Recent Comments
The Flying Pig on Happy Holidays!! Mike E. on Happy Holidays!! Mike E. on Happy Holidays!! Krishna on Happy Holidays!! Mike E. on 2025 Season – Game 15…
Game Day – Dolphins @ Ravens – Week 13
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
Finsmob Unleashed 
….maybe
just maybe
if we would have drafted a LB or 2 the last couple of years
what really sucks the most is this team is so void of talent one can not truly judge gase. this is a wasted year in finding out if he can take this team all the way.
they pretty much need 11 new started on def, another 3 starting o line men, a TE and a deep threat wr in the offseason. basically 16 new starters so even next year this team is going no where. gase will be 2 seasons into his contract and still struggling with talent.
piggy
when they basically have 4 players out of the last 5 drafts that are producing at a nfl level i am not sure if even the draft is the answer.
Rob
I think a half a dozen players may make the difference
its not a mountain of players
There are plenty of players to work with on the roster
I just prefer they spend the draft picks on defense up front
pig,
i agree with every pick being defense, if i am not mistaking i think we both thought that last year too.
but not so sure i agree they have are plenty of players to work with. there is a complete lack of talent on def and still need help on the o line and at wr. parker is clearly not the answer at wr
I don’t know what your problem with Parker is
but IMO Parker, Stills and Landry is a strong combo
Still is a FA so there is a wrinkle to work out
I wouldn’t touch WR though in the draft
or RB, or QB
maybe TE and probably OL more bc of the health issues
but mostly its defense
and you have Suh, Phillips, Mitchell at DT so you are set there
DE is a problem
Alonso is good but should play Outside IMO
Maxwell, Lippett and Howard aren’t elite but Maxwell is playing well and I don’t think we are getting beat over the top
Abdull is serviceable at safety but I wouldn’t hesitate to upgrade
So you draft a DE and a LB early
and if you hit on them they make some of the less overwhelming players better
but we are 200% better ont he roster than I thought we were in Sept
The Flying Pig says:
December 5, 2016 at 2:08 pm
Its kinda a common name
There is an actor named Bryan Cox too (Xmen and Supertroopers)
and probably 10,000 other guys name Bryan Cox
*
I once knew a guy named Edward Cox. His parents inexplicably called him Woody from a young age. No joke.
The Flying Pig says:
December 5, 2016 at 7:14 pm
I don’t know what your problem with Parker is
well i expect a first over all pick to dominate. not be hurt all the time and get beat out for the ball by a safety cause you dont have good enough skills to catch the ball at its highest point.
basically IMO he isnt living up to his draft selection, he should have been a 3rd or 4th round pick
He is probably going to finish the year with around 70 catches and 800-900 yards (he’s got 44 catches for 583 yards right now)
It’s not Julio jones numbers but I don’t think that is expected of him (or anyone) in this offense and hes only in his 2nd year
We are fine at WR
All of our guys get separation and I don’t see anything they do that hurts our offense – if anything Parker needs to be healthy and take care of himself better
But he is producing enough right now – he’s doing his job
We were really running the ball a lot a few games ago and no one was putting up big passing game numbers
I want to see a trio of WRs putting up great but not elite numbers
I like he current trio and Carroo only can add to that
The tricky thing will be if stills leaves in FA, we have to replace his speed
‘but we are 200% better ont he roster than I thought we were in Sept’
i dont doubt they are better then most thought but the problem is they are still a pretty bad team even if they are not as bad as most thought. to get to be a sb contending team they need boat loads of talent.
You guys are depressing.
herdfan says:
December 5, 2016 at 7:48 pm
You guys are depressing.
well you are not quite right……the miami dolphins are depressing we are just talking about them
‘We are fine at WR’
yep, i agree they are just ‘fine’ at wr. but when you have one second rounder and one first rounder and a big time FA they should be better then fine
Stills was a trade (3rd round)
And it’s actually a really good unit
The Flying Pig says:
December 5, 2016 at 8:28 pm
Stills was a trade (3rd round)
okay so basically now a 1st 2nd and 3rd rounder for a very average unit. the only one any other team would want is landry. 1 our of 3, that sucks.
I really think a lot of the teams in the NFL would take our top 3 over their own
I pretty sure stills is going to get paid well this offseason when he is a FA
I hope he doesn’t and we keep him
Technically (nitpicking) if you count carroo
It’s 2 3rd rounders
Landry is setting NFL production records
Your standards are too high!
Parker is good as long as he stays healthy. I think overall, the production we got out of him is disappointing, but that’s because he wasn’t able to make an impact until near the end of the season last year, and this year he’s had nagging injuries. He’s got to shake that.
