Life After Marino: FOF Historical
 

It's been hell as a Dolphins fan ever since Mr. Asshole, Jimmy Johnson, became coach of the team. What followed after that has been a trainwreck of ineptitude and mismanagement, and let's not even talk about the Mallett situation.

So in my anger and depression, I've decided to take over the Dolphins in the year after Marino's retirement. Appropriately enough, it's the 2000 season.


Random Thoughts
I'd love to replace Jay Fiedler as quickly as possible, and I'd forgotten Thurman Thomas, our old archnemesis, played for the Dolphins.

I've never done a 3-4 defense in FOF, always preferring to switch to a 4-3, but let's see if I can make a 3-4 work.

Obviously this team is being built around Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, and the Patrick Surtain/Sam Madison duo at cornerback. So most of the work needed is on offense, which is great - I love building offenses, especially finding quarterbacks.

I cut a couple of meaningless players before the preseason.

Offense is looking dreadful in exhibition games. 1-1 to start, 17 points each. G Kevin Donnalley separates his shoulder, Out for 3 weeks in Game 2, so we sign G Bob Hallen off the street and cut some scrub rookie safety.

And it's 2-2 final preseason, whipping the Chiefs 30-6 and losing to the Saints 30-6.

Regular Season

Miami 24 New York Jets 3
16/23 for 241 yards and 3 TDs earns QB Jay Fiedler Player of the Game, but this was all about our defense. WLB Derrick Rodgers with 7 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 pass defenses and the following other players with 2 pass defenses: S Brock Marion and Zach Thomas.

Miami 13 Arizona 27
We sucked. Pretty much all there is to it.

Miami 16 New England 31
Week 1 is looking like a mirage at this point, and I have to wonder WTF our head coach is doing having Jay Fielder throw 61 pass attempts. Best thing: Olindo Mare kicking 3/3 FGs, all from 40+ range.

San Diego 3 Miami 27
O.J. McDuffie catches 7 passes for 132 yards and a TD and we suffocate the Chargers, spreading the defensive accomplishments all over.

Miami 13 Houston 14
Sigh. Let's throw away Zach Thomas's 11 tackles, Rich Owens's 3 sacks, hurry, and knockdown, and Brock Marion's 2 pass defenses and interception, why don't we? FML.

Baltimore 27 Miami 14
Tony Martin's 102 yard kickoff return for a TD and Patrick Surtain's 2 pass defenses are the only things that kept this from being even more lopsided on the scoreboard.

Buffalo 6 Miami 13
Here's a matchup you hate seeing: Alex Van Pelt vs Jay Fielder. Brock Marion's 11 tackles and Sam Madison's 2 pass defenses are the highlights in an ugly, ugly game.

Miami 17 Denver 20
Great 48 yard fumble return for a TD by Sam Madison. Other big players - Brock Marion with 3 pass defenses and Zach Thomas blowing off the roof with 15 tackles. Daryl Gardener picked up 2 sacks as well. But once again, the offense sputters.

Sad thing is, the AFC East is so weak this year, at 3-5, we're just a half-game behind the Patriots for the division lead. Minnesota and Atlanta are both surprise 7-1 teams, because who the fuck expects Bubby Brister to be the starting QB of a 7-1 team, even if he's throwing to Randy Moss. The Falcons, meanwhile, are riding the league's #1 defense and winning despite having an ancient Chris Chandler and the never was any good Danny Kanell at QB.

7 fumbles in 8 games? Welcome to the bench, Thurman Thomas. Other than that, yeah, not much to comment on. Rich Owens is straight up ridiculous. Maybe O.J. McDuffie can crack 1,000 yards receiving.

Seattle 6 Miami 26
All hail Olindo Mare and his 4/4, 2/2 from 50+ range leg! 2 sacks, 2 blocks, a hurry and a knockdown for Rich Owens, who needs just one more sack to break double digits. Dat boy been a sacking beast this year.

[b]Oakland 20[b/] Miami 16
3 50+ yard field goals for Olindo Mare. Hoo! 2 pass defenses for Zach Thomas, but of course Jay Fielder throws 3 interceptions to take away our shot at .500.

New England 30 Miami 10
Huge opportunity to get back into the AFC East conversation here and we blow it. Jason Taylor with 2 sacks, 2 hurries and 3 knockdowns, and Sam Madison defends 2 passes, but this was a straight rape.

Miami 9 St. Louis 24
Jason Taylor with 2.5 sacks, and Zach Thomas with 11 tackles and 5 assists. Yeah.

Miami 13 Buffalo 26
...Well, we're 4-9 now. Guaranteed losing record. 11 tackles and 8 assists for Zach Thomas as our lone highlight. Ugh.

Even better, Tony Martin, our kickoff return ace, breaks his wrist and is done for the year.

San Francisco 17 Miami 22
I shudder to think what our record would be without Olindo Mare, who kicks 5 of 5 field goals, including a 50 yarder. 2 pass defenses for Sam Madison.

Miami 41 Kansas City 14
10 catches for 167 yards and a TD for O.J. McDuffie. 12 tackles for Zach Thomas. 2.5 sacks, 5 hurries and 6 knockdowns for Jason Taylor. 2 pass defenses for Patrick Surtain, who also had a pick, and Brian Walker.

I'm betting we win the next game because FOF likes to play the trick of magically making sure my SP teams, even the shitty ones, finish in no man's land record-wise. Even with Richmond Webb fucking up his shoulder so bad, he'd have been out for the year even if he'd been hurt in Week 1. So hello to the hulking elephant zombie Jumbo Elliott as our final game starter.

Miami 17 New York Jets 33
First time in a long time, if ever, that I can remember one of my SP teams losing 10 games. 10 tackles and a sack for Derrick Rodgers.

Playoffs

Wildcard
Green Bay 7 Philadelphia 17
Indianapolis 30 New England 20
Pittsburgh 13 Baltimore 6
St. Louis 20 Minnesota 33

Nice to see Donovan McNabb advance. Jerome "The Bus" Bettis had the second best game, rushing 28 times for 113 yards and a TD. Randy Moss tore shit up for the Vikings - 9 catches for 150 yards and a TD, which is how Bubby freaking Brister wound up with 306 yards and 2 TDs, winning despite throwing 3 picks.

Oh and the Rams might have won too, if they hadn't abruptly decided to go with Trent Green the last two weeks of the season and the playoffs, even though Kurt Warner was playing great.

Divisional Round
Indianapolis 17 Tennessee 20
Minnesota 19 Atlanta 17
Philadelphia 10 Seattle 17
Pittsburgh 6 Denver 20

A costly interception by Peyton Manning got run back 73 yards for a TD by George McCullough. People talk about how Peyton can't win a big one. Healthy Chris Chandler damn near beat the Vikings, but Robert Smith ran for 118 yards, Bubby Brister threw for 326 yards, a TD, and a pick, with Cris Carter catching 6 for 108.

