Miami Dolphins haven’t fared well over the past decade

Written by Matthew Cannata
It’s no secret that the Miami Dolphins haven’t done particularly well over the past decade. In fact, they’ve only had one playoff appearance in the past ten years and that was in 2008 when they lost the Baltimore Ravens in the first round after winning the AFC East under head coach Tony Sparano and quarterback Chad Pennington.

The years before that and after? Misery. To see how bad that is, let’s dive into the details, courtesy of Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel.

1. Twenty one times a team that produces a winning record didn't make the playoffs this decade, and two teams (Seattle and St. Louis) that didn't possess a winning record made it to the playoffs. That means if your team turns in nine victories the odds are in your favor they will make it to the playoffs.

2. The Dolphins have fielded the sixth worst record this decade when winning seasons and playoff appearances are factored in. Tampa Bay, Washington and Kansas City have the same win-loss record as Miami (66-94), but they all have produced more winning seasons, and playoff berths than the Dolphins.

4. Recent history does need to be factored in. The Dolphins have a 15-17 record during Joe Philbin's two years as head coach, which puts the Dolphins in 18th place, where the franchise is tied with the Arizona Cardinals. Thirteen teams have produced a worse record than Miami the past two seasons, but four of those teams (Eagles, Texans, Redskins, Chiefs) have made it to the postseason during those two years.

5. Dolphins owner Steve Ross has been in charge for six of these 10 seasons, so putting the blame on anyone but him is unfair at this point. At some point Ross must be held accountable for the direction of this franchise. Bad management, lackluster coaching, mediocre quarterback play all comes back to Ross because he's the man in charge.

The Dolphins will try to turn that around in 2014 and the pieces are in place for a playoff run. We will see if the coaches can coach and the players can execute. If they can, all should be well. If they can’t, we may see another house cleaning in January of 2015.

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