I just went back and oooked at the stats yesterday
0 sacks
Felt like we didn’t generate any pressure on the qb all game
Flacco had all day
Landry is setting NFL production records
Your standards are too high!
aaaahhhhhhh, not sure where you got that, landry is the only one i think any team would take. he is one of the leagues best.
oh yeah btw, your standards are too low.
and hey, why we are talking about it, wont be any fun if every one sees the team the exact same way
Mike E. says:
December 5, 2016 at 8:38 pm
Parker is good as long as he stays healthy.
but that is the think, you can make an excuse for any player. (player) is good as long as (blah blah blah). the bottom line to me is he wasnt worth the draft pick for his current production
The Flying Pig says:
December 5, 2016 at 8:45 pm
I just went back and oooked at the stats yesterday
you did say earlier that a DE was needed in the draft
Piggy
We didn’t get near Flacco yesterday. That was insanely frustrating. No pressure at all, and he still threw an INT
He wants to throw an interception, he loves throwing interceptions
That’s a classic! cracks me up
🙂
mike
not true, i am pretty sure i saw suh handing him a napkin after he finished his sandwich on one of his drop backs
isn’t the jets head coach the ONE that ross let get away
Now I see why the blog is dead…you’re all watching Victoria’s Secret fashion show. 😉
herdfan says:
December 5, 2016 at 10:03 pm
Now I see why the blog is dead…you’re all watching Victoria’s Secret fashion show. 😉
ssshhhhhhhhhhh dont ruin the end of it for me i am taping it
Taping it? Are you going to listen to some music on your Victrola while you watch it? lmao
I TAKE GREAT PLEASURE in the Colts’ complete destruction of the New York Jets!!! It’s 34-3 late in the 3rd quarter. Now if Indy can just score two TD’s in the final quarter and add a pair of TWO POINT CONVERSIONS they’ll have an even 50 POINTS tonight!!
———————-
In the early 1990’s the Florida-Georgia football game had to be moved from the old Jacksonville Gator Bowl stadium for two years so that the stadium could be upgraded for the new Jacksonville Jaguars NFL franchise. The first of these two years the game was played at Sanford Stadium between the hedges in Athens, Georgia. The score was something like 50-0, Gators, with less than 30 seconds left in the 4th quarter. Gators head coach Steve Spurrier sends in a backup QB to ostensibly take a kneel down to end the game But NOO-O-O-O!!! The Old Ball Coach told the young QB to “throw the bomb!” The kid did as he was told. He threw an 80-yard bomb on the last play of the game and Florida won 57-0! When a reporter asked Spurrier “What would you say to Georgia fans who accuse you of running-up the score?” Spurrier replied, “I’d tell them to get a better football team!”
——————–
I FEEL THE same way about the Jets as Spurrier feels about the Georgia Bulldogs!!
https://twitter.com/MDCheer/status/805983739968884736
https://twitter.com/MDCheer/status/805985874219503618
Morning Update
DOLPHINS CARDINALS
Old 27-17 MIA
Howie 30-24 MIA
Rock 38-12 ARI
Piggy 35-14 MIA
GO PHINS!!!
HOPEFUL of getting our first meaningful rain here in Tampa Bay in the last six weeks today. Had .01 inches of rain at Tampa International in November and no rain in December. Highs running 5-8 degrees above normal. Fortunately there’s no such thing as global warming, so no need to worry.
——————
LOOKS LIKE highs near 80 for this Sunday’s Arizona @ Miami game. It will be the swan song for “My Boyz” and me because I sold my tix to the Patriots game due to work conflict. Hard to believe this 5-decades old tradition is coming to an end. The fact that Mrs. OD might return after a 2-year plus absence (to see the old gang one last time) is some solace. I’m really sure she’ll like the new seating location as much as Young Stanger does. But next season is going to have a totally different feel to it without “My Boyz.”
Howie,
35-31 Miami
Noooooooooo!
Howie
MIA 27 – ARZ 26
I’m shocked there wasn’t a “What Make Hulk Angry” article here this morning. Maybe Hulk leap too many times and now in third world nation with no internet.
He might be trying to find a working electronic device? 😉
LOL @ Wyo
https://twitter.com/MDCheer/status/806148712166817792
howie,
27 -21 zona
updated record challenge. A lot of people are tied at 8 correct calls so far. They are
boulder, home, D, kong, son, stanger, toba, realist, brian, steve, ken, lou
Everyone in the list above except Steve has us losing to arizona. IF we beat arizona, steve will take the lead on his own 🙂
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HYb9B1KHDXFHIfyAkIX-vaqSl8uCF7Zu7xsGsGspBpc/edit#gid=0
THANK YOU BOOKMAN
I bent the rules for alot of weeks but now its over.
Fake scores are no longer permitted and that goes for next season as well.
Unless one truly believes that we re going to lose 😦
Believe me, I hated doing it, you will get no argument from me..LOL
If I would have been right (like I almost was last week) during that stretch, too me, it should not have counted.
Oh Man
I hadnt noticed but you get the CLOSE FAKE SCORE award 😉
B’man 38-13 BAL
LETS GO FINS!
To late for me to play that other game now but next year someone please tell me about it and show me where to sign up
Howie:
33-27 MIA
I get the feeling everyone is scared that our season is about to unravel. I admit I’m nervous as to whether we can/will beat Arizona. David Johnson is a nightmare, he will be extremely difficult to contain.
I’m always nervous before a game. Pressure is off as far as maintaining a win streak so maybe they bounce back.
I am always nervous before a game also, and judging by my bar tab at the end, I am nervous DURING the game also.
