(Photo Source: miamiherald.com)

Which team will rise to the top?

The Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins have played twice in the Super Bowl, seeking to be NFL champions.

No, kids, I’m not kidding.

Yes, it was a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

Now they’re competing to see which – and they are not alone, there are two other winless teams – might own the first selection in the NFL draft, which would theoretically yield Alabama quarterback Tua Tagavailoa. That award goes to the worst team in the league.

Their race to the bottom hits an early sprint phase Sunday when the Redskins (0-5) play the Dolphins (0-4) in Miami Gardens.

This will be Bill Callahan’s debut as Washington’s interim head coach; the Redskins fired Jay Gruden on Monday morning.

The Dolphins’ plan for this season was to compete at as low a level as possible. They traded anyone who could yield any sort of return for draft picks and hope to rebuild and surpass the mediocrity in which they’ve mucked around forever. The Redskins? They’ve stumbled into this “the future is tomorrow” stage by also being somewhat less than average for way too long.

The Dolphins last won a playoff game after the 2000 season and have lost three in a row. They’ve made the playoffs twice since 2008.

The Redskins? I haven’t won a playoff game since the 2005 season. They’re 0-2 since. They posted winning records three times since 2008. (NOTE – This typist was employed by the Redskins from 2009-11).

It’s one thing to have a bad year or two. It’s another to become irrelevant to every NFL conversation except one about the draft after a bad decade or two.

Washington is abuzz with the success of the Nationals and the Capitals. South Florida has hopes for an improved Heat team and the NHL Panthers. The NFL? Well, there are other teams to watch and root for, and that’s about the worst thing that can happen to the home franchise.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman