The Dolphins made a trade for star running back Reggie Bush from the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints before the 2011 season went underway. Bush wanted to revamp his professional career and without a doubt proved he can be a top running back in the league having his best rushing numbers ever with over 1,000 for the season. It was exciting to use my Miami Dolphins tickets and watch Reggie run as much as he did last season. However, having a solid running game just wasn’t enough to win a game. The Dolphins desperately need a quarterback they could count on to lead the team moving forward. They have cycled through a number of quarterbacks in recent years such as Chad Pennington, Joey Harrington, Daunte Culpepper, Matt Moore, and Chad Henne who just have not panned out and lived up to their expectations. I am sure other Dolphin tickets holders are just as sick as me to see the same problem reoccur every year. I know that if the Dolphins do not get a star quarterback by next year, I will not be renewing my Dolphins tickets.

Miami has a top ten pick going into the 2012 NFL Draft, unfortunately for them there are only two quarterback prospects that currently stand out as potential franchise players, both of which are not likely to be there when they are up to select. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is a lock to be taken with the number one overall selection and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin from Baylor is likely to be taken ahead of the Dolphins. They will probably turn their attention to continue improving their defense or offensive line. Their cornerback duo of Vontae Davis and Sean Smith set a solid foundation to their secondary and they possess one of the best groups of linebackers in the entire league with the likes of Karlos Dansby, Kevin Burnett, and Cameron Wake. Their crushing defense was the only thing that kept me coming back to buy more Dolphins tickets last season. They truly have something special to build on and might need that one solid acquisition to push them over the edge. Their offensive line needs to improve as well in order to keep their next quarterback safe. Several injuries to key players put a damper on their season when former top pick Jake Long went down and Miami saw just how weak their front line can be.

Head coach Tony Sparano was constantly on the hot seat after several losing streaks and eventually the team decided to fire their coach and move in a different direction. The upcoming NFL Draft will be critical for Miami as well as continuing to search for the right person for their vacant head coaching position. They have a chance to absolutely turn the franchise around and be a force to reckon with for years to come, but it is up to them to figure out the right pieces to the puzzle for next season and beyond. My eyes and ears will be open during the off-season to make sure the team is actually worth buying Dolphins tickets. I can only hope everything falls in the right directions and this team can finally move back to its former glory.

Despite playing on their opponent’s home turf, the Dolphins played extremely well in the first 3 quarters. They scored two touchdowns on their first two possessions which enabled them to obtain an eleven point lead, before the Giants cut it to four after the second quarter. If the Dolphins started all games like this, I am sure more people would support the team by purchasing Dolphins tickets.

The Dolphins continued their fine play and went on to extend their lead to seven heading into the fourth quarter. Then the Dolphins usual collapse continued to plague the team in the fourth quarter. They did not scored any points at all, while allowing the Giants to have their way on offense by scoring 10 points anchored on Manning’s pinpoint passes. When the dust settled, the New York Giants emerged victorious with a close 20-17 win. This game does show that the Dolphins have not given up. Despite their winless record, the team can still put on a good show. With a little support from fans, the Dolphins might be able to turn around their season. Purchase your Dolphins tickets now.

Game Highlights By Quarter

* 1st Quarter: Led by Reggie Rush and Matt Moore’s rushing, the Miami Dolphins found themselves accomplishing a feat they had difficulty of doing all season long – a red zone touchdown. As a result of the New York Giant’s pass interference penalty, the Dolphins had no difficulty getting to the red zone. That gave them the opportunity of setting up their offense at New York’s one yard line. The Giants once again were called for unnecessary penalty for roughness, as Steve Slaton tried to run the ball for the first time. With another shot at the end zone, Slaton this time ran it in for 1 yard. This gave the Dolphins the lead at 7-0. Overcoming the four penalties they committed, Lawrence Tynes wound up scoring a 25 yard field goal drive for New York; making it a 7-3 lead for the Dolphins at the end of the quarter.

