Here we go, the season is finally upon us! The final injury repot will be out later today and I’m sure someone here will give us that update. The good news is it appears as if starting RT Austin Jackson will be starting, giving us our absolute best O-line possible. LT Patrick Paul – LG Jonah Savaiinaea – C Aaron Brewer – RG James Daniels – RT Austin Jackson. The one thing I can say is I feel at the very least, if everyone on this line can stay healthy, is that the O-line won’t be the biggest problem on the team, and that means a lot. I think Patrick Paul is ready to be a better than average left tackle. I think rookie LG Jonah Savaiinaea will be competent enough, making mistakes at times, but should be average. C Aaron Brewer is a good move center and while he might struggle some against much larger powerful interior defensive linemen, he’s a good player. James Daniels is a solid run blocker throughout his career but I do worry about him coming back from a torn achilles. Being in the trenches is a bad place for that kind of injury. RT Austin Jackson has become a competent right tackle, but he has had trouble staying healthy and the depth, as we all know is less than stellar. Bears FA RT Larry Borom would be next up there, or possibly Kendall Lamm or Kion Smith if Borom struggled. We need Jackson healthy.
The defense is what could be extremely interesting. That front seven and the different iterations could be exciting. It looks like they’re going to try to get as many of our pass rushers on the field as possible in certain formations, so instead of the usual 3-4 alignment, we might see some more 4-3, featuring a defensive line of the following,
LDE Chop Robinson
LDT Zach Sieler
RDT Benito Jones
RDE Bradley Chubb
and then have a linebacker unit of this,
WLB Jordyn Brooks
MLB Tyrel Dodson
SLB Jaelan Phillips
That’s a lot of pass rush talent on the field in that base defense featuring Chop and Chubb on the D-line, and then Jaelan Phillips at strong linebacker. Of course there’s Zach Sieler too, who has been a double digit sack man the last 2 seasons. This doesn’t mean we won’t be playing the 3-4 alignment as well, we will for sure, because the glaring omission here is our #1 draft pick DT Kenneth Grant, who will be playing 3-4 END opposite Sieler and next to NT Benito Jones. Grant wasn’t forgotten or skipped by any means, but the allure of having Chop, Chubb and Phillips all on the field is understandable.
The secondary is one place I honestly have no idea what to expect at all, I mean literally zero expectations for better or for worse. Will FS Minkah Fitzpatrick resemble the Pittsburgh Steelers safety from the last 2 seasons which was underwhelming and no resemblance to his former All Pro career, or will the change back to FS bring him back to where he was in 2023? It appears as if Ify Melfinonwu has taken a seat and now former Jet safety Ashtyn Davis will be given the nod at SS. Davis hasn’t been healthy and not sure how he could be ready at this point, but it’s happening regardless. At CB, Jack Jones will play LCB with Storm Duck at RCB and rookie Jason Marshall will be the nickel back. Rasul Douglas will be available if either of these guys struggle. To be fair though, Rasul Douglas had admitted that he doesn’t quite understand where and what he’s supposed to be doing yet, so Jones gets the nod for now.
On offense, we have to hope De’Von Achane is truly healthy and able to stay that way. He’s going to get a lot of touches if we go by last season, but rookie RB Ollie Gordon is just rearing to go and I like what I’ve seen him from him. I like the physicality of his game and welcome it. He’s more suited to getting a lot of carries. Then there’s RB Jaylen Wright who will not play this week due to injury. I won’t be surprised if Jaylen Wright takes a back seat on the depth chart behind Ollie Gordon, and stays there. If Ollie runs like I expect, there’s no reason for Wright who showed little last season to jump ahead. WR’s Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle seem healthy and slot WR Malik Washington looks great, so looking forward to his game this season. At TE, who the hell knows, and it’s the one thing that still has me wondering if these guys actually know what they’re doing. Apparently, TE Darren Waller will be starting, despite logging 3 minutes of practice, followed by Julian Hill and Tanner Conner. There’s also the wild card at wide receiver, WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine who really failed to turn heads so far, but he’s a bigger bodied receiver coming off a nice season last year, so hopefully we can work him in for some big plays.
Special Teams has looked better than ever, with the exception of the K Jason Sanders injury which will keep him OUT for weeks. That sucks, because Sanders can bang them in from the high 50’s, and that aspect of our game went out the window. Mike McDaniel loves to gamble though, so I would imagine he’ll be doing just that and more often than you would expect. I love the return game which will be handled by WR Malik Washington. He looks as good or better in the return game as he does running routes, and that’s great. Our defensive special teams seems significantly better on kick return and punt return coverage, and that’s also a huge improvement from last season.
