Fansided

NFL: Coaches Who Will Get Fired On Black Monday

By Carlos Nazario

Sep 22, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Heinz Field. The Bears won 40-23. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 22, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Heinz Field. The Bears won 40-23. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Joe Philbin, Miami Dolphins (7-7, 3rd place, AFC East)

It has been a tough decade for the Miami Dolphins. In the last ten seasons, they have posted just two winning seasons.

The hiring of Joe Philbin in 2012 was supposed to change things. He came over from the storied Green Bay Packers. The Packers are all about winning, and Philbin’s experience would rub off on the Dolphins, right?

Well, not so much. The Dolphins have increased their wins each year, but only by one each season. After finishing 6-10 in 2011, Philbin led his team to a 7-9 record in 2012. In 2013, the Dolphins improved to 8-8. If the Dolphins win one of their last two games this season, they will improve again by one game, finishing 9-7.

“If they win one of their last two games…” is a phrase that will haunt Fins fans. Philbin had the Dolphins on the brink of making the playoffs with two games remaining. All they had to do was win ONE of them. Who were they facing? The 5-9 Buffalo Bills at Buffalo, and the 7-8 Jets in Miami. Easy, right? Not so much.

The Dolphins got shut out in Buffalo 19-0, then went out and lost 20-7 against the Jets. Even though the Dolphins finished at .500, it was a bitter end to a bitter season.

It was remarkable that the Dolphins were in position to make the playoffs. They were dealing with a bullying scandal by Richie Incognito on Jonathan Martin. There was an investigation made by the NFL that discovered that Incognito’s bullying was not isolated to Martin, but to other non-athlete employees of the Dolphins.

In the investigation, Philbin denied knowing anything about the bullying. A coach who is a control freak, he had just about every player on the team’s leadership council traded or cut (ironically, Incognito was on that council). Now he claims he knew nothing about something happening under his nose?

This season, there was hope for the playoffs again. They were in good shape, too.

After beating the Jets in Week 13, the Dolphins were 7-5, and holders of the sixth playoff spot. A two game losing streak has all but ended their playoff hopes (they now have a 0.17 percent chance of making the playoffs).

The Dolphins’ numbers say they are an average team. They scored 327 points, good for 12th in the NFL. They allowed 301 points, good for 15th. That defensive number really hurts because for a good part of the season, they were a top-five defense.

A big problem with Philbin’s record is how his teams perform in December. That month separates the real contenders from the phony ones, and Philbin’s Dolphins are phony ones. His record in December is 6-7, not the kind of record you want if you want to make it to the playoffs.

Philbin’s record against team’s over .500 will not help him when it comes time to analyze him. All seven of his losses are to teams over .500, battling for playoff spots. His record against those teams is just 3-7.

After surviving the chopping block last season, when general manager Jeff Ireland got fired, it does not look like Philbin will survive again. Expect his name to be among those fired on Black Monday.

Next: Marc Trestman

Home/NFL