* 2nd Quarter: With the Giants continued having problems in the red zone, Reggie Bush led Miami’s drive with a 35 yard run for a touchdown. Miami now led 14-3. With about two minutes left in the first half, Eli Manning was slowly finding his form and started passing the ball with great efficiency. It finally culminated to a Mario Manningham’s 7 yard pass for a touchdown, which resulted from a 13 play 84 yard drive. Miami’s lead was cut down to 14-10.

* 3rd Quarter: The period opened with Miami getting the ball at their 20 yard line. Reggie Bush continued with his rushing. The 41 yards he gained on the ground opened the way for a Dan Carpenter’s 45 yard field goal drive. That increased the Dolphins lead to 17-10 at the end of the period.

* 4th Quarter: With a winning game in hand, the Miami Dolphins recurring problems in the last quarter began to manifest once again – missed opportunities and bone-headed coaching decisions. Meanwhile, the New York Giants had a decision to make after their last drive. They chose to kick the field goal that resulted into another Lawrence Tynes 29 yard field goal drive. This reduced Miami’s lead to 3. With about 6 minutes left in the game, Eli Manning flicked a 25 yard pass to Victor Cruz for the last touchdown of the game. New York grabbed the lead 20-17 for good with less than 6 minutes left before the end of the ballgame. Miami was not able to respond and did not score any goal the rest of the way.

The Dolphins need no adjustments in their upcoming game against the Kansas City Chiefs. They played beautifully in the first 45 minutes against the Giants; only to give it away due to missed opportunities and bone-headed coaching moves. If ever, it is in these areas they have to improve. They just have to be consistent and capitalize on the opportunities presented to them. And most importantly, they have to play tough defense to stop the opponent from coming back in the last period. If they could accomplish all of this, I am sure fans will start to feel more comfortable purchasing Dolphins tickets.

The Dolphins didn’t show much offense in the first quarter with all three possessions ending in a punt after only 5, 3 and 3 plays for each drive.  Actually, neither offense was able to put much together in the first half as the teams were unable to convert any of their first 16 combined third down attempts.

The second quarter picked up with a 10 play possession that gained 41 yards and ended up with a 37-yard field goal by Dan Carpenter. He also kicked a 36-yarder later in the quarter.

The longest Dolphin drive of the game came in the third quarter.  They took possession on their own 28 yard line and drove the length of the field for a 16-yard touchdown pass from Matt Moore to Anthony Fasano.  Miami head coach made the decision to attempt a two point conversion, however wide receiver Marlon Moore was unable to hang on to the ball in the end zone.  The decision would come back to haunt them later in the game.

After Carpenter continued his big day with a 43-yard field goal in the 4th quarter.  At this point, the Dolphins appeared to be in control of the game with a 15 – 0.  There were only 5:23 left in the game.  However, new starting quarterback Tim Tebow took the Broncos on an 80 yard drive for their first touchdown of the game.  That was followed by a successful Bronco onside kick and another touchdown drive, this time for 56 yards.  Tebow scored on the 2-pt conversion to tie the game and force overtime.

During the overtime period, both teams had two possessions but couldn’t score.  Quarterback Matt Moore was then sacked and coughed up the football at the their own 36-yard line.  After three more plays, Matt Prater hit a game winning 52 yard field goal.

On the day, quarterback Moore completed 22-of-33 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown.  His counterpart, Tim Tebow, finished 13-of-27 for only 161 yards.  However, his two touchdowns and 2-pt conversion late in the 4th quarter were the difference in the game.

Much of the fan base showed divided loyalties for the game.  Although it was a home game for the Dolphins, Tebow is a local legend due to the success he had in the stadium in his college days.

After what appeared to be their first win, instead the Dolphins extended their losing streak to 8 games.  Next week, the 0 – 6 Dolphins will try to rebound from what some are calling some of the most heartbreaking losses in the history of the franchise.  They will go back on the road for a game against the Giants at the Meadowlands.

Insider Dolphin sources for Dolphins player injuries are saying that Henne has played his last game as a Dolphin. His contract runs out this season, and this was his year to either secure his job by living up to the flashes of potential he has shown inconsistently in the few years he has played for the team.