So much for Donovan McNabb's ring hopes this year. Ricky Watters' 118 rushing yards had a lot to do with it. Terrell Davis has one of the best playoff games I've ever seen - 19 carries for 133 yards and a TD, 4 catches for 36 yards and another TD. By the way, that's a 7.0 YPR for Davis. Just damn.

Conference Championships
Minnesota 17 Seattle 20
Tennessee 17 Denver 30

The Vikings' luck finally runs out as DT Sherman George not only gets two sacks, but comes up with the fumble recovery that translates into the Seahawks' win. I feel bad for the Vikes almost; it seems like they may have a repeat of reality.

16 carries, 156 yards for Terrell Davis, which, by the way, is a 9.51 YPR average. Rod Smith had 10 catches for 148 yards and 3 TDs as the Broncos flat out blew up the Titans.

Super Bowl
Denver 17 Seattle 20

And the Seahawks win their first Super Bowl in franchise history when Rian Lindell kicks a 55 yard FG in overtime! 6 catches for 111 yards and a TD by Rod Smith, but the Seahawks stacked the run and held Terrell Davis to under 100 yards despite 32 rushes. Ricky Watters, in counterpoint, ran 24 times for 93 yards and 2 TDs.

Interesting battle of two teams with average QBs and star RBs, although by scouting Jon Kitna is very mediocre, Brian Griese up and coming.

Dolphins end season stats:


That's one of the nastiest sack attacks I've ever seen by one of my teams. Suddenly I feel like there's a lot to like about the 3-4. :D I feel damn sorry for O.J. McDuffie. 8 fucking yards short of 1,000.

Lot of work to do with this team.

Olindo Mare got robbed of the K award. Nice to see Zach Thomas get All-Pro recognition. Bubby Brister still blows my mind as an All-Pro QB.

Even better? He has his own website! Welcome to the Official Website of Bubby Brister

Anyway, Thurman Thomas, Trace Armstrong, and Jumbo Elliott all retire. None of them will be missed, in all honesty.

Staff Hiring
House Rule: I can not fire a staff member. If I hire a new staff member due to retirement or out of contract, it has to be someone completely new.

Heh. The head coach we try to hire would rather go another year without rather than have a job. :rolleyes:

CB Ben Kelly, with the highest upside, gets sent to France.

Free Agency
House Rule: I can only sign three free agents not of my team in the pre-draft period and I can only renegotiate in the free agency period before the year in which they're due to be FAs and I must accept whatever they want for renegotiating.

Needs
QB x 2, WR x 2, ILB x 2, S

Week 1
WR O.J. McDuffie - 3 years, $7.08 mil.

...Yeah. Like I said, major work needed.

Given the house rules, I'm only going to post players re-signed, signed, or lost in a block and not a week by week summary.

Re-signed
WR Tony Martin - 1 year, $660k
T Richmond Webb - 2 years, $2.41 mil.

Signed
RB Napoleon Kaufman - 1 year, $660k (Oakland)
WR Carl Pickens - 1 year, $660k (Tennessee)
T Korey Stringer - 4 years, $10.63 mil. (Minnesota)

Lost
DE Rich Owens - 4 years, $25.99 mil. (Green Bay)
C John Bock - 4 years, $7.05 mil. (Pittsburgh)
ILB Robert Jones - 1 year, $880k (Buffalo)
OLB Larry Izzo - 1 year, $450k (San Francisco)
WR Bert Emanuel - 1 year, $580k (Carolina)

Getting Stringer was huge to stabilize our line. Just as major was Owens not giving us a chance to better the Packers' offer and walking in Week 1. Kaufman and Pickens are stopgaps, yes, but they still punch up our anemic offense. I wanted to bring back Izzo, but since the old coach didn't start him, he wasn't interested.

2001 NFL Draft 1st Round
We're picking 10th, which puts us out of the Drew Brees and Michael Vick running. Not that I'd want Vick anyway. Great RB class from the looks of it, headed by LT.

1. RB LaDanian Tomlinson - Houston Texans
2. QB Drew Brees - Cincinnati Bengals
3. DT Chartric Darby - San Francisco 49ers
4. QB Michael Vick - Jacksonville Jaguars
5. WR Steve Smith - Cleveland Browns
6. QB Marques Tuiasosopo - New Orleans Saints
7. DE Derrick Burgess - Chicago Bears
8. CB Fred Smoot - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9. CB Ken Lucas - Buffalo Bills

Wow I have no idea who the 49ers even picked. Definitely a shocker considering all the other talent on the board. Thanks for reaching, Saints.

There's a lot of RBs still on the board, and I'm tempted to trade back. But there's also a WR I can't resist, not only for his theatrics, but because we desperately need quality youth there.

10. WR Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson - Miami Dolphins

Well, if by some misfortune Jay Fiedler is still our QB next year, he certainly can't complain we didn't get him more weapons this offseason.

11. QB Jesse Palmer - Detroit Lions
12. WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh - New York Jets
13. DT Marcus Stroud - Kansas City Chiefs
14. RB Deuce McAllister - Dallas Cowboys

Fantastic value, IMO, as will be the rest of the RBs who we should see a run (heh) on now.

15. G Kevin Garmon - San Diego Chargers
16. DE Aaron Schobel - New York Giants
17. DT Kris Jenkins - New England Patriots
18. WR Reggie Wayne - Washington Redskins
19. ILB Antonio Pierce - Carolina Panthers
20. RB Travis Henry - Arizona Cardinals

Seriously? 6 picks before another RB went? Wow.

21. DE Kyle Vanden Bosch - Oakland Raiders
22. WR Rod Gardner - Baltimore Ravens
23. WR Chris Chambers - Green Bay Packers
24. OLB Tommy Polley - St. Louis Rams

Okay, this is getting insane. Unfortunately, I'm not in range enough to move up yet without paying too much.

25. RB Lamont Jordan - Pittsburgh Steelers

...Great value, but really? When they have Bettis?

26. OLB LaVar Arrington - Indianapolis Colts

Okay, I'm now in position where I can afford to move up. I traded 2.9 and 3.10 to the Titans for 1.27 and their 5th round pick, 5.27 I think.

27. RB Rudi Johnson - Miami Dolphins

I can make this kid my workhorse back and preserve his carries by putting someone else in for passing downs. ...Then again, I just realized with Ochocinco and Rudi, I've just drafted two Bengals stars. Uh-oh.

28. DE Reggie Heyward - Philadelphia Eagles
29. DE Adewale Ongulaye - Atlanta Falcons
30. ILB Brandon Spoon - Houston Texans (through Minnesota Vikings)

We weren't the only team dealing back in the bottom of the round.

31. ILB Curtis Holden - Denver Broncos
32. ILB Dan Morgan - Seattle Seahawks

The next time a running back comes off the board? 2.18, with the Panthers taking Rueben Droughns, so maybe we didn't need to trade up. I get the feeling, though, that somebody would have drafted Rudi if he was still there.

We need a receiving TE and a possible heir to Richmond Webb at LT and both those options are available to us with our 4th round pick. I decide to keep adding receiving weapons and go with TE Todd Heap. Good thing too, because there was a run on TE shortly thereafter.

