Miami Dolphins: Dolfan Satisfaction Meter: 96.6%

     The latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter poll results hold steady at an overall 96.6 percent approval rating, the same as last week, following the 17-15 home victory over Oakland on Sunday, a fourth straight win. That is the exact same percentage as last week, although the number calling themselves "very satisfied" increased slightly to 73.5 percent.

     New to the blog this season, the Dolfan Satisfaction Meter is a continuous, weekly gauge of how fans are buying into the "New Beginning" and the club's direction. Right after each game, I invite fans to share their overall degree of satisfaction with the team.

     The criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's result and performance, the season as a whole, the direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations.

     The Comments section never closes. However, the poll itself is open only through midnight of the Monday following the game -- meaning it has now closed. Every Tuesday morning we then announce the final results. Complete season results may be found beneath the poll.

     The latest DSM poll, with complete season results below it:

Online Surveys & Market Research

    [Congrats. You all have made this our 37th blogpoll to surpass 1,000 votes in the first 24 hours. Keep 'em coming. Poll ends at midnight tonight/Monday].

   Season results:

     Week 1: 59.0% satisfaction (6.6 very, 52.4 somewhat), after loss vs. Jets.

     Week2: 5.4% satisfaction (2.1 very, 3.3 somewhat), after loss at Cardinals.

     Week 3: 98.4% satisfaction (74.8 very, 23.6 somewhat), after win at Patriots.

     Week 4: Bye week; no poll.

     Week 5: 99.3% satisfaction (86.8 very, 12.5 somewhat), after win vs. Chargers.

     Week 6: 80.3% satisfaction (30.2 very, 50.1 somewhat), after loss at Texans.

     Week 7: 49.0% satisfaction (8.9 very, 40.1 somewhat), after loss vs. Ravens.

     Week 8: 98.8% (67.1 very, 31.7 somewhat), after win vs. Bills.

     Week 9: 99.4% (84.6 very, 14.8 somewhat), after win at Broncos.

     Week 10: 96.6% (71.5 very, 25.1 somewhat), after win vs. Seahawks.

     Week 11: 96.6% (73.5 very, 23.1 somewhat), after win vs. Raiders.

Comments

[r. duke]

Until they lose I'm very satisfied.

[mike1]

Keeping in mind we're barely winning home games against the easiest of opposition, I'll say "somewhat satisfied" since we are winning. The coaching staff tends to go conservative with slim leads in the 4th and once again, I thought we'd be losing in the final minute.

In fact, if Oakland doesn't get a punt return for a TD, chances are good they drive for the winning TD using up the clock. Again, we benefitted from the opponents scoring too soon, like we did vs Houston.

[Tom]

Somewhat satisfied. No way to be dissatisfied with a win, but this is another game we should have dominated but almost lost. I agree with mike1 that our conservative play calling is going to cost us one of these days.

I'm looking forward to the Pats game but if we play the same as the past two weeks, the Pats are going to kill us. We need to start playing to win rather than playing not to lose. This team has a chance to go to the playoffs and with the softness of the better teams in the league who knows what can happen if we make it. Could you imagine, 1-15 to the SB? Atlanta did something like that recently, worst to first. Why not us? But we won't make it if we keep playing like sissies when we have a lead.

[Jimbo]

i echo Dukes' sentiment. as long as we win, i am very satisfied. enduring some lean yrs and the ultimate fan nightmare 1-15 last season keeps me greatful on the wins.

you can get technical. playing down to competition, poor special teams--except the kicker, costly turnovers, wrong penalty at the wrong time, etc.
I'll take an ugly W anytime vs a pretty loss against top team.

i predicted 6 wins this season and were there now with 6 games left.

[Jimbo]

of you guys complaining about O playcalling this game. With NE up next, Sparano and Henning got something new, something special for Bellygoatfullachicken to figure out.

[Cote = Blah Blah Blah]

Anyone who isn't very satisfied is a complete moron. Do you not remember that we only won 1 game last year? We have already beat the Vegas over/under! We were worried that we wouldn't win 4 or 5 games and now we are in the hunt for the playoffs! How can you be anything less than very satisfied. What, we didn't crush the Seahawks or the Raiders and that makes you less satisfied? I can't believe you people. You make me sick.

