to eat into our defense and the kiss of death arrives when Greg Landry connects with John Gilliam for 32 yards immediately after the two-minute warning.

A brief glimmer of hope appears when Charlie Smith finally gets stopped for two negative yardage runs, but then Greg Landry finds Charlie Smith for 4 yards and the TD.

1:05 2nd Quarter New York 14 Miami 3

And that's how the half ends on the scoreboard.

Halftime New York 14 Miami 3

Manch Wheeler opens up with a 23 yard pass to Frank Lewis, but on the very next play, he's sacked, fumbles the ball and the Giants recover on the Dolphins 45. Bad Manch is definitely in effect.

Two straight sacks, by the combined efforts of Rod Shoate/L.C. Greenwood and Julius Adams, key the damage control and we get the ball back on the 20 yard line following the touchbacking punt.

Sadly, it's a 3 and out and we can't stop the Giants from converting a critical 3rd down, the play an 18 yard pass from Greg Landry to Mel Gray. Landry very nearly makes another one 3 downs later, but is a yard short and Wayne Walker blows a 37 yard FG attempt.

But of course it's another 3 and out to end the third.

End 3rd Quarter - New York 14 Miami 3

The Giants return the favor with a 3 and out and suddenly Manch Wheeler comes alive, completing three straight passes and a few plays later, we're down on the New York 8.

The crowd's going crazy and it looks like we're going to make this a game, but then Isiah Robertson sacks Manch Wheeler, who fumbles and New York recovers. Head, meet wall.

We trade 3 and outs and it's looking like we've got no chance to come back on this game.

The looks like becomes a reality on the next Dolphins drive when we fail to convert on a 4th and 10 on our own 12 yard line. There were a little over 3 minutes left and it was a two-possession game, so we had to go for it.

With 2 and a half minutes left, the Giants slam that last nail in the coffin with a FG.

2:32 4th Quarter New York 17 Miami 3

Manch Wheeler completes two straight passes, one for 20 yards and one for 29 to Frank Lewis and Steve Largent respectively, but he gets sacked on the next play and throws three straight incompletions, two of which were blocked.

That's the game, as a Giants run and knee end it all.

Final - New York 17 Miami 3

DE Billy Stanfill is the deserving Super Bowl MVP with 3 tackles, 2 sacks, a block, 4 hurries, a knockdown and 2 very important fumble recoveries. RB Charlie Smith also slayed us, with 30 rushes for 118 yards and a TD and SLB Isiah Robertson recorded 9 tackles, 2 assists, a sack and a forced fumble.

The Dolphins highlights?

MLB Willie Lanier with 11 tackles and 7 assists. That's it. We were thoroughly schooled this game.

But still, it's hard to feel too depressed about the loss, even though it's the first loss we've had in four Super Bowls.

Not only are we the only first team since the Cleveland Browns to appear in four Super Bowls (who are, just as a reminder, 0-4 in the Big Game), but this is a team that I never expected would have a chance at making the Super Bowl once Steve Ramsey went down for the year.

Although we don't have a 1st round draft pick this year, it'll be the last season that we're without a 1st rounder and I think we can still make the moves this offseason to come back and contend again.

So maybe we'll be back here next year.

And maybe then, we'll be hoisting the trophy.

[Izulde]

Record 15-5
Winning Pct. .750
All-Time 172-100
Winning Pct. .632
Playoffs 18-10
Playoff Visits 13
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 38-16
Winning Pct. .703
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 31.9 5
Rushing Yards 134.1 3
Yards Per Carry 4.21 9
Pass Attempts 30.6 26
Completions 19.9 15 (T)
Completion Pct. 65.1 5
Passing Yards 225.2 8
Yards Per Attempt 7.35 2
Yards Per Catch 11.29 7
Total Yardage Gained 344.4 2
3rd Down Conversions 38.2 10
Points Per Game 22.3 8
Pass Rush Pct. 10.0 1 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 70.9 10
Turnovers 20 3 (T)
Turnover Margin +17 1

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 22.8 3
Rushing Yards 90.7 2
Yards Per Carry 3.98 15
Pass Attempts 36.6 28
Completions 20.1 21
Completion Pct. 54.9 2
Passing Yards 182.5 2
Yards Per Attempt 4.98 1
Yards Per Catch 9.07 1
Total Yardage Gained 254.7 1
3rd Down Conversions 35.6 20 (T)
Points Per Game 12.2 1
Pass Rush Pct. 6.4 7 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 62.5 4 (T)
Turnovers 37 2

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 30 at BUF 3
2 19 SFO 3
3 21 at OAK 5
4 36 at NED 7
5 27 at JAX 10
6 3 HOU 21
7 27 BUF 21
8 19 IND 24
10 3 at TUC 17
11 30 at NJY 36
12 23 at STL 14
13 16 CIN 10
14 19 LAS 7
15 30 NED 0
16 34 at SEA 14
17 20 NJY 3
$$WC 17 NJY 14
$$CS 31 at HOU 18
$$CF 17 at BAL 10
**FB 3 vs NYK 17

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
3 M. Wheeler QB 209 139 1631 7.80 8 4 94.8
5 S. Ramsey QB 186 128 1470 7.90 7 4 95.9
8 S. Bull QB 95 52 502 5.28 1 4 55.6
**Team --- 490 319 3603 7.35 16 12 87.7
$$Opp --- 586 322 2920 4.98 12 22 59.8

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 360 1468 4.08 7 4
34 O. Armstrong RB 104 546 5.25 6 4
**Team --- 510 2146 4.21 15 22
$$Opp --- 365 1451 3.98 10 24

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 L. Swann WR 82 52 827 15.90 10.09 4 5
27 W. Payton RB 61 50 322 6.44 5.28 0 1
80 S. Largent WR 84 49 496 10.12 5.90 4 0
85 P. Warfield WR 82 48 598 12.46 7.29 4 1
88 F. Lewis WR 70 41 614 14.98 8.77 1 4
2 J. Cain TE 29 22 194 8.82 6.69 0 2

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 111 31 2.0 2 2 10 78.4
54 R. Shoate OLB 68 12 3.5 5 0 11 78.9
96 L. Greenwood DE 49 12 14.5 25 0 0 80.8
36 T. Greene S 46 15 1.0 0 5 2 82.4
20 G. Edwards S 41 27 1.5 0 5 7 86.0
90 M. Varty OLB 40 12 2.0 2 1 0 69.0
93 J. Adams DE 39 9 4.5 17 0 1 82.0
21 W. Alexander CB 39 9 1.0 0 0 3 75.4
31 C. Crist S 38 9 1.0 0 3 8 83.1
76 B. Maddox DT 34 20 6.5 20 0 0 82.1
24 R. Lawrence CB 33 14 0.0 1 3 10 81.8
97 C. Werner OLB 30 14 0.0 2 1 1 78.1
94 D. Roller DT 28 22 3.5 5 0 0 82.2
41 W. Sumner CB 27 3 0.0 0 0 3 77.8

Don't fooled by Manch Wheeler's numbers. They were a fluke. He's in a contract year and he most certainly won't be back in a Dolphins uniform. I guarantee you some ninny GM out there will look at those numbers and decided a 15th year vet QB is worth acquiring.

Similiarily, it would be unwise to look at the WR numbers and say our team sucks. Frankly, we're so deep at the position that everyone's going to get their looks as the Targets shows. I'm not real happy about Sweetness getting so many looks, but that's how it goes.

Speaking of which,Walter Payton was vastly improved this season and can now legitimately claim Top 3 RB status after cutting his fumbles way down. He's also got something to prove after getting shut down by the Giants in the Super Bowl. Otis Armstrong was a fine #2 RB.

We're going to have to find a replacement MLB for Willie Lanier someday, but for now, he just keeps on earning his paycheck. I'm very pleased with Rod Shoate's development on the strong side and couldn't be happier with the aging L.C. Greenwood and the young Bob Maddox. Chuck Crist and Glen Edwards continue to be terrific, but Willie Alexander is one of the biggest free agent busts I've had.

Looking ahead to the offseason, my immediate concerns are a mentor QB for Scott Bull, retaining Otis Armstrong as the #2 RB, continuing the quest for a quality T, which we've never had, and hunting for an improvement at WLB. We also need to search for an eventual heir to Willie Lanier and try to upgrade our CB situation.

1976 Dolphins Awards

K Tim "Wonder" Webster - 1st Team All-Pro K
39/44 (88.6%) and 11/13 (84.6%) from 40+ range was enough to earn Webster First Team All-Pro honors, a very pleasant surprise for the guy who's held the kicking job longer than anyone else in franchise history. I'll keep re-signing him, because he's become one of my favorite players.

RG Gene Upshaw - 2nd Team All-Pro G
34 run blocks, 6 pancake blocks, and 3 sacks earn Upshaw a 2nd Team place, just his second All-Pro showing in a career that's entering its 11th season. That said, any time you can find an All-Pro guy that late in the round, who's a rock on your team for over a decade, that's some high quality work.

LDE L.C. Greenwood - 2nd Team All-Pro DE
This award's been a long, long time in coming. Consistently one of the top DEs in the league, it's taken 8 years for Greenwood to be recognized with an All-Pro spot. It's going to be tough to lose him when he eventually retires, but for now, he'll stay on as our top DE. I still can't believe I managed to get him at 2.25!

Harris Wilcox - Coach of the Year
Wilcox becomes the third straight Dolphins head coach to have won a Coach of the Year award and frankly, nobody's more deserving of it than he is. He took a team that had question marks and rampaged them through the league and continued that superlative success even when we had to turn to Scott Bull, Manch Wheeler, and Don Milan. That we got to the Super Bowl is a testament to his brilliance as a coach. He's 62 years old, so he might retire at any time, but what a fun 3 years we've had with him at the helm.

Staff Hiring

OC Edwin Buckley
WR: Good to VG

Buckley's the only one whose contract is expired. I'd like to find a new Scout, but all the newbies available suck, so I'll stick with my current one, even though I'm not overly thrilled with him.

I'm paranoid of losing a guy who's been improving, so I give him an ultrarich deal, maybe more than he's worth. In any case, Edwin Buckley re-signs for $600,000 a year for 3 years. It's hard to argue with a lot of the development success he's had.

QB Scott Bull is the no-brainer pick for the summer league.

Free Agency

By the Numbers
RB, FB, TE, WR, G, T x 3, K, DE, DT x 2, MLB, OLB x 2, CB, S x 2 - 18 new overall

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
SLB Rod Shoate - 5 years, $910k
FL Lynn Swann - 3 years, $1.55 mill.
SS Glen Edwards - 4 years, $1.29 mill.
LDE L.C. Greenwood - 3 years, $1.4 mill.
FB Larry Csonka - 2 years, $460k
C Tom Banks - 3 years, $740k
RG Gene Upshaw - 2 years, $820k
MLB Willie Lanier - 2 years, $920k
TE J.V. Cain - 1 year, $70k*

This wasn't so much about locking down restricted free agents as it was securing the talent on our team both old and young, Shoate and Swann the most important signings. Edwards is getting a little too much money relative to his injury-proneness, but that's the fault of the patch I'm on.

Tackle is the #1 priority heading into free agency proper. We have a grand total of 0 on the team.

Week 2 Signings
QB Greg Landry - 3 years, $770k (New York Giants)
-If you can't beat them, join them. This makes the second straight Giants QB I've stolen. Even if Steve Ramsey goes down to injury, I can rely on this higher quality mentor to step into the void. Actually, Landry could possibly unseat Ramsey. It's going to be an interesting battle of ex-Giants starters for the top Dolphins QB job.

RB Otis Armstrong - 1 year, $100k (Re-signing)
-I wanted this guy back as my #2 RB and he wanted to come back as well. The perfect match.

TE Mack Alston - 1 year, $100k (Re-signing)
-Despite being disgruntled, he's re-signed because I promised him he'll start over J.V. Cain next year. A really clutch performer when we needed him to be and a fantastic run blocker.

WR Mac Halik - 1 year, $100k (Kansas City)
-Roy Jefferson was available and I was sorely tempted to sign him back as a 5th receiver, but typical for Jefferson, he wanted way too much money. Halik is a cheaper, better option, with a bonus Alston affinity.

WLB Charlie Hall - 1 year, $90k (Detroit)
-Might not be the answer at WLB, but he's a mentor, for what it's worth and he can't be worse than Clyde Werner was. The probable starter, unless I find someone really, really good in the draft.

Week 3 Signings
CB Lenny Dunlap - 4 years, $1.43 mill. (St. Louis)
-Could replace Willie Alexander at the starting LCB spot, but he might best be served as a nickelback and punt returner. We've been a little short in that area since we stopped re-signing Rodger Bird after all. Either way, a quality signing.

Week 4 Signings
C Jim Arneson - 1 year, $110k (St. Louis)
-Another Cardinal we steal, this one an overachiever who's the perfect fit for the backup C. I almost went for sentimental favorite Frank Marchlewski, but that would've meant mixed affinities and Marchlewski wanted too much anyway.

T Dick Cunningham - 2 years, $280k (Re-signing)
-Better than Levary Carr at any rate. I'm not thrilled about signing him as a starter, but if I can squeeze a couple more backup years out of him, I'll be fine with that.

T Bob McKay - 3 years, $1.03 mill. (New Jersey)
-One of our top 3 most important targets of free agency. I really, desperately, wanted to land this guy. Fantastic run-blocker and better pass-blocker than the scouts want to give him credit for. That we stole him from the Jets makes it even sweeter. He'll anchor the right tackle spot for the entire length of his contract.

DT Bill Line - 5 years, $2.06 mill. (San Francisco)
-Another one of our top 3 targets. Although his pass-rush numbers showed a startling drop last season, I think he'll fit in perfectly on our defensive line and really rebound. I mean he's only in his 6th season, so he should be able to bounce back... unless he takes a Walter Johnson style dive. But for now, he's the perfect complement to Bob Maddox.

Week 4 Losses
S Tony Greene - 1 year, $80k* (Tucson)
-I should've tried harder to re-sign him, especially with Glen Edwards injury-prone state, but I didn't. Oh well. He'll be a starter with the Titans, so good for him.

Week 5 Signings
TE Bob Brown - 1 year, $100k (Dallas)
-Superfluous with the Mack Alston signing, though he does have exceptional affinity with Alston. A probable cut.

T Ron Mikolajcyzk - 1 year, $100k (Re-signing)
-The Titans were going to try and steal him and I needed a backup T I could rely on, so Miko comes back for another year. Too bad he's not capable of switching to LT or I'd do it.

S Mike Sensibaugh - 1 year, $80k* (St. Louis)
-We sure are pilfering a lot of players from the Cardinals this offseason. Sensibaugh steps in as a backup SS and a damned sight better than Gus Holloman.

Week 6 Signings
G Fred Surt - 1 year, $120k (New Orleans)
-Plays much, much, much better than his actual ratings. The only reason I didn't try and sign him to a longer deal was because I want to see how he works out with our line before trying to make this 5th year player the heir apparent to Gene Upshaw.

K Tim Webster - 1 year, $90k (Re-signing)
-He'll be our kicker until his leg falls off.

DE Vern Den Herder - 3 years, $2.53 mill. (Jacksonville)
-This is the kind of big-time, big-ticket free agent signing you dream about. This is Willie Lanier. This is Johnny Unitas. This is Vern Den Herder, 1971 Rookie of the Year, two-time Defensive Player of the Year with 5 straight All-Pro appearances in a Dolphins uniform. His numbers are just sick: 10, 15.5, 19, 18.5, 18, 17. 98 sacks in 6 seasons. Can you say we've found L.C. Greenwood's short-term heir and greatest teammate since Aaron Brown? I think so.

Week 6 Losses
CB Walt Sumner - 1 year, $100k (Pittsburgh)
-Just how in the heck Sumner got more than a min-sal deal out of the Steelers, I'll never know. Is he a decent nickelback? Sure. Worth double the cap-hit of a min-sal? No. Expendable after Dunlap's signing.

S Randy Logan - 1 year, $80k* (Houston) (Re-signing)
-Our very first targeted player that we've whiffed on this offseason and it's not suprising. He's loved in Houston and is the starter, whereas in Miami, he'd be the backup.

Week 7 Signings
S Chuck Detwiller - 1 year, $100k* (Kansas City)
-Good reserve FS to have and a respectable backup plan after Logan spurned us for the Texans.

Week 9 Signings
DT Dave Roller - 1 year, $90k (Re-signing)
-He won't start after we managed to grab Bill Line, but he will be a very capable backup DT and hopefully avoid injury in this reduced role.

MLB Ed Bradley - 1 year, $100k (New York)
-Another day, another former Giant. While I doubt he'll be able to serve as Will Lanier's heir, he does give us a major, major upgrade at backup MLB and who knows? Maybe he'll eventually be able to replace Lanier if we keep signing him to one year deals, if he pans out.

Week 9 Losses
G Howard Fest - 1 year, $100k* (Minnesota)
-7 years Howard toiled for us as one of the most underrated backup guards in the league, but it was time for him to move on. He'll be a backup with the Vikings as well. I hate to see him go, but the fact of the matter is that we needed to get younger on the offensive line, so he was a casualty of that.

WLB Clyde Werner - 1 year, $100k* (Dallas)
-Never became the solution on the weak-side that we hoped for when we signed him and it was only for lack of better options that we even brought him back in the first place. Now, with an improvement, it's goodbye and good riddance to Werner.

Week 10 Signings
RB Herb Mul-key - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Special teams ace and kick return demon. Better options at punt return should mean he'll be able to conserve his energy for kick returns and special teams. One of many great mid-round finds I've discovered at RB, though to be honest, I think it'd be tough to beat Bill Cooper.

That's all the free agent shopping I plan to do, so I'll stop here because I don't feel like doing my draft interviews right now. If I lose anyone else in free agency, which is doubtful, I'll note that before the draft next post.

[damnMikeBrown]

DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT!

I have requests. . .

Tony Dorsett (RB) 2nd in my childhood only to Walter
Bob Brudzinski (LB) OH...IO
Nolan Cromwell (DB) He led an Island in revolt
Wesley Walker (WR) He's tall
Greg Koch (T) Did great work in politics
Pete Johnson (RB) Welcome to the Jungle!
Tony Hill (WR) Magic
Rob Carpenter (RB) Great for the Giants in strat-o-matic
Vince Ferragamo (QB) Just an amusing name as a child.
Vince Evans!!! (QB) Wow, just a horrible Bears quarterback, but the first one I knew.
Steve deBerg!!! (QB) There needs to be a play action fake stat for him.
Rolf Berniske (K) He kicks the ball
Wendel Tyler (RB) Fumble! Fumble! World champ!
Wilber Montgomery (RB) He's a talking horse.
Lester Hayes (CB) Sticky coming up with something here.

[Izulde]

DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT!

I have requests. . .

Tony Dorsett (RB) 2nd in my childhood only to Walter
Bob Brudzinski (LB) OH...IO
Nolan Cromwell (DB) He led an Island in revolt
Wesley Walker (WR) He's tall
Greg Koch (T) Did great work in politics
Pete Johnson (RB) Welcome to the Jungle!
Tony Hill (WR) Magic
Rob Carpenter (RB) Great for the Giants in strat-o-matic
Vince Ferragamo (QB) Just an amusing name as a child.
Vince Evans!!! (QB) Wow, just a horrible Bears quarterback, but the first one I knew.
Steve deBerg!!! (QB) There needs to be a play action fake stat for him.
Rolf Berniske (K) He kicks the ball
Wendel Tyler (RB) Fumble! Fumble! World champ!
Wilber Montgomery (RB) He's a talking horse.
Lester Hayes (CB) Sticky coming up with something here.

I can't promise I'll draft any of these guys, particularly not the RBs as I'm quite happy at that position group, but if the opportunity comes up in the later rounds and there's no one else I'm looking at, or if they fit my needs, then I may draft them. :)

BTW, if you like, I can follow one of these players. I'm willing to do the same for anyone reading this, though I ask that it be limited to one player per reader. :)

[Izulde]

This is one of the most talent-rich drafts in recent memory, particularly at T, where Wade Griffin and Marvin Powell are widely considered the most talent prospects in the draft, and at RB, featuring Tony Dorsett, Wilbert Montgomery, Bruce Harper, Ricky Bell and Wendell Tyler all blue-chip prospects. The one caveat is that Griffin and Powell are right tackles.

As I may have mentioned before, this is our last year without a 1st round pick thanks to the Ken Stabler/#1 pick trade with the Saints. Incidentally, Stabler's gotten worse each of the two years he's been in New Orleans. His numbers last season: 51.4% for 2,429 yards, 8 TDs and 6 INTs in 13 games, a 67.4 QB rating. So the Saints have a trio of late 1st round picks and a declining Stabler to show for what could've been Walter Payton. We got lambasted for the deal when it was made, but right now, it's looking pretty lopsided for us.

I could possibly foresee us moving up 2.31 into the top of the second or even the bottom of the first, but that's only if the right player is available for the right price.

1977 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. CB Lester Hayes - Jacksonville Jaguars
2. RB Tony Dorsett - Washington Redskins
3. QB Cliff Stoudt - New England Patriots

Shocking pick. There's a lot better QBs available in my opinion and while the Patriots' starter is gone for the year due to repetitive concussion syndrome, they've got a young QB who might be worth developing more in J.J. Jones.

4. QB Vince Evans - Kansas City Chiefs

The guy the Pats should've drafted if they wanted to go QB.

5. RB Wilbert Montgomery - Buffalo Bills
6. WR Wesley Walker - New Orleans Saints
7. S Nolan Cromwell - Seattle Seahawks
8. OLB Dave Lewis - New England Patriots
9. CB Mario Clark - Philadelphia Eagles - Re-draft
10. CB Gary Green - San Francisco 49ers
11. G John Ayers - Pittsburgh Steelers
12. RB Wendell Tyler - Los Angeles Rams
13. T Marvin Powell - Denver Broncos
14. S Mark Murphy - Cleveland Browns
15. T Wade Griffin - Atlanta Falcons
16. CB Charles Romes - Chicago Bears
17. RB Bruce Harper - Dallas Cowboys
18. ILB A.J. Duhe - Oakland Raiders
19. TE Jimmie Giles - Indianapolis Colts
20. QB Tommy Kramer - Detroit Lions
21. TE Ron Egloff - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
22. RB Ricky Bell - San Diego Chargers
23. DT Joe Klecko - St. Louis Cardinals
24. QB Steve DeBerg - New Orleans Saints
25. ILB Kurt Allerman - Green Bay Packers
26. CB Herman Edwards - Carolina Panthers
27. S Chris Golub - Minnesota Vikings
28. QB Randy Hedberg - Cincinnati Bengals
29. DE Horace Jones - Houston Oilers
30. T Steve August - Baltimore Ravens

At this point I seriously considered moving up to grab the last remaining 1st round graded OT, but a closer look at him has me a little iffy, so I'll pass on him for now. There's a few other players I'm taking a very strong look at for the early part of the 2nd, where the cost will be cheaper.

31. G Derrel Gofourth - New Orleans Saints
32. CB Oliver Davis - New York Giants

The T I was looking at goes with the first pick in the second round. I look through my shortlist after that selection and see there's two OLBs I really, really like. They're both natural to the weak side and both NFL-ready. One has slightly better combines than the other, hence his higher rating, but the other has better bars and a much higher intelligence. Whichever one goes first, I'll move up to take the other.

It goes all the way to 2.9 before one is taken and naturally, it's a division rival that takes him (Patriots). I call up the Steelers to find out what'll it take to make a deal. It's a stiff price, but the Rams are looking to scoop up our guy the pick after, so it takes our 2nd and 5th round picks in this draft, along with our 1979 3rd rounder to secure the right to draft OLB Tim Black.

There's a LT and a DT I'm eyeing for my 3rd round pick. The DT gets snatched up when a team trades up to grab him, but the LT falls down to our pick at 3.31. This should probably set off alarms in my head that he still isn't drafted, but I think he could surprise people so T Morris Towns is the pick.

QBs start flying off the board early in the 4th and I start getting nervous that the guy I wanted to pick with my 4th rounder isn't going to be there when our turn comes up. Not nervous enough to trade up a second time though. After all, we -do- have 4 QBs on the roster already.

UGH!!!! Not only does he get taken the pick before mine, but every single alternative player I was looking at got taken in the picks before that! Luckily, after combing through the remaining interviewees there's still one more guy who's of value to us and so CB Mike Nelms becomes the newest Dolphin. He's being drafted solely for his alleged return talents.

There's only one player left I have even remote interest in by the late 6th round, so I end up trading my 6th and 7th rounders to Minnesota for the right to move up 6 spots in the 6th and take WR Luther Blue, who looks like the WR version of Herb Mul-Key.

Late Free Agency

Week 3 Signings
FB Curtis Brown - 1 year, $30k (UDRFA)
-We've got spaces open on the roster and I felt this kid was worth taking a flyer on as a possible eventual replacement for Larry Csonka.

Week 3 Losses
DT Randy Crowder - 1 year, $70k* (Tucson)
-The Titans have been after my players all offseason long, particularly on defense. Some I've brought back, others I've let go. I don't get the Tucson fetish for Dolphins players, but they're more than welcome to Crowder.

After training camp, I get an offer from the Dallas Cowboys: Steve Largent for DT Gary Dunn and the Cowboys' 1978 1st round pick. It's momentarily tempting, but a quick glance at Dallas's roster reveals that the deal would turn them into a playoff team. Thanks, but no thanks.


WLB Tim Black 2.10 31/62 32/55 +1/-7
LT Morris Towns 3.31 16/48 16/43 -0/-5
CB Mike Nelms 4.31 20/30 20/28 -0/-2
WR Luther Blue 6.26 12/43 12/34 -0/-9

Draft Grade: B

Ugly drops all around and that's with mentors. Still, Black looks good enough to be the starting WLB from Day One. Dick Cunningham dropped to 21/21, so now I don't know what to do. Move someone over from RT and take the hit? Go ahead and start Towns? It's a rough choice.

Nelms will make the team as a punt and kick returner, as he's good enough to qualify for both. Blue's much more of a long-shot. He could make the cut based on his special teams ability and his potential at returning, but it's going to be close.

Actually, they'll all make it, since we have 53 players exactly on the roster, but Blue's going to be on the bubble if we have to make a cut due to an injury.

