For Dolphins, A Turnaround Like No Other

DAVIE, Fla. -- It looked to everyone as if Jason Taylor had escaped one of the league's worst teams and moved to a legitimate playoff contender when the Miami Dolphins traded him to the Washington Redskins last July. His gridiron buddies in Miami reacted skeptically to the deal, wondering whether their fallen franchise had blundered again even before the season's start.

"What exactly are we doing?" Dolphins defensive end Vonnie Holliday said, according to a Fort Lauderdale newspaper. "Hopefully, they've got a plan to pull some rabbit out of a hat."

By now, Holliday realizes there was, indeed, a plan. It hasn't produced any rabbits, but it has brought an assortment of magical moments, fairy-tale flourishes and a level of success that Holliday says he still can't quite believe. A year after finishing 1-15, the Dolphins managed to construct the biggest turnaround in NFL history, marching to an 11-5 regular season record and the organization's first division title in eight years.

By winning nine of their last 10 regular season games, many with heart-pounding heroics in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins achieved what had seemed unthinkable when Taylor was dealt during the summer: a first-round home playoff game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

"Sometimes it does feel like it's a dream," Holliday said with a grin. "It was almost surreal the other night, sitting on my balcony, watching TV, knowing we are going to the playoffs."

Sweeping change began under Bill Parcells, who, two weeks after his hiring in December 2007, threw out nearly all of the old regime, except for a few folks in the media relations department. Parcells summoned Dallas Cowboys cohorts Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano for the general manager and head coaching posts, respectively. He also brought in 14 other new coaches and about 40 new players, 29 of whom landed on the regular season roster.

Despite a 2-4 start, Miami steadily evolved from an interesting engineering project to a strategic and architectural wonder. A disciplined team with few star players, the Dolphins (along with this season's New York Giants) set an NFL record for fewest turnovers (13). Yet Miami's offense has featured such ingenious play-calling and creative schemes -- namely, the Wildcat, a formation involving direct snaps to a running back that the Dolphins introduced in their third game -- that it has been flagrantly copied league-wide.

On defense, Parcells ditched two legendary and beloved ball-chasers, Taylor and linebacker Zach Thomas (who was waived), and replaced them with a mix of hungry rookies and rejuvenated veterans, building a squad that began the season with a reputation for giving up big plays and ended it with a penchant for making them. Against the Dolphins last week at Giants Stadium, New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre was intercepted three times in the game that sealed Miami's improbable bid for the playoffs.

"Nobody," said former Dolphins tight end Joe Rose, now a color commentator for the team's radio broadcasts, "saw this coming."

Last season, Miami was led by Cam Cameron, now the Ravens' offensive coordinator, a genteel and dignified type who didn't believe in tongue-lashings -- a growing problem because so many players seemed to need one. Teammates clashed on team flights and challenged Cameron's authority in team meetings. On top of that, injuries sidelined not one, but two starting running backs, and starting quarterback Trent Green.

"After Game 9," said Miami center Samson Satele, recalling the team's 0-9 record, "the season was done."

Said Holliday, "It was kind of like guys crawled into a hole and went into a tank."