As the Miami Dolphins season winds down without a winning record, one thing clearly stands out: Reshad Jones is bringing his lunch pail and getting the job done.

The Dolphins safety in his 3rd season, Reshad Jones has amassed 86 combined tackles, 3 interceptions, and plenty of big stops in his Pro Bowl campaign.  

Many fans are starting to take notice of his hard-hitting approach, game changing plays, and an ability to provide support down field.  

Even though the Dolphins rank in the bottom half of pass defense, it is the little things that have kept the Dolphins defense stout.  These intangibles of hard work, ability to take the ball away, read the defense, and make it a nightmare for receivers all fit the profile of what Reshad Jones means to the Dolphins on the field.

The numbers speak for themselves this season with big games versus the Patriots (10 tackles, 1 interception), 49ers (8 tackles), and Buffalo (14 tackles).  Not to mention a consistency in making tackles has made Jones well known in the NFL.  

In addition to these impressive game performances, Jones has learned how to be somewhat of a ball hawk and intercept passes versus Tom Brady, Andy Dalton,and Carson Palmer.  Two of those games resulted in wins and one particularly impressive interception versus New England was called back due to a questionnable block in the back wiping away a pick six.

Over the years, Yeremiah Bell, was the last known commodity in the defensive back field that could make plays.  However, Bell was not as versatile as Jones has been.  Jones can change the game's outcome if he can get his hands on the ball a bit more.  Jones has the speed of Ed Reed and is developing toward that level of talent.

In fact, just last week versus the Jaguars, Jones was credited for a pass defensed as he almost intercepted a Chad Henne pass which with all that space would have resulted in a touch down.

As Jones workload increases, sadly, the Dolphins don't win.  He has had to be more productive in stopping the run and pass in games where the Dolphins haven't won.  In wins, Jones has 30 tackles and two interceptions.  In losses, Jones has a whopping 54 tackles and 1 interception.  

Even though the Dolphins have lost games in the 4th quarter, Jones has shown every reason of why the Dolphins selected him in 2009 in the 5th round.

After having Yeremiah Bell for seven seasons, the Dolphins needed a guy that could plug holes versus the run, help cover receivers, and take away the ball.  Jones has thrived this season in the Kevin Coyle defense predicated on stopping the run and giving just enough space to keep the opponent from moving the sticks.

While Pro Bowl selection is possible for Reshad Jones, he has shown his knack for being a leader in the community.  Jones recently visited a long time fan of the Dolphins approaching her 101st birthday.  The visit prompted autographs and a signed jersey for her and the family.  See, while Jones could be busy nursing his banged up body, he voluntarily visited the family and his biggest fan.  In addition, Jones has been active by recently taking children on a shopping spree at Dick's Sporting Goods.   

Jones has proven all year long that he is worthy of a selection.  From an on the field and off the field standpoint, there is no one better on the Dolphins defense that deserves the honor more than Reshad Jones.

However, don't let a chance at this accolade fool you, Jones will be back with the Aqua and Orange next season ready to bring his lunch pail and work toward the common goal, being a stout and smart defense and making the Dolphins a winner!

While some Dolphins fans are trying to figure out playoff situations, I think instead of waiting for a Christmas or Hanukah miracle we should be spending our focus elsewhere. The Dolphins offense has been inconsistent and anemic at times this season; while we have seen promise at times we have seen disaster at others.

Some would argue it’s because of the lack of playmakers, other would say it’s because we have a rookie QB leading the team and then there is a group who would blame the play calling. To be honest all 3 factors are why the Dolphins offense has struggled however an aspect of the offense that hasn’t received much blame is the running game. Reggie Bush has been explosive at times but also very underwhelming at other times. Daniel Thomas has continued to show that the Dolphins made a mistake trading up for him. While Thomas has ran well at times he certainly cannot be trusted as a feature back. Lamar Miller has shown flashes at times however we still don’t know if he would be able to carry a load or even function in a 2 back rotation.

With Reggie Bush an impending free agent and perhaps not likely to return these final two games it is essential to find out what this team has in Lamar Miller. Miller needs to be given an opportunity to find out his place in this organization.

A position which once seemed like it had the most depth on the team has suddenly become very thing. At this time I don’t think you can be confident in a Miller + Thomas back field. Things can change and Miller could make the most of his opportunity if given one.

