I’ve been sitting on this big-time blog idea for a few weeks now and since I really don’t feel like writing anymore about who the Dolphins are going to draft with their first pick at the moment, I figured now is the right time for it. Perhaps, it’s my brain playing Dr. Strange level tricks on me, but I’ve been thinking about Gus Frerotte and his Miami run back in 2005 and I’ve come to the conclusion that he wasn’t God awful. In fact, he played pretty alright for a guy picked up off the street who was also a straight-up backup quarterback for the previous eight seasons.
Frerotte’s Supporting Cast
The 2005 Dolphins are mostly remembered as the first season for devil bastard man Nick Saban as head coach. Nick got tired of operating at LSU Tigers so he took a Cable like approach believing that there wasn’t a football league where he couldn’t win. So, naturally, Wayne Huizenga hired him. After Dave Wannstedt’s, mediocre, run ended and Jim Bates proved to not be the answer (though beating the Patriots was really cool) it was time for the Dolphins to bring in someone that could lay down some roots. Little did they know that they hired a chinch bug in human form.
Besides the fact that the Dolphins were coming off a 4-14 record, had a rookie head coach, a rookie running back in Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams coming off a weed fueled retirement in the backfield plus a journeymen quarterback as the lead signal-caller, Miami went 9-7. At one point in the season, the Dolphins were 3-7 and then they went on a six-game win streak. They were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in Week 15, but they finished the year outright.
Simply Frerotte
Gus Frerotte led the Dolphins throughout the year and he did a pretty good job. He got knocked out, literally, of a few games and Sage Rosenfels came in and did adequately. But Gus held his own when not a person on the planet thought he could. I was 21 at the time, right when I was forming a more clear perspective about the game and sports in general and even I could see that this Dolphin’s team with Gus Frerotte wasn’t too bad. They were competitive in most games and had a couple of bad breaks go against them where Ronnie Brown fumbled in the red zone late in games.
I’m not here to say that Gus Frerotte and his ability was this force that no one could keep down or that he had that “it” factor that you could see but couldn’t describe. I’m saying that Gus Frettoe played well enough to lead a team into the playoffs. Miami didn’t make the playoffs but a lot of that was because the AFC was loaded that year. The Steelers were the sixth seed and they were 11-5 and the Jaguars were 12-4 as the fifth seed. Records like that, for Wild Card teams, rarely happen. Usually, all that is required is 9-7 or 10-6 at best to get a Wild Card spot. There’s an added seventh seed starting this year. Get ready to see more 7-9 teams get into the playoffs.
Frerotte put up the stat-line of 15 games started with an 18/13 TD/INT ratio. He threw just under 3,000 yards. Are those out of this world numbers? Not at all. But to put in some perspective, Jay Cutler was given $10 million for one season to keep Miami in contention for a playoff spot and he threw for under 3,000 yards with a 19/14 TD/INT ratio. That 2017 Dolphin’s team went 6-10.
Of course, Gase is looked at like a doofus for bringing in Cutler on the fly and paying that kind of money. But Jay Cutler wasn’t a journeymen player. Whether right or wrong he was always thought of as a big-time thrower of the ball and looked mostly rough out there. And Cutler was throwing during a time when it had never been easier to have success as a quarterback. Like we always say, if Marino would murder the league if he played today (he would), you have to believe that Frerotte couldn’t have played worse than he did. If you abide by that, then you must think that he would have had better numbers if he played today.
Aftermath
Frerotte and others were gone after 2005 and eventually, he retired in 2008. Saban chose Culpepper over Brees and then super-kicked us into the barbershop window. You could say Miami has never truly recovered from not taking Brees. As for Frerotte, he went 8-3 in 2008 with the Vikings in a fill-in role. But let’s face it, the only thing Gus Frerotte will ever be remembered for in his career was when he gave himself a concussion celebrating.
If you find time today or anytime in the future to check out these NFL Primetime recaps of the 2005 Dolphins, I highly suggest it. You get all the Berman and Tom Jackson nostalgia feels that you remember. You also get Frerotte’s stat line in each game. You’ll notice he had some big games but always managed to throw at least one pick. There are also some real solid past players that will bring a smile to your face. Guys like Lance Schulters, a rookie Channing Crowder, and Yeremiah Bell put a smile on my face.
This was therapeutic for me. It was much more fun doing a deep dive on Gus Frerotte’s Miami run as compared to writing what the Dolphins are going to do with their picks. I’ll take this. I’m sure we’ll be back to that talk sooner than later. Maybe I’ll another deep dive on another obscure Dolphin’s player. I’m thinking maybe Tyler Thigpen. I think he had a little something. Either way, enjoy your Friday.
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