Just how bad are the 2007 Miami Dolphins? Are they bad enough to be worse than the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the legenday NFL team with the perfect 0-16 season? I mean the Dolphins are on their way to matching them game for game as they rolled their record to 0-13 today. Three more loses and this team will accomplish the reversed of what the fabled 1972 team did. Three more loses and they too will have a perfect season of sort.
Still, this team has a ways to go to match the Buccaneers, as the team has been more a victim of bad breaks than shear like of talent. For all their woes, the Dolphins can still compile a highlight reel to their season, something that Tampa Bay would have been hard pressed to do in 1976, unless you count the entertaining quotes issued by head coach John McKay during that season of total futility. Before losing most of their offensive starters to injuries, the 2007 Dolphins could at least put up points, something that the inept Buccaneers never found a way to do. In that infamous season, the Bucs were shutout a total of five times and posted all of 125 points for the season. On the other hand, the Dolphins started the season led by the fantastic running and receiving of Ronnie Brown. Before going down to injury, Brown had gained 991 yards from scrimmage in just seven games. His replacement Jesse Chatman also had a respectable start in Brown’s place, gaining over 340 yards rushing in four starts before he too went down with an injury. Still luckless, the Dolphins lost Ricky Williams for the season in his first game back, after he too felt victim to injury.
Not to let the backfield have all the glory, starting quarterback Trent Green took one too many hits to the head and was lost for the season after only five starts. That left the passing game in the hands of journey man Cleo Lemon and rookie John Beck, both of whom have been a poor substitute for Green. Yet, with four players lost from their backfield, Miami has still found ways to put up points, their only shutout coming on horrid field conditions during their 0-3 loss to the Steelers.
Yet Miami’s tragedy has not been limited to the offense, the defense too has had its share of losses, the lastest of which took down All-Pro linebacker Zach Thomas. Thomas the heart of the Dolphins defense for the last decade, suffered a concussion in September and later was involved in car crash in October and has had recurring migraines ever since. in the midst of a horrendous season, the Dolphin’s thought it best to shut down Zach for the season, and placed him on the injured reserve list.
While it has not lead to a victory, the Dolphins have also been solid on special team. Kicker Jay Feely has hit 17 out of 19 field goals he has attempted. Ted Ginn has down his best Joey Galloway impersonation in the return game, averaging 24 yards a kick return and 12.5 yards a punt return. These added dimensions were never a solid part of the woeful Buccaneer team of 1976.
So despite their winless record, clearly, the 2007 Miami Dolphins are not even in the same ballpark as the 1976 Buccaneers when the roll call of bad NFL teams is taken. What we have hear is a plain case of karma. Luck once smiled on this franchise in the form of a perfect season, something that Don Shula and his boys bring to our attention every season. Bad luck then has decided to even the score in Miami, and taken back the gift once given. So color this team the unluckiest in the history of the NFL and let it go at that.