That being said as much as WR is a need for this team don’t count out adding a running back next year. Whether it is the draft or free agent the Dolphins need to find consistency in the running game to help Ryan Tannehill. Dolphins currently rank 16^th in rushing offense, however 20^th in yards per attempt.

Tannehill has played best rolled out or with the play action; the Phins have to be able to establish the run next year to get this offense running more smoothly.

We will see what happens next year but don’t rule out running back as another position of need. 

Following last week's 27-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Miami Dolphins are nearly mathematically out of the playoff race and sit in a tie for last in the AFC East at a record of 5-8. With the Dolphins already exceeding the expectations set for them prior to the season, they must switch their focus to closing out the year on a high note which must start against the 2-11 Jacksonville Jaguars.

Although this matchup isn't an appealing one to the average NFL fan, it will have some added significance for Dolphins fans and players as Chad Henne returns to Miami. Drafted by the Dolphins with the 57th overall pick back in the 2008 draft, Henne was never able to amount to the franchise quarterback that he was projected to be. Throughout his four year career in aqua and orange, Henne had a 13-18 record as a starter with 31 touchdowns and 37 interceptions over that time. He particularly struggled at home in Sun Life Stadium as he lost 10 of his last 11 starts for a record of 5-11. 

Henne took over the Jaguars starting quarterback job midway through the campaign when Blaine Gabbert was placed on season ending injured reserve. In seven games with the Jaguars including a 1-2 record as a starter, the 27 year old has thrown eight touchdowns and five interceptions to go along with 1,217 yards passing for a rating of 76.2. 

Despite the fact that Henne has impressed as a Jaguar, he still has many of the flawed tendencies that ulimately resulted in his departure from Miami as a free agent. As many familiar with the Dolphins would know, Henne does not perform well against the blitz and that is already on display this year. When facing the blitz, Henne completes 11.7 percent fewer passes compared to when their is no pass rush, and his passer rating is also 9.9 points lower. This should bode well for Kevin Coyle's defense which has sent additional rushers on nearly 40 percent of snaps this season. Expect the Dolphins defense to repeat their style of play from the past two weeks and get consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback. Cameron Wake should be in store for another huge performance against arguably the weakest offensive line the team has played.

On the other end of the field will be Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill who is bound to be judged on his play Sunday in comparision to Chad Henne. Miami's offensive play calling has been noticeably conservative throughout the course of the season with a lot of short and intermediate throws. With only pride to play for at this point, expect Tannehill to have more freedom in the remaining three games as the coaching staff evaluates his consistency with deep passes. Against the 24th ranked passing defense in the league, Tannehill is primed to have the best game of his young career thus far.

The Dolphins are a better all round team than Jacksonville and should have no problem putting up points and taking care of business. However, if the Chad Henne led Jaguars manage to leave Sun Life Stadium with a win, it will add another disappointing chapter to a frustrating season in Miami.

Another Sunday and another disappointing Dolphins loss. The Dolphins once again showed fight and no quit and played a competitive game against one the NFL's top teams but also once again came up short in the 4th quarter and displayed a clear lack of playmakers on this roster.

Whoever you want to point the finger to, the blame game will continue in Miami as it seems every week it you get the same typical Dolphins.

The story has basically wrote itself out throughout the entire Jeff Ireland era as it seems Dolphins fans can expect the same product on the field Sunday after Sunday, year after year.

Head coach Joe Philbin was quoted after the game saying, " It’s just a lack of play-making at critical times, and that’s evident.”

Well Joe is absolutely 100% correct but what are the Dolphins going to do about. Earlier this week reports came out from Miami Herald's Armando Salguero that there haven't been any talks of Jeff Ireland being replaced.

Some of the fan base understand this Ireland has consistently formed flawed rosters not set up to make a serious title run and others seem to be satisfied with the mediocrity that seems to follow this Dolphins teams.  

This upcoming offseason is a huge one as it could set up the direction of this organization for the next 3-5 years. How can the fan base trust Ireland however ?

 Kevin Burnett said after the game, "It's not like we're getting our butt kicked every week." When will settling for being competitive against a good team end. When will the Dolphins be on the opposite end of quotes like that.

