The summer, for all intents and purposes, is over. Sad times for me, but the saving grace is always that with the end of summer comes the beginning of a new NFL season. That time has now arrived, and while in the north east, you can still wear shorts and a t-shirt, the “catch some rays” mindset is gone, and Sunday has become the most important day. Well sort of, and I only say that because the NFL has chosen to saturate and litter the week with games on Thursday, Sunday, Sunday Night and and then again on Monday Night. Which game is supposed to be the marquis matchup? The NFL doesn’t even know anymore. Regardless, Dolphins fans, Sunday is approaching, and we’ll get a look at our new squad against a very familiar squad, our division foe New England Patriots. Over the last 5 seasons, the Dolphins have won 6 and lost 4, but more recently, the Dolphins swept both games last season, 17-16 opening day, and then 33-24 in the season finale.
If I’m going to be perfectly honest, I’m not really sure what to expect from our team, mostly from the offensive side of the team. Will we still be a pass dominant team with Mike McDaniel? When we run the ball, will Chase Edmonds get the majority of carries, or will we be splitting it among 3 or 4 guys, including Raheem Mostert, Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed? Will the Dolphins be able to get the ball to speed merchant Tyreek Hill downfield? Jaylen Waddle caught 104 balls last season, will he still be a high volume receiver? TE Mike Gesicki was 2nd in targets (112) to Waddle’s (140), will he get even half as many this season? This game alone won’t tell the entire story because you gameplan against a specific opponent each and every week in the NFL. The funny thing is after watching (some) of the Bills vs Rams game, I see that the Bills just do the same thing every week and beat you. That’s when you know have an elite offense when you dictate the terms, and you don’t need to alter the gameplan to match up to a particular opponent.
I expect the defense to give the Patriots a tough time, I don’t expect any letdown on that side of the ball. I actually feel like we might have a special defense this season, and I think the NFL is kind of sleeping on us in that regard. The one caveat is that we’re out one of our top starters at CB, Byron Jones until week 5, so someone is going to have to step up and solidify that spot. Noah Igbinoghene will probably be that guy on the boundary while Nik Needham remains mostly inside. If Iggy struggles, there are a few guys who may get an opportunity, such as Keion Crossen and UDFA Kader Kohou, already somewhat of a fan fave. The Dolphins have relied on having that stout secondary with Howard and Jones at CB, so it will be interesting to see if we make some adjustments early on to protect the secondary by being less aggressive with blitzes which can leave DB’s vulnerable if they get burned. We have quietly added some nice veteran players to rush the passer and defend the edge such as Melvin Ingram and Trey Flowers. LB Jaelan Phillips is poised to have a great season and build on the success he had late in the season. DE’s Emmanuel Ogbah and Christian Wilkins were about as consistent as can be, and both had very good seasons last year. I believe that both Ogbah and Phillips will both have double digit sack counts this season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Phillips exceeded 15. He just has such athletic ability, size, speed and a pretty good repertoire of pass rush moves for a young player.
Game 1 will be the first time we see WR Jaylen Waddle in game action. He may be the lucky recipient of a lot more one on one coverage, unless NE plays zone coverage, which is definitely a possibility. In any case, Waddle is just coming off a leg injury, so there may be a snap count for him, it’s a long season. Cedrick Wilson Jr., who came over from the Cowboys may see a lot of looks, especially if the defense gives Hill and Waddle extra attention. Perhaps the rookie Erik Ezukanma gets some playing time Sunday as well, especially if Waddle is limited. The biggest question of all and the most important one, is will the O-line be improved, will Tua have more time, and can the O-line give our RB’s some space to run. I realize that’s more than one question, but it’s really all one question, can the O-line get it done after struggling so much last season. Terron Armstead and Connor Williams will help that cause significantly, as and year LG is now surrounded by better players and can just focus on doing his own job. RT Austin Jackson will have the benefit of playing next to RG Robert Hunt who may have been the Dolphins best offensive lineman last season.