[Izulde]

Landry, Greg 6 QB 10 34 38 3 yrs
Ramsey, Steve 5 QB 8 38 38 1 yr.
Milan, Don 19 QB 3 10 22 1 yr.
##Bull, Scott 8 QB 2 17 49 2 yrs

Ramsey may be coming off an injury, but he's got rapport with our receivers and better bars so will get the start. Milan keeps creeping, so he'll get some second-string time in preseason. Landry's the #2 man and we've given up on Bull.


Mul-key, Herb 43 RB 6 14 23 1 yr.
Armstrong, Otis 34 RB 5 46 50 1 yr.
Payton, Walter 27 RB 3 80 80 3 yrs
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 10 49 49 2 yrs
Otis, Jim 30 FB 8 37 37 1 yr.
##Brown, Curtis 40 FB 1 19 45 1 yr.

Payton and Csonka the starters, Armstrong and Otis the #2 men. Mul-key will do his special teams and kick return thing. I forgot to mention this, but Brown went up +2/+2 during training camp, so he'll be brought back next season to serve as Csonka's backup. I'm very happy to have found him, as he looks like he can be an heir apparent.


Brown, Bob 86 TE 9 34 34 1 yr.
Alston, Mack 82 TE 8 28 28 1 yr.
Cain, J.V. 2 TE 4 36 36 1 yr.
##Osborne, Richard 87 TE 2 20 26 2 yrs
Haik, Mac 83 FL 10 30 30 1 yr.
Lewis, Frank 88 FL 7 44 44 2 yrs
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 4 59 59 3 yrs
Warfield, Paul 85 SE 14 39 39 1 yr.
Largent, Steve 80 SE 2 64 64 2 yrs
Blue, Luther 9 SE 1 12 34 3 yrs

TE is quite problematic after Alston took a nosedive and Brown both looks like a better receiver than Cain and has exceptional affinity with Alston. What I may do is have Alston start, since he's the superior blocker, and use Brown on passing downs. Cain will be pissed, but he'll have to deal. Osborne's just kinda there.

Swann and Largent start again at the WR spots, with Lewis and Warfield the reserves for the second straight year. Haik is the 5th receiver and Blue will see time on special teams, possibly getting some preseason return work in as well.


Banks, Tom 51 C 8 57 57 3 yrs
Arneson, Jim 55 C 5 39 39 1 yr.
##Perretta, Ralph 52 C 3 17 25 1 yr.
##Hill, Ralph 59 C 2 18 24 2 yrs
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 10 47 47 2 yrs
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 11 57 57 2 yrs
Sturt, Fred 68 RG 5 41 41 1 yr.
##Cunningham, Dick 61 LT 11 21 21 2 yrs
McKay, Bob 66 LT 8 29 39 3 yrs
Towns, Morris 72 LT 1 16 43 3 yrs
Mikolajczyk, Ron 67 RT 5 39 39 1 yr.

As you can see, I switched McKay over to LT to disasterous results, but we'll go with a line of McKay-Moorman-Banks-Upshaw-Mikolajcyzk. I don't know why we have two young centers here. Neither one will be re-signed I can tell you that much. Arneson, Sturt, and the rookie Towns are the respective position reserves. If Morris improves enough, he can make a case for himself as the starting LT next season.


Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 9 46 46 3 yrs
Adams, Julius 93 RDE 7 47 47 4 yrs
Den Herder, Vern 92 RDE 7 55 55 3 yrs
Roller, Dave 94 LDT 7 42 42 1 yr.
Line, Bill 98 LDT 6 54 54 5 yrs
Maddox, Bob 76 RDT 5 44 44 2 yrs

Adams will bitch, but I don't care about the one-point difference. Greenwood's been our best, most consistent DE for years and is coming off his first All-Pro season. There's no way in hell he's not starting. I'm really excited about this group. With a starting set of Greenwood-Line-Maddox-Den Herder, we've got our strongest defensive line in franchise history, at least on paper.


Lanier, Willie 58 MLB 11 51 51 2 yrs
Bradley, Ed 95 MLB 6 46 46 1 yr.
Shoate, Rod 54 SLB 3 44 44 5 yrs
Hall, Charlie 50 WLB 7 42 42 1 yr.
Black, Tim 57 WLB 1 32 55 3 yrs

We're thin on bodies, but I really like the look of this group. Shoate-Lanier-Black as the starters. Hall will complain, so Black will have to develop quickly. Lanier's on the last legs of an absolutely brilliant career in a Dolphins uniform and this will be Bradley's audition year.


Alexander, Willie 21 LCB 7 37 37 3 yrs
Dunlap, Lenny 49 LCB 7 46 46 4 yrs
##Poltl, Randy 38 LCB 4 24 37 1 yr.
Nelms, Mike 46 LCB 1 20 28 3 yrs
Lawrence, Rolland 24 RCB 5 41 41 5 yrs
Edwards, Glen 20 SS 7 56 56 4 yrs
Sensibaugh, Mike 32 SS 7 42 42 1 yr.
Detwiller, Chuck 42 FS 8 41 41 1 yr.
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 6 69 69 2 yrs

Alexander's been of my biggest free agent busts and he declines to the point where he's our nickel back. Dunlap and Lawrence will be the starters. I suddenly realize we have a major problem at CB. We'll have to free up another spot to activate Poltl and make him the back up RCB. Nelms is there strictly for return duties, but I may have him go on special teams coverage as well, so we can put Luther Blue on inactive and activate Poltl.

Edwards and Crist start again, Sensibaugh and Detwiller very capable backups. I should probably install the latest patch now, so Crist and Edwards' high injury histories that are likely bug-related get reset.

All in all, I feel really good about this team. We made some very nice strides in the offseason and should challenge for the Super Bowl. The press agrees, considering us the unliteral favorites to win it all.

[Izulde]

God damn it!

I just lost the entire exhibition season and first-half post I had written up! :mad:

[Izulde]

Okay, I'm really pissed of about losing everything, so here's a quick recap:

We go 4-0 in preseason behind a fantastic running game, mostly powered by Otis Armstrong's 4 straight games of 100+ rushing yards, as Walter Payton gave us a scare by spraining his knee and becoming Questionable. Vern Den Herder, our big-time free agent offseason signing gets hurt as well and misses the first two games of the regular season. Backup OLB, mentor, and special teams ace Charlie Hall was knocked out for at least 6 weeks in the final game of the preseason, leading us to sign 10th year vet Richard Stotter, who turned out to be a mentor and almost as good a ST guy as Hall.

It works out okay though, as we eke out wins in those victories, thanks largely to the efforts of Walter "Sweetness" Payton, whose biggest season highlight thus far is a game in which he ran 27 times for 190 yards and 2 TDs in Week 2.

After Vern Den Herder came back, we continued winning and by much more impressive margins. In one of those blowout victories, Richard Stotter provided what was the coolest play this season, running his old-ass legs into the endzone for a recovery of a blocked punt for the TD. That really made me smile and it's the small stories like that which make this game so great.

We ran our record to 5-0 before falling 17-12 to the Cleveland Browns, due mostly to Steve Ramsey's 2 interceptions. Through five games this season, he has 7 interceptions, almost double what he did in 6 games last year. This increased inconsistency has led me to turn to the unhappy Greg Landry, to see what he can do. The next game is his first start.

Pittsburgh 24 Miami 30 (OT)
And what a hell of a game it was! In a titanic battle that matched two of the AFC's best teams (Pittsburgh was also 5-1 going into this contest), Greg Landry hit Steve Largent for a 38 yard TD pass at 7:39 in OT. It was a thrilling end to regulation, too, as both teams scored TDs after the 2:00 warning hit. Walter Payton won Player of the Game with 29 rushes for 115 yards and a TD, but Greg Landry was incredible at both ends of the spectrum as his final line of 24-41 for 390 yards, 3 TDs and 3 INTs, the highest yardage total since a man named Johnny Unitas was the signal-caller in Miami. Lynn Swann was the main beneficiary, with 7 catches for 145 yards. This was the kind of game that'll get talked about for a long, long time. Wow. What a show!

New England 10 Miami 3
We've officially got a QB controversy on our hands, as Greg Landry's 2 interceptions cost us this showdown against the Patriots. No real highlights to report, unfortunately.

Halfway tale of tape:


Record 6-2
Winning Pct. .750
All-Time 178-102
Winning Pct. .635
Playoffs 18-10
Playoff Visits 13
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 44-18
Winning Pct. .709
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 29.4 13
Rushing Yards 130.4 5
Yards Per Carry 4.44 5
Pass Attempts 32.9 21 (T)
Completions 19.6 17
Completion Pct. 59.7 14
Passing Yards 247.3 4
Yards Per Attempt 7.52 5
Yards Per Catch 12.60 2
Total Yardage Gained 368.8 2
3rd Down Conversions 34.3 23
Points Per Game 19.1 14 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 24.5 6 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 50.6 24 (T)
Turnovers 14 14 (T)
Turnover Margin -9 28 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 25.3 10 (T)
Rushing Yards 74.6 1
Yards Per Carry 2.96 1
Pass Attempts 35.9 24 (T)
Completions 20.3 20 (T)
Completion Pct. 56.4 12
Passing Yards 211.9 18 (T)
Yards Per Attempt 5.91 12 (T)
Yards Per Catch 10.46 12
Total Yardage Gained 272.8 2
3rd Down Conversions 30.4 2
Points Per Game 11.9 3 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 19.3 11 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 65.5 23
Turnovers 5 31

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 16 at NED 7
2 17 at TBY 14
3 20 HOU 3
4 31 at CIN 20
5 24 BUF 0
6 12 at CLE 17
7 30 PIT 24
9 3 NED 10
10 BAL
11 at NJY
12 CAR
13 at SDO
14 ATL
15 NJY
16 at NOS
17 at BUF

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
5 S. Ramsey QB 183 112 1365 7.46 6 7 79.1
6 G. Landry QB 80 45 613 7.66 3 5 67.3
**Team --- 263 157 1978 7.52 9 12 75.6
$$Opp --- 287 162 1695 5.91 8 4 77.2

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 161 778 4.83 5 1
34 O. Armstrong RB 46 188 4.09 1 0
**Team --- 235 1043 4.44 6 6
$$Opp --- 202 597 2.96 3 7

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
80 S. Largent WR 50 31 449 14.48 8.98 2 4
81 L. Swann WR 62 30 498 16.60 8.03 2 0
27 W. Payton RB 33 26 210 8.08 6.36 1 0
88 F. Lewis WR 26 15 220 14.67 8.46 0 2
85 P. Warfield WR 31 13 171 13.15 5.52 3 1
34 O. Armstrong RB 13 10 56 5.60 4.31 2 0
82 M. Alston TE 12 9 81 9.00 6.75 1 0
48 L. Csonka FB 8 8 48 6.00 6.00 0 2

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
58 W. Lanier ILB 55 11 0.5 1 0 0 72.2
21 W. Alexander CB 41 11 0.0 0 2 6 79.5
20 G. Edwards S 35 12 0.0 3 0 6 80.0
31 C. Crist S 29 13 0.0 1 0 8 81.4
96 L. Greenwood DE 28 6 8.0 13 0 0 82.1
54 R. Shoate OLB 27 15 2.0 2 0 1 73.4
98 B. Line DT 25 11 2.0 6 0 0 81.6
92 V. Den Herder DE 24 5 3.5 10 0 0 80.0
76 B. Maddox DT 24 12 2.0 5 0 0 80.6
49 L. Dunlap CB 22 9 0.0 2 0 6 79.7
24 R. Lawrence CB 18 7 0.0 1 2 2 81.1
42 C. Detwiller S 12 5 0.0 0 0 0 73.1
57 T. Black OLB 8 2 0.0 0 0 1 77.7

Our ballhawks aren't getting it done this year, which is a cause for concern, as is the QB controversy. I'm going to go back to Steve Ramsey, though, as I feel better with him in there. Sure, he's a little inconsistent, but on his good days, he'll be the kind of game-manager you need him to be.

Walter Payton is as good as ever and Steve Largent and Lynn Swann are on pace to possibly be our first pair of 1,000 yard receiving teammates since the Johnny Unitas-Paul Warfield-Gary Ballman days. Vern Den Herder's numbers may look underwhelming compared to the massive contract we gave him, but his presence draws double-teams and frees up L.C. Greenwood to wreak havoc on the other side.

We're currently 6-2, a game and a half ahead of the 5-4 Patriots even with New England's win. The Steelers and Ravens are deadlocked atop the AFC North at 6-2, the Oilers are steamrolling the AFC South at 7-1 (the 2nd place Jaguars are 3-5) and the Raiders are sitting atop the AFC West at 7-1.

So we'd be playing a wild-card game if the season ended today, but we've still got 8 games to win the divison and prove we're worthy of a bye into the divisional round.

We can do it. I have faith.

[Izulde]

QB Greg Landry and WLB Richard Stotter are disgruntled and TE Bob Brown is unhappy. Brown I decide to go ahead and make the starter just to shut him up. Landry's obviously going to be angry before the season over. I'm not sure what Stotter's deal is, but it doesn't matter because Charlie Hall's finally ready to come back after an extended injury so will take his spots back.

Baltimore 17 Miami 21
What a great come from behind win as with 5:00 left on the game clock, Steve Ramsey hooks up with Frank Lewis for an incredible 98 yard TD pass. Ramsey wins Player of the Game with an incredible performance that tops even Greg Landry's win against the Steelers: 22-31 for 382 passing yards and 2 TDs. Lewis has 3 catches for 128 yards and the TD. Vern Den Herder leads the defense with 6 tackles, an assist, 2.5 sacks, a block, 5 hurries and 4 knockdowns. Talk about an amazing player.

Ed Bradley's signing becomes all the more important as Willie Lanier pulls his calf muscle and is out roughly 4 weeks. Bradley obviously takes over as the starting MLB. We cut DE Mike Crangle and sign MLB Tim Kearney to be the emergency backup.

Miami 16 New Jersey 31
Ugh. I hate our archrivals in this universe. Herb Mul-key's 74 yard punt return for a TD goes absolutely wasted as does Walter Payton's 12 rushes for 101 yards. Steve Ramsey was 22-45 for 303 yards, a TD and 2 INT as our defense absolutely caved without Willie Lanier in the middle.

Things go from bad to worse as LG Mo Moorman tears apart the MCL in his knee and is gone for the rest of the year. He goes on IR, Fred Sturt moves to LG and takes a small hit in doing so, and Mark Ellison is signed to be our backup G for the rest of the season.

Carolina 34 Miami 37
This mass-critical victory is only secured when Tim Webster converts the 25 year FG with 4 seconds left in the game, one of 3 he made on the day in 3 tries.. Steve Ramsey was erratic all game long, finishing with a final line of 25-34 for 371 yards, 3 TDs and 4 INTs. Steve Largent gets Player of the Game with 6 catches for 117 yards and a TD.

Miami 29 San Diego 17
I'm starting to go a little crazy as Steve Ramsey throws 3 picks against this 3-8 team, but Lynn Swann bails us out with 5 catches for 110 yards and a TD and Ron Mikolajczyk unexpectedly wins Player of the Game with 8 key run blocks (13 opp.). One of the coolest things yet in a fairly freaky season.

Atlanta 23 Miami 13
Our chance to lock up the AFC East goes sailing by as Steve Ramsey throws 4 interceptions, leading the way for Greg Landry to step in as the starting QB for the rest of the year. Walter Payton had a ridiculous 6 catches for 108 yards, Julius Adams got 4 tackles, 2 assists and 2 sacks and Bob Maddox rang up a tackle, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown.

Injuries have just been brutal this year and they mount up again as L.C. Greenwood hyperextends his knee and will probably be out the rest of the regular season. Julius Adams takes over as the starter at LDE and Mike Crangle is re-signed. LT Dick Cunningham is cut, earning us a small cap hit of $10,000 for next year.

New Jersey 22 Miami 13
2 interceptions and 2 fumbles by Greg Landry later, the Jets have swept us and are in the playoff and division race. They shut down Walter Payton and yeah, I'm feeling really damned disgusted right now. Steve Ramsey starts next week.

Miami 24 New Orleans 31
Chuck Foreman punches it across the goal-line with 35 seconds left in the game to earn us this thoroughly obnoxious defeat against the Saints, despite Walter Payton's 23 rushes for 144 yards and Steve Ramsey's positive 3 TD-1 INT ratio. Ken Stabler's having a real rebound year this season and he's got New Olrleans to 10-5 after this win and the NFC South lead.

Bad news. The Jets won, which gives them the tiebreaker edge. Plain and short of it is that we have to win our last game to have any hope of making the playoffs. Lose and the Raiders go to the playoffs ahead of us.

At least we get Willie Lanier back for it, leading us to cut Tim Kearney. L.C. Greenwood is also Probable, allowing us to cut Mike Crangle a second time.

Miami 7 Buffalo 13
...I want to throw up. We go up 7-0 and blank out the rest of the way. Walter Payton rushes 22 times for 109 yards and Willie Lanier has 11 tackles and 2 assists in what might be the final game of his career, but it isn't enough. Daryle Lamonica throws for 258 yards and the game-winning TD and we're forced to look at an ugly 9-7, no playoff record.

Hard reality for a team that had Super Bowl championship dreams.

What hurts even worse is that the Jets lost to the Patriots by a single point, 21-20.


Record 9-7
Winning Pct. .562
All-Time 181-107
Winning Pct. .628
Playoffs 18-10
Playoff Visits 13
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 47-23
Winning Pct. .671
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. R. Womble

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.6 15
Rushing Yards 122.6 10
Yards Per Carry 4.44 2 (T)
Pass Attempts 32.4 21
Completions 19.1 17 (T)
Completion Pct. 59.0 13
Passing Yards 253.9 2
Yards Per Attempt 7.83 2
Yards Per Catch 13.27 1
Total Yardage Gained 364.8 2
3rd Down Conversions 35.5 22
Points Per Game 19.6 14 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 24.2 6
Pass Defense Pct. 46.5 29
Turnovers 41 31 (T)
Turnover Margin -30 32

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 27.6 15
Rushing Yards 84.4 1
Yards Per Carry 3.06 1
Pass Attempts 34.8 20 (T)
Completions 20.2 24
Completion Pct. 58.1 17
Passing Yards 221.9 26
Yards Per Attempt 6.39 21 (T)
Yards Per Catch 10.99 27
Total Yardage Gained 293.5 11
3rd Down Conversions 30.9 3
Points Per Game 17.7 10 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 19.1 10 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 69.3 26
Turnovers 11 32

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 16 at NED 7
2 17 at TBY 14
3 20 HOU 3
4 31 at CIN 20
5 24 BUF 0
6 12 at CLE 17
7 30 PIT 24
9 3 NED 10
10 21 BAL 17
11 16 at NJY 31
12 37 CAR 34
13 29 at SDO 17
14 13 ATL 23
15 13 NJY 22
16 24 at NOS 31
17 7 at BUF 13

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
5 S. Ramsey QB 413 249 3336 8.08 17 22 77.5
6 G. Landry QB 106 57 726 6.85 3 7 57.3
**Team --- 519 306 4062 7.83 20 29 73.4
$$Opp --- 556 323 3551 6.39 19 6 84.0

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 308 1407 4.57 10 6
34 O. Armstrong RB 91 396 4.35 1 2
**Team --- 442 1962 4.44 12 19
$$Opp --- 441 1351 3.06 10 17

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
27 W. Payton RB 74 61 525 8.61 7.09 1 1
80 S. Largent WR 110 60 917 15.28 8.34 7 5
81 L. Swann WR 112 54 972 18.00 8.68 5 4
88 F. Lewis WR 62 34 641 18.85 10.34 1 4
85 P. Warfield WR 50 19 221 11.63 4.42 6 2
2 J. Cain TE 30 18 263 14.61 8.77 1 1
34 O. Armstrong RB 21 16 79 4.94 3.76 2 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
31 C. Crist S 79 28 0.0 2 0 11 77.7
58 W. Lanier ILB 72 14 0.5 1 0 1 72.4
21 W. Alexander CB 72 27 0.0 0 2 10 77.5
20 G. Edwards S 71 24 0.0 4 0 12 81.1
54 R. Shoate OLB 58 24 3.0 2 0 4 73.8
92 V. Den Herder DE 53 13 10.0 31 0 0 80.1
98 B. Line DT 52 23 3.0 8 0 0 81.8
49 L. Dunlap CB 51 20 0.0 2 1 10 78.9
76 B. Maddox DT 45 27 6.0 12 0 0 81.0
95 E. Bradley ILB 43 22 1.0 0 0 1 76.1
96 L. Greenwood DE 39 10 9.5 20 0 0 81.2
24 R. Lawrence CB 34 15 0.0 1 3 7 82.0
57 T. Black OLB 30 9 0.0 0 0 2 66.0
42 C. Detwiller S 21 6 0.0 0 0 1 74.7
93 J. Adams DE 18 10 2.0 9 0 0 81.2

The single biggest reason why we're sitting home: Turnovers. The defense wasn't as turnover-producing as they were last season, but more importantly, we turned the ball over way too much.

QB will be a big priority in the offseason as Steve Ramsey won't be re-signed and Greg Landry isn't reliable. I'm strongly tempted to give Don Milan the starting job despite his 13/22 rating and see how he does.

It's kind of fitting that Steve Largent and Lynn Swann just missed 1,000 yards receiving a piece and that L.C. Greenwood narrowly missed being a double-digit sack teammate with Vern Den Herder. It says a lot that they did so well despite each missing a couple games.

But in the end, all this closeness equals the same thing.

Sitting in front of the TV, watching some other team take the AFC Championship and Super Bowl.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XVIII
Some giddy fans in the Big Easy predicted 3 years ago that a blockbuster trade would bring them a Super Bowl championship. Ken Stabler declined in his first two seasons in New Orleans, but rebounded this season to carry the Saints to the NFC South title and, against all odds, the NFC Championship.

They were countered by fellow Super Bowl rookies, the AFC Champion Denver Broncos, who rode Roman Gabriel to their first big-game appearance.

It wasn't even close as RB Chuck Foreman ripped through the Broncos defense 27 times for 103 yards and Ken Stabler was 21-30 for 225 yards and 2 TDs. DT Art Thoms won Super Bowl MVP with his 5 tackle, 1 assist, 3 sack, 2 hurry performance.

The unthinkable's happened. Ken Stabler has a Super Bowl Ring in the black and gold.

Denver 10 New Orleans 20

It's really the crowning frustration to a season of frustrations, but there's nothing I can do about it except prepare for next year.

1977 Dolphins Season Awards

RB Walter Payton - 2nd Team All-Pro RB
Another senational season from Sweetness: 1,407 yards rushing and 10 TDs, along with 61 catches for 525 yards and another TD, earns him 2nd Team All-Pro honors. Guess who's the 1st Team All-Pro RB? That's right, New Orleans Saints RB Chuck Foreman, though to be honest Foreman deserved it.

Major Awards
MVP
QB Dan Fouts - Chicago Bears
Offensive Player of the Year
QB Dan Fouts - Chicago Bears
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Too Tall Jones - Minnesota Vikings (24.5 sacks!)
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Tony Dorsett - Washington Redskins
Defensive Rookie of the Year
MLB A.J. Duhe - Oakland Raiders
Legend of the Game
QB Roman Gabriel - Denver Broncos

An emotional season becomes an even more emotional offseason when one of the great players in Dolphins history finally hangs it up.

WR Paul Warfield
A real-life Dolphin, one I was thrilled fell to me at 1.22 in the 1964 draft. He went on to become our star WR for the next 12 seasons before being relegated to a backup role by the addition of Steve Largent in 1976. That may have hurt his Hall of Fame chances, but it's still an impressive resume no matter how you look at. A starter on all 3 of our Super Bowl championship teams, a five-time All-Pro and several Top 10 All-Time board appearances.

His player card:

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

Awards and Milestones

Super Bowl Rings
1966, 1967, 1972
All-Pro Teams
1st Team:
1966, 1968, 1969, 1970
2nd Team:
1974

Miami Dolphins Records
1st - Receptions, Receiving Yards, Receiving TDs, 100 Yards Receiving, Yards from Scrimmage, All-Purpose Yards, Games Started
2nd - Points Scored
8th - Yards Per Catch

All-Time Records
4th - Receiving Yards
5th - Receiving TDs, Receptions
7th - Yards from Scrimmage
8th - 100 Yards Receiving

I'm really going to miss having Paul around. What a phenomenal player and a guy who's all the more important to me in this universe because he's the last reminder of our hey-day in the mid-60s, with Johnny Unitas to Paul Warfield and Gary Ballman the main method of our attack.

Staff Hiring

Defensive Coordinator Royce Womble
LB - Good to VG

Royce Womble and Harris Wilcox both have expired contracts. I'm hoping to bring both of them back as well as find another Lead Scout. I'm not confident about re-signing Womble, as the owner once again forces me to lowball the greatest DC in the game.

AAARGH!

Can this get any more ugly? Sure Harris Wilcox signs a $450,000, 3 year contract, but I whiff on the one Lead Scout I wanted and Royce Womble breaks the hearts of Dolfans everywhere by signing a 5 year, $420,000 contract with.... the New Jersey Jets, our mortal enemies in this universe. God damn does that hurt. 13 years as our DC and he goes to our most hated enemies. Fuck you, owner, fuck you to hell and never come back!

He's only 47, too!

But we move on and find a guy who's not World-Class like Womble was, but he's pretty good and is quite happy to sign the 5 year, $380,000 contract we offer him.

Defensive Coordinator Don Bruce (46)
K/P: Good
DL: Good
LB: Good
DB: VG
YT: Good

LT Morris Towns gets the Summer League invite, as I really want him to try and push for the starting LT job this season.

Free Agency

By the Numbers
QB, RB, FB, TE x 2, WR, G, T, P, K, DT, MLB, OLB, FS, SS (16 new bodies total)

Week 1 Re-signings/Extensions
QB Don Milan - 3 years, $260k
P Neil Clabo - 3 years, $260k
FB Curtis Brown - 1 year, $40k
DT Bob Maddox - 4 years, $890k
MLB Willie Lanier - 2 years, $520k
G Gene Upshaw - 2 years, $460k
FB Larry Csonka - 2 years, $310k
G Mo Moorman - 2 years, $420k
FS Chuck Crist - 3 years, $1.22 mill.
SE Steve Largent - 5 years, $2.92 mill.

