Miami Dolphins

Sure, the Miami Dolphins were expected to struggle last year, coming off a disappointing 6-10 slate in 2006 and in their first season under new head coach Cam Cameron. But things were not expected to get anywhere near as ugly as they got for Miami last year. To be so big an underdog in the early season NFL betting markets is deeply humiliating for so proud a franchise.

Some close losses, a couple of key injuries, and the snowball effect (yes, things can snowball in South Florida), and pretty soon the Dolphins – the franchise that gave us the only perfect season in the NFL – were on the verge of completing the league's first imperfect season since the fabled Tampa Bay Buccaneers of 1976. But Miami escaped everlasting ignominy with an overtime win over Baltimore in Week 15. Then, after their 1-15 finish, they let Cameron go, and managed to talk Bill Parcells into rebuilding this franchise, albeit from an office rather than from the sidelines.

The first move by the new VP of football operations was to hire Tony Sparano away from the Dallas staff to take over as head coach. Unfortunately, he won't have a whole lot to work with right away. Sparano inherits a team that, while losing six games last year by exactly three points, ranked 28^th in total offense at 288 YPG, 23^rd in rushing at 98 YPG, 23^rd in total defense at 342 YPG and dead last vs. the run at 154 YPG. The Dolphins also ranked 24^th in average time-of-possession at -1:06 and 27^th in total yardage at -54 per game. And because Miami fell so far so fast, they didn't get a chance to become underrated and could only go 5-8-3 vs. the NFL betting odds, although they did go 3-1 ATS as double-digit underdogs.

The arrival of Brett Favre at the Jets may be a blessing in disguise for the Dolphins, as it’s allowed them to sign nine year veteran Chad Pennington. Pennington will almost certainly start under center when his old team visits Miami in Week 1. And this year's Dolphin QBs won't have to do much to improve upon the 11/13 TD/INT ratio Miami QBs put up last season. RB Ronnie Brown averaged 5.1 YPC last year, at least until he tore an ACL. Smokin' Ricky Williams could provide some production this year after returning from exile in Canada. Last year's top draft pick, WR Ted Ginn Jr., will get a chance to prove himself a game-breaker, and the Dolphins bolstered the offensive line by taking Michigan T Jake Long with the #1 overall pick this year.

The Parcells philosophy of football involves shoving the ball down opponents' throats on offense and stuffing the run on defense. To do that, he and Sparano will have to rebuild both lines. And Miami used six of their nine draft choices on linemen. The new Dolphins will be tougher both physically and mentally. But success will not come right away.