Okay, look, we all saw the Miami Dolphins were gonna be rough this year, right? New head coach, new starting QB, new GM, total rebuild. Pain was literally in the preseason forecast, making them a sure-fire target for smart survivor pool participants. But man, sitting at 0-3 entering Week 4, with their best offensive player gone for good? It’s looking way worse than anyone thought, and some folks are starting to whisper about something truly historic.
The Wheels Are Off, Historically Bad
This isn’t just about losing games. This is about a team that looks like it’s actively trying to set records for all the wrong reasons. The Dolphins are 0-3 and they haven’t proven any preseason predictions wrong. In fact, they’ve gone and made things worse. Their most talented player on offense, running back De’Von Achane, suffered a torn ACL on Sunday against the Chiefs and is done for the rest of the season. Talk about a gut punch when you’re already on the ropes!
And get this, because it’s wild: Miami is actually paying more in dead salary cap hits to players not even on the roster than they are to players currently playing for them. That’s an NFL first, people! When Yahoo Sports writer Frank Schwab said this roster “barely resembled an NFL team” before the season, he wasn’t kidding. And now it’s even worse without Achane. We’re talking about QB Malik Willis, whose best skill-position player is, what, Malik Washington? Or maybe Chris Bell, a third-round rookie who tore his ACL less than a year ago? Schwab isn’t pulling punches, calling them the “worst team in the NFL.” He thinks 0-17 is difficult to pull off, but he admits it “might be close.” Seriously.
Can They *Really* Go Winless?!
So, the big question on everyone’s mind is, can this team actually go 0-17? No team has ever done it, and only two teams in NFL history have gone 0-16: the 2008 Lions and the 2017 Browns. That’s some serious company to be keeping. Yahoo Sports writer Eric Edholm believes that somewhere along the way, this Dolphins squad will find a way to snag a win. He points out that fluky results happen all the time in the NFL, even with bad teams. Remember last season when the Raiders beat the Patriots? Or the Panthers beating the Packers as 13.5-point underdogs in Green Bay? The Vikings even shocked the Lions that same weekend.
Edholm also brings up some valid points for why they might avoid total infamy. This roster is super young, and the coaching staff might actually be pretty good, even if it’s taking time for it to show. Plus, the schedule still holds some hope. They have two games each against the 1-2 Patriots and the 1-2 Jets, plus the winless Chargers are still on their schedule. And don’t forget, they still have seven home games left! Edholm isn’t saying they’re a good team, far from it, but he thinks they’re “far from the worst we’ve ever seen.” He puts 0-17 being on the table “in the same way that ‘this plane could also land in the ocean’ is on the table.” He’s still betting on them being a one- or two-win team, not an historically inept one.
So, as we head into Week 4, the Dolphins are a mess. They’ve got a new regime, an injured star, and a historically bad cap situation. Can they defy the odds and avoid that dreaded 0-17 record? Or will their remaining schedule, including matchups against the Patriots, Jets, and Chargers, offer up just enough chances for them to grab a win? It’s gonna be a long season in Miami, that’s for sure.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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