Worst Dolphins Season Ever?

I say it just might be!!!

Worse than the first four seasons in franchise history, because those teams were supposed to be bad. Nobody even expected any better until season four.

Worse than the random '76 losing season? For sure. Shula showed that was just a blip on the radar.

Worse than the '88 season? Now we're getting into a serious debate. That season and this one seem to have far more in common than you think. Same type of team--awful D, refusal to run, and the '88 team collapsed from 5-4 to 6-10 and lost all 8 division games But then again, this might not even be the worst 6-10 team in franchise history.

Worse than '93? I say yes. Losing the last six is worse than losing the last five, and at least DolFans had Marino's return to look forward to in '94. Plus there was that one Cowboys game.

Worse than '95? Uh huh. That team at least made the playoffs and believe it or not won 3 of their last 4.

Worse than '99? Yeppers. Again, that team at least made the playoffs and won a game.

Worse than '04? Again I say yes for two reasons. 1.) Wanny finally being fired halfway through and 2.) that Pats MNF upset win back before upset wins over the Pats got boring.

Worse than '07? Again, I have to say yes. The Ravens win is still remembered fondly today, and that season led to the miracle season of '08. I also think it's the last time the coach and GM were both fired at once. But I'm sure that's just a weird coincidence...

Worse than '11? Depends on whether you think that 6-10 team was better or wrse than the '88 6-10 team, and both were indisputably worse than the 6-10 '17 team anyway.

Worse than '17? Seeing as '18 was pretty much just as bad but with one more lucky win and'19 was worse...yeah.

Worse than '19? I don't think so, since this team somehow got 5 wins with an 0-16 caliber roster and had everybody feeling good about the future at the end.

So there you have it. I just don't see how this season's collapse from 8-3 to 8-9 and Tua's tumble from league's top QB to everything the media said he was before can't be the worst or at least in the conversation, especially since after most of the other bad season fans still had something to look forward to next year, whereas 2023 already seems like a complete waste of everyone's time. Also, there's the whole "finishing worse after starting 8-3 than when they started 1-7 the season before" thing, which shouldn't have even been humanly possible, and only barely possible mathematically. IMO that's what ultimately clinches it.

Random seasons I found horrific—

2003 because I knew it was over in late December 2002 when Wayne announced Wanny would be back in 03, then still didn’t fire his ass when the team regressed further!

2015 since it was so obvious Philbin didn’t need to be here. Again over before it started

Which season was the one they brought in Steve DeBurg. 1993.

That one REALLY took a toll.

This one is brutal also...yet if I think about it, I had the Phins going anywhere from 8-9 to 10-7, so...

They are on pace for what I thought...yet it sure seems like a monumental collapse does it not?

Worst seasons for me are by far are:

1993: Beating the world champion Cowboys on the road on Thanksgiving to get to 9-2...and then losing all remaining games (including 3 by one score) and missing the playoffs.

1999: Barely squeaking into the playoffs (despite losing 5 of the last 6 regular season games), but then giving the fans hope with a tough and hard-fought road victory in the wildcard round - only to lose the following week in the most embarrassing game ever, getting trounced 62-7 and watching Marino's career end in a whimper.

This season doesn't even come close to those two.

JMP wrote:Worst seasons for me are by far are:

1993: Beating the world champion Cowboys on the road on Thanksgiving to get to 9-2...and then losing all remaining games (including 3 by one score) and missing the playoffs.

1999: Barely squeaking into the playoffs (despite losing 5 of the last 6 regular season games), but then giving the fans hope with a tough and hard-fought road victory in the wildcard round - only to lose the following week in the most embarrassing game ever, getting trounced 62-7 and watching Marino's career end in a whimper.

This season doesn't even come close to those two.  

I respect your opinion even if it's completely incorrect and wrong

But seriously, you really don't think ending this season with a SIX GAME losing streak and missing the playoffs when just ONE win out of those final 6 games would've gotten them in is "even close" to a season in which they actually did win a playoff game? Especially on top of all the other things that are now going wrong by the day? We're talking about the downfall being started by a 7th round rookie QB the GM passed over for another QB who's sucked canal water, the increasing possibility that Tua will be forced to retire, and the utterly nauseating and very real chance that the Jets AND Pats will both finish ahead of this team even with their own clearly inferior QBs? At least '93 had mitigating circumstances.

Well, we haven't lost 6 games in a row yet this season - and might not.

But even if we do, it will never compare to 1993 or 1999 for me - NEVER. Those seasons gutted me...this one sucks, but nowhere near the same level. You may have a different opinion, but that's mine.

JMP wrote:Well, we haven't lost 6 games in a row yet this season - and might not.

But even if we do, it will never compare to 1993 or 1999 for me - NEVER.  Those seasons gutted me...this one sucks, but nowhere near the same level.  You may have a different opinion, but that's mine.

Fair enough. I guess I could withstand those traumas and keep going because I was a lot younger then. Now I'm just so beaten down I'm thinking about walking away entirely.