That's a lot more money than I wanted to give Largent, especially since it'll drive up Lynn Swann's asking price next season, but I like my offense to revolve around a strong passing attack.

A strong passing attack that desperately needs a new QB.

Week 2 Signings
QB Danny White - 1 year, $190k (Washington)
-Intriguing 5th year QB who's already a mentor and never really got the chance to start with the Redskins. Very promising upside and is the probable starter next season. I probably should've tried to sign him to a multi-year deal, but I'm already paying more for Greg Landry than I want to.

RB Otis Armstrong - 1 year, $100k (Re-signing)
-As long as he appears to have juice left in him, he'll keep getting re-signed to be our #2 RB.

WR Reggie Garrett - 1 year, $100k (San Diego)
-Good backup SE to have. He's no Paul Warfield, but he should get the job done. As a bonus, he's a special teams ace.

G Fred Sturt - 1 year, $110k (Re-signing)
-Showed enough last season to earn himself another one-year deal, though I no longer see him as a long-term solution to replace either Mo Moorman or Gene Upshaw.

Week 3 Signings
TE Charlie Young - 1 year, $140k (Kansas City)
-Dual-purpose threat that I'd like to sign to a multi-year deal if he pans out as a possibility to end the revolving door we've had at the position for years.

DT Mike McCoy - 1 year, $110k (New York)
-Terrific reserve DT to have. Used to being a starter, so it'll be interesting seeing how he handles being a reserve. Huge bonus defensive front leader.

Week 4 Signings
MLB Ed Bradley - 1 year, $90k (Re-signing)
-Like Sturt, showed enough to get another one-year rental, but I don't see him as an heir to Willie Lanier.

SS Mike Wagner - 1 year, $110k (San Diego)
-Should've tried signing him to a min-sal deal. Long time Chargers starter who's a punishing hitter and will make an adequate backup SS.

Week 5 Signings
FS Ray Oldham - 1 year, $90k (Oakland)
-Like Wagner, a guy I should've tried to min-sal. Another punishing hitter and respectable backup. Could see time on special teams as well.

Week 5 Losses
OLB Charlie Hall - 1 year, $100k* (Carolina)
-Contributed virtually nothing all season long and was ticked about losing his starting spot to Tim Black. Won't miss him.

S Chuck Detwiller - 1 year, $100k* (Baltimore)
-Really crashed in Miami and posted the worst season of his entire career. This is why I don't mind one-year rentals, because this guy was definitely a letdown.

Week 6 Signings
T Ron Mikolajcyzk - 1 year, $110k (Re-signing)
-I'll admit it, I have a very odd likeness for Ron. Not the most fantastic starting RT on the planet, but a balanced one who does serviceably well.

Week 6 Losses
QB Steve Ramsey - 3 years, $540k (Denver)
-The Broncos were eager to get a QB with Super Bowl and playoff experience to replace Roman Gabriel, so they snap up Ramsey. They're more than welcome to him. The last season of the deal is voidable if he reaches 3,000 passing yards. He'll be the probable starter next season. Ha!

Week 7 Signings
K Tim Webster - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-I finally get in a min-sal deal and it's to lock up my favorite Dolphins kicker in this universe. Sure his numbers took a slight dip last season, but he's still the most clutch leg in the business.

Week 7 Losses
FB Jim Otis - 1 year, $100k* (Denver)
-Very disappointing run-blocking last year negates his minimal receiving contribution and besides, I really want to see if we can groom Curtis Brown to be Larry Csonka's eventual replacement.

Week 8 Signings
TE Rich McGeorge - 1 year, $100k* (Denver)
-Fantastic run-blocking TE who'll serve as our short-yardage guy. Another great special teams guy. I'm having a really good feeling about our special teams next season. Oh yeah, also a great new receivers captain.

OLB Larry Ball - 3 years, $1.01 mill. (Oakland)
-Overpaid for him admittedly, but he grants a major boon to our linebacking corps in that he'll start at SLB and allow us to slide Rod Shoate over to the weak side, where he's probably better suited. Tim Black can then be the reserve. Probably our biggest free agent signing along with Danny White.

Week 9 Losses
DT Dave Roller - 1 year, $110k (Cleveland)
-A non-entity last year, we wish him all the luck with the Browns.

And that'll pretty much be a wrap for free agency. Time to get the interviews in and plot my draft strategy. QB and CB are our biggest concerns for new starters and we definitely need to look towards the future at C, G and MLB. I won't discount the possibility of a genuine top T, a TE who can stop the revolving door or some fresh blood at DE.

[damnMikeBrown]

Earl Campbell(mack truck)!!!
Wes Chandler (WR)
James Lofton (WR/oldest man in the world)
Clay Matthews (LB and 2nd oldest man in the world)
Doug Williams (QB--maybe?)
OZzie Newsome (GM)
Todd Christensen (never shuts up)
Mike Renfro (he has great hair)
Jim Breech (K)

[Izulde]

Earl Campbell(mack truck)!!!
Wes Chandler (WR)
James Lofton (WR/oldest man in the world)
Clay Matthews (LB and 2nd oldest man in the world)
Doug Williams (QB--maybe?)
OZzie Newsome (GM)
Todd Christensen (never shuts up)
Mike Renfro (he has great hair)
Jim Breech (K)

I actually do have one of these guys on my radar. Whether I get the chance to draft him or not remains to be seen. :)

[Izulde]

The one good thing about our tumble is that it occurred during the first year that we finally have a first round draft pick again. We're picking #19 at the moment and I definitely see some possibilities.

RB Earl Campbell, QB Doug Williams and QB Pat Ryan are the talk of the draft. DE Art Still is drawing a lot of attention as well. Interestingly enough, Williams is considered to have character issues after a drunk-driving incident (i.e. Red-Flag), but it shouldn't affect his draft status as one of a Top 3 pick.

1978 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. RB Earl Campbell - New England Patriots
2. QB Doug Williams - Baltimore Ravens through San Francisco 49ers

Wow! :eek: I've -never- seen the #2 pick in the draft traded away before. Let's see what the cost was:

Baltimore Ravens receive:
SFO 1978 1st round pick (#2 overall)

San Francisco 49ers receive:
BAL 1980 1st round pick
BAL 1980 2nd round pick
BAL 1978 4th round pick (4.27)

:eek: The 49ers faithful should be screaming for a Front Office Purge, because San Francisco just let themselves get absolutely ripped off.

3. QB Pat Ryan - Kansas City Chiefs
4. WR James Lofton - San Diego Chargers
5. QB Bill Kenney - Detroit Lions
6. ILB Gary Spani - Green Bay Packers
7. DE Art Still - Baltimore Ravens through Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs get the Ravens' 1st rounder next year, so they're going from a Top 10 pick to a late 20s, maybe even the 32nd pick. Stupid move, but maybe there wasn't anyone Tampa Bay liked. Baltimore is just having an absolutely killer draft.

8. TE Ozzie Newsome - Indianapolis Colts

Damn. I was hoping Newsome would fall to me.

9. OLB Tom Dinkel - Jacksonville Jaguars
10. CB Estus Hood - Atlanta Falcons
11. OLB Mike Douglass - Buffalo Bills
12. OLB Lucius Sanford - Cleveland Browns
13. G Homer Elias - St. Louis Cardinals
14. CB Ray Griffin - New York Giants
15. DE Bubba Baker - Philadelphia Eagles
16. G Leotis Harris - Washington Redskins
17. DE William Gay - New England Patriots
18. ILB Dan Bunz - Minnesota Vikings

It's now our turn in the draft. I was really hoping to get Elias after Newsome went, but the Cardinals swiped him. Bunz was a possibility, but he went too. To be honest, there's nobody I'm really thrilled about taking at this spot in the draft. Either it's way too early for them or I just don't have a good feeling about it. There's a LT who's tempting, but I fear he's another Ed George.

After some more thought, I decide to trade down and move to 1.26. To move up, the Oakland Raiders give up their 1st rounder and Buffalo's 1979 3rd round pick, giving us a complete 7 picks in next year's draft.

19. CB John Turner - Oakland Raiders
20. TE Paul Coffman - Cincinnati Bengals
21. WR John Jefferson - Seattle Seahawks
22. ILB Aaron Brown - Carolina Panthers
23. CB Kerry Justin - New Jersey Jets
24. S John Harris - Dallas Cowboys
25. OLB Clay Matthews - Los Angeles Rams

Here we are again. To be honest, I was very close to taking Brown, but elected not to. I forget why exactly. Although I'm tempted to trade down again or even exit out of the 1st round completely, we do have holes that need filling. On the other hand, I have no 2nd round pick in this draft, which complicates things a bit, as there's a number of players I'd really like to get in the 2nd. Then again, there's a CB I like the more I look at him, despite the Very Overrated tag with this new patch. His Vol's low, though, so he may be worth grabbing. But I don't know if he'd be able to crack our lineup and we're not hurting -that- much for depth at CB.

In the end, I trade down again. This time out of the first completely as I go to 2.1 and pick up an extra 3rd round pick in the 1980 draft courtesy of the Tucson Titans.

26. CB Bobby Jackson - Tucson Titans

That's the CB I would've taken, had I kept the pick. He's 25/56 right now, so no, he probably wouldn't have made my rotation, but he's the perfect fit for the woeful Titans, as he looks like a Week 1 starter in Tucson.

27. G Brett Moritz - Chicago Bears
28. OLB Danny Johnson - Baltimore Ravens
29. CB Terry Jackson - Pittsburgh Steelers
30. T Eric Laasko - Houston Oilers
31. G Jim Hough - Miami Dolphins

He was the last late 1st-early 2nd guy left that I really wanted and the Saints looked poised to grab him at 1.32, so I traded 2.1 and my 5th round pick in this draft to the Broncos to move up and get him. This is the most active I've been in draft trading ever in FOF and it's been kind of fun.

32. ILB Keith Butler - New Orleans Saints

It's a very long wait to 3.23, when we finally get to pick again. There's still quite a bit of talent left on the board and I elect to take ILB Mike Hunt as a possible breakout candidate and Porky's nod, though something tells me I should've taken the C I wanted instead, especially since we don't pick again until the 6th round and there's no way he'll make it through to there. But we'll wait and see if he's still there at the top of the 5th.

I start getting nervous that he'll be taken late in the 4th, so I trade my 1980 4th rounder since I have an extra pick in that draft to spare to the Falcons, allowing me to pick C Fred Quillan, who I like furthermore because his last name is close to Quillin's, my favorite grocery store in La Crosse. Stupid, I know, but there it is. In any event, Quillan will be our backup C and possible long snapper.

Pfeh. By the time our 6th round pick comes up, all of the guys I was looking at, including the wonderfully named S Wonderful Monds (taken the Patriots), have been taken. Even more to the point, no other centers have been taken, leading me to believe I might have been too hasty. After a scan of what little's left, I pick DT Mikeli Ieremia, who might be able to wiggle his way into the goal-line package.

WR Walter Tullis is our 7th round pick as a possibility for a 5th receiver who won't drop the ball much.

Late Free Agency

Week 2 Signings
C Rich Coady - 1 year, $100k* (Seattle)
-Former backup C and LS comes to mentor rookie Fred Quillan in training camp. It'll be an interesting battle between the two for the backup spot.

Week 3 Signings
DT Bobby Liggett - 1 year, $100k* (New Jersey)
-Strictly a mentor signing and a candidate to get cut.


LG Jim Hough 1.31 26/48 30/49 +4/+1
MLB Mike Hunt 3.23 14/30 22/39 +8/+9
C Fred Quillan 4.25 22/49 25/48 +3/-1
RDT Mikeli Ieremia 6.20 10/35 12/32 +2/-3
SE Walter Tullis 7.19 7/17 9/19 +2/+2

Grade: B+

It looks like I may have been right to jump up to take Hough, who will definitely get an opportunity to supplant Fred Sturt as the reserve G. I was nervous when I saw Hunt's raw numbers, but his boom suggests that he could, at the very least, become a capable backup MLB, though we're obviously nowhere near ready to declare him as Willie Lanier's heir.

Quillan's now has the inside track on the backup C and LS duties, though Coady's a significantly better LS (96 vs. Quillan's 80). Ieremia is fodder. Tullis will get his chance to be our 5th WR.

[Izulde]

Landry, Greg 6 QB 11 32 32 2 yrs
White, Danny 17 QB 5 38 53 1 yr.
Milan, Don 19 QB 4 15 23 3 yrs
Bull, Scott 8 QB 3 20 48 1 yr.

I am very, very excited about White. With his potential and the corps of receivers we have, he should have a breakout year. The Redskins gave up on him after his rookie season, although he did pretty well in 12 games and he did extremely well in 2nd string duty last year. Milan just keeps improving and I seriously suspect some heavy masking going on there. If I had this dynasty to do over again, I'd play him a lot more. Bull's an absolute waste of space and will be gone after this year. Landry's here solely for mentor purposes and #2 duty. When his contract's up, I'll probably have White and Milan as #1 and #2, but for now it'll be White-Landry-Milan at 1-2-3, no matter how much Bull whines.

If White pans out like I expect, I'll try my darndest to sign him to a multi-year deal next offseason, even if I have to get into a bidding war. I see a guy who can last until at least 1983 in him.


Armstrong, Otis 34 RB 6 43 43 1 yr.
Payton, Walter 27 RB 4 83 83 2 yrs
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 11 46 46 2 yrs
Brown, Curtis 40 FB 2 23 43 1 yr.

I love our setup here. Payton and Armstrong are a terrific 1-2 punch, Csonka is the best FB ever and I think Brown has a real shot to eventually supplant him as our starting FB, meaning I don't have to spend a draft pick on a new FB.


McGeorge, Rich 87 TE 9 43 43 1 yr.
Young, Charle 86 TE 6 54 54 1 yr.
Lewis, Frank 88 FL 8 35 35 1 yr.
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 5 60 60 2 yrs
Garrett, Reggie 84 SE 5 44 44 1 yr.
Largent, Steve 80 SE 3 59 59 5 yrs
Blue, Luther 9 SE 2 9 26 2 yrs
Tullis, Walter 85 SE 1 9 19 3 yrs

Young-Swann-Largent as our starters, McGeorge-Lewis-Garrett as the main backups, Tullis as the 5th WR and Blue as a ST game, maybe even a return man. RB Herb Mul-key is still sitting in free agency and could be signed, or we could look for another superstud returner/ST guy.


Banks, Tom 51 C 9 54 54 2 yrs
Coady, Rich 65 C 9 28 28 1 yr.
Hill, Ralph 59 C 3 16 20 1 yr.
Quillan, Fred 50 C 1 25 48 3 yrs
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 11 43 43 2 yrs
Sturt, Fred 68 LG 6 41 41 1 yr.
Hough, Jim 78 LG 1 30 49 4 yrs
Upshaw, Gene 77 RG 12 53 53 2 yrs
McKay, Bob 66 LT 9 39 40 2 yrs
Towns, Morris 72 LT 2 23 41 2 yrs
Mikolajczyk, Ron 67 RT 6 39 39 1 yr.

McKay-Moorman-Banks-Upshaw-Mikolacyzk with Quillan and Towns for sure backups. Sturt vs Hough is a crapshoot, though, as Sturt's been extremely solid for us, but Hough has heir to Moorman writ large all over him. What I'llo probably do is sit Moorman for the first two preseason games and let Sturt and Hough fight it out, since this starting 5's played together before. Small glimmer of hope for Towns now. I'll keep Coady around for mentor purposes, but Hill's on his way out.


Clabo, Neil 13 P 4 45 45 3 yrs
Webster, Tim 16 K 8 43 43 1 yr.

I'm thinking of going another direction after a closer review of Clabo's numbers. He's just not a very good punter, although his kick-holding is fantastic. Wonder Webster will be our K until his foot falls off or until he starts showing serious signs of decline. At 7, now 8 seasons as our K, he's lasted longer than anyone else in our franchise history at the spot, thanks to his clutch ability.


Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 10 42 42 2 yrs
Adams, Julius 93 RDE 8 40 40 3 yrs
Den Herder, Vern 92 RDE 8 56 56 2 yrs
McCoy, Mike 97 LDT 9 50 50 1 yr.
Line, Bill 98 LDT 7 63 63 4 yrs
Maddox, Bob 76 RDT 6 43 43 4 yrs
Ieremia, Mikeli 70 RDT 1 12 32 3 yrs
Liggett, Bobby 74 NT 9 23 23 1 yr.

We've got a new starter at RDT after I make the switch, as it'll be Greenwood-Line-McCoy-Den Herder as our front four. Maddox and Adams are the backups, but Maddox will get some extra reps in our nickel and dime package, because he has more pass-rush talent than McCoy. Ieremia and Liggett are space eaters that will be the first out of town. I really need to get younger at DE, though. DT I can hold steady on for a few more years, though I'll have to think about that soon, too.


Lanier, Willie 58 MLB 12 40 40 2 yrs
Bradley, Ed 95 MLB 7 44 44 1 yr.
Hunt, Mike 52 MLB 1 22 39 3 yrs
Ball, Larry 56 SLB 7 44 44 3 yrs
Shoate, Rod 54 WLB 4 42 42 4 yrs
Black, Tim 57 WLB 2 40 50 2 yrs

For the first time in 7 years, we won't see Lanier as the main man in the middle. It makes me sad, because Willie has been one of the best FA signings outside of Johnny Unitas that I've ever had. Instead, it'll be a LB 3 of Ball-Bradley-Shoate, with Black getting time in our goal-line package. If there's a way I could justify keeping Lanier as the starting MLB, I'd do it, but the fact of the matter is, Bradley outperformed him last season and performance is also why Shoate holds off a stiff challenge from Black for the starting WLB spot.

Lanier will sit the preseason's first two games out while we get extended looks at the rookie Hunt, who I'm quietly optimistic about after his training camp boom.


Alexander, Willie 21 LCB 8 34 34 2 yrs
Dunlap, Lenny 49 LCB 8 47 47 3 yrs
Nelms, Mike 46 LCB 2 23 28 2 yrs
Lawrence, Rolland 24 RCB 6 42 42 4 yrs
Edwards, Glen 20 SS 8 51 51 3 yrs
Wagner, Mike 25 SS 8 33 33 1 yr.
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 7 60 60 3 yrs
Oldham, Ray 42 FS 6 43 43 1 yr.

Dunlap-Lawrence-Edwards-Crist compose our starting defensive backfield, with Alexander, Wagner and Oldham the backups. Oldham will also probably figure in at special teams. I need to sign another CB, because I don't feel comfortable with Nelms as a backup corner. Luckily, there's some guys in free agency worth taking a look at.

In fact, expect me to make some more roster changes before the preseason hits. I'm not feeling comfortable with our backup CB situation or our return game, so I fully expect I'll be signing someone to be the backup RCB along with a return/ST demon, probably Herb Mul-key, but I'll see what else is out there first.

[Izulde]

RB Herb Mul-key comes back on a one year deal to be our #1 KR option and #2 PR option. RCB Roscoe Word, late of the Steelers, signs on to be our backup RCB.

Preseason

Miami 26 Detroit 17
This one was all Tim "Wonder" Webster with 4/4 FG, including 2/2 from 40+ and 1/1 from 50+, a 54-yarder. Too bad it's preseason. Vern Den Herder gets 3 tackles, 2 sacks, a hurry and 3 knockdowns to lead the defense. Neil Clabo is definitely on his way out as our punter after this year. Fred Sturt was 3/5 on KRB vs 1/6 for the rookie Jim Hough. The battle goes on for another exhibition game.

#2 RB Otis Armstrong strains his calf muscle and is out 4 weeks, meaning we'll have the worthless running Herb Mul-key as the #2 back for the rest of preseason.

San Francisco 14 Miami 24
Steve Largent wins Player of the Game thanks to his 6 catches for 149 yards and a TD. Don Milan gives me pause for thought by throwing 2 interceptions to go with his 2 TDs against the 49er second-string defense. Good thing Danny White's looked fantastic so far. Reggie Garrett forced 2 fumbles on special teams coverage, a sign of just how good our ST unit is this year, outside of punting. Vern Den Herder continued his hot, meaningless play with 2 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns. Fred Sturt and Jim Hough were both 0/3 in KRB, with nary a sack surrendered.

Miami 10 Minnesota 17
I forgot to do the switchovers I had planned, which is probably why we lost here. Or maybe it's that we got just 200 yards of total offense. Jim Hough was 2/4 on KRB, while Fred Sturt was 1/2, but surrendered 2 sacks.

Hough's improved play, plus his rapidfire development (he's already at 33/49), earn him the backup guard spot. He'll probably be ready to replace Mo Moorman as the starting LG next season.

Seattle 6 Miami 30
Always good to see the preseason end on a high note. Don Milan is back to his usual good game-manager form and he'll be the #2 QB, no matter what Greg Landry whines about it. Tim Webster's 3/3 FGs, including a 52 yarder, were all we needed to win this one.

Otis Armstrong is back up to probable for Week 1, yay! Luther Blue goes on the inactive list to replace him.

Regular Season

Miami 17 New Jersey 16
Wow, what a thriller of a game! We came from behind on a 51 yard pass from Danny White to Lynn Swann with 10:32 on the game clock and hung on to the slim 1-point lead the rest of the way. Remember how I said our special teams really looked special this year? Glen Edwards returned a blocked field goal 68 yards for a TD[/b/]. I'd loved to have seen that one on television! [b]Lenny Dunlap/b] and [b]Ed Bradley were tackle machines, with 10 tackles a piece, Dunlap with 2 assists, Bradley with 1. Bradley also had a hurry and a knockdown. Sweet, sweet win against our hated Royce Womble-stealing archrivals.

Chicago 7 Miami 23
I was worried about a letdown after the Jets game, but Danny White took care of that with a fantastic game, the kind we haven't seen on a consistent basis in a long time in Dolphins history: 22-32 for 339 yards and 2 TDs. Frank Lewis was the main beneficiary with 6 catches for 118 yards and a TD.

Baltimore 3 Miami 31
Ah how good it feels to have a legitimate QB again. I will do everything in my power to sign Danny White to a multi-year deal in the offseason after he puts up 24-31 for 266 yards and 3 TDs on his way to second straight Player of the Game honors. Vern Den Herder erupted for 4 tackles, an assist, 3 sacks, 3 hurries and 3 knockdowns as we open up with 3 straight victories.

Miami 40 Buffalo 3
Walter Payton has public service announcement to make: Danny White's not the only offensive star on the Dolphins and Sweetness proves it by rushing 30 times for 171 yards and 2 TDs and catching 5 passes for 49 yards and another TD, winning Player of the Game in this blowout. Tim Webster was 4/4 on FG kicks and Vern Den Herder continues his hot pass-rush streak with 2 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 4 knockdowns.

San Diego 7 Miami 31
You think Cincinnati's kicking themselves for giving up on Danny White by now? All he does is go 19-27 for 283 yards and 3 TDs, earning Player of the Game in another trouncing. Walter Payton takes the ball 27 times for 131 yards and a TD and Reggie Garrett hauls in 3 passes for 125 yards and 2 TDs. Now that's one hell of a YPC! Vern Den Herder only gets 1 sack this time, but he also has 3 hurries and 7 QB knockdowns. Wow! We also force 4 fumbles on the day.

Denver 24 Miami 30
The score's not as close as it looks. Steve Ramsey threw a 51 yard TD pass with 1:36 left to make it look like a game on the scoreboard, but Danny White out-dueled our former QB with a 21-35, 241 yard, 2 TD line. Steve Ramsey, on the other hand, threw 2 INTs. The player of the game was L.C. Greenwood, who spearheaded our D with 5 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 hurries and a knockdown and helped us keep our streak alive.

Our receiving corps takes a big hit as Steve Largent, our starting SE, is Out 3 weeks with strained back. Reggie Garrett steps in as the starting SE and Luther Blue comes off the inactive list to be the 5th receiver, as Walter Tullis moves up to #2 SE.

Miami 41 Kansas City 23
No Largent, no problem! But my heart stops as I see Don Milan's name all over the scoreboard. Milan was Player of the Game with a 10-12 for 94 yards and 3 TD performance and I'm hoping his appearance is just Danny White having his worst day in a Dolphins uniform: 12-19 for 183 yards, a TD and 2 INT. Lynn Swann catches 5 passes for 119 yards and a TD, stepping up in Largent's absence.

Good news: Steve Largent is back to Probable.
Bad news: Danny White, our hero, our savior, is Doubtful with Turf Toe.

Shades of Steve Ramsey here, but Don Milan is a proven backup, so I'll leave the lineup as it is for now and see who gets the start.

Miami 26 Oakland 20 (OT)
A heart-pounding victory only secured in the extra period, with a 2 yard pass from Don Milan to Walter Payton for the TD. Don Milan was erratic: 20-36 for 252 yards, 3 TDs and 3 INTs, as Danny White could only complete 2-3 passes for 11 yards before having to come off. Lynn Swann had 6 catches for 119 yards and 2 TDs, as I forgot to put Steve Largent back in the starting lineup. Our passing game will improve with him back in.

The miracle happens!!!

Danny White somehow gets his Turf Toe cured after one game and he's back to 100%!!!!! Steve Largent is at 100% too!!!

So is our winning percentage, as we're 8-0.

We hold a commanding lead in the AFC East over the bastardly 4-4 New Jersey Jets, which is oh so damned sweet, and the other division leaders are 7-1, 6-2 and 6-2, putting us in beautiful position for, at the least, a wild card bye.

