Update:

The sheer significance of Marshall's season is that he is the only receiver since Irving Fryar to have posted a 1,000 yards receiving in back to back seasons.  That's a remarkable feat, but also very telling since Miami has lacked a true quarterback threat or any kind of air attack until this year. 

For a 5-10 team it is very surprising that the Miami Dolphins have players elected to the 2012 Pro Bowl.  It's amazing to me that the Dolphins have turned around the season to win 5 out of 8 games.  Too little too late and certainly not enough to see the organization known as the Miami Dolphins change course again in a 4 year span.

On Tuesday Brandon Marshall and Jake Long were selected to the 2012 Pro Bowl in Hawaii.  For Brandon Marshall this was his 3rd selection (2 as a Bronco) and for Jake Long, this was his 4th selection in 4 seasons. 

Marshall has his first selection since being traded from Denver in 2010. Marshall has had a Pro Bowl season with over 77 catches and 6 TD and 1177 yards. What's not to like about Marshall's year? His 12 dropped passes are the highest in the NFL.

If I remember correctly, at least 6 in the end zone. If you believe that Marshall's 6 drops in the endzone aren't critical then tell me if those 6 TDs create opportunities to win against the Jets, New England (twice), and San Diego. I would bet that those 6 drops in the endzone make the Dolphins chances of a 9 or 10 win season much greater.

Jake Long has been a stalwart Left Tackle this season blocking the blind side of both Chad Henne and then Matt Moore for 8 games.  He has surrendered only 5 sacks while the rest of the line has surrendered 46 sacks.

One might argue that Jake Long gave up 5 sacks this season and should not be worthy of a pro bowl. However, Jake Long has been the cornerstone and mainstay of this battered and beat up offensive line that is on the verge of giving up the most sacks in team history. Long deserves this honor for playing with shoulder, back, and knee pain all season. He gave over 100% and you didn't see him give up. Surely, as a 1st pick of the draft, pro bowls were to be expected, but he has certainly earned his reputation as a hard worker and it shows on game day with his ability to block some of the best defenses he has faced in his career. Kudos to Jake Long and his 4 Pro Bowls.

Brandon Marshall and Jake Long have proved their worth this season. Are they the best offensive players in Dolphin History? Not yet, but if they remain Dolphin players, I expect them to again make the pro bowl squad multiple times.

I am happy for both Marshall and Long, but I would be happier if the Dolphins were fighting with the Jets this weekend for the lone playoff spot.

The Dolphins got a pleasant surprise Tuesday night as they were informed offensive tackle Jake Long and wide receiver Brandon Marshall have been selected to the 2012 AFC Pro Bowl team, with Long earning a starter’s nod and Marshall chosen as a reserve.

Long, was put on the IR today and now will miss the game but it is still an honour for him to have been named to his 4rth straight pro bowl. Long struggled early this season particularly due to injury however has maintained the status of one of the best Left tackles in the game.

Marshall, who is a former Pro Bowler in two previous occasions while with the Denver Broncos, will be in the game for the first time as a Miami Dolphins. Marshall’s season has been up and down however despite his very noticeable drops he has put up some pretty impressive numbers. Marshall leads the Dolphins with 77 receptions, 1,177 receiving yards and six touchdown catches.

 

While some might say Marshall’s spot is undeserved due to the high volume of touchdown drops when looking around the AFC, there is no doubt that there are  few receivers that have had Marshall’s success.

“This selection is special, considering the struggles we had this season,” Marshall said. “I appreciate the fans who voted for me, and it means a great deal that I also was voted to the Pro Bowl by the people who know the most about the game — the players and the coaches. “I also want to thank my team-mates, because football is the ultimate team game and I couldn’t have performed at the level I did without their help.”

Marshall has gone through a lot this year with being very public about his condition of borderline personality disorder. This will come as a very nice reward to Marshall who certainly will look forward to the trip to Hawaii.

Rookie Center Mike Pouncey was added as an alternate! Off to a very nice start to his career ! 
 

Personally I knew Reggie Bush did not have a chance to make the first roster but I am hoping he might slide in if there is an injury or one of the running backs plays in the Super Bowl.

This article was written by me for This Given Sunday ( http://www.bloguin.com/thisgivensunday/2011-articles/december/miami-de-jason-taylor-ready-to-retire-will-he-dance-with-the-stars-at-the-hall-of-fame.html ) 

 

According to the Miami Herald, Jason Taylor plans on hanging up the cleats (or dancing shoes) after 15 seasons. Taylor is now 37 at the end of his career and currently sits 6^th on the all time sack list with 139.5

Taylor was named the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and the 2007 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. Taylor has been on several successful and not so successful Miami Dolphins team and will certainly be considered when discussing HOF candidates. In Taylor’s prime there were very few who could rush the QB as well as Taylor. JT always seemed to show up on the biggest of stages as some of his best games came against Tom Brady.

