Ah, how nice is it to ponder our team in Week #9 of an NFL season and not only be in contention for a playoff spot and the division crown, but to do so with a top rated defense and a promising young QB? C’mon, think about that and let it sink in. Forget about Tua throwing for only 102 yards, but think about this defense just 7 games into rebuild YEAR ONE and our defense, yes, the Miami Dolphins defense has given up the least points per game at 18.6 PPG. Incredible! I know some of you are worried about Tua but let it go man. NO matter who we drafted at QB you’d be feeling and thinking we made a mistake. If we took Herbert (who is playing well and looks good) you’d be thinking we screwed up. If we traded up and got Joe Burrow we’d be saying we mortgaged the future and gave up too much. If we waited to select Jordan Love we’d be saying we half-assed and should have gone all in on one of the upper echelon QB’s. Forget about that, we have Tua, and he’s got the talent to be great for us. Let it happen, and enjoy it!
Speaking of that defense, oh that defense. What a clinic they put on against the 5-2 LA Rams. Maybe Garoppolo wasn’t 100% but Goff was and that’s twice within a few weeks that we have flummoxed two NFC QB’s. Goff was pressured and harassed and hit all day long. Dolphins D forced 4 turnovers in all, 2 INT’s and 2 forced fumbles and recoveries, one for a TD on the strip sack of Goff by DE Emmanuel Ogbah (pictured above) and the TD return by LB Andrew Van Ginkel (also pictured above). Opportunistic they were, but there are some concerns. The Rams ran 90 offensive plays and had the ball for 36 and half minutes. 61 pass attempts and and 39 rush attempts. I comprehend that the score is all that matters at the end of the day, but I think we all understand this can’t happen week after week. The guys were exhausted, I saw several Dolphins barely able to get back to the LOS and get set in the 4th quarter, so this can’t continue. We need to get off the field sometimes, and the run defense is a concern. Teams look at film and find weaknesses and if the score is close enough, they will try and exploit our weak rushing defense.
The Arizona Cardinals are also 5-2, like the Rams were last week. They are coming off their BYE week and will be well rested and ready to go. We may catch a bit of a break because it appears as if Kenyan Drake may miss thye game which leaves the rushing in the capable hands of Chase Edmonds. The problem is, #29 doesn’t scare me as much as #1 on the opposing team does. We had tons of trouble with Cam Newton and the RPO but to be fair, that was game #1. This defense has come a long way since then. Still, Kyler Murray is a dangerous man when he’s running with the football, and in my opinion, much like Cam Newton, he scares me more running than passing. We have to be disciplined and we have to play better against that type of attack. We guessed wrong too often with Cam and the RPO, I hope we can do better with Murray. I’m also worried about sending too much pressure and having him find a hole to run upfield so we have to be cognizant of that as well. Oh yeah, and the Cards have DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk and Andy Isabella. The Cards are top 10 in points scored (8th at 29 PPG) and in points allowed (9th at 20.9) and have a +57 point differential. The Dolphins are 11th in PPG at 26.9PPG and as previously mentioned, #1 in points allowed (I like saying that!) at 18.6PPG, with a +58 point differential. Good news for Miami, rookie LT Austin Jackson has returned to practice. In his stead, veteran Jesse Davis has performed admirably.
The Dolphins offense will be somewhat of a mess due to the fact that their leading rusher Myles Gaskin is OUT and 3 week IR and it looks likely that backup Matt Breida (hamstring) may also be out or limited. That leaves only Jordan Howard (break in case of emergency), Patrick Laird and Savon Ahmed. I haven’t seen an injury report regarding FB Chandler Cox yet, and there’s always a chance both Malcolm Perry and Lynn Bowden get some touches in the backfield. We’re going to have to see more of Tua in this game, and I hope he’s up for the task. I know he has the talent and the confidence so let’s see some more of him please. I was perfectly fine with how things played out last week, there was no need to put any burden on Tua, the defense and ST’s like the wonderful 88 yard return for a TD last week, along with the Van Ginkel fumble recovery for a TD, but that won’t happen every week, and with the run game being at a huge deficit, it may be Tua time this week. Will #88 ever be a big part of the gameplan? I surely hope so, like Sonny said in “A Bronx Tale”, “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever” Let’s make the right choice and get #88 the damn football!
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Glad we are finally eating clock
You are eating Waht ??
Coz isn’t even playing dude…
Eau contraire mon ami
I see that now
I don’t know how I missed the cox
Nice play
Howard sucks, we have no running game
I love our TE trio.
Tua’s looking great!
Man oh man we are liking those TEs today!!
3rd read and a dart
TD
Howard from 2 yds out is ok, cuz that’s as far as he can run anyway. lol
There’s the Howard power.