The halfway stats:


Record 8-0
Winning Pct. 1.000
All-Time 189-107
Winning Pct. .638
Playoffs 18-10
Playoff Visits 13
Bowl Wins 3
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 55-23
Winning Pct. .705
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 33.9 4
Rushing Yards 125.1 8
Yards Per Carry 3.69 24 (T)
Pass Attempts 30.4 26 (T)
Completions 19.9 15 (T)
Completion Pct. 65.4 2
Passing Yards 258.6 4
Yards Per Attempt 8.51 1
Yards Per Catch 13.01 4
Total Yardage Gained 376.6 2
3rd Down Conversions 49.6 1
Points Per Game 29.9 1
Pass Rush Pct. 28.2 1
Pass Defense Pct. 56.5 13
Turnovers 8 3
Turnover Margin +9 2 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 21.9 2
Rushing Yards 78.4 3
Yards Per Carry 3.58 4
Pass Attempts 38.8 30
Completions 21.8 29
Completion Pct. 56.1 9
Passing Yards 232.3 25
Yards Per Attempt 5.99 6
Yards Per Catch 10.68 13 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 292.4 10
3rd Down Conversions 36.0 11 (T)
Points Per Game 12.9 3
Pass Rush Pct. 16.6 3
Pass Defense Pct. 39.3 2
Turnovers 17 5

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 17 at NJY 16
2 23 CHI 7
3 31 BAL 3
4 40 at BUF 3
5 31 SDO 7
6 30 DEN 24
8 41 at KCY 23
9 26 at OAK 20
10 NED
11 NJY
12 at MIN
13 at JAX
14 DET
15 BUF
16 at GBY
17 at NED

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 195 129 1723 8.84 14 2 113.6
19 D. Milan QB 48 30 346 7.21 6 3 97.7
**Team --- 243 159 2069 8.51 20 5 110.9
$$Opp --- 310 174 1858 5.99 6 10 66.8

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 192 758 3.95 6 2
34 O. Armstrong RB 67 218 3.25 0 1
**Team --- 271 1001 3.69 6 7
$$Opp --- 175 627 3.58 3 14

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
27 W. Payton RB 40 36 320 8.89 8.00 0 3
81 L. Swann WR 50 30 514 17.13 10.28 4 7
80 S. Largent WR 39 23 353 15.35 9.05 3 5
88 F. Lewis WR 32 21 293 13.95 9.16 1 3
84 R. Garrett WR 29 20 331 16.55 11.41 3 2
34 O. Armstrong RB 20 11 41 3.73 2.05 4 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
95 E. Bradley ILB 46 18 0.5 3 0 4 79.9
21 W. Alexander CB 44 12 0.0 0 2 5 79.6
49 L. Dunlap CB 34 8 2.0 0 2 6 78.5
56 L. Ball OLB 31 11 3.0 2 1 1 77.0
20 G. Edwards S 30 9 2.0 2 2 5 80.6
31 C. Crist S 29 10 0.0 0 1 4 79.7
24 R. Lawrence CB 25 7 0.0 0 2 4 80.2
96 L. Greenwood DE 24 4 5.0 16 0 0 80.0
76 B. Maddox DT 21 4 0.0 5 0 0 79.7
98 B. Line DT 18 6 2.5 10 0 0 81.3
92 V. Den Herder DE 15 4 7.0 23 0 0 82.5
57 T. Black OLB 12 2 0.0 0 0 0 61.8
42 R. Oldham S 10 3 0.0 0 0 0 74.9

This has been a miracle season in a lot of ways: Danny White turning out to be a second Johnny Unitas in terms of a FA QB coming and completely electrifying the offense, Walter Payton continuing his strong play, our WR corps as strong as ever, even with Steve Largent missing 2 games.

But the biggest shock may be Don Bruce taking over on defense and turning this unit into a top 5 team. Yes, Larry Ball was a huge addition and Ed Bradley uses his young legs to cover the ground that Willie Lanier no longer can, but who could've anticipated Vern Den Herder's resurgence or the ressurection of our secondary?

It's incredible to see.

Our offensive line is also playing the best it has in years, maybe even ever. Tim Webster's kicking 85% of his FGs, though his 40+ range accuracy is down considerably to date.

All told, though, this is an exciting season and a team I'm finally starting to fall in love with again, something I wasn't sure would happen again after the Johnny Unitas, Paul Warfield, Gary Ballman, Willie Lanier days.

[SFL Cat]

Grrrr...Take it from a life-long Cowboys fan...White will dazzle you during the season, but then break your heart in the playoffs. :(

[Izulde]

Grrrr...Take it from a life-long Cowboys fan...White will dazzle you during the season, but then break your heart in the playoffs. :(

Hopefully that won't happen, but we'll see. :)

[Izulde]

Despite our perfect first half, not everyone is happy in Dolphins land. QB Greg Landry has been holding press conferences after virtually every game, complaining that he's been lied to and cheated and calling for us to trade him. Just because he's the #3 QB behind Don Milan he's ticked. Sorry Landry, you're not getting the #2 spot and you're not getting traded, with your bonus.

OLB Rod Shoate is disgruntled because he's only started 2 games, thanks to the oddities of the WLB spot, even though he's officially listed as the starter. To make it up to him, I'll nominate him the 2nd gunner, as his ST rating of 86 is one better than FS Ray Oldham.

Oh yeah, unimportant SE Luther Blue is out 3 weeks with a sprained knee. Not that it matters because Steve Largent's back to health and Blue was going inactive anyway.

On to the second half of the season!

New England 7 Miami 38
It's not going to be the Patriots who spoil our undefeated season as Walter Payton rushes 26 times for 107 yards and a TD and Danny White continues his white-hot play with a 16-28 for 215 yard, 3 TD performance, good for Player of the Game. Our pass rush is beyond nasty: Bill Line has 4 tackles, 2 assists, 2.5 sacks, a block, a hurry, and 5 knockdowns, Vern Den Herder matches the 4 tackles, 2.5 sacks, block, and hurry, with 2 knockdowns and L.C. Greenwood notches 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks and a block.

New Jersey 20 Miami 13
Our perfect season goes down the drain in a stormy home game, leading Danny White to throw 2 costly interceptions along with 2 fumbles. Walter Payton got shut down as well, as we just couldn't dig our way all the way out of a 14-0 hole. Steve Largent had 9 for 125 yards and Vern Den Herder had 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 3 knockdowns for our only highlights.

Miami 37 Minnesota 21
We shrug off the loss of 16-0 at the hands of those damned Jets behind Walter Payton's 29 carries for 162 yards and a TD and Player of the Game Danny White's 19-24 for 216 yards and 3 TDs. Vern Den Herder continues to be a pass-rush force with 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 knockdowns.

Thanks to the victory and the Jets' loss, we clinch the AFC East at 10-1, since the Jets are 5-6 and we hold tiebreaker. The rest of the AFC is fascinating. Every single team in the AFC North is 7-4, the Oilers hold a commanding 7-4 lead in the AFC South over the 4-7 Colts and Denver is coasting with a 9-2 mark over the 6-5 Chargers in the AFC West.

Miami 41 Jacksonville 10
Danny White again keys the victory, this time with a 18-29 for 226 yards and 3 TD line. Credit also goes to the secondary with 4 interceptions, including 2 by Rolland Lawrence as we cruise to 11-1. If we go 15-1, I'll have even more reason to hate the damned Jets.

Detroit 3 Miami 28
Again, it's the Danny White show: 26-41 for 310 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. I'm not worried about the turnovers since he threw the ball so much and he's been absolutely phenomenal all season long. Bet the Bengals are kicking themselves by now. Lynn Swann takes 7 balls in for 111 yards as White's main target this game.

DT Bill Line hyperextends his knee and is out 3 weeks, so Bob Maddox will take over as the starting RDT and the pass-rushing DT duties while Mike McCoy shifts over to LDT. Rookie Mikeli Ieremia will be the new backup DT as at 12-1, we've clinched a bye and are a game up on the 11-2 Denver Broncos for homefield advantage.

Buffalo 10 Miami 12
The Bills have dreams of upsetting us, but Tim Webster eliminates those hopes by going 4/4 on FGs. Vern Den Herder is Player of the Game with 2 tackles, 2 sacks, and a knockdown.

We're starting to get dinged up, but we still have something to play for as the Steve Ramsey-QB'ed Denver Broncos are right on our heels at 12-2, so it's everyone still all in.

Miami 37 Green Bay 10
Walter Payton single-handedly crushes the Packers for 172 yards and 2 TDs on 26 carries and Chuck Crist leads the defense with 11 tackles, 2 assists, and an interception in this laugher.

Hooray! The Broncos lose, officially ceding us home-field advantage. With everything left to play for won, I give what I can of my substitutes a start to finish out the year.

Miami 15 New England 21
We weren't terrible, but we weren't fantastic as the Patriots get the win to finish at .500. No highlights to report, though I did forget to give Fred Quillan the start at C like I'd intended. Oh well, no biggie.

We finish at 14-2, our best record since 1966, our first Super Bowl championship year.

Hopefully that's a good sign.

For now...

The Miami Dolphins are the 1978 AFC East Division Champions! :)

[Izulde]

We draw the Houston Oilers in the divisional round and they're going to be quite the worthy opponent.

Archie Manning is an excellent QB and he'll test our secondary. RB Herb Lusk declined this regular season and showed much more fumble tendencies. Houston's WRs are incredibly drop-prone, another advantage for us.

The Oilers have an offensive line that's designed to pass-protect A. Manning, but they're not all that fantastic at it and they're horrible at run-blocking, another reason for Lusk's drop in numbers. Jeff West is as forgettable a punter as Neil Clabo, but K Bill Bell is, like Tim Webster, an extraordinarily reliable leg.

DE John Hutton and 2nd year DE Horace Jones are a formidable pair of bookends and DT Bill Nelson and DT Cody Jones are extremely dangerous as well.

MLB Jim LeClair is another deadly pass-rusher, but we thankfully dodge a bullet as SLB Ted Hendricks is on the IR, leaving the much weaker Jim Merlo and former Dolphin WLB Mike Varty as the starting OLBs.

Levi Johnson and Eddie McMillan form a terrific pair of CBs and career Oiler SS Hugo Hollas is talented as well. FS Randy Logan is out with an injury, earning us another break.

The Oilers' lone hope for this game is to turn it into a defensive slugfest, because they simply don't have the offensive firepower to complete with us in a shootout, Archie Manning notwithstanding.

Vegas says the two critical injuries on Houston's D will do them in and have us favored by 7.

While the Oiler secondary does its job in getting 2 interceptions off of Danny White, it's not enough, as we ride a balanced offense and a nasty pass-rush to an easy victory.

All told, we sack Archie Manning 8 times, forcing him to fumble the ball twice. We recover both times and L.C. Greenwood takes home Player of the Game honors with 4 tackles, an assist, 3 sacks, 2 hurries, 2 knockdowns, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.

Houston 3 Miami 38

We're going to the AFC Championship!

But it's not without cost.

LDT Bill Line, our most solid and consistent DT, strains his adductor muscle and is out for the rest of the season.

[damnMikeBrown]

You

Should

Not

Leave

Me


...........hanging like this

[Izulde]

You

Should

Not

Leave

Me


...........hanging like this

Sorry, was helping my grandmother move in to an assisted living facility over the weekend and the facility's net access was down last night. :)

I'll be updating now.

[Izulde]

With DT Bill Line out, we move Mike McCoy to the left side and put RDT Bob Maddox back in as the starter, with Bob Liggett as the backup DT, though I really hate doing that.

Our opponents for the AFC Championship Game are none other than the Denver Broncos.

That's right, the Steve Ramsey QB'ed Broncos. Ramsey was pretty awful in the regular season, completing a career-low 55.4% of his passes for 2,886 yards and 15 TDs vs 24 INTs, but he's managed to be a game manager in the postseason. It really should be Ron Jaworski as the starting QB, who, much like Danny White, is a talented QB who's been left to rot on various teams rather than develop.

2nd year RB Dave Preston is dramatically improved from his rookie season and broke the 1,000 yard rushing barrier this year. That said, he's much more of a two-threat back in the mold of Calvin Hill rather than a genuine #1 RB. WR Harold Jackson is an 11th year vet and 3-time Fastest Man of the Year award, but he's never been able to use his speed and talent to become a top-flight receiver.

The Broncos have a terrific offensive line, highlighted by C Jim Clack, LG Tom Condon, last year's 1st Team All-Pro LT Lionel Antoine and 2nd year RT Marvin Powell, who's ungodly gifted, but hasn't yet figured out the mental part of the NFL game.

P Terry Swanson and K John Smith are a dynamite pair of kickers.

DT Dave Butz is the only good player on a pedestrian defensive front 4. MLB Ralph Ortega can rack up tackles, but overall the front seven is just unremarkable overall for the Broncos. CB Tom Hayes is dangerous, however, and CB Don Martin overacheives quite a bit relative to his talent. FS Artimus Parker is another ballhawk concern to worry about.

Overall, this Broncos team doesn't look very tough on paper and Denver is definitely a case of the sum somehow managing to be better than its individal parts. Steve Ramsey will be hungry to beat us, the rest of the Denver Broncos eager to repeat as AFC Champions, but heart won't be enough to beat our talent.

I really think we should win here and so do the bookies, who have us favored by 6 points.

Things get a little worrysome when Broncos #2 RB John Ashton scores a couple short-yardage rushing TDs to put Denver up 14-0 by 1st quarter's end, but then Walter Payton and Steve Largent take over in the 3rd quarter, with Sweetness having some of his longest runs in that quarter and Largent catching 2 TD passes from Danny White.

After we took that 20-14 lead (Tim Webster shockingly missed an XP), the Broncos' collective back was broken and we literally ran away with it from there as Walter Payton was Player of the Game with a magnificient 25 rushes for 208 yards and 2 rushing TDs. Glen Edwards had a fantastic all-around game with 8 tackles, an assist, a sack and a pass defense and Vern Den Herder continued his storybook season with 2 tackles, 2 assists, 2.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 4 knockdowns.

Denver 24 Miami 37

We're going back to the Super Bowl!!! :) :) :)

[larrymcg421]

Congrats on the Superbowl trip!

[Izulde]

Congrats on the Superbowl trip!

Thanks :) It's my second time in three years and I've got a lot better feeling about htis one.

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XIX Preview

Miami Dolphins Out
DT Bill Line

Dallas Cowboys Out
SILB Steve Kiner

Quarterback
What a difference a year makes. Last season, the Dolphins' quest for a repeat Super Bowl appearance was derailed by a QB controversy between Steve Ramsey and Greg Landry. Then Miami signed Danny White in the offseason, an acquisition GM Tim Moungey called the most important move of free agency. White proved Moungey a genius, completing 64.6% of his passes for 3,248 yards and an astonishing 28 TD to 6 INT ratio. While White's looked more pedestrian in the playoffs (5 TDs to 3 INTs), he's been incredibly accurate, completing 71.7% of his passes. Don Milan is the controversial #2 QB as Greg Landry has vocally called for himself to be the main backup and wants a trade.

Steve Tensi has been the Cowboys' starting QB for the last 3 seasons, but this is the first time he's had a positive TD to INT ratio (19/9) and he's never broken 3,000 yards passing in a season. That said, he's continued to play well in the postseason, with 67.9% completion and 4 TDs vs 2 picks. Joe Barnes is the unimpressive backup.

Advantage: Dolphins

Running Back
Walter Payton has four straight seasons of 1,400+ rushing yards and he's rushed for double-digit TDs the last two seasons, with a career high 11 this regular season. He's also learned how to keep possession of the football and is a phenomenal threat as a receiver too: 3 straight seasons of 50+ catches and just a single drop. Payton had 416 receiving yards and 4 receiving TDs this regular season. He's been an absolute gem in the postseason as well, becoming the first RB in NFL postseason history to rush for over 200 yards, with 208 in the AFC Championship and crushing the league postseason YPC mark with a staggering 8.32. Otis Armstrong is the best #2 RB in the league and could be a starter for a good number of teams.

Fred Willis proved a key free-agent signing for Dallas, rushing for 1,463 yards and 9 TDs in his first season as a starter since 1972 with the Oakland Raiders. That said, he's extremely fumble-prone and is nowhere near the receiver out of the backfield that Payton is. Bruce Harper is only a step below Armstrong as the #2 running option.

Advantage: Dolphins

Receivers
The Dolphins pride themselves on a strong WR tradition and in Lynn Swann and Steve Largent, they have the best starting WR pair in the NFL. The only reason neither one has yet to break 1,000 yards receiving for a season is because of Payton and a plethora of other options in TE Charle Young and talented reserve receivers Frank Lewis and Reggie Garrett. This is a deep, ridiculously talented corps, one Miami's front office takes great pride in having put together.

By contrast, the Cowboys have a collection of replacement parts at the receiving positions. Their best pass-catcher, Rick Upchurch, is a special teams and punt returns demon. One wonders just how the Cowboys got this far on so little talent here. It's so bad that the other names are barely worth mentioning: Haven Moses as the starting SE, Ken Burrow and Morris Owens as the reserves.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
The interior of this Dolphins unit has played together for 6 straight seasons: C Tom Banks, LG Mo Moorman and RG Gene Upshaw and what a phenomenal unit they've been. Banks is the most underrated C in the game, Moorman keeps getting criminally passed over for All-Pro considerations and Upshaw is a two-time 2nd Team All-Pro, who has started more games for the Dolphins than any player in franchise history at 190 regular season games and 23 postseason contests. LT Bob McKay has given Miami a decent player at the spot for the first time ever, though there was a slight adjustment period. RT Ron Mikolajcyzk is a front-office favorite and a fierce run-blocker, though his pass protection leaves something to be desired. The reserves are all young and fairly promising: C Fred Quillan and G Jim Hough are rookies, with Hough set to supplant Moorman as early as next season, Quillan a very capable backup. T Morris Townsend is a second-year player who showed enough improvement this season that the Dolphins hope he can replace McKay at LT when the time comes.

The Cowboys' offensive line is known for its strong blockers in LT George Starke, RT Doug Dieken and the best player in the unit, RG Ken Huff, a 1st Team All-Pro G last year. Rookie C Will Grant was a terrific 3rd round find and reserves C Bob Hyland, G John Hicks and T Stan Walters are excellent technicians, who make up for the pass-blocking difficulties occassionally suffered by the starting five.

Advantage: Draw

Kickers
P Neil Clabo is pedestrian, but K Tim Webster has built his reputation on accuracy, power, and clutch kicking. In fact, he was 91.9% on field goals this season, 70% from 40+ range.

For the Cowboys, P Mike Patrick is equivalent to Clabo and K Mike Walker has a cannon leg, but is wild.

Advantage: Dolphins

Defensive Line
LDE L.C. Greenwood is another one of the long-time Dolphins veteran starters and has been Miami's most consistent pass-rush threat over his 10 year career. Some around the league predicted he's starting to lose a step due to age, but that was before his 3 sack performance against the Oilers in the divisional round. Part of Greenwood's decline in regular season numbers can be attributed to RDE Vern Den Herder, who's shown no signs of slowing down since being the marquee signing for Miami two years ago. In fact, this season was one of Den Herder's finest, with 16.5 sacks, 5 blocks, and career highs in hurries (39) and knockdowns (51). Those are Defensive Player of the Year numbers, which he's won twice already in Jacksonville. DT Mike McCoy is primarily a space-eater who doesn't have great stats, but he draws the attention that frees up the others on the Dolphins line to do things. RDT Bob Maddox is loved by the front office and is a terrific pass-rusher. His presence ensures that the Dolphins won't miss Bill Line, the team's best D-lineman -too- much. DE Julius Adams is a run-stopper, but starter-level. DT Bobby Liggett is the weak link, pressed to emergency reserve status by Line's injury.

DE George Martin broke out in a big way this year with 16.5 sacks, 5 blocks, 20 hurries and 15 QB knockdowns, as the 4th year player finally seems to have the production to match his talent. Fellow DE Ernie Price surprised with 10.5 sacks as well. NT John Woodcock has improved in each of his 3 seasons and now can be considered a legitimate force to be reckoned with. The reserves for both spots inspire no fear, however.

Advantage: Dolphins

Linebackers
MLB Ed Bradley was an unknown quantity after taking over for long-time Dolphins starter Willie Lanier, but he proved extremely effective as a coverage linebacker, though his tackling was mediocre. SLB Larry Ball was a major upgrade over Rod Shoate, now the team's woefully underperforming WLB. Lanier is still a gamer, but reserve OLB Tim Black is a black hole on passing plays.

The Cowboys suffered a major blow when they lost SILB Steve Kiner, their best 'backer, in the NFC Championship game. He's the heart and soul of the Dallas D. Jim Laslavic, his replacement, is average. WILB Steve Nelson is an underachiever, but the outside linebackers had dynamite seasons, with WLB Cal Peterson coming out of nowhere to record double-digit sacks and SLB Gerald Irons also recording double-digit sacks, adding on to an already long-established reputation as an impressive pass-rusher. The reserves are, quite frankly, horrible.

Advantage: Cowboys

Secondary
LCB Lenny Dunlap has been disappointing since joining the Dolphins, but RCB Rolland Lawrence is a major ballhawk and terrific cover corner who's the team's best defensive back. The backups are unremarkable. SS Glen Edwards is one of those guys who puts up All-Pro worthy numbers every year, but keeps getting denied. FS Chuck Crist appears to be losing a step and is probably not the elite safety he once was, but he's still very good. There's no depth to speak of behind them, though, with only a pair of fillers.

On the Cowboys, LCB Ken Ellis is one of those guys who's fantastic in the regular season, but gets exposed as being ordinary in the postseason against more elite receivers. RCB Tony Leonard is average, though Danny Colbert is a serviceable nickel back. SS Jackie Wallace has been absolutely dominant this postseason and is a very good safety overall and the same can be said for FS Dennis Bragonier. Backup Chuck Detwiller is capable.

Advantage: Dolphins

Keys for the Dolphins

1. Avoid turnovers
The Cowboys really have no business being here, so to avoid giving Dallas an opening, Miami needs to avoid stupid mental mistakes.

2. Force the Cowboys to pass often.
The only player on this Dallas offense who's even close to being a playmaker is RB Fred Willis, so by keying in on him, the Dolphins can force the Cowboys to take to the air, where Miami enjoys superiority on both sides of the ball.

3. Mix things up on offense.
With the talent and depth the Dolphins have on offense, particularly at RB and WR, there's no reason for Head Coach Harris Wilcox and Offensive Coordinator Edwin Buckley not to throw as many possible looks and variations at the Dallas defense.

Keys for the Cowboys

1. Keep a spy on Walter Payton at all times.
The man they call Sweetness is the biggest gamechanger in the Dolphins offense. He can hurt you running and he can hurt you receiving. It's quite possible to stop Payton, as teams have demonstrated throughout his four years in the league, but only if you account for him every time he's in the game.

2. Blitz often.
Dallas needs to use their pass-rushing talents and their advantage at linebacker to get pressure on Danny White and corral Walter Payton. The Cowboys can do that, especially since Ron Mikolajcyzk is a weak link at RT.

3. Keep a balanced gameplan on offense
Yes, Dallas's passing game is pathetic, but going one-dimensional on the run will result in the Dolphins filling up the box. Conversely, going into panic mode and tilting heavy to the pass too early in the game will result in Miami's secondary absolutely abusing the Cowboys anemic air attack.

Overall:
The Cowboys really don't have a prayer here unless Miami gets sloppy.

Final Line
Dolphins by 6

[nilodor]

After this season could you give us a print screen of the team performances screen? I'd like to get an idea of who's (besides the Fish) developing into a dynasty.

[Izulde]

After this season could you give us a print screen of the team performances screen? I'd like to get an idea of who's (besides the Fish) developing into a dynasty.

Certainly! :)

[Izulde]

Things open with a Dallas kickoff return to the Cowboys 15 yard line, followed by a 13 yard pass to FB David Sims. Fortunately, we prevent them from getting a second set of downs, despite a stupid offsides penalty.

Unfortunately, the Cowboys' pass coverage is brutal and Neil Clabo has a terrible 28 yard punt to put Dallas on their own 47 yard line. A 17 yard pass from Steve Tensi to Ryan Upchurch is all that's needed to set up a 50 yard FG try, which Mike Walker nails.

Dallas 3 Miami 0 - 8:18 1st Quarter

Danny White completes two straight passes on our next drive and Walter Payton runs for a 12 yard gain, but then we stall and punt, this time pinning the Cowboys at their own 2 yard line.

I'm starting to pull my hair as Fred Willis begins chewing through our D-line, but a timely sack by L.C. Greenwood and Vern Den Herder stop the Cowboys after Dallas gets out to their 25.

We start putting together an actual drive thanks to Danny White and we're within FG territory as the 1st quarter ends.

Dallas 3 Miami 0 - End 1st Quarter

But then of course we run off two straight negative yardage plays, forcing a punt that puts Dallas at their own 5 yard line. This has just been an absolute surreal Super Bowl with our inability to create a consistent drive.

A much needed 3 and out has us at the Dallas 42 after a fair catch and on 2nd and 6, Danny White hits Reggie Garrett for 21 yards, getting us inside the red zone for the first time all game. We make our way to the 11 yard-line before the Cowboys' D makes a stand, setting up a chip-shot 28 yard attempt.

It's blocked.

This is unbelievable.

We're not giving up yet, though, as we march right back down to the red zone following a 12 yard Walter Payton run and an incredible 46 yard pass from Danny White to Lynn Swann in which Swann absolutely tore through the field for 20 yards after the catch.

Two plays later, Walter Payton plunges in for the TD!

But wait! It's called back because somebody got called for holding.

Argh!

Then Danny White connects with Steve Largent from 14 yards out on the next play to give us the TD! And this time, it isn't called back! Nor is the extra point blocked.

Miami 7 Dallas 3 - 8:36 2nd Quarter

We come out fired up after that TD and hold Dallas to a 3 and out, but the drive we're putting together after the punt is snuffed out when Danny White throws an interception that gives the Cowboys the ball back on their 29.

What follows is an absolutely absurd drive, where Steve Tensi keeps misfiring passes and then completing them on 3rd down. The Cowboys knock on the door at our 4 yard line inside the two minute warning and I'm swearing profusely, really wanting to hit something.

Fortunately, we hold them to a FG, which is how the half ends.

Miami 7 Dallas 6 - Halftime

A damned frustrating first half. The Cowboys are doing just enough to hang in this game. I have a feeling we're going to break it open in the second, though.

So what do we do? 3 and out and give up two long pass plays from Steve Tensi to Ryan Upchurch. A holding penalty saves our bacon on the second one though, nullifying a 20 yard reception and eventually culminating in a punt.

Walter Payton runs for 15 yards to put us at midfield, but then we again get stalled in Dallas territory and again punt to situate Dallas inside their own 5 yard line.

It's a 3 and out for the Cowboys, but we can't capitalize on the great field position when Walter Payton fumbles and Dallas recovers on their own 49 yard line. This is just unbelievable how this game is going. We're hanging on by a thread when we should be ripping them apart.

But we hang on to the lead for the third quarter after trading 3 and outs.

