Quick: what were you doing in the year 2000? (apart from worrying about whether computers were going to be confused by the Millenium changeover, and end up taking over civilization). In school? First job? Unmarried? Not born yet? All reasonable responses, which may cause you to ask, “Scribe, what’s the deal with the history questions”? Just to be clear, it’s not some fascination with all things in the early oughts; and while I admired “ER” (top TV show) and liked “How the
Grinch Stole Christmas” (top movie), and certainly wish we could return to a pre-9/11 existence (shoes off at the airport, really?), I have no desire to watch any more episodes of “Who Wants to be Millionaire?” So why tumble into the time machine? Well, let’s review the NFL playoff results from that year.
The Super Bowl was won by the Baltimore Ravens, whose defense was nearlegendary in its suffocation of opponents, including the New York football Giants, losers by a 34-7 score in a game that wasn’t that close. But if you dig deeper, below the conference championship results, you’ll land in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs and there you’ll see the following score:
Oakland 27, Miami 0. Now why bring up a terrible playoff defeat? Because the starting QB in that game was Jay Fiedler. That’s right, the guy who took over for Dan Marino that year (the same Dan Marino who’d retired in 2000, and who’s now a grandfather several times over) had just led the team to a wild card win the previous week over the Indianapolis Colts, 23-17. It was also the last playoff victory by your hometown team. 24 years. Twenty-four long years between playoff wins, and yes, it’s currently the longest drought by any team in the league – including the expansion teams of Carolina and Jacksonville, which entered the league in 1995. We don’t have the time nor the space to explain why they haven’t won, only know they haven’t won. Not once. In fact, during that span, they only made the playoffs five times, losing the last three contests on the road.
So, what’s different about this year? Well, a glance at the last two seasons clearly indicates a positive trend under Coach Mike McDaniel, culminating in two straight playoff appearances. QB Tua Tagovailoa’s new contract (4 years, $212 million) should make him happy, as should the offensive weaponry surrounding him. WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle still form the most lethal one-two combination in the league, and new additions Odell Beckham Jr. (WR) and Jonnu Smith (TE) provide greater depth. The running back room is solid, with returning veterans Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and Jeff Wilson Jr. doing most of the heavy lifting. The offensive line is still a question mark, but the beauty of Coach McDaniel’s offense is its quick strike capability, meaning the line doesn’t have to hold blocks for a long time.
Defensively, they will have to overcome the loss of DT Christian Wilkins, LB Andrew Van Ginkel and CB Xavien Howard – no small feat. But if adequate replacements are found, it’ll be okay, as this team runs off its offense.
One last note: the teams in its division have significant questions. The Bills lost mainstays WR Stefon Diggs via trade and LB Matt Milano to injury. The Jets are still acclimating to Aaron Rodgers running the show, and the Patriots might be the worst team in the league.
So, the opportunity is there – but whether this January brings anything more than warm weather to Dolphin fans remains to be seen.
Either way, get ready – it’s going to be an interesting 18-week ride.
Let’s kick it off!