The Dolphins will likely have a good draft choice after what looks to be a losing season, and they will almost assuredly go after a premiere quarterback in the draft, unless they can pull off a stunning trade for a veteran superstar. Right now the starting job will go to Matt Moore who did a half way decent job coming into the game for Henne last week, although, like Henne, in earlier weeks, was not able to do what it takes to win the game in the last quarter.

Matt Moore will be the sixteenth player to start for the Dolphins since Dan Marino retired 12 years ago. Most pundits are not looking for Moore to be the spark which lights a fire under the Miami Dolphins to miraculously salvage their season. Head coach Tony Sparano, who, according to rumors, will likely not make it through the season, dealt with Dolphins player injuries by bringing in several quarterbacks to take a look at them to see who would be the best back up for Moore.

He went with Sage Rosenfels, a former Dolphin backup QB from 2002 to 2005.  Rosenfels is actually one of the players on that list of post Marino era Dolphin starting quarterbacks. He started 1 game in 2004 and another in 2005. He was placed on the injured reserve list for the Giants during preseason this season, due to being hospitalized with a blood disorder. He passed his physical and will suit up in aqua and orange against the Jets on week six, after the Dolphins bye week.

Even with a healthy Henne, most analysts assume the Dolphins would be lucky to even make it the .500 mark, after starting out with four successive losses. That projection has only intensified since Henne’s departure from the field.

You can expect to see Henne on the sidelines with a clip board helping to coach and counsel Moore, and possibly Rosenfels, if a switch is made, but that should be the extent of Henne’s future contribution to the team.  With this bye week helping banged up players to heal up, and barring any injuries in practice, the Henne saga is the full extent of the current Dolphins player injuries.

As they have throughout the year however, the Dolphins scored the first touchdown of the game, this time going 93 yards on their second possession of the game. It took the Dolphins 11 plays to cover almost the entire field and power back Lex Hillard capped it off by punching the ball in from one yard out. The Dolphins had three plays of 16 yards or more, making their first scoring drive the highlight of the team’s performance.

After leading 7-0, the Dolphins were outscored 23-6 going into the fourth quarter.

The Chargers first score came late in the first quarter, as the Dolphins suffered breakdown in the secondary, allowing Vincent Jackson to beat them over the top for a 55 yard strike from Pro-Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers. The teams exchanged jabs in the second quarter, with each team converting field goals. The Chargers made two to the Dolphins one,  making it a 13-10 game heading into halftime.

Perhaps the most crucial drive of the contest came to start the third quarter, as Rivers led his unit down the field 63 yards in eight plays, capped by a Mike Tolbert one-yard run. The Dolphins once again relied on kicker Dan Carpenter to score the majority of their points in the second half, as he connected from 37 and 51 yards out.

As has been a theme all year for the Dolphins, they failed to maximize their scoring opportunities inside opponents territory, scoring just one touchdown in the contest. Carpenter’s 51-yard field goal made it a seven point game, 23-16, with over 11 minutes to play in the contest. But on the Chargers next drive, Rivers led his team 69 yards on 13 plays, kicking in a chip shot to give his team a two-score lead that would up — 26-16.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the game from a Miami perspective was the fact that quarterback Chad Henne was injured and missed all but the first part of the first quarter, throwing an interception in his short time in the game. Back-up Matt Moore played admirably in his absence, throwing for 176 yards with just one interception, that coming late in the game in a desperation heave.

The Dolphins offensive performance was not much different then what they’ve produced most of the year with Henne, however. The Dolphins struggled running the ball, and once again gave up a monster performance to the opposing quarterback, as Rivers posted 307 yards. Miami also struggled to contain the Chargers running game, yielding 116 yards on the ground. making matters worse, Miami was unable to create a turnover on defense.

Receiver Brandon Marshall was the star of the contest for Miami with five receptions. Safety Yeremiah Bell led the defense with an astounding 14 tackles; it’s never a good sign when a member of the secondary accounts for so many stops. But that’s what the Dolphins defense has come to through most of its first four games.

