I have flip flopped on what the content of this article would be today. I went from just posting the Dolphins vs Patriots graphic and just leaving a line stating this team isn’t worth my efforts (they’re not!) so until they actually win, I’m not writing a full article. Then my thought was I’ll just purge my disappointment and anger towards the team in a scathing article detailing their failures and shortcomings. Then I decided to be better, and just do it right, or at least as right as I can be.
This is going to be a tough matchup for us this week. The Patriots have lost 2 games in a row in horrible fashion, one on the last play of the game knotted in a 20-20 tie and heading for overtime, unless the Patriots decide to actually run a play instead of taking a knee. Not only do they run a play, a handoff to RB Rhamondre Stevenson, who actually manages to get about 20 yards upfield, but then laterals to WR Jakobi Meyers who then must have been thinking about the Miami Miracle, because he decides to throw a lateral pass back towards the line of scrimmage, where QB Mac Jones was not at all expecting such a thing, and the throw was short and off target to Raiders DE Chandler Jones who makes the catch, and then promptly stiff arms bewildered QB Mac Jones who gets run over as Jones rumbles into the endzone with the game winning TD. This shouldn’t have happened, especially with disciplined HC Bill Belichick.
The next loss was just as difficult to swallow, for different reasons. The Patriots were on their way to recording an impressive comeback against a quality Cincinnati Bengals team, scoring 12 4th QTR points to close to 22-18. The Patriots drove the ball all the way to the Bengals 5 yard line in the final minute only to have RB Rhamondre Stevenson fumble and the Bengals hold on to win, 22-18. That’s probably one frustrated, angry Head Coach. Our Head Coach, Mike McDaniel had his team shut out in the 2nd half against a midpack Green Bay Packers defense. 3 INT’s will do that, but it does seem as if the NFL has caught up to Mike McDaniel in the adjustment department, while during the losing streak, we just can’t finish a game in the 2nd half after teams have made adjustments.
Our team is banged up, most notably our concussed starting QB Tua Tagovailoa who is OUT this weekend, and possible more, we have to wait on that answer. QB Teddy Bridgewater will start with rookie QB Skylar Thompson serving as his backup. Bridgewater is a capable QB, definitely one of the better backups in the NFL. He has been taking all the first team practice snaps so he should be totally prepared. It would be ideal if we had both RB’s healthy, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Raheem Mostert. I’d prefer not to need Teddy B slinging 50 passes on Sunday. I’d love to see the run game working, although LT Terron Armstead has at least 3 ailments which could keep him from playing, hip, toe and pectoral injuries that will have him QUESTIONABLE for Sunday. RT Brandon Shell is also injured (shoulder), so the O-line is compromised. Our secondary, which is already down so many players including S Brandon Jones, CB Byron Jones and CB Nik Needham, now has LCB Xavien Howard ailing with a knee injury suffered in practice. X has been dealing with groin injuries all season long.
It appears that a victory against the New England Patriots this Sunday is not imperative, the Dolphins could potentially just need to defeat the NY Jets in Week 18. This is specifically talking about the necessities of gaining a playoff berth. If the Dolphins lose this Sunday, why on earth anyone would expect us to beat the Jets is beyond me. The Dolphins have won the last 4 against the Patriots, and 7 of the last 10. This one is going to be very tough though, Bill Belichick’s team is playing for a playoff spot, and will need 2 consecutive victories against AFC East rival Dolphins and Bills to get in. You can hate him, but he’s a Hall of Fame HC, and the Sith Lord will likely have some surprises up his sleeve for our young HC to deal with. Let’s hope Mike McD is up to the task!
#stangerstrong
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
I accidentally deleted the last blog, and I figured out how to restore it, but no comments can be made on that article any longer. Whoops!!! Tech-challenged Mike was just happy he was able to restore the article in the first place. 🙂
Thanks Mike! I was wondering what happened. lol
Thanks for taking the time to write this. It’s difficult and agree with you. I would have done 50 mock drafts by now but seems to be a waste of time.
Son, that FSU game was fun to watch. Glad they pulled it out. Jordan Travis looked good and so did Jammie Robinson on defense.
