from Piggy
Q – So our leading rusher through 3 games is our QB. That’s not good. But do you think the RB rotation is also affecting those numbers? Seems to me that no one is going to get 15+ carries this year.
Oinks
Pigsgerald
There’s no question that the RB rotation has a huge effect on those stats, but so did Gase’s decision to leave a healthy Jay Ajayi home the first week of the season. I think he’s giving all these guys a shot, and why not do it early on? It’s so hard to really gauge what they can do in practice and in the pre season, especially with fewer practices, and the fact that so many of our RB’s weren’t healthy before the season, and we didn’t have Foster, who of course went down himself after game 1.
I don’t have any problem at all how he’s handling the RB’s so far, and I think once he finds the 2 or 3 guys he’s comfortable with, we’ll be seeing lots more of those guys and not much of the others. I do think once he arrives at that decision, which may still be 2-3 games out, whoever those 2 main guys are will see at least 15 carries, or at least one of them will.
My guess is if Foster can’t stay or get healthy, Drake and Ajayi will be the 2 main guys and Pead will be the next guy up. Of course, those 3 guys have to stay healthy in their own right.
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from OD
Q -Now that you’ve seen 3 games, what’s your updated prediction for Miami’s won-lost record this season? Thank you, again, for all you do for this site.–OD
Call me crazy, and I know you will OD, I’m sticking with my 10-6. We will get things straight, we will improve, and we will play better as a result. Gase, as opposed to the udder guys will not settle for less, and will find the players that will get it done. Most likely, it will be most of the players that are starting right now, but putting them on notice is an intelligent way to let them know they’re accountable for their play, and poor play will not be tolerated.
While watching them struggle against the Browns was as enjoyable as peeling off my eyelids, pouring kosher salt in my eyes, and then staring at the sun for 3 hours straight, I still believe we can be winners. I think Tannehill is going to have a big year, and not just be a stat padder. I think he’s going to help us win games this season, and I think 9 more wins are coming.
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from drg
Q -Mike,
Sorry it’s not email, but here’s my question:
Give us a good 3 year plan to build a perennial playoff team from what Miami has right now.
One thing for sure is we have to stick with a Head Coach, and give him a chance. I can’t be 100% positive, but I think Adam Gase is the right guy. We need to give him an opportunity to continue with his vision, and allow things to come together. That’s easier said than done, but we can’t continue to purge both the coaching staff and the roster every 2-3 years, it’s like treading water, you spend lots of energy, but you don’t get anywhere.
The next thing we need to do is improve the roster on the defensive side of the ball. We need more talent at CB, find a partner for Xavien Howard to make a solid young CB tandem. We need talent at LB, sure tacklers, smart players that put themselves in the right position to make plays, and ones that can actually make the tackle when they’re there. I think we can upgrade all 3 spots at LB, but that’s hard to do in one draft, but we might be able to find 1 or 2 in the draft.
The next thing I think we should do is think long term, maybe 3 years down the line. Stop trying to find the one player that will put us over the top, because that doesn’t happen in football. We’re far away from just needing one way, I’d rather have 4 talented players than 1 great player. Let’s draft that player, but stop overspending for that player in FA. That’s where I think we’ve gone wrong year after year, always making that one big splash, but as you can see, that hasn’t paid dividends here. Oh, and can we finally draft a really good TE!!!! That’s more than 3, but I had to throw it in there.
Gase is in his place
Draft better, especially on defense
No excessive spending in FA, more specifically, on one player
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from Stanger
Q – What are the three best units on this team?
And when I ask that thinking LBs, DEs, DTs, Safeties, Corners, OL (but you can break up), WRs, RBs, TEs, QBs and kickers are units.
stanger
I think right now our safeties, WR’s and DT’s, although the depth is definitely best at WR, with Parker, Landry, Stills, Carroo and Grant. Can’t remember where we’ve had this much talent, and YOUNG talent. Carroo is the youngest at 22, and Stills the oldest at 24. This unit will hopefully grow into something like what the Packers had years ago, when Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver and James Jones. It would be nice if Ryan Tannehill also became Aaron Rodgers too, but we can dream, right? I think our ST’s unit is also great, with the exception of K Andrew Franks. He’s not bad necessarily, but I think Darr looks much better than average, and I think Landry and Grant can be the best in the business.