Also, I just want everybody to know that if Bridgewater blows the last 2 games by phoning it in like he's done all season so far every time he's taken the field, I'm going to start calling him Turdy Bilgewater. Yes, I know it's immature and childish. No, I don't care.

We are long suffering Fin's fans. Every time we have some hope it comes crashing down. It should just be expected.

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:Well, we haven't lost 6 games in a row yet this season - and might not.

But even if we do, it will never compare to 1993 or 1999 for me - NEVER.  Those seasons gutted me...this one sucks, but nowhere near the same level.  You may have a different opinion, but that's mine.

Fair enough. I guess I could withstand those traumas and keep going because I was a lot younger then. Now I'm just so beaten down I'm thinking about walking away entirely.

I'm actually the exact opposite! Back then, a loss would literally ruin, or at least tarnish, my entire week. That 62-7 ass-kicking kept me in bed for the better part of two days. I took every loss personally and they just ate away at me.

But now? Yeah, I'm pissed immediately after the game but then I move on. Just like I did with this last loss. You can read my knee-jerk reaction in the Game Thoughts post, but that was written almost entirely before the game ended. Sleep it off, and I'm over it. I still care, of course, but it doesn't ruin my mood or ruin my week. I've been through decades of losing with this team, so why should one more year make a difference?

JEGnj wrote:We are long suffering Fin's fans. Every time we have some hope it comes crashing down. It should just be expected.

Yep. Hope for the best, expect the worst.

62-7 sucked, but it kept me from any illusions that Marino or JJ should continue past 1999. Unfortunately, Wanny had already been promised the job, giving us a true Hobson's Choice there, but I had little hope for 1999 after seeing the Thanksgiving game up close and in person.

1993? The injuries were just ridiculous, I've never seen a team more banged up than that one was.

DolFan 316 wrote:Also, I just want everybody to know that if Bridgewater blows the last 2 games by phoning it in like he's done all season so far every time he's taken the field, I'm going to start calling him Turdy Bilgewater. Yes, I know it's immature and childish. No, I don't care.

Now that's funny right there.

Turdy Bilgewater!! Classic!

And Hal tossing out the "true Hobson's Choice". Good stuff.

Yeah, I used to agonize over the Phins losses, and defend even the most boneheaded moves like giving Dumbstedt personnel control even though a flock of Bears fans said he will run the team into the ground.

Now, I expect bad things for the Phins. I am really shocked when the good things happen. Rare as they are.

Be nice to see the Phins win these last two, but there is SOMETHING wrong with the team? Don't know what? Don't know if it is just one thing or a bunch of things?

finfanatic wrote: there is SOMETHING wrong with the team? Don't know what? Don't know if it is just one thing or a bunch of things?

I think it boils down to 4 things...there's probably more, but these are the main things IMO:

1. An offensive playcaller that thinks he's playing Madden 24-7. I'm all for a strong deep passing game, and we do have one of the top scoring offenses in the league, and Tua leads the NFL in yards per attempt...but you can't just throw deep over and over and over. You have to mix in a short passing game and run attempts...change things up and keep the defense guessing. Right now, the Dolphins have a one-dimensional offense, and that's not a good thing. I understand what McDaniel is thinking - he's playing to the team's strength - but it's too easy for the defense when they know what's coming.

2. A defensive coordinator that continues to be blitz-happy while refusing to play coverage on the backend. It's really the stupidest philosophy imaginable: put pressure on the QB while at the same time giving him a quick, easy out with wide-open receivers. I understand that we are severely banged up in the secondary, and Boyer is afraid to give up a big play. But all he's really doing is making 3rd downs impossible for his defense, and allowing the opposing offense to extend drives and get easy first downs. With this style of defense, it's nearly impossible to get INTs because the defenders are nowhere near the ball when it's thrown. It's the most frustrating defense I can imagine - because we do have a bunch of good players on that side, but they're hamstrung by a crappy scheme.

3. Special teams is a nightmare. We have an excellent punter...and nothing else. Horrendous coverage teams, and a kicker that misses FGs and extra points and too often can't reach the endzone on kickoffs. This unit is absolutely killing the team, hurting both the offense and defense in the field position battle. And don't even get me started with that absurd onsides kick last week...maybe the dumbest call I've ever seen.

4. You know what I'm going to say already, don't you? Yep, the offensive line. While it is better than last year, it's still not nearly good enough. The run blocking is almost non-existent, and they allow way too much QB pressure. The LG position is a huge gaping hole, and RG and both tackles are inconsistent. I'd say Williams at center is the by far the best player on this unit - but even he has issues, with at least one high snap per game. We need an upgrade at LG, an upgrade at backup swing tackle (that won't shit the bed at LT when Armstead is out), and a long-term solution at RG to take over when Hunt leaves in free agency next offseason. I'm actually fine with Shell at RT - if the team decides to sign him. If not, that's a huge hole too.

Yes, there are other problems. But you fix these 4 issues in the offseason, and we are immediate Super Bowl contenders (with a healthy Tua).