Week 1 was quite a surprise for me. I expected the Dolphins offense to look good, but it was really the defense that I expected to shine, and until the end of the game when they sealed the victory, the defense was a huge letdown. Chargers running backs Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley combined for 208 yards rushing on 32 carries for a ridiculous 6.5 YPC. Ekeler is indeed one of the best in the game but both he and Kelley feasted. Ekeler had a long run of 55 yards. I’m pretty sure all of us thought David Long was an upgrade at ILB, but on opening day, Long played only 17 snaps and gave us 1 tackle. In contrast, Andrew Van Ginkel played a surprising 63% of the snaps at LB, and produced a modest 5 combined tackles. For additional contrast, former Dolphins LB Elandon Roberts started for the Steelers and played 43% of the defensive snaps and had 8 tackles, and 2 tackles for a loss. This an early disappointment, and something that we’ll need to keep an eye on.
The offense though was better than I could have hoped for. It’s been well documented how the Chargers shut down Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense last year during that horrific west coast trip that started with a beatdown in San Francisco and ended with a stymied offensive output against the Chargers who took away the short passing lanes, and the Dolphins at that time had no answers. This past Sunday however, the Dolphins had all the answers and absolutely shredded the Chargers defense to the tune of 536 yards, 466 of those yards through the air, compared to 145 yards on a paltry 10 completions out of 28 pass attempts. Tyreek Hill was unstoppable, and provided nearly half of the receiving yards with 215 yards receiving and 2 TD’s. Jaylen Waddle had a nice day as well, 4 receptions for 78 yards, but that pales in comparison to the monster day Hill had. We were running the football well, but basically stopped running, although the results say we did the right thing because the LA defense could not contain the passing game.
One game is not enough information to really identify what a team is all about. We know Head Coach Bill Belichick well, and we all know here that he will simply not allow Tyreek Hill to beat his defense. That’s what he does, his M.O. is to take away the thing you do best, and make you beat them a different way. Raheem Mostert has been practicing, so he’s likely to start, and the run game should get a boost from rookie De’Von Achane who has also been practicing and will play this Sunday night. You never know what the gameplan will be, but if I could conjure a guess, it would be that we will be running more than we did against the Chargers, and also that De’Von Achane will get his share of touches. With extra attention on Tyreek Hill, others will benefit, like Achae, Waddle and perhaps even Durham Smythe, who will see his former TE mate against our defense for the first time, Mike Gesicki. As far as the defense, I also expect a better effort against the Patriots, who don’t have top tier talent at the skill positions that the Chargers have, namely Herbert, Ekeler, Allen and Williams. Instead, it will be QB Mac Jones, WR’s DeVante Parker and Kennrick Bourne, big back Rhamondre Stevenson and TE’s Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki.
The Patriots hung in there opening day against a very good Philadelphia Eagles team. It was a close game, the Patriots came back from a 1st quarter 16 point deficit, but ended up losing 25-20. The Eagles defense contained Rhamondre Stevenson to just 25 yards on 12 carries, but Ezekiel Elliott had moderately more success, 29 yards on 7 carries. In general, the Patriots offense doesn’t scare opposing teams, but a Bill Belichick team is always a dangerous team, although the Dolphins have recently had Bill’s number, taking 4 of 6 games in the last 3 seasons, and more importantly, winning every game QB Tua Tagovailoa played in, 4-0. I’m sure the Patriots will try and disrupt the rhythm Tua has with his receivers, and if that’s the case, Tua may need to find secondary and tertiary targets, which is why I think there’s potential for Achane to have a fair amount of action Sunday night. Waddle, Berrios, Cracraft and Ezukanma should also see more action. This would be Achane’s first NFL action, so I should probably temper my enthusiasm for him, but if he’s healthy, this is what he’s here for.
It was frustrating seeing the defense gashed in the run game, and of course even more frustrating, for me at least, to see our vaunted pass rush neutralized nearly the entire game. At the end, we made the plays to seal the victory, but Wilkins, Davis, Sieler, Phillips and Chubb didn’t get to Herbert most of the game, and if not for absurdly gaudy offensive day, the Chargers 433 yards and 34 points would have been a really good offensive output. If this defense is going to be a top unit in the NFL, we’re going to have to better than last week’s effort. One other surprise on defense was S DeShon Elliott playing 100% of the defensive snaps. Clearly, S Brandon Jones is not where he needs to be yet, but Elliott rose to the occasion with 13 total tackles, 8 solo. CB Kader Kohou got the start and of course had the huuuuge sack on Justin Herbert that was nearly a safety. Kohou played 98% of the defensive snaps and has been a huge pickup for our team. Eli Apple played 74% of the defensive snaps, but it was clearly Kohou who is in the drivers seat. I’m curious to see if CB Cam Smith will get any defensive snaps, he played only special teams against the Chargers.