Mike, I am not nervous any more than any other game. I don’t worry about the season unraveling like years past because I think we have a better coaching foundation…and a plan. If we finish up poorly, I still believe we will improve and be much better next year. One step at a time.
Herd
I don’t think the pressure is off at all. They have to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. That’s enough pressure for any team.
i should have posted what autocorrect thought I wanted to say. Lol. But instead I’ll say that I agree with you about winning but I think things like a streak add more pressure, but more it’s kind of a manufactured pressure vs the regular kind. I’m not saying this well. I’ve been to an office Christmas lunch 😉🍷🍷🍷
LOL – Cheers! Throw one down for me, I could use one right now. 🙂
Bookman
That’s kind of a tightrope walk though. I know we think we have a better coach, I know I do, but another late season collapse would worry me. These are the things that the better coaches don’t let happen, so I think it would be up for debate if we lose now. Most coaches say they break down the season into quarters. We were 1-3 the first quarter, 3-1 the next quarter. Now we’re 3-1 in this quarter, but the next quarter counts too, so we’ll see where we end up.
Mike E. says:
December 6, 2016 at 2:05 pm (Edit)
LOL – Cheers! Throw one down for me, I could use one right now. 🙂
Sadly back at work expected to be productive for the rest of the day. I really could use a nap! Lol
No shit? They give you alcohol, and then expect you to do your job well? Wow!
IKR, seems kind of cruel doesn’t it?
Cruel and unusual. Most parties are after hours.
That’s why they gave it as a lunch. I don’t think they want the liability of us driving home after an after hours party.
At least you get a holiday party. We haven’t had one in 7 years.
Mike E. says:
December 6, 2016 at 2:53 pm
Cruel and unusual. Most parties are after hours.
yep, i know for sure after my parties things do turn cruel and unusual. 😉
Piggy i disagree that WR isnt a concern, i just wouldnt go for one early. Id definately consider a hybrid TW/WR guy like Evan Engram in the upper middle rounds, or some other big bodied receiver like Dural, Stringfellow or Josh Reynolds. Ricky Seals-Jones wouldnt be a bad consideration for a late pick, or pick up as UDFA since he could also play TE. Either way we cant bank on retaining Stills and we might want a guy who can give us a little more size. Again, its not a primary concern but id still include them in a draft strategy. RB too if the right guy falls.
Should have read Dural, Stringfellow or Reynolds in late middle.
QB wouldnt be off my list either. Really would depend on the guy and the round, but drafting a QB to push Tanny and to potentially have as a backup (we dont know how Doughty turns out). Sometimes its not drafting for obvious needs it drafting for potential needs, and later round picks are perfect for that.
I do agree though that out talent round picks need to be to address defense, or OL. We got to get better depth on OL, but defense, specifically LB needs some starting caliber guys. I think S and CB are more needs than you seem to as well.
We definitely have Landry Parker and Carroo, which is an excellent start, but we definitely need a couple more.
D
i agree that wr is still a concern. i am just not sold on parker. with that said i still think use every pick on defense. not worried about the qb position either starter or back up, this def is so void of talent it needs all the attention
D
What do you think of Hardy Nickerson’s son?
I think he is pretty solid, but i wouldnt want him as my only LB pick. He would probably be slightly better option than Hewitt at this point, once he picked up the defense definately better. There is more there to work with, and a better football IQ than average players.
I would re-sign Stills and roll with Landry, Parker, Carroo and Grant next year. Then invest some more in the OL and really focus on a lot of defense.
We’ve already seen when we’re at full strength on offense we can move the ball and score. The defense was kind of patch worked this year and I see quite a few changes this offseason. We need youth at DE, LB and some help in the secondary. I’d also re-sign Branch because he’s been playing really well.
You want to build on what you already have, not keep turning over every position. That’s a never ending proposition. Keep your strengths and build on weaknesses.
Stills has to be agreeable to it. Im not saying i wouldnt, i am saying is we need to either have him re-signed before the draft or we need to draft a WR.
Fair enough, but he’s a UFA so he’ll have to be re-signed before the draft. Do you see Stills getting big offers in the offseason that we can’t match? I don’t. He’s a weapon, not the focus of an offense.
To me our offense is going to be built through Tannehill, Ajayi, Landry, Parker and the guys up front. Then utilize other guys’ skill sets along the way.
Jones and Branch both are worthwhile re-signs. I wouldnt pay them starter money but they would be really solid rotational guys. Im not upset with our DE unit personally, i would like to get a young guy in there but given the depth in this next draft i would feel pretty much as compfortable with us waiting to select a DE in the 3rd as i would be with us forgoing another position and taking one in the first. LB to me feels like the most dire need unit, CB to me is a closer second than DE, and im not sure if having starting ability as OL depth isnt more important than going big at DE too.
When I mention positions of need I don’t mean it has to be 1st rd. It can be a mix of FA and the top 3 picks. In FA I plug glaring holes and in the draft I go BPA each round that makes sense.
D
I was thinking he would be a late RD pick for us, but there could be some value there.