All the developmental prospects at QB I looked at for the 4th get taken before our first 5th round pick. That T prospect, the more I look at him, the more I'm not sure. His native position is RT, but he's actually a LT by his skill set. In the end, his fantastic combine work has me pulling the trigger on T Maurice Williams.

The CB I wanted goes a few picks before our second 5th round pick, so we draft RB Correll Buckhalter instead. Yeah, I know. But we've already got a mentor in Napoleon Kaufman, and this gives me the ammunition to trade Lamar Smith.

Speaking of Smiths, DE Justin Smith is an intriguing prospect still there, so we grab him and I think he could be something of a steal.

WR Quincy Morgan looks to have great hands and be worth a flier in other areas, so he's our 7th round selection.

We get a C+ and second to worst ranked draft, the worst I've ever done in SP. Whatever. In case they didn't notice, we have old players at RB, WR, and LT, and we just lost a star DE. Oh and we have no receiving TEs.

Late Free Agency
Needs: QB x 2, ILB x 2, S

Signings
WILB Dwayne Gordon - Min-sal (New York Jets)
QB Rich Gannon - 2 years, $7.03 mil. (Oakland Raiders)
QB Kordell Stewart - 3 years, $3.45 mil. (Pittsburgh Steelers)
ILB Charlie Clemons - Min-sal (New England Patriots)
S Carnell Lake - Min-sal (Jacksonville Jaguars)
DE Ty Parten - Min-sal (Kansas City)

Losses
S Jerry Wilson - 1 year, $550k (New England Patriots)
G Kevin Donnnelly - 2 years, $1.66 mil. (San Diego)

I completely forgot about Wilson and he hies it to the Patriots. Oops. Gannon threw for over 4,000 yards last year and 31 TDs to 15 INTs. Slash sucked, but he's a mentor and I've never had a scrambling QB before. Clemons and Gordon were nifty pissed off players from AFC East foes and Lake is ancient, but I like him anyway. Parten's a mentor.


2nd worst draft, huh? I happen to think I got myself some fantastic late round value. Heap got one of the biggest jumps I've seen and I'm stunned at Williams' bump in potential.

Rudi Johnson is the only surefire Week One starter. Ochocinco will battle for a starting spot, as well Justin Smith. Heap is an automatic passing down TE, but not a starter.

In addition to realizing I've gone real-life Bengals with two first round picks in the draft, I also discovered I picked up the Raiders' starting QB and RB from last season in free agency. We'll see how that works out.


Yep, we're starting 3 rookies. A fourth, Morgan, is the #4 WR, and a fifth, Williams, is the backup T at both spots. I feel like we're much, much stronger on offense, but we're correspondingly weaker on defense, especially at DE and LB, so who knows how this season will go?

Preseason Notes
Scary as it sounds, Kordell "Slash" Stewart makes a strong preseason case for being our starting QB. We go 2-2 and I'm still sticking with Rich Gannon, although Slash is moved up to #2.

WLB Derrick Rodgers strains his achilles, so he'll miss the season opener, possibly our second game as well.

Regular Season

Miami 31 New England 14
Rudi Johnson starts his pro career with a bang - 29 carries for 122 yards and a TD. Never mind Rich Gannon's 3 picks - he had a 42 yard run himself. But the most amazing thing was seeing 6th round rookie Justin Smith record 2 sacks in his first start.

Miami 24 Tampa Bay 13
11 tackles and an assist for Zach Thomas. 3 pass defenses for Sam Madison and 2 each for Brock Marion and Carnell Lake. Nice way to start the season for sure.

Miami 12 Kansas City 27
Outscored 17-0 in the fourth quarter to blow it, but all 12 of our points came on Olindo Mare field goals. 10 tackles, 2 assists for Zach Thomas. Sadly, Rich Gannon's 2 picks were key in the loss.

Miami 23 Cincinnati 16
21 carries for 121 yards and a TD by Rudi Johnson, that score a 62 yard burner. Twan Russell picks up 2 sacks and Sam Madison defends 2 passes. Rookie Justin Smith's 3 game streak of at least one sack comes to an end. Still impressed as hell with him, though.

Buffalo 30 Miami 14
[b]Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson's 5 catches for 103 yards and a TD are dwarfed by Eric Moulds' 11 catches for 219 yards and a TD. We've also got a quarterback controversy on our hands, as our lone scores came from Kordell "Slash" Stewart's throws. I think he'll start the next game to see what he can do.

Miami 21 Cleveland 24 (OT)
Frustrating. Especially after Jason Taylor has 9 tackles, 4 sacks, a block, 2 hurries and 5 knockdowns. But sometimes you just don't have those lucky breaks, and that's what happened to us today.

CB Patrick Surtain dislocates his shoulder and is Out 8 weeks. Devastating blow. Ben Kelly takes over as the starter and Corey Fuller is signed as a reserve, nickel corner, and goal-line corner.

Pittsburgh 17 Miami 0
Ugly. 10 tackles and 3 sacks for Derrick Rodgers, but who cares?

On top of it, Kordell Stewart gets knocked out with a Concussion and is questionable for our game after the bye week, Justin Smith is Out for sure next game with another concussion and Dwayne Gordon is lost for the season with elbow surgery. So we put him on the IR and sign James Folston.

New England 20 Miami 23
We win this one with 17 seconds left on an Olindo Mare FG. 2.5 sacks, a hurry and 3 knockdowns for Jason Taylor. Brock Marion was brilliant with 3 pass defenses and an INT, and Sam Madison defended 2 as well.

At 4-4, we're in last place in the AFC East. The 6-3 Jets lead the division, so it's not like they're killing it necessarily.

Yes that's Jason Taylor with 10.5 sacks in 8 games. Granted, most of it came from the 4 sack effort, but that is just sick. Rudi Johnson on pace to break 1,000 yards. I refuse to start Jay Fiedler, no matter how middling our other production has been.

Baltimore 27 Miami 3
Well that wasn't pretty. Jay Fiedler actually played decent after things got ugly, so we'll grudgingly give him a chance.

Miami 12 New York Jets 27
11 tackles and an assist for Zach Thomas and 3 pass defenses for Sam Madison. Both QBs split time and neither one does great. Honestly, I don't think it matters who we put out there.

Carolina 24 Miami 28
Sam Madison wins this game for us, returning a fumble 58 yards for a TD with just under 2 minutes left. He also picked off a pass. Brock Marion defended 2.

Houston 21 Miami 37
Back up to .500 as Rudi Johnson rushes 27 times for 102 yards and Jay Fiedler goes off for 268 yards, 4 TDs and an INT on 23/33 passing. 1.5 sacks for Daryl Gardenener and Brock Marion defends another 2 passes.

Atlanta 6 Miami 26
Patrick Surtain comes back and our defense comes out fired up. Olindo Mare belts 4/4 field goals, Zach Thomas racks up 10 tackles and 4 assists, Sam Madison 2 pass defenses and a pick, and Jason Taylor and Twon Russell record 2.5 and 2 sacks respectively.