I expect QB Tua to feast on Sunday, he loves Game 1, the season opener. We look like Super Bowl contenders in Week 1, and I expect that trend to continue. WR Jaylen Waddle failed to reach 1000 yards for the first time last season and I hope the Dolphins look to remedy this. Waddle is the team’s heir apparent to #1 WR after this season, so they better find a way to get him more involved and keep him happy. I think the offense will be very good this week, with contributions of course from De’Von Achane and WR’s Hill, Waddle and Washington, and I think RB Ollie Gordon may get a decent workload, although MM and his trust issues with rookies concerns me. I’d love to see up a couple of TD’s and feeding Ollie Gordon in a RB Lamar Smith type game to close it out and maybe break off a big run here and there. We can only hope, right?
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
First!
Miami Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver Discusses How to Use His Edge Rushers
all you need to know is Weaver said, they should be playing full speed, whenever they’re on the field
Thank you, Mike E.!
I’m always hopeful the first game of the season…lol.
You’re welcome Krishna! I’m more than hopeful, I’m confident this week.
Thanks MikeE!
My biggest worry for this game is at CB with Bonner and Cam Smith out. With Jones and Duck starting and Marshall playing the slot, we only have Douglas and Juju Brents as backups who barely know the defense.
You’re welcome Mike! If you want something to worry about, worry about this! I’m pretty sure it was you who mentioned that the K Riley Patterson is on the PS. So the NFL rule is a team can bring up only 2 players from the PS for a game in one week. We know they have to bring up the K, Riley Patterson, so that leaves one more spot. If Waller can’t go, we have 2 TE’s, Hill and Conner. Right now we have 2 RB’s active, Achane and Gordon. You have to figure we bring up a RB, most likely Wislon, but possibly Jamycal Hasty. That means if Waller can’t suit up, we have only 2 TE’s active. That could be an issue!
CB is going to be an issue
I’m not sure with those guys in it would change much
we better be able to get pressure in with 4 guys
the thing about the colts is they are probably not going to press you downfield on early downs
If they are able to run the ball, then their play action passes are going to be effective, so gotta stop the run first and foremost
Tyler Warren might get us for a bunch of yards if we don’t stop the run
I think we are going to a healthy dose of Grant, Jordan Phillips and Benito Jones on early downs
I’m not worried about the secondary if we get them to 3rd and long
might even see Zeek Biggers on the active roster this Sunday
the thing about the Dolphins defense is that it seems like the personnel is going to be much different on early downs, especially when you are playing a team that likes to run like the colts
we have great pass rushers
but if teams are effective vs the run they can keep out pass rushers off the field
The other side of that coin is that we may see scenarios in 3rd and long where we have Phillips, Chubb, Chop and Judon on the field together with Seiler
that’s going to be fun to watch
but you have to make those scenarios happen with effective early downs
MikeE, yeah, I think that is a legit concern only being able to bring up 1 player from the PS with the kicker. It will be interesting which way they go. I guess we will find out tomorrow. Also, I wonder if NWI could be used in a TE role as he is a very good blocking WR.
That’s interesting, but you can’t expect him to block a DE or a LB, can you?
Certainly, NWI wouldn’t be crashing down. NWI is over 210 and all the Colts LB’s are 235 or less with the exception of backup LB Chad Muma who’s 239. Their DE’s are a different story.
BBM probably reaching on this.
Piggy, if we have an issue at CB, I think they might move Marshall outside as I feel we have some safeties who can play NB.
If we are playing Fitzpatrick at nickel – the other team has already won
that’s exactly what we want to avoid
not that out safeties can’t do it – but we want them roaming free
if we can make that happen
I have no idea what to believe, but it’s sounding like Waller may not be available. Hard to really have confidence in this staff, what they say, and what they do.
^ They sometimes think they are being slick but instead look stupid.
Alain Poupart interview with ESPN Colts reporter Stephen Holder:
Q. Other than the New Orleans Saints, Could the Dolphins have asked for a better, more favorable opening opponent than the Colts?
SH: For sure, there’s a lot of unanswered questions at quarterback. And that definitely plays into the Dolphins’ hands, because they have questions on defense, certainly. So it could be favorable for the Dolphins. Look, I do see a scenario where it, in a perfect world, could work. And here’s the scenario: Shane Steichen and his staff, they are banking on the guys around Daniel Jones. They’re not as much banking on Daniel Jones. They won’t say that, but that’s what this is. They’re banking on him basically being the facilitator.
Q. Xavien Howard, correct me if I’m wrong, he signed after training camp ended, which means you basically never got to see him practice.