[Jimbo]

Which team is the bigger surprise this yr? Miami or Atlanta?
Both have rebounded from a horrible 07 and most would have thought that 08 would have been bleek too.
Atlanta is just as remarkable. With QB Vick Atlanta is average team. Vick goes to prison and the team is supposed to be bottom feeders for yrs without him. Franchise QB. Along comes rookie QB and they are 6-4 and in the NFC playoff hunt. Think Falcons ownership wants Micheal Vick back now? Vick watching games on Prison TV knowing his NFL career is quietly fading every week.

[Jimbo]

Cote=blah,blah,blah.. I'm feeling ya on that! Keep on winning ugly, I don't care about style points!!

[Jimbo]

Browns get 3 primetime games this yr. Browns? Cleveland Browns. Didn't make playoffs last yr, gets .. 3? wtf???

[OC Dolphin]

For those of you who are into cliches: Here's the bottom line. At the end of the day, after taking it one game at a time and you've been doing it 24/7, it comes down to this -- There are six games left. If we win 1/2 of them, we're 9-7 and own a very good chance at being in the playoffs. We win four and we will be there for sure. We win only two and produce an 8-8, well then -- better than most pundits had this team accomplishing.

It's all gravy from here on end. I like our chances.

[AHM]

I am both very satisfied and yet I still have some criticisms.

On the one hand, this team was 1-15 last year. 0-10 at this point. So, 6-4 with playoffs a legit possibility, how can one not be very satisfied? This is an amazing turnaround.

On the other hand, I agree completely that we are playing too timidly with leads. It is eerily reminiscent of the Wannstedt era. No need to rely on the D so heavily. You have the ball up by nine points with a 1st and 10 in raider territory. Dont run it up the middle three times and punt from the 34!!! Stay aggressive, score a TD and end the game. You cannot run for 200+ yards and only score 17 points that is ridiculous.

And yet I am still very satisfied. Sports are weird.

[mike1]

AHM, that drive was exactly what I was talking about. However, give credit later when they went for it, instead of trying the 52 yd FG. That was a risky move at tht point.

Looks like we'll need the Giants to save the 72 Phins again in the SB. Tenn. isn't quite as dominating offensively as NE, but they are winning and very good chance to finish the reg. season undefeated. Root for the Jets next week? Tough one.

Where's the Tennessean...or at least the Bostonian pretending to be a blog newcomer called the Tennessean?

[Tom]

Here's the bottom line, at the end of the day we may be taking it one game at a time and and doing it 24/7, but it comes down to this: we outgained the Raiduhs 2 to 1 and yet we were a 4th and 5 from losing the game. We need to finish these lesser teams off. I want the Dolphins to lay the wood to these teams. Kind of like George Takei with our old friend, Kurtthebuttfuckeroo. But they haven't, so I'm only somewhat satisfied because I know we are better than we have been playing.

Why would anyone be satisfied with the Dolphins merely exceeding preseason expectations? Those expectations were very low for most of us, but expectations change as new information is processed. The Dolphins have proven this season that they can play good football; thus, I expect more now than I expected at the beginning of the season. The Dolphins this season have played some amazing football against superior opponents (e.g., NE and SD). However, they have also played some mediocre football against inferior opponents (e.g., Houston, Seattle, Oakland). They lost the Houston game and just as easily could have lost to Seattle and Oakland. I dare say that the satisfaction meter would be close to zero if we had lost those two games and be sitting at 4-6 rather than 6-4. Why? Because we know the Dolphins are better than 4-6 even though 4-6 would represent a dramatic improvement over last year.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy we're 6-4 and actually in the playoff hunt. How great is that? Truth is I actually think we have a chance to go fairly deep into the playoffs. Yup, I really do, but we'll never even get to the playoffs if we don't stop giving opportunities to teams we should be dominating.

[BEEF SUPREME]

Beef Sez"6 AND 4 ENOUGH SAID,ALSO DID U SEE THE GUNS ON ED HOCHOLIE,THAT GUYS BIGGER THEN THE BEEFSTER,THIS CAT IS ON THE JUICE I KNOW CUZ IVE BEEN ON THE JUICE SINCE I WAS 12"

[Dave in VA]

I understand the conservative play calling due to Pennington's very few short comings. But it drives me crazy when it's 3rd and 9 and they throw the ball 3 yards. And the Special Teams, wow. I have to leave the room whenever they kick off or punt.