New York Jets 31 Miami 21
Well, there goes any hope of the playoffs. 27/45 for 313 yards and a TD to a pick for Jay Fiedler, as we blow a 21-10 halftime lead. 2 meaningless pass defenses for Zach Thomas.

C Tim Ruddy is lost for the year with a strained back, so we IR him and sign Ben Lynch, a world-class long-snapper.

Miami 40 New Orleans 37 (OT)
Wild game capped off by Olindo Mare's 52 yard game winner. 23/43 for 315 yards, 4 TDs and an INT for Jay Fiedler, Carl Pickens getting the lion's share with 6 catches for 116 yards and 2 TDs. 11 tackles for Carnell Lake, 7 tackles, 3 sacks, a hurry and 3 knockdowns for Jason Taylor, and 2 pass defenses for Sam Madison.

CB Patrick Surtain breaks his ankle and is out for the season. He's become annoyingly injury-prone. FB Rob Konrad will also miss the regular season finale.

Miami 24 Buffalo 10
No heroics from Eric Moulds this time. 3 pass defenses for Zach Thomas and 2 short yardage rushing TDs by Napoleon Kaufman tell the story of this one.

So it's a winning season, and HOLY CRAP WE MAKE THE PLAYOFFS AFTER THE PATRIOTS IMPLODE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON!

Just so you know you have a reader here. :)

Glad to have you along. :) Funny how Fiedler manages to lead the Dolphins to a playoff spot just like he did IRL. I still can't stand the dude, though.

Notable Players Out - Miami Dolphins
C Tim Ruddy
CB Patrick Surtain

Notable Players Out - Kansas City Chiefs
None

Miami Dolphins Capsule
Dolphins offense is really built around the two-headed tandem of RB Rudi Johnson as the feature back and RB Napoleon Kaufman as the battering ram in short yardage situations. Excellent group of WRs, too, but QB Jay Fiedler is little more than a game manager.

Miami's defense is established on the fierce terrors of DE Jason Taylor, MLB Zach Thomas and a fearsome secondary, highlighted by CB Sam Madison and S Brock Marion. Missing CB Patrick Surtain is going to really hurt.

Kansas City Chiefs Capsule
If WR Dante Hall didn't drop so many passes, he'd be an elite receiver in this league. Shockingly balanced rushing attack of rookie RB Michael Bennett and starter RB Mike Cloud are what really key the Chiefs' offense, as QB Jim Harbaugh turns the ball over a ton. TE Tony Gonzalez is one of the best in the league.

Defense is the Chiefs' calling card, one of the best in the NFL. First round rookie DT Michael Stroud has been a force in the middle of the line and between him and DE Chester McGlockton, opposing RBs don't find much room to run. SS Greg Wesley and FS Jerome Woods are also stellar run defenders.

Analysis
Neither team has more than an average offensive line, but both have exceptional special teams players, which, in tandem with their defenses, make up for mediocre offenses.

Look for Kansas City's run defense and Surtain's absence to spell the difference here. If the Dolphins can't get the run game going, no matter how good rookie Chad Johnson, Carl Pickens and O.J. McDuffie as are receivers, Fiedler can't win a game by himself.

Prediction
Chiefs by 4

Sounds about right.

We build a 14-0 first quarter lead and are still up 17-7 at the half, but then we allow the Chiefs to tie it up and send it to overtime, where K Todd Peterson kicks a 54 yarder to win it. Frustrating, frustrating loss.

QB Jay Fiedler did extremely well - 36/49 for 281 yards, a TD and an INT and OLB Twan Russell recorded 2.5 sacks and 3 hurries. OLB Derrick Rodgers picked up 10 tackles and a sack and CB Ben Kelly defended 2 passes. However, K Olindo Mare missed 2 field goals from 40+ range, which cost us the game.

QB Jim Harbaugh threw for 301 yards, a TD and 2 INTs for the Chiefs and OLB Lewis Bush racked up 11 tackles and 2 assists, as Kansas City really relied on team balance more than individual players.

Oh well, always next year.

Other Wildcard Games
Minnesota 28 Arizona 3
San Diego 24 Baltimore 27 (OT)
St. Louis 21 Green Bay 38

Yes, QB Bubby Brister is still the starter for the Vikings. Boring game, though.

Two short-yardage QB John Friesz picks, both to CB Aeneas Williams make the Chargers/Ravens game a lot closer than it should have been. Friesz did throw for 390 yards and 2 TDs, though. Then again, QB Trent Green's 301 yards and TD came with 2 INTs of his own, and Green is fast developing a rep as a guy who can't win playoff games, now 0-2 in this universe.

Check out some of the Ravens' defensive stats:
ILB Ray Lewis - 11 tackles, 4 assists
S Anthony Poindexter - 10 tackles, an assist, 3 pass defenses
DE Rob Burnett - 2 sacks, 2 hurries, 2 forced fumbles

And that's not counting some of the other B'more guys with 2+ pass defenses or the other contributors to the Ravens' 5 sacks. Man, that really was a nasty defense.

387 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs for QB Brett Favre in the win over the Rams. St. Louis went through all three of their QBs. So much for Kurt Warner and the Greatest Show On Turf.

Divisional Round
Baltimore 30 Tennessee 31
Green Bay 17 Philadelphia 24
Kansas City 21 New York Jets 17
Minnesota 0 Tampa Bay 23

As you can see, no Seattle Seahawks. QB Steve McNair threw a 10 yard TD pass to RB Darnell Ross with 56 seconds left to steal the upset win over the Ravens. Even more amazing when you consider Air McNair threw 4 interceptions, 3 to CB Duane Starks.

CB Troy Vincent with 2 pass defenses and an INT helped the Eagles out considerably, while the Chiefs backup QB, Dustin Kato, throws 2 fourth quarter TDs, including the game-winner with 37 seconds, an 18 yard strike to Derrick Alexander, to lead KC to its second straight close win over an AFC East foe.

Are you saying WTF is Dustin Kato? You should, because he's a second year fictional guy, 19/37. Got to love it when the fictional filler scrubs beat the real life dudes. Then again, the same is true for Tampa Bay starting QB Mario Waterfield, 26/49, who threw 21 TDs to 9 INTs in the regular season and was very solid in the Bucs' shutout of the Vikes.

Conference Championships
Kansas City 31 Tennessee 9
Philadelphia 7 Tampa Bay 9

Heh. Wow. QB Dustin Kato throws 3 TDs and the Bucs win on 3 Shane Graham FGs. Way to choke, Donovan McNabb.

Super Bowl
Kansas City 17 Tampa Bay 10

QB Jim Harbaugh comes back and goes 16/25 for 216 yards, a TD and an INT to lead the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl victory, their first since Super Bowl IV. Harbaugh now has two rings. Way to go, Jim.

And to think we almost knocked off the eventual Super Bowl champs in the Wildcard round...

*Very* unexpected Defensive Player of the Year award for DE Jason Taylor. Also very cool. Love the award for CB Sam Madison too, which was well deserved.

LT Maurice Williams, one of our 5th round picks, gets sent to France. He'll challenge for the starting LT spot next year unless we find someone in the draft or free agency.

