Another week in the NFL and it's the same old story.
The Dallas Cowboys look like the team to beat in the NFC, with the Green Bay Packers continuing their miracle run. In the AFC, the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers are the cream of the crop. Beyond that, there is a giant sea of mediocrity from which almost any team could emerge as a playoff contender.
But let's continue past the mediocrity and go straight to the dumpster.
Many people are wondering whether the Patriots can complete their undefeated season, but a certain division rival is working on an equally unlikely task. Just as the Patriots would be only the second team in NFL history to go undefeated, the 0-9 Miami Dolphins could become only the second team in NFL history to finish the season with a zero in the win column. Only the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, playing in their inaugural season, were bad enough to finish winless.
So what are the 2007 Dolphins' chances of making history? Very, very good. Looking at the Dolphins' team leaders is like reading an obituary. Trent Green leads the team in passing yards and touchdowns, but he was put on injury reserve after Week 5 when he suffered his second severe concussion in 13 months. Ronnie Brown leads the team in rushing yards and receptions, but he only lasted until Week 7 before tearing his ACL, which ended his season.
Simply put, there are no good players left in Miami.
When Green went down, Cleo Lemon assumed the starting quarterback job, but his 69.4 quarterback rating didn't inspire much confidence. As a result, the team has announced that rookie second-round draft pick John Beck will start Sunday on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. It's good that the team realized the future is now and is committed to giving Beck a chance - the Dolphins liked him so much that they passed up a chance at Brady Quinn in thedraft's first round - but the kid's certainly not going to help them win games.
At running back, Jesse Chatman literally ate his way out of the league the past two years. He hasn't looked that bad when he's played, but Ronnie Brown was putting up some of the best stats in the league and it still didn't help the Dolphins get a win.
The Dolphins could also be getting back Ricky Williams, who was just reinstated by the NFL after an 18-month absence for failing multiple drug tests. Williams won't be eligible to play until at least two weeks from now, but even then it seems unlikely that he will have a large impact on the Dolphins' season. The team will give him some carries to increase his trade value in the offseason, but he'll probably still be limited as the No. 2 behind Chatman. In other words, Williams' return might get some play from the media, but it will be largely inconsequential to the Dolphins' season.
The team's situation at wide receiver looks just as bleak. Its current No. 1 is Marty Booker, who hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since 2002.
But obviously the Dolphins didn't trade Chris Chambers to get Marty Booker the ball more. Miami wanted to open the door for youngsters Derek Hagan and Ted Ginn, Jr., but so far the pair has barely stumbled through. In the team's last three games, Hagan has had a total of just eight receptions for 112 yards.
Selected ninth overall by the Dolphins in this year's draft, Ginn hasn't been any more impressive, with only eight receptions on the entire year. The only success Ginn has had so far is on kick returns, and he's not exactly Devin Hester there, either. He's returned precisely zero kicks for touchdowns, while his return average of 23.7 yards is only 17th in the league.
Move from special teams to defense and things don't get any better. While the Dolphins' problems on offense have been injuries, their problems on defense have just been age. The players are old, and it shows on the field. The team is ranked 30th in rush yards allowed per game, and its 28.6 points allowed per game ranks 31st. Its only good players on defense are Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor, and those guys aren't exactly in their primes anymore.
With that defense, an offense full of scrubs and no X-factor on special teams, the Dolphins may find it impossible to earn a victory this season. Their best chance to win will come at home against the 1-8 New York Jets in Week 13. But if the 'Phins can't even pull that one out, look for it to be a historic season.
