The Miami Dolphins Blog: Making sense of Brian Flores’ firing and where the Miami Dolphins are going from here

MIAMI — Miami DolphinsPlayers ran off the sideline and celebrated in the end zone, before they took one last joyous jog off the field at Hard Rock Stadium. New England Patriots 33-24 Sunday. Although they weren’t in the playoffs, they were proud to have finished the season with a 9-8 record. This was after going 1-7 in November.

Brian Flores was not asked about his job security following the game. He was asked what it meant for him to sweep his former team, the Patriots. He was asked what it felt like to finish the season at 8-1. He was also asked how confident he is in his ability to build for 2022.

However, his job security was not at stake. He was expected to start next season in one the most coveted seats in the NFL. But it would still be him.

Flores stated Sunday that her thoughts right now are focused on how to enjoy this win. “The offseason, those things are things that will start to get us into the future. For now, just enjoy the moment.

Twelve hours later, they were back. fired FloresStephen Ross, owner, said that the coach was not properly cooperating at an organizational level to sustain his success.

Ross stated, “An organization cannot function unless it’s collaborative and works well together.” Ross said, “And I don’t think we were working well together as an organisation.” [the way]It would be necessary to win consistently at the NFL level.”

Surprise, partly, was the fact that Miami’s 8-1 record tied the result. Kansas City ChiefsThe Dolphins were the NFL’s best team over that time. The Dolphins are also first NFL team to finish 1-7 with a winning record. Flores’ three year tenure in Miami ended with a record of 24-25 and no playoff appearances. However, it also produced Miami’s first consecutive winning seasons.

Ross says it was a facade.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Ross’ decision was based on relationships. Flores’ inability to sustain them. His time with Dolphins was marked by constant turnover, including two offensive coordinators each year, four offensive line coaches and two defensive coordinators.

Ross made a decision to keep Chris Grier general manager. His glowing review of Grier’s roster is a testimony to Flores ability to get the best out of it, which is a mistake that the Dolphins next coach cannot afford to make.

Priority one is to fix what was a poor offense in 2021. Passing yards per game (17th) and third down conversions (3rd) were the only categories Miami ranked higher than 21st. The team’s next coach will have to deal with this problem. Miami hasn’t had a top-10 offense in 12 years.

The first step in this process is to decide what to do about your quarterback. Tua TagovailoaDespite being unspectacular in his second year, he was efficient.

According to reports, Flores’ relationship was strained with Tagovailoa after the second-year quarterback heard rumors about Tagovailoa’s interest. Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun WatsonIn January, Flores asked for a deal. This was before 22 civil lawsuits (with accusations of sexual assault, inappropriate behavior and other charges) were filed against him. Ross stated that the quarterback position played no role in Flores’ decision to fire Flores, but that does not mean Tagovailoa will not be the primary concern or selling point for Miami’s next head coaching job.

Ross stated, “As I mentioned before, I have a lot confidence in Tua but it’s really going be dependent on the next coach… and what direction he wants at that position.”

Over the last nine weeks, the Dolphins allowed the second lowest number of points in the league. Flores played a key role in this production. The defense also allowed fourth most points per game in the first eight weeks of the season, which was when Miami went 0-7. That was also the fault of someone.

The Dolphins went 15 seasons without losing one. Since that time, they have finished at or above.500 five more times. Over the last two decades, they have turned to nine coaches — either full-time or interim — to end this cycle. In a sense, it has created a new cycle.

This offseason, this cycle begins all over again.