TEAMWORK NOT QUARTERBACKS WIN SUPER BOWLS

 

While I started to write about what can make a team win a Super Bowl, news came from Miami about the recent changes in the Miami Dolphins roster. While writing about the changes, I arrived at the conclusion that it is teamwork and not quarterbacks that win Super Bowls. I decided to review the first game of the Miami Dolphins and the Chicago Bears by visiting their web pages and seeing the videos. I also reviewed the New England Patriots games in their web site and saw some of their videos.

 

After the humiliation in their first NFL Game against the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins did some major surgery in their roster. Donald Thomas [who is a Guard for the Miami Dolphins who injured his foot during the game] was placed on injured reserve and Boomer Grigsby [Fullback for the Fins] was waived. Casey Cramer was signed as a Fullback and Evan Mathis was signed as a Guard. The reasons have been that the Miami Dolphins cannot afford another loss in their upcoming game against the Arizona Cardinals. In a daily poll conducted by the Miami Dolphins in their website, 41% of the people answered that Larry Fitzgerald was the Arizona Cardinal Player to watch.

 

Casey Cramer played 27 games for the NFL Teams of the Tennessee Titans and the Carolina Panthers while Evan Mathis played for the Carolina Panthers. It is expected that it will be a reunion for both Panthers but this time under the Dolphins Banner. For Evan Mathis, the homecoming is greater since his uncle Bob Baumhower played defensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins from 1977 to 1986. In fact, Evan Mathis will be wearing his uncle’s jersey number of 73 with the Miami Dolphins. While some pressure will be on Chad Pennington, the game plan in the Miami Dolphins appear to be apply pressure to all of the players on an equal basis and replace those that cannot take the pressure. The time in which the quarterback received all of the pressure to succeed has passed at least in the Miami Dolphins.

 

It is not fair to place all of the hopes, fears, and blame on the quarterback. The quarterback is a human being who can only perform when there are other team members who are cooperating. I will never forget how Dan Marino received so many pressures to perform and then receive the blame for what the other players could or could not do. I will never forget how Jimmie Johnson during his tenure as Coach of the Miami Dolphins treated Dan Marino like trash by placing all of the responsibility on his shoulder. The current Miami Dolphins appear to have learned from this mistake that quarterbacks are part of the team instead of the people who rescue them in case of an emergency. I hope that the Miami Dolphins could apply this lesson in real life.

 

I cannot say the same thing about the New England Patriots. The New England Patriots have not recovered from their loss to the New York Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl. The New England Patriots have not recovered from the scandal in which they sent people to videotape the New York Jets. The New England Patriots have not recovered from placing so much of their hope on the quarterback Tom Brady.  The New England Patriots placed so many demands on Brady that his accident was inevitable. The New England Patriots [like most teams that place burdens on the Quarterbacks] as well as their fans judge the Quarterback as a stud or a liability based on one win or one loss and this is purely psychological and unfair.

 

I have seen baseball, basketball, and soccer games where the pressure is on the team instead of the individual. One example was the Miami FC VS Charleston Battery Soccer Game held at Tropical Park in Miami Florida in the year 2007. The Miami FC managed to score from behind to win their game because of teamwork.

 

The New England Patriots may want to go to school in Chicago and learn from the Chicago Bears but I think they are still in shock after what happened to Brady and now the season will be downhill for them.

 

The Chicago Bears were able to get the offense and defense moving into full gear. Who cannot forget how Robbie Gould scored a forty one field goal with precision? What about the plays by Forte, Urlacher, Briggs, and Ogunleye? Who cannot forget how Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis appeared after they lost their first game in their home turf? Who cannot forget how the Chicago Bears worked together? The Miami Dolphins must turn everything around and learn from the Chicago Bears if they want to win the Super Bowl since the Chicago Bears have a big chance of winning.

 

The Chicago Bears will win the Super Bowl since they were able to play a consistent football game with an attitude of working together as a team which surprised the Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning. It is teamwork instead of the quarterback that wins the Super Bowl.