Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Gase, coach of year?
Team culture has been transformed during a ‘rebuilding season’
He’s a contender, says Omar Kelly.
Nobody expected anything from the Miami Dolphins this season.
This was supposed to be a franchise in the beginning stages of yet another rebuilding year. Entering this season the Dolphins had no clear-cut starting tailback, possessed a struggling offense that featured a patched-up offensive line, had a quarterback whose production hadn’t matched his talent level, and a defense that had been a disappointment the past few years.
Somehow, first-year head coach Adam Gase and his coaching staff turned this floundering franchise — which had been riding the mediocrity merry-goround for almost a decade — into a winner.
The Dolphins (9-5) are in contention for an AFC wild-card spot and control their playoff fate if they can win their final two regular-season games against the Buffalo Bills on the road Saturday afternoon and next week’s home finale against the New England Patriots.
For this feat Gase deserves serious consideration for the NFL’s Coach of the Year award.
Here are 10 reasons why Gase deserves the honor more than Dallas’ Jason Garrett, Oakland’s Jack Del Rio, New England’s Bill Belichick, Atlanta’s Dan Quinn and Tennessee’s Mike Mularkey:
The Dolphins have turned into one of the NFL’s most resilient teams. Miami, which began the season 1-4, picked itself up off the canvas and has won eight of its past nine games. Miami’s inching closer to the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2008, which can be locked up if the Dolphins beat the Bills in Buffalo on Saturday, and the Denver Broncos lose to the Kan-
sas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Gase has created a winning culture. While former Dolphins coach Joe Philbin spent his entire tenure purging players from the roster who had strong personalities, Gase covets alpha males and encourages them to be themselves.
Gase’s reputation as a quarterback whisperer has merit to it. His playcalling made Ryan Tannehill, who had a 93.5 passer rating before injuring his knee against Arizona, become an aggressive quarterback. Then he helped Matt Moore, a career backup, throw for a career-high four touchdowns against the New York Jets in his first start in five seasons.
Despite all the defense’s struggles this season, that unit is opportunistic and has consistently risen to the occasion. The Dolphins are tied for second in the NFL with 16 interceptions, and have forced 20 turnovers this season. Miami is also the top-ranked team when it comes to third-down defense, limiting opponents to a 34 percent conversion rate.
The Dolphins are winning with an injury-decimated roster that wasn’t very deep to begin with. Key players like Reshad Jones, Mike Pouncey, Jordan Cameron and Koa Misi suffered season-ending injuries, forcing youngsters to step up.
The tailback the Dolphins left home in the season opener because of his attitude after not winning the starting job in the preseason became the 10th player in franchise history to rush for 1,000 or more yards. Jay Ajayi, a 2015 fifth-round pick, blossomed into a featured back once Gase stopped the four-man rotation he was using during the first month of the season.
One of Miami’s biggest concerns coming into the season — the cornerback unit — has become a strength. Miami’s defense is ranked seventh when it comes to the opposition’s passer rating (83.8). The Dolphins have a solid quartet at cornerback courtesy of an expensive castoff from the Philadelphia Eagles (Byron Maxwell), a former college receiver (Tony Lippett), a rookie cornerback who has fought through two knee injuries since minicamp (Xavien Howard), and a scrappy undersized nickelback (Bobby McCain).
Miami’s tight ends have stepped up and become a respectable unit despite losing Cameron to a season-ending concussion. Dion Sims is having a career year — 24 receptions for 246 yards and four touchdowns — proving he’s more than a blocking specialist.
Miami possesses one of the NFL’s most productive trios of receivers. Jarvis Landry produced his third 1,000-yard receiving season. DeVante Parker, who has 47 receptions for 614 yards and three touchdowns, has flashed the potential that made him deserving of a 2015 firstround pick. And Kenny Stills, who has scored seven touchdowns this season, has turned into one of the team’s best big-play producers.
Gase is the first coach I’ve ever encountered who acknowledges his mistakes on a regular basis. That’s refreshing and it has encouraged his players to do the same. When the Dolphins make a mistake that leads to a big play or a turnover the players responsible will own up to it. In the past Miami had a blameshifting culture that came from the top down.