Despite his age Taylor has still been affective as a pass rusher as he has piled up 7 sacks this year. Taylor was a Pro Bowl player six times in his career and returned six fumbles for touchdowns, which is the most in NFL history as well as three interception returns for scores.

Taylor will be remembered mostly for his years in Miami where he and his brother in law Zach Thomas led very strong Dolphins defences to a couple of division championships. In his later years as a Jet, he reached the AFC championship game falling one game short of the Super Bowl.

While Taylor will not be a first ballot HOF he will certainly garner consideration. The fact that Taylor never won or went to a Super Bowl might be held against him despite being one of the most dominant defensive players of his time. rex Ryan on JT: "a no-brainer Hall of Fame player...we only had him one year, but he had such a positive effect on this football team"

With one game remaining in the season, the NFL credits Taylor with 139.5 sacks, 577 total tackles, eight interceptions and three defensive touchdowns.

Last night the Miami Dolphin messiah Dan Marino saw another of his cherished records fall as Drew Brees eclipsed his record for the greatest single season in passing yards. Marino has seen records fall to Brett Farve (career passing touchdowns) who had his career linger on and it was only evitable that Marino’s record would fall. Next on the list of Marino’s records to fall was pashing touchdowns in a single season which first fell to Peyton Manning and then to Tom Brady. To see a Dolphin record being broke by a Patriot quite frankly hurts.

Last night in the 4rth quarter Drew Brees took one of the last of Marino’s records as he now has the most yards by a QB in a single season. If anyone were to break Marino’s record I am glad it was Drew Brees who is a total class act and A + competitor.

There is also irony in the fact that the player to break Marino's record is a QB who the Dolphins passed on twice (draft + free agency). The next Dan Marino was right infront of the Dolphins eyes and they passed on him TWICE ! 

It is important to note however that despite only needing 16 games to do it did take Brees more attempts then Marino to break the record. Another staggering thing about Marino’s record was that it was only in his second year of his illustrious career. Marino also did not have the advantage of playing with the new rules which favour the passing game. While I do not wish to take anything away from Drew Brees because he by no means deserves to have anything taken away from him, I will still stand by the fact that Dan Marino had the single greatest passing year by a quarterback. Marino's record stood for 27 years and there is no shame in it finally going down to Drew Brees. 

With the eventual black Monday on the horizon where coaches are axed annually after not living up to an owners expectations, the Dolphins face another coaching change in the last 4 years.

This season has the Dolphins playing at a rather inconsistent level after squandering 4th quarter leads Houston Oiler v. Buffalo Bills playoff game style circa 1993.

With a start at 0-7, the Dolphins stayed the course and managed to reel off 5 wins despite the fan and media pressure to tank the season and be the doormat to all teams to land the #1 pick.

There is a major problem with this idea of starting over. No one knows what direction this team is headed. No one has any idea on what Stephen Ross will say next week when a coaching search is announced.

Of course it is entirely possible that a football czar such as Carl Peterson will be announced and he'll jointly recommend with Jeff Ireland which coaches the Dolphins should consider. Alternatively, a hiring of a football president may not happen as Ross could take the Jerry Jones approach of controlling his business and be the first one on the sideline at the end of the game for a win or loss. (I hate this approach and Elway on the Broncos sideline is getting annoying.)

As fans we acknowledge that this team has one major hole. Coaching is not the major issue as much as having a QB and face of the franchise.  We all want to buy that Dolphins jersey with the shiny white or aqua numbers and orange and navy trim.  We want our QB.  We want a guy we can count on in the last minutes of the game that sends our collective hearts racing after a win. 

The Dolphins need a QB and they must pull whatever tricks up their proverbial sleeves that they can to secure a chance at drafting the best QB in the draft.  Teams with QBs win or at least win within 3 years of being drafted. Look at Peyton Manning, Michael Vick, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan, Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer and Eli Manning. All of these Quarterbacks have been to the playoffs. All have been drafted in the top 10 picks. Eli Manning and Peyton Manning have a Super Bowl ring. 

Journeymen quarterbacks such as Ryan Fitzpatrick and Matt Moore have not produced playoff opportunities.  Past journeymen quarterbacks such as Trent Dilfer (Super Bowl winner) and Rich Gannon (Raiders and Chiefs, but Super Bowl loser) have produced playoff opportunities. 