Mike if we took a guy like Cunningham or Foster, or Davis in the first, came back around and picked up Nickerson in the 4th, id feel good enough to let Jelani walk. As i see it right now we cant really afford to let him walk, not a person in our LB group covers as well. I think Alonzo is definitely solid against the run and he is ideal for wide 9 but his inability to read the play is hurting us. He is plenty athletic and fast to cover, he just doesnt read the play worth a crap. Balt had a reception right between both he and Hewitt and neither of them flinched, they did not read the QB’s eyes at all, they werent aware of the guy crossing their zones right behind them. It was a good play design, but that was pretty ridiculous.
Yeah, I didn’t really realize how much Alonso can be a liability in coverage. Now we also know that Hull and Vigil aren’t any good either.
I was paying for my car yesterday at Subaru (Over the phone), and the woman asks me for my email so she can send me a copy of the bill. I give it to her, and she asks me if I’m a Dolphins fan, so I say, yeah, big time. She says my nephew is #88 on the Dolphins. I say Leonte Carroo!!!!???? She says yep, that’s my nephew. Going to have to get a lil closer to Rachelle at Subaru. lol
That’s awesome!
Tim Knight says:
December 6, 2016 at 4:24 pm
I would re-sign Stills and roll with Landry, Parker, Carroo and Grant next year. Then invest some more in the OL and really focus on a lot of defense.
if stills is cheap i so agree
What’s cheap, a dollar? LOL
Tim Knight says:
December 6, 2016 at 4:58 pm
Fair enough, but he’s a UFA so he’ll have to be re-signed before the draft. Do you see Stills getting big offers in the offseason that we can’t match? I don’t. He’s a weapon, not the focus of an offense.
To me our offense is going to be built through Tannehill, Ajayi, Landry, Parker and the guys up front. Then utilize other guys’ skill sets along the way.
———————————————-
I think there will be a few teams willing to pay him more than i think he has value to us. Like you said he is a weapon, not a focus, and therefore he can be replaced with another guy who offers the same threat/weaponry. I dont find him so crucial to our offense that we cant replace him or do better. That said id like to keep the unit together and would make a good offer, but i do think there will be other teams offering more. He would kill it in a couple other systems. I wouldnt be surprised at all if SD, Oakland for sure, Rams, 9’ers too, maybe even Dallas to give some threat across from Dez to get a little less safety help thrown his way. I would have said GB and Pats too but they dont like to pay in FA, but he would be pretty scary in both of those offenses.
https://twitter.com/djbrees/status/805876226430619648
Alonzo probably would be ok in coverage if there was someone that read the play better calling out the coverage. His athletic ability is undeniable but i don’t think he is the smartest guy. He would probably be much better moved to OLB with us having a more football smart guy at MLB.
He attacks more than reacts so I agree. The Bills were going to move him from the inside to the outside before he injured his knee so maybe they thought the same thing. I also think the support around him is lacking. We’re playing every LB we have around him.
And I thought I was the Samurai fanatic
(Piggy bows to the blog’s new WR obsession)
RIP rashaan salaam. I think this was suicide. possible similar to Junior Seau
Thats crazy i was just talking about him yesterday. We were talking about former heisman winners who really didnt live up to it in the NFL and the list i found online had him as one of the top ones. He was flippin amazing at Colorado.
RIP Indeed.
Very sad.
Videos like that above is why almost everyone in the south thinks you guys are nuts up there lol. I cant even fathom that being a large portion of my year, those kind of conditions. Friend up in Superior Wis. says that it can begin snowing in late September and stop in late may sometimes. Pure crazy.
Tim Knight says:
December 6, 2016 at 5:23 pm
What’s cheap, a dollar? LOL
hell no, if a dollar is cheap i would never get a date
I remember when i was younger watching college football and loving the Colorado Buffalos because of their helmets. I have always been a small fan of that team, back to the Beiniemy days. Also helped that i really didnt like Oklahoma, and Nebraska and one of the first memories i have of them when i was still pretty young was them beating ND in 90′.
The team salaam was on was a good one but many of them didn’t do well in the pros. Deon Figures, salaam, kordell stewart and michael westbrook. Salaam won the heisman that year rushing over 2k. But he wasn’t that great with the bears.
Evening Update
DOLPHINS CARDINALS
Old 27-17 MIA
Howie 30-24 MIA
Rock 38-12 ARI
Piggy 35-14 MIA
B’man 35-31 MIA
MikeE 27-26 MIA
Bold 27-21 ARI
Herd 33-27 MIA
GO PHINS!!!
BrianinNY 29-23 MIA
Mike E. says:
December 6, 2016 at 3:10 pm
At least you get a holiday party. We haven’t had one in 7 years.
*
I haven’t had one ever.
I can see how that would be the case.
Hey Boulder, know who else was on that team?…..Vance Joseph.
Also remember Koy Detmer….i thought he was gonna be a big star in the NFL.
That’s right. Vance joseph was on that team also.
http://www.thephinsider.com/2016/12/5/13847584/dolphins-playoffs-baltimore-ravens-recap
Pretty logical. Can’t really dispute this
the defense has really been bad the last 2 weeks
the prior game to that was vs a rookie makin his 1st nfl start and dumbass Jeff Fisher was calling the most conservative game ever
the defense has been really bad at times this year
really only a handful of good defensive efforts this season
I can’t see not having an offseason focused on improving g the defense
it’s quite contradictory. first, it says we don’t belong and that our record doesn’t say who we really are, meaning we’re not as good as our 7-5 record, and then goes on to say we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with for the remainder of 2016 and we’ve made tremendous improvements.
which one is it?