With players opting out to prepare for the draft, it’s hard to figure who is going to win some of these games.
Both OU starting tackles opted out. There was a LB on FSU I liked but I can’t remember his name.
That was a fun game. ND today.
Btw I always felt like Coan might be a better pro than college QB, it’ll be interesting to see how he progresses 🤷♂️
Mock drafts do seem a waste, considering we ain’t got no picks! 😅
Our last playoff win was 22 years ago today when Lamar Smith ran for over 200 yards and we beat the Colts.
He was a BEAST in that game, carrying tacklers all over the field. Only Jay Ajayi ran anything like that since then.
I reluctantly say goodbye to the Tua avatar. I have a feeling we won’t see him again this season, and possible nevermore. Godspeed for his recovery, and long live Speed Racer, my favorite cartoon ever!
Sad what’s happening with him. I hope it’s not the last we see of him but no matter what the team is in a tricky spot going forward.
It sure is sad. I absolutely feel for him because I know he’s a competitor and would love to be out there on the field, but his body is not cooperating. He has no control over this other than to heal up, let the doctors clear him, and then decide after hearing their reports, whether the risk is severe enough to keep him out.
I was having so much trouble writing this article. The tabs on the right side of the screen when your entering a new post weren’t showing up, like the toolbar for paragraph blocks, image blocks, font size, color etc. That’s how I ended up deleting the last article, I thought I was deleting my draft that I couldn’t edit w/o that toolbar. lol
I was wondering what I happened. I went to Word Press to try to figure it out but I was hopelessly lost
I did manage to restore the article but was unable to comment on it. I guess it closed all comments. Remember when that was a common occurrence, that comments would get closed at some point?
I do remember something like that. Nice job in keeping us up and running
Still kind of surprised we haven’t seen WR Erik Ezukanma suit up yet, especially since at different times, Sherfield and Cracraft were banged up
I am surprised as well. We saw Sanders instead of him. I don’t get that
Right, and I didn’t see anything about Sanders that made me feel he belonged out there. I guess EZ isn’t practicing well, he was scouted as a poor route runner, maybe he’s still learning, and with Tua, who throws to spots, maybe he just wasn’t a fit.
Thank you Mike E. for making me feel like I was concussed (I was like, wtf did I do again…lol) and for YOUR efforts again.
Nice.
Thanks bud!
“As of Thursday, the Patriots’ top four cornerbacks – Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones, Marcus Jones and Jalen Mills – were all on the injury report, with the last three not participating in practice at all.”
Mike E working on today’s great article (and it is good). 🙂
🤣
Hope they have the right guy. Was thinking they never would.
————
“More than six weeks after after four University of Idaho students were found murdered in their beds, police finally made a move on Friday, arresting a 28-year-old criminology student who studied just miles from the off-campus residence that became a brutal crime scene.
Moscow Police Chief James Fry confirmed the arrest in an afternoon press conference, announcing 28-year-old Bryan Christopher Kohberger was nabbed on a warrant for the murders of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kayleigh Goncalves.”
Glad there was an issue with the blog. I thought I was banned….😃
lol
Thanks for taking it how I meant it. Lol! I really do like it here
THINGS ACTUALLY GOT SLOW for about 5 minutes at work today so I fired-up the “ABSOLUTE PERFECTION” series on this site and relived the famous Pittsburgh at Miami Monday Night game in 1974 at the Orange Bowl. It was the game where Dick Anderson had the game of his life and Bob Griese took an intentional safety to help preserve an ultra important victory over the Steelers. All of a sudden I found myself feeling far more positive about things in general and ultra grateful that I got to see that game!!
Some times you just have to increase the “positives” in your life to de-emphasize the negatives. We are blessed with a team that went 32-2 over two consecutive seasons, a feat I believe is more unlikely to be beaten than just about any other team record in the NFL.
Rejoice in your positives and the negatives may not seem so bad!
Mike, nice write as usual. We need a win to get us all out of this funk.