It seems that the positives of taking a QB in the first 10 picks is beginning to outweigh the negatives, but no one wants to ever draft the next Ryan Leaf.

The top 10 QB has to be nurtured in the offseason and then slowly released to the wolves.

Guys that I consider ready for a playoff run are Cam Newton, Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton (could happen this week), and Kevin Kolb.

The Dolphins have to be 100% certain they can land this guy that in two or three years can get the Dolphins to the playoffs and beyond.  Free-agency to win-now is not the answer.  The QB free-agent market is very thin and very risky via trade.  See Daunte Culpepper as a supreme example of what it is like to miss on a QB via trade. 

As for an ideal Dolphins coach, they need someone that can direct the players to develop a consistent work ethic and winning attitude. They need a guy with experience as an NFL head coach. They need a guy like Jim Harbaugh.

I have seen first hand what he has done with the San Francisco 49ers living near San Francisco and its truly incredible. Sure the 49ers have not had the most competitive schedule, but many of  their opponents in November and December are all playoff bound or have been eliminated in the past couple of games. Defensive toughness, ball security/take aways, and playing 4 quarters and finishing games are all staples of the new Jim Harbaugh regime.  The 49ers are poised for greatness, but the pieces were in place and re-arranged to each player's strengths. 

Lastly, even though as Dolfans we don't have a clue what the Dolphins will do, let's just say that the past history won't dictate the direction of this coaching search. That is, the Dolphins won't hire someone inexperienced. They will make a hiring splash. 

A big time coach or experienced coach will happen. QB is the first priority once the coach is there.  Then the rest of the depth chart will be evaluated and guys that don't have it will be let go.

The writing on the wall dictates that the Dolphins are going to go big or risk slipping deeper in the depths of the AFC East.

Updated:

After the Dolphins debacle in the second half of the game and I still want to give Coach Bowles one more chance to see what kind of leadership and toughness he can instill in week 17. 

The chance for Bowles is nothing new to South Florida media.  Armando Salguero would rather not touch the subject of Bowles as the next coach calling his chance an experiment and that it is time to clean house and start fresh. 

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2011/12/nfl-truths-escape-the-dolphins.html

I happen to disagree with Armando in that it's easy to blame Bowles for the loss to New England.  Frankly, the Dolphins failed in every category from special teams to offense to defense.  I pin the loss on the coaches and strength and conditioning coaches who are responsible for this Dolphin team being in shape. 

Bottom line, the Dolphins had Brady on the ropes and they danced and pranced around like they one the game.  Then the big play that didn't happen defensively was a sure INT by Vontae Davis who instead dropped the ball thus breathing life into the New Englan offense.  No way I blame Bowle's for Vontae's misplay.  The technique was there. 

It's now officially Jets week and it's time to ring in the New Year with a win over the Jets!

I am looking forward to seeing Brian Daboll's game plan in action!

Yes, we all know what’s coming.  We all know that Stephen Ross with the help of Jeff Ireland will recommend a coach that will carry the Dolphins into the future.  We know that heads are going to roll on the entire coaching staff or many will leave for other jobs.  We know that change is coming.

However, there is another way to look at this possible change.  The Miami Dolphins blew through Buffalo last week and fired up the running game. The defense has improved tremendously and shut down the Bills best receiver in Stevie Johnson last week.  

Why not Todd Bowles?  This is why I believe that Todd Bowles should get an even better interview opportunity than other more experienced coaches.  Todd Bowles brings intensity to the team.  His quiet and calm demeanor brings together a team in which they go out and fight for each other.  He brings leadership and unwavering consistency to play calling and game management. 

In the Buffalo game as the Dolphins got down early by 3, he helped bring that defense and offense together on the sideline for the purpose of winning the game together. The way the momentum was headed toward the Bills especially with the two blown redzone series by the Dolphins resulting in field goals, the Dolphins came back and score 27 unanswered going into the 4th quarter. 

Some of you say that maybe the Dolphins were playing for their jobs or for deposed coach Tony Sparano.  I say, that is all possible, but I believe deep-down in their aqua and orange hearts they were playing for Coach Bowles. I know how much coach Bowles means to the DB group of Sean Smith, Vontae Davis, and Yeremiah Bell and they've been vocal in their belief that Bowles made them even better players.

Coach Bowles brings one heck of a resume as player with the Washington Redskins, hands on approach with DBs and their development, and has already received high recommendations from the likes of Darrel Green, an NFL Hall of Famer. Players that can coach receive more respect.  Shula was a player and then a coach in the league. As was Mike Ditka. 

