The last week of the 2020 NFL Regular season is upon us, and no matter what the outcome of our game versus the Buffalo Bills is, I’m thankful for our Dolphins for giving us a great season. Whether we win or lose, make the playoffs or don’t make the playoffs, I think I’d be hard pressed to find a Dolphins fan that feels that this 2020 team didn’t exceed their expectations. This team had a bumpy start but once we got rolling, we have been an ultra competitive team. Our worst loss was the first game of the season against the Patriots losing by 10 points. Since then, our loss to the Seahawks in Week 4 was our 2nd worst losing by 8. Our seasons point differential is +96. We are the #1 scoring defense (points allowed) at 18.8 in the NFL. If I told any of you we’d be traveling to Buffalo Week 17 with a 10-5 record as the #5 seed in the AFC, there’s not one of you who wouldn’t be thrilled with those circumstances.
I’m not going to bore with you with last week’s theatrics, we won a game we had no business winning but we did win, and now we live to fight another day. Coach Brian Flores has already decided that Tua Tagovailoa is the starter. Is this decision made for this week or for the future as well? I’d say in some ways it’s probably both, but I also believe that Flores believes Tua is his best QB. I don’t think Flores is a puppet and no one is pulling his strings. He’s making the personnel decisions and he’s declared Tua is the QB. Once again, I mean absolutely no disrespect to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick but there is a fine line between Fitzmagic and Fitztragic. He’s a gambler, and as everyone knows, sometimes ya win and sometimes ya lose. I’m going to enlighten some of you here, so be prepared. Over Ryan Fitzpatrick’s career, his TD% is 4.4 and his INT% is 3.3. Tua Tagovailoa in his short career has a TD% of 4.3 and an INT% of 0.9%. This doesn’t tell the entire story, and there are many metrics to look at, but I think Flores wants a player that’s careful with the football, and Tua Tagovailoa is that guy. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t be better, he can, and hopefully Sunday he will be.
The Bills are 12-3 for a reason. The best teams in the NFL score points, and the Bills are the 4th best scoring offense at 29.7 PPG. Their passing offense is #2 in the NFL throwing for 4,398 yards. Josh Allen is having a monster year, completing 69.1 % of his passes with 4,320 yards with 34 TD’s and just 9 INT’s. The Bills defense is stingier giving up yards than our Dolphins as they are ranked at the #10 defense in the NFL but they are allowing nearly a TD more per game than our defense. Their rushing attack is on par with our own rushing attack and they have used a 1-2 punch with Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. They are 19th in the league rushing and we are 22nd. The problem is their rushing attack doesn’t stop with these 2. QB Josh Allen is a legitimate weapon with over 4oo yards rushing and 8 rushing TD’s. When they’re in the red zone, you have to account for the QB running as well.
On the injury front, we know that LB Elandon Roberts is OUT along with Jakeem Grant. Practicing on a limited basis were WR DeVante Parker, OL Solomon Kindley and S Bobby McCain. McCain is not a threat to miss the game. Both TE Mike Gesicki and G Ereck Flowers were both FULL participants. That’s good news. I think Elandon Roberts is done for the season and that’s unfortunate. He wouldn’t be getting as many snaps this week anyway because the Bills throw the ball more. Can we talk about a Dolphins defender who gets very little ink in NFL circles? #55, Jerome Baker is having a great season. He leads the Dolphins with 108 tackles, he has 11 QB hits, 7 tackles for a loss along with 7 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. This really is a no-name defense, with the exception of X who is known league wide. So many contributors including lesser known Zach Sieler, Elandon Roberts, Eric Rowe, Andrew Van Ginkel, rookie Raekwon Davis, Christian Wilkins, Nik Needham and a guy who leads the Dolphins in sacks, Emmanuel Ogbah. Hope Ogbah can be the first Dolphins defender since Cam Wake to have double digit sacks with a great game against the Bills. We need to take Josh Allen down! Hopefully Shaq Lawson can make it for this game, although AVG certainly made his presence felt.
In summation, I think it’s important to have the right perspective. The Dolphins are a team on the rise, no question about it. We have built a team so quickly it’s shocking. We are set up to have another strong draft and a top 5 draft pick which currently stands at #3. Once again we have TWO 1st RD picks and TWO 2nd RD picks, most likely 4 in the top 60. We also have a fair amount of cap space ($32M) as well to fill in Free Agency. The future looks so much brighter than we could have imagined. I didn’t expect us to be at 10-5 going into the last week of the NFL season. I didn’t expect our team to be this good, this fast. Whatever happens this weekend, the future is bright my friends, enjoy it!
