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 
TJ man that was uncatchable
Shit. That flag is warranted
Dumb play McDonald
Stupid penalties
What is this game we’re watching?
announcer biased … “you can feel the game changing”
He’s sitting on his coat
I don’t like the Thug play!
I don’t care what anyone else thinks!
Gotta play as well WITH the lead as when trying to get a lead. An entire quarter left. Cincy score here and Cincy has life. Need a stop!
Rhino – Yeah, I couldn’t see the taunting until after they showed the action after the play. I thought they were calling it on the hit itself. On that note, I didn’t think the McDonald play was a penalty.
Shoulder to the back is a penalty today?
He doesn’t have to make contact at all
BS call.
Tannehill’s rating down to 97 … Dalton = 77
Shit
oh for godsake … what a lucky play
Shit
Shit
Shit
That was crazy
We did everything g right
The momentum changed when Tannehill changed the play on a 3rd and 1 and ended up throwing the ball 30 yards down the field incomplete. That’s BS.
Come on defense, shut this shit down.
McDonald is an idiot
I have a feeling this is not going to turn out well.
Ugh, Kiko in coverage
well that was exactly how to not play a drive from the punt right on through
I’ve got a bad feeling about this…
So much for 3 scores up, cmon offense we need another TD
I would love to milk the clock
But we could use a big play here
kiko lost track of the ball AND his man jeez
The 2 penalties changed the momentum of this game
Is tunsil out now?
Sam Young in ugh
Jail break
Oy
Tannescrotom
bad time for a sack
Nice
Drake!
Drake!!!!
GO Drake!
terrific play by drake
Nice play all around by Drake
A ballage carry
Weeeeee
speechless
Jesus tannehill
No your surroundings
He sucks so bad. We’re screwed
C’mon that’s not his fault
Ok lol
It’s so his fault
Just tuck the ball away
What the fuck is he doing
That’s asking for a turnover
That didn’t just happen
Shit luck on that. Tannehill trying to ground it
OL is crumbling
DRAKE!!!
That was INCREDIBLE!!!
I mean don’t defend him
You can’t throw that
Just cover the ball up
Well, it is was nice while it lasted……game over
lucky bounce … young is not a LT
How in the hell
FUCK!!!
😡
OMG, what was he thinking trying to throw there?
Oswieller!!!
We are playing 3 2nd team OL you cannot win that way
SMH
I’m still pissed at the pass on 3rd and 1 before
These dumbass plays by Tannehill
Year after year
He looks like a rookie
That’s the one thing he shouldn’t do
Oy
He was trying to avoid sack, shittybounce. I think was right decision, bad bounce
I get that
But he’s gotta tuck it and protect the ball
This team plays stupid
It’s a dumb team
Need a long TD drive now
young crumbles at point of attack
We will loose if we don’t open the playbook back up!
RT screwed up big time, SMH, He needs to get us 7 back
Our OL has played okay today. Tuck the ball, take the sack and kick it away with the lead. Give your defense a chance to keep putting pressure on Cincy to at least work for a TD. Instead, well, just a horrible play from a veteran QB.
7 year vet
Tannedumbass made a play
Keep going
Nice play call,. Wow did I just say that ??
Oh he’s terrible
Ju wan James
🤢
Omg
Can we do everything wrong
C’mon Gase make some good play calls
That call sucked
Fucking crap
I know people hate that screen
But that’s a smart play
The 2nd down only was moronic
K boom a punt , and play takeaway
Can we have something heroic out of the defense?
Not exactly what I meant 😱
Take a breathe
Get a sack
Create a turnover
We can do this
Go 🐬
Shitty punt, now special teams don’t look so special
Piggy
If Tannehill didn’t try to throw it away everybody would be yelling at him for taking the sack. It was a jailbreak and just a fluke bounce
Ding ding ding
It’s a idiot play
Take the sack
That’s the end of the play
Ball security matters
That was amateurish
I agree with Randy – Tannehill needed to just pick up the first down when he threw that incomplete deep ball on third and 1 a while. He probably even could have run for it. Be smart and just get a new set of downs if there’s not a 100% sure thing deep. That was the start of the momentum change. Also – stupid penalties are killers (but that seems to be the modus operandi with this team.
Why so Son can call him Tanistatue again?
Our offense has scored 10 points today. We are still the same undisciplined team we have been during Gase’ whole tenure.
X-ellent Defense!!!!
the draw was a great cll on that play
And it doesn’t matter what people say about tannehill
He’s responsible for making smart plays
And he made a dumb play
Harris should not be so easy to block by a TE. DE’s are supposed to beat TEs.
Come on. Tannehill should have never tried to throw that ball in that situation. Horrible decision….and then he made it worse by making a horrible throw instead of just throwing it out of bounds if he’s gonna throw it at all. A flag for grounding would have been a better result.
He’s our leader
It was amateurish to try to throw that
Nice McMillan
This fucking game
Fuck off
What Tannehill putting up 10 isn’t working?
Come on Turnover
Our defense is looking tired, been on the field too long
10
That’s it
Jones is All Pro
OK
So the D gives us a chance. At a minimum we must match the FG.
4 scores in a row by them 😕
Tannehill 77 rating Dalton 89
That’s turned around quick
Now tannehill has a chance to win it
Let’s go Tannehill
So does anyone think we can have a long drive to use up the rest of the clock and score?
Yes
🐖
Ok, Tanny has a chance to totally redeem himself with a nice comeback win here. Come on!
Still very winnable game…. Team HAS played hard as we wanted to see.. now let’s drive for a TD and get outta here in 1st place
I just don’t understand that call on first down in this situation