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Poor Ending Can't Dampen Remarkable Journey
The magical season ended with a whimper instead of a wallop. It ended on a sunny day at Dolphin Stadium with a packed house that came to see if the most shocking season in team history could somehow live on. But it wasn't meant to be. Not on this day, not against this Baltimore Ravens team, not with the Dolphins falling so short in so many areas.
Baltimore 27, Miami 9. I'm not sure which was more difficult to accept, that the Dolphins were no match for the Ravens or that this unbelievable season had to come to an end. Both hit hard. Both were difficult to swallow.
I know it is the easy way out to say this season was a huge success despite the way it ended. I know if a team gets this far - wins its division and hosts a playoff game - you have every reason to dream big. But let's be realistic here. These Dolphins accomplished something that no team in the history of the NFL had, going from one win a season before to 11 wins and a division championship the next year.
As much as the loss to the Ravens stung hard, you can't lose sight of the big picture. These Dolphins grew up before our disbelieving eyes. They mattered once again. In one season, this franchise went from a laughing stock to a soaring stock. There have been many great seasons before. But no season in the 43-year history of this organization came close to duplicating this one.
It will have its own unique place in the team's trophy case. So memorable in so many ways.
That the Dolphins didn't advance further is a legitimate disappointment. But you have to feel a real sense of accomplishment for what these Dolphins did. Who could have imagined an AFC East title? Who would have predicted a season like this for Chad Pennington? Who could have seen so many of the important pieces falling neatly into place so quickly? Who could have thought this team would play into January?
If the Dolphins were looking for a building block, this season is exactly what they needed.
What went wrong against the Ravens?
Well, the story of this game was too much defense for the Ravens and not enough offense for the Dolphins.
As much as we would have liked to paint a scenario where Pennington had success, where Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams would gain their share of yards, where the receivers would come up with a few big plays, wasn't that really wishful thinking?
The Dolphins, as we have seen all season, have some serious flaws on offense, most notably the absence of a big-time playmaker. The Ravens, on the other hand, have no serious flaws on defense.
For the Dolphins to have been successful, they needed a few more turnovers from the defense and a couple of lucky breaks on offense. They got neither. Pennington forced more throws in one game than he had forced the entire regular season. The result was four interceptions. That was more than half of his entire regular season total of seven.
All told, the Dolphins turned it over five times. You simply can't do that against a team as talented as the Ravens — or any team, for that matter.
Sure, they had their chances. They had the ball at the Ravens 1-yard line early on and had to settle for a field goal. Not what you're looking for. They had cut the deficit in the fourth quarter to 20-9 and had the ball in Ravens territory with plenty of time left. But the offense could do no more and the Ravens iced it with a late touchdown, and the result was a crowd that quickly began filing out.
Those who stayed cheered, as they should have.
As Tony Sparano walked off the field for the final time this season, he tipped his cap toward the fans in the end zone. It was a brief gesture before he disappeared into the tunnel. But it was meaningful nonetheless.
Tip your hat to this team. To all the players who overachieved. To that victory in New England and the one over the Chargers, and the two over the Bills and that season-ending beauty at the Jets.
"We didn't come here to finish second," Sparano said in his postgame press conference. "We did things against the Ravens that were uncharacteristic of us. But I told the players in the locker room that they should walk away with their heads held high. I'm proud of what they accomplished this season."
And who wouldn't be? One playoff loss can't change that, shouldn't change that. The Dolphins were stepping up in class against the Ravens and they simply couldn't find the answers. These things happen in a very competitive league.
What doesn't happen, and had never happened before, was the journey these Dolphins took to get here. That is how this season will be remembered, not for one game or one moment as much as the sums of all the parts.
The Dolphins stand tall today. And that alone says all you need to know about the 2008 season.
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