SH: We saw him for a week because we did get another week of access after the official end of training camp. He was out there and, I mean, he looked the part. I wouldn’t say he looked like an All-Pro because he’s not anymore, right? But for a guy who was still getting in shape and those kinds of things, I mean, he didn’t look out of place. That being said, I am very interested to see how this goes.
When they signed him, I’m going to tell you, I assumed, man, these injuries must really be worse than I realized, because they’re signing Xavien Howard. How hurt are these guys? And then I realized two days later, the guys who were hurt were back in the lineup. So it was never about injuries. This is about Lou Anarumo. Lou Anarumo loves his guys. When he loves you, he really loves you. And he loves some Xavien Howard. I’m interested to see it.
Q. You mentioned Lou Anarumo, former Dolphins defensive back coach, went on to become DC with the Cincinnati Bengals. Now with the Colts, taking over a defense that was not good last year. What’s the expectation for the defense with Anarumo now in charge?
SH: I would say there’s there’s guarded optimism. They have some legitimate personnel on that side of the defense. Their defensive line should be really good. I thought they underperformed like crazy last year, and so one of the things that Zaire Franklin and some other guys have told me, DeForrest Buckner as well, is that there’s a more attacking style here and there’s less thinking for those guys. So this is going to be a more attacking style for the front seven. And they’re excited about that.
The guy that I think is the key piece to this is Laiatu Latu, the second-year player from UCLA. This is the most talented player in their front seven. I’m telling you right now, not even close. He’s the most talented player. He just has to figure it out. He was Mr. Almost last year. I think he ended up with like four sacks. It could have easily been 10, but that’s the league, right? It’s like, it’s about finishing. He didn’t finish, but this year they’re going to feature him and they’re going to try to get him matched up. I am sure the Dolphins have watched the tape and recognize the potential there and what he can be. I would say mildly optimistic about the defense. I think it will be better, and it should be better.
Good week 1 lead in sir …. Very confident in the team this week , expect the D to feast, I am starting them on 2 of my 3 fantasy teams this week .. hoping they unleash Ollie, can’t decide if I roster him in fantasy or not.. I can see NWI being used in TE rotations as I see him as wr 4 at best
NWI is similar to Waller, not because he can play TE, but because Waller is really a WR
you need depth at TE to get thru the year, not necessarily for 1 game
“I think he ended up with like four sacks. It could have easily been 10, but that’s the league, right? It’s like, it’s about finishing.”
Did this guy not get the message that pressures are just as good as sacks? 😜
lol
Ha! The best question yet and the answer is too familiar. Paragraph 2 says it all.
Q. Let me move on quickly to Shane Steichen, who has some similarities a little bit to Mike McDaniel in that he was a young offensive coordinator with a very good team. And maybe a little bit of an under-the-radar head coaching candidate before he was hired by the Colts. And as maybe another similarity is perhaps the views on him a little bit mixed in Colts fandom land.
SH: In terms of his personality, I think they’re very different. Mike is thoughtful and introspective. Nobody’s like Mike, right? There is something interesting in that their intelligence I think is on a similar level like Shane is. He processes like crazy, like he starts talking ball to you, and I I can’t keep up. I’m like, wait, I’m still three thoughts ago. Man, like slow down. So I think they have that in common.
But the problem, I guess, when you’re a great offensive strategist and you have all these ideas, it doesn’t necessarily make you a good head coach. So for at least for Shane, but the questions then become, how do you deal with things in the locker room, how do you deal with, can you win, right? I mean, just in-game decisions, all these kinds of things that has nothing to do with can you drop an offensive game plan? So those are the questions that he has to answer.
And so when I ask people around the league, like, what do you think about Shane Steichen? They think, oh, high level offensive strategist, like elite. They love him. And then they’re like, well, as a head coach, we’ll see. And that’s kind of where everybody is. Now, in his defense, he hasn’t had any quarterback stability. And he’s taken a little bit of a gamble here by going with Daniel Jones because I think he is the guy leading that decision as far as I can tell. But in two years, with a lot of quarterback changes, he’s 500. So it could be worse under those circumstances and he’s held his own. So I think this year is the year that kind of tells us more and gives us some clarification.
Paragraph 2 of the answer
I don’t think there’s any reason we can’t beat these guys even at their place. They’re not a good team. But, they’re not really a bad team either. They have weapons. I think the Colts try to keep things simple and run it down our throats. Then, they can start using Warren to dink and dunk us. I can’t remember the last time our team nailed down opposing TEs, so I gotta see it. The funny thing is that our perceived weakness at this point is our coverage. I’m not sure the Colts can even challenge it a lot. The way I think they should play also plays right into our hands defensively. They still gotta take their shots at some point.