Lastly, Bowles brings the work ethic and no-nonsense attitude that this team needs.  He doesn't let guys slide.  His approach is different than Sparano in that he does not fist pump field goals, but he has a quiet way of celebrating.  He acknowledges but good and bad plays, but he doesn't over-react.

So, is Bowles legitimately a candidate?  I believe he is.  Paired with a QB from the draft, Bowles could be the next and best coach for the job if the Dolphins finish strong and win against New England today and the Jets next week.

This morning most Dolphins fan woke up with their team being 5-9 but at least having hope a franchise QB might be on the way. Whether it was Matt Barkley or RG3, fans, including myself were starting to grow in excitement that one of the two QB studs would become the next Dolphins QB for years to come. Tony Pauline believes RG3 will also stay in school and there has been plenty of talk of him wanting a law degree.

However this afternoon Matt Barkley is about to making an announcement about whether or not he will go pro and most sources believe he is staying at USC for another year. There are also reports that the RG3 might also be staying back at college leaving the QB prospects for next year’s draft very thin. While I admire the fact that Barkley wants a national title and to be the #1 pick in the 2013 draft he is really screwing the Dolphins by not declaring. 

If all of the following happens it’s a royal smash in the nads to all Dolphins fans. The Dolphins will now probably have to completely re route their entire focus in the draft. With the Dolphins conservative style it would seem likely Justin Blackmon and Trent Richardson will not be targeted and fans have another OT or pass rusher to look forward to. While both are glaring needs for the Dolphins it is not what fans had in mind for this year’s upcoming draft.

Today is a sad day as it appear the search for a franchise QB will continue and Matt Moore will be the starting QB moving forward. Here's to what could have been !  

For those who want some names that the Dolphins might consider, look to : Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa, Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina, Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford , David DeCastro, G, Stanford  

 

As week 16 is about to begin, Dolphins fans can’t help to look ahead to April with a 5-9 record. After a 0-7 start draft talk has dominated the minds of Dolphins fans across the nation. Since we can’t talk playoff scenarios in Miami, I guess it’s time for some potential draft day scenarios.With 3 elite QB prospects in the draft, it would appear there is a good chance that this is the year the Dolphins will finally draft a 1^st round QB.

Assuming the Dolphins lose out (@ Pats, vs. Jets) the Dolphins will finish with a 5-11 record putting them in the top 8 at the very worst of the NFL draft. It is never smart to assume wins or loses on an NFL schedule but here is some speculation of where the Dolphins may end up selecting next year’s draft.

1) Indianapolis Colts ( 2- 16)- Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

While many are beginning to talk how it is possible the Colts will play themselves out of Andrew Luck, I see them falling just short of doing so. While they have two winnable games (Hous, @ Jags) I only believe they will be able to pull out one victory of the two.

2) Minnesota Vikings (2-16) : - Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Falling just short of the 1st pick overall due to SOS (strength of schedule), the Vikings will take a sure thing in left tackle Matt Kalil.

3) St Louis Rams ( 2-16) - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

St Louis will be in tough against the Vikings for the 2^nd overall pick because they most likely want Kalil too but Claiborne here makes plenty of sense too

4) Cleveland Browns ( 4- 12) Matt Barkley, QB, USC

To the dismay of the Dolphins fans, I expect the second QB of the draft to go off the board at pick number 4.  With games against Baltimore and Pitt it seems almost a 100% inevitability the Browns finish at 4-12.  Barkley probably fits with the Browns better but they could go with RG3.

5) Jacksonville Jaguars:  (4-12)  Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Dolphin’s fans better hope Blackmon is still on the board when the Jags are drafting so they aren’t tempted to with RG3. With games against the Colts and Titans, I am only predicting one win but two would be possible placing them behind the Phins.

6) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12): Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

I don’t think the Bucs win another game and therefore take Ronde Barber’s replacement.

7) Miami Dolphins : (5-11)  Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor

If the Dolphins lose out, they would probably still have a strong shot at RG3. Washington still has the Vikings on their schedule and I think Carolina will beat Tampa Bay both scenarios see the Dolphins moving up in the draft.

Maybe I am biased but I still think there is a strong possibility of the Dolphins getting RG3 or Barkley.  

As week 15 ended last night, I took a glance at some stats on NFL.COM to notice, Brandon Marshall sits 12^th in the league in receiving yards with 1,201 yards and 12^th in receptions with 70. Marshall is also 10^th in the league with 17 20+ yards receptions. Those numbers place him with the top names in the league. However that is the good Brandon Marshall.