“we’ve won games we should have lost”. again, that’s what separates the good teams from the not so good teams; you find ways to win the close games, whether it be from special teams, defense creating turnovers or coming back to pull it out.
what the article doesn’t say is how we lost games the past two years we should have won. there were games we were close in but when we got the ball on offense we couldn’t even muster 3 pts. there were plenty of times last season where we had opportunity after opportunity to try and move the ball and get points and we didn’t do it.
now, we’re finding ways to get it done and win games we wouldn’t have won in the past. that shows improvement and the improvement is coming from the way the coaching staff approaches the situation.
no, we’re not the perennial playoff contender yet. I don’t even think we’re pretending to be that right now. we’re just a team trying to find an identity and going out there every week trying to win one game at a time. I don’t think anyone on the team has stated otherwise and has raised expectations beyond that.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC DEFEATS OHIO STATE IN BASKETBALL 79-77 IN OVERTIME!!!
BREAK OUT THE COLORADO KOOL-AID!!!
In 2019, Florida Atlantic opens the college football season in Columbus against Ohio State. Hmmmmm.
ONE MORE BEER and I’m calling it a night!
Tim Williams might be Von Miller II
what I like about Williams is despite the label many give him of “pass rush specialist” he’s not a one trick pony. I’ve seen him cover guys down the sideline. He’s the full package at the OLB position and would be a nice addition for us if we had the shot at him.
I was sure the Hulk would be angry this week.
NOT as angry as Ohio State fans are after losing to Florida Atlantic!! Yes, I’m STILL celebrating!
Congrats OD. I used to watch college hoops but I lost interest somewhere along the way.
Morning Update
DOLPHINS CARDINALS
Old 27-17 MIA
Howie 30-24 MIA
Rock 38-12 ARI
Piggy 35-14 MIA
B’man 35-31 MIA
MikeE 27-26 MIA
Bold 27-21 ARI
Herd 33-27 MIA
BriNY 29-23 MIA
GO PHINS!!!
HERD: Thanks for the comments on FAU’s shocking upset of Ohio State in Columbus. You said you “lost interest in college basketball.” Well, in 1982, I watched my last NBA basketball game. To me, basketball is a great sport–but NOT the way it’s played in the NBA. Give me the college game every day over the pros. NOW give me ANOTHER cup of coffee! This old FAU alum (Class of ’69), MAY have celebrated a tad too much last night!!!!!
TODAY is PEARL HARBOR DAY. Me and a group of my ex-military buddies will get together for lunch today. And we’ll remember that this lunch get-together was made possible by those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
God Bless America!
Lou
I think the gist of the article that I put up was you can’t play poorly on both sides of the ball and be a successful playoff team. At least one unit, either offense or defense should be able to do well consistently, and we don’t have that.
well, I think expectation by some became unrealistic after we won 6 in a row. some started talking about the possibility of winning the division which was unrealistic and others even started talking Super Bowl which was even more unrealistic.
if you are in the camp that believes Tannehill has improved and if you look at that and say, yeah, his footwork in the pocket has gotten better and he’s made some plays this year; when you consider the team was still struggling to move the ball consistently and convert on third downs there was no reason to have those expectations.
when you look at a passing game where our qb has only thrown 16 td’s to this point in the season it’s hard to have those expectations.
at no point in time did we look like we had a prolific scoring offense or a defense that looked like it was going to start to dominate. we knew we had major issues at the lb position and we knew that our offense was only going to be as good as a healthy o-line allowed it to be. so, when o-line starters went down we knew we’d struggle. I doubt Albert and Tunsil were even close to being 100% Sunday but they played anyway.
It goes back to what I said earlier and that is the fact that Gase and Co. is getting more out of these players than the previous coaching staff and that’s what has allowed us to win games we probably would have lost in the past.
So, expectations should have been somewhat tempered from the start. What the 6 game win streak showed us more than anything is we have a coaching staff that can help us get there now. We didn’t have the coaches in the past. The team still lacks talent in a number of different areas. It was the tremendous job the coaches were doing to bring the talent out of everyone they had that was making the difference.
Send in your questions please
ASK MIKE nj1dolfan@yahoo.com
Thanks!
Do you think the team recovers from this loss and ends up with a winning record over the next four games?
I think we win at least 2 of the next four games and they are the Jets and Bills games. I think Gase is the smartest person in the room and Rex isn’t even in the room. Gase has too much for Rex to handle and as far as the Jets are concerned I just don’t think they’ve got the talent on their team this year.
so, it’s at least 2-2 and end up 9-7 as my worst case scenario. My best case is still 10-6 and I really feel good about being able to defeat the Pats at home.
