With the playoffs now out of reach, Miami Dolphins coa

DAVIE Bob Griese Jersey , Fla. (AP) — ch Adam Gase says injuries sabotaged the season, and quarterback Ryan Tannehill never had a chance to be fairly evaluated.And does the head coach deserve to return in 2019?“I don’t need to lobby for my job,” Gase said Monday. “I’m not worried about that.”Gase said he hasn’t had any discussions regarding his future with team owner Stephen Ross, who faces decisions regarding possible offseason organizational changes in the wake of the Dolphins’ elimination from playoff contention. A dismal 17-7 loss at home Sunday to lowly Jacksonville ensured the team will again sit out the postseason.Ross has declined to say Gase will be back for a fourth season. Gase is 23-25 at Miami, including 7-8 this year after a 3-0 start.His biggest regret about 2018?“I wish everybody hadn’t gotten hurt,” Gase said. “That would have been nice.”The Dolphins lost 12 key players to season-ending injuries, including two top offensive linemen, their best run stopper and dynamic receivers Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant.“We lost good players,” Gase said. “There’s a reason we started 3-0 — because all those guys were there.”Tannehill missed five games with an injury to his throwing shoulder. And when he played, the offense was wildly inconsistent, fueling speculation Sunday’s season finale at Buffalo will be his last game with the Dolphins.Tannehill has never taken a snap in the postseason, but Gase continues to argue the seven-year veteran can be an elite quarterback with a better supporting cast.“Everybody is always going to blame the quarterback,” Gase said. “We just need everybody doing their job, and then you can really evaluate the quarterback. We haven’t had the consistency we need on offense to look at what Ryan is, really. Nobody helps him Minkah Fitzpatrick Jersey , and then he starts to try to do more than he should, and then that hurts him.”Such was the case Sunday, when Tannehill’s ill-advised pass under pressure in the fourth quarter was intercepted and returned for a touchdown that sealed the defeat.Tannehill said every position has contributed to the offensive inconsistencies.“Start with me and just go right down the line,” Tannehill said. “When you have that, it all stacks up and you’re not moving the ball. We have to be cleaner, every position, starting with me.”Tannehill and the other starters will assume their usual roles at Buffalo, Gase said. That’s a change from last year, when the coach gave younger, inexperienced players tryouts in the meaningless finale.“I’m never going to do that again,” Gase said. “I’d rather go 8-8. We’re going to try to win the game.”Even with a victory, the Dolphins are assured of sitting out the playoffs for the 15th time in the past 17 seasons. They’ll finish at .500 or worse for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons.Statistics say that by winning seven games, the Dolphins have actually overachieved. They’re on the verge of several franchise records, none good.They’ve been outgained by 1,463 yards. The team record is 1,321 in 1967.They’re allowing 392 yards per game. The team record is 383 two years ago.They’ve allowed 3 Kenny Stills Jersey ,717 net yards passing. The team record is 4,000 in 2015.On offense, total yardage will likely be the Dolphins’ lowest total since 2007. Net yards passing could be the lowest since 2003.The Dolphins rank 30th in the 32-team NFL on both offense and defense. They’ve never finished worse than 30th on offense or 29th on defense.But they’re 7-1 in one-score games. They’re 0-7 in games decided by 10 points or more, and have been outscored in those games 228-104.Those are the statistics of January spectators.“We share failures, we share successes,” veteran defensive end Cameron Wake said. “It’s on everybody.”Who deserves the game ball after the Dolphins 20-12 victory over the New York Jets? After two weeks of regular season football, the Miami Dolphins are undefeated.Yeah, you heard me correctly.The Miami Dolphins are undefeated.Undefeated.Have not lost.Perfect.It’s obviously early and things can change at the blink of an eye, but the Miami Dolphins have looked good the first two weeks of the season.They outplayed the Jets and made plays when it mattered most to hang on to a 20-12 victory.After the Titans game, it was obvious who deserved the game ball.Reshad Jones balled out, and was ultimately chosen by The Phinsider faithful.But who deserves the game ball after the Dolphins Week 2 victory?Ryan Tannehill?Frank Gore?Xavien Howard?The list goes on and on, but now it’s time to narrow it down to four.Let’s take a look at the top players in Miami’s 20-12 win over the New York Jets.Ryan TannehillThe most polarizing figure in South Beach has looked exceptionally well early on in 2018.He’s shown the ability to lead the offense, and has made big-time plays when needed most.On Sunday, Tannehill completed 17/23 passes for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns.However, it wasn’t what he did through the air that was so impressive, it was what he did on the ground that ultimately sealed the deal.Tannehill rushed for 44 yards Reshad Jones Jersey , and made plays on th ground when needed most.If it were up to me, Tannehill deserves the game ball after his performance vs the JetsFrank GoreFrank Gore didn’t do nearly as much on the ground as the previous week, but his impact was definitely felt throughout.Gore finished the game with 25 yards rushing, none bigger than an 8-yard gain late that put him 4th all-time on the NFL rushing list.His 19-yard reception to seal the game, may have been the most significant play of the day.Xavien HowardEach week Xavien Howard does something that makes your jaw drop.He’s slowly becoming a true shutdown cornerback, and did it again Sunday vs the Jets.Howard played well for most of the game and was able to erase whoever lined up across from him.However, there was no play bigger than his interception in the back of the end zone, after a critical Ryan Tannehill fumble.Kiko AlonsoAlonso has been up and down throughout his first six seasons in the NFL. But he’s started to find his grove as of late in Miami, and looked like one of the better players on the field this Sunday.Alonso recorded a team high 13 tackles, and did enough against the run to make his impact felt. Linebacker has been a weakness of the Dolphins over the last several years, and Alonso is slowly becoming a leader.Who do you think deserves the game ball for the Dolphins 20-12 victory over the Jets? Vote in the poll, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. (If you are reading this on Apple News or Google AMP, you probably will not get the poll. Sorry.)