Miami opened up a 7-0 lead after taking its second drive of the game 43 yards in four plays, finishing it off with a ten yard passing connection between quarterback Chad Henne and running back Daniel Thomas from ten yards out. the ‘Fins drive was set up by an interception of Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. After the Dolphins defense held stout for the first three Browns possessions, which net a total of 27 yards, the Browns would come back with a scoring drive of their own mid-way through the second quarter.

Cleveland went 65 yards in just six plays to even up the score, capping off their drive when McCoy found multi-purpose receiver Joshua Crribbs from 33 yards out.

The Dolphins mounted a strong drive to finish the first half, going 72 yards in ten plays, using the aerial exploits of Henne in combination with a heavy bursts of Thomas. But as has been the problem much of the year for the Dolphins offense, it stalled deep in Cleveland territory, settling for a 23-yard field goal after they had penetrated the Browns ten yard line.

Leading 10-7 going into halftime, red zone issues would only continue in the second half and would eventually play perhaps the most significant factor in the team’s one point loss. The Dolphins had four second half drives, a low number in part created by four long Browns drives, none of which went for a touchdown.

While the Dolphins had 140 second half yards, they scored only six points. Their first second half drive, coming after a field goal by the Browns, was easily the Dolphins best. Henne led the team 79 yards on an incredible 15 plays, chewing up more than eight minutes of the third quarter clock. No play on the drive went for more than ten yards, as the unit grinded its way with runs and short passes, moving the ball to the Browns five yard line before getting called for an unnecessary roughness penalty, moving them back to the 23 where they were forced to kick a field goal.

Miami took a 13-10 heading into the fourth quarter, adding a field goal after a short, 39 yard drive, putting them up 16-10 with just over two minutes left to play. But after holding down the Browns offense throughout the game, they had no answers on the final, decisive drive.

The Browns managed to get off 13 plays in about two minutes, dinking and dunking their way down the field until they reached they Dolphins’ 14 yard line. After allowing a third and five conversion and a fourth and four conversion earlier in the drive, the Dolphins gave up their go-ahead touchdown on first down, a 14 yard scoring strike from McCoy.

The Dolphins had only 47 seconds to attempt to get in field goal range for a game-winning kick, but managed to get to the Browns 47 yard line before Henne threw a game-ending interception on fourth down.

The Dolphins never did lead in this contest and only managed one touchdown. In the first quarter the Dolphins could only score three points coming off a 42 yard Dan Carpenter field goal. The field goal was the result of a 7 play 65 yard drive in which Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne complete a 41 yard pass to wide receiver Devone Bess for a 41 yard gain. The score at the end of the quarter was Texas 6 Dolphins 3.

Early in the second quarter the Dolphin defense gave up a 4 yard touchdown pass to the Texans making the score Texans 13 Dolphins 3. Two plays earlier deep in the Dolphins own territory a Chad Henne pass was intercepted and returned to the Dolphins 6 yard line. The Dolphins missed out on two more scoring opportunities by failing to convert on two field goals. Near the beginning of the second quarter a 22 yard field was blocked and towards the 5 minute mark of the quarter Dan Carpenter missed a 34 yard field goal. The Texas put together a rather impressive two minute drill by driving the ball 58 yards in 9 plays leading to a 36 yard Neil Rackers field goal with no time remaining in the first half making the halftime score Texans 16 Dolphins 3. The highlight of the quarter for the Dolphins was 14 play 75 yard drive that lead to no points.

In the third quarter the Dolphins defense played well only allowing the Texans a total of 25 yards off three possessions forcing them to punt each time leaving the Texans scoreless for the quarter. The Dolphins offense was also productive in this quarter by scoring a touchdown off a 7 play 62 yard drive highlighted by 12 yard Chad Henne touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall. This made the score at the end of the quarter Texas 16 Dolphins 10.

In the beginning of the fourth quarter the Dolphins scored 3 points of a 34 yard Dan Carpenter field. This was the result of an 11 play 75 yard drive which brought the score to Texans 16 Dolphins 13. The Texans then made a statement first by returning the following kickoff  to their own 37 yard then the Texans drove 63 yards in 5 plays scoring off a 4 yard touchdown run by Ben Tate making the score Texas 23 Dolphins 13. For the rest of the game neither was able to enter into scoring territory making the final Texas 23 Dolphins 13.

