WILL 2010 BE ANY BETTER?

                                      2010 is Year Three for the New Regime. Its Time To Deliver

As we say goodbye to another season and to 2009 I am sitting here trying to decide if we are truly better and what will 2010 bring for us as fans of the Miami Dolphins. I have to admit I have many mixed feelings about where we are as a team. Three weeks ago I would have said that we are on the cusp of turning the corner and that next year will be a breakout season. Then I watched us lose two games that we never should have lost including the embarrassing at home loss to the Texans. Yeah I know, we have injuries, etc but with the season on the line at home you don't expect to just get spanked like that. I actually see as many holes and concerns on this team as I do bright spots. It no certain order:

1. Defense-The overall defense has dropped to 19th in the league. The pass defense is horrible and we are hoping that the young corners pan out, but if they don't next year could be just as bad.
2. Ronnie Brown-Ronnie has the most talent on the team but it seems he goes down ever year to injury. You have to start wondering if he can physically take the NFL. With Ricky getting older the running back position seems suspect to me.
3. Wide Receiver-It is no secret that this is one of the weakest positions. The lack of a playmaker here really hurts this team. Fans know it, why doesn't management?
4. Linebacker-Crowder, Porter and Taylor did not deliver the big plays this year. I am left feeling that time has caught up with Joey and Jason and Channing is more talk than action.
5. Chad Henne-I love the talent. Yes it's really his first year. But some of the decisions he has made have been horrible and have cost us games. If he dosent improve this he will be just another David Carr.

Of course the positive approach would be to say that if we improve those areas, then we are right on track to be a real contender in the AFC next year. Also I can say we played the most difficult schedule in the NFL and still almost made it to the playoffs. So there is reason to feel optimisitic about 2010. But make no mistake about it. This is the defining offseason for the Parcells/Ireland/Sporano regime and if they make the right personnel moves and solve these issues, they will be the darlings of South Florida and the fans. If they miss on the Free Agents and the draft this year and don't solve some of these big obvious holes, the fan base wil get disenchanted very quickly. There already is a growing concern that we are further rather than closer and this will swell quickly if the 2010 version of the Dolphins does not come out with a bang and find ways to start winning the games they have been losing. Miami Dolphin fans have not had a true contender in decades and it has been way too difficult just watching every year go by hoping that each year will be the year that we return to the upper echelons of the NFL. So here is to hoping that 2010 is the year and that this time next year we are celebrating a great season and a division title.

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