I think the Dolphins will win on Sunday, I think we’re the better team. The Patriots WR corps will have starters DeVante Parker and Nelson Agholor. We know Parker better than anyone, and know what he’s capable of and how he will be used, but when DeVante is healthy, he can still dominate. Damien Harris led the Pats last season with 202 carries for 929 yards and a ridiculous 15 TD’s. Rhamondre Stevenson got more action later in the season and proved to be a load to bring down. Both rushers averaged over 4.5YPC. The Patriots also use their two TE’s they picked up last offseason, Johnnu Smith and Hunter Henry, and the latter gets the majority of the targets. I think the Patriots will try to keep the ball away from our offense by running the ball as much as possible. If the Patriots have 40 or more rushes, that will probably mean we had a bad day, so let’s hope our run defense is up to the task. I think the additions of Ingram and Flowers will help defend the run and I think Elandon Roberts may have a ton of tackles. We know Raekwon Davis has lost a lot of weight, and while that may help his speed, it may not help him anchor the D-line, so they may be running right at Davis, which means #52 may be really busy!
#stangerstrong
GO DOLPHINS!!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Congrats Herd! Great win!!!
https://twitter.com/SportAnalyticz/status/1568720196864561152?s=20&t=tb90R6mF-o29d5Ge068NcQ
I knew buying a Herd jersey would work
You called it! 😂
Go HERD!!!
LOL
LOL, savage
App State beats Tex A&M!!!
ok
very cool
Not as impresive as the Herds win. but it’s still a W!
a W is a W.
You have to beat the teams on your schedule.
Solid Victory.
Howie’s List
🗿 : 27 – 17 🐬
🦘 : 34 – 14 🐬
💰 : 26 – 23 🐬
🇨🇦 : 41 – 10 🐬
🏝 : 27 – 17 🐬
🐬 : 48 – 10 🐬
🦍 : 27-13 🐬
🤠 : 31 – 12 🐬
🌞 : 38 – 10 🐬
🇬🇧 38 – 16 🐬
🐝 : 21 – 17🐬
🦬: 34-20🐬
🐷: 38-14 🐬
✋️ : 27-20 🐬
🪨 : 31-17 🐬
🏈 : 31-24 🐬
Okay I’m ready. 34-16 Phins!
Howie’s List
🗿 : 27 – 17 🐬
🦘 : 34 – 14 🐬
💰 : 26 – 23 🐬
🇨🇦 : 41 – 10 🐬
🏝 : 27 – 17 🐬
🐬 : 48 – 10 🐬
🦍 : 27-13 🐬
🤠 : 31 – 12 🐬
🌞 : 38 – 10 🐬
🇬🇧 38 – 16 🐬
🐝 : 21 – 17🐬
🦬: 34-20🐬
🐷: 38-14 🐬
✋️ : 27-20 🐬
🪨 : 31-17 🐬
🏈 : 31-24 🐬
⚔️ : 34-16 🐬
Can I have my cat back on that list? The Roo is still lost(searching for a paddock).
🐱 🐈 🐈⬛
Which one?
Congrats Herd, on beating my Fighting Irish!
Thank you! Big win for the Herd!
Nice eating a meal where I caught everything (shrimp, bay scallops and Mangrove Snapper. Yummy!
Having watched many YouTube videos of Aussies (I see ya, Uwant) catching and cooking, I can’t wait to do as much myself. I think that would be grand fun!
Nice!
Howie’s List
🗿 : 27 – 17 🐬
🐱 : 34 – 14 🐬
💰 : 26 – 23 🐬
🇨🇦 : 41 – 10 🐬
🏝 : 27 – 17 🐬
🐬 : 48 – 10 🐬
🦍 : 27-13 🐬
🤠 : 31 – 12 🐬
🌞 : 38 – 10 🐬
🇬🇧 38 – 16 🐬
🐝 : 21 – 17🐬
🦬: 34-20🐬
🐷: 38-14 🐬
✋️ : 27-20 🐬
🪨 : 31-17 🐬
🏈 : 31-24 🐬
⚔️ : 34-16 🐬
Thanks, Herd for the right cat. Also on the great win today. You kicked their butts.
“I feel I’m a tackle. I know I’m a tackle.”
– Austin Jackson
BB Mike and Tim,
This is one such video I was talking about above. This day it’s lobster… and I’m now officially HANGRY! YUMMY!
Ha! That’s like a 6 foot hero. LOL
LOL
TIM; That’s a great picture of my first Mother-in-Law!
LOL @ OD
BELATED congrats to Herd and all Marshall alums for beating Notre Dum 26-21 today!!! Gotta be Marshall’s biggest win since the days of Pennington and Randy Moss!!
WOW,WOW.WOW!!!!
In a game delayed about 2 hours because of lightning, FAU leads S.E. Louisiana 28-3 at halftime. The Owls will have to play better next week if they’re going to have a chance against SON’s UCF team.
