I look at this game as either the “Road to Redemption” or the “Road to Ruin”. I can tell you from my perspective, the final score as to whether it’s a win or loss is not what will decide this for me, but rather whether we show up and play a solid game of football, a competitive game, or once again we look totally outmatched.
The Dolphins and Bengals are 2 teams going into this game at 3-1. The Bengals earned their 3rd win in a thriller over the Atlanta Falcons, while the Dolphins were thrashed and embarrassed in the Devil’s Lair, Foxborough Massachusetts. The good thing for the Dolphins is momentum only lasts until the next game, and the Dolphins have a chance to rectify certain things, that they aren’t pretenders, they’re for real. The Bengals on the other hand, are riding a high, but that can be obliterated quickly if the Dolphins get the offense going.
The Dolphins made some personnel changes as recently as yesterday, cutting former 2015 2nd RD pick, DT Jordan Phillips. The Dolphins also promoted DE Cameron Malveaux from the PS, The Dolphins also signed OC Wesley Johnson, who started 15 games for the NY Jets last season, after signing OC Travis Swanson last week, now that former starter Daniel Kilgore is out for the season with a torn triceps injury. At the moment, the Dolphins are evaluating a number of veteran DT’s, to fill the space vacated by cutting Jordan Phillips, but have not yet signed one. Right now, we have only 3 DT’s, and only 3, because of the loss of DE/DTWilliam Hayes, so we’re left with Akeem Spence, Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor.
The offense just didn’t work last week, and you can assign blame to Adam Gase, or credit to Bill Belichick, and both would be appropriate. Since our offense has been predicated on speed, getting our speedy receivers in space, Belichick countered that by putting 5-7 DB’s, switching from nickel to dime to quarter depending on our offensive formation, and it completely shut down our offense. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I wasn’t extremely disappointed with Gase for not having an answer to that strategy. Still, Gase has another chance this week to get the offense going. The Bengals have allowed 113 points in 4 games, for an average of 28.3 PPG. That got a little bloated from last weeks game against the Falcons, who put up 36, but the Bengals have a decent defense, but not a dominant one by any means.
We all know we have to do a better job running the football. On the other hand, I think it’s important to recognize that all those short passes at or near the LOS are truly just an extension of the running game. Some refuse to see that, but it is, nonetheless. The NFL is evolving, and very few teams hand off the football to a feature back 20-30 times a game. Almost every team has a committee of running backs, and very few backs in those situations get more than 15-20 touches, and that includes runs and pass plays. Even the teams that have elite RB’s don’t run as much as teams used to. Ezekiel Elliott and Todd Gurley are the only premier backs that have gone to 20 or more carries at least once, and the Cowboys are 2-2, while the Rams of course are undefeated. It’s about playing to your strengths, and unfortunately, here in Miami, our strength is NOT rushing the football. Our O-line has already taken 2 big hits, both of our offseason acquisitions, OG Josh Sitton and OC Daniel Kilgore are on IR. LT Laremy Tunsil has struggled with consistency, as has RG Jesse Davis and especially RT Ja’Wuan James. Our O-line just isn’t our best asset, but we need to get it to be serviceable at a minimum. I don’t think we can come out week after week and not run the football, that’s a recipe for failure. We cannot be one dimensional, as NE was so kind to point out to us.
Last week’s game tipped our PF/PA into the negative side, so we’re now allowing 22.5 PPG, not bad, considering we got blown out 38-7 last week, and we’re scoring only 20.5 PPG, also off kilter due to the lopsided score last week. Forget about all the stats, all of them, because this game our team has to show up and play competitive, physical football. I’m not going to dwell on the Phillips release, but the team showing poorly in 2 consecutive weeks will not be boosting this teams morale, or Adam Gase’s value to the team. We need to rebound, even if we don’t win this game, although winning it would be ideal.
Some have said Devante Parker could be the next guy to have his exodus from the team, and if you look at how little he’s been used, you would be hard pressed to notice if he was here or not. If the Dolphins would like to extract any value for Parker, it would be in their best interest to showcase him, and hope a team might be interested when his value is higher after a good game, rather than an all-time low as it presently is.
It looks like Bengals RB Joe Mixon is not likely to play this Sunday, which leaves veteran RB Giovani Bernard as the starter. They have remarkably similar stats in any case, but they lose the depth w/o Mixon. WR Tyler Boyd has recently become a favorite target of QB Andy Dalton. Talented TE Tyler Eifert is healthy (for now), and is beginning to round back into form. (OOPS! Eifert broke his ankle last week and is on IR) Tyler Kroft will replace Eifert at TE. The Bengals of course also have superstar WR A.J. Green, and newcomer, speedster John Brown. LB Nick Vigil, who I recall some liked here, is the team leader in tackles, and they also have DT Geno Atkins. The Bengals also have their starting OC injured, 1st RD pick Billy Price is out with a foot injury and he will be replaced by Trey Hopkins.
So which road do the Dolphins take this week, redemption or ruin? I should have been born in Missouri (The Show Me State), because until this team shows me they can compete with a better NFL team, I just don’t see it happening. Let the boos begin, and I hope I’m wrong, but . . .
CIN 30 – MIA 16
Finsmob Unleashed 
k so might be time to sneak Nick O’Leary out for about 14.
Go
Let’s covert this Miami!
Convert
Albeit you can do that covertly if you like
This game is how i thought we would be using Amendola.
Man how did we not even get a FG out of that?
pick 6 please
pretty please?
Minkah is prett good at defending that
Minkah
We are watching a HoF player grow up right there guys.