GO DOLPHINS!!!!
Happy New Year!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
RIP Floyd Little and Phil Niekro recently
^
Floyd Little was a New Haven Connecticut sports legend
CARRY-OVER from prior page:
HOWIE’s List;
OD 20-17 Mia
Pigs 35-17 Mia
ANOTHER CARRY-OVER:
ATTENTION HERD !!!!
Mrs. OD is ALREADY doing her first load of LAUNDRY !!!
Olave looks like he can crate the separation we need
Piggy, he is good. I don’t think he will wow you with speed but what sets him apart is he is right up there with Smith and Waddle in his route running. One of the top in that regard. I think he will be a mid-second rounder right along side you other guy St. Brown,
I would be very happy if we landed St Brown and Olave in the 2nd round
I like waddle, smith and chase
But I do think we can spend our first rounders on other positions and then double down in the 2nd
Throw Toney and Marshall in that group of potential 2nd round WRs – I expect a good group to pick from
My feeling is if we come out playing hard like we want it, and keep up that intensity all through the first half, the Bills will relent and pull their starters and we’ll win this one and get ourselves a well earned playoff berth
I hope so MIke. I am feeling queasy about the game today. If we score first today, after choosing to kick then I will feel better.
I am not posting a prediction today on Howie’s List. I feel that Buff has the much better QB.
D, you have me thinking. If we did draft TE Pitts, with his freak abilities, it would allow us to keep 4 TE’s and just 5 WR’s if we wanted to go that route. I do see Pitts as a luxury pick which, at this point, we could afford to do and not hurt our draft so I did a mock with that in mind.
3. Kyle Pitts TE, Florida
23. Najee Harris RB, Alabama
35. Kadarius Toney WR, Florida
55. Landon Dickerson IOL, Alabama
86. Christian Barmore IDL, Alabama
124. Caden Sterns S, Texas
194. Patrick Johnson EDGE, Tulane
204. Marquez Stevenson WR, Houston
252. Pooka Williams RB, Kansas
Yes, I know Barmore will get taken earlier so insert Slaton.
I still like mine with DeVonta Smith, lol
Brian Flores:
“We’re not worried about the weather, we’ve got bigger worries with Allen and Diggs….If we are worried about the weather at this point we are in trouble. “
Rock, BUF has the better QB up until now, but . . .
But what?! Come on man, don’t leave me hanging!? We gonna draft a better one?
😉
Looks like we have Parker, Lawson and Kindley
I would have two girls from Tooties rubbing Parker’s hamstrings right now!
Mack Hollands is the MVP of last week IMO. He threw TWO critical blocks on Gaskin’s TD run and caught that blindly thrown duck from Fitz. (great throw for what it was, being placed blindly in that spot, but man it was a duck)
D, looks like we are in the viewing area for the game!
Fuck, just got a bond I have to do in the next county. Going to miss whole first half. I hate this job!
ONLY TWO of youz guyz and galz makin’ a game score prediction??
UNBELIEVABLE !!!
Time to get it done
No wonder Parker is active today
Go Phins!!!!
Reid Sinnett is the backup QB today.
Please play with confidence today Tua. This team needs you today.
What happened to Rudock?
he DIDN’T “Go with the ‘FLO’ !!
inactive today.
Time to separate the men from the Bills.
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT, YET MOSTLY OVERLOOKED, FACTOR IN THIS GAME ???
EASY ANSWER.
BRIAN FLORES IS THE BEST HEAD COACH IN THE NFL RIGHT NOW!!
20-17, MIAMI !!!!!
OD, can’t do predictions anymore. Call me superstitious
SUPERSTITIOUS ???
Hey, Mike, we’re the ones DOIN’ THE LAUNDRY !!!
🤞
DAMN!!! $10K per Yard Davante! Go and get it!
He should be inspired
Like I said, I would have had 4 girls from Tootsies messaging those hammies (not our local hammy)
Rudock is inactive.
Bowden is probably the real backup.
Pretty sure that means Rudock is designated the emergency QB unless they changed that rule.