——-
Me & Mrs. OD will be getting a full night’s sleep in preparation for tomorrow’s opening game versus the CHEATRIOTS. Looking at Miami’s first four games, THIS ONE is a MUST WIN CONTEST for the Fins!!
OD – Do we have a bet or not?
BBM – Just came back from Steinhatchee. Now I. Emerald Isle. Scallops and fresh fish. Can’t beat.
Shit – that is some James Joyce stream of consciousness typing.
Officiating in NCAAF is so bad, they’ll call anything. SC at Stanford 2 horrible PIs just called back to back, second call they said foul occurred in the endzone, neither the defender nor the WR was anywhere near the EZ
PHELON–MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOU TURNED DOWN ALL MY BETTING OFFERS. — DID I MISS ANOTHER OFFER?
PHELON-To refresh your memory, I predicted that Miami will NOT win any playoff games this season. I also stated IF Miami did make the playoffs, they would do so as a road team and would host NO PLAYOFF GAMES this season.
SO, you’ve got 2 opportunities: Bet me on whether or not Miami WILL WIN A PLAYOFF GAME THIS SEASON — AND/or THE DOLPHINS WILL HOST A PLAYOFF GAME THIS SEASON.
out for tonight.
Lol at OD pushing hard on sucker bets
College football is all about the QB, moreso than even the NFL, Notre Dame shitty QB 0-2, Texas backup qb couldn’t move lost to Bama, UM has a qb 2-0, SC new qb gitter done qb 2-0
Never forget!
IT’S GAME DAY BITCHES!!!!!
GO DOLPHINS!!!!!!!!!
Laissez les bons temps rouler
94 is underrated.
Our whole DL is underrated.
Phelon, nice! Hope you enjoyed it. I love Steinhatchee. It’s only 12 miles or so south of Keaton Beach where we stay. There are no restaurants in Keaton Beach so every now and then we will head down to Steinhatchee for dinner. That is also where I caught all my shrimp. Went down there in the boat after getting my limit in scallops to my secret spot and limited out on 20-25 count shrimp with a few jumbos thrown in. That whole area is a great near shore fishery.
If you want a charter to take you out to deeper water, this woman is the bomb! Melissa Fain will get you on some big grouper and works real hard to get you on fish. Once you limit out, she is getting you rigged up for something else.
https://www.goodtimecharters.net/meet-the-captain
Though you are looking at 30-60 mile boat ride because the gulf is so shallow around there.
It’s cool that you do that scallop hunt thing.
I’ve never gathered scallops.
Is it easy? Can you rent a boat with a guide?
That whole Big Bend region is a little known jewel and a very special ecosystem.
Hardly anybody lives there.
I mean compared to the mega cities on the rest of the Florida coast.
I don’t think most of the rest of the US even knows about it.
We have stopped in to Cedar Key from time to time over the years,
always on the way North,
just to eat the Award-winning clam chowder @ Tony’s
and as much other seafood as we can stuff in.
That area was s still old Florida.
yep
It’s the “back way” to Tallahassee, hang a left at Perry.
What does all this over under stuff even mean?
Like when they say the over under for the game is 54.5,
what does that mean?
Combined points scored. You bet over if you think the number will be higher, under if lower.
M13, this is one of the guys I subscribe to. I am not in the keys very often, but I like his videos. He was a fishing and spear fishing charter captain. He has gotten so popular, he just recently changed to just spear fishing charters.
Dude is living the life.
I’ve seen him free dive 80+ feet.
Roasted Chowda on the menu!
yeahhh
Tony’s clam chowder from Cedar Key FL has beaten all the New England chowders in competitions several times over the years.
Naples, that charter I listed does scallop trips also but there are many to choose from and some that specialize in scalloping like Seahag. I think it’s best to get one that will take you to get your limit on scallops then put you on some fish for a full day of fun.
Scalloping is very easy depending on how close they are in and the tide level. Many times you are in just 4-5 feet of water. You just snorkel around in the clear water and pick them up off the bottom.
We carry spears with us also in case we swim over a big flounder we can gig.
Lots of fun, IMO.
gonna have to try that some day soon … isn’t there a scallop season though?
hey Miami
we’ll do our best to keep the lightning over here on the West Coast where it belongs.
That way the patsies can enjoy the soggy wet heat all afternoon.
