What has been a nightmare season in Miami took another bad turn this week as Dave Wannstedt stepped down as head coach of the Dolphins. In his press conference, Wannstedt accepted responsibility for his team's abysmal 1-8 performance. He has been the recipient of harsh criticism from Dolphin fans since taking over the team in 2000. This criticism has grown loudest over the past two seasons as Miami failed to make the playoffs in both years despite having a tremendous amount of talent on both sides of the ball.
However, I find it difficult to hold Wannstedt responsible for this year's blunders. In fact, I consider it a minor miracle that this team has won a game. The retirement of Ricky Williams less than a week prior to the opening of training camp left the Dolphins' offense in shambles. Williams meant more to his team's offense than any other player in the league, with the exception, maybe, of Jamal Lewis. David Boston's season ending injury during the preseason further depleted Miami's offensive attack.
Simply put, this is a bad team. This is a team that has been rotating Jay Fiedler and A.J. Feely at the quarterback position, both of whom have proven ineffective. The team's problems have run so deep that it had to resort to having a back-up wide receiver take over their kicking duties for one game. This is a team with an anemic, penalty-ridden offense (the only bright spots have been WR Chris Chambers and TE Randy McMichael) and a rapidly-aging defense.
Several college coaching names have been thrown around as potential candidates to take over Miami's reigns next year: Spurrier, Stoops, and Saban, to name three. They'd have to be crazy! This has to be the most undesirable job in pro sports right now. Maybe instead of being apologetic, Wannstedt's speech should have had a more Rick Pitinoesque ring to it. I've got news for you, Miami. Irving Fryar's not walking through that door. Mark Duper's not walking through that door. Pete Stoyanovich' s not walking through that door. Dan Marino's not walking through that door. This team is a mess. Nobody can make success from this situation. Anyways, moving on...
1. After ruining the undefeated records of the Patriots and Eagles on consecutive weekends, the Pittsburgh Steelers have become one of the NFL's elite teams, with a record of 7-1. The defense, James Farrior in particular, looked outstanding against Philadelphia, and has been playing better each week. As it stands now, Ben Roethlisberger is the undisputed offensive rookie of the year. He has played with the composure of a seasoned veteran, and his precision has brought the dangerous Plaxico Burress back into the offense. This is a team that is strong in every aspect of the game, and should be a factor right up until the end. However, coming off two huge wins, they may falter against rival Cleveland this weekend.
2. Every team in the NFL has played at least eight games (half of their season), so that means that it is time to start the serious MVP talk. In my mind there are 5 legitimate MVP candidates thus far. The first is Peyton Manning, who has already thrown 26 touchdown passes this season. People will argue that Manning's absurd statistics are a result of the weapons he has at his disposal. But mark my words-if you took Manning off of that team, it would most likely be 0-8 right now.
The second is Donovan McNabb, who has led his team to a 7-1 record and the distinction of being the favorite in the NFC. The third and fourth candidates are guys who have two things in common: they are both running backs, and they both call the Meadowlands home.
Curtis Martin has surprised all of us with his outstanding play this year, and the Jets have emerged as one of the best teams in the AFC as a result. Tiki Barber has silenced all of his critics this year; he has amassed over 800 rushing yards, 400 receiving yards, has scored 9 touchdowns, and has lost zero fumbles (knock on wood). He has been the main reason for the Giants' impressive turnaround.
The final candidate, in my mind, is Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. This is a guy who flies under the radar of many people, but make no mistake about it, he is the most valuable player on that team.
3. Speaking of the Giants, they suffered another blow to their defense last weekend as defensive end Michael Strahan tore his pectoral muscle, and will miss the rest of the season. Strahan has consistently been one of the top defensive linemen in the league for a decade now, and he is impossible to replace. The hope second year player Osi Umenyiora will perform well under pressure. The Giants also lost their other starting defensive end, Keith Washington.
4. There are three critical division matchups taking place this weekend. The Houston Texans will travel to Indianapolis to try to put themselves in a three-way tie atop the AFC South. This game should have a lot of offensive fireworks, as it will feature two of the league's best quarterbacks.
Brett Favre and the 4-4 Packers will host the 5-3 Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in what will be a huge battle for position in the NFC North. A victory would be huge for Minnesota, as it would allow them to gain a little cushion heading into the home stretch. However, I expect that Brett Favre will exploit the Vikings' horrible pass defense, and the Vikings offense, again without Randy Moss, will not be able to keep up.
Finally, Seattle will head to St. Louis, looking to avenge its week 5 loss to the Rams and keep its lead intact in the NFC West. These three games are about as big as you can find for a week 10 slate.
Well, that's all the room I have for this week. To close out my thoughts heading in to week 10, I would just like to give my upset pick of the weekend: Buffalo over New England. I know it's a long shot, but I've got a feeling on this one.