Joe Philbin won the news conference on Saturday. He was energetic, he was enthusiastic, he was prepared, pleasant and even-keeled. Philbin did as well or better as any of the predecessors who have stood in front of the media and Dolphins nation since 1996 and offered hope, optimism and change.

Unfortunately, that’s not a guarantee of success.

The winning quotes and laudable demeanor don’t really mean much on game days. If they did, Jimmy Johnson would have won that Super Bowl he promised in three years or Nick Saban would have been as committed to the organization as he said on his first day.

Philbin’s success instead will be determined, like every Dolphins coach, by how much talent he has at his disposal and specifically how large his quarterback’s exploits become the next half-decade or so.

Philbin made the point early in his comments that he doesn’t think “football is an overly complicated game. It’s a people game,” he said.

Philbin better get the right people. He better get the right quarterback.

Don Shula remains the greatest coach in club history and the people playing quarterback most of his tenure were Bob Griese and Dan Marino — two Hall of Fame players.

Infamous list

Every other Dolphins coach quit or was fired and the common denominator in all their vastly different experiences is all suffered from the failed quarterback acquisitions they presided over.

Culpepper.

Green.

Henne.

On and on, the names of not-good-enough quarterbacks sunk Miami coaches who were otherwise good enough to win.

So the only way Philbin joins ranks with Shula and avoids the fate that befell all the others is if he finds a quarterback who tilts the field and the game in his favor. Philbin knows this.

He spent time Saturday talking about the importance of employing the right system and fielding an aggressive, up-tempo offense. Later, he made the point that winning in the NFL is not all about the quarterback.

But when I pressed him, Philbin made it clear he understands the quarterback is the main thing in today’s NFL.

“He handles the ball every play,” Philbin said. “His leadership and decision-making go a long way toward the success of the team, even before you talk about accuracy and arm strength.

“The leadership and decision-making at that position are critical in football. There’s no way to sugarcoat that. That player has got to be a great leader. That player has got to be a great decision-maker. We’ve got to give him some tools and resources to do his job. But those two primary job responsibilities are huge.”

(Excuse me while I break into a chorus of Hallelujah.)

Saban, Cam Cameron and Tony Sparano all knew the need of adding a big-time quarterback. But none ever got the problem right. I believe Philbin has a good chance to get it right.

His ties to Green Bay backup Matt Flynn, soon to be a free agent, are undeniable. And if you’re shaking your head and thinking that no franchise should pin their hopes on a backup quarterback about to hit free agency, it bears repeating what Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy told the Miami media.

The QB question

McCarthy called in to discuss and praise Philbin, but the topic soon detoured to Flynn and how ready the backup is to become an NFL starter.

“Matt is ready for that challenge …” McCarthy said. “You never know until you go through a 16-game season. There’s a lot of evidence Matt can do that. I’ve been very impressed.”

Flynn is officially on the Dolphins’ radar. It is not mere rumor. It is not just radio talk-show fodder. The Dolphins might not land Flynn, but he’s on the team’s radar.

And I know the Dolphins have another prominent quarterback they are tracking as an outside possibility to fix the team’s decade-long desert experience:

Peyton Manning.

If Manning is available (big if) and if he’s deemed healthy (bigger if), the Dolphins will definitely be part of the group of teams chasing him like a pack of dogs chasing a T-bone steak.

That doesn’t mean Miami will land Manning. Too much is still unsettled on that front. But do not discount the possibility because it was a prominent topic of conversation at camp Saturday by high, high, high-ranking team officials.

That’s how it is in the NFL. Teams win or lose and they quickly move on from that result toward the next challenge. That’s how it was for the Dolphins this day when they introduced Philbin as their new coach.

Philbin won the news conference, impressed us all with his approach, and we’re now on to the next challenge — finding a franchise quarterback.