QB Rich Gannon, S Carnell Lake, and WR Tony Martin all retire. I especially hate seeing Lake go. He was a pretty good starter for us last year.

Free Agency

Needs
QB, WR, C, G, P, DT, ILB x 2, CB x 2, S x 2

Re-signings/Negotiations
CB Ben Kelly - 1 year, $360k
NT Earnest Grant - 1 year, $320k
SLB Derrick Rodgers - 4 years, $5.6 mil.
WLB Twan Russell - 5 years, $11.29 mil.
LT Richmond Webb - 2 years, $3.12 mil.

Probably an overpay for Russell, but I think we have a solid linebacking corps and I'd like to keep it together as long as possible. Webb's probably a slight overpay too, but OT mentors are worth the money.

Gains
RB Ki-Jana Carter - 1 year, $580k (Tennessee) (M)
WR Carl Pickens - 2 years, $1.99 mil.
C Bubba Miller - 2 years, $2.05 mil. (Philadelphia)
P Matt Turk - 1 year, $620k
CB Corey Fuller - 1 year, $580k
NT Daryl Gardener - 5 years, $17.42 mil.
G Kerry Jenkins - 1 year, $990k (New York Jets)

Losses
DE Andre Wadsworth - 4 years, $10.09 mil. (Arizona Cardinals re-signing)
SILB Winifred Tubbs - 4 years, $8.84 mil. (San Francisco 49ers re-signing)
S Blaine Bishop - 3 years, $4.94 mil. (New York Giants) (Tennessee Titans)
G Heath Irwin - 4 years, $7.71 mil. (Denver Broncos)
ILB Charlie Clemons - 1 year, $520k (Baltimore Ravens)
RB Lamar Smith - 1 year, $520k (Baltimore Ravens)
RB Napoleon Kaufman - 1 year, $660k (Atlanta Falcons)

I really wanted to re-sign Kaufman, but he was pissed he didn't get to start last year, so I was forced to burn a third down/mentor RB on Carter. As you can see from the losses, we got our asses kicked trying to find the third non-resigning guy this offseason. Wadsworth shockingly left more money on the table for a Very Low loyalty guy.

I really liked what Fuller did when we signed him off the street last year, especially in our playoff game. Miller and Jenkins will start on our offensive line, in a continued free agent upgrade started by Korey Stringer last season. Lot of teams chased Gardener so I was forced to overpay to keep him. Lot of teams went after Kaufman too.

Draft next.

We're picking 23rd in what has to be one of the worst QB classes I've ever seen. Blech.

2002 NFL Draft 1st Round
1. DE Dwight Freeney - Minnesota Vikings
2. RB Clinton Portis - Chicago Bears
3. QB Cory Sauter - New Orleans Saints

Hahahaha! Though to be fair, Sauter did have the highest grade of all the QBs.

4. RB T.J. Duckett - San Francisco 49ers
5. RB Maurice Morris - Minnesota Vikings (through Detroit Lions)
6. DE Alex Brown - Cincinnati Bengals
7. QB Josh McCown - Washington Redskins
8. QB Patrick Ramsey - Carolina Panthers
9. S Ed Reed - New York Giants

Damn. Was hoping he'd fall. Got to love shitty teams reaching for shitty quarterbacks. We haven't seen that lately or anything.

10. ILB Larry Foote - Buffalo Bills

And there goes one of my other targets. We may just trade our first round pick.

11. QB Rohan Davey - Oakland Raiders
12. DT Albert Haynesworth - Jacksonville Jaguars
13. S Keith Davis - Atlanta Falcons
14. DT John Henderson - Dallas Cowboys
15. DT Rocky Bernard - Cleveland Browns
16. WR Deion Branch - Seattle Seahawks
17. OLB Scott Fujita - Indianapolis Colts
18. T Tom Ashworth - Denver Broncos
19. DT Ma'ake Kamoeatu - Pittsburgh Steelers
20. OLB Will Weatherspoon - New England Patriots
21. RB Brian Westbrook - San Diego Chargers (through Arizona Cardinals)
22. S Roy Williams - St. Louis Rams

Well now, there's a combine warrior QB and a franchise T on the board whose native position is listed as RT, but who is a LT. Pretty easy decision here between the two.

23. T Matt Light - Miami Dolphins

How the hell he dropped so far, I have no idea, but we'll take it, even with Maurice Williams in the summer league. If nothing else, we can move Williams inside to LG.

24. WR Javon Walker - Baltimore Ravens
25. CB Lito Sheppard - Detroit Lions
26. WR David Givens - Carolina Panthers (through Green Bay Packers)
27. CB Brian Williams - Houston Texans (through San Diego Chargers)
28. WR Donte Stallworth - Philadelphia Eagles
29. RB DeShaun Foster - New York Jets
30. CB Quentin Jammer - Tennessee Titans
31. RB Ladell Betts - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32. OLB Nick Rogers - Kansas City Chiefs

The combine warrior QB is still there, and with no safeties or inside linebackers worth taking, we deal 2.22, our 6th round pick and our 7th round pick to the Arizona Cardinals to move up two spots and draft QB David Garrard.

It's a slight overdraft, but we take T Kevin Barry in the third round, because he and I both graduated Racine Park High Class of 1997. Big Kevin can serve an apprenticeship under Korey Stringer and become the starting RT someday.

The next QB, incidentally, goes in the late 4th round, a certain Mr. Joey Harrington. For our part, we grab S Jermaine Phillips, the best all-around player at the position left on our board.

Great 4th round value Arizona got in T Bryant McKinnie. Every single one of our main 5th round prospects goes off the board before our pick, including a WR the pick just before ours. Grr. C Seth McKinney is the pick instead, who I see as a future starter.

An ILB I was going to trade back into the 7th round for if he was still there gets taken late in the 6th by the Jets.

Late Free Agency

Needs
C, G, S - Mentors
ILB x 2

We're so impressed with C Seth McKinney's initial look that we cut Tim Ruddy.

Gains
C Jerry Fontenot - Min-sal (M) (St. Louis Rams)
ILB Pete Bercich - Min-sal (M) (Denver Broncos)
S Rayna Stewart - 1 year, $900k (M) (Buffalo Bills)
G Calvin Collins - Min-sal (M) (Buffalo Bills)
ILB Mark Maddox - Min-sal (Arizona Cardinals)

Losses
None

Horrible ILB crop in late free agency. Had to overpay massively to get Stewart, who had a couple other teams on him, and with mentor safeties scarce, it had to be done.


My heart sank to stomach when I saw Garrard's initial numbers, but luckily he boomed in camp and looks like the heir apparent to Jay Fiedler at QB. Light looks like the only Week 1 starter out of this group, but I'm still pretty darn pleased with this class. Garrard and McKinney look like future starters, Barry will be a solid backup his entire career and I'm excited by Phillips' ability to maybe one day start.

Going to be interesting seeing how our wholesale changes on the offensive line go. I think overall, though, we're a stronger team than we were last year and should again be in the playoff conversation.