Just curious . . . When I deleted the blog, that was somewhere between 11AM – noon. I got the new blog up at that time. Those of you that had trouble getting on the blog, what happened exactly? I didn’t have any trouble getting on, that’s why I’m asking
It just kept saying the page I was looking for is not there and it kept sending me back to the second from last article
Ok, that did happen to me. I just shut my browser and then reopened it and went to the site and it took me to the new blog
Kept happening to me for over a half hour and then it started working again
I got a picture of you shaking your fists with a caption that read “oh shit”
LOL!
OD,
THANKS, SONNY!!
One thing I see that’s different, the fest poll has moved up the right sidebar. Or I think it has. Maybe not. 🤷🏼♀️
Not that it’s important. Just different. 😂
I think you’re right. I can’t tell you how happy I was when the toolbar came back. I was thinking I won’t be able to write another article the way I like to without it.
I don’t think I’ve been on with you lately Herd, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you. Hope all is well with you. ✌️🐬❤️
HERD; ONE THING I AM going to miss is the Marshall-FAU rivalry.
I WANT TO congratulate your boys, again, for their defeat of Notre Dame this season!! It did my heart good to see the highlights!
Tough loss, really tough loss for ND, they were supposed to be an easy win over a decent opponent. Oops.
Every time I tried to log in this morning I’d piss my pants and forget who I was for a half hour or so.
Glad I wasn’t the only one with issues…
LMAO!!
LOL
I was in Ft Myers the last few days and saw all the devastation first hand, it’s so sad. Every place we loved is just gone. The good news is that the Margaritaville they’re building there survived is is coming along quite nicely. Most of the structure is in place so you can really see how it looks. Lots work left to do still but it looks like it will be every bit as nice as the Hollywood version just not as big. This one is only three maybe four stories tall and it all faces the western sky for the beautiful sunset not necessarily a direct view of the beach. The sunset there is the money shot though, gorgeous.
I remember seeing stuff like that after Sandy. It’s very sad.
The amount of clean up they’ve accomplished in only a couple of months is nothing but astonishing. Despite that there is a long way to go and will never be the same as I’m sure “down the shore” will never be for y’all. Better embrace change.
Yeah over the years you see what is new and some of once was is gone. It’s tough to watch but people are resilient and in time you see happiness again.
Happy New Year OD, all the best to you and your Queen.
Missed you this year.
🐬🐧☃️🐆❌💪
GOT a 7:30 appointment tomorrow morning. Gotta walk the greyhound and hit the sack. Good night to all of you.
Fins gear all day tomorrow, we need this win
Ready for Teddy 🐬💪🐽
We lost the last four games because of the quarterback.
There I said it.
Not so much Buffalo, but yeah
That was a reply to you Sonny
Wasn’t it a late pick?
No
Tenn looking good.
Milton III looks like Cordarelle Patterson playing QB. Samurai 🐽
RIP Barbara Walters.
Aww
Milton III looks like Cordarelle Patterson
—
lol
He’s got a cannon!
Son, Joe Milton III is a Senior. I wouldn’t mind using a late pick or get him as an UDFA. He’s 6’5 240.
That RB Shipley really impressed me.
I have a laundry quandary. 😂 🧺 🏈 🐬
https://www.thespruce.com/new-years-day-laundry-superstitions-2146899
Uh-oh! Worry more about yourself than this team, that’s my advice. They should be able to handle their own business! lol
Sounds like it will wash all playoffs hopes down the drain.
Good call, Herd! lol
“Doing laundry on New Year’s Day will wash a year of good fortune down the drain”
Ok – come clean – no pun intended – who did laundry on 1/1/22?
It’s looking more like DOUBTFUL for CB Xavien Howard. That probably means CB Justin Bethel at LCB and CB Keion Crossen and CB Kader Kohou alternating at RCB and NB. Oy!
Geezzzz
Fortunately the Patriots have no WRs
WTF?
This…
Chances that I’ll be as calm as I am right now watching this, as opposed to watching the game tomorrow afternoon . . . Slim to none
https://www.twitch.tv/bobross
I am sadly getting excited for the XFL and USFL seasons coming this spring
We’re halfway to baseball season beginning. I care much more about that than either of the two leagues. Once the NFL is done, I’m done watching foosball.
I just want to watch football stress free
Maybe stop watching Dolphins games!!!
Go TCU!
