Miami head coach Brian Flores has apparently decided to bring in former Buffalo head coach Chan Gailey to run the team’s offense now. Gailey has been out of the NFL since 2016 when he held that same position with another AFC East team, the Jets.
Blast from the past: Chan Gailey is coming out of retirement to become the #Dolphins’ offensive coordinator, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
Gailey was also the Dolphins offensive coordinator from 2000-01.
There is a silver lining here as well. The Dolphins will likely bring in a young quarterback option next season. Still, Gailey’s hiring bodes well for current starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He’ll likely move to the backup role but Fitzpatrick played in Gailey’s system both with the Bills and Jets. The veteran QB would serve as a backup/ defacto assistant coach in the system with a young quarterback.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport added to his report on Gailey’s hiring that the Dolphins new OC will “run the show and tutor whichever new QB comes in.” Miami owns the No. 5 overall pick along with the No. 18 overall selection (via PIT) in the first round of the upcoming NFL draft.
Here are five takeaways from the Patriots’ 27-24 loss to the Dolphins in Week 17.
For the first time since 2009, the New England Patriots won’t walk into the playoffs with a first-round bye.
New England knows how important the first-round bye is and that’s why its 27-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins was so significant. The Patriots have clinched the No. 3 seed while the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs hold the top spots in the AFC. The Patriots are set to face the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the playoffs and they’ll have to get through some tough road games in order to make it to the Super Bowl.
The path for ring No. 7 just got much more difficult and the Dolphins exposed New England in all facets of the game. Here are five takeaways from the gut-wrenching loss.
Tom Brady potentially lost his last regular season home game
The legendary 42-year-old quarterback has spent two decades as the signal-caller for New England. He’s delivered Super Bowl victories and has had arguably the most dominant run in professional sports history. Brady and the Patriots have spoiled Boston fans year in and year out, but it could all be coming to an end.
Rumors have floated over the past few months that Brady’s time in New England will be over after this season. It’s been a very trying season for Brady, and he’s struggling more than ever to produce offensively. The Dolphins came into the game as one of the worst overall teams and Brady couldn’t deliver against them in crucial moments.
Brady’s pick-six likely changed the outcome of the game and his inability to score in the redzone has been a glaring issue all season. Joining another team or retiring seem to be more likely options than sticking around in Foxborough after this season.
If this is Brady’s last regular season home game, it’ll be a tough one to swallow.
With the postseason scenarios all determined, Touchdown Wire unveils its final NFL Power Rankings of the 2019 regular season.
As the 2019 NFL regular season came to an end Sunday, I thought back to the start of the season and realized that things turned out very differently than I expected.
I also write for Street & Smith’s magazines, and I pulled out a copy of their season preview and reviewed my predictions and the magazine’s collective predictions. Let’s just say I was off by a mile in some cases, and the magazine was right on some and very wrong on others.
For the sake of humility, let’s start with my Super Bowl pick. I had the Rams defeating the Chargers. In reality, neither team made the playoffs. The overall magazine staff picked the Saints to defeat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. That prediction remains in play.
Perhaps my worst pick was selecting Baltimore to finish last in the AFC North. Here’s where the Ravens and the other 31 teams stand in Touchdown Wire’s final regular season Power Rankings.
32. Cincinnati Bengals
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
(2-14. Last week: 32)
The Bengals were predictably bad with a new coach, Zac Taylor, and a roster that doesn’t have much talent. There were no miracles in Cincinnati as the Bengals just kept losing. Does Taylor even get a second season? Probably so. Owner Mike Brown stuck with coach Marvin Lewis through some rough times. Taylor likely will get a bit more time to try to turn things around. The only good news out of this season is that the Bengals will get the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft. At the moment, virtually everyone is projecting that to be LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner. Scouts and draftniks say he’s NFL ready. That means he’ll help the Bengals right from the start. But this team needs much more than a change at quarterback to turn things around.
31. Washington Redskins
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
(3-13. Last week: 31)
There are big changes coming in Washington after a hugely disappointing season. Coach Jay Gruden was fired during the season. Team president Bruce Allen reportedly will be stripped of his football operations duties, although he may remain with the team, with his main role being to help the Redskins get a new stadium. That would be a good move. Despite being the son of legendary coach George Allen, Bruce Allen is not a football guy. In his 10 years in Washington, the Redskins won zero playoff games. They need a football guy at the top, and they need a new coach. Owner Dan Snyder is likely to make a splash hire for the coaching job because he needs to revive a frustrated fan base. The only bright spot to this season was rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. He still has a long way to go, but he showed promise at times.