Until RT Korey Stringer tears his deltoid muscle in the first preseason game and is done for the year and C Bubba Miller gets hit with Tobacco Withdrawal Syndrome.

IR for Stringer and RT Kevin Barry, my fellow '97 Park alum, finds himself a starter. C Seth McKinney is likewise pressed into service, giving us two rookies starting on the offensive line.

And yet we manage to go 4-0 in preseason. Go figure.

Regular Season

Miami 14 New York Jets 19
Score wasn't as close as it looks. 3 picks thrown by Jay Fiedler doom us in this one. 11 tackles, 6 assists for Zach Thomas, 2 pass defenses for Patrick Surtain.

SLB Derrick Rogers strains a foot ligament and is Out roughly 3 weeks. SLB Adrian Ross, a final cut by the Bengals, is signed to start.

Chicago 16 Miami 13
34 yard interception return for a TD by CB Roosevelt Colvin caps a fourth quarter comeback for the Bears. 14 tackles, 4 assists for Zach Thomas, 2 pass defenses for Patrick Surtain.\

Pittsburgh 24 Miami 27
Finally, a win. Jay Fiedler is 30/39 for 391 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. Two Dolphins receivers with 100+ yards today - Carl Pickens (7 catches, 151 yards, TD) and Chad Johnson (6 catches, 100 yards, TD). 2 pass defenses for Brock Marion.

SLB Derrick Rodgers and C Bubba Miller both get cleared to play. Huge relief.

Miami 44 Buffalo 19
Damn that feels good! RB Rudi Johnson runs 27 times for 133 yards and 2 TDs and Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson catches 7 passes for 104 yards and a TD. Patrick Surtain defends 2 *and* intercepts 2, and CB Sam Madison defends 2.

San Diego 7 Miami 26
Olindo Mare is 4/4 in FGs, including a 58 yarder. S Rayna Stewart amasses 10 tackles, an assist, and 2 pass defenses, while our pass rush wakes up with Twan Russell recording 2.5 sacks, Jason Taylor 1.5. 3 pass defenses for Sam Madison, 2 for Brock Marion.

TE Todd Heap will miss the next game with a concussion and maybe the one after that.

Denver 7 Miami 32
Olindo Mare is Player of the Game, hitting 6/6 FGs, including a 54 yarder. Holy crap! Rudi Johnson rushes 29 times for 128 yards and Patrick Surtain defends 2 passes.

Miami 33 Kansas City 17
Dante Hall runs the last kickoff back 107 yards for a TD with 17 seconds left, to make it look halfway respectable for the Chiefs. 9 catches for 123 yards for Chad Johnson, 4 pass defenses for Sam Madison, and Olindo Mare wins his second straight PotG award - 4/4, including 54 yards.

Miami 20 Oakland 7
Not much to say about this one. Rayna Stewart wins PotG with a great all-around performance of 9 tackles, 2 assists, 2 pass defenses, and an INT. Patrick Surtain and Sam Madison each defend 3, with Surtain getting a pick of his own on top of it.

So we're 6-2, a half-game out from 7-1 Jets. Not bad, not bad at all.

Our defense has really bailed us out this year and Jay Fiedler is amazingly accurate outside of his 9 picks. Putting our efforts into upgrading the offense the last couple drafts has paid off. Second-worst draft two years ago? Yeah, see how much Ochocinco, well Ochodos here, and Rudi Johnson are tearing it up.

Imagine how scary this offense would be if we had a *real* QB.

New England 7 Miami 34
Rudi Johnson with 30 carries for 125 yards and Twan Russell blows up the pass rush with 4.5 sacks and 3 hurries. 2 pass defenses a piece for Sam Madison and Corey Fuller.

New York Jets 24 Miami 23
Heart-breaking loss as the Jets kick the game winner with 1:17 left. Olindo Mare missed the potential game-winner on the other end and we ruin Chad Johnson's 7 catches for 110 yards, Derrick Rodgers's 8 tackles and 2 sacks, and Rayna Stewart's 2 pass defenses.

That game also probably just cost us our shot at the AFC East title.

Miami 37 Minnesota 17
We lock up .500 on the year as Jay Fiedler goes 20 of 31 for 368 yards and 2 TDs. We damn near had 3 receivers with 100+ yards, as O.J. McDuffie catches 3 passes for 141 yards and a TD, a 47 YPC average and Chad Johnson and Carl Pickens finish with 97 and 91 yards respectively. 10 tackles, 2 assists for Rayna Stewart, 2 pass defenses and a pick for Brock Marion, and 2 pass defenses for Jermaine Phillips.

Backup RT Todd Wade breaks his arm and is Out 8 weeks. On the IR he goes, because RT Larry Tharpe, who has signed and been cut by the Bears, Giants, and Colts at different points this season, is inked and he has the backup RT spot for the rest of the year.

Miami 24 Indianapolis 21
And we beat the team that just cut Tharpe. 6 catches for 104 yards for Carl Pickens as we did just enough to win and no more.

Detroit 27 Miami 36
Crazy shootout that sees Jesse Palmer throw for 427 yards and 3 TDs and the Lions with 2 WRs with 111+ yards. Correll Buckhalter came out of nowhere for 147 yards and a TD on 23 carries, which gives me a sinking feeling.

Sure enough, Rudi Johnson - Hyperextend Knee - Out 3 Weeks and Derrick Rodgers - Separated Shoulder - Out 6 Weeks. Double ouch.

Buffalo 28 Miami 17
Yeah, no shock here. We sucked.

Well, we're 10-4 and have no chance of winning the AFC East. We've also pretty much locked up the #1 wildcard spot in the playoffs, so say hello to rookie QB David Garrard, who is going to start a couple of essentially meaningless games.

Miami 24 Green Bay 38
2 pass defenses and an interception for Patrick Surtain as we get clobbered. Not a bad debut for David Garrard - 24/40 for 226 yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs. Not great either.

Miami 20 New England 37
Brady-bombed, although Dayna Stewart did have 11 tackles and an assist. All three of our QBs played this game. Larry Tharpe gets hurt and is Out 3 Weeks. That's our third RT this season to get knocked out for multiple weeks. :rolleyes:

Whatever. We're back in the playoffs and have a 10 win season to our credit. That's all that matters.

Come on, keep the updates coming. School or no school, post man, post. :D

:D

Things are still going to be a little crazy the rest of this week, but by next week, it should hopefully have settled down some.

Yeah, keep going. LOL. :)

The Miami Dolphins had the first pair of 1,000 yard receivers in a long time and the first pair of 100+ tacklers ever in my FOF career. Fantastic defense, great receiving corps and a RB who would have had his second straight 1,000 yard season if it wasn't for injuries. That's the type of team a game manager QB like Fiedler can win a ring with.


QB Trent Green is 0-2 in the playoffs in this universe and fighting desperately to shed a bust label. Terrell Fletcher is a Wisconsin back, so you know he's quality. S Rodney Harrison headlines a defense that's almost as good as ours, but I'm not too impressed with San Diego's receiving corps. WR Curtis Conway is overrated.