Miami 7 Dallas 6 - End 3rd Quarter

Guess what happens shortly after the start of the fourth? Fred Willis takes the ball at midfield and runs 22 yards to our 28 and suddenly they're in great position for the FG and the lead. And that's only if we can stop them.

Stop them we do, but not before they make things even easier for Mike Walker, who converts the 27 yarder with no problem.

Dallas 9 Miami 7 - 11:34 4th Quarter

Is this it? Are we doomed to go down in defeat?

Not if Danny White has anything to say about, as he completes 6 straight passes, sandwiched with a couple short Walter Payton runs to send us to the Cowboys 3 yard line.

And then it happens.

Danny White gets absolutely crunched on his last completion and is knocked out of the game. It's a serious groin injury so there's no way he's returning.

So it's all up to Don Milan, the hero of the 1976 AFC Championship Game. Can he continue to work his underrated magic?

Two plays later: Don Milan to Rich McGeorge for 2 yards and a TD!

Miami 14 Dallas 9 - 4:53 4th Quarter

The stadium's erupting in pandemonium and everyone watching on television is on the edge of their seats for the following Dallas drive. Hell, -I'm- on the edge of my seat.

The kickoff's a touchback. Fred Willis for 0 yards and then the hearts of Cowboys faithful everywhere break as Willie Alexander comes through with a clutch interception at the Dallas 20!

4:13 left in the game. A field goal should seal it. A TD -will- seal it.

A 4 yard pass, followed by an 8 yard Walter Payton run buys a first down with 2:31 left in the game. Time's running out for the Cowboys.

The sand runs out of the hourglass and the clock strikes midnight for Cinderella two plays later as Walter Payton pulls of a sweet 11 yard run for the game-winning TD!!!!!

Miami 21 Dallas 9 - 2:22 4th Quarter

Steve Tensi makes a valiant effort to try and score a late TD to make it look respectable, even completing a 22 yard pass, but two drops by Ryan Upchurch end that hope.

Three Don Milan knees after the turnover on downs later and we have our fourth Super Bowl championship, the first team to 4 Super Bowl wins in universe history.

Miami 21 Dallas 9 - Final

Danny White is the Super Bowl MVP for his 22-31 for 242 yard, 1 TD, 1 INT performance, but Vern Den Herder deserves credit for his tackle, assist, sack, 3 hurries and 5 knockdowns and the real unsung hero of this Super Bowl game is SLB Larry Ball, who had 6 tackles and 4 pass defenses.

This may well be the sweetest Super Bowl championship of all. I didn't engineer this win with a terrific Johnny Unitas signing that anybody could've made, nor did I get lucky with the #1 overall draft pick in Ken Stabler.

I won this with more hard work and more effort than I've ever put in any Super Bowl-winning team. The Ken Stabler trade for Walter Payton doesn't look so bad for either team now, since we've both won a Super Bowl title as a direct result of the deal. Even better, the Dolphins have two Super Bowl appearances to show for it, which goes a long way to disproving the theory that we'd be hurting for surrendering a franchise QB and multiple 1st round picks.

I've learned a lot from that deal and the teams that followed it. Never let a QB controversy develop, because I think that really hurt our team last year. It also allowed me to have real faith and trust in Don Milan, who is one of my favorite Dolphins players in this universe. A 6th round pick who I didn't think would live out past his rookie contract now has a 3-0 record and two postseason heroics under his belt.

And ultimately, that's what these championship winners were built on: Gutsy moves, loyalty, and giving people chances.

Here's a look at the starting lineup for the Super Bowl:

Offense
QB Danny White - FA 1978
RB Walter Payton - 1st round 1975 draft (1.1)
FB Larry Csonka - 2nd round 1968 draft (2.32)
TE Charle Young - FA 1978
FL Lynn Swann - 1st round 1974 draft (1.14)
SE Steve Largent - 2nd round 1976 draft (2.3)
LT Bob McKay - FA 1977
LG Mo Moorman - 1st round 1968 draft (1.32)
C Tom Banks - FA 1974
RG Gene Upshaw - 1st round 1967 draft (1.29)
RT Ron Mikolajcyzk - 2nd round 1973 draft (2.32)
K Tim Webster - 5th round 1971 draft (5.25)

Defense
LDE L.C. Greenwood - 2nd round 1969 draft (2.25)
LDT Mike McCoy - FA 1978
RDT Bob Maddox - 3rd round 1973 draft (3.23)
RDE Vern Den Herder - FA 1977
SLB Larry Ball - FA 1978
MLB Ed Bradley - FA 1977
WLB Rod Shoate - 2nd round 1975 draft (2.28)
LCB Lenny Dunlap - FA 1977
RCB Rolland Lawrence - 1st round 1973 draft (1.32)
SS Glen Edwards - 1st round 1971 draft (1.25)
FS Chuck Crist - 1st round 1972 draft (1.28)
P Neil Clabo - 4th round 1975 draft (4.29)

What an amazing feeling this one is. :)

Even better, I think we have the horses in place to compete again next year, particularly if we can re-sign Danny White, who is Offseason Priority #1.

[Balldog]

Congrats!

I really like the way you've built this team, seems like you could survive an injury to anyone and not miss a beat.

[Izulde]

Congrats!

I really like the way you've built this team, seems like you could survive an injury to anyone and not miss a beat.

Thanks :) The team's pretty deep in a few areas, though in others I'd be hosed if we lost our main starter(s).

My main emphasis over the next few offseasons is probably going to be on finding guys to be heirs to some of our old talent. Jim Hough was an absolutely brilliant find who'll be able to take over for Mo Moorman next year, making our G situation a heck of a lot less critical than it was.

But we still don't have anyone to be Gene Upshaw's replacement and our DE situation is looking pretty long in the tooth right now as well. There's other aging concerns and other positions that need addressing too, of course, but overall, I'm quite happy with how things are shaping up, both for the present and for the long-term. :)

[SFL Cat]

Congrats...

*grumble* damn fish beat my Cowboys *grumble*

I did warn you about Danny White in the post season though...looks like Miami won despite him! ;)

[damnMikeBrown]

Draft! Draft! Draft! Draft! Draft!

In descending order of how they were actually picked. . .


Dan Hampton (DT) One of my first NFL jerseys
Otis Anderson (RB) Take the place of your 'other' anderson
Kellen Winslow (TE) If a TE really mattered...plus, he's not his son
Mark Gastineau (DE) Maybe he'll bring Brigette?
Bob Golic (DT) Never hurts to have a Hollywood connection
Donald Dykes (DB) Need I say more?
Joe Montana (QB) I hear he does solid commercials now.
Roy Green (WR) It's not easy being Green.
Ron Springs (RB) Can summer be far behind?
Dwayne Woodruff (S) He can bark like a dog.
Steve Lindquist (G) If nothing else he'll use up that extra q the equipment guy has sitting around for jerseys.
Matt Bahr (K) He kicks the ball.
Max Montoya (T) Pushes houses over for fun.
Kirk Gibson (WR) He's great in the clutch..ok, he may need a bat to play. . .
Jim Browner (DB) Just call him Joe
Drew Hill (WR) Match him with a guy named Mouse and watch the numbers grow!

[Izulde]

SFL Cat: Thanks ;) And honestly White wasn't that bad. He actually played well enough to win us the Super Bowl in my opinion, as he only had the one INT and was pretty accurate. Nowhere near his regular season numbers, though, which makes your commentary quite valid :)

damnMikeBrown: :D No guarantees of course, but we'll see what happens.

[Izulde]

Record 17-2
Winning Pct. .894
All-Time 195-109
Winning Pct. .641
Playoffs 21-10
Playoff Visits 14
Bowl Wins 4
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 64-25
Winning Pct. .719
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 32.6 7
Rushing Yards 127.1 6
Yards Per Carry 3.90 19
Pass Attempts 30.3 26 (T)
Completions 19.4 18
Completion Pct. 64.0 4
Passing Yards 236.4 6
Yards Per Attempt 7.81 1
Yards Per Catch 12.20 3
Total Yardage Gained 353.8 1
3rd Down Conversions 46.2 2
Points Per Game 28.8 1
Pass Rush Pct. 28.7 1
Pass Defense Pct. 58.5 12
Turnovers 15 1 (T)
Turnover Margin +16 2

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 22.8 4
Rushing Yards 85.8 4
Yards Per Carry 3.77 11
Pass Attempts 35.7 25
Completions 19.8 15 (T)
Completion Pct. 55.3 6
Passing Yards 209.4 16
Yards Per Attempt 5.87 5
Yards Per Catch 10.60 11 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 276.6 4
3rd Down Conversions 35.6 10
Points Per Game 12.8 1
Pass Rush Pct. 19.3 8 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 42.4 3
Turnovers 31 8 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 17 at NJY 16
2 23 CHI 7
3 31 BAL 3
4 40 at BUF 3
5 31 SDO 7
6 30 DEN 24
8 41 at KCY 23
9 26 at OAK 20
10 38 NED 7
11 13 NJY 20
12 37 at MIN 21
13 41 at JAX 10
14 28 DET 3
15 12 BUF 10
16 37 at GBY 10
17 15 at NED 21
$$CS 38 HOU 3
$$CF 37 DEN 24
**FB 21 vs DAL 9

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 401 259 3248 8.10 28 6 106.7
19 D. Milan QB 48 30 346 7.21 6 3 97.7
6 G. Landry QB 35 21 188 5.37 0 1 62.6
**Team --- 484 310 3782 7.81 34 10 102.8
$$Opp --- 571 316 3350 5.87 14 19 67.0

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 352 1473 4.18 11 2
34 O. Armstrong RB 140 495 3.54 4 3
**Team --- 522 2034 3.90 16 14
$$Opp --- 364 1373 3.77 7 24

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 L. Swann WR 97 58 950 16.38 9.79 8 13
27 W. Payton RB 67 56 416 7.43 6.21 0 4
80 S. Largent WR 86 50 774 15.48 9.00 6 8
84 R. Garrett WR 59 38 531 13.97 9.00 5 2
88 F. Lewis WR 57 31 387 12.48 6.79 3 3
34 O. Armstrong RB 31 22 96 4.36 3.10 4 0
86 C. Young TE 27 16 205 12.81 7.59 2 3

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
21 W. Alexander CB 82 21 0.0 0 2 9 76.8
95 E. Bradley ILB 79 29 0.5 5 1 9 81.5
31 C. Crist S 73 25 0.0 0 3 5 78.2
56 L. Ball OLB 67 23 4.0 8 2 6 77.1
49 L. Dunlap CB 54 12 2.0 0 3 9 77.7
20 G. Edwards S 49 19 2.0 2 3 10 81.9
96 L. Greenwood DE 44 12 8.0 30 0 0 80.5
76 B. Maddox DT 41 9 4.0 12 0 0 80.9
92 V. Den Herder DE 37 6 16.5 39 0 0 82.1
98 B. Line DT 36 12 6.0 13 0 0 81.4
24 R. Lawrence CB 35 8 0.0 0 5 6 83.1
57 T. Black OLB 23 9 0.0 0 0 1 67.2
42 R. Oldham S 22 6 0.0 0 0 0 74.9

Interesting that Alexander led us in tackles, considering he was our nickel back, but a quick look at the numbers reveals that we used our nickel package quite heavily, which accounts for it.

What more can you say about White than has been said already? Truly a savior to this franchise. Payton had another terrific year, but Armstrong may or may not be asked back as the #2 RB next season. I still really like his running, but his receiving skills don't fit Edwin Buckley's offense.

Swann and Largent both miss out on 1,000 yards again, but you can't get over the feeling that they're going to break the barrier one of these days. Den Herder absolutely ate the league alive this season and Lawrence returned to the kind of Pro-Bowl esque form he had a couple years ago.

All in all, just a fantastic year. Buckley showed he was worth the fat contract extension he got a while back and Don Bruce kept the defense running smoothly in his rookie year replacing the legendary Royce Womble as DC.

1978 Miami Dolphins Awards

QB Danny White - Super Bowl MVP, 1st Team All-Pro QB
From late 3rd round draft pick to Washington Redskins castoff to Dolphins starter and Super Bowl MVP. Yep, that's right, he was originally drafted by Washington. Why I thought it was Cincinnati, I don't know. In any case... What a storybook season for White who's set himself up for a major payday in free agency this year. I'm going to do everything in my power to bring him back to the team. He's that much a difference-maker.

RB Walter Payton - Offensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Pro RB
A just reward for a player who's not only the single greatest RB ever to don a Dolphins uniform, but also the best RB in the entire league at this moment. He hasn't been as dominant as Jim Brown was in the early years of this universe, but he's still been consistently very good, with occasional flashes of godliness. There's no doubt that Sweetness will wear the Aqua and Orange for his entire career, no matter the cost.

K Tim "Wonder" Webster - 2nd Team All-Pro K
It's hard to argue with 91.9% FG kicks, 70% from 40+ range (7/10) and 1/2 from 50+ range. He's the only Dolphins kicker that's lasted more than a few seasons and I have to admit, this clutch, awesome kicker will probably stay in Miami, even if I find another guy when he gets too old to kick any more. He's that much a favorite of mine.

DE Vern Den Herder - 2nd Team All-Pro DE
So he's not as dominant as he was in Jacksonville. So what? He's still a great DE, still good enough to earn All-Pro honors, his first in a Dolphins uniform. I really like having him and L.C. Greenwood as partners. It's an even better version of the old Greenwood-Aaron Brown tandem.

Harris Wilcox - Coach of the Year
Wilcox's second Coach of the Year award, but the most satisfying. He not only becomes the third straight Dolphins head coach to win a Super Bowl (Tyrus Treftz and Dave Hamner won before him, remember), but his story's a sweet one. An extremely successful college coach and 59 years old when we signed him, everyone was shocked that we hired such an old man, as it ran counter to the usual Dolphins' head coach hiring strategy. 5 years later, he's delivered two Super Bowl appearances and our fourth Super Bowl title. Score one for the grey eminences.

G Gene Upshaw - Legend of the Game
It's hard to say if Upshaw deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Although he has two All-Pro nods to his credit, both were to the 2nd Team and throughout his career, he was mostly very good rather than truly brilliant and somewhat underwhelming overall in my opinion. He also fails to rank on any all-time records lists other than the Dolphins. That said, it's hard to argue with 12 seasons of solid play from a 1.29 pick.

Here's his card:

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

Super Bowl Championships
1967, 1972, 1978

All-Pro Teams
2nd Team - 1968, 1976

Miami Dolphins All-Time Records
1st - Key Run Blocks
1st - Key Run Block Opportunities
1st - Pancake Blocks
1st - Games Started

Other Major Award Winners
MVP
QB Don Horn - Pittsburgh Steelers
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Lawrence Pillers - Pittsburgh Steelers
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Earl Campbell - New England Patriots (despite only playing 8 games with 786 yards rushing and 4 TDs before getting knocked out with a season-ending injury. It must have been a -very- weak offensive player class).
Defensive Rookie of the Year
DE Art Still - Baltimore Ravens

Here's the requested Team Performance screenshot:

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

The Steelers absolutely fascinate me. They're one of the powerhouses in this universe, yet they can't seem to get it done in the playoffs. Houston's always got a good squad and one of my biggest postseason rivals for dominance in the AFC year in and year out.

I feel sorry for the Browns. 5 times to the Super Bowl and 5 times shut out of a ring. The Cowboys are somewhat less cursed with an 0-3 mark. I'm very tempted to take Cleveland the next time I do a historical dynasty and see if I can break that hex, though I'd originally planned to do an NFC team for something different.

The Super Bowls:

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

The dominant teams of this decade have been us in the AFC and the Giants in the NFC. If New York can keep that trend going, it won't be long before they're considered one of the dynastic powerhouses in league history, a place I would say currently belongs to the Dolphins and the Oilers.

The Colts have pretty much fallen off the face of the earth and though Green Bay won a Super Bowl in 1970, they're nowhere near the franchise they were in the '60s.

I planned to do some more actual gameplay, but I've got a lot of stuff to get done as I'm going back to school tomorrow. Expect another update sometime late tomorrow night. :)

[Izulde]

Staff Hiring

Our Lead Scout, who I never liked all that much anyway, has retired, leaving us with a gap to fill.

Attribute Changes:

Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Discipline: Good to Average

Despite the downgrade, there's no way in hell I'm replacing this guy, not after he just won us the Super Bowl. Maybe after his contract runs out, we'll look elsewhere.

It's a terrible crop for rookie Lead Scouts this year, but I grab the one who looks like he has the most potential for growth at $40,000 a year for 3 years.

Lead Scout Grady Coffey (39)
QB: Fair
RB: Average
WR: VG
OL: Average
KP: Good
DL: Good
LB: Fair
DB: VG
YT: Good

Tyrus Treftz re-signed with the Cowboys on an $820,000 a year/5 year deal by the way and Dave Hanner switched teams again, going from Kansas City to Tampa Bay for $750,000 a year/4 years. Just think, if Treftz had stayed in Miami, he probably could've won a slew more Super Bowls by now instead of failing to win the big one in the Big D. Hanner I can't really blame, though. He wanted the opportunity to rebuild the Chiefs, which he did, and he'll have the same chance with the Buccaneers, who haven't been to the playoffs in a few years (1976 was their last postseason appearance).

C Fred Quillan is our summer league nod, as he'll keep filling at backup until Tom Banks either retires or takes a nosedive.

By The Numbers
QB, RB, FB, TE x 2, WR, G, T, K, FS, SS (12 new bodies total)

Danny White, as I've said ad nauseam, is our #1 priority without question. We're also going to be looking heavily for new possibilities at RG, RT, and the secondary, along with a long-term solution at TE. RG isn't critical yet, because even if I can't find a starter I like, I can always shift Mo Moorman to the right side and plug in a backup.

Week 1 Extensions/Re-signings
FB Curtis Brown - 1 year, $50k
RB Walter Payton - 5 years, $4.53 mill.
RDE Vern Den Herder - 3 years, $1.52 mill.
FL Lynn Swann - 5 years, $2.99 mill.
C Tom Banks - 3 years, $640k
LG Mo Moorman - 2 years, $400k
LDE L.C. Greenwood - 2 years, $600k

Major money to a couple of key players and some shorter deals to some old vets that I want to make sure spend the rest of their days with us. Banks' deal isn't that bad, because he was willing to take a $30k total bonus since he knows of my reputation for keeping guys that have meant a lot to us around to the end.

Week 2 Signings
TE Charle Young - 3 years, $740k (Re-signing)
-Solid TE for us last year who solves the revolving door for a few years at least.

WR Reggie Garrett - 1 year, $100k (Re-signing)
-Thought I signed him to a min-sal deal, but apparently I didn't. That's going to hurt us as we're real tight up against the cap this year. But in any case, he's a good performer to have back.

RG Noah Jackson - 3 years, $810k (Atlanta)
-Very, very good all-around guard who's already a mentor in just his 6th season. Fills the gaping hole left by Gene Upshaw's retirement and ensures we won't be hurting too terribly on the line the next few years.

RDT Mike McCoy - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Played quite well not in terms of raw numbers, but in terms of the space he ate up. Good min-sal return.

Danny White Sweepstakes
Miami
Tucson

Figures the Titans would be gunning for him. :rolleyes:

Week 3 Signings
WR Frank Lewis - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-The man simply doesn't drop passes and that's enough to bring him back, especially with the low, low ticket price. I'm sure glad I traded for him back in the day.

Danny White Sweepstakes
Miami
Tucson
Detroit
Washington

Haha! The Redskins realize the screwup they made and are trying to woo him back to the nation's capital.

Week 4 Signings
TE Rich McGeorge - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Probably shouldn't have re-signed him, because I'm looking to find a hot young rookie in the draft, but oh well. I can always cut him if need be.

MLB Merv Krakau - 4 years, $1.87 mil. (Atlanta)
-I got into a huge, huge bidding war for this guy, an extremely talented middle linebacker who's a fan favorite and a mentor in his 7th season. Did I pay too much? Probably, but he's better than Ed Bradley, who I've let go to the wind. Sure, he's not Willie Lanier, but who knows? Maybe he could be in our defense.

Danny White Sweepstakes
Carolina
Cleveland
Cincinnati
Denver
Detroit
Indianapolis
Miami
Tampa Bay
Tucson
Washington

We're up to 1/3rd of the league vying for White. What a fun battle this is.

Week 5 Signings
RT Ron Mikolajczyk - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-I was *this* close to going another direction, but Ron's cheaper price, passable play, and my odd liking for him meant that I decided to bring him back for another year as our starting RT.

K Tim Webster - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-The K who needs no introduction on his way back into a Dolphins uniform.

Danny White Sweepstakes
No change

Week 6 Signings
RB Delvin Williams - 1 year, $80k* (New England)
-A one-time Offensive Rookie of the Year (1974), Williams is younger and a better receiver than Otis Armstrong for the exact same price. Although Armstrong's a sentimental favorite of mine, Williams is a much better fit for Edwin Buckley[/b['s offensive scheme.

[b]Week 6 Losses
G Fred Sturt - 1 year, $100k (Buffalo)
-Poor Fred. Originally signed as a possible heir to Mo Moorman, he lost his spot when Jim Hough burst onto the scene as a rookie last year. That said, he was a fantastic player, one I briefly considered signing to again be the backup while I moved Moorman over to the right side, but in the end, I wanted a longer-term solution there. Hopefully he'll get a starting spot with the Bills, because he was sensational as a backup.

S Ray Oldham - 1 year, $80k*
-Crap! I forgot to look for reserve safeties! I'm not upset about losing Oldham, though. While a brilliant special teams player, he was awful in coverage and really got picked on during our Super Bowl championship run.

Danny White Sweepstakes
Carolina
Cleveland
Cincinnati
Denver
Detroit
Indianapolis
Miami
New Orleans (eh?)
Philadelphia
Tampa Bay
Tucson
Washington

A quick look at the Saints roster reveals that oh, okay, they're looking to grab White as an heir apparent to Ken Stabler, who completed just 47.6% of his passes last year, with 13 TDs to 17 INTs, the first negative ratio of his career. So we're up to 12 teams out of 32 coming calling now.

Week 7 Signings
QB Danny White - 3 years, $2.25 mill. (Re-signing)
-That giant sucking sound you just heard was almost all of our available cap money going down the drain. Now, that said, White is the Savior of the franchise. With him, we've got a shot at dynasty. Without him, we're a borderline playoff team.

S Jackie Wallace - 1 year, $80k* (Dallas)
-After losing the Super Bowl to us, Wallace wants to hop on the winning train, so he agrees to give up being a starter for a shot at a Super Bowl ring. What an absolutely terrific backup safety. This one makes me grin. Double bonus: He's an amazing punt returner.

Week 8 Signings
S Dennis Bragonier - 1 year, $80k* (Dallas)
-I want you guys to all think back to 1963 in this universe. Remember when we signed a couple of guys named Ross Fichtner and Don Fleming, best friends and teammates with the Cleveland Browns, the respective starting SS and FS, who went on to spend the rest of their careers in Miami? (They had quite terrific ones, in fact). Well, Wallace and Bragonier are mini-versions of those guys, teammates and best friends who have decided to chase the Super Bowl together, both voluntarily leaving the Cowboys to take backup roles with the Dolphins. It's an awesome story.

Unfortunately, as a result of all this free agent work, we're now so low on cash, we can't afford to sign our draft picks. Luckily, DE Julius Adams, FS Chuck Crist and LCB Lenny Dunlap come through in a big way, all agreeing to take major paycuts to give us breathing room to not only sign our picks, but have financial flexibility to make some fairly significant moves. Only Crist and Dunlap wanted an extra year; Adams was happy to oblige with a much-reduced contract.

Week 8 Losses
RB Otis Armstrong - 1 year, $80* (Indianapolis)
-He'll stay in the #2 role with the Colts, where O.J. Simpson, who I will never, ever draft in a historical league, no matter how badly I need a RB, is still going strong in his 11th season. Here's to hoping Juice gets a nasty injury and Armstrong gets to start again. Just a quality guy all-around my favorite #2 RB is. If only he didn't drop so many passes, he could've come back.

It's on to the draft, which I'll do next post because I like the draft to be the first part of the post. Makes it easier to see.

[Izulde]

There's some drafts where there's a lot of mystery and speculation surrounding the #1 pick.

Then there's this draft, where the New Orleans Saints are picking #1 overall and a guy named Joe Montana is sitting on the board.

New Orleans has been looking for Ken Stabler's heir, as previously noted, and Montana would be the perfect fit.

Other high-interest rookies include RB Ottis Anderson, DE Mark Gastineaul, DE Dan Hampton, QB Phil Simms and.... QB Doug Williams, the QB with character issues who was famously traded up for in last year's draft after the 49ers let themselves get ripped off by the Ravens. He refused to sign with the Ravens after a parking lot argument with the team owner. Suddenly it's Baltimore who's looking like fools for giving up so much.

As for us, we're looking primarily for a new starting CB, young blood at DE, a new starting RT, and possible a MLB in case Mike Hunt proves an unworthy backup. None of these are what I would call screamingly urgent needs, however, so we're really in a position where we can take BPA or maybe do some trading down or up.

1979 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. QB Joe Montana - New Orleans Saints
2. QB Doug Williams - Green Bay Packers (no drop for Dougie)
3. RB Ottis Anderson - Oakland Raiders
4. QB Steve Dils - Tucson Titans

Wow, Dils picked before Simms. The crowd in New York can't believe it and boos are heard everywhere in Arizona.

5. ILB Frank Manumalega - Jacksonville Jaguars
6. DE Mark Gastineau - Los Angeles Rams
7. DE Dan Hampton - Kansas City Chiefs
8. TE Kellen Winslow - Baltimore Ravens
9. QB Phil Simms - New York Giants

Now this makes me smile. Simms drops, but he falls right into the Giants' laps. I love it when the alternate universes match up with real life and in this case, Simms gets a chance to lead the recent NFC juggernaut New York squad to even greater heights of power and one of this universe's true dynasties.

10. CB Jerome King - St. Louis Cardinals
11. CB Dwayne Woodruff - San Diego Chargers
12. T Cody Risien - Indianapolis Colts
13. G Kent Hill - Atlanta Falcons
14. ILB Tom Cousineau - Washington Redskins through New England Patriots

The Patsies pick up the Redskins' 1st round pick next year and Washington's 2nd and 4th round picks in 1981. Fair deal for both teams, as New England gets extra picks and Washington gets the best MLB on the board.

