Dolphins still have room to improve
DAVIE (AP) – The Miami Dolphins’ great leap forward ended with a thud.
In one season they went from worst in the NFL to first in the AFC East, but a drubbing by Baltimore in the first round of the playoffs sent a message: There’s still room for improvement.
Taking the next step from playoff qualifier to title contender won’t be easy.
“What we just did is pretty difficult to do,” coach Tony Sparano said Monday, “but that next jump is a really hard jump. It’s a heck of a thing we just accomplished, but to do it over and over again is what makes you elite.”
For Miami, the offseason begins with the core in place, a big change from the constant turnover of recent years. Sparano and quarterback Chad Pennington will return after winning rave reviews in their first season with the Dolphins, and football boss Bill Parcells is also expected back.
The sale of the franchise to real estate billionaire Stephen Ross is likely to be completed soon, triggering a clause in Parcells’ contract that allows him to leave and still receive at least $9 million due him in the next three years. There’s speculation the Dolphins may hire Carl Peterson, who resigned last month as president and general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs and is close to Ross.
Parcells, 67, is saying he plans to return for the 2009 season.
“He told me he wasn’t going anywhere,” linebacker Joey Porter said. “He told me this was going to be his last stop.”
Following Sunday’s 27-9 loss to the Ravens, current owner Wayne Huizenga said Parcells told him last week he plans to remain as executive vice president of football operations.
The Dolphins became the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs a year after winning only once. Miami went 11-5 to reach the postseason for the first time in seven years.
The loss to Baltimore exposed the Dolphins’ weaknesses. They struggled to run the ball and protect Pennington, a reflection of an offensive line that’s a work in progress. They had trouble putting pressure on Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, and the defensive line also needs an upgrade. The thinnest area is receiver, with Miami’s wideouts totaling only five touchdowns all year.