Healthier Miami Dolphins Still Longshots in 2010 Betting Odds

NFL News - February 27th, 2010 - Written by John

The Miami Dolphins had an inside lane to the final AFC Wild Card spot as late as Week 14, but a string of three-straight losses eliminated any chance of reaching the playoffs in back-to-back season. Still, a 7-9 record with a taped up offense should give Tony Sparano enough to work with as Ronnie Brown returns in 2010, and the nuisance that was Jerry Porter is gone.

The Dolphins are a 35/1 favorite in the NFL Odds to reach the 2011 Super Bowl, which would be their first appearance since 1984. It puts them in the same neighborhood as the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears.

Miami started and finished the year with three-game losing streaks, but was miles better in between. From Week Four to Week 14, the Dolphins went 7-3, getting four 100-yard performances from Ricky Williams and one from Brown.

With Brown out for the year with an ankle injury, Williams took over full-time duty in Week 10, and finished with 1,127 yards and a 4.7 yard average.

Miami was the fourth-ranked running team in the NFL in '09, and will return all of it's backfield and offensive line.

The Dolphins were held together with bandages, starting a back-up quarterback alongside a wide receiving group filled with unknowns in 2009. Chad Henne was thrown into the starting line-up when Chad Pennington separated his shoulder in Week Three. Henne was serviceable in his first season, throwing for 2,878 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Devone Bess led all receivers with 76 catches and 758 yards, but five wideouts had a 10-yard average per catch.

And for what Ted Ginn, Jr. lacked on offense, he made up on special teams. The three-year veteran had the fifth-most kick return yards in the league in '09, and housed two kicks against the New York Jets in Week Eight.