Dark Horse Tavern » MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Dolphins arrived at the

ir bye week a .500 team A.J. Derby Jersey , which is no surprise because for the past quarter century they’ve been a .500 franchise.Their record since 1994: 197-197. Their record this year: 5-5. Coach Adam Gase’s three-year record: 21-21.If there’s a middle of the pack, the Dolphins are in the middle of it. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2000, but they could well be headed for their third 8-8 finish in the past six years.“These are tough times to be a Dolphin fan,” tweeted their former fullback, Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka. “Very frustrating. Shabby football.”Far from perfect, for sure. Given the way the season has gone, it’s amazing the Dolphins can still talk with a straight face about making the playoffs.They’ve been decimated by injuries, including the loss of quarterback Ryan Tannehill for the past five games. They’ve been outgained by 787 yards, third-worst in the league, and outscored by 57 points. They rank 28th in offense and 26th in defense.Yet they began the week with the eighth-best record in the AFC Josh Sitton Jersey , while eight teams had worse records.In sum: more Miami mediocrity.“We are in a good position,” running back Frank Gore said with a straight face. “We just need to stay as one, believe in each other, believe in our coaching staff and try to get the next one.”The next one will be Nov. 25 at Indianapolis, with Tannehill hoping to return from his throwing shoulder injury, although that may be a long shot.Only two of the six remaining games are against teams with winning records. So it’s not impossible for Miami to actually make the playoffs for only the third time in the past 17 seasons.“There are certain teams that have kind of separated themselves from the rest of the pack,” Gase said. “But right now, the only thing that’s really been eliminated for us is an undefeated season. Everything else is on the table. Other teams are having a lot of the same issues we are, and it’s really who can pull it together these last six games and find a way to get in.”A bye week may not be enough time to resolve the Dolphins’ many issues, however. That could take an offseason or three.For starters Daniel Kilgore Jersey , the Dolphins are on pace to allow the most yards in franchise history. Their run defense ranks last in the league and seems to be getting worse, with 174 yards allowed per game and 5.9 per carry over the past five weeks. Defensive dysfunction is such that two-time Pro Bowl safety Reshad Jones took himself out of a game because he was unhappy with a plan to rotate personnel.And then there’s the offense, which has gone nine quarters without a touchdown. In the past three games receiver Danny Amendola has thrown for more scores (one) than quarterback Brock Osweiler (none).“This football team deserves touchdowns,” Osweiler said.Osweiler has been critical of his play as Tannehill’s replacement, and he’s not alone. But bad luck has been an offensive culprit, too. The Dolphins lost their most dynamic player, receiver Albert Wilson, and two starting offensive linemen to season-ending injuries, and three other injured linemen sat out last week’s loss at Green Bay.Bad health is less of an excuse on defense, where Gase’s decision to jettison tackles Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips left holes that haven’t been filled. Yawning run gaps and blown coverage are staples Albert Wilson Jersey , calling into question the future of second-year coordinator Matt Burke.That’s a topic for the offseason, along with the future of Tannehill. First the Dolphins will try to summon a late-season surge, which would be something new.Over the past decade, their record in December is 22-22. The Dolphins are adamant that they aren’t tanking the 2019 season, but expectations for the team are low given the talent on hand and the way owner Stephen Ross presented a plan to rebuild the organization when he replaced head coach Adam Gase and executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum at the end of the 2018 season.Ross revisited those comments at the league meetings in Arizona this week and said he is committed to a process that could bear very little fruit in the near future. He said that he’d “love it to be two years,” but added that he’s realistic that the task facing head coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier may require going through pain before pleasure.“If I have to get [pain], yeah,” Ross said, via the . “I want to win all the time but sometimes you’ve got take a little pain, recognizing the facts — we’re a young team Robert Quinn Jersey , we’re drafting, we’re not signing all these guys. It’s all going to be the talent. That’s what it is at the end of the day, finding guys who are motivated, who want to play ball. It’s not all about money, it’s about winning. And that’s what you’re looking for.”It can be easier to say in the abstract that you’ll grit your teeth through ugly times to get to brighter days in the future than it is to actually live through it, so we’ll see if the Dolphins stay on this path if they are as bad as the general expectations. For now, though, everyone in Miami is on the same page about the right way to move forward.