1) It's MONDAY, DECEMBER 2. Welcome, December, month of joy! 2) Scroll to the previous blogpost for results in the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll. They're rock-bottom! 3) Check out our Miami Dolphins book, 'Fins At 50,' on Amazon. It's a great gift for the Dolfans in your life. 4) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Hurricanes fall at Duke with CSM postgame poll, NFL Week 13 picks & more. 5) Join us on Twitter.com/gregcote. Also on Facebook and Instagram.x
Our most recent columns: Beating Canes Was Huge For FIU, But Even Bigger For Butch Davis. Also FIU's Historic, Magical Night A New Low For Canes / Le Batard Explains the Papi Mystery / If Jeter Doesn't Get In With Unanimous Vote -- Don't Blame Me! / and Draft Uncertainty Means Dolphins Need to Hedge Bets. His Name Is Kaepernick.
Hot Button Top 10 has the weekend off: Plans are that HB10 will return next Sunday.
G12: DOLPHINS 37, PHILADELPHIA 31: BEST PERFORMANCE OF SEASON FOR MIAMI!: Original post: At 5-6 Philadelphia, Carson Wentz and his disappearing offense have lost two in a row, scoring 19 total points in the process, to fritter away most playoff hope. Miami would be ripe for an upset — if the Dolphins were a normal team, instead of 2-9 roster of sadness. So the trouble is, Wentz could find just the cure he needs in a Fins defense allowing the most points, second-highest passer rating and third-most total yards in the league. It is why Philly s favored by nine points. The Eagles offense is battered with injuries, but one still struggles to imagine Miami’s D rising up triumphantly. On the other side of the ball, Philly presents a respectable defense to a Miami offense whose running game is so bad, even 3rd-and-1 looms as a mountainous climb. The Dolphins’ 63.2 ground yards per game is on pace to be the lowest the NFL has seen since 1946. (A new car averaged $1,125 that year). I get the feeling I am being a bit gloomy here. So, um ... hope y'all had a Happy Thanksgiving! Cote's pick: Philadelphia, 27-13. See Week 13 Gems for all of our latest NFL picks. And vote in latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll online and directly below:
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G12: 80.5%: Results are certified in the latest of the Miami Herald's Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame polls, and they show 80.5 percent overall approval -- the combination of"very" and "somewhat' satisfied votes -- in the wake of Sunday's 37-31 home victory over Philadelphia putting Miami's season record at 3-9. That is a season high. In its 12th season, the DSM is a continuous gauge of how Dolfans are feeling about the team and its 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 own overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Online voting determines the final result, which is final the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that was 6:30 a.m. today/Tuesday.
2019 DSM game-by-game results
G1: 18.3% following 59-10 loss vs. Baltimore.
G2: 24.6% following 43-0 loss vs. New England.
G3: 27.5% following 31-6 loss at Dallas.
G4: 35.3% following 30-10 loss vs. L.A. Chargers.
G5: 53.5% following 17-16 loss vs. Washington.
G6: 55.2% following 31-21 loss at Buffalo.
G7: 28.8% following 27-14 loss at Pittsburgh.
G8: 76.4% following 26-18 victory vs. N.Y. Jets.
G9: 70.9% following 16-12 victory at Indianapolis.
G10: 44.5% following 37-20 loss vs. Buffalo.
G11: 44.9% following 41-24 loss at Cleveland.
G12: 80.5% following 37-31 victory vs. Philadelphia.
Next poll: Dec. 8 following game at N.Y. Jets.
BIG START ON THANKSGIVING. NOW IT'S DOLPHINS-EAGLES AND ALL OUR NFL WEEK 13 PICKS: Off our record-setting 2018 season we've had a solid 29th year of NFL picks thus far in the Miami Herald. Last week was 10-4 overall and an even 7-7 against the point spread. We called Jets’ upset of Oakland, and also had a trio of ‘dogs-with-points in covers by Giants, Bengals and Redskins. Bull’s-eyed the exact margin on Dolphins’ 17-point loss. Now we're off to a strong start to our Week 13 after going 2-1 overall and a perfect 3-0 ATS on Thanksgiving Day. Find those three full Thursday-game predix capsules here]. For all of our Week 13 picks, including Dolphins vs. Eagles, our Game of the Week, our Upset of the Week and all the rest, please visit the motherlode of prognostication that I like to call NFL Week 13 Gems.
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APSE-HONORED WORK: The Associated Press Sports Editors 2018 writing awards ranked us a Top 10 national sports columnist in the major-outlet category. Thanks, APSE. Here are the five nominated columns that earned the honor: At Doral, an annual tradition since 1962 is replaced by silence, and by what's missing / Marlins' Jose Fernandez statue is divisive yet has a chance to serve a greater purpose /NFL has moral obligation to help Buonicontis and Kiicks while it limits future suffering / What led to El Clasico Miami began with Joe Robbie's unlikely, accidental love of soccer / With 59 home runs, Stanton still had a magic season. Just hope this wasn't goodbye.
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