That rule is no more
Hulk getting nervous no used to meaningful football in week 17
Let’s git Er Dun
Elephant Rider approves this post
White is also out for Bills. 👍
Left Ravens/Bengals with Dallas on quick flip previous, Center Fins/Bills, right Steelers/Browns
Here we go…
Good luck to Mike E and ER in the FMU Finals today
Doesn’t look like crackstreams is working
They started Allen to run the wildcat?
CavalierKong says:
January 3, 2021 at 12:39 pm (Edit)
Time to separate the men from the Bills.
Or in my case, the darks from the whites! That sounds really bad doesn’t it? Got the laundry started!
Go Dolphins!
RVG
Having serious internet issues here today.
We need middle pressure
Van Ginkled
RIP
I think this is a pick
That is an int
That’s a pick
Giants TD
Then second toe dragged – should be an INT
Woot woot
And oink
Game streak with TO intact
Wohoo – interception
Jones finally earned his contract
Td Browns BOOOOO
Browns just scored
Ravens 7 min drive limited to FG
Ken
Jones has been great all year
I think he has been disappointing. He has given up some big plays.
He doesn’t make big plays, he’s shuts down receivers
I don’t even think it’s close – he’s played exceptional all year
One of the best CBs in the league
The reason QBs keep throwing at X is Bc they are avoiding him
Algholor repeatedly schooled him last week and we are not talking about an elite WR
Tee Higgins looks like he blew a hammyv
That 2nd down snap
Ughhh
🙌
How does Edmunds go untouched?
Some terrible blocking today. Sewell’s the name, right?
Yep
Hunt with a rookie mistake.
Defense forced a worthless timeout.
6-3 Giants
Fuck TD Ravens
And a punt
Having a difficult time with streaming today
I switched. First one was way behind. My issue is internet going out all day! Seems better now.
I’m using nflbite
Crackstreams doesn’t even show up
Piggy:
Don’t get me wrong Jones is a good CB but he is not worth the money he is paid. He is not the best CB in football and he is not the best on this team
I think you are dead wrong about him
He’s one of the reasons we have been successful this year on defense
If you have a solid cover corner like that it frees you up for so much up front
I agree. He may not get a lot of INT but he defends a lot of passes
Parker is going to lose money with efforts like that
Not a great punt
Haack with a cold ball punt.
Lots not to like on that series (including the punt)
Not a good punt
Wtf
Defensive score would be great right now.
I hear you
But I would really like to see Tua engineer a TD drive or Tua
I get that but would take some pressure off. Moot point now. 😂
Impressive defense so far today
Especially on 3rd down
Well that punt sux
Why do they get the good punts?
🐖💨
Yikes Perry lacks experience back there.
Wasn’t a bad decision, just a shitty bounce
Surprised he is back there , as I think he’d be next up at QB if anything happens
Grind em out drive coming
I hope so
What kind of play call is that
I vote dumb
Have we drafted the new OC yet ?
Terrible play calling
Bengals INT take over a midfield
And they punt
I’m getting the sense that the bills will start to rest people. First up will be Josh Allen. Every hit on him is gonna make it happen sooner.
Yeah anytime now , he just set Bills record for yardage ?
That want the single season mark
What was a QB sneak supposed to accomplish?
Ok so Allen has the record. The y should get him out now.
Gailey needs to get his head out of his rump and call a game.
Crap
That sucked
Browns 1st and goal
MFF with a knockdown
Tchit.
Held to FG 10-0 browns
Why is Diggs flossing ??
That route looked familiar 🤔
This offense is super anemic.
And bad
Gotta thrown it down field
Lot of plays scripted that eliminate that possibility
I do not feel better.
Anyone have any Dramamine?
Or better yet some Drama-Mine
Nice throw in 3-11 by Rudolph for 1st
Can we fire Gailey at halftime?
They have to open up the field. If they believe in Tua, they have to let him sling it some. This offense is easy as hell to read.
That play to Shaheen is a nice play design and was productive
But everything we do plays like that we take opportunities for Tua to sit in the pocket and throw downfield away
How many chances has he had to set his feet and throw it today?
2 or 3?
This is bad
We need a defensive score to change this momentum.
Thats a horrible call
He’s not a QB
Holding all day but I guess that’s okay
Their WR giving themselves up quickly