Love the duo of Jones and Abdul-Quddus, Isa has impressed me, and Jones has been for years now. We have to keep these guys together for a while too, so we can get some consistency back there. Draft another stud CB, and we can have a shot at becoming one of the better secondaries in the NFL.
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from David
Q – my Question to You is,
How can We stop the run? and When?
We get gashed by RB, over and over and over, even when we KNOW the other team is going to run. I feel like We cant turn the corner until we can stop the run.
Thanks, David
Unfortunately, the answer isn’t good. I would say 2017, when we start drafting some LB’s, and maybe pick another one up in FA. I think we have the pieces on the D-line to be stout against the run, but DT’s and DE’s don’t usually make the tackles, it’s the other 3 guys of the front 7 that have clean it up, and between Alonso, Misi and Jenkins, they just aren’t getting it done, and are definitely not making the tackles in their gap assignments, rather 5-10 yards down field. That’s just not doing your job correctly, and sometimes when they’re in the right gap, they just aren’t wrapping up. I don’t expect a lot of improvement this year, but it’s possible. Jenkins can’t seem to stay healthy, and Misi either, but maybe 2 other guys step up and start getting it done. Not likely though.
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And now for the babe of the week . . .
Finsmob Unleashed 
I agree with Lou too. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/dave-hyde-blog/sfl-hyde10-ten-thoughts-on-the-dolphins-loss-to-bengals-20160930-story.html
Dave Hyde shows every third down we had in the game. There were 11 of them and 6 of them were 3rd and 5 or less. You have to convert the easy 3rd downs. Some of this was really bad OL play but the guy has no escape ability. They mentioned on the radio that he lettered in like 5-6 sports in HS. Michael Bennett said he was probably the most athletic guy on their team in Texas. Yet this guy doesn’t escape pressure and just stands there many times.
Mike E,
We ran 13 times but when you aren’t converting the easy 3rd downs…you eventually get really behind where you can’t run anymore. We had 5 passes for more than 9 yards. We had 3 runs for more than 9 yards. Shouldn’t we expect better passing? Especially with 3 tipped passes and a horrible int? I just don’t see the improvement especially in Year 5.
Not 13, EIGHT. I don’t even know what an easy 3rd down is, we never have them
13 for 62. 4.8 yds. Not bad considering we fell behind.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/matchup?gameId=400874655
I can’t remember where I read it, but they were saying Dolphins receivers are running lousy routes, not running them correctly. I know it’s easy to just blame the QB, everyone seems to be doing it, and he deserves some blame for sure, but it’s not like you plug anyone else in this offense and it’s going to work really well. I just don’t think if we continue to be so unbalanced, and not be able to pass protect, it’s not going to go well for any QB.
Mike E,
I agree it’s not all on Tannehill. At the same time, he’s had three different systems, multiple different WRs and TEs, and the same bad mistakes keep coming up. Tipped passes, bad ints, lousy pocket presence, more maneuverability. He’s too talented for this to keep being an issue but it is.
OK, when I looked at the game stats, they only showed Ajayi and Drake, which added up to 8. Now I see Williams had 2 rushes for 9, and Pead 3 rushes for 5 yards.
The lack of a true main RB hurts too. Nothing is working right but it’s really, really disparaging when the QB keeps having the same issues going into year 5. Kid is too smart and talented for this to keep happening. He just doesn’t have the right training? or whatever to evolve.