I feel like we should win this one and Vegas agrees, favoring us by 2. RT Jason Matthews is the stopgap backup RT signing.

We look good for the lead and the win, when WR Torrance Small gets his second TD catch of the day from QB Trent Green with 19 seconds left on the clock to give the Chargers the go-ahead 30-27 win.

I'm so disgusted I'm not even going to post notable stats.

I was going to update my Zeroed Out dynasty, but I decided to continue this one instead, because it's more fun to risk doing stupid shit while drinking, especially in an FOF SP league.

Other Wildcard Action
Baltimore 21 Pittsburgh 24
Chicago 22 Tampa Bay 14
Seattle 24 Green Bay 31

Divisional Play
Chicago 16 St. Louis 38
Green Bay 28 Philadelphia 14
Pittsburgh 17 Indianapolis 35
San Diego 33 New York Jets 17

Still pisses me off we almost beat the Chargers and should have, but I suppose their smackdown of the Jets makes it a little better. Curtis Conway 8 catches for 170 yards and a TD. Think he got good and mad over my overrated comments? Oh hell yeah.

Conference Championships
Green Bay 20 St. Louis 34
San Diego 24 Indianapolis 11

Unbelievable. Nearly lose to us and they're headed to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl
San Diego 13 St. Louis 31

Greatest Show On Turf annihilates Trent Green's Cinderella playoff run and that's all you need to know. Roy Williams with 4 pass defenses. Oh and it got so bad for San Diego, Ryan Leaf came in and went 7 for 11. Yeah, who ever knew Ryan effing Leaf would play in a Super Bowl.

2003 draft file loaded and I noticed we only have 2004 and 2005 left in the version of nilodor's historical files I have. I think he updated it for more years, but I'll have to check and see.


Nice to see more recognition.

Free Agency By The Numbers
FB, G x 2, P, DE, ILB x 2, CB x 2, S

4th round pick S Jermaine Phillips gets the France flight. He should challenge for a starting spot next season.

Week 1
NT Ernest Grant - 1 year, $380k
CB Ben Kelly - 1 year, $440k
S Brock Marion - 2 years, $1.87 mil.
C Bubba Miller - 3 years, $4 mil.
WR Carl Pickens - 2 years, $3.51 mil.

...Hey, Ryan Leaf is available and he looks pretty good.

Re-signed
P Matt Turk - 1 year, $680k
CB Corey Fuller - 1 year, $610k
RB Ki-Jana Carter - 1 year, $590k
OLB Adrian Ross - 1 year, $510k
S Rayna Stewart - 3 years, $4.88 mil.

Signed
G Adam Timmerman - 3 years, $8.07 mil. (St. Louis Rams)
ILB Jeremiah Trotter - 1 year, $930k (Philadelphia Eagles)
QB Ryan Leaf - 3 years, $4.51 mil. (San Diego Chargers)

Lost
G Kerry Jenkins - 4 years, $7.45 mil. (Cleveland Browns)
G Brent Smith - 3 years, $3.27 mil. (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Yep. You read that right. As of right now, Ryan Leaf is the starting QB of the Miami Dolphins. As amused as I am by that, I'm most excited about Timmerman and Trotter. An inside linebacker duo of Zach Thomas and Jeremiah Trotter... can you say scary?

2003 NFL Draft 1st Round
$500 says Carson Palmer is the first pick in the draft.

1. QB Carson Palmer - Houston Texans
2. RB Willis McGehee - Oakland Raiders
3. DT Kevin Williams - Cleveland Browns
4. QB Seneca Wallace - Carolina Panthers

My, my. Evidently they want some competition for Patrick Ramsey, whom they drafted #8 overall last year and sent to Europe. Honestly this is the most annoying damned thing about FOF SP, the tendency of the AI to draft high pick QBs two years in a row.

5. QB Rex Grossman - Arizona Cardinals
6. WR Nate Burleson - Atlanta Falcons
7. OLB Terrell Suggs - New Orleans Saints
8. ILB Nick Barnett - Jacksonville Jaguars
9. RB Larry Johnson - Minnesota Vikings
10. CB Terence Newman - San Francisco 49ers
11. RB Chris Brown - Kansas City Chiefs
12. S Terrence Kiel - Tennessee Titans
13. ILB Bradie James - Washington Redskins
14. ILB Kawika Mitchell - Cincinnati Bengals
15. CB Rashaan Mathis - San Diego Chargers (through Denver Broncos)
16. TE Antonio Gates - Dallas Cowboys
17. DE Calvin Pace - New York Giants
18. RB Onterrio Smith - Detroit Lions
19. OLB Cato June - New England Patriots
20. DE Osi Umenyiora - Buffalo Bills
21. DE Jacque Cesaire - Baltimore Ravens
22. ILB Gary Brackett - Seattle Seahawks
23. WR Andre Johnson - Chicago Bears

There's a number of players worth taking here. Enough so that I trade 1.24, 4.24, and our 2005 6th round pick to the Steelers for 1.26 and 4.4.

24. DT Cleveland Pinkney - Pittsburgh Steelers
25. T Jordan Gross - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

None of the players I was eyeing got taken. I do some calculating and figure that there's 5 or 6 guys I'd still be very happy with. So I do the following: 1.26 and 4.4 to Indianapolis for 1.30, 3.30, 5.30, and their 2005 6th round pick.

26. ILB Gerald Hayes - Indianapolis Colts
27. CB Ricky Manning - Green Bay Packers
28. OLB Boss Bailey - Carolina Panthers (through Philadelphia Eagles)
29. RB Justin Fargas - New York Jets

Okay, only Bailey was seriously on my radar out of these guys, but it's getting to the point where I can't afford to get too cute. Looking over my roster and the situation, there's two names that stand out. One is a great WR for my aging corps, the other is a great safety for my equally aging group there. Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson and Todd Heap are rising talents for my motley collection of QBs, though, and I'm quite concerned that Brock Marion and Rayna Stewart are due to crash quite soon. I'm also not sold on Jermaine Phillips as a homerun type starter, so that settles it.

30. S Troy Polamalu - Miami Dolphins
31. OLB Tully Banta-Cain - San Diego Chargers
32. DT Dewayne Robertson - Arizona Cardinals (through St. Louis Rams)

Let's see, what will it take to move up to the top of the second round and get that WR? The Texans only have the first, second, and seventh picks because they traded out all their other picks elsewhere at some point in time. How about 2.24, 3.24, 3.30 for 2.1 and the Texans' 6th round pick next season? That allows me to take WR Anquan Boldin, my other #1 target.

I could have gotten the last of my CB targets if I'd stayed put at 24, but nothing too exciting was left over for our third round picks, so I'm glad I moved up. So we sit through the 3rd and 4th. I wanted Tony Romo in the 5th, to have that Racine County connection, but he got snapped up before our turn. We take QB Chris Simms instead, who looks like an intriguing project player.

Then I remember we have two 5th round picks, so the other one gets used on CB Andre Woolfork, whose big size and potential to be a decent nickel back I like.

