bevischief
11-03-2011, 08:43 AM
http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_seasonticket/2011/11/winning-teams-pound-the-miami-dolphins-with-stunning-frequency.html
Winning teams pound the Miami Dolphins with stunning frequency
by: Mike Berardino November 2nd, 2011 | 10:19 AM
Even the failed Dave Wannstedt regime had a much better record against winners than Tony Sparano
Thanks to a Joe Pisarcik-esque botched snap and a gift win against the Chargers on Monday night, the Kansas City Chiefs enter this week’s home game against the Miami Dolphins with a winning record (4-3).
This, of, course, is more bad news for the Dolphins.
Maybe even worse than you might think.
Last Sunday’s 20-17 loss at the New York Giants dropped the Dolphins to 7-23 (.233) under Tony Sparano against teams with winning records.
This year’s 0-5 figure is based on the opponents’ current records, not on their record at the time they played the Dolphins. This number is fluid because we’ll recalculate it at season’s end, but the overall trend is definitely troubling.
The 2010 Dolphins went 2-6 against teams that finished the year with winning records. Their lone wins came on the road against Green Bay and a freshly concussed Aaron Rodgers (23-20 in overtime) and the Jets in the Sal Alosi Game (10-6).
That December win at the Jets, as you well know, is the Dolphins’ last regular-season win of any kind. That’s how you build an NFL-worst losing streak of 10 games.
In 2009, the Dolphins went 3-7 against teams that finished the year as winners. Two of those wins came narrowly against the Jets. Plus there was the 22-21 win over the Patriots at home.
So in the past 2 1/2 seasons, the Dolphins’ only five wins against winning teams have come by a combined 17 points.
How about 2008? Surely Sparano’s 11-win miracle playoff team must have held its own against winning teams?
Nope. Sorry.
Even with Chad Pennington going the distance at quarterback, Sparano’s first Dolphins team went only 2-5 against winning clubs, including the playoff loss to the Ravens. The wins came by 25 points at New England in the famed Wildcat Rollout game and by a touchdown at the Jets in the division-clinching game to end the regular season.
So it’s 7-18 (.280) the past three full seasons, and this year’s schedule still features six more games against teams with current winning records (including the Bills twice). At least one of those will be the season finale against the Jets, who account for four of Sparano’s seven wins against plus-.500 competition.
Take out the Jets, and Sparano’s Dolphins are 3-20 (.130) against all other NFL winners.
Even two of the three remaining games against current losers — at Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, home against the Eagles and Redskins — could easily wind up counting as opportunities against winning clubs for the season.
OK, you say, so winning teams are hard to beat. So what?
Well, I have some more troubling data for you.
And it involves (wait for it) Dave Wannstedt.
Before dropping 10 of his final 12 games against teams that finished as winners, Wannstedt more than held his own with the Dolphins.
His first Dolphins team went 5-6 against winners (including the playoffs) in 2000. That was followed by a 3-6 mark (again including the playoffs) and a 5-3 mark in 2002, which somehow was not a playoff year.
So that puts Wanny at 13-15 (.464) against winning clubs over his first three years. Years that included the last back-to-back playoff trips in franchise history.
Even with the ugly downturn that led to his midseason resignation in 2004, Wannstedt — now coaching linebackers for the surprising Bills — finished his Dolphins tenure 15-25 (.375) against teams that finished the year as winners.
What does it all mean? Well, this much seems pretty clear: The Dolphins have a LONG way to go before they can even think about playing with the big boys on a consistent basis.
And the failed Wannstedt era? In hindsight, that doesn’t seem all that bad anymore, does it?
Winning teams pound the Miami Dolphins with stunning frequency
by: Mike Berardino November 2nd, 2011 | 10:19 AM
Even the failed Dave Wannstedt regime had a much better record against winners than Tony Sparano
Thanks to a Joe Pisarcik-esque botched snap and a gift win against the Chargers on Monday night, the Kansas City Chiefs enter this week’s home game against the Miami Dolphins with a winning record (4-3).
This, of, course, is more bad news for the Dolphins.
Maybe even worse than you might think.
Last Sunday’s 20-17 loss at the New York Giants dropped the Dolphins to 7-23 (.233) under Tony Sparano against teams with winning records.
This year’s 0-5 figure is based on the opponents’ current records, not on their record at the time they played the Dolphins. This number is fluid because we’ll recalculate it at season’s end, but the overall trend is definitely troubling.
The 2010 Dolphins went 2-6 against teams that finished the year with winning records. Their lone wins came on the road against Green Bay and a freshly concussed Aaron Rodgers (23-20 in overtime) and the Jets in the Sal Alosi Game (10-6).
That December win at the Jets, as you well know, is the Dolphins’ last regular-season win of any kind. That’s how you build an NFL-worst losing streak of 10 games.
In 2009, the Dolphins went 3-7 against teams that finished the year as winners. Two of those wins came narrowly against the Jets. Plus there was the 22-21 win over the Patriots at home.
So in the past 2 1/2 seasons, the Dolphins’ only five wins against winning teams have come by a combined 17 points.
How about 2008? Surely Sparano’s 11-win miracle playoff team must have held its own against winning teams?
Nope. Sorry.
Even with Chad Pennington going the distance at quarterback, Sparano’s first Dolphins team went only 2-5 against winning clubs, including the playoff loss to the Ravens. The wins came by 25 points at New England in the famed Wildcat Rollout game and by a touchdown at the Jets in the division-clinching game to end the regular season.
So it’s 7-18 (.280) the past three full seasons, and this year’s schedule still features six more games against teams with current winning records (including the Bills twice). At least one of those will be the season finale against the Jets, who account for four of Sparano’s seven wins against plus-.500 competition.
Take out the Jets, and Sparano’s Dolphins are 3-20 (.130) against all other NFL winners.
Even two of the three remaining games against current losers — at Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, home against the Eagles and Redskins — could easily wind up counting as opportunities against winning clubs for the season.
OK, you say, so winning teams are hard to beat. So what?
Well, I have some more troubling data for you.
And it involves (wait for it) Dave Wannstedt.
Before dropping 10 of his final 12 games against teams that finished as winners, Wannstedt more than held his own with the Dolphins.
His first Dolphins team went 5-6 against winners (including the playoffs) in 2000. That was followed by a 3-6 mark (again including the playoffs) and a 5-3 mark in 2002, which somehow was not a playoff year.
So that puts Wanny at 13-15 (.464) against winning clubs over his first three years. Years that included the last back-to-back playoff trips in franchise history.
Even with the ugly downturn that led to his midseason resignation in 2004, Wannstedt — now coaching linebackers for the surprising Bills — finished his Dolphins tenure 15-25 (.375) against teams that finished the year as winners.
What does it all mean? Well, this much seems pretty clear: The Dolphins have a LONG way to go before they can even think about playing with the big boys on a consistent basis.
And the failed Wannstedt era? In hindsight, that doesn’t seem all that bad anymore, does it?