But I'm with the majority here, an ugly win is better than a pretty loss every day. I think they will pick it up big time next week, and even if they don't win, will look like a different team than we saw yesterday.

[Jimbo]

bottom line is Dolphins have to take care of their own business. Beating Patriots this weekend will go a long way towards that goal. If season ended right now, dolphins sit out the playoffs. they lose tie breaker with both 2nd place teams with exact schedules. will be a different story 3 weeks from now tho. Titans will not go undefeated. Every team below Titans and Giants have flaws to seperate them from top 2. SD and Pitt are not playing to their capabilities. Pitt has a 7-3 record but are undercoached offensively. No decent team in the Afc West, denver barely an average team.
Dolphins are in a position to either blindly bump thru rest of season and just miss playoffs or improve and win and make some noise come January.

[Jimbo]

typo on last: meant fins lose tie breaker to both 2nd place teams with exact records....

[mike1]

It's think it's fun to see the occasional "tie" requiring that extra column in the standings. But face it, oafter onwe OT is played, it's very rare. So what's the point? Might as well just keep playing; it'll end.

Or, how about trying PAT's until someone misses, the trick is..every has on the team has to try..not just the kicker.

Or, keep trying 2 point conversions until someone fails.

Yes, the last two ideas are just jokes.

[King13]

Dolfans are the lousiest fair weather fans EVER!!! Part of the problem is that not enough of them understand football!!! From one fan to another, you guys stink!

[Dirty Sanchez]

King13-

Blow me. Most of us were here last season. Where were you?

[King13]

Dirty, I was right here watching these incredibly uneducated football guessers post comments. I put in my year too (my several years) but I really don't think that people realize that there's another team on the other side of the ball that wants to win as bad as we do. HOnestly, what do the Dolphins even have BUT great coaching - NO receivers, a COUPLE O-linemen, ONE cornerback, and decent safties. The QB is good, the RB's are good, DL and LB are good. They're doing a lot with a little! I am just saying how can you be critical. It's not like we had a huge draft and we don't have any players from the last five drafts or no big free-agents!!!

[-AJ-]

I'm glad they're winning, but they're winning really ugly. I hope they continue to win, but don't know if they can...

[N.J.John]

Huuuuge game coming up this week for our Dolphins. They will have to play their best ball, not play to the level of their opponent again. The Patriots will be out for blood after being embarrassed in the first game. We can do it, but must play the most complete game we’ve played yet. Special teams need to show up and play well. I was impressed with the come back to win this week even if it should have never come to that, it shows the team doesn’t quit.
Be great to come out of this game with a win and Jets loss, the rest of the season would be super exciting. WhoDDa thought we would be talking like this so soon after last year’s embarrassment?

[mac]

a win in the nfl is a win.

[the shadow knows]

King13,

i would disagree on your assessment that the dolphins ha NO receivers. they do lack a randy moss, andre johnson, reggie wayne type; however, they have a corps of workmanlike players like camarillo and fasano that to this point are serving the team well. remember that in chad pennington the dolphins don't have a QB that can heave the ball downfield and have guys run under it- he is quite good at throwing short passes much like the one that went to gin on 4th down that basically was the game! he was alsopatient and intelligent enough to realize that #19 was covered by a LB on a short crossing pattern- the proverbial candy from a baby heist. as long as the dolphins are a threat on the ground, he is gonna get and utilize these mismatches to the dolphins' advantage. whaddya say, newcomer? welcome aboard, and keep contributing- we like new ideas and opinions here, if i am allowed to speak for the group.

[Dave in VA]

King, we had an 0-fer last year at this point. I don't think you'll find any fans on here that aren't absolutely thrilled with the progress made in turning that turd around. BUT, when you go from "rags to riches", there's always room to critique, and discuss where they need to focus. That's what fans here do, I don't know that any of the regulars fancy themselves to be NFL executive or coach material.

Maybe I shouldn't take your Miami sports fan smear personal. After all, there's plenty of empty seats at the Dolphin games, Heat games, Panther games...

But, you'll get a blow me every time you post some shit like that. As you can see, the fan base here is nation-wide, it's not like we can all buy season tickets. Hows about engaging in some thought provoking discussion about the state of the team (i.e. shortcomings, strong points, etc.) and what the future may hold (or random subjects such as the female genitalia), instead of being critical with no substantiating data...