Pick 6 TCU. Can’t stand Harbaugh
^
Miami Dolphins
2022 · 8-7-0
INJURIES
DT Justin Zimmer placed on injured reserve
SIGNINGS
OT Kendall Lamm signed to the active roster
GAME DAY ELEVATIONS
DT Josiah Bronson
LB Brennan Scarlett
TD TCU nice
Nice!
Beer
Ken, that Michigan TE Luke Schoonmaker who just made that long catch is the one I have been talking about. He’s 6’6 250 and a really good blocker also.
He will be in our draft range in 2nd and possibly 3rd round.
I like him
Dammit man!
Wow! Big replay
Hate to admit it but that was a TD.
WTF just happened. lol
I thought the catch was a TD before the fumble but I’ll take it.
I didn’t agree with the overturning of the TD
Actually, looking at that last replay, he may have been just short.
Because his ankle was already on the ground when he caught it.
But I don’t think he gained possession until he was in the end zone. Certainly tough to overturn
FYI
Patriots are 0-5 this year vs teams over .500
Thanks, we needed that. 🙂
Go TCU
Since Week 3, we haven’t beat a team over .500, we’re 2-3, both wins coming in Week 2 and Week 3.
and back to reality…
Right Mike. We all get pissed off at everything the talking heads say about the Dolphins, yet we prove them right every time.
Except this year many of the talking heads liked our team most of the season.
They did like us, even up to the GB game. Now I think they’ll like us less. We’ll probably win after everyone picks the Patriots this week
But the narrative was “they are beating teams they should beat, let’s see what happens in December”. Cue 0-4…
But I don’t think he gained possession until he was in the end zone. Certainly tough to overturn
—————————
That’s why I thought it should have been a TD. That one angle made me think he was down, but you are right. Didn’t look like he secured the ball until he was in the EZ.
We made some moves.
Beer me. lol
Ha I missed your post.
Happy New Year to all!
Happy New Year!
What a crazy game!
You turn away from the game for a moment or two and the score changes by two or three scores. Crazy is right.
That’s what happened to me. Just got done writing 44 bonds on one person. Went to the jail to drop them. Got back and there were 2 more scores.
Got some carpal tunnel syndrome going on right now. lol
The Co-Founder of a CTE center in Boston says Tua should NOT retire
“It’s not fair to Tua to label him as concussion-prone, and he does not have to retire. A cluster of concussions, or even long-term symptoms, does not prevent a successful return or long career”
You owe someone else a beer from yesterday
LOL, I say if you didn’t see the post it doesn’t count. 🙂
Me 😃🍺
Beautiful ending!
I think he did lower his helmet, but who knows what the rules are anymore.
It wasn’t brutal and Michigan fucked up their own play so for me they don’t deserve another chance.
Go Georgia Bulldogs!
I hate Michigan but they do have a few players I really like. All of them should be in the range where we pick.
Happy New Year to everyone.
^ May we all enjoy our time on earth.
May we all enjoy our life after here on Earth
I hope so, have many people I want to hug and see again.
Faith in Christ provides that option.
A simple song about life and time. Happy New Year folks!
Bookman, Cat Stevens aka Yusuf Islam is a very spiritual guy. I connected with him more than churches and religious establishments when I was a kid through his music and words. It still stands today.
For me the idea of a God is not for specific sects of human religion. When anyone says God is for all of us, we’re all God’s children. Why do we put faith in God into categories? I would think God doesn’t do that.
Happy New Year Everyone!
Clutch drive by Stetson Bennett
No Michigan and no OSU in the championship game. Nice!
For a 5’11, 190 pound QB, Stetson Bennett is a gamer.
That was AWFUL play calling by Ryan Day at the end of the game. He got way too conservative at the end. You can’t put a college kicker in a position where he has to kick a 50 yard FG from the left hash
Happy New Year everyone! Let’s hope we get for the New Uear what we did not get for Christmas- a Dolphins victory .
Happy New Year everyone!!!
We need to start 2023 with a W.
Go Dolphins!
🎉🥂🐬🏈🔥
🚫🧺
GAMEDAY Blog up!!! Hopefully the 2023 Dolphins look better than the end of year 2022 Dolphins or this will be the next to last game!
Happy New Year!!