The Monday Night Football game this week is the Miami Dolphins at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This game is important for the Dolphins to stay relevant in the race for the AFC East standings. They are currently 4-4 and with a win they will be tied for second in the division with the Jets. Any win at this point for the 0-8 Buccaneers would be good moral victory since they’re now the only team left without a win this season. The Bucs seem to be a good team that are losing all their close games. Both teams have been in the news for different reasons in recent weeks. The Buccaneers have mainly been in the news for their poor on-field performance and the possible on firing of the head coach. The Dolphins have been in the news the past couple weeks because of the bullying scandal between two of the offensive linemen on the team.
The news on the Buccaneers is nothing out of the ordinary because most coaches with an 0-8 record are being considered to be released. Not only is there talk about being fired, there are players saying they don’t want to play for him at all. It’s hard to stay popular in such a losing program that has the talent to do well.
The Miami Dolphins problem is much more serious because it not only effects the Dolphins, it effects the entire NFL. Richie Incognito is being accused of bullying and harassing a fellow teammate, Johnathan Martin. There has been proof that harassment has been non-stop and bothered Martin enough to miss two practices and eventually leave the team. NFL players have come out to support Martin and promote anti-bullying to create a better atmosphere for all players. Incognito has also been released and the Dolphins cut all ties with him.