The Miami Dolphins were expected to be newsmakers this season, adding talent to a promising roster and riding quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s growth to play-off contention.
They have made news, all right. The wrong kind.
After a 1-3 start, including embarrassing losses to AFC East rivals the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, coach Joe Philbin was dismissed.
Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle was also removed. His unit ranked last in run defence, and were 30th of 32 teams in total defence.
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Those are startling stats, partly because they ranked 12th in total defence last season, and partly because they signed goliath nose tackle Ndamakong Suh, the biggest free agent prize, to a six-year, US$114 million (Dh418.7m) contract.
Next, a report surfaced that Tannehill had been mocking the defensive scout team during practice when they made good plays against him, telling one to enjoy a scout team “trophy” and another to enjoy his scout team “paycheck”.
Tannehill vehemently denied the paycheck comment, but admitted to the general abuse.
Hmmm, listless defence. Prima donna quarterback. Invoking the periodic table, you would have to say team chemistry smells like sulfur.
The first thing interim coach Dan Campbell did when he took over last week was wake up his team with an “Oklahoma drill” – a risky, heavy contact exercise requiring full blocking and tackling in a confined space.
It is a rarity at the NFL level.
Campbell’s tough-guy personality may or may not work better than Philbin’s quiet, detached demeanour, but the underachieving Dolphins cannot blame anyone but themselves for the change.
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