There are a few things I’d like to see this Sunday night against the Patriots. We know Terron Armstead is a scratch, he’ll be given at least one more week to heal up, which means T Kendall Lamm will play at least one more game. The offensive line was better than any of us could have hoped for, 45 pass attempts, ZERO sacks. That’s pretty much a shock if we’re being fair. I’d love to see that continue of course and I’d like to see more out of our running game, and that can include short passes to the RB’s either behind the line of scrimmage or beyond, but I want to see Mostert, Achane, Ahmed and even Ezuknama get some touches if the defense is doubling or even tripling Hill. These guys need to make the NE defense pay if they go all in on stopping Tyreek Hill. Mostly, I want to see the defense bounce back and look dominant, and not get pushed around in the run game and be ineffective getting to the QB. I want to see Tua remain upright making plays, and as mentioned, let’s the exciting rookie De’Von Achane get some touches and see what he can do!
GO DOLPHINS!!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
AVG is on FIRE!!!
League trying to keep Bill in it
Our play is keeping them in it
We need to put the game away when we get the ball back
We need to answer with a score of our own.
OPI not called
Holland was a step behind it
They were blocking down field while the ball is in the air
for the last 20 years
This is where great teams control the lock with a long 11 play TD drive with runs for first on 3rd
MM getting out coached in the second half
Dominate offense? Getting a scoring drive here will go a long way to a win. Special teams iet ys down again. No idea why crissman was retained. Waddle with a huge drop. Haven’t executed this half, plays have been there
Get a score here and none of that other shit matters
I saw AVG do a spin move (not the one highlighted by the announcers) that dropped my fucking jaw.
This guy is turning into one of the most complete players in the league!
Mostert saves that shit
We should practice snapping the ball all week
These bad snaps gotta stop
Good punt by Tua
FUCK
Shit
Sigh
Hated that throw before he threw it
Shitty throw. We’re in trouble in this game
Apple tart
Throwing in the kitchen sink
Which team has the TD lead? Hated that play
AVG
Defense getting it done. Maybe AVG should be starting over phillips
RIP!
Offense trying to hard IMO
It’s a punt. But we didn’t need to punt. We can still afford to lose this quarter and win it
Tua always bounces back
Let’s go!
He has a habit of scoring after a pick. fingers crossed
NICE Make the pick mean nothing.
BUT IT DIDN’T MEAN NOTHING TUA
AVG!!!
Van Ginkel making Philliips wish he could do these things. 😏
Well we gained yards?
Let’s ice with a TD here
Clock munching TD drive
Offense needs to just take what’s there
Let’s go 🐬!
Well that works too 👍👍
Wooohoooowhoooohooo!!!!!!!!!!!!
VGK is a stud.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Dagger 🗡️
hahahaha
YESSSSSSS
Buh-BYE
How bout a nut kicking run right up the gut!
That was OK I spose
I’ll take it
Ha! It was aiiight
He’s just short of 100 yards too
Obviously a long run TD was what was there, lol. Woohoo!!!!!
And he TOOK IT😎
Suck it Bill
Dalvin who?
Just what we needed!
Time for another pick
Like I said…I expect a lot of running
WOW!!!
Come on Holland
It’s pick time
You have to figure Cam Smith gets a shot next week, right?
Oh lord, this is hard to watch
Let’s hope so
After Apple gets ✂️
Fucking Apple
Ricky tack
Right now I think we’d be better off with A-Rod at CB than Apple
Howard had a step on Bourne. lol
How bad is Apple?
Apple. Oy!
We need yo get Apple out. He’s handing them this drive on a silver platter
That seemed too easy
Defense justboooked fired all drove
More breaking than bending this half
COME ON! LET’S GO!
I know he hates to play drafted rookies, but you can’t trot Apple back out there on the next drive, you just can’t
He’s been playing like Terrell “Toast” Buckley
I don’t have the energy for dramatic endings tonight.
Pretty much every game with this team
We need a nice, time consuming scoring drive here
Offense has been too quick to get off the field in the second half.
Rock – Buckley made his share of plays too though. Apple either gets burnt or gets flagged
Buckley made a ton of plays
Ugh
There’s a C note
oh shit
Belecheat says FUCK HE’S PLAYING FUCKING BALL
helmet to helmet
That was an illegal helmet to helmet hit if I ever saw one
FU Bellicheck
That’s a good call. Fuck Belichick
Breathe peeps. We got this
Ingold getting feisty. I love it!!
Mostert is running hard. He is pushing the tacklers backwards
Fucking Williams
Love that we’re running the ball down their throat when they know it’s coming
Fucking ridiculous
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I was getting exited until that snap
f$#k
Fuck me. How difficult is it to snap a football?
OMG
These poor snaps in key moments are a problem
Of course
Wide left
Fuck you very much Sanders
Big stop needed now
Not sure why we kicked a FG there
Technically, we didn’t😡
SHOULD have gone for 1st down!
Once more its down to the D
Way to hang in there tonight buddy 👍👍
Chubby