Hacksaw Ridge looks like its gonna be really good
We had a 18.2% conversion rate on 3rd downs against the Bengals. We’re dead last in the league on 3rd down conversions at 26.7%. We’ve sucked on 3rd down for the last forever. You can’t run the ball consistently if you don’t convert 3rd downs because you don’t run enough plays. We’ve had this problem for years. We had a number of 3rd downs of 5 or less last game and couldn’t convert enough. I’ve said it in years past, and I’ll say it again, Tanny just doesn’t make enough plays on the money downs, he never has. It’s not all him, this whole team is garbage, but the whole team being garbage includes Tanny in my book.
agreed.
It’s a new system on both sides of the ball. You expect growing pains. The best we can hope for this year is the team will start to improve, and we’ll see things tighten up and get better, then add pieces in the off season, and hope. I don’t know if Tanny is good enough, but can he be? Not sure, lol. It’s exactly why on Boulder’s spreadsheet I said our offense will struggle and we still won’t have a definitive ‘answer’ on Tanny. If he shows just enough, we can attribute everything to new system, new players, and hope he gets better. I just don’t have confidence he is ever going to get better on the pressure downs consistently enough regardless of how the team is playing.
Mets win!
Mets win!
Mets win !
It’s pandemonium in Jersey
LET’S GO METS!!!
I think Tannehill . . . AH fuck Tannehill!!! LET’S GO METS!!! LET’S GO METS!!! LET’S GO METS!!!
Fuck Tannehill is right
Votto seeing the playoffs 👍
Mets nut-up and fight to make the playoffs. Dolphins ????
Im glad the Mets got in. I was worried earlier in the year and they haven’t been going enough the past 25 years for me to take it for granted. I am pulling for the Cubs this year though if the Mets lose. That team needed some loving a long time ago
Michigan kicker 0-3 on Fg’s
sometimes I’m not sure the phins could beat some of these good college teams.
I just went down to the basement to get a bottle of wine, and I look at the stupid new Dolphins fathead, and I think to myself, “why did I buy that?” I hate that I have to think that way. This team better get it’s shit together!
Yep. It’s going to take more than one bottle to feel better.
Lol!
…does anybody remember laughter…
wow, watched the fsu game, if that isnt the worst coached team in football i would hate to see the other team. dumbo fisher has to be one of the worst coaches ever. good thing lsu fan is close to bourbon street, they are gonna need it when they take him
Congrats to the Mets fans! My Badgers had a chance to pull the upset thanks to Michigan apparently using the Browns kicker this week.
I really enjoy wAtchimg these college games……takes my mind off of watching crappy NFL Football, well at least for ONE team.
‘I really enjoy wAtchimg these college games……takes my mind off of watching crappy NFL Football, well at least for ONE team.’
bookman,
if you like fsu you would never say that. thank goodness my daughter is in england and didnt have to suffer thru another dumbo fisher stink fest.
Yeah, I was flipping back and forth to that game. Feel bad for you FDU fans. Wild game to watch though.
FSU
The Ok/TCU game has 80 combined points early in the 4th. I think Tom Olivadotti is the “D” Coordinator for both teams.
Mike E. says:
October 1, 2016 at 6:29 pm
I just went down to the basement to get a bottle of wine, and I look at the stupid new Dolphins fathead, and I think to myself, “why did I buy that?” I hate that I have to think that way. This team better get it’s shit together!
*
I was thinking about getting a new hat or something for the fest game, but the 1-3 start has made me think of saving my money,
Mets clinch, PSU wins in OT. At least my weekend has been salvaged.
bookman11 says:
October 1, 2016 at 8:01 pm
Yeah, I was flipping back and forth to that game. Feel bad for you FDU fans. Wild game to watch though.
no no, FDU works. fucking dumbo univ
LOL
At least they can salvage something if they beat Miami?