The Texas quarterback Matt Schaub had the better day as he completed 21 out of 29 passes for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Dolphins Chad Henne only completed 12 out of 30 passes for 170, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Texans running back Ben Tate rushed 23 for 103 yards while the Dolphins leading rusher was Daniel Thomas who had 18 rushed for 107 yards. The win by the Texans makes them 2-0 in this young season while the Dolphins loss leaves them winless at 0-2.

The Miami Dolphins enter the 2011-2012 season hoping to rebound from a disappointing end to 2010. The 2010-2011 Dolphins struggled with mediocrity throughout the year, but after 13 games, still had hopes to reach the playoffs as they stood at 7-6. They lost their final 3 games, however, and were again home in January.

The 2011 Dolphins schedule doesn’t start off easy, as the New England Patriots come to Miami. The Dolphins were trounced by the Patriots twice last year, losing 41-14 in week 4 and then 38-7 in the final week of the season. Regardless, the Dolphins usually play the Patriots tough and you can expect their defensive line to try to get at Patriots quarterback Tom Brady early and often. Although this is a difficult test for week 1, if the Dolphins can pass it, their season would be off to an auspicious beginning.

In week 2, the Dolphins host the Houston Texans, another team with a lot of offensive firepower. The Texans have a young team led by superstar wide receiver Andre Johnson and last year’s rushing leader Arian Foster. The Dolphins will hope to contain them and get the ball to new acquisition Reggie Bush.

In week 4, the Dolphins have one more difficult contest before heading into the bye week. They travel to San Diego to face quarterback Philip Rivers and one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. By their off week, the Dolphins will truly have learned what hopes they have for the rest of the season, as they will have faced two perennial AFC favorites in New England and San Diego.

After the bye, things don’t get easier as the Dolphins head to New York to face the Jets. The Jets are hungry for a Super Bowl appearance after making it to the AFC Championship game the past two years and falling short. The Dolphins quarterback, Chad Henne, will have to play a conservative game to avoid giving the ball up to the Jets’ swarming defense.

In week 12, the Dolphins travel to Texas to face off against the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have been up and down the past few years but will no doubt be pushing for the playoffs in week 12. The Dolphins will try to put pressure on Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, hoping to force him into a mistake.

The Dolphins schedule finishes off by facing 3 AFC East rivals in a row. In week 15 they play the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo. Then, in weeks 16 and 17 they finish their season series against the Patriots and the Jets. These games are among the utmost important to win, if they want to secure playoff positions. They will need your support to end the season strong, so purchase your Dolphins tickets now.

Week 1: New England Patriots

Week 2: Houston Texans

Week 3: at Cleveland Browns

Week 4: at San Diego Chargers

Week 5: bye

Week 6: at New York Jets

Week 7: Denver Broncos

Week 8: at New York Giants

Week 9: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 10 Washington Redskins

Week 11: Buffalo Bills

Week 12: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 13: Oakland Raiders

Week 14: Philadelphia Eagles

Week 15: at Buffalo Bills

Week 16: at New England Patriots

Week 17: New York Jets

Sparano, the starting center, was a 4 year letterman for the Division II school he attended, the University of New Haven. Sparano graduated in 1986 and began his coaching career at New Haven as an offensive line coach, a position he held for four years.  After New Haven Tony went to Boston University, a Division I AA school, where he served as the offensive line coach for one year and then the offensive coordinator for five seasons.

In 1994 Sparano was named head coach at the University of New Haven where he lead the team to two play-off appearances in the five seasons he was there.  In 1997 New Haven led Division II schools in offense with 42.8 points per game and was second in defense, allowing only 11.6 points allowed per game under Sparano’s direction.

Starting in 1999 Tony served as an assistant coach briefly for the Cleveland Browns, the Washington Redskins, and the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Each of those brief assignments ended when coaching staff reshuffling took place.  Finally, in 2003, Sparano was hired by the Dallas Cowboys where he enjoyed a longer stay and in just five seasons moved from the tight end coach to to assistant team coach.  In 2006 Sparano was the offensive play caller, but that was short lived and he was replaced the very next year.

In 2008, following the Miami Dolphins worst ever year, Tony Sparano was hired as head coach with a four year contract. The very next year Sparano led the Dolphins to an 11-5 record, the AFC title, and their first playoff opportunity in seven seasons.  With this accomplishment Tony became the only NFL coach to ever lead a one win team to the playoffs the next year and only the second head coach ever to mount a ten game turn-a-round in their first season as head coach.

During the 2009-2010 season the Dolphins record fell to 7-9 and they finished third in the AFC East.  Sparano received a great deal of criticism in 2010 and the Dolphins frustrated team owner flew across the country to interview other coaching prospect, even though Sparano was still under contract. Apparently, the owner and Sparano arrived at an understanding an Tony remained the Dolphins head coach when his contract was extended by two years.

The 2011 season is off to a dismal start for Sparano and his Dolphins. With a 0-4 record, Dolphins fans begin to refuse to purchase Dolphin tickets. There are one of only five winless teams in the league (The Dolphins being one) making Sparano the target of a criticism and speculation.  Some are questioning the players he is starting and point to sloppy play and amateurish mistakes.  On the other hand some team members say that the problem isn’t Sparano, but the attitudes of some of the players who refuse to practice hard enough and long enough to get things right.

Unfortunately for Sparano, when a team has a losing record all eyes always go the head coach and at this point many believe Sparano will need a miracle of epic proportions to be back as head coach next year. Sparano, however, continues to sound confident and state that his team is capable of turning the season around and winning games. Sparano optimistically proclaims that the season is only a quarter of the way over and a lot can happen between now and the end of the season. Lets hope he’s right, most fans want to believe in their team but Dolphins tickets sales continue to plummet.

The first Dolphins game played at the new Joe Robbie Stadium on October 11, 1987, was an astounding 42-0 victory for the Dolphins over the Kansas City Chiefs.  The playing field was made slightly wider than most other NFL stadiums so that the prescription athletic turf field (natural grass) could also be used for pro-soccer.  As a result, there is a 90 foot separation between the playing field and the first row of seats, almost double that of other stadiums.

With a seating capacity of 75,192, the Dolphins stadium was constructed for $115 million, ($221 million in 2011 dollars).  It has been used as the venue for five Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIX, XXIII, XLI, and XLIV).  The first one, Super Bowl XXIII, was the first to be held in Miami for 10 years that was not at the Orange Bowl stadium.  It was the final NFL game by San Francisco 49ers’ coach, Bill Walsh, in which fans were treated to a spectacular game-winning touchdown pass by Joe Montana to John Taylor with only 34 seconds left in the game.

Torrential rains poured down throughout the entire game for Superbowl XLI and one-third of the lower seats in Sun Life Stadium were vacated by the second half.  Many thought that the NFL Commissioners would ban further Superbowls from being played at Sun Life Stadium or any other uncovered venue.  However, three years later, on February 7, 2010, the Dolphins stadium hosted the historic upset of the Indianapolis Colts led by the 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Peyton Manning, by Pro Bowl champ, Drew Brees, of the New Orleans Saints.

Since 1995, the Sun Life Stadium has hosted the Orange Bowl and it has also been the venue for the 2010 Pro Bowl.  Since 2008, it has been the new home field for the University of Miami Hurricanes.

Joe Robbie’s vision of having the stadium designed for major league baseball was realized in 1993 when the Florida Marlins began playing there.  The Marlins won their first World Series Game there in 1997 which at that time was called the Pro Player Stadium.  In 2003, the Marlins won the World Series again, but this time it was at Yankee Stadium. Since the Dolphins stadium was never designed to be a fully convertible stadium for football and baseball, there have been problems with seating capacity, especially during the World Series.  The Florida Marlins will be moving to a brand new stadium in 2012.

Over the years, the name has changed from Joe Robbie Stadium, to Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, Dolphins Stadium and Land Shark Stadium.  Since January, 2010, it was renamed to the Sun Life Stadium, and will remain that way for the duration of the five-year naming contract, which generates $7.5 million per year for the owners, Stephen M. Ross and H. Wayne Huizenga.