I know home field advantage has been dwindling statistically but I still don’t like playing away in the first game. Home teams in game one just feel like they always get the breaks to win.
I think the key for the D will be stopping the run and confusing Daniel Jones with disguised coverages.
There’s more if interested. In the end he basically says, in essence, both teams strengths and weaknesses will cancel each other out. Feels, for the Colts, it will come down to the success of their running game.
Says he likes the Colts in this game but doesn’t feel great about it.
Miami Dolphins Opponent Breakdown: Indianapolis Colts
Oh yeah, Daniels might not be much but he can run. We gotta make sure he doesn’t move the chains with his feet.
^
BBM,
I’m old. Every game still starts with stopping the run. I don’t care how pass happy the league is. If you can’t stop the run nothing else matters. It’s why I get so disappointed when MM doesn’t even try to establish the run. He gets skittish and turns to what he knows or what he feels comfortable with and we become very predictable. I’d like to see us establish the run. I think that is probably the biggest thing I want to see. Can we control the LOS?
Agree 100%, coming from playing in a wishbone offense way back in the day, I will always feel that way.
Someone on here said the Colts don’t have a good WR group which is totally wrong. They have 2 speedsters to go along with the huge Michael Pittman, 6’4 220. All 3 of their starting WR’s had over 800 yards receiving last year and that was with QB issues. Alec Pierce averaged over 22 ypc last year and averages over 17 ypc over his first 3 seasons. They are even deep at WR with 2nd year WR Adonai Mitchell, 6’2, 205 who ran a 4.34 forty. They also added rookie WR Anthony Gould who runs in the 4.3’s and a speedy backup slot WR who is their returner.
I hate when people dismiss something without knowing facts.
If you gave me a team with RB Taylor, TE Warren and this WR group, I would be thrilled. Just let me pick my QB. lol
LOL Ok you can pick from Daniel Jones and Daniel Jones.
GO!
Dammit!
LOL, just saying they are good at the skill positions.
If the defense doesn’t account for the opening in the middle created by the speed rushers getting pushed outward and around the back of the QB, then they are going to get burned by Jones running. It happened several times in the preseason.
^^
Waller was not spotted at Dolphins practice on the Friday before the opener.
Waller is up to play, but McDaniel said, “I don’t think he’s going to play this week.”
James Daniels will be questionable, McDaniel said, as the guard hurt himself in practice.
Daniels was not seen at the portion of practice open to reporters today.
I hope Kion Smith can handle Stewart & Paye ( at least I think that’s the two most likely to be lined up against him. I hope it’s not Buckner and Latu!
Yikes, if so
Hopefully Daniels can go.
Reading your review, you’d think I wrote it because it was full of optimism. I am proud of you, Mike. It seems like you are crossing over from the DARK SIDE! 🙂
I will repost this.
Slow down there my brother! lol
I’m optimistic this week. I think we match up well against the Colts, but that’s with our starting 5 on the O-line. If we need to go into 6th and 7th or beyond that because Daniels can’t go or Austin Jackson can’t go, then I’ll feel very differently. I’m not crossing over, just taking each game as they come. I swear I said it from GO that bringing Waller into the fold here was mistake and both he and MM continue to prove me right. It may never actually get off the ground. WR Amari Cooper is dust in the wind and I believe Waller will go that way too soon enough, maybe even before he plays even 1 down for this team.
I still will savor this moment 🙂
PFT has this report on Waller. Paragraph 5 is really confusing…..imagine that.
It looks like tight end Darren Waller’s comeback will not happen in Week 1.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters in his Friday press conference that Waller suffered a setback in his recovery from a hip strain and is now unlikely to play against the Colts on Sunday.
“It means he’s being challenged,” McDaniel said. “The most eager player to play has another challenge, so I know he’s up for it, but I don’t think he’s going to play this week.”
Waller hadn’t been practicing during training camp after joining the Dolphins in early July. But McDaniel said this hip injury occurred before practice on Wednesday.
“We had already planned not to practice him anyway — something that we didn’t know what it was until what it was,” McDaniel said. “But we were planning for setback prevention. And he had a setback.”
McDaniel noted the difficulty of bringing a player back from retirement.
“I think he’s just really eager to play with his teammates,” McDaniel said. “But I think you have to look at it big picture and I think you fail in life if you et up a script proactively. It’s not about us having a pre-planned expectation of X, Y, or Z. It’s how you react to it. So I say it’s a challenge, but this is a guy who’s made of challenges.”
Miami’s full injury report with game statuses will be released later on Friday.