Tua looking really good this drive.
My squiggly stood up
ORob
Keep criticizing the running game please
I Know! I critcized Tua and he came alive! i have hacked their headset!
Try this
“We can’t create any turnovers on defense”
LOL
OK nice drive, Tua’s first earned score
Nice Coxblock
Did you see Cox blow up the hole! ??
Well done offense!
Nice drive and fantasy points courtesy of Howard
🤬
Cox opening holes
That drive was ‘choppy’ but it went the length of the field which is what we really needed to see from this offense.
I’m just happy that our defense got a rest
Just having a fullback on the roster makes me happy. LOL
The Baker is back
As an Oakland A’s fan, who took Murray with #6 overall pick in MLB draft..
.. I wouldn’t mind seeing our D rough him up today.:/
Nice to see Backer back out there!
That’s why they call him “backer”
TE Shaheen was open for a TD but Tua threw too high.
Doesn’t count. We still scored a TD on the drive. LOL 😉
this seems to be a barn burner
I believe Kyle Murray doesn’t feel super comfortable today. I like it!
Byron Jones burned!
That’s a very nice throw
Uhhhh that’s not good.
Wow, that was a beautiful throw! Looked comfortable there. 😎
dang, my 23-20 score prediction might be the halftime score
Murray can throw a deep ball
Time for Tua to answer with TD number Tua…
It’s going to be a game, folks.
Dallas up 10-0 on Pitt
Jones was abused. Murray has improved massively over a year.
That was the worst play of byron Jones’s career.
too easy, that is the problem with zero coverage, no help deep, you can’t let the rec get behind the D
Tua’s throwing darts!
That’s what happens to cover zero, but that’s Ok, if we win on it 8 out of 10 times.
Tua loves Williams
are they just going to keep running that play
go dallas!
Ahmed has some great highlights film
whoa!! look at this kid go!
nice run, he needs to put that ball in the other hand
I really hope they run a trap with admiral achmed
Ahmed = Ackmed ??
He looks okay
Announcers are saying it wrong… it’s ah-med … like “say AH” and “take your med” 🙂
TD!
Nice !!!
Williams!!!!!!!!
He’s going to get Williams to the pro bowl
Too funny , as they went to commercial were playing Hawaii 50 theme … oh Tua , Duh I get it now
Well there’s that!
THE BARNS ON FIRE!
Another nice drive.
Williams making up for last week
And limping off
DEFENSE!!!!!
Looking forward to Tua’s first 300 yard game
Preston just standing there in space like he was waiting for a bus … didn’t even have to ‘get’ open.
Yet he still caught it 😱
This Tua kid ain’t half bad………
3 more points by AZ and I’ll have predicted the score😏
Sanders almost kicks a field goal every kickoff.
Let’s get a STOP … change the flow of this game.
THAT LOOKED LIKE HOLDING
Murray has amazing feet.
I wish we still had Ford now
WTF?? going for it on 4th and 10??
who’s the rec we got off suspension? i wonder if we will see him now that williams is hurt?
Calllaway
Aiight 21-17 game over I win.
LMAO, that only works on election night. 😉
Wait until you hear the shit coming thru the pipes. Trump we be president again.
We may never see a kickoff return ever again….
Big Ben limping into locker room. 1:10 left in half but …..
Awesome play by Tua
Tua looking like the game is ‘slowing down’ for him
That was dumb
3rd and forever
Tua still figuring it out.
dang, that possession soured in a hurry
Calloway isn’t active
Not sure about all of you but I feel like our team is in the mix and ready to play every week. Enjoying this game and seeing Tua having to step up.
Is his name Gue Jay Hill?
let’s get another score!
We started at 4:25 but we are going into the half at the same time as Pitt/Dallas
The game is moving fast
13-9 Dallas at the 1/2
Get 3 at the least.
Tua is small when hit.
What a horrible play call there
damn, that was ugly
Sweet!!!
OMFG, Sanders is a machine!!!
Puhyaaaaaaaa!
new record with a new record!
YESSSSS!!!! Love it!!!
I told you sanders could kick a FG from kickoff territory.
We might not win this game, but we are showing more and more that we belong, and we can hang with anybody.
I agree. This is the same team that beat a really good Seattle team…without Russ giving them the game with TOs. We are doing a great job and the offense has been good today.
considering how Cards and Murray possessions looked like a track meet, Fins had a good first half.
2nd half adjustments are key for both teams. This is a very good football game. Enjoy!
I like how Tua has spread it around. 15 passes to 7 receivers.
That long field might be a difference maker in this kind of game
They have Hopkins, Fitz, and the kid at WR. That’s a lot of talent outside to contend with..