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DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt flipped
through the play-by-play on his way home early Tuesday morning,
reliving every down and trying to figure out what went wrong. He found plenty. Missed tackles, costly penalties and dropped
passes were mostly to blame for Monday night's 34-27 loss to the
Philadelphia Eagles. The loss was Miami's second in a row, leaving the Dolphins on
the verge of missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season
and saddling them with constant questions about Wannstedt's
uncertain future. "I'm not really concerned about it," Wannstedt said Tuesday.
"I'm just concerned about this game. And that's what the players
are concerned about, and the coaches and everybody in this
building. There's not enough time to get caught up in all that
stuff." The Dolphins (8-6) could miss the playoffs even if they win
their final two games against Buffalo and the New York Jets. They
need Denver (9-5) to lose at Indianapolis and at Green Bay to have
a chance at making the postseason. If not, Wannstedt's job could be in jeopardy. "Take me out of the equation," Wannstedt said. "We're worried
about winning these next two games to get into the playoffs. That's
the only equation. And that's the only thought process for me, the
coaches and the players." Wannstedt led the Dolphins to consecutive 11-5 seasons after
replacing Jimmy Johnson in 2000. But he has done little to change
the team's traditional December collapses. With the loss to the
Eagles, Wannstedt fell to 7-9 with Miami in December. Even worse, the Dolphins have lost seven in a row on the road in
December and January under Wannstedt. Miami plays at Buffalo (6-8)
on Sunday. Wannstedt insisted Tuesday that speculation about his future
will not be a distraction in the final two weeks. "It really doesn't do anything to me personally because if you
do react to that stuff, then it would affect the job that you're
responsible for every day," he said. "You've been hearing it for
about six months now, so there's nothing that can be said or
written that hasn't been. "We're still alive in this thing. Heck, we're disappointed from
yesterday, but we're excited about the next couple of weeks. That's
the attitude we've got to have." Wannstedt is under contract through 2004, thanks to one-year
extensions following the 2000 and 2001 seasons. But owner Wayne
Huizenga offered no extension after last season's December
meltdown, when Miami lost its last two games. With Pro Bowl players, including NFL sack leader Jason Taylor
and rushing champion Ricky Williams, the Dolphins failed to make
the playoffs last season for the first time since 1996. That put
the onus on the coach for this year and Wannstedt has done little
to redirect it. The defense didn't show up in losses to Philadelphia and
Tennessee. The offense struggled against Houston, Indianapolis and
New England. And two missed field goals cost Miami a victory in the
first meeting with the Patriots. "It's just something different every week," guard Jamie Nails
said. "We always beat ourselves in one phase or another. We can't
win like that. We let so many games slip away, and that's why we're
in the situation we're in right now. We're on the outside looking
in and hoping for some help." Wannstedt said he talked with Huizenga after the game, but the
coach refused to give details of the conversation. Then he added that speculation about his job security is nothing
new. "Those questions were being talked about in July," he said.
"Nothing's different now. The players know where I'm at and the
coaches. All we're worried about is trying to get a win. The
players know where I stand and what my focus is on and all I really
care about. And that's what I expect from them."
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