He’s got us figured out!!!
https://www.patriots.com/video/belestrator-defending-against-tyreek-hill-and-the-dolphins-running-backs
For those who didn’t like the casting for GoT and Rings of Power.
https://quillette.com/2022/09/07/the-infantilization-of-culture-and-history/
WELL,PHELON, I take your lack of a response to my 11:57 PM offer late last night to mean we do NOT have a bet regarding the Dolphins for the upcoming season. Smart move on your part.
———
ONCE, AGAIN, Ross has selected to approve the hiring of a coach who has NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE as an NFL head coach AND, of course, has no prior head coaching experience winning NFL playoff games.
——–
EVERY DOLPHINS’ HEAD COACH who has won a playoff game HAD PRIOR EXPERIENCE winning playoff games as a head coach at another franchise. Those who completely ignore history tend to suffer because of it! It is a FACT that Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt all were head coaches at other NFL franchises and WON NFL PLAYOFF GAMES at those franchises before signing on as head coaches at Miami.
——-
Now I’M NOT SAYING EVERY HEAD COACHING CANDIDATE who is hired by Miami MUST HAVE prior success at winning playoff games. But couldn’t Ross have hired JUST ONE CANDIDATE who had this prior playoff success on his resume?? – – The results speak for themselves!! Miami WILL NOT win a playoff game this season, too!
HOWEVER, Miami WILL WIN TODAY’S GAME, as I previously predicted. GO FINS!!!
Naples – Over/under 54.5 total points scored in the game by both teams
t/y
I understand that now, but isn’t that just a worthless coincidence?
I think betting is completely out of control Naples. You can bet on just about anything within the game. How many yards rushing a player will get, how many INT’s a QB will throw, just about anything. I went to a couple of Mets games, one in NY and one in Philly, the betting sites have their hooks in professional sports to an obscene amount. Even during broadcasts there are constant references (for example) like you can bet $400 now on the Mets (score tied 1-1 in the 6th inning) to win $500. They have no shame!
Phelon – It’s offensive how inoffensive people try to be. lol
BBM – Those spear fishing videos are pretty cool!
Come on down!
The Gameday blog is up. I guess we’ll head over there when the game starts
Locked and Loaded
Laundry is sorted and ready to go!
Same! I saved it for today! 🏈🐬🧺🍹
Trying to not hold my breath for an hour and a half.
Noah I. made the roster just to be inactive all season…lol
Flowers and EZ are a surprise, Rowe hurts
Is that an injury for Rowe or is that bc everyone else played well
I’m in the Brandon Jones fan club
My thoughts too, Steve.
Piggy, Rowe is an injury inactive.
I’m watching in the comfort of my home but…
Have you guys ever seen a photo of slatterys without scaffolding?
No matter what, Slattery’s to me probably looks similar to what Theon Greyjoy thinks of Ramsey Bolton’s stables. lol
bummed that Flowers and Ezukanma are inactive,
but does this mean Cracraft IS active?
I’m still not sure how this “promoted on game day” rule works.
Brandon Jones gave up like 138 point something passer rating in his area last season even though he led our team in sacks. He has been working on it according to an interview with him but he was scary on the backside.
Who else are they going to target in our secondary?
Well
x to snowman!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(whew)
Hill was open but Tua missed him.
FB sighting
Tua needs to put some air under that to the FB.
ok
Everybody’s learning.
https://twitter.com/theflyingpig44/status/1569013896484163587?s=21
No first down draw play from the shotgun
I already like the offense better
So far this defense is a rollercoaster of emotions
Holland should not fair catch the ball inside the 10 though, right?
would be huge to get a TD here.
Lousaka Polite for the first down.
I love the FB run to covert!
More!
Damn Jackson is down
too many free runners against us
Woohoooopoo!
Deeeeeefensssssse!
Brandon Jones fan club oinking away!
Yea baby !!
Some days it’s fun to watch games with a Pats fan 👍🤡
There’s a car fire in the hard rock parking lot
Cethan Carter hurt bad.
Kohou with a great open field tackle
Kohouuuuuuuuuuuu
(Blowing in a conch)
Kohouuuuuuuuuuuu
Waddle!!!!
Burrow with 3 INTs already
🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧
Flores doesn’t make that call
Archuleta eats his words.
You rarely see that kind of comic timing
Pretty sweet game so far. Love watching SB teams look awful but hate how good Bills look. Would be nice to get another win on Belichick in Miami.
13-18 179 yards 1 td
And something around 120 passer rating too
Mac Jones on the other hand…
Sad trumpets
You guys need to advance to the game day blog. Get on the same page.