Local News

MIAMI (CBS4) ― Hammered on the field, hamstrung by injuries and hurt by personnel decisions made by a former coaches – 2007 will be a year that the Miami Dolphins would love to forget.

Going 0-13, the Dolphins eked out a an overtime victory against Baltimore to ensure they would not become the first NFL team to finish 0-16.

"At times like this, the serenity of prayer comes in pretty handy," said defensive end Jason Taylor, a perennial Pro Bowl player surrounded by ineptitude.

The transformation of the Dolphins into the NFL's worst team resulted from years of poor player personnel decisions with the brunt of the blame falling on former head coach Nick Saban, who left for Alabama after only two seasons in Miami.

Cam Cameron replaced Saban and was on the job 11 months before
he earned his first victory as an NFL head coach.

"We're not in the position we want to be in," Cameron said more than once. "But if you're made of the right stuff, it'll bring out the best in you."

It's unclear whether Cameron will be given a second season in
Miami.

In December, Bill Parcells, a two-time Super Bowl champion coach, joined the organization as executive vice president of football operations and was expected to make sweeping changes.

Perhaps the biggest change needed is in the Dolphins' luck. They
were plagued by injuries, bad bounces and decisions that always
seemed to backfire.

Running back Ronnie Brown led the league in yards from scrimmage
when he was sidelined for the season by a knee injury. Trent Green,
acquired as a caretaker at quarterback, and linebacker Zach Thomas
played only five games apiece. When 2002 NFL rushing champion Ricky Williams returned from a 11/2-year league suspension, he lasted six carries before a chest injury ended his season.

Top receiver Chris Chambers was traded. Linebacker Joey Porter,
Miami's most expensive offseason free-agent acquisition, failed to
register a sack until the seventh game. Rookie John Beck, touted as
part of the foundation for the future, became the 12th quarterback
to start for Miami since Marino's retirement and was back on the
bench four losses later.

By Octobers, players were using such adjectives as "horrible," "embarrassing" and "humbling" to describe one defeat. By
November, even the 1972 perfect-season Dolphins were distancing
themselves from their old club.

"That's not my team," '72 running back Mercury Morris said. "People say, 'Your team is doing bad.' I say, 'My team all has AARP cards."'

The '72 players were in attendance for their 35th reunion when
the Dolphins finally won. Greg Camarillo turned a short pass from
Cleo Lemon into a 64-yard touchdown in overtime to beat the Ravens
22-16.

"It seemed like everyone wanted us to go 0-16," Lemon said. "That's history you do not want."

Six defeats were by three points, a franchise record for the
most losses in one season by such a small margin. That's not to say
the Dolphins always came close -- they trailed 42-7 at halftime
against New England.

Frustrated owner Wayne Huizenga considered selling after 13 years as majority owner, then decided instead to hire Parcells.

Players and coaches gamely attempted to focus on any bright
spots. One was that more than half a dozen rookies saw significant
playing time, and four started, all on offense.

"A lot of us had an opportunity to play, which is not always the case in the NFL," Beck said. "We got to get in and get a little experience. Now, those experiences weren't always good ones. But we learned a lot."

That may be the best the Dolphins could say about 2007: It was an education.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)