Unlike the Dolphins, the Jets and
Washington are losing without purpose or any semblance of a plan for the future
A few weeks ago after watching the Dolphins and then the Jets suffer their latest embarrassing, soulless losses, I posed a question on Twitter: Is it better to be a Dolphins or Jets fan? For a fleeting moment all the misery felt equal, after all, losing is losing, right? But after some thought, some enlightened responses and a little more perspective, it turns out Dolphins fans are living the dream compared to Jets fans and a number of other fanbases that again had to suffer through their team’s hell in Week 5. Most of this year’s crop of bad teams – including the Jets, Washington, Bengals, Falcons and to an extent the Cardinals and Steelers – look especially egregious this season. In large part that’s because, unlike the Dolphins, they are losing without purpose or any semblance of remedy.
Miami, to their credit have been honest about this lost season. GM Chris Grier already said this year’s Dolphins weren’t “built to win a Super Bowl.” They gutted their franchise, all while getting to examine whether Josh Rosen is a viable option under center. Next April they will undergo a major rebuild with three first-round draft picks, possibly two in the top 10, and a decent amount of cash to spend in free agency. While that’s not ideal for current veterans at the tail end of their careers, the Dolphins are at least dripping in hope. Just look at the Raiders, who were mocked after undergoing a similar strategy last season. Now they’re 3-2 with a young, exciting team only poised to get better.