Lou
I guess what I hoped for that one or both units would improve all season long, but that hasn’t really happened. It was great that we won the games we always used to lose, I love that we were able to accomplish that, but it shows we have work to do to be among the best 6 in the conference. We need a few impact players on defense, good thing we get Reshad Jones back next season, and then on offense, we need to make sure we have solid depth on that O-line, when Albert or Pouncey or anyone else goes down. I’d love to also finally get a legit pass catching TE here.
I’m also looking forward to seeing how Xavien Howard plays. It seems as if they’re not going to rush him back, so when he takes the field, he should be ready to contribute.
yeah, I think the fact that we can’t keep a healthy o-line on the field all year makes a huge difference. it’s hard to become consistent and have the improvement you’re looking for on offense when you don’t have consistency on the o-line. their injuries had a lot to do with it.
defense is a completely different story. not so much about injuries as much as it is about the talent on that side. however, I’m sure we’ll make some strides come the offseason with a couple FA’s and some draft picks to shore up some positions.
we also have to consider that we lost Jones after the 6th (and he’s still 5th in tackles) game and we won all those games despite not having him on the defensive side of the ball. that says a lot right there about how good the coaching staff was doing at getting the team to play and how good of a job they were doing preparing the team for each week. we’ve been seeing a lot of Hewitt in there and also had to bring Butler in to help.
Also consider the number of new additions on the defense with Jones, Branch and Williams on the d-line, Butler and Alonso at LB and Maxwell at cb plus Lippett starting at the other cb and an entire new coaching staff and I’d say we’ve done pretty well for a team that has gone thru that much of a major transition.
https://twitter.com/MDCheer/status/806511328915550208
One of the more disappointing aspects of our team has been the lack of discipline as it relates to penalties. I really expected more from a Gase-coached team. I’ve compared him to a young Don Shula in the way he preps the team for one game at a time and gets the most out of the talent he has even if it’s not the best talent out there but the one area he is far behind Shula is where penalties are concerned.
Shula-coached teams were consistently among the lowest penalized in the league. If we could cut down on those penalties that take us from a 3rd and 2 to 3rd and 7 or longer we’d be doing better as well. Of course, that observation comes with the big “Duh”
The penalties have been frustrating.
We’ll know more about this team and Gase as coach the next 4 weeks. if we can go 3-1 or even 2-2 I’m hopeful. If we fold in december then I consider Gase similar to a coach like Philbin. They can win games in november but when stakes go up the team folds. Remember philbin had a couple of years of getting us close to playoffs but shitting the bed in december.
I send you a question Mike
Me too!!!
Hey Xavier Howard you are healthy now
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Now go cover Larry Fitzgerald
not exactly a dream scenario….
Pro Lou,
Do you think the guys we have on the OL will ever play even most of a season healthy? I have serious doubts and think we might as well get another OG somewhere this draft. I’m pretty tired of constant OL drafting, though. I look at most teams and they just don’t have the consistent OL issues we face every single year.
This o-line? No. I think Pouncey’s career is coming to an end unfortunately and I think Albert will always be hurt. I agree that we need to draft a G, maybe we’ll even draft 2, but it’s a necessary evil because the game is won in the trenches.
I just realized that the Metlife takeover is a Saturday noight game
weird…..
I will go ahead and predict my score this week.
Arizona 31
Dolphins 17
They are unlucky this year but have a great defense and amazing RB. I think we start slow like normal and have a better but similar game to last week. I’m hoping we smash the Bills to get our 9 wins but that’s as far as I’m willing to hope lol. Jets are a wreck and Bowles may be out.
I think you have to factor in its a home game for us and AZ is not so good on the road
Dolphins are 5-1 at home
Cards are 1-4 on the road
I like our odds
I actually think the @Bills and @jests games are probably tougher for us
and I would be happy with 1-1 in those 2 games
The Cheats are actually 6-0 on the year this year. But I think we have a really good shot at beating them in the final game of the year
if we go 3-1, as I expect, in this final 4 game stretch, we finish 10-6
probably outside of the postseason – but still a good stepping stone for us
and then we can make ourselves contenders with a good 2017 offseason
I hope so Piggy. I think we are on the way and 10-6 would definitely be a nice way to end the year.
If we go 10-6 there’s a strong possibility we sneak into the playoffs just because of the final four games being played in the West.
however, that’s far from my mind. I’m thinking we beat both the Bills and the Jets because (1) Gase is going to have Rex’s number from here on out and (2) the Jets just don’t have the talent to compete with us.
I get the OL has been an issue with health
But I think we lost the Baltimore game on poor defense
I don’t think I t would have mattered if we had a healthy OL
Baltimore cut through us
If anything on offense the redzone opportunities and chances after a TO in which we turned the ball over, missed a FG or punted with great starting filed position killed us
I agree but looking forward, I think the OL is still what is holding our offense back. The oldest OL on our starting 5 is the most healthy(at least tied). We can’t seem to get a healthy Pouncey or Albert for most of the year now. Albert has only started 31 games in three years now. Same for Pouncey. Pouncey has two 16 game seasons in his career and Albert just one. I seriously think we see Tunsil as the permanent starting LT sometime next year and not because he beats out Albert. Albert will just be injured again.
we were behind the 8 ball from the beginning because we started out with the o-line not being healthy so we weren’t able to get any consistency. had the o-line been healthy from the start and we were at full strength vs BAL it definitely would have been a different game.
that being said, the point I just made is moot because we weren’t full strength and you have to go with the cards you’re dealt. we knew we didn’t have anything spectacular depth-wise on the o-line going into the season just like we knew our LB unit was going to be a major weak link this season.