The NFL is a black and white league. The fact is Bill Parcell's was right when he said you are what your record is.

This week's loss clinches the Dolphins fourth straight non-winning season, and sixth in seven years.

2012 feels a lot like 2011. The team has faught and given solid efforts yet come up short when it comes down to crunch time. QB play has shown flashes at times and has been very shaky at others, the roster still lacks playmakers and the D either comes out very solid or flat. 

When does the change actually happen in Miami ? Here's to hoping it starts this offseason but I wouldn't bet on it.

The Miami Dolphins will enter the final quarter of this NFL season with a 5-7 record that they will take on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. Barring a stunning turn around to finish the regular season, the Dolphins will not only have missed the playoffs for the past four seasons, they will also finish with a losing record over that span. While not many realistically expected the Dolphins to be contenders this season, there were glimmers of post-seasaon hope throughout this roller coaster of a year that have all but faded at this point. With that being said, the final four games of this season will prove to be significant for Miami as the evaluation process for many players on the team is in full swing. 

Whether its Jeff Ireland calling the shots this offseason or not, the Dolphins general manager will have plenty of options with at least $40 million in cap space and 5 picks in the first three rounds of the draft to utlilize. Many questions currently circulate around the Dolphins roster and several tough decisions await the front office once the season comes to a close. Here's a look at which players will be under the microscope over the remainder of the schedule.

OL Jonathan Martin

With the news of Jake Long out for the season with a triceps injury, rookie Jonathan Martin will likely fill in at left tackle where he played in college. Its clear that Long is playing no where near a pro bowl level and it seems as though injuries have caught up to the former first round pick. While the Dolphins can afford to re-sign Long, a long term deal averaging about $10 million a season is a high price to play for a player on the decline of his career. Long's chances of returning in aqua and orange next year lies on the performance of Jonathan Martin. If Martin impresses in his natural position of protecting Tannehill's blind side, Long will likely test the free agent market and ultimately allow Miami to spend the money they save, elsewhere. 

RB Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller

According to multiple reports, the Dolphins have not had any discussions with Reggie Bush to sign him to a contract extension. Despite the fact that Bush is currently Miami's most explosive weapon, he does not appear to be in the team's long term plans. With Bush unlikely to return, second year back Daniel Thomas and rookie Lamar Miller will be closely evaluated in attempts to determine if they are the future of the Dolphins backfield. These two running backs have the potential to compliment each other very well considering Miller's dynamic style of play and Thomas' ability to gain the tough yards on the goal line or in short yardage situations. If the duo fail to find success, letting Reggie Bush walk in free agency would only create another need on this team.

WR Brian Hartline

The focus of this offseason will surely be to surround Ryan Tannehill with as many weapons in the passing game as possible. Brian Hartline, who has been the team's top wideout this season, is having the best season of his career in a contract year. With Tannehill throwing to him, he is only 109 yards short of his first 1000 yard season. Hartline's play over the final four games will go a long way when the front office decides on his future as a Dolphin. Assuming that he continues to impress in a break out year and surpasses the 1000 yard marker, Hartline would be a viable No. 2 or 3 option for Tannehill next season. 

TE Anthony Fasano and Michael Egnew

Anthony Fasano is on pace to have his worst season in a Dolphins uniform over the five years he's spent in Miami. A security blanket was exactly what Tannehill could have used in his rookie season, however the 28 receptions and 224 yards that Fasano has totalled doesn't do much to help his quarterback's development. The next Dolphins draft bust could very well be in the making with Michael Egnew. Taken in the third round of April's draft, Egnew has yet to make an apperance in the regular season. With not much else for the Dolphins to lose this season, now may be the time for the coaching staff to activate him and see what he can contribute to the offense. The tight end position has continued to show its increased importance to successful offenses this season, however it still remains a need for Miami. Luckily for the Dolphins, the 2013 free agent class features several talented tight ends including Jared Cook and Dustin Keller that the 'Phins would be wise to invest in.

Although the Miami Dolphins are not yet mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and a win over the 49ers would get the team right back in the AFC Wildcard mix, thorough player evaluation over the final four games should make for more educated decisions by the front office as one of the most important offseasons in Dolphins franchise history approaches.