I are a Dolphin fan, all others can juggle my grapes!

[the shadow knows]

mike1,

always great to see your posts!! in the old days, ties counted as 1/2 a win, and 1/2 a loss. is it still so? or is it considered a non-played game now?

[dean]

didn't think things could get much better after the dolphins win yesterday but then aretha franklin shows up on the cover of rolling stone! lucky she can sing because she ain't much to look at, but still my favorite female vocalist.

*dave va,
i say we roll aretha around in flour and once we find the wet spot........

[Jimbo]

King 13, dude your new on here, or your going by alias. The regulars on here have a pretty good grasp on what time it is in the NFL. Maybe your dose of reality is a Rocky movie......... personally, I am a life long die hard who lives out west. IF i lived anywhere near Miami I would attend home games.

[Jimbo]

dean, I just got same edition in the mail moments ago. I'd just wish they'd stay away from politics tho. Nat King Cole and his daughter are/were bu** a** ugly but talented with superior voice.
You better have a lotta flour dude, butter the door jams to squeeze the hips thru the door too.!!.

[Jimbo]

your right shadow. we have endured the worst season immaginable fan wise. pats fan naples jack is welcome on here anytime. no one gives him much grief. try doing that as a Fin fan on a div rivals site.

King13, what is your team anyway?

[Jimbo]

After last couple seasons of futility and seeing most of veteran core players jettisoned it is nice to see team win while rebuilding.
Very satisfied indeed.

Dolphins win Sunday by 10 pts at home against Patriots. O has been running on vanilla last 2 weeks for a reason. Sparano and Henning got some new stuff Belicheater ain't seen yet!!!! I know because ginrai's neighbors dog told me so.... true

[the shadow knows]

Jimbo,

thanks for the kind words; and you are probably correct that dolphin backers would probably find it a little rough on jets' blogsites, at least. maybe NE and buffalo would be a little friendlier, but i don't go into danger zones unless absolutely necessary to do so.

real bad news about pete newell- a basketball genius and one of the nicest people to have emerged from the world of sport. cleaned john wooden's clock regularly ( defeated the bruins in their last 8 meetings with cal), for which wooden the phony pious one really let cal have it when the bruins were on top. reason that the then lew alcindor was injured in the 71-69 houston victory in 1968- had his eye scatched in the last few minutes of a bruin rout against the golden bears as wooden acted out his vengeance the team from berkeley; it wasn't till very late into the bruins' unmatchable run that UCLA caught cal in the series between the two. RIP, pete newell.

[r. duke]

dean you and OC are the most grounded twisted individuals I've ever encountered. Kudos gentlemen! Knowing you're Bucs fan just curious if Cadillac played and if so how he looked? Didn't catch it on Sports Center.

[r. duke]

dean of course referring to your Urethra idea.

[dean]

jimbo,
i agree on the politics. like most publications, r.s. is just trying to sell sell sell. i guess they grew out of music and entertainment years ago.

r.d.,
ernest graham was injured on his first carry never to return yesterday. warrick dunn got the lion share of the carries the rest of the way & vincent askew a couple. no cadillac, but he is currently idling in neutral on the active roster.

shadow,
pete newell was the greatest teacher of big men ever. he took average, uncoordinated behemoths and turned them into longtime contributing nba paycheck earning ballplayers. he took skilled and talented giants to superstardom and hall of fame status. rip.

trying to decide on wwe raw or browns / bills. it's a coin flip.

[Dave in VA]

dean, Aretha sings so sweet I don't need nothin else!

[the shadow knows]

dean,

any game that pete newell did color for was a lesson in basketball and coaching strategy; the big man's camp that he ran taught footwork, the undoing of most big klutzes. they aren't all olajuwon, although many of the europeans playing today had soccer as a first sport and can movemuch better than our high schoolers who play one year and then bolt for the NBA. saw greg oden against the heat and say that the then sonics got the better player in kevin durant. oden is a stiff!!

[the shadow knows]

Dave in VA,

aretha franklin is the only singer alive that can make "you light up my life" not just listenable, but enjoyable!!