When I live in Orlando in the mid to late 80’s, there was nothing like those UM/FSU games. Those were my football watching glory years with Marino in his prime and all.
bookman11 says:
October 1, 2016 at 8:52 pm
LOL
At least they can salvage something if they beat Miami?
the way my football watching goes they probably will. just to ruin the rest of miami’s season
No way, road teams are never going to win in that stadium again
Football is he Devils sports
First the Dolphins
Now FSU
Fuck you world
I changed my avatar to comeback pig for the 4 game home stand
Hopefully it works
bookman11 says:
October 1, 2016 at 9:17 pm
No way, road teams are never going to win in that stadium again
lol, stop hogging all the good stuff, pass some of that shit around you are drinking
piggy,
fsu is proof, bad coaching will always fail no matter how good the players are. i said it before, the only defense that can stop dalvin cook is dumbo fisher.
I guess he’s not gong to LSU
this kid marlon mack from usf is not a bad rb. anybody else ever see him play.
The Flying Pig says:
October 1, 2016 at 9:49 pm
I guess he’s not gong to LSU
not if lsu wants to win championships
Didn’t he win one in 2013?
2014
Yes
I have more respect for him than FFrob
But he is really struggling this year
So maybe he’s not so good
Wooohoooo!!! The Herd is coming back on Pitt!!!
bookman11 says:
October 1, 2016 at 10:01 pm
Didn’t he win one in 2013?
cause they got lucky on a fluke loss by bama and didnt have to play them.
i admit i just dont like the guy, i think he did bobby bowden wrong in his last season. i also do think he is a bad game caller. he thinks he is some qb guru and doesnt use his biggest talent right. but i do get it, he knows way more about football then i do but what is the fun of that, i would rather just keep having fun calling him dumbo fisher.
Fair enough, appears to be sound logic LOL
Actually maybe it’s 2013
How did he wrong Bowden FfRob?
bookman11 says:
October 1, 2016 at 10:26 pm
Fair enough, appears to be sound logic LOL
lmfao, now that is a first. me and logic. trust me if i had any i wouldnt be a dolphin fan.
Mike,
It doesn’t matter what we did on offense. The fact of the matter remains that Tannehill is a mediocre qb who defenses do not fear and as long as he’s the qb the offense will never be any good and put points up on the board on a consistent basis the way we need it to in order to win.
He’s 95% of the reason the offense sputters. He can’t get it done. Never has and never will.
Will replacing him fix the issues on both sides of the ball? No. but replacing him will fix the majority of the problems on the offensive side of the ball. Having a qb who can just put the ball on the receiver like he needs to will make all the difference in the world.
He shows little in the way of promise. If a guy works as hard and studies as hard as everyone says he does and he’s still playing as poorly as he is the light is never going to come on. He’s a 5th yr qb already. Time to move on and stop wasting time with this panty waste.
The Flying Pig says:
October 1, 2016 at 10:28 pm
How did he wrong Bowden FfRob?
piggy,
just my opinion here. no facts involved. but fsu had a good recruiting class and bowden wanted one more year. i think he kind of forced the schools hand and sent him into retirement a year before he wanted. what bowden did for the school he deserved it. i admit only opinion i am probably way way way off but like i said just like calling him dumbo fisher.
i do think he misuses the best rb in college but like i said before what the hell do i know, i am sitting on my sofa watching the game he is living and breathing fsu football.
can say this, sure wouldnt mind seeing cook in a dolphin uniform next year.
Gotcha
I dthink not hate Fisher
But I definitely think he inherited a good program
this kid jackson is a good college qb, but as a pro havent we all seen this before. RGIII
Lou
I feel like I’m on a treadmill in hell with this convo, but as long as I’m on it, i guess I’ll continue. Let me start with this, I don’t love Tannehill, I don’t think he’s a great QB, I’m not even sure if he can ever be a better than average QB, which is pretty much what he was his first 3 seasons (AVG), then a little step backwards last year to below average, albeit on a team that itself was below average or worse in many categories, and not just on offense.