The bad Brandon Marshall has been thrown to in the end zone 23 times this season, which is the most in NFL only resulting in 5 touchdowns, in large part to a lot of key drops that plagued him early in the season.  Marshall’s drops haven’t really gone away as he suffered two potential TD drops this past week in Buffalo. The Palm Beach Post counts seven dropped touchdown passes for Brandon Marshall on the season. That number is simply unaccpetable for an "elite" NFL WR.

 

Marshall season has been very solid statistically and 90 % of the season he has showed up in a big way on the field however he leaves you still thinking what could have been. Marshall’s numbers are up from last year but that might also be in part to Matt Moore playing significantly better then Chad Henne.

While Marshall has probably been one of the league’s best receivers this year it is important to note that with the money Miami is spending on him they need him to be special. We have seen glimpses of special play like his unbelievable grab against the Cowboys being dragged down by Newman but it has not been there at a consistent enough level.

Brandon Marshall truly gives you the good, the bad and the ugly on a week to week basis. In a 5-9 season I don’t think the Dolphins would have been much better had Marshall been able to get to the next level however despite a strong year this year, I will be expecting even more from Marshall next year. Marshall needs to give it 110% of his effort on every single snap. There is no question Marshall has all the tools and skills to be one of the best in the NFL. 

My thought is that Brandon Marshall has been good this year but not good enough yet. 

As Marshall tweeted earlier in the season:

Brandon Marshall @BMarshall19 5 Dec

Note to self: You haven't arrived.

Well here’s to hoping you land in Miami sometime soon.

In anticipation of one of the final games of the season against arguably the Dolphins toughest opponent year in and year out, Phins Phocus and Foxboro Blog have decided to hold a little Q+ A and find out what we think about each other’s squads.

1)    When you see the Dolphins on the schedule, what is your first thought?

For this year, I see the Dolphins as yet another challenge on the schedule. Let's face it. The Patriots are having trouble stopping any offense right now. Just look at the two games where Dan Orlovsky and Rex Grossman were continuing to drive down the field. Miami is red hot even without their head coach winning five of their last six games. The Patriots need to show in this game that they can beat up inferior competition if they want to be taken seriously as a defense that could take this team to Indianapolis in February. Miami may have nothing to play for, but you can never take division rivals lightly as we saw in September when Buffalo knocked off the Patriots.

2)    Do you really believe the Patriots defense is good enough to win a super bowl?

I don't think they can win the Super Bowl right now, but there is luckily plenty of time for the Patriots to prove skeptics wrong. Andre Carter was their best player on defense and now he is out for the season with a quadriceps injury. If Brandon Spikes and Patrick Chung do not come back, this defense is definitely vulnerable. Its hard to imagine Julian Edelman and Matthew Slater starting in a Super Bowl on defense. That being said, the Patriots can stop the run with the exception of the last two games and Mark Anderson was a nice sign of a pass rush against Tebow on Sunday. It is possible they can win a Super Bowl with the defense, but I am not as optimistic now as I was a couple of months ago.

3)      Which Dolphins player scares you the most?

For me, the one player that scares me the most is Brandon Marshall. Devin McCourty has been a shell of his 2010 self for the Patriots and Kyle Arrington is a cornerback that is known more for his interception ability than his pass coverage. Marshall has been a thorn in New England's side for the past few seasons. In 2009, he was the guy who helped the Broncos knock off the Pats under Josh McDaniels. In 2010, he had ten catches for 147 yards despite two Miami losses. This year, in New England's 38-24 win, Marshall came up big with seven catches for 139 yards. If the Dolphins are going to win this game, Matt Moore is going to have to beat the guy to beat them and having Brandon Marshall can definitely assist with that.

 

4)      Who is your Patriots MVP … Gronk or Brady?

The MVP on this Patriots' team is still Tom Brady. As great a season as Rob Gronkowski has had, Brady still is the driving force behind this offense. Chad Ochocinco has done nothing, Deion Branch has had his share of injuries and numerous young players like Taylor Price and Brandon Tate have been cut. Yet, Brady is still able to find a way to put up another great statistical season, with the exception of the four interception game in the loss to the Bills. He has to deal with all the pressure of having a defense that just can't stop anybody and yet he still puts up 30 points per game. But, think of all the times Tom has come through with drive after drive. Whether it was the TD to beat Dallas, the TD to almost beat the Giants, the 2nd halves against the Jets, or the 900 yards he put up in the first two weeks, Brady is delivering. I would go Brady 55%, Gronkowski 45%. That's how close and how great each of them have been so far this season.

 

Thanks to the folks at Foxboro blog for doing with us this week and I have a feeling they will be having a more enjoyable weekend then us Dolphins fans.