I don’t trust PFTs opinion on this
I think some of this is gamemesnship by McDaniel
we won’t know about Waller until we see the inactive report – if he not on it, he’s playing and it was all poker
but if he’s on the inactive list, I start to worry about the plan
Shit makes NO sense. I don’t know which is more jacked up, that statement or the whole Waller drama to begin with.
This whole “it’s so hard to come back from retirement is such bullshit when it’s only been a year. Every year we see guys come off the couch and step in. Fuck we’ve seen it HERE pretty often. They don’t take 9 weeks to get back in football shape. Or get mystery re-injuries of non-injuries? No, McDaniel only made himself and the team look foolish with his coy BS with the media. He’s not Belichick and shouldn’t try to be in this manner. The dude was hurt early on and they’ve been lying this whole time.
The plan was to have Waller not practice on Wednesday but practice on Thursday when they focused on 3rd down and red zone. He ended up somehow injuring his hip on Wednesday when he didn’t even practice.
Not sure about this obsession with Darren Waller?
He’s supposed to be our starting TE, but the funny thing is he probably won’t ever play more than 1 game, potentially even 1 down if things continue as they are.
Daniels injuring himself in practice already has me concerned. We really don’t want to have to go to our depth already. It’s fucking unbelievable that we can’t get our starting 5 healthy for one fucking game! Some teams have them all season long, we can’t even make it happen game 1.
If we have to rely on our TE like we did last year with Jonnu Smith, we will have already lost the season. I didn’t think that if we brought back Smith that he would have had the same or better season than in 2024.
LOL @ Markey! 🙂
Waller is looking like an OBJ kind of a waste of roster spot and $$..
^
Mike McDaniel at his media session on Friday stated that Daniels was placed on the injury report with an ankle injury.
It is not the same leg/foot/ankle that his Achilles injury was on, and he will be questionable for this week.
Now it is being reported from the media on site at the facility that James Daniels wasn’t spotted at practice today.
In years past, it was common practice that if you did not practice with the team on Friday, you did not play on Sunday.
So, the Dolphins may be starting Kion Smith at right guard Sunday vs the Colts.
I really hate this team sometimes.
I wonder who would get the start at LG if Daniels can’t go. Kion Smith likely and I think it would be his first start ever. Though, Brunskill has experience playing vs the Colts, facing them twice a year the last 2 years with the Titans.
if we start the season with multiple players being unavailable for injury, the season probably isn’t worth watching
don’t want to be negative but to go into the season with multiple players nursing injuries given our history of injuries is pretty ridiculous
I’m counting on a hot start where we go 6-2 or 5-3 at the worst
I’m not going to complain and demand firing and all that if we can’t do that – b it I just stop watching
we will know on Sunday but this multiple players with injuries better be a smoke screen
our injury report already looks like a mash unit none weeks into the regular season. But hey, at least we’ll probably get a look at some backups on the online right away. What a freakin joke.
I’m going to give it them the benefit of the doubt for now
but if Waller doesn’t play in week 1 it’s bad management and bad coaching – that’s just wasting a roster spot
Daniels not playing when he was signed with the expectation to be easy week 1 is almost as bad
the team just can’t operate that way – people who sign with this team have to be ready to play
im not going to support a team that acts like a retirement facility
they are already reporting that he’s out for Sunday
it’s the kind of bad signing that can hurt the season
it’s really just dumb…super dumb
It’s not like teams were lining up to sign him
could have told him – get in game shape and we can sign you
it’s wasting a spot on the final 53 if you sign a guy who’s not ready
100% agreed on Waller, Pigster. At this point in time, I’d pull the plug on the Waller experiment and bring somebody up from the practice squad who is actually healthy.
At the very least I’d put Waller on the 4-week IR and bring somebody up from the practice squad who is actually healthy.
swallow your pride
acknowledge it didn’t work out
make a trade for a TE
Missing week 1 is already a fail
Cav Kong,
Do you still use the Firestick? If so, let me know. Just got one today and I’d like to know the apps I should use to stream Phins games.
Nah, I stopped using it years ago. I don’t remember how to do it, but you should be able to google the process.
I know it involves getting into the software, configuring it, then adding a program that lets you access the streaming platforms.
Actually, that might have been another thing. I think the firestick is just getting the app ‘downloader’ then getting a streaming site.
If you think about it, were we so desperate at TE that we had to sign some guy who quit on his team and retired? Was there not a TE we could have drafted if we didn’t like what we had in house that could have helped us, or would we have needed another 2-3 picks for Grier to get that done? We follow this team e-v-e-r-y d-a-y. We see the dumb ass moves on a regular basis, but to folks who don’t follow the team as closely as we do, that’s where the #28 or #29 in the power rankings come from because we look like