My hope is that someone, some coach, some OC will realize that this is the case, and try to make him a better QB, but start by helping him do the things he can do well, and realize that if we have to throw the ball 35 times, that’s not helping Tannehill. Realistically, we don’t have his replacement on the roster. I know you think Doughty, Moore, heck, anyone on the roster would be better than Tannehill, but I don’t think so. We paid him for what they thought he “could be”, and I hope he can be better than average, but the game plan needs to help him get there. If we have a balanced offense, where we run effectively, and it’s not a more than 2:1 ratio of pass to run, I think he can do well. Let’s get a few games like that, and then if he’s playing well, and you need that game where he has to win it by throwing 35 times, have at it. If he can’t handle that, or he shows no improvement anywhere this season, it’s time to move on. I’m all for it, if it’s a necessity. I have nothing tied to Tannehill other than he IS our QB, we paid him, and I hope he succeeds.
On the morning of Oct. 25 last year, the Kansas City Chiefs awoke to a 1-5 record. Their roster seemed to lack talent. Their coaching staff seemed to lack answers. Their fans lacked hope.
And despite venom in the media and a bleak outlook for the remainder of the season, the Chiefs rallied. They didn’t lose again in authoring an 11-5 regular-season record.
It can happen.
Tony Dungy started his NFL coaching career with five consecutive losses. Joe Gibbs started his NFL coaching career with five consecutive losses. Jimmy Johnson started his NFL coaching career with a 1-15 record.
Dungy and Gibbs are in the Hall of Fame. Johnson won two Super Bowls and was the architect of a team so dominant it won another Super Bowl even after he departed.
It can happen.
I say this not to suggest the Dolphins — your Miami Dolphins — are about to turn things around in such epic proportions. I’m not predicting that. I’m not raising expectations to those levels.
But this team can get better.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article105434016.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article105434016.html#storylink=cpy
I think it’s time to start considering we can do better at QB. Don’t care if you are pro Tanny or anti, the guy isn’t the worst QB we have had, but that not the point. Point is we need better to help us over the hump.
People say will look at what’s around him, and you sorta have a point but how hard is it to replace everyone else to make him just average. He isn’t going to be elite even if he has elite all the way around him. There are reasons trans try to get their guy at QB and THEN build around him, because it’s next to impossible to do it the other way around. I know it sucks to think that after so many years of trying to find a guy and then getting a guy with promise to realize fuck we go to do this all over, but if you just keep riding with that guy because you are scared to try for better, you are just locking yourself into this lever of interior play. This isn’t good enough for my team, we need better.
Jarvis Landry, Parker and really our true starters on OK would be adequate for most true staying caliber QBs. We need to keep trying to get one. We are just plain stupid for not having tried harder over the past few years.
I’m done with Tanny this was a make or break year for me with him. Ride the first 3 years really fighting against his critics because I saw improvement. Last year I was like man I was wrong and I really started looking at what we had and found I really didn’t like what I saw. I have him benefit of the doubt when it came out that philbin and he were at odds, but maybe philbin was right afterall. They structured his contract for a what if philbin is right, and I think this year is showing it might be perfect timing to exercise it.
D
I think Tannehill easily has the most talented Offensive weapons he’s ever had to work with this season. Just keep in mind who his HC was , where that HC is now, and who his receivers were in year 1. HC Joe Philbin, WR’s Brian Hartline , Davone Bess, (R) Rishard Matthews, Marlon Moore and Jabar Gafney, and TE Anthony Fasano, and H-back (R) Charles Clay. The next year brought Mike Wallace, and the development of Charles Clay, but the O-line, if you could call it that, Jonathan Martin at LT, Incognito LG, Pouncey C, Jerry RG and Tyson Clabo RT. Clabo was a freaking turnstile, and Martin wasn’t much better until we got Bryant McKinnie from the Ravens.
I think Gase is doing a lot more roster evaluation than he is trying to win games right now. Sounds crazy, but if you look at what he’s doing, it’s hard to argue against that. I’m not going to convince you that Tannehill still deserves a chance, but if we have to invest in drafting what you would say is a potential top 10 QB, we’re going have to that at the expense of defense again. I’d like to see Gase really game plan and use his best players out there, stick with a RB for 1 game, and see what we can do.