15. DT Marty Lyons - New Jersey Jets
16. ILB Barry Krauss - Chicago Bears
17. WR Jeff Groth - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18. S Vernon Perry - Minnesota Vikings
19. ILB Jim Haslett - Seattle Seahawks
20. QB Jeff Komlo - Cincinnati Bengals
21. WR Jerry Butler - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
22. S Brenard Wilson - Carolina Panthers
23. DT Fred Smerlas - New England Patriots through Houston Oilers

The Patriots give up their 1981 1st round pick and their 7th round picks next year and the 81 draft. I notice the Jets took a DT too, as our division foes are seeking to beef up their D-lines against Walter Payton.

24. ILB Jerry Robinson - Philadelphia Eagles
25. DT Bruce Radford - Pittsburgh Steelers
26. ILB Lee Kunz - Detroit Lions
27. RB Jerry Eckwood - Dallas Cowboys through San Francisco 49ers

In their quest for a Super Bowl repeat visit, the Cowboys upgrade their running game, but surrender their 1981 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks. Talk about a desparation move! The 49ers just got filthy rich for the '81 draft as a result of this transactions.

28. RB Eddie Lee Ivery - Washington Redskins
29. RB Tony Nathan - Baltimore Ravens through Cleveland Browns

The Browns pick up Baltimore's 1981 1st rounder and their 3rd and 4th round picks in next year's draft. Nice gain for Cleveland, in my opinion and it seems like nobody wants their 1981 1st round pick. I might have to see about getting one for myself then.

30. CB Lawrence Johnson - Denver Broncos

Damn. That was the CB I was hoping would drop to me.

31. DE Dwaine Board - Tucson Titans through Dallas Cowboys

Tucson was scared I'd take this guy, so they give up their 2nd round picks for next year and 1981 to move up and take him. Not something they really had to do, since Board wasn't on our board at all anyway.

So I'm looking at the board and there's some good players available, but at the same time, none of these guys is really grabbing me. The tackles all have really low development, none of the MLBs say instant starter after the money we spent in free agency.. besides, I want to see what Mike Hunt can do and it's too early to be taking one of the CBs I really like. There's some very sexy options still left at WR, but that'd be overkill, especially since Lynn Swann and Steve Largent are only in their 6th and 4th years respectively.

I think I'll just trade out of the first completely and see what I can get from other teams. It doesn't take me all that long to make a deal, trading away the pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for their 1st rounder next year and their 1981 6th round selection.

32. DE Bruce Thornton - Jacksonville Jaguars

When the guy before the CB I most covet goes off the board early in the 2nd, I do some calling around before deciding to try and move up to grab him. It takes considerable doing and a fairly high price, but finally the Indianapolis Colts take our 2.32 in this draft, our 1980 3rd rounder, and our 1981 5th rounder, allowing us to jump up 21 spots and take CB Wade Manning at 2.11. Even if he doesn't pan out as a starting CB, he'll be a versatile all-around nickel/dime back able to return both kicks and punts, something we've been lacking in for a while.

There's a number of interesting options availabe when we pick quite early in the 3rd round, but it's a no-brainer selection to take TE John Spagnola. Although he skipped the combines and my scout's of the opinion he's very overrated, he looks like a terrific receiver and a special teams ace, with acceptable pass-blocking skills. I also think he looks like a breakout candidate in spite of what my scout thinks and an affinity with our receivers leader seals the deal.

Our luck isn't so bright in the 4th, when the WR I really wanted to drop to me went early in the round and the T I wanted to get to challenge Ron Mikolajcyzk for the RT spot went to the Cowboys *right* before me. In fact, there's nobody left on the whole board I'm really excited about, but I take a flyer on WR Steve Watson anyway, just to see if he'll be an upgrade to Walter Tullis as the 5th receiver. For what it's worth, Watson was graded by the board as having 2nd or 3rd round type-talent, so it's quite a fall he's taken.

P Eddie Hare is our 5th round pick, as we search for a challenger to Neil Clabo. Yeah, it didn't long for this draft to reach the dregs. I'm not looking forward to the 6th or 7th rounds, which'll really be flyer time.

His KR potential gets S Kim Anderson a Dolphins uniform in the 6th, though my guess is he won't even make it to the preseason. Very one-dimensional player and we have other options who offer more talent, it seems.

And finally, Mr. Irrelevant, the 7.32 pick, who is CB Mark Tubbs, a 6'3", 188 lbs. CB out of Alcorn State, who looks like he has some surprising potential to be a nickel or dime back in this league.

Late Free Agency

Week 1 Signings
MLB Ed Bradley - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-You know, I just don't know that I trust Mike Hunt to be a breakout. I'd feel much more comfortable having Bradley as the backup. He's been pretty good for us, you know.


RCB Wade Manning 2.11 22/54 24/49 +2/-5
TE John Spagnola 3.6 34/56 39/54 +5/-2
FL Steve Watson 4.32 18/28 22/33 +4/+5
P Eddie Hare 5.32 32/49 33/48 +1/-1
SS Kim Anderson 6.32 7/22 8/22 +1/+0
RCB Mark Tubbs 7.32 5/46 5/36 -0/-10

Draft Grade: A-

Manning's drop was a disappointment, but he may well have turned out to be a vital pickup anyway, as you'll see when we look at the team preview. I couldn't be happier with Spagnola. He'll be the #2 TE, a special teamer and possibly get the reps on passing downs this year. I'd say he's a pretty safe bet to take over as the starting TE at some point too. Watson was an unexpected boomer and he could possibly be the back up FL or SE this season, but more on that later. Hare will challenge Clabo. Anderson and Tubbs are cast-offs.

[Izulde]

Landry, Greg 6 QB 12 29 29 1 yr.
White, Danny 17 QB 6 59 59 3 yrs
Milan, Don 19 QB 5 19 26 2 yrs

White-Milan-Landry same as last year, no matter how much Greg continues to complain to the press.


Williams, Delvin 44 RB 6 47 47 1 yr.
Payton, Walter 27 RB 5 82 82 5 yrs
Csonka, Larry 48 FB 12 39 39 1 yr.
Brown, Curtis 40 FB 3 29 43 1 yr.

Stability here, too, with Payton, Csonka, and Brown all reprising their same roles, Williams an exchange for Otis Armstrong as the #2 back.


McGeorge, Rich 87 TE 10 42 42 1 yr.
Young, Charle 86 TE 7 50 50 3 yrs
Spagnola, John 82 TE 1 39 54 3 yrs
Lewis, Frank 88 FL 9 28 28 1 yr.
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 6 61 61 5 yrs
Watson, Steve 89 FL 1 22 33 3 yrs
Garrett, Reggie 84 SE 6 44 44 1 yr.
Largent, Steve 80 SE 4 60 60 4 yrs
Blue, Luther 9 SE 3 8 26 1 yr.
Tullis, Walter 85 SE 2 13 19 2 yrs

Young hangs on to the starting TE spot, but Spagnola is the #2 TE and probable heir apparent. While Swann and Largent are the starters, Garrett the backup SE, backup FL is a dogfight between Lewis and Watson. My hunch says Lewis as winner, Watson as the 5th receiver. Blue and Tullis get to play the inactive game and probably McGeorge too.


Banks, Tom 51 C 10 55 55 3 yrs
Quillan, Fred 50 C 2 35 48 2 yrs
Moorman, Mo 79 LG 12 36 36 2 yrs
Hough, Jim 78 LG 2 44 49 3 yrs
Jackson, Noah 77 RG 6 48 48 3 yrs
McKay, Bob 66 LT 10 34 34 1 yr.
Towns, Morris 72 LT 3 32 38 1 yr.
Mikolajczyk, Ron 67 RT 7 40 40 1 yr.

Towns showed vast improvement last season, so that, coupled with McKay's hit, gives him the edge. We'll have a line of Towns-Hough-Banks-Jackson-Mikolajczyk, with Quillan, Moorman, and McKay the reserves. I'm very comfortable with how this position group is looking for future seasons, though we'll be on the hunt for an elite young T as we always are every year.


Clabo, Neil 13 P 5 47 47 2 yrs
Hare, Eddie 10 P 1 33 48 3 yrs
Webster, Tim 16 K 9 46 46 1 yr.

Hare and Clabo will fight it out in preseason, though Clabo has the edge because of his kickholding talents. Webster's still one of the best.


Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 11 35 35 2 yrs
Adams, Julius 93 RDE 9 41 41 2 yrs
Den Herder, Vern 92 RDE 9 50 50 3 yrs
Line, Bill 98 LDT 8 63 63 3 yrs
McCoy, Mike 97 RDT 10 49 49 1 yr.
Maddox, Bob 76 RDT 7 42 42 3 yrs
Ieremia, Mikeli 70 RDT 2 14 30 2 yrs

Greenwood-Line-McCoy-Den Herder, with Adams the reserve DE, Maddox getting in on passing downs, and Ieremia the greenline. L.C.'s on his last legs and he probably won't have enough left in the tank to start next season. Youth is a big, big concern for the entire defensive line now.


Lanier, Willie 58 MLB 13 31 31 1 yr.
Bradley, Ed 95 MLB 8 41 41 1 yr.
Krakau, Merv 94 MLB 7 57 57 4 yrs
Hunt, Mike 52 MLB 2 27 40 2 yrs
Ball, Larry 56 SLB 8 35 35 2 yrs
Shoate, Rod 54 SLB 5 41 41 3 yrs
Black, Tim 57 WLB 3 46 46 1 yr.

Ball's decline means Shoate shifts back to the strong side to start and we're looking at a backer 3 of Shoate-Krakau-Black, with Ball and Bradley the reserves. Hunt will get extended preseason time, while Lanier sadly joins the inactives. What a stellar career he's had with the Dolphins after joining us in 1971 and it's not going to feel the same without him there.


Alexander, Willie 21 LCB 9 25 25 1 yr.
Dunlap, Lenny 49 LCB 9 42 42 3 yrs
Nelms, Mike 46 LCB 3 27 27 1 yr.
Lawrence, Rolland 24 RCB 7 42 42 3 yrs
Manning, Wade 22 RCB 1 24 49 3 yrs
Tubbs, Mark 32 RCB 1 5 36 3 yrs

Dunlap and Lawrence are our starting corners. Alexander and Manning will be the respective CB backups, with Manning the nickel choice. Nelms is a return guy, as is Manning. Tubbs hits the inactive list.


Edwards, Glen 20 SS 9 49 49 2 yrs
Wallace, Jackie 29 SS 7 44 44 1 yr.
Anderson, Kim 42 SS 1 8 22 3 yrs
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 8 59 59 3 yrs
Bragonier, Dennis 33 FS 6 45 45 1 yr.

Edwards and Crist will once again be the starting safeties. Wallace and Bragonier are the backups, with Wallace our #1 PR option. Anderson goes on the inactive list as well.

We're favorites to repeat, with the Washington Redskins the runaway NFC favorites.

I think we've definitely got the ability to do it, but our depth is shakier this year than last. It'll be close.

[Izulde]

Preseason

Miami 31 Carolina 6
A rare Week 1 Preseason game results in this laugher, highlighted by Delvin Williams pulling an Otis Armstrong with 16 carries for 103 yards and Steve Largent taking in 7 catches for 104 yards. Jackie Wallace starts off his unofficial Dolphins career with a bang, returning an interception 38 yards for a TD.

Starting LDT Bill Line injures his knee and he'll be out the rest of the preseason. Mike McCoy will slot over to take his place, elevating Bob Maddox to starting RDT again, with Mikeli Ieremia getting backup reps.

Dallas 13 Miami 38
A Super Bowl re-match results in another Cowboys pasting. Wade Manning had 10 tackles and an assist to go with his pass defense and both our QBs looked sharp this game.

Atlanta 6 Miami 13
Toughest matchup we've had in a long time. Our offense struggled all game and Delvin Williams is starting to look like a bad signing: 1.86 ypc last game, 0.88 this game.. One bright spot: Vern Den Herder with 5 tackles, an assist, 4.5 sacks, a hurry and 4 knockdowns.

Rookie backup FL Steve Watson separates his shoulder and will be out 6 weeks. Frank Lewis slides in to his old spot, Walter Tullis reprising his 5th WR role.

Miami 0 Philadelphia 27
OUCH! I hate ending the preseason with a loss, especially a goose egg like this one. To be honest, I can't remember the last time we were shut out, in preseason *or* regular season play and I don't particularly feel like researching it. Don Milan was terrible today and Tim Webster couldn't hit any FGs. I think opposing teams are starting to figure Milan out. I don't care, though. He's still a Front Office Favorite.

We welcome LDT Bill Line back to the lineup, hit recommend and roar into the regular season.

Regular Season

Buffalo 0 Miami 13
Always nice to see the goose egg reversed. Noah Jackson performs a rare feat for a guard: He returns a fumble 5 yards for a TD, the game's only such score. Our run game went nowhere today and Danny White looked extremely mortal. We were only saved by 2 interceptions and could've very easily lost this game.

Injuries start hitting hard now. T Bob McKay is out 9 weeks with a broken foot and starting TE Charle Young tears a tendon in his wrist, out approximately 10 weeks.

We cut P Eddie Hare and sign T Mike Richey, an 11 year vet cut by the Cincinnati Bengals after preseason to be the backup tackle. Backup C Fred Quillan becomes the LS, with rookie TE John Spagnola taking over the starting spot a season early.

Miami 31 Dallas 27
Re-match #2 and this time it counts. Accordingly, the Cowboys turn this one into a shootout, with 7 combined passing TDs. We win the split 4-3, and that's what decides the game. Danny White is Player of the Game with a 22-41 for 277 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT, but Lynn Swann was more deserving with 8 catches for 143 yards and 3 TDs. Chuck Crist led the defense with a tackle, 2 assists, a half-sack and 2 interceptions.

Another game, another downed starter and this time it's WLB Tim Black, who'll miss next week with a strained deltoid muscle. We say goodbye to rookie CB Mark Tubbs and hello to 4th year WLB Ken Bordelon, late of the Tucson Titans, primarily noted for his special teams work. OLB Larry Ball switches over to the weak side and takes over as the starter there.

Denver 14 Miami 30
It's not a bye week, but we'll take this lighthearted win over Steve Ramsey and the Broncos. Walter Payton shreds Denver's D 37 times for 148 yards and a TD, Danny White eats them for 304 yards, 2 TDs, and an INT on 24/36 passing and Lynn Swann finally gets Player of the Game with 8 catches for 166 yards and 2 TDs. Bill Line highlights the defense with 2 tackles, an assist, 2 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown. Strange, our pass rush has been surprisingly quiet so far this season.

WLB Tim Black is probable, but we'll let him sit a full week to try and make Larry Ball more happy.

Miami 34 New England 13
Meet the worst team in the NFL, the Patriots. Walter Payton shows why he outclasses Earl Campbell by rushing 28 times for 139 yards and 3 TDs and adds 5 catches for 36 yards and another TD on his way to Player of the Game. And yeah, that's pretty much the story right there.

WLB Tim Black is officially back and FL Steve Watson fights back through rehab to be Probable 2 weeks early. We rush to insert him back in the #3 slot and Black in his starting spot.

Miami 37 Jacksonville 7
Home, road, it doesn't seem to matter this season, knock on wood. Walter Payton rushes 28 times for 108 yards and a TD and Danny White wins Player of the Game thanks to his 3 TD/0 INT ratio. Bill Line and Bob Maddox both get 2 sacks, with Maddox getting 2 tackles and an assist and Line recording 4 tackles, 2 assists, a hurry and a knockdown in addition.

Houston 28 Miami 41
Backup FB Curtis Brown had the niftiest play of the game, a 1-yard plunge for his first ever NFL TD. Not bad for a guy who was undrafted, no? Walter Payton chomps on the Oilers for 124 rushing yards and a TD on 27 carries with 4 catches for 32 yards and another TD. Lenny Dunlap was just sick out there, with 3 tackles, a pass defense, and 2 interceptions, including one he took back 74 yards for the score. Our defensive ends discovered how to pass rush again as well, with L.C. Greenwood and Vern Den Herder both amassing 2 tackles and 2 sacks. Greenwood got an assist in there as well, while Den Herder roughed Houston's QB up for a block, a hurry and 4 knockdowns.

Miami 29 Buffalo 16
Mike Nelms opened up the Miami scoring with an 82 yard kickoff return right after Buffalo scored the first TD. It broke the Bills' backs along with Walter Payton, who continued his torrid play with 23 rushes for 167 yards and a TD, his 5th straight 100+ rushing yard game. Bill Line was an absolute monster with 8 tackles, 2 sacks, a hurry and a knockdown in headlining the defense.

Starting MLB Merv Krakau hyperextends his elbow and will miss the next game bare minimum. This means Ed Bradley steps in as the starter, along with Willie Lanier as the backup. Logic would say Mike Hunt, who's finally showing signs of being a good reserve MLB, should be the backup, but to hell with logic. One of my favorite Dolphins in this universe is getting one last shot at regular season play.

Indianapolis 6 Miami 30
Walter Payton wins his umpteenth Player of the Game award and runs his 100+ rushing yardage streak to 6 with this 24 carry for 129 yards and 2 TD performance. He also added 4 catches for 30 yards and another TD. Honestly, this half-season has just been incredible to watch in terms of Sweetness. Vern Den Herder paces the defense with 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns.

So for the second straight season, we go into the halfway point 8-0. We're absolutely dominating a parity-ridden AFC, as the next closest team is 5-2 Pittsburgh. Things are so bad, 4-4 will get you a tie of the division lead in the AFC South, where Houston and Tucson both sit at .500.

Let's take a look at the team stats, shall we?


Winning Pct. 1.000
All-Time 203-109
Winning Pct. .650
Playoffs 21-10
Playoff Visits 14
Bowl Wins 4
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 72-25
Winning Pct. .742
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 38.1 1
Rushing Yards 154.8 1
Yards Per Carry 4.06 12
Pass Attempts 33.1 22
Completions 20.0 20
Completion Pct. 60.4 19
Passing Yards 218.1 18
Yards Per Attempt 6.58 17
Yards Per Catch 10.91 17
Total Yardage Gained 367.6 2
3rd Down Conversions 40.0 12
Points Per Game 30.6 1
Pass Rush Pct. 28.3 1
Pass Defense Pct. 79.7 1
Turnovers 11 13 (T)
Turnover Margin +8 3 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 18.0 1
Rushing Yards 72.4 1
Yards Per Carry 4.02 14
Pass Attempts 38.3 31
Completions 17.9 4
Completion Pct. 46.7 1
Passing Yards 186.3 1
Yards Per Attempt 4.87 1
Yards Per Catch 10.42 9
Total Yardage Gained 239.4 1
3rd Down Conversions 27.1 1
Points Per Game 13.9 1 (T)
Pass Rush Pct. 21.0 17 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 49.9 14
Turnovers 19 4

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 13 BUF 0
2 31 at DAL 27
3 30 DEN 14
4 34 at NED 13
5 37 at JAX 7
6 41 HOU 28
7 29 at BUF 16
8 30 IND 6
10 at TUC
11 at NJY
12 PHI
13 at CLE
14 at NYK
15 NED
16 WAS
17 NJY

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 265 160 1745 6.58 14 5 89.6
**Team --- 265 160 1745 6.58 14 5 89.6
$$Opp --- 306 143 1490 4.87 9 14 52.0

Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 225 989 4.40 9 5
44 D. Williams RB 60 235 3.92 0 1
17 D. White QB 17 17 1.00 0 0
**Team --- 305 1238 4.06 10 10
$$Opp --- 144 579 4.02 2 10

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
81 L. Swann WR 53 31 549 17.71 10.36 3 6
27 W. Payton RB 35 28 224 8.00 6.40 1 4
80 S. Largent WR 53 26 244 9.38 4.60 8 2
84 R. Garrett WR 37 20 239 11.95 6.46 0 0
89 S. Watson WR 26 19 173 9.11 6.65 2 2
82 J. Spagnola TE 18 11 91 8.27 5.06 1 0
87 R. McGeorge TE 12 8 56 7.00 4.67 0 0

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
98 B. Line DT 34 8 6.0 12 0 0 81.3
94 M. Krakau ILB 31 7 0.0 1 1 1 79.8
31 C. Crist S 30 8 0.5 0 4 8 88.4
54 R. Shoate OLB 27 8 0.5 2 2 3 82.1
49 L. Dunlap CB 22 3 1.0 0 3 8 85.0
22 W. Manning CB 22 9 0.0 0 0 3 78.7
20 G. Edwards S 20 9 0.0 0 3 5 86.2
24 R. Lawrence CB 18 6 0.0 1 1 7 83.0
76 B. Maddox DT 15 5 5.5 4 0 0 80.9
96 L. Greenwood DE 13 9 4.5 14 0 0 81.3
92 V. Den Herder DE 13 7 5.5 9 0 0 81.6
95 E. Bradley ILB 13 3 1.0 2 0 0 71.1
56 L. Ball OLB 9 0 0.0 0 0 0 61.4
29 J. Wallace S 9 2 0.0 0 0 2 77.9

Walter Payton is on pace to do something that hasn't been done since Lenny Moore in 1962: challenge for the sacred mark of 2,000 rushing yards. Jim Brown just missed it in the first year of this universe, with 1,988 yards in 1960 and Moore's 62 season also fell short at 1,968. Moore also has the #3 all-time mark with 1,856 yards in 1960.

It'll be something very exciting to follow for the rest of the season.

Lynn Swann is again on pace for 1,000 yard receiving yards. Let's hope he hits it this year. It's been a very odd season defensively in that it's the DTs who are providing most of the pass-rush punch. Not that I'm complaining, it's just weird given how this team's traditionally been.

Chuck Crist is having a lights out season and I really, really hope he gets an All-Pro award at the end of the year. Steve Largent dropping so many passes may well explain why Philadelphia made the moronic suggestion of a 7th rounder for him in the preseason.

It was the first decline I've ever hit.

So the second half of the year is going to be about pursuits: Payton pursing 2,000, Swann chasing 1,000 and us questing for 16-0.

I sure hope we get it.

[SFL Cat]

So the second half of the year is going to be about pursuits: Payton pursing 2,000, Swann chasing 1,000 and us questing for 16-0.

I sure hope we get it.

Better look out! I hear Tom Brady is sending assassins from the future back to 1979 to take care of White, Payton, Swann and anyone else who might give the Fins a shot at a 16-0 regular season record. ;)

"Is your name Danny White? Tom Brady sends his regards. Hasta, la vista."

[Izulde]

Better look out! I hear Tom Brady is sending assassins from the future back to 1979 to take care of White, Payton, Swann and anyone else who might give the Fins a shot at a 16-0 regular season record. ;)

"Is your name Danny White? Tom Brady sends his regards. Hasta, la vista."

:D We've gone 8-0 a few times before in this universe, including last year, but something always happens to screw it up.

This year might be the charm... and I'm up early enough to find out. :)

[Izulde]

Our perfect run thus far is riddled with unhappiness. QB Greg Landry is shilling for a trade as usual, DT Mike McCoy is unhappy because he's not in the nickel package, DE Julius Adams wants to start over L.C. Greenwood after agreeing to restructure his contract for us and is unhappy and both OLB Larry Ball and WLB Tim Black are disgruntled. To every single last one of them, I say deal.

T Bob McKay is back up to Probable, but Mike Richey's been playing so well as the backup T, I don't see a need to switch until McKay's fully healthy. MLB Merv Krakau is also Probable after the bye week, so he gets put back in the starting lineup.

Miami 24 Tucson 21
The Titans, long-time admirers of the Dolphins and their players, nearly ruin our perfect season. It takes a late 4th quarter 16 yard TD pass from Danny White to Walter Payton to give us the comeback win. Walter Payton runs his 100+ game streak to 7 in a row, with 28 carries for 147 yards and a TD and 2 catches for 21 yards and the game-winning TD as Player of the Game. Mike Nelms averaged 30.3 yards a kickoff return.

Miami 33 New Jersey 13
No scare from the Jets as Walter Payton keeps right on going, with 28 rushes for 128 yards and 2 TDs, taking him to 8 in a row. It's really been something incredible to see. We're also now 10-0 on the year.

TE John Spagnola strains his elbow tendon and is out for possibly the rest of the regular season. Charle Young is questionable, but we'll insert him in the lineup anyway. T Bob McKay is now fully rested up, so he'll be back in as the reserve T.

Philadelphia 0 Miami 30
We avenge the Eagles' 28-0 shutout of us in preseason with an even more emphatic shutout to put us at 11-0. The Walter Payton streak runs to 9, with 26 rushes for 149 yards and a TD and 6 catches for 47 yards and another TD, though it took a 54 yard TD run midway through the 4th to get him over 100 yards.

Miami 10 Cleveland 14
And just like that, our perfect season's gone, thanks to Danny White's 2 INTs. Walter Payton also loses his 100+ run streak at 9, as he picks up just 76 yards rushing this game. What a disappointing loss in all ways.

We've still got things to play for, though. Although we're 11-1, we haven't secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs yet, as Pittsburgh is 9-3. Walter Payton still has a very outside chance at 2,000 yards. Granted, it's very outside, but it's still there.

Miami 35 New York 7
We console ourselves with a thrashing of the Giants, running back 2 interceptions for TDs as the final scores (Lenny Dunlap - 32 yards, Larry Ball - 28 yards). Walter Payton rushes 21 times for 118 yards to put him over the 1,500 yard mark. He's got 3 games in which to get 500 yards. Is it doable? Yes, but it's going to take an amazing effort to get it.

TE John Spagnola is back to Probable, so he'll get slotted in as the starter again.

New England 10 Miami 16
Another comeback win, another Danny White to Walter Payton TD pass to get it. Walter Payton wins Player of the Game, but runs just 16 times for 129 yards. 2,000 is looking further and further away.

TE John Spagnola ruptures his elbow tendon and is lost for the rest of the season, maybe even longer. If his career gets wrecked, I'll never forgive myself for rushing him back. He's looked fantastic in his rookie season. DE L.C. Greenwood, a Dolphins institution, is out 6 weeks with a separated shoulder. There's a small chance he could come back for the Super Bowl, if we get that far.

