Early Thoughts (Week 12): Miami Dolphins: Time To Relocate?

Yes, we are in the midst of another troubling year for the Miami Dolphins.

While the ‘Fins intrastate rivals in Tampa and Jacksonville appear to be making strides this season (albeit both lost on Sunday), Miami has just four wins this season and has employed two head coaches.

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Sunday’s 38-20 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium marked the first time since 2007 that the Green and White has swept the Dolphins. That’s a season the Miami faithful won’t soon forget as team lost its first 13 games and finished 1-15 that year.

On Sunday against the Jets, head coach Dan Campbell’s club gave up 411 total yards, including 137 on the ground. Meanwhile, the Dolphins’ disappointing pass rush barely got a hand on New York quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who threw for 277 yards and four touchdowns (2 scores to wideout Brandon Marshall). And Campbell’s team failed to force a turnover in the game, meaning the club has a mere 11 takeaways in as many games this season.

Nov 29, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Miami Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron (84) runs with the ball while being defended by New York Jets strong safety Calvin Pryor (25) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Dolphins 38-20. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

The season numbers are bad enough for the 4-7 Dolphins, who managed a mini two-game winning streak after the organization parted ways with head coach Joe Philbin. But the club has now dropped four of its last five contests and each of those setbacks have been by 10-plus points.

That midseason surge which saw them beat the Tennessee Titans (38-10) and Houston Texans (44-26) on consecutive Sundays in October, totaling 10 sacks in those games, quickly disappeared. In the team’s other nine games this season, the Dolphins have totaled a combined 13 sacks and losing defensive end Cameron Wake for the season in Week 9.

But this latest lopsided loss to a divisional foe has to be really disconcerting for the Dolphins franchise. Miami is not only winless vs. their AFC East rivals this season (0-5) but have been routed in each game. Each setback to a division rival has been by a minimum of 13 points and when you do the disturbing math, the ‘Fins have been outscored a combined 175-72 in five losses to the Bills (2), Jets (2) and Patriots (1) in 2015.

Want to make matters worse? The Dolphins have actually dropped seven in a row to their AFC East brethren dating back to last season and those defeats have been by a combined 253-109 score. In other words, Miami has given up 36.1 points per game in those contests. Safe to say it’s hard to win on a consistent basis playing that kind of defense.

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The chances are good that the Dolphins will once again be looking for a new head coach this offseason, with all due respect to Campbell. While the team has showed signs of life with him on the sidelines, it may not be enough to ensure he will be leading the team in 2015.

Barring a sensational finish as well as some cooperation from other teams in the AFC, the Dolphins won’t be in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year. That’s quite a drought for a team that makes its home near the beach.