[dean]

shadow,
he's no bill russell, but don't give up on oden yet. sonics are 1-10 w/ durant. where will he be when his contract is up? not okla-homo city. oden is gonna be ok in 2009.

dave va,
you need aretha's vulva, a little respect and a shot of 1800. don't b.s. me. i know brown sugar is a little sweeter.

[r.duke]

I was looking through Oaklands wins and losses so far this season. Thought I must have seen a misprint. Did Oakland actually beat Jets like 16-13?

[r. duke]

Also if old man Favrege' goes down what do Jets have as backup. Though I'm not sure it matters as I don't see Farve as strength of that team. Great gamebreakers on special teams, runningbacks, O-Line and D-Line and I'm not sure what else. They're not the Giants but they don't have to be to win AFC East. Not that they will...

[Jimbo]

Here's to hoping Bills choke on Brown d***. Bills are on elevator down quickly.

yes duke, Raiders DID beat Jets this yr. you win the used toaster, isn't that right Bob Barker? Yes and 1 day trip to Tijuana including 2 corona's and donkey show.

Dolphins will beat Patriots Sunday, sweeping the hated division rival this yr.

[Jimbo]

Wonder what Marty Schottenbeer is thinking now? He gets the boot for going 14-2 and replaced by Norv Turner who is what now? Al Davis running that team too? maybe Moe, Larry, Curley Howard's that is.

Makes you appreciate Wayne H. more these days for hiring Parcells. Finally Wayne gets it right. Shooooot, Wonder who JJ would have recommended to WH if Cam were fired after last season and Parcells wasn't interested. ? Chan Gailey? Wanny revisted ? seriously,, Bill Cowher?

[mike1]

No one here seems to be concerned about the 10-0 Titans like they were this time last year about NE. Perhaps it's because Titans' aren't as dominating, but their defense is measurable to the 72 team. With their remaining schedule and the weakness of the AFC, it's not far-fetched they'll reach the SB undefeated, with only the Giants (if they don't get upset) to beat them. I think the Giants would win.

Toss up ..root for the Jets this weekend or not?

[mike1]

Yes, it's great Miami is winning the close games this year. Strange as it may seem, but we may've have about the same record this time last year if we were on the winning end of the scores and if Trent Green did not get injured. The real indications comes when we consistently beat tough teams. On one hand it's very satisfying compared to last year's horror, but as some posters have commented, there's still a lot of work. NE won't get fooled by wildcat this time and they are a very capable team all around.

I was always against squib kicks and avoiding certain punt returners, but for the rest of this year, I think we should do this every time, because 50% of the time we give them a good return.

[beer n drums]

I'm very pleased with the Dolphins.It isn't a guaranteed win no matter who you play against in the NFL.I'm sure Bills fans would agree.I'm sure they had them at 6-4.one game out.

[Tom]

Hey oscar_g and OC

Brady Quinn....come on you can say it. Brady Quinn....come on stop fighting it.
All together now, come on...

Brady Quinn is a player.

Brady Quinn takes his team into Buffalo for a night game (in Buffalo mind you where the alcohol consumption rate rivals that found in Moscow) and comes out with a win. You gotta admit that's pretty good. Last week he lights up Denver but unfortunately for Quinn the Cleveland defense lays down in the 4th quarter giving Denver the win.

I watched most of both games and Quinn is good. Last week after the Cleveland D stopped playing, Quinn lead his team back down the field with time expiring and except for Kellen Jr's dropped pass to stop that drive, Cleveland may well have won that game. In last nite's game, he had a number of dropped passes, you know the type that you or I could have caught. I would have to say that by passing on Quinn, CamtheMoron lived up to his name on draft day last year.

What happens to Derek Anderson? He sure as shit won't be playing again for Cleveland.

Here's one for you. Who makes it to the pro bowl first, Quinn or Ginn? Vote now, but no voting like a democrat. That is, only one vote per contestant.

Quinn or Ginn?

I'll vote first. Quinn because Ginn will never make it.

[Dave in VA]

dean, how do they say it? The darker the berry the sweeter the juice?

Tom, Jake Long will go to a Pro Bowl before either of them. Can I vote for Long? Cuz I don't think Either of the others will get the nod before your poll is long forgotten...

[Tom]

Sorry Dave in VA you can't vote for Long. He was not drafted by a moron or passed over by a moron. The vote is on Quinn or Ginn, who gets to the pro bowl first?

Vote now

Quinn or Ginn?