Spagnola goes on the IR, Charle Young takes over as the starting TE, Julius Adams finally gets the starting DE spot, and DE Walt Patulski signs on to be the reserve DE after the top free agent DE wanted bonus money. :rolleyes:

Washington 36 Miami 25
Remember how I said the Redskins were the NFC favorites in preseason? Well, they just proved it here by absolutely blindsiding us. We got a garbage score with under a minute left to play to make it look respectable, but this Redskins team is sick. Tony Dorsett stomps all over us for 182 rushing yards and a TD and Steve Bartowski game-managed perfectly. It's like looking at our own mirror image. Danny White was 21-41 for 318 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs and rookie WR Steve Watson had 4 catches for 115 yards and 2 TDs. Chuck Crist provided a rare defensive highlight with 10 tackles, an assist, and a hurry.

Perfect season gone? Check.
Shot at 2,000 gone? Check.
Swann's 1,000 quest done? Check.
Home-field advantage clinched? Check.

And yet, I'm not going to rest my starters for the final game. Walter Payton still has a shot at 1,800, which would be the first since Lenny Moore in 1962. I won't deny him that chance.

New Jersey 0 Miami 40
Our final game is our most complete game as we knock the hell out of our hated archrivals, the Jets. Walter Payton gets that 1,800 mark with 33 carries for 125 yards and Danny White was a blistering 24-28 for 293 yards, 4 TDs and an INT. Lynn Swann caught 5 passes for 103 yards and a TD and Julius Adams had 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries and 2 knockdowns. But the real story of the game was Player of the Game Vern Den Herder, who went on a tear with 5 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 6 hurries and 9 knockdowns..

It was a statement game, a message to the rest of the league that we're not to be taken lightly in the postseason.

By the by, Walter Payton's final rushing yardage total: 1,892

8 yards short of 1,900.

But still good enough to have the 3rd highest rushing season total in league history behind Jim Brown and Lenny Moore.

Now we're hungry, hungry to defend our Super Bowl championship.

[Izulde]

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention. We had our first sub-.500 division champion since 1965, and for the first time ever, the offending division wasn't the NFC South. It was the AFC South, won by the Houston Oilers at 7-9.

We draw the Cleveland Browns for our divisional round game and are definitely looking to avenge our 14-10 regular season loss.

They've got 11th year vet and overachiever QB Marty Domres behind center. Although he's not considered that good, he's had a positive TD/INT ratio ever year he's been a starter (since 1971, originally drafted in the 6th round in 1969 by the Panthers).

RB Joe Washington is the cornerstone of this offense, rushing for 1300-1400 yards in each of his 4 seasons, though he's got a small touch of fumbleitis. In FL Wally Francis, SE Ike Harris and WR Danny Buggs, they've got a pretty solid WR corps.

C Dave Dalby is out with an injury, which is a major boon for us, as he's a two-time All-Pro, although C Wayne Mulligan isn't that far a drop-off. The inside of the line is weak in pass protection, which matches up well with our dominant DTs. LT Joe Devlin is solid, RT Dave Taylor respectable.

P Pat McInally and K Dennis Patera are both quality guys.

The Browns' D-line in the 3-4 lives and dies by unnaturally talented NT Randy White. The ends aren't anything worth speaking of. SLB Jim Merlo and WLB Larry Keller are pass-rush threats in an otherwise anemic linebacking corps. SS Mark Murphy is quite good, but the rest of the Cleveland secondary is ghastly, making them ripe for the picking against our passing game.

Cleveland's got the offensive firepower to compete, but they're going to have to get some major success in the pass-rush, because their linebacking and secondary are both liable to get torn apart by Danny White and our fantastic receivers.

This should be a fairly winnable game for us and Vegas has us by 5.

Things are looking scary at halftime, as the Browns score 14 unanswered points in the second quarter to put them up 24-10 at halftime, but we roar back in the second half, shutting them out the rest of the way and doing just enough to secure the victory and move forward.

Although Walter Payton was largely shut down in the run game, with just 14 carries for 65 yards, he had 2 rushing TDs and caught 3 passes for 73 yards, including a big-time 58 yard TD pass reception that tied the game at 24 in the 3rd quarter. For those 3 scores, he won Player of the Game.

Danny White was the real reason we came out on top: 19/28 for 301 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. It's a remarkable reversal from his usual pedestrian playoff games. Vern Den Herder had 3 tackles, an assist, 1.5 sacks and 2 knockdowns, but it was Lenny Dunlap who starred for the defense with 2 assists, 3 passes defensed and an interception.

Close game, but we'll definitely take the win against this tough-playing Browns team.

On to the AFC Championship!

Cleveland 24 Miami 31

[Izulde]

L.C. Greenwood is back up to Probable, so he'll take backup DE duties, as well as be in our goal-line, nickel and dime packages.

Our AFC Championship opponent is the Cincinnati Bengals, who have young, 3rd year overachiever QB Randy Hedberg leading up the offense. Like Marty Domres, he's never had a negative TD/INT ratio, only Hedberg was a late 1st round pick, as opposed to 6th round selection Domres.

Fan favorite RB Lydell Mitchell has had a long, successful career with the Bengals, but he's definitely on the downswing. A one-time Offensive Player of the Year (1976) and Offensive Rookie of the Year (1972), he's actually gotten to be a smarter runner as he's gotten older and more secure with the ball. That said, he's lost all speed and relies on his tough, power running. This season makes the first time in his 8 year career that he's failed to crack the 1,000 yard barrier and his 4 rushing TDs are likewise a career low.

TE Paul Coffman is a terrific 2nd year player and FL Ken Burrough is still a first-tier type WR, even in his 10th season. The rest of the receivers are ugly, though.

The Bengals have the absolute worst offensive line I've ever seen for an AFC Championship team. C Jim Langer is the only one who'd even make our roster and while he's terrific, he can't block everyone by himself.

DE Mark Mullaney was a 5th round steal and has been productive in his five years in the league and DT Mike Dawson is a phenomenal talent, though he disappointed after his All-Pro season last year. DT Bob Baumhower is a 3rd year DT, who's just starting to come into his ability. MLB Randy McClanahan is one of the best, young MLBs in the league, a necessity given how ugly the rest of the linebackers are.

CB Willie Buchanon rebounded after a down season last year, showing he's still a DB to be feared. SS Ray Easterling and FS Donnie Gibbs are an excellent safety duo, particularly Gibbs.

All told, we definitely have the edge here. While the Bengals have a pretty good defense and an okay offense, their o-line is going to absolutely sink them.

Vegas has us by 4, a somewhat surprising margin, given that this looks easier than the Browns matchup.

This game really wasn't as close as the final scoreline says in my opinion. Walter Payton creamed the Bengals D for 182 yards on 31 carries on his way to Player of the Game. Tim Webster showed his clutch ability again and really carried us to victory with his 4/4 FGs, 3/3 from 40+ range, along with a 50 yard conversion.

Randy Hedberg is definitely a QB to watch. He played quite well despite not having that many passing options and despite Lydell Mitchell being handcuffed all day. He was 19-35 for 275 yards and 2 TDs. Not bad for a young kid starting in his team's first ever AFC Championship appearance.

But it wasn't enough and the Miami Dolphins earn the right to defend their Super Bowl title!!!!

Cincinnati 27 Miami 33

[Izulde]

Super Bowl XX Preview

Miami Dolphins Out
TE John Spagnola

Detroit Lions Out
None

Quarterback
Danny White has turned the Dolphins' fortunes around with two straight seasons of 3,000+ yards and almost 30 TDs. He's accurate, plays well with the Dolphins receiving corps, and was a terrific free agent find last season, resulting in a fierce bidding war this past offseason that led to him returning to Miami, as they were the team that gave him the chance to be a full-time starter. Backup Don Milan is a folk hero for his regular season and playoff successes, including throwing the game-winning TD pass in last year's Super Bowl.

Tommy Kramer may be a 3rd year player, but he's played like a high-level veteran after a rough going his rookie year. He threw for 3,833 yards and 28 TDs vs just 10 INTs in the regular season and has thrown for 611 yards and a 5 TD/1 INT ratio in this coming out playoff party. #2 QB Bill Kenney is a raw, but extremely promising second year player.

Advantage: Draw

Running Backs
Sweetness is indeed sweet. Walter Payton, last year's Offensive Player of the Year, had the 3rd highest single-season rushing total in NFL history this year, with 1,892 rushing yards and 14 TDs, both career highs. He also has 464 yards and 8 TDs receiving as the league's best two-pointed threat, a domination he's continued in the postseason. #2 back Delvin Williams is surehanded and one of the best reserve RBs in the NFL.

Mike Franckowiak has broken the 1,000 yard barrier in each of the last two seasons as a starter, but is a little fumble-prone. Reserve Robert Miller is adequate, though many think rookie Kenny King should be the #2 option.

Advantage: Dolphins

Wide Receivers
Miami's offense makes very little use of their TEs, so losing John Spagnola for the year didn't hurt, especially with quality vets Charle Young and Rich McGeorge to pick up the slack. FL Lynn Swann and SE Steve Largent are the most talented young starters in the league, though Largent has looked drop-prone this season and wasn't utilized much in the passing attack. 4th round pick Steve Watson has proven an unexpected steal in his rookie season, the perfect fit for the #3 WR role. Reggie Garrett is also a solid contributor and a big reason why Largent's role has declined.

TE John Strada is a fantastic safety valve and run-blocker for the Lions and FL Billy Johnson has been terrific since joining Detroit in free agency two seasons ago. SE Nat Moore drops far too many passes to be effective, though Leonard Thompson is sufficient as a third receiver.

Advantage: Dolphins

Offensive Line
Although many questioned the decision, inserting LT Morris Towns as the starter paid off, as he proved a phenomenal run-blocker and adequate pass protector. LGJim Hough and RG Noah Jackson played even better than their famed predecessors, Mo Moorman and Gene Upshaw did at their heights, RT Ron Mikolajcyzk greatly improved his pass protection and C Tom Banks did his usual solid all-around work. C Fred Quillan and G Mo Moorman are great backups, though T Bob McKay's best days a distant memory.

15th year veteran C Bill Curry is no longer the run-blocker he once was, but he makes up for it with technical brilliance in pass protection. LG Ernie Janet and RG Glenn Bujnoch are both poor run blockers, but good pass-blockers. The tackles are the best part of the line, with LT Tom Drougas and RT Ken Jones both great all-around players. A big reason for the Lions' postseason run has been the stepped up play of the reserves: C Kyle Davis, G Burton Lawless and T J.T. Taylor.

Advantage: Dolphins

Kickers
P Neil Clabo is league average and K Tim Webster is one of the most clutch kickers around.

P Mike Connell is slightly above average and while [b]K Jim O'Brien[b/] doesn't have Webster's legendary clutch status, he's still a very solid K and career-long Lion.

Advantage: Draw

Defensive Line
LDE Julius Adams is a better run-stopper than pass-rusher and while RDE Vern Den Herder's skills may be starting to fade, he's still one of the most feared DEs in the league. LDT Bill Line had an All-Pro type year with 63 tackles, 19 assists, 8.5 sacks, 2 blocks, 22 huries and 14 knockdowns and will be looking for redemption after missing last year's Super Bowl with an injury. RDT Mike McCoy is a space-eater and goes out of passing packages for pass-rushing specialist DT Bob Maddox, who set a career high with 7.5 sacks in the regular season. DE L.C. Greenwood is a shadow of what he once was.

LDE Al Cowlings is a major overchiever. Despite having limited physical ability, he's got a motor that's generated 13 sacks this year and last, with the Lions and Panthers respectively. The same can't be said for RDE Lyle Alzado, an average starter. LDT Charlie Johnson is still adjusting to the NFL game in his 3rd season and RDT Carl Baririsch is league-average. The reserves are both little-used and unremarkable.

Advantage: Dolphins

Linebackers
Dolphins fans have been disappointed with MLB Merv Krakau, who wasn't the impact player they were expecting when the team signed him to a lavish contract in the offseason. SLB Rod Shoate never lived up to his high expectations, but is brilliant in coverage. WLB Tim Black has been another bust. MLB Ed Bradley's skills have declined, as have OLB Larry Ball's. MLB Willie Lanier has almost nothing left, but he's been activated in hopes of getting him in for one more Super Bowl. Many within the Dolphins organization feel 2nd year MLB Mike Hunt should be getting a longer look and more PT.

MLB Steve Towle can rack up the tackles, rush the passer a bit and provide good coverage, a skillset shared by SLB Brad Dusek. WLB Dan Dickel is the weak link in the starters, though he's still a decent run-stopper. OLB Larry Polowski is a raw rookie, but worth keeping an eye on.

Advantage: Lions

Secondary
LCB Lenny Dunlap finally had the kind of season the Dolphins expected out of him, with 5 interceptions and an 82.6 PD % in the regular season. He's been white-hot in the postseason, with a pick and a 90.8% PD in Miami's two games. RCB Rolland Lawrence looks great in the regular season, a real ballhawk and terrific cover corner, but he's really tailed off in the playoffs the last two years. SS Glen Edwards and FS Chuck Crist are both sensational, with Crist as fiery as Dunlap this playoffs: an interception and 90.1% PD. CB Willie Alexander, in counterpoint, has been abused this postseason. Rookie CB Wade Manning is still learning the ropes. SS Jackie Wallace is a good reserve and FS Dennis Bragonier is woefully underused, despite his talent.

For the Lions, LCB Nelson Muncey is respectable, RCB Rick Byas very good. SS Cliff Harris is one of those guys who gets better with age and FS Gary Fencik is the greatest young FS we've ever seen: His regular season PD was 89%, he had a 2 INTs and 100% PD in last year's playoffs, and he's at a respectable 83.8% for this playoffs. In his four years in the league, he's amassed 14 INTs, improving every season, and a career average of 85.3% PD. All this from a late 1st round selection. (1.23) CB Earlie Thomas is a perfect fit as a nickel back, though the backup safeties aren't used much and aren't very good.

Advantage: Draw

Keys for the Dolphins
1. Keep the offense balanced
Although it's going to be tempting to just run with Walter Payton, especially given Detroit's good secondary, a balanced offensive scheme will prevent the Lions from stacking up against the run and forcing White to beat them through the air.

2. Blitz only sparingly
The Lions have an offensive line designed to protect QB Tommy Kramer and give him time to throw. Miami doesn't have the weapons needed to be successful in bringing extra blitzers on a regular basis. Instead, concentrate on everyone executing their assignments and staying in their zones.

3. Dare Detroit to beat you with the run
By focusing heavily on pass defense and having everyone stay at home, Detroit will be forced to go with the run and Mike Franckowiak isn't the type of RB to be able to win games.

Keys for the Lions
1. Always keep a man on Walter Payton
It's been said for all three of the Super Bowls that Sweetness has been appeared in, but it's true. Payton's that much of a gamechanger running and receiving that at least one person needs to be spying on him at all times.

2. Go with passing routes that attack the Dolphins linebackers
Miami's weak point on defense is the linebacking corps, so if the Lions go with short and intermediate routes that strike at the vulnerable area, effective scoring drives can be run. More importantly, the shorter advances will lead to longer drives. The last thing a team wants to get into is a track meet with the Dolphins, with the kind of offensive firepower Miami has.

3. Pick the brains of Scott Bull and Rich Coady
Both these Lions were most recently with the Dolphins organization, so they're a good source to look to for more inside information on how best to stop the Miami offensive juggernaut and hit the holes in the Dolphins' defensive scheme.

Final Thoughts
Detroit presents a much stiffer challenge than the Cowboys did last year and it should be a very exciting Super Bowl to watch. That said, Miami is just too talented and too strong overall for the Lions to beat, especially on offense. If this goes to a high-scoring affair, forget it. It's all the Dolphins.

Line: Miami by 3

[Izulde]

We get the ball to open things up and start on our 29. Danny White is looking good with two crisp pass completions, but then Lynn Swann stupidly fumbles the ball, surrendering it to the Lions at the 50 yard line.

Two short runs mixed in with 3 10+ yard passes by Tommy Kramer later, the last a 14 yard TD pass from Kramer to TE John Strada and we're in the hole early. Things are not looking good.

Detroit 7 Miami 0 - 11:21 1st Quarter

A stupid penalty on the ensuing kickoff return puts us on our 4 yard line, but Danny White goes into accurate mode, completing 5 straight passes, including a 23 yarder to Walter Payton, to put us into Detroit territory.

But we stall there and end up trading 3 and outs.

Another 3 and out comes, but fortune smiles on us during the punt as Reggie Garrett smacks Jeff Severson so hard he fumbles the ball and Ron Mikolajcyzk of all people recovers it at the Lions 31.

Walter Payton catches a 4 yard pass and then has two short runs good enough to get a fresh set of downs at the end of the first.

Detroit 7 Miami 0 - End 1st Quarter

We get off to a great start in the 2nd quarter when Walter Payton has 2 runs for 18 yards total to get us on the 2 yard line. Two straight runs follow in which Sweetness is stuffed, but then Danny White finds rookie Steve Watson in the endzone for the tying TD!

Miami 7 Detroit 7 - 13:10 2nd Quarter

A critical 3rd and 1 play comes early on the next drive, but we can't stop them and Tommy Kramer just keeps lighting us up, picking up another TD pass this one for 29 yards to Ollie Smith.

Detroit 14 Miami 7 - 8:42 2nd Quarter

Another trade of 3 and outs ensues before Danny White pulls off two long pass plays, 15 yards to Steve Watson and 20 yards to Reggie Garrett to get us into Detroit territory just inside the 2:00 warning.

But the hope is snuffed out when superstar safety Gary Fencik intercepts a pass and the Lions run out the clock to halftime.

Detroit 14 Miami 7 - Halftime

They get the ball back to start the second half, but we 3 and out them, only to have the same damn thing happen to us when Dave Kraayeveld slams Danny White for a 15 yard sack and Steve Largent drops the pass that would've converted the 3rd and 23. I'm really getting sick of Largent's drops and am tempted to get rid of him.

We hold them to another 3 and out, but that doesn't matter because on the very first play of our next drive Rick Byas intercepts the pass and returns it 40 yards to our 8 yard line. Tommy Kramer to John Strada for the TD and we're officially drowning.

Detroit 21 Miami 7 - 9:01 3rd Quarter

I tell myself we're not out yet and we aren't as the following drive ensues:

Walter Payton - 11 yards
Walter Payton - 12 yards
White to Swann - 31 yards
White to Largent - 14 yards
Payton - 0 yards
Payton - 0 yards
White to Garrett - TD!

Now that's what I call a quick answer strike! (Relatively speaking, anyway)

Detroit 21 Miami 14 - 4:22 3rd Quarter

Oh yeah, Rick Byas was also hurt on the play. Sweet bit of poetic justice there.

Unfortunately, what follows is yet another exchange of 3 and outs to end the 3rd quarter.

Detroit 21 Miami 14 - End 3rd Quarter

We can't effing stop Tommy Kramer, who feeds it to his backs and TEs, especially Kenny King and the crowning insult comes when Mike Franckowiak punches in a little 1 yard run for the score.

Detroit 28 Miami 14 - 11:08 4th Quarter

Naturally we 3 and out and then the Lions keep junkballing runs by switching off between Mike Franckowiak and Kenny King. Evidently the bastard Lions listened to the Super Bowl preview about King. We finally stop them and get the ball back just before the two minute warning.

We start putting together a drive, but it's too little, too late, even if Earlie Thomas hadn't intercepted Danny White in the endzone to conclude the game.

Detroit 28 Miami 14 - Final Score

Not much to say about this one except that we got our asses handed to us.

Tommy Kramer was MVP, naturally, thanks to his 21-29 for 226 yards and 3 TD performance.

Our only highlight was Lynn Swann who had a valiant performance in 7 catches for 106 yards. Danny White's 3 interceptions killed us, his 26/44 for 279 yards and 2 TDs not withstanding.

The secondary played like absolute shit. Lenny Dunlap in particular reverted back to his old form, getting burned 6 times.

We really need to upgrade our linebacking and CB situation in the offseason. Tommy Kramer took full advantage of our weakness on short routes.

I'm really disgusted right now, but there's always next year.

[damnMikeBrown]

Draft! Draft! Draft!

Whoooooaaaa Nelly there are some fine players in this one!

In order of their draft. . .
RB Billy Sims (his afro gained an estimated .5yds/carry)
OT Anthony Munoz (Furniture Fair!)
TE Junior Miller (Sr is making flour)
CB Mark Haynes (more stickem please)
C Jim Richter (he's about a 4.5 on the Richter scale)
WR Art Monk (he invented beer!)
LB Otis Wilson (wears a massive horse shoe around his neck)
RB Charles White (the cocaine trojan)
QB Mark Malone (a real live horror movie at QB)
RB Joe Cribbs (never cought cheating on a test)
C Ray Donaldson (I got nothin)
LB Keena Turner (Back to Thunderdome!)
DE Rulon Jones (Rule on your offensive line)
LB Matt Millen (Please let Det draft him!)
DT Steve McMichael (I have his jersey too)
QB Eric Hipple (Hippy type nipple QB)
RB I.M. Hipp (I am cool)
RB Tim Newsome (a wholesome new something)
K Eddie Murray (He kicks the ball!)
QB Turk Schonert (The Turk)
DB Woodrow Wilson (just hope he lives through the rookie contract)

[Izulde]

Record 16-3
Winning Pct. .842
All-Time 209-111
Winning Pct. .653
Playoffs 23-11
Playoff Visits 15
Bowl Wins 4
Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Record 80-28
Winning Pct. .740
Off. Coord. E. Buckley
Def. Coord. D. Bruce

Miami Dolphins Team Rank
Rushes per Game 33.9 4
Rushing Yards 146.0 1
Yards Per Carry 4.31 5
Pass Attempts 31.9 25
Completions 19.6 18
Completion Pct. 61.4 11
Passing Yards 224.4 16
Yards Per Attempt 7.04 7
Yards Per Catch 11.47 10
Total Yardage Gained 362.5 2
3rd Down Conversions 38.1 17
Points Per Game 28.6 1
Pass Rush Pct. 29.0 1
Pass Defense Pct. 64.2 3
Turnovers 24 10 (T)
Turnover Margin +2 14 (T)

Opponents Team Rank
Rushes per Game 21.4 2
Rushing Yards 80.5 2
Yards Per Carry 3.76 6
Pass Attempts 36.8 32
Completions 18.4 2
Completion Pct. 49.9 1
Passing Yards 184.7 1
Yards Per Attempt 5.02 1
Yards Per Catch 10.05 1 (T)
Total Yardage Gained 248.5 1
3rd Down Conversions 32.6 4
Points Per Game 13.3 1
Pass Rush Pct. 20.8 14 (T)
Pass Defense Pct. 52.3 14
Turnovers 26 23 (T)

Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 13 BUF 0
2 31 at DAL 27
3 30 DEN 14
4 34 at NED 13
5 37 at JAX 7
6 41 HOU 28
7 29 at BUF 16
8 30 IND 6
10 24 at TUC 21
11 33 at NJY 13
12 30 PHI 0
13 10 at CLE 14
14 35 at NYK 7
15 16 NED 10
16 25 WAS 36
17 40 NJY 0
$$CS 31 CLE 24
$$CF 33 CIN 27
**FB 14 vs DET 28

Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int Rate
17 D. White QB 510 313 3590 7.04 29 13 90.9
**Team --- 510 313 3590 7.04 29 13 90.9
$$Opp --- 589 294 2955 5.02 14 20 58.3

Front Office Football 2007
Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD Fum
27 W. Payton RB 403 1892 4.69 14 7
44 D. Williams RB 106 409 3.86 2 1
**Team --- 542 2336 4.31 17 16
$$Opp --- 343 1288 3.76 7 21

Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc Y/Tar Drop TD
27 W. Payton RB 75 61 464 7.61 6.19 2 8
80 S. Largent WR 106 55 589 10.71 5.56 11 5
81 L. Swann WR 93 51 894 17.53 9.61 4 9
89 S. Watson WR 64 43 552 12.84 8.63 5 5
84 R. Garrett WR 72 39 510 13.08 7.08 0 1

Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn PDPct
94 M. Krakau ILB 73 39 1.0 2 1 4 78.5
31 C. Crist S 69 19 0.5 2 5 10 83.9
22 W. Manning CB 64 19 0.0 0 0 3 73.5
98 B. Line DT 63 19 8.5 22 0 0 81.2
20 G. Edwards S 49 18 0.0 2 4 8 84.0
54 R. Shoate OLB 40 16 0.5 4 2 6 81.8
76 B. Maddox DT 39 11 7.5 9 0 0 77.9
49 L. Dunlap CB 38 6 1.0 0 5 10 82.6
24 R. Lawrence CB 38 9 0.0 1 2 11 81.2
92 V. Den Herder DE 36 12 13.5 36 0 0 81.4
96 L. Greenwood DE 25 15 5.5 24 0 0 80.5
29 J. Wallace S 21 9 0.0 0 0 2 77.7
56 L. Ball OLB 19 2 1.0 1 1 1 76.3
93 J. Adams DE 18 7 3.5 6 0 0 81.8
57 T. Black OLB 18 7 0.0 0 0 0 70.4

Danny White wasn't light-outs like he was last year, but still had a good season. We don't need to go into Walter Payton's greatness. Steve Watson was a real find as a rookie, to such degree that I'm sorely tempted to shop Steve Largent. Bill Line was amazing after he finally got a full season in and Vern Den Herder is still going strong.

Wade Manning was a dissapointment in his first season, Merv Krakau an ugly addition. Tim Black finally started showing a pulse of pass defense, but it's nowhere near enough.

We're going to be looking very strongly at all 3 LB spots, plus DE and CB this offseason. One of the problems we had this year was a lack of playmakers in the secondary outside of our starters and our linebacking corps has been consistently weak since Willie Lanier went into decline. Our defense relies heavily on a powerhouse MLB.

1979 Dolphins Season Awards

RB Walter Payton - MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Pro RB
None of these are surprises as Sweetness rides the #3 all-time single-season rushing yardage to the Trifecta. It wouldn't surprise me to see him win the Superfecta one of these days (Super Bowl MVP in addition to these 3 awards). It's the second year in a row he's won Offensive Player of the Year. Trade's looking pretty smart now, no?

LT Morris Towns - 1st Team All-Pro T
Wow! This one was a stunner, but I suppose it's hard to argue with Morris's 35 KRBs (43.8%) with a pancake and just 5 sacks allowed at the LT spot. Here's his draft write-up from four drafts ago.