If anything, I could see us trying to trade Albert or Pouncey or both in order to get more draft picks and try to solidify some of the positions on the o-line and at LB.
honestly New Age, even 9-7 isn’t so bad
I would not be upset bout 8-8 in most cases, if 8-8 didn’t mean that we went 1-3 in December – yuk
I’m in the same boat. 9-7 is good improvement and it’s a winning season which is more than we’ve had the last 8 years. 8-8 was what I predicted a the beginning of season but as you said it means we folded again in december and it’s basically the same ole dolphins with different coaching staff.
Oh, I’d be happy with 9-7 for the first year. I want it really badly because I want everyone(not just our fans) to realise just how bad our previous coaches were.
then if we shit the bed from here on out what does it mean? if we end up 7-9 does it mean that Philbin and Co weren’t as bad as people thought?
Consider in 2014 the Jets went 4-12 and were in last place. In 2015 they played a last place schedule and ended up 10-6 and were 2nd in the division. This year, they’re playing a 2nd place schedule and are last in the division again. Rut roh reorge.
Does this mean the Phins are looking at the same thing? Maybe that should be my “Ask Mike” question.
I think we’re in better shape than the Jets because of tanny. he’s way more consistent than fitzpatrick. Yes fitz had a good year last year but he’s been terrible this year.
I’d have to say, with a healthy o-line, our entire offense is much better than the Jets offense; especially where our running game is concerned. I could see Ajayi going off on them in the next game too.
But, this is about next year and I think we’ve got the coaches that are going to make the difference. One player isn’t going to be the difference maker with this team.
By the way, the Jets are starting Petty in place of Fitz for the remainder of the season
Tim Williams is a great player but he is more of a 3-4 concept OLB, and i really dont think he would be great in our 4-3. Now if we are planning to switch, which personally i dont see it, he would make a lot of sense. I like Ryan Anderson just as much, he is only slightly less effective than Tim Williams, and he will come a round later. Go look at film, you will see he stands out just as much. Ryan Anderson i think is same thing, more suited for 3-4 OLB, but i would be ok with taking a guy in the second round that “could” play in a 4-3, vs a guy that we likely would have to trade up to get that “could” play a 4-3, a lot less risk with same reward.
We would be a lot better off taking a guy like Foster, or Zach Cunningham who both also play out of 3-4 defenses, are still the leaders of their defenses, giving us that ability to read the defense and call out defensive shifts. We could use a guy like that, allowing Alonzo to be a more assignment based guy who reads the play after it begins to develop and attacks.
I think he has the look and feel of a 3-4 OLB as you mentioned as does Anderson
but generally, for any prospect, I think there is room to work in either a 3-4 or 4-3
I think its a question more than anything about the team that drafts him
You have guys like Julius Peppers, Mario Williams and Cameron Wake playing in both systems during there careers – of course Mario was not so good in the 3-4, but that’s looking more like a product of age than system in his case
I think its a little more fluid between than people give it credit for
The reality is right now so many college players seem like tweeners these days
and we end up saying bc of that they are 3-4 OLBs
I bet Williams, would have an easier transition to the NFL as a 3-4 OLB
but I’m not sure he is limited to a 3-4 OLB
Then again, I’m guilty of treating that Edge type as more fluid than a lot of people who are looking at prospects. The NFL certainly has a history of failed fits in the wrong system.
But I’m pretty sure if a 3-4 team would have drafted Suh, we would be talking about Suh now as a 3-4 DE rather than a DT. And if a 4-3 team would have drafted Von Miller or DeMarcus Ware, we would be talking about them 4-3 DEs. BTW didn’t; Ware also play DE in a 4-3 at some point too? I don’t remember
I feel pretty strongly about us being able to finish 9-7, splitting the last 4 games. I think we can, given playing better than last game, win against the Jets and Bills, even though those are both away games in cold weather. Arizona and Pats are going to be really tough, despite being at home in warmer weather. I wouldnt put us out of the idea of making a 4-0 run, but its very highly unlikely, and i feel even 3-1 is pretty unlikely. It really starts with how we bounce back from the mess we just made, against a tough defense, and a team with their backs against the wall trying to eek out a playoff chance.
God the AFC South is such a flipping joke. 6-6 leads the division….
NFL should have re-aligned us there instead of the Colts
There would have been a lot less competition to win the division over the years and less cold weather games
but you know: jets v Dolphins is a big sell…or was at some point
I still would love to swap at the Colts for the Dolphins in the AFC South
Pro Lou,
I think Philbin was poor based off a larger sample and how the team played for him. He just never got this team to play well. If Gase goes 7-9, that is a concern but he’s shown many positives this year. Willing to bench starters, accountability from even coaches, self-reflection, Tanny looks better, willing to have a run game(sometimes lol), etc. He’s just shown an adaptability and desire for accountability that Philbin never endorsed.