WR Antonio Chatman looks to hae some return ability, so he's our 6th round pick, and our final selection is C Ben Claxton, even though we're set at center. Perhaps he can move to guard.

Late Free Agency wasn't worth talking about. Just mentor signings.


A mixed bag, I think. Polamalu has locked down a Week 1 starting spot. Boldin is an interesting case. Everyone else is a backup at most.

I like how you think in the draft. I do the same thing. Make a draft board and if a few of my top picks are still there I try to trade down to get more value. Sometimes it backfires a bit but usually I get good value. Keep up the good work.

The Detroit Lions are offering a second round pick for Rudi Johnson. It's one that, after some thought, I take, as Johnson got hit with the VSOD, going from 67 to 52. I also feel somewhat safe with Correll Buckhalter as the starter. What ultimately cinched it was Detroit's probable sucking this year.


Yep. In Leaf we're trusting.

Preseason
Bunch of injuries in our first game. S Perry Phenix, a great new secondary leader, and TE Jeff Robinson become stopgap signings.

Yet more injuries in Game 2. So far, a list of the current players Out:

S Rayna Stewart (2 weeks)
DE Jason Taylor (2 weeks)
TE Ed Perry (3 weeks)
RT Korey Stringer (4 weeks)
SLB Derrick Rodgers (9 weeks)

WR Oronde Gadsen is cut along with the official end of QB Jay Fiedler's era in Miami, a move that sets off a small firestorm of controversy.

Game 3? Yet more injuries. Fucking Hell. T Richmond Webb - Broken Foot - 9 Weeks and TE Todd Heap - Severe Hamstring Pull - Out 15 Weeks.

Fortunately enough of our guys get healthy that we don't have to do yet more cutting and signing.

Despite all the injuries, we manage to go 2-2 in preseason play.

Regular Season
Buffalo 3 Miami 30
Great defensive game headlined by Jason Taylor's 2 sacks, block, 3 hurries, and 3 knockdowns, and Sam Madison's 3 pass defenses. O.J. McDuffie's 89 yard punt return for a TD was pretty cool, too.

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!! S Troy Polamalu - MCL Surgery - Out 41 Weeks. Crippling blow, both for his development and our season. :mad:
S Marquis Smith, cut by Buffalo after our game, is signed, and Brock Marion takes his starting job back.

Miami 17 Dallas 22
8 catches for 115 yards and a TD by Chad Johnson. 11 tackles and a sack by Zach Thomas.

Miami 17 Baltimore 20
Nice comeback by Chris Redman. :rolleyes: 9 tackles, 2 sacks, a block, a a hurry by Twan Russell and 2 pass defenses each by Sam Madison and Zach Thomas.

Big boost for our offensive line with RT Korey Stringer back.

Miami 28 New England 27
Huge, huge come from behind win over the Patriots. David Garrard captained two second half TD drives, Correll Buckhalter rushed 18 times for 107 yards and a TD, and Brock Marion defended 2.

QB Ryan Leaf sprained his wrist and is Out 3 weeks, so it's QB David Garrard's turn to show he can be our QB of the future.

Miami 9 Jacksonville 14
Heh. 3 Olindo Mare FGs are all we manage. Disgusting.

SLB Derrick Rodgers is back up to Probable.

Tennessee 13 Miami 29
Big Monday Night Football win, as Olindo Mare kicks 5 of 5 field goal tries and Sam Madison defends 2. Derrick Rodgers ran back a fumble 20 yards for a TD in his first game back.

Miami 28 Buffalo 41
All you need to know is that Alex Van Pelt shredded us for 4 touchdowns. Oh and Shawn Bryson carved us for 149 rushing yards.

Now Twan Russell and Zach Thomas are Out. I'm stopping the update here before I throw my laptop out the window.

I generally don't start making a draft board until it gets a few picks before mine. This is one of the only times I've ever traded down, too, because few things make me angrier than missing out on a guy because I got cute about it.

I think the game has something against Dolphins fans. I can not gain any traction in any of my previous SP dynasties either. Mine usually go win one lose one. And the injuries much like yours.

Have you seen the From 1960 On dynasty? I'd say that somewhat counters your argument. :D

WLB Ryan Phillips, a Week 1 cut by the Colts, is signed, along with MLB Ted Johnson, also a final cut, only by the Packers. QB Chris Simms and his Red Flag are sent packing. Sorry, rook.

Indianapolis 27 Miami 24 (OT)
Sigh. 11 catches for 160 yards and a TD by Chad Johnson and 2 pass defenses a pick from Patrick Surtain can't get us the win. But when you're missing half your starting linebacking corps, it's not surprising.

Everyone's more or less back to game playing shape except Todd Heap and of course, our star young safety. Heap will be back before the regular season's out, though I don't know if it'll be soon enough to matter.

I'm skipping the halfway stats this time. It's been that kind of year.

Miami 30 Houston 17
Exactly the win we needed to get back on track. Ryan Leaf is solid - 22/35 for 279 yards, 3 TDs and an INT, 9 catches for 124 and a TD going to Anquan Boldin. 2 interceptions for Derrick Rodgers, while Jason Taylor records 2 sacks, a hurry and 2 knockdowns. Patrick Surtain reprises his 2 pass defenses and single interception from last game.

SILB Zach Thomas is hurt again. :rolleyes: Out 3 weeks with a shoulder injury. Ted Johnson steps in as the emergency starter. Right before a critical AFC East matchup too.

Miami 13 New York Jets 27
Well, that pretty much does it. 301 yards from Ryan Leaf and 9 catches for 127 yards for Chad Johnson don't mean jack against the Jets in Jersey. TD scores few and far between.

Philadelphia 20 Miami 24
No man's land year. I hate those. 6 catches for 123 yards and a TD from Chad Johnson as the highlight.

LG Maurice Williams is done for the season with a nasty high ankle sprain right when Zach Thomas and Todd Heap go back to Probable. FML. Adam Timmerman slides over to the left side and rookie Ben Claxton takes over as the starting RG for the rest of the year.

Denver 0 Miami 24
Back to .500 on a defense led by two Patrick Surtain pass defenses and a 78 yard punt return for a TD by O.J. McDuffie. We'll take it.

Miami 30 New York Giants 37
.... 9 rushes for 164 yards and 2 TDs by Ki-Jana Carter and 6 catches for 113 yards and a TD by Chad Johnson gets wiped out by a defense that had a few statistical highlights, but by and large screwed the pooch so they won't get mentioned.

At this point, we're all but mathematically eliminated, so David Garrard gets another chance to develop.

New England 38 Miami 10
102 rushing yards for Correll Buckhalter and 2 pass defenses for Brock Marion. Yeah, Garrard's not the answer.

Washington 34 Miami 31
We lost this game with 10 seconds left and guaranteed that we won't even finish .500. Shame to throw away Patrick Surtain's 3 interceptions like that.

New York Jets 10 Miami 20
We pull the rug out from under the Jets, their 10-0 halftime lead and hopes of the AFC East crown crushed under our 20-0 second half shutout.

Nine teams finished 7-9 this season. What do you want to bet we get screwed on the draft seeding?