There's a LT and a DT I'm eyeing for my 3rd round pick. The DT gets snatched up when a team trades up to grab him, but the LT falls down to our pick at 3.31. This should probably set off alarms in my head that he still isn't drafted, but I think he could surprise people so T Morris Towns is the pick.

Surprise he certainly has, especially after he took a -0/-5 header after training camp. What a nifty story for Towns and for us. :)

RT Ron Mikolajcyzk - 2nd Team All-Pro T
31 KRBs (42.5%) with 2 pancakes and 5 sacks allowed. A lot of people question why I keep bringing him back on one year deals, but the fact of the matter is, he's just a really solid player, a terrific run-blocker who doesn't do too badly as a pass-blocker. I just have a really odd liking for him.

RDE Vern Den Herder - 2nd Team All-Pro DE
Vern earns his second straight 2nd Team All-Pro appearance. Sure we've gotten him for his twilight years and he'll go in the Hall of Fame with a Jaguars uniform on, but we've been happy to have him in the Aqua and Orange for the last phase of his career.

LDT Bill Line - 2nd Team All-Pro DT
This is Bill's first ever All-Pro award and does he ever deserve it, especially after finishing 2nd on the team in sacks, 3rd in hurries and 4th in tackles for this year. A major boon to our D-line for certain.

Harris Wilcox - Coach of the Year
Wilcox wins his second straight Coach of the Year award, the first coach in franchise history to win it twice in a row, though I think Tyrus Treftz may have won the award two times. Pretty fitting, considering he was a questioned hire, like so many other guys honored this season for us have been in some way, shape, or form.

Other Major Awards
Defensive Player of the Year
DE Too Tall Jones - Minnesota Vikings
Offensive Rookie of the Year
RB Ottis Anderson - Oakland Raiders (16 rushing TDs vs. 2 fumbles!)
Defensive Rookie of the Year
DE Mark Gastineau - Los Angeles Rams

We had no less than 7 retirements this year, including FB Larry Csonka and two unexpected retirements in DE Julius Adams (9th season) and RB Delvin Williams (6th season).

But there's two guys I want to spend more time talking about.

MLB Willie Lanier (1967-1979) (1971-1979 with Miami)
Drafted with the #1 overall pick in the 1967 draft by Cincinnati, he played out his rookie contract with the Bengals before hitting the free agent market and becoming the big story of the 1971 offseason in signing with us. What followed was a 9 year Dolphins career, in which he was the heart and soul of our defense for 7 seasons before giving way to Ed Bradley and Merv Krakau the last two years. Unlike the superlative Vern Den Herder, Willie earned all of his hardware with the Dolphins, as he was the single most dominant MLB of the early 70s.

It was tough when I couldn't put him as the starter in good faith anymore, and it hurt even more to scratch him completely from the active lineup. Easily one of my favorite Dolphins players in this universe and that's rare for a guy I didn't personally draft.

His card:

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

Super Bowl Rings
1972, 1978

All-Pro Teams
1971 - 2nd Team All-Pro
1973 - 1st Team All-Pro
1974 - 1st Team All-Pro

Miami Dolphins All-Time Records
1st - Tackles
1st - Assists
10th - Sacks
7th - Passes Defensed

NFL All-Time Records
7th - Tackles
9th - Assists

Borderline Hall of Famer, but if he goes in, he'll be the first Dolphins inductee in all likelihood.

LG Mo Moorman (1968-1979)
One of the great unsung heroes in franchise history. Taken at 1.32 in the 1968 draft, he served a year's apprenticeship before taking over the starting LG spot and holding it there for the next 10 seasons before yielding graciously to Jim Hough in his final year. Just a terrific guard who never got the All-Pro recognition he so richly deserved. In many ways, he was better than the much more heralded Gene Upshaw, his fellow long-time Dolphins guard.

His card:

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

Super Bowl Rings
1972, 1978

Miami Dolphins All-Time Records
2nd - Key Run Blocks
2nd - Pancake Blocks
4th - Games Started

Staff Hiring

Lead Scout Grady Coffey
LB: Fair to Average

Head Coach Harris Wilcox
Offensive Playcalling: Excellent to VG

Defensive Coordinator Don Bruce
LB: Good to VG

OC Edwin Buckley is out of contract and we need to do everything possible to bring him back. His demands are only $10k more than the max the owner's willing to offer, so hopefully he'll stay with us.

Harris Wilcox presents a real problem. At 65 and with two straight talent drops, the game's clearly passing him by, but he's also won Coach of the Year the last two years. In the end, though, he's too great a story and I'm too big on loyalty in this universe to let him go. Besides, the fanbase would eat me alive.

He's only got one year left on his contract, anyway, so he'll play out the year, and if he doesn't retire, well maybe then he can find a job elsewhere.

Coffey's improvement and his general ability to scout the defensive side of the ball and young talent saves his job.

Edwin Buckley waits a week before finally taking our 5 year, $550,000 a year offer to stay with the Dolphins. By the end of it, he'll have 14 consecutive seasons as our OC, a stretch a full year better than Royce Womble's 13 straight years as our DC.

CB Wade Manning wins a free trip to Europe for the summer league, as he tries to become something worthwhile in our secondary.

Two trade offers at the start of free agency. The one for Steve Largent I have no trouble ignoring.

But then the Tucson Titans, the eternal Dolphins-wannabes, offer me the #9 overall pick in the draft for QB Danny White. It's tempting, it's damned tempting, especially since we already have the #5 and #31 picks in the draft and can get some real ammunition.

But then I take a look at this draft and there's nobody that says make the deal and then try to get me. The guys I feel could make the biggest impact for us, I can probably get at #5 and don't have to move for... and frankly, I love Danny White, his 3 INTs in the last Super Bowl aside. We were the ones to give him a chance and he's paid us well for it. On top of it, who would we get to replace him?

The only way I even think about making this deal is if there's someone comparable in free agency and there won't be.

Week 1 Extensions/Re-signings
WLB Tim Black - 1 year, $70k*
FB Curtis Brown - 3 years, $260k
CB Mike Nelms - 1 year, $70k*
LT Morris Towns - 3 years, $290k
SS Glen Edwards - 3 years, $590k

I forgot to balance Edwards' contract so the bonus wasn't so fat, but oh well. I didn't realize until too late that he's in his 10th season.

By the Numbers
QB, RB, FB, WR, G, T x 2, K, DE, CB, S (11 new bodies total)

Week 2 Signings
T Ron Mikolajcyzk - 1 year, $130k (Re-signing)
-Way overpaid, but he deserves it after winning the 2nd Team All-Pro award last year. I probably should've tried signing him to a multi-year deal, but this works out fine.

T Ron Hunt - 1 year, $80k* (Carolina)
-I'm honestly not too sure about this signing. The kid's got potential but hasn't had a chance to play much. We'll roll the dice and see how it goes.

Week 3 Signings
WR Reggie Garrett - 1 year, $100k (Re-signing)
-For the amount of work he brings to the team as a receiver and special teams player, I have no problem paying him more than the min-sal deal.

DT John Medenhall - 1 year, $100k* (Seattle)
-I wanted an excuse to put Bob Maddox back in as a full-time starter and Medenhall seemed a good guy to pick up to be a reserve DT.

FS Dennis Bragonier - 1 year, $80k* (Re-signing)
-Doesn't play much,but when he does play, he's golden.

Week 3 Losses
G Bill Ellenbogen - 1 year, $80k* (Cleveland - Re-signing)
-Chose to stay with the Browns rather than be our reserve G. A little disappointing, but there's plenty more where he came from.

DE Jeff Merrow - 4 years, $4.3 mill. (Dallas - Pittsburgh)
-Ouch! Merrow was our #1 target this free agency period and the Cowboys won him over by giving him a ridiculously easy voidable for his last year (10 sacks) and a hefty, hefty bonus. This one hurts, big-time, as I'd counted on him to fill the monstrous hole we have there.

DT Mike McCoy - 1 year, $130k (Pittsburgh)
-Good space-eater for us, but I wasn't giving him more than a min-sal deal. Not when we have Bob Maddox, who's a better pass-rusher besides.

Week 4 Losses
WLB Woodrow Lowe - 4 years, $2.5 mill. (Tucson - Oakland)
-Once again, we get bit in the ass by a really fat bonus and a cupcake voidable. For once, it's the Titans who have a player we'd really like to have. Things look awfully thin after Lowe's gone. Ugh.

Week 5 Signings
QB Ron Jaworski - 3 years, $330k (Cleveland)
-Like Danny White, a QB who never really got the chance he deserved. I'm sorely tempted to trade White off now to the Titans and see what Jaws can do. Or maybe not.... he looks like he's awfully sack-prone. Nevermind. Good insurance option to have, though.

RB Doug Kotar - 1 year, $120k (Denver)
-Absurd overpay, but the guy's a serviceable #2, with incredible kick return and special teams ability, and given how rough this free agency has been, I'll take a small overpay for this upgrade.

K Tim Webster - 1 year, $100k* (Re-signing)
-Wonder will kick his 10th season for us. Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm going to do when he finally hangs up his laces. He's so clutch and such a great security blanket, a big piece of our team identity will be gone.

WLB Mike McDonald - 1 year, $120k (Cleveland)
-Not sure about this signing, but we had to do something. Untested, but a mentor, which is always nice.

Week 7 Signings
G Bob Van Duyne - 1 year, $80k* (Cleveland)
-The train of ex-Browns continues to roll into Dolphins Station, with this pickup, a solid backup plan for the backup G spot.

Week 7 Losses
DE Mike Hartenstine - 1 year, $100k (Cleveland - Re-signing)
-Our second loss to the Browns where the guy decided to stay in Ohio. Why he'd want to do that rather than join the two-time defending AFC Champion Miami Dolphins, where he could be a starter is beyond me. Things are getting really ugly at DE now, though.

Week 8 Signings
SS Johnnie Gray - 4 years, $1.6 mill. (San Diego)
-*Finally*, a big-ticket free agent we don't strike out on. Gray had an absolutely amazing season last year for the Chargers, his first as a full-time starter. I'm not sure whether it was a fluke or not, but in any case, he gives us an heir apparent to Glen Edwards. Cool thing about Gray: He was a 7.21 pick by the Colts. Nice to see a late 7th rounder turn out a blossomer.

Week 8 Losses
OLB Ken Bordelon - 1 year, $80k* (Cleveland)
-Our emergency signing early last year played sparingly, but well enough to pick up another contract offer from somebody. Good for Kenny B!

Week 9 Signings
DE Dave Linstrom - 1 year, $90k (New Orleans)
-Had a breakout 11 sacks last year for the Saints and he's only in his 4th year, so I figure it's worth taking a flyer on him. Should've signed him to a two year deal with the bonus he wanted, but oh well.

Week 9 Losses
T Bob McKay - 2 years, $290k (Tucson)
-Does it surprise anyone that the Titans take our cast-off, old backup T and gives him a nice salary? No? I didn't think so, either. I wish they'd quit wanting to be like us.

I don't think I'll lose anyone else, so I'll stop for now and do the draft next time.

[Izulde]

It's not a sexy draft by any means, with the consensus top players being DT Steve McMichael, raw LT Tunch Ilkin, DE Rulon Jones and character bad-boy SLB Al Richardson. What it *is*, is a very interesting draft, with incredible difficulty to get a handle on who's going to go where. It's just that kind of situation.

1980 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. T Tunch Ilkin - New Jersey Jets
2. RB Frank Pollard - Atlanta Falcons

The Dirty Birds have no RBs signed to their roster, so they grabbed Pollard, the highest rated RB on most boards.

3. QB Mark Malone - New England Patriots

While some raised eyebrows at Pollard, Malone sent the audience both in New York and at home into pandemonium. They've got QB Cliff Stroudt, a 4th year guy who looks worth developing, but apparently the Patsies want to give him some competition.

Crazy draft so far.

4. DT Steve McMichael - San Francisco 49ers

San Fran thanks everyone above them for their craziness.

Which brings us to, well, us, with the 5th pick. I'd have taken McMichael if he would've fallen there, but now I've got a dilemma on my hands. There's a number of players that look really good here, but either they're the wrong spot to go this early: a RT I'm looking at, for one, or they're looking overrated, a number of players, or they're a character issue, as in the case of Mr. Al Richardson.

So I trade down a spot and pick up the Colts' 4th round pick, to give me a 4th rounder in this draft and some more ammunition to play with, should I decide I need it.

5. QB Paul McDonald - Indianapolis Colts

:eek: Now that's a pick I never expected!

Colts faithful are absolutely livid about the selection. Sure, Indy needed a QB, but they needed a RB just as much, and Billy Sims was much more worth trading up a spot for.

I almost feel bad for the Colts... almost.

We're right back in the same situation we were before, now.

In the end, I decide that Overrated or not, his scouted bars and his combines are just too damn good to let go, especially with the crying need for youth we have at the postion and so we select...

6. DE Rulon Jones - Miami Dolphins

I'll admit, I did it in part to screw the Saints, who were positively salivating at the idea that Jones might fall into their laps.

7. ILB Larry McGrew - New Orleans Saints

I originally had McGrew high on my board and a lot of mock drafts had us taking him, but then after we interviewed him, something just didn't sit quite right with me about him, so we passed on him.

8. OLB Al Richardson - Kansas City Chiefs
9. ILB Matt Millen - Tucson Titans
10. CB Mark Lee - San Diego Chargers
11. RB Jimmy Rogers - New York Giants
12. S Roland James - Oakland Raiders
13. CB Kenny Johnson - Seattle Seahawks
14. S Darrol Ray - Houston Oilers
15. RB Gerry Ellis - Buffalo Bills
16. DE Jacob Green - Chicago Bears
17. T Anthony Munoz - Cleveland Browns through St. Louis Cardinals

The Browns paid big-time for this, giving up 2 1st round picks they'd acquired for next year's draft and their 1982 1st rounder. That being said, Munoz is a hell of a pickup and one I strongly considered at #5 before deciding that was too high to go for a RT.

The Cardinals just got incredibly rich as a result of this trade.

18. RB Billy Sims - Green Bay Packers

That's quite a fall Sims took and he's going to make people pay for that. He may be just what the Packers need to start reviving their old glory days.

19. WR Malcom Barnwell - Philadelphia Eagles
20. T Karl Swanke - San Francisco 49ers

I pull the trigger on another trade to leap up into this spot, sending 1.31, our 1981 6th round pick and our 1982 3rd rounder to the Dallas Cowboys to allow us to move up and select....

21. ILB Cliff Odom - Miami Dolphins

I'm thrilled to get this guy. I remember when I was a kid, watching him play for the Dolphins. I didn't know it at the time, but he wasn't a career-long Dolphin. He only spent his last 4 years in Miami. Well, in this universe, he's probably going to be a career-long Dolphin. At any rate, he's a fantastic find for us, as he'll step in as the starting MLB. Hopefully I can find someone to dump Merv Krakau on to, but it's not likely, as Krakau commands an absurd salary. Oh well, it's not a total loss, since Merv's a mentor.

Oh yeah, another reason I jumped up here. The Rams, who are picking after us, looked like sure bets to draft him.

22. CB James Marshall - Los Angeles Rams
23. CB Mark Haynes - Cleveland Browns
24. CB Zac Henderson - New England Patriots
25. ILB Buddy Curry - Denver Broncos
26. G Jim Richter - Cincinnati Bengals
27. C Dwight Stephenson - Minnesota Vikings
28. ILB Bill Cowher - Carolina Panthers
29. OLB Keena Turner - Pittsburgh Steelers
30. TE Earl Cooper - New Jersey Jets through Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Jets give up their 3rd rounder in this draft and their 1982 1st rounder to move up and grab this TE. Interesting, as I wouldn't move up to snag a TE in the 1st or probably in any round. TEs just don't play much of a role in my offense.

31. G Craig Wolfley - Dallas Cowboys

Good player the Cowboys get for their moving down.

32. CB Lucious Smith - Detroit Lions

There's a ridiculous run on CBs these first two rounds, so that by the time our pick comes around in the 2nd, things are looking pretty spartan there. Oh yeah, cool thing about the Packers' draft: not only did they get Billy Sims in the first, they snagged Art Monk mid-way through the 2nd. That's one hell of a first day and 16 year vet QB Joe Namath has to be absolutely thrilled with the new blood he's getting for one last Super Bowl push.

But back to the Dolphins. Things are so ugly on CBs, ever single CB I had interviewed is gone and what remains is simply awful. In fact, even most of my interviewees are gone, so I decide it's time to start taking flyers and take one on SLB Terry Rennaker.

I go back to the D-line in the 3rd and select DE Curtis Greer, a raw project who looks like he has some potential to turn into something, possibly even break out. Like Steve Watson last year, Greer has the type of talent that grades out as 2nd round.

4th round comes up and I'm glad we have a pick, as there's still some guys I want to take a look at. P Jim Miller is the selection, as I think he might be the one to knock Neil Clabo off his perch.

The one T prospect I wanted in the 5th went before I could get to him, so I get the other one I had as a backup and select T Ron Essink.

I actually move up in the 6th round, trading my 6.31, my 7th round pick in this draft and my 7th rounder in next year's draft to take CB Kirk Collins, who I think could possibly break out. In any case, we needed to do something to address the fact that we have two 10th year vets at CB who are liable to break down any time soon.

Late Free Agency

Another day, another Danny White trade offer, this time for a scrub, young DT and the Bengals' 2nd round pick next year. Thanks, but no thanks.

There's just some absolutely sick talent available in late-free agency, including DE Too Tall Jones, he of the 24.5 sack season and two Defensive Player of the Year Awards. If we hadn't drafted two rookie DEs, I'd be sorely tempted to splash the cash on him, especially since he'd be a great chemistry fit for our team.

I'm going to resist the urge to go crazy about going after some guys who would be significant improvements, though, because I want to stay loyal to who we have for one and keep some cap sanity for two.

Week 1 Signings
WR Jim Lash - 1 year, $100k* (Philadelphia)
-Mentor and ST demon who's a perfect fit as our 5th WR, as Walter Tullis doesn't impress much and Steve Watson won the backup FL job last year.

Week 2 Losses
MLB Ed Bradley - 1 year, $100k* (Chicago)
-We have a glut of MLBs now, so Bradley's free to go. He's not a bad guy to have, by any means, and was serviceable in his time here.

The Denver Broncos won the Too Tall Jones sweepstakes with a 4 year, $3.61 mill. contract. Things in the AFC West suddenly got a lot more interesting.

Week 3 Signings
FB Russell Davis - 1 year, $40k (Minnesota)
-5th round pick last year played well as a backup FB for the Vikings. The 2nd year player will reprise that role behind Curtis Brown, who's my favorite undrafted pickup in this universe.

CB Carl Allen - 1 year, $70k* (Houston)
-Hit and miss CB who was the best of what was left. Gives us an okay fallback option, one who has an affinity with Chuck Crist.


LDE Rulon Jones 1.6 40/80 48/78 +8/-2
MLB Cliff Odom 1.21 36/53 41/53 +5/+0
SLB Terry Rennaker 2.31 19/57 22/54 +3/-3
RDE Curtis Greer 3.13 23/51 26/51 +3/+0
P Jim Miller 4.7 28/37 31/40 +3/+3
RT Ron Essink 5.31 9/49 12/44 +3/-5
LCB Kirk Collins 6.17 11/24 13/24 +2/+0

Draft Grade: A-

I'm ecstatic with this draft. Jones's drop wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it'd be and he had a rapidfire development in training camp. He instantly turns into our best DE and will be an immediate starter.

I'd have liked to have seen Odom's potential go up more, but as it is, he'll be given the starting MLB spot over Merv Krakau, simply because I hate Krakau and love Odom. Merv will bitch, but who cares? Rennaker looks like a bust, but then, I always have problems drafting high quality OLBs.

Greer looks like a small steal and Miller will challenge Neil Clabo for punting duties. Essink and Collins are what they are, late round picks who won't amount to much. Collins in particular looks likely to get cut, because of his conflict with Chuck Crist.

[Izulde]

Jaworski, Ron 4 QB 8 36 67 3 yrs
White, Danny 17 QB 7 61 61 2 yrs
Milan, Don 19 QB 6 24 27 1 yr.

This is the best QB situation we've had in years. If White goes down, Jaws can step in and get some development time and of course, Milan's always been a lot more dependable than the scouting reports indicate.


Kotar, Doug 41 RB 7 51 51 1 yr.
Payton, Walter 27 RB 6 79 79 4 yrs
Brown, Curtis 40 FB 4 34 42 3 yrs
Davis, Russell 38 FB 2 30 40 1 yr.

I'm going to have to start thinking about a replacement for Payton within the next 2-3 years, but for now, we're perfectly fine here at all levels of the position group. Payton-Brown start, Kotar-Davis the backups. Kotar's likely to get kick return and special teams duties too.


Young, Charle 86 TE 8 50 50 2 yrs
Spagnola, John 82 TE 2 55 55 2 yrs
Swann, Lynn 81 FL 7 62 62 4 yrs
Watson, Steve 89 FL 2 35 36 2 yrs
Lash, Jim 87 SE 8 31 31 1 yr.
Garrett, Reggie 84 SE 7 44 44 1 yr.
Largent, Steve 80 SE 5 60 60 3 yrs
Tullis, Walter 85 SE 3 17 19 1 yr.

Spagnola thankfully shows no ill effects from his injury and he'll start, along with Swann and Largent. Watson's looking better than ever and I have hopes that he's the heir to Swann. Garrett will reprise his backup SE role and Lash will be the 5th receiver, leaving Tullis to sit on the inactive list. I really like how this group is looking. Oh yeah, Spagnola will sit out the first two preseason games, while we wait for him to fully heal from his injury. That means we'll have to sign another TE most likely.


Banks, Tom 51 C 11 55 55 2 yrs
Quillan, Fred 50 C 3 39 39 1 yr.
Van Duyne, Bob 74 LG 7 39 39 1 yr.
Hough, Jim 78 LG 3 47 47 2 yrs
Jackson, Noah 77 RG 7 47 47 2 yrs
Hunt, Ron 64 LT 5 31 40 1 yr.
Towns, Morris 72 LT 4 38 38 3 yrs
Mikolajczyk, Ron 67 RT 8 40 40 1 yr.
Essink, Ron 65 RT 1 12 44 3 yrs

Towns-Hough-Banks-Jackson-Mikolajczyk the starting five, with Hunt, Quillan and Van Duyne the reserves and Essink earning an inactive list spot. Banks just absolutely amazes me with his longevity. He's been a fixture in the middle of our line the last 6 seasons after signing with us from the Patriots.


Clabo, Neil 13 P 6 47 47 1 yr.
Miller, Jim 5 P 1 31 40 3 yrs
Webster, Tim 16 K 10 44 44 1 yr.

I hate to say it, but Clabo's probably going to keep his job. He's just too damned useful a kick holder not to keep it and we don't have anyone else comparable. Miller will sit on the inactive list. Webster is of course staying.


Greenwood, L.C. 96 LDE 12 27 27 1 yr.
Jones, Rulon 79 LDE 1 48 78 5 yrs
Den Herder, Vern 92 RDE 10 41 41 2 yrs
Lindstrom, Dave 93 RDE 4 36 36 1 yr.
Greer, Curtis 73 RDE 1 26 51 3 yrs
Line, Bill 98 LDT 9 63 63 2 yrs
Mendenhall, John 99 LDT 9 44 44 1 yr.
Maddox, Bob 76 RDT 8 38 38 2 yrs
Ieremia, Mikeli 70 RDT 3 17 28 1 yr.

Jones-Line-Mendenhall-Den Herder will be our front 4, with Greer and Maddox the reserves. Greenwood, who I'm sorry to bench, especially since it means he won't be able to pad his all-time stats, Lindstrom, and Ieremia all go the inactive side, though if I have to cut somebody, it's going to be either Lindstrom or Ieremia. No way am I letting Greenwood sign with another team.


Krakau, Merv 94 MLB 8 57 57 3 yrs
Hunt, Mike 52 MLB 3 37 41 1 yr.
Odom, Cliff 55 MLB 1 41 53 4 yrs
Shoate, Rod 54 SLB 6 41 41 2 yrs
Rennaker, Terry 58 SLB 1 22 54 3 yrs
Ball, Larry 56 WLB 9 29 29 1 yr.
McDonald, Mike 59 WLB 6 42 42 1 yr.
Black, Tim 57 WLB 4 44 44 1 yr.

Shoate-Odom-McDonald with Krakau the reserve MLB and, if I can find a way to do it, Rennaker and Black as the respective backups. I want to get a chance to see what Rennaker can bring to bear. Ball's inactive, as is Hunt.


Dunlap, Lenny 49 LCB 10 38 38 2 yrs
Nelms, Mike 46 LCB 4 27 27 1 yr.
Collins, Kirk 37 LCB 1 13 24 3 yrs
Lawrence, Rolland 24 RCB 8 42 42 2 yrs
Allen, Carl 23 RCB 4 37 37 1 yr.
Manning, Wade 22 RCB 2 39 39 2 yrs
Edwards, Glen 20 SS 10 45 45 3 yrs
Gray, Johnnie 36 SS 6 53 53 4 yrs
Anderson, Kim 42 SS 2 11 23 2 yrs
Crist, Chuck 31 FS 9 49 49 2 yrs
Bragonier, Dennis 33 FS 7 45 45 1 yr.

This is going to be our next area of a youth makeover, now that we've taken care of G, DE and MLB. But for now, it'll be Dunlap-Lawrence-Gray-Crist as the starters. It'll mark the first time in 10 years we haven't had Edwards as the starting SS. Edwards and Bragonier are the obvious backup safeties, but CB is considerably more problematic. While I try and sort it out, Collins and Anderson both get their pink slips, as does OLB Larry Ball.

With those cuts, I'm able to sign 4th year TE Mike Cobb to fill in as the backup TE until John Spagnola heals up completely.

Oh yeah, we also have a brand new stadium to play in this year. It's an outdoor, grass stadium with excellent field and parking lot conditions and very good stadium quality overall, a damned sight better than our last rat trap.

Let's hope we christen it with a championship.

Preseason mags are picking a Dolphins-Redskins Super Bowl, just like last year, with the Bills, Ravens and Raiders as AFC darkhorses and the Panthers and Packers as NFC contenders.

We've got a chance to become in universe history to make it to three straight Super Bowls, but the secondary is definitely our Achilles heel.