30. Detroit Lions
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
(3-12-1. Last week: 30)
Coach Matt Patricia has had two dismal seasons. But his job is safe. The team already has announced that Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn will return next season. Ownership likely gave Patricia a pass because he was without injured quarterback Matthew Stafford for much of the season. Stafford should be back and healthy next year. But Quinn and Patricia need to bring in more talent on both sides of the ball in the offseason. Owner Martha Ford isn’t going to remain patient forever. Patricia needs to win in 2020 or else he’ll be gone.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
(6-10. Last week: 29)
One of the more disappointing teams in the league, the Jaguars were supposed to bounce back from a rough 2018 season and get back to the form they showed in the 2017 season, when they made it to the AFC Championship Game. Much of the hype came because they signed free-agent quarterback Nick Foles. But Foles got hurt in the season opener, and the Jaguars turned to sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew, who played surprisingly well. Now, the dilemma for next year is whether to start Foles or Minshew. The competition between those two in the preseason probably will be one of the most interesting storylines in the league in the summer. It remains to be seen if coach Doug Marrone will be back after two disappointing seasons. The Jaguars already fired executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin and may decide to have a thorough housecleaning.
28. New York Giants
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
(4-12. Last week: 27)
The Giants have been patient with coaches for most of their history. But that changed when Ben McAdoo was fired after two seasons. Pat Shurmur could follow the same track after two disappointing seasons. But his saving grace could be that he’s got the nucleus of a good young offense in place. Second-year running back Saquon Barkley is one of the best all-around players in the league, and rookie quarterback Daniel Jones showed promise. But it’s up to the front office to improve the offensive line and defense. If Shurmur survives, he likely will make some changes to his coaching staff.
27. Miami Dolphins
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
(5-11. Last week: 28)
Although Miami stunned New England with a victory Sunday, this was not a great year for the Dolphins. Early in the season, there was speculation that the Dolphins were losing on purpose to get the No. 1 overall draft pick. There was even talk of an 0-16 season, which seemed quite possible after an 0-7 start. For whatever reason, Miami stayed with veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick for most of the season instead of going with second-year pro Josh Rosen, who was a first-round pick by Arizona last year. The Dolphins gave Rosen only a brief look, so it’s obvious he’s not their future. Miami still will have the No. 5 overall draft pick. Will the Dolphins’ quarterback of the future be available at that spot?
26. Carolina Panthers
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
(5-11. Last week: 26)
There will be major changes in Carolina this offseason after a disappointing season that ended with an embarrassing loss to New Orleans on Sunday. There will be a coaching change. Ron Rivera was fired during the season and replaced by interim coach Perry Fewell. It’s safe to say Fewell won’t get the permanent job. Owner David Tepper seems poised to hire a big name as he continues to distance the current team from its past. The more intriguing storyline is at quarterback. Cam Newton missed all but two games with a foot injury and was also coming off major shoulder surgery. He may no longer be the long-term answer. Plus, Newton’s contract makes him vulnerable. He’s scheduled to make $21 million next season, but the Panthers could clear $19 million in cap space by trading or cutting Newton.
25. Los Angeles Chargers
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
(5-11. Last week: 25)
Another of the league’s most disappointing teams, the Chargers are likely to have some major changes in the offseason. Head coach Anthony Lynn might be pressured into making changes to his coaching staff. But the bigger change could come at quarterback. Philip Rivers’ contract is up and he doesn’t appear to have much left. The Chargers still have plenty of talent, so don’t expect them to blow up the roster. Drafting a quarterback would set the franchise back. The Chargers might be better off bringing in a free agent such as Teddy Bridgewater. Someone like Bridgewater could fix this team in a hurry.
Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has won the AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for Week 16.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to build his resume here in Miami and with one game left to play, we’re facing the prospect of the best season of “Fitzmagic” the NFL has ever seen being completed in South Florida. A career journeyman quarterback, Fitzpatrick has made a living off of his free wielding, fearless style of play. And it seems to have struck a lasting impression on some of Fitzpatrick’s teammates.
DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki are playing the best football of their young careers with Fitzpatrick at the helm, and Fitzpatrick himself is pulling rabbits out of his hat on a weekly basis despite poor offensive line play and no running game to lean on at all.
Now? Fitzpatrick has added another feather to his cap — he’s won the NFL’s AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his career best 419 yard passing performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16.
The Dolphins moved the ball at will against Cincinnati through the air. Miami surpassed 500 yards of offense for the first time this season, nearly all off the right arm of Fitzpatrick.
According to Alain Poupart of Dolphins.com, Fitzpatrick is the first Miami Dolphin quarterback to win the honor since Matt Moore did so in December of 2016 after taking over for injured quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Moore tossed four touchdowns on 18 pass attempts against the New York Jets to lead the Dolphins to a 34-13 victory.
Fitzpatrick’s winning performance was a little more dramatic, but that’s with no fault to Fitzpatrick. After all, the offense didn’t touch the field as the Bengals ripped off 16 unanswered points in the final minute of regulation.
No matter. The overtime period provided Fitzpatrick the needed opportunity to set his career high in passing yardage — it was all for the best.
Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has reached a season high in NFL.com’s QB power rankings.
Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to make the most of a “nothing to lose” situation in Miami. Fitzpatrick logged a career high in passing yards in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals, torching the NFL’s worst team to the tune of 419 passing yards. Fitzpatrick’s big day put him over 3,000 passing yards for the year and has Miami scoring points at a blistering pace (relative to the first month of the season, of course).
And folks have taken notice. Each week, NFL.com releases a weekly quarterback power ranking of all 32 starters in the NFL and Fitzpatrick has not only climbed out of the cellar, he’s on the cusp of being ranked in the top half of the league — Fitzpatrick has made it all the way to the 17th ranked quarterback in the NFL, one spot behind Buffalo’s Josh Allen.
Here’s what NFL.com’s Genarro Felice had to say about Fitzpatrick’s play:
“Quite apropos for this particular signal-caller to reach his highest QB Index ranking of the season in a week that’s headlined by a bearded geezer who spreads joy. In 2019, Fitzpatrick has indeed become Football Santa: a lovable figure whose production completely defies logic. But don’t you dare say Fitzmagic isn’t real! The guy’s operating behind the worst offensive line in football. He is flanked by a ground game that ranks dead last in rushing yards, throwing to a receiving corps that leads the AFC in drops. Fitzpatrick’s a 37-year-old journeyman on one of the youngest, cheapest rosters in the league, a team many thought could make a run at 0-16. And yet, he’s led the Dolphins to four wins in their past eight games. He ranks top 10 in ESPN’s QBR metric. And he can torch an opponent for 419 yards and four touchdowns, as he did in this past Sunday’s victory over the Bengals. I believe in Santa Fitz!” – Genarro Felice, NFL.com
There’s no question that Fitzpatrick is playing his best ball of the season here at the end of the line. For our money, he’s playing the best ball of his career here in Miami — a development that should have Miami willing to bringing back “Fitzmagic” again in 2020 to serve whatever role the Dolphins’ plans at quarterback allow for him to play.
As Fitzpatrick has established more and more rapport with Miami’s pass catchers, this seems like a no brainer decision that will only be further amplified if Fitzpatrick can find ways to move the ball against New England in Week 17.
The Miami Dolphins announced their 2019 season award winners ahead of the team’s Week 17 matchup in New England.
The Miami Dolphins season is just a few days from coming to a close — but not before the team honored their standout performers on and off the field. The team announced their annual award winners for the 2019 Miami Dolphins season, adding one new name to the list of winners for the Dan Marino MVP, Don Shula Leadership Award, Ed Block Courage Award and the Nat Moore Community Service Award.
Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick brought home both the Dan Marino MVP and the Don Shula Leadership award, while wide receiver Albert Wilson was named the winner of the Ed Block Courage Award. The Dolphins’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, Davon Godchaux, was named the winner of the Nat Moore Community Service Award.
Our Team Award Winners for the 2019 season are here! #FinsUp
Perhaps the only argument to be made here was one for Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker to challenge Fitzpatrick’s winning of the Dan Marino MVP. But ultimately, it was Fitzpatrick’s reinsertion to the lineup that kickstarted Miami’s offense and Parker’s production alike — so who are we to argue too much?