He’s amazing
Lmao Go Minkah! He’s the real deal alright
Is he in?
Touchdown
WOW!!!!!
Looks like TD to me!
that’s a TD.
Thats a TD boooooyeah
💥
Got away with a block in the back. I guess the refs love us today. Lol
Grant is FAAASSSST. That is all.
Just saying, I got home from the car show and started my washer right before that happened. Coincidence? I think not!
No! Keep running errands
sending you a load of dirty laundry now via FedEx to take care of the 2nd half.
The key pork on that was the return
😊
Can’t argue the key pork
Great day for Special Teams so far
Yes He is!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holy hell, Grant gets a Punt return TD right before the half, lmao
I bet they punt out of bounds next time
Yes Bookman, special teams are killing it!
Phucking GrAntman
That was great
(Sorry Phelon)
Bounce back first half ?
The oinks say yes
The Flying Pig says:
October 7, 2018 at 2:21 pm (Edit)
No! Keep running errands
No. Who needs Landry when we have Laundry. 😂
🐽🐽🐽🐽🐽
YES!!!!! The Grantman returns!!!!
So he’s on his way to the pro bowl for ST
He’s fucking awesome!!! LOL
14 points and a blocked FG all in the last few minutes of the half, wow the team just woke up after I started bitching, lol
I guess if that’s required, I’ll try it again next week, lol wow this game looks better at 14-0 than it did at 0-0
LMAO @ Herd! Nice!
And yes Minkah is a big time player. He’s just really good. Simple as that.
14-0
Who is first place AFC EAST
Shhhhh…. 4 quarters my man. 😉
Grant is really stepping it up this year, he’s so dangerous in the open field for opponents
Pretty good first half! Now let’s get a good gameplan for the second half and take care of business.
https://twitter.com/theflyingpig44/status/1049003578931798016?s=21
Lol that says it all
Should I buy a Grant jersey?
FU! LOL
do you need some money for a Bilicheat jersey
Been doing laundry…… any reports on Grant’s injury? Looked serious.
He just scored a PR for a TD at the end of the 1st half.
It’s important to remember there is a second half left, We have to finish this out and go 4-1.
confidances were shaken last week with an ugly loss,
but it appears like We are more like the team that won 3 games than the team that lost one,
The Team seems more motivated and confidant now
LMAO!!!
That is hilarious
Lmao!
wow at half time not all the announcers trashed Miami.
Bizzarro world to be up a couple of scores at the half
Run run run in the 2nd half
Tannehill with a 102 rating. shhhhh
Nice blitz
I feel like we never do that
Cuz we don’t
But we started today
They must read me lol
Best stop of our season
That was sweet
Let’s go offense
Time to score
Shad on top of that play.
Seriously…how many times do we blitz a LB?
just the beginning of Baker’s great career.
Defense bringing it! lets get another score!
Gore is not #3 all time via fluke
Real deal
Does that count?
2nd down you know
It was 1st down, but he ran for 10 😁
Oh even worse for the stats
Doesn’t count LMAO. great running Gore
77 whiffed on his block.
Statuehill
Weird play call
But I will hold my snout
Smart play
Set up the FG
Good
We win when you run Tannehill
if that were Brady, it would have been ‘helmet to helmet’
yep on the sideline you can see red on Tannehill’s chin where the defense helmet hit.
That’s an ok recovery from that bad sack.
👊
Fist pump
https://twitter.com/theflyingpig44/status/1049008014278217729?s=21
WTG Miami!!!
17-0
ESPN % Miami 93.1 chance to Win
Up 3 scores
🥛 the clock
Rhino says:
October 7, 2018 at 2:45 pm
if that were Brady, it would have been ‘helmet to helmet’
—————-
100% agreed, Rhino.
DEFENSE!!!! Stand the fuck up!!!! LOL
Turnover time
Almost Kiko
Almost
TJ on the penetration
Let’s go D
Who’s this Harris guy?
Nice stop
Baker!!!
dang boys dang
The butcher, The Baker
The play maker
Lol
🐽🐽🐽
Don’t know if that was intended to be a haiku but wtf we have a big lead
Baker again. 👹
Baker Baker the 2 sack maker!
k we made them use a ton of clock and only get a FG
Drive now
Another 50+ yard FG against us
https://twitter.com/theflyingpig44/status/1049010087010942980?s=21
Ham pie?
Chicken pot pie aka asshole pot pie
we are averaging 5.9 rushing
We need a nice time consuming drive.
A slow roasted pork
o’lear y contributing some tough blocking
Yep saw that too
I do t get that playcall
Didn’t like the play call
ok we took a shot … maybe a good time to do that.
A TD might put this game away.
I don’t get that call, when Gore is gobbling ypc
Don’t like that play call at all
Spaight good hit but maybe got a taunting flag
i think so, he was really jawing at him after the play.
Nothing wrong with that tackle
WTF?
Tannehill changed the play to that shit? Come on.
very wussy call … announcers pointed out nothing at all happened.
I think they should just play flag football
What a complete horseshit call, and I feel bad for Spaight Outta Compton getting chewed up on the sidelines. Clean hit, in bounds. Bullshit!
Naples called it above… it was for taunting after the play
WTF Thug!
Go ahead Gase do your thing!
I’ll take that penalty
Wyoming,
Does he cut the player….or fire the coach for screaming in the kid’s face on the sideline? That’s not acceptable, ya know. Lol
dang we almost had that but good throw off the scramble
we just gotta keep making them use clock.
Nobody wants to talk about the drive Tannehill ruined? Lol
Stupid!