We’ve heard it before: You can’t buy a winning team (except in baseball and soccer). How about the Philadelphia Dream Team in 2011? The Washington Redskins, every other year.
Miami started out a hot 3-0 and it looked like someone finally pulled it off. As the season unfolded, it turns out the Browns, Colts and Falcons aren’t really the group many had them penciled in to be. Then there was a 4 game losing streak which left them with a 3-4 record and put them on pace to be the next failed “Off-season Champs”. Since then they’re 5-2 controlling their own destiny in the AFC playoff picture.
Mind-boggling, what an volatile up and down team, nobody could have predicted this, right? Not so fast.
The Heat didn’t start playing their best basketball until the second season of the big 3. Why? It takes time for teams with new parts to gel. The Dolphins have a young quarterback and players over 30 are hard to find on this roster. Couple that with an off-season spending spree and you’ve got a recipe for a locker room lacking experience and chemistry. Before the season nobody had seen the Dolphins speed/Nascar package of Wake, Misi, Odrick, Jordan and Wheeler. It payed off early, but teams adjusted.
Now it seems the Dolphins have adjusted. They’re playing like a team, fighting for the extra yard when it’s imperative they do so. Mike Sherman is moving the pocket and the play-calling is far less predictable. Ryan Tannehill is hitting his new targets. Charles Clay is filling the void left by Fasano/Keller and Rishard Matthews is coming into his own where Bess/Gibson left off.
December football is all about who gets hot at the right time and it looks like Miami might fall into that category this year. It’s all so clear now.
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