Fitzpatrick’s impact on the Dolphins has been deniable and his winning of the team’s MVP and leadership award make him just the fourth player in team history to win both awards in the same season. The first three? Chad Pennington in 2008, Jason Taylor in 2002 and 2006 and Dan Marino back in 1995 — according to the team’s press release.
Fitzpatrick’s reaction? He’s humbled.
“I’m humbled by it. It’s awesome. I think again, it’s something that we’ve worked through a lot of adversity this year and to be a guy regarded as that by whoever it was that voted for it, I’m proud,” said Fitzpatrick.
“I’m proud to receive the award and to be named that; but overall, I’m happy to be one of those guys that stuck with it throughout the whole year and continued on a positive trend and continued to keep guys going a little bit.”
Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has been nominated for the NFL’s FedEx Air Player of the Week.
It was quite a show from Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Fitzpatrick set a career high in passing yardage with 419 yards and 4 touchdowns, setting the pace for Miami as they scored 38 points to fend off a late charge from the Bengals and secure their 4th win of the season.
Fitzpatrick has been nominated as the FedEx Air Player of the Week, along with New York Giants QB Daniel Jones and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. If we’re being honest, Fitzpatrick had comfortably the most yardage and should be walking away with the award this week.
But that comes down to the fans. Voting is open now and Dolphins fans will have a golden opportunity to clinch Fitzpatrick in with a victory.
Anyone interested in voting for Fitzpatrick can cast their vote here. This isn’t the first time Fitzpatrick has been nominated for the honor this season, but his previous nominations have come up short. We’ll find out by the end of the week if Fitzpatrick is able to lock one in for 2019 — it’s most likely now or never.
On the heels of a wild weekend that transformed the NFL playoff picture, Touchdown Wire unveils its weekly NFL Power Rankings.
Heading into Week 17, we already know the Baltimore Ravens are the best team in the league and the Cincinnati Bengals are the worst.
In Week 16, we found out two positive certainties for the Ravens and Bengals. First, by guaranteeing the league’s worst record, the Bengals clinched the No. 1 spot in the 2020 NFL draft.
At least at the moment, it appears likely they’ll use it on Heisman Trophy winner and LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. That’s the silver lining in Cincinnati’s dismal season.
Baltimore earned a gift with its great season. At 13-2, the Ravens clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, meaning they have a bye and hold home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
Lots of other scenarios were clinched in Week 16. But many more, including a number of playoff seeds, won’t be known until after Week 17.
We touch on that and more in this week’s Touchdown Wire NFL Power Rankings.
32. Cincinnati Bengals
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
(1-14. Last week: 32)
Finally, there’s something to celebrate in Cincinnati. It took an overtime loss to Miami, but the Bengals officially clinched the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft. That almost certainly will be used on a quarterback, and most draft experts currently believe LSU’s Joe Burrow is the top prospect. While that seems like a certainty, the status of first-year head coach Zac Taylor isn’t a given. Bengals owner Mike Brown has been notoriously patient and frugal in the past, but a one- or two-win season may not be enough for Taylor to survive. Besides, there is plenty of room to question Taylor’s decision to go back to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton after briefly benching him in favor of rookie Ryan Finley. Yeah, Dalton threw four touchdown passes Sunday, but it’s clear he’s got no future with the Bengals. Apparently, Finley doesn’t either. This looks like a team that already has settled on Burrow.
31. Washington Redskins
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
(3-12. Last week: 31)
There hasn’t been much for Washington fans to cheer for this season, especially after Sunday’s overtime loss to the New York Giants dropped the Redskins into sole possession of last place in the NFC East. But there is one bright spot: the play of rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Coming off the best game of his career, Haskins continued to show progress by completing 12 of 15 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns before leaving with an ankle injury. That means whoever is coaching the Redskins next year might already have his quarterback. The Redskins are going to have a premium draft pick and might decide on Ohio State defensive end Chase Young, who is more of a sure thing than any of the quarterbacks who will be available.
