GREG COTE'S RANDOM EVIDENCE BLOG: MIAMI. SPORTS. AND BEYOND.
1) It is MONDAY, OCTOBER 5: In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes lose in Cincy and CSM poll, NFL Week 4 picks, locals teams in 'Ultimate Standings,' D.Wade on fashion, 'Marlins Man' motives & more. 2) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also on Facebook, Instagram, Vine and Periscope.
Live in-game blog, postgame thoughts: Find them boht directly beneath the new DSM poll.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G4: Results are certified in the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show 2.7 percent overall satisfaction (a combination of "very" and "somewhat" satisfied votes) in the wake of Sunday's 27-14 loss to the New York Jets in London putting Miami's season record at 1- 3. The DSM, in its eighth year, is a continuous weekly gauge of how fans are feeling about the Dolphins and their direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was around 4:30 p.m. today/Monday.
2015 DSM Results
Game 1: 31.0% (following 17-10 victory at Washington)
Game 2: 1.7% (following 23-20 loss at Jacksonville)
Game 3: 18.0% (following 41-14 loss vs. Buffalo)
Game 4: 2.7% (following 27-14 loss vs. N.Y Jets in London)
Next DSM poll: Oct. 18 (following game at Tennessee)
G4: DOLPHINS VS. JETS IN LONDON: FINAL: Miserable. The final score makes the Dolphins loss seem almost respectable, but it was not. Miami trailed throughout, could not run the ball, could not protect Tannehill, could not stop the run. It was a fundamental ass-kicking arising from domination of both Miami lines. Jarvis Landry had a positive impact. Nobody else showed up. I am not sure if this will save Joe Philbin's job with the team 1-3 after three straight bad losses and the bye week up next. ..... Fourth Q: Tanny picked in end zone on ball Jordan Cameron might have caught. Turn out the lights. The London party's over. ... Kenny Stills 33-yard catch. MIA still has a pulse, but a faint one, at 2-minute warning. ... Derrick Shelby fumble recovery for MIA with 3:51 left is overturned on review. That'll do it. ... Miami had 1st and goal at NYJ 2 with chance to still win this game. Instead, Tanny picked off in end zone by Darrelle Revis when Landry slips and falls with 5 minutes left. ... DeVante Parker flagged for offensive pass interference to negate TD toss to Landry. ... Another one. Jets penalties really helping Miami. ... The human spark, Landry, with a 24-yard punt return. Do you believe in miracles? ... Tanny to Kenny Stills for 9-yard TD pass and Fins within 27-14. Landry 28-yard punt return sparked the drive. So little has gone right for Miami I thought I'd mention it. ... Dolphins can't win this. All they can do is show a little fight and heart. But will they? ..... Third Q: Zach Bowman interception for Miami D but they make nothing of it and punt. Fins now 0-for-9 on third down conversions. ... Jets miss 41-yard FG. Hey something went right for Miami!! ... No signs of a miracle comeback. ... Miami needed a big stop and didn't get it. Half-opening Jets TD drive makes it 27-7. Getting ugly. ..... Halftime: Ouch. Miami is being dominated, bearing in mind Fins' only TD was abetted by 58 yards in Jets penalties. Dolphins will rally in second half or put Joe Philbin;s job in grave jeopardy. ..... Second Q: Momentum lost. NYJ now up 20-7 just before half on Ryan Fitzpatrick to Eric Decker TD. ... Miami TD then a Jets punt. For first time today Miami has an ounce of momentum. ... MIA within 13-7 on 8-yard scoring pass from Tannehill to the gloriously named Jake Stoneburner. Dolphins benefited from 58 yards in pass-interference penalties against Jets. ... Fins hole now 13-0 after Planes FG. ... Dolphins need one big play in the worst way. A takeaway. Anything. ..... First Q: Big to force that Jets punt. Miami is one big play from getting back in this game. ... At 10-0, Planes, this if fourth straight game Miami has had a double-digits deficit. Slow starts a killer. ... NYJ 7-0 on short Chris Ivory TD run set up by 58-yard pass to Brandon Marshall over Brent Grimes. And yet another early hole for Dolphins. ... Game-opening punt for Miami. Bad sign. Dolphins offense struggling + Jets defense good = not a fortuitous combo for Fins tosay. ..... Original post: You may recall that I wrote from the home loss to Buffalo last week that coaches already on the hot seat sometimes do not survive embarrassing defeats as bad as that one. Well, NFL.com first reported Friday night that -- with a bye week looming -- owner Stephen Ross might fire coach Joe Philbin if today's 9:30 a.m. game vs. the Jets in London produced another dispiriting result. We don't know this to be true, of course. Nobody but Ross knows at the moment. Reports citing anonymous sources must be treated as speculation. And in-season coaching changes rarely spark a dramatic turnaround. But it would make some sense. A loss would make the Dolphins, who expected a playoff season, 1-3 with a third straight defeat. A competitive loss might not cost Philbin his job, but a blowout very well could. Are those enough stakes for you, Dolfan? "Breakfast at Wembley" could completely reshape Philbin's life and this 50th Dolphins season. I don't see a blowout. But I do see a tough matchup for the Dolphins: a struggling offense facing a very stout Jets defense. My pick: Jets, 19-17. (Click on Week 4 Gems for all my latest NFL picks).
HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (OCT. 4): WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our blog-exclusive Sunday feature is part week-in-review, part look-ahead. Hot Button means what's on our minds, locally and nationally, from a Miami perspective, as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead:
1. DOLPHINS: Fins fizzle in London, Philbin future in peril: If this was Breakfast at Wembley, the Dolphins just upchucked, losing 27-14 in a game that hated Stinkin' Jets thoroughly dominated. Cannot confirm speculation that, with Miami now 1-3 after a third straight dispiriting loss, coach Joe Philbin faces deportation and may be denied a return to the U.S. Or at least to Miami.
2. HURRICANES: UM tries to shake loss as FSU Week awaits: Thursday night’s 34-23 loss at Cincinnati turns up heat on UM coach Al Golden as Canes prepare now to visit No. 11 Florida State next Saturday. Few coaches need a positive result more than Golden needs to beat the Noles in Tallahassee – unless it’s Philbin in London, of course.
3. HEAT: Miami drops first preseason game Sunday: The Heat lost to visiting Charlotte 90-77 here Sunday in its first preseason game and next plays Orlando Wednesday. Chris Bosh looked strong, though. Unfortunately center Hassan Whiteside hasn’t practiced yet because of a strained calf. Hmm. Wait. Didn’t Hassan have about six months to rest and be healthy and ready?
4. MARLINS: Dee Gordon wins batting title as Fish wrap season: Dee Gordon winning the NL batting title and Justin Bour's emergence were highlights but can't sugarcoat a disappointing 91-loss season that ended for Miami Sunday in Philadelphia. A new manager might help. Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez healthy for a whole season will help more.
5. BASEBALL: MLB postseason begins on Tuesday: Baseball playoffs open with wild-card games Tuesday and Wednesday, followed immediately by the start of the two ALDS and NLDS series. This year the New York Yankees and Mets both made it. So all of America has a rooting-against interest, at least.
6. GATORS: Huge Swamp upset of No. 3 Ole Miss!: Third-ranked Ole Miss and No. 25 Florida gave the Swamp its first Top 25 matchup since 2012 last night, and the ease of Florida's 38-10 win was a stunner. Didn't think that Ole Miss offense could be stopped like that, but The Gator was chompin'.
7. PANTHERS: Cats five days from NHL season opener: Florida has ended its preseason and now commences real hockey at home vs. Philadelphia next Saturday. Many experts see a playoff team. Considering the Panthers have been one of those only once in past 15 years, count the law of averages in Cats’ favor, at least.
8. LIONEL MESSI: Barcelona star out seven-plus weeks: A knee injury will shelve the sublime Barca scoring star almost two months. Although Messi's so good he could go out there in a full body cast and still average two goals a game.
9. NASCAR: Tony Stewart reveals retirement plans: Volatile NASCAR star announced that 2016 would be his final season of racing. Remember when star athletes quietly retired after the fact rather than trumpeting their own year-long, " worship me" farewell tour.
10. JURISPRIDENCE: Court strikes down college-athlete payment plan: A federal appeals court struck down a plan that would have paid NCAA football and basketball players up to $5,000 a year. Thank God. That might have cut into those $12 million coaching salaries!
Missing the cut: WNBA Finals underway ... Jordan Spieth tops golf's richest year ... FIU at Massachusetts ... Pro beach volleyball in Fort Lauderdale ... UM starts basketball practice ... Derrick Rose's latest surgery ... Miami's Ernst "Nono" Jean-Baptiste running for FIFA president ... Miami High vs. Coral Gables, 50 years later.
THE HOT LIST: COLD DOLPHINS STARTS: Say what you will about Ndamukong Suh's low impact or the run defense, but Miami's biggest fundamental, bottom-line issue after three games is a lack of scoring. Its 51 total points rank 27th in the NFL, and only 11 times in the franchise's 50 seasons has Miami scored fewer through three games. Dolphins' worst point totals after three games:
Points Year Record Coach/QB
23 2004 4-12 Wannstedt/Feeley
34 1968 5-8-1 Wilson/Griese
36 2006 6-10 Saban/Culpepper
37 1988 6-10 Shula/Marino
42 1967 4-10 Wilson/Griese
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