I will say this
I agree with Lou
We don’t know that Gase isn’t another Philbin or Sporano yet
this years’ record means nothing if we don’t building on it in 2017
Lou
I’m not seeing the OL as a difference maker in the Baltimore fame at any level
Joe Flacco had 3 TD passes a couple minutes into the 3rd qtr and we were down 21-0 before we blinked
none of those TD were after turnovers
and the drives were: 79 yards, 63 yards and 88 yards on those TDs
AND ITS A HORRIBLE BALTIMORE OFFENSE TOO
what does have OL have to do with stopping the first 3 drives of the game for the ravens
I don’t even think you can argue the defense was tired
The game barely started and we down 21
We actually drove down the filed in response to being down 7-0
then missed a FG
then we drove down the field after being down 14-0
and through an INT in the endzone
Next thing you know
Ajayi finishes with 12 carries
And the very good Baltimore defense can just tee off on Tannehill
The game was over bc our defense couldn’t stop Baltimore in the first few minutes of the game
it would not matter if we had the best OL in football
Baltimore ( a shitty offense once again) put up 38 points and probably could have put up more if they didn’t get such a huge lead
They could have drove down the field doing the same thing on every drive
When we lose
a lot of parts look bad
I don’t argue that health is not an issue with the OL
I don’t; argue that they are a good OL
But I argue even if they were good – with that defense, the result is nearly identical
we won’t go anywhere, except shooutouts to finish around .500 next season if we don’t; aggressively look to fix the D
My point is if we were healthy from the start we would have been much further along when we got to the Baltimore game and despite being down like we were we would have been able to push the ball up the field more consistently. Remember, we missed on a 3rd and 2 and had to go for the FG. If we were healthy from day one we would have had a much better chance to match them score for score early on and kept it closer.
So now we compare every coach to Sparano or Philbin? LOL
Its not about who the coaches are
its about switching guys out and getting an initial push
then not building on it and hovering around .500 like Philbin and Sparano did
We don’t know what Gase is yet
People should not assume anything based on 2016
I wasn’t comparing anyone, I was just playing devil’s advocate as I so often do. I don’t think Gase is Philbin or Sporano. I think he’s as good as they get and I’ve compared him to a young Shula for a reason. I think this guy has what it takes to make this team a perennial playoff contender. He gets the best from the talent he’s got to work with.
Coming in as a new HC and working with this team isn’t an easy challenge and it took him the first five games to get some things figured out and he hadn’t a full compliment of players in areas like the o-line to start off with.
He’s got the team going in the right direction. We just need to fill in the gaps on the o-line and some other spots and we’ll get to the next level.
Yep and every QB compared to Marino.
Williams had too much athletic ability to be pigeon-holed as a 3-4 OLB just because he was a “pass rush specialist” at Alabama. He can play OLB in the 3-4 or the 4-3 and would probably replace Misi at SOLB from day one. He’s that good. He can rush the passer, he can play off blocks and make tackles, he can get tfl’s and he can cover rb’s out of the backfield. I would have no problem taking him in the first.
a lot of these early rounds “edge” guys really have the talent to play both 3-4 and 4-3
I don’t get carried away with the scheme stuff when we are talking about the high end talent early in the drafts
“replacing Misi” just made me laugh
is he still on the team.?…lol
please no more discussion about how Misi help round up the LB unit in 2017
I won’t be able to handle it
It would be funny if Misi retires moves to NYC and into your building, right next door. LOL
I’m not assuming he’s the next great coach but he has some really good habits and results from this early sample that I’m not going to dismiss. First big winning streak in a while. Players seem to be playing better for him than others. We have a ton of injuries and we are in the hunt even if it is from the outside. Tanny is playing better most of the time. We have a real running game when used.
I am a Gase believe for the reasons you cited
I think its just devils advocate and the reminder that ultimately time will tell
I’m not calling anyone out. Just pointing out that I still see Philbin and Sparano mentioned a lot.
Sometimes I think you have one of those MIB mind erasing tools base don how quickly you want to move on
can you flash me Tim
I’m so scarred from Dolphin history
(Piggy curls up into a fetal position)
LOL!
Stare deeply and recite your favorite Justin Bieber song backwards and you’ll be fine. LOL
Tim
Wrong device
That is the fart hypnotizer
Now the entire blog smells like old broccoli
Asshole!!!
😜
LOL, I guess that’s better than a turd covered in burnt hair.
Okay here’s one I haven’t read before. LMAO!!!
http://www.27bslash6.com/chairs.html
LOL @ the Penguin cutout in the background of the attachment
My thoughts on Gase being another Philbin or Sparano is that i cant tell you he will or wont be a more effective coach, i think though its 100% assured he wont be another Philbin or Sparano because his personality type isnt even remotely the same, his approach to coaching isnt remotely te same. I can guarantee you that the method to where he gets will not follow the same path and therefore likely miss the same pitfalls, but there is no way to assume he will be more successful as a result.
I agree.
I could care less about personalities or methods. All I care about is wins and losses. If he can’t get us to the playoffs or can’t win more than 8 games then he’s in the same bucket as philbin and sparano and many other coaches that couldn’t be better than mediocre.