30. Detroit Lions
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
(3-11-1. Last week: 29)
Things continued to get worse for Detroit with a 27-17 loss to Denver. That was to be expected because the Lions are down to third-string quarterback David Blough, who totaled just 117 passing yards and took four sacks against the Broncos. This season has long been over for the Lions. But the real story here is about next season. Ownership came out last week and firmly said that coach Matt Patricia will be back for a third year and general manager Bob Quinn also will return. That’s somewhat surprising since Patricia’s tenure has been a disaster, and there haven’t been many signs of progress. But I can see the case for giving Patricia another year. He deserves a shot to see what he can do with quarterback Matthew Stafford healthy all season. If Patricia can’t win with Stafford, then it will be time to move on.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
(5-10. Last week: 27)
The Jaguars made news last week by firing executive vice president Tom Coughlin. Some assume that means coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell are safe for next season, but that’s not necessarily the case. Marrone has lost 21 of 31 games since taking the Jaguars to the AFC Championship Game after the 2017 season. Coughlin’s firing was about more than the team’s record. It was a reaction by owner Shad Kahn after the NFL Players Association issued a warning to players about signing with the Jaguars due to a high number of grievances against the organization. Those issues were a poor reflection on Coughlin. But the team’s poor record is a reflection on Marrone and Caldwell. Kahn might be better off cleaning house and starting over again.
28. Miami Dolphins
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
(4-11. Last week: 30)
Remember back early in the season when everyone thought the Dolphins were purposely losing to acquire better draft picks? At first, it seemed to be true, but they were just good enough to win their way out of the top pick — and it was fitting that their overtime win against Cincinnati helped the Bengals clinch the No. 1 pick. Miami stuck with veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick over second-year pro Josh Rosen most of the season. That was pointless, because Fitzpatrick is no long-term answer for a team that needs a major rebuild. By missing out on the No. 1 pick, the Dolphins apparently will miss out on consensus No. 1 quarterback prospect Joe Burrow. They probably still will draft a quarterback. Instead of Burrow, it likely will be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.
27. New York Giants
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
(4-11. Last week: 28)
Sure, the Giants are 4-11, and Sunday’s victory against a bad Washington team came in overtime. But I’m going to go way out on a limb and declare the Giants the favorite to win the NFC East in 2020. Seriously. Why? The Giants have the brightest future of the bunch. You could see Sunday that the Giants are set at quarterback and running back for the long term. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones returned from injury and threw for 352 yards and five touchdowns. Second-year running back Saquon Barkley ran for 189 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 90 yards and another touchdown. Jones and Barkley could be superstars. Sure, there’s plenty of work to be done on the defense, at receiver and on the offensive line. But Jones and Barkley give the Giants hope and something to build around. Their presence and promise probably is enough to keep coach Pat Shurmur employed.
26. Carolina Panthers
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
(5-10. Last week: 25)
Perhaps the most insightful NFL quote of the week came from veteran Carolina tight end Greg Olsen, who has a bright future in broadcasting. After an embarrassing loss to Indianapolis, Olsen put Carolina’s situation into perfect context.
“It’s a really tough way to operate,” Olsen said. “Players are underperforming. It’s right now a very collective failure, organizationally a failure.”
The Panthers might be in the most disarray they’ve been in since coach George Seifert’s final year, a 1-15 season in 2001. Interim coach Perry Fewell hasn’t come close to winning a game since taking over when Ron Rivera was fired. It’s become obvious that Fewell will not get the permanent job. Owner David Tepper has to go out and find the right guy. If general manager Marty Hurney sticks around and has any input, his track record suggest he’ll favor a rising coordinator and not a former head coach or a college coach.
25. Los Angeles Chargers
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
(5-10. Last week: 23)
The Chargers lost to the Raiders on Sunday, but the big story here came in the postgame. Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers told reporters he wants to continue playing. Rivers is 38 and in the final year of his contract.
“I’m capable enough physically and mentally, there’s no question,” Rivers said. “Yes, I do want to play football. I do, and that’s how I feel deep down as I stand here.”
But the bigger question is do the Chargers want Rivers back? Despite all he’s done for the franchise through the years, Rivers has endured a bad season. His 18 interceptions rank second in the NFL to Jameis Winston’s 28. The Chargers have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams and haven’t developed much of a fan base in Los Angeles. They’ll be moving into a new stadium next year, and it might be time for an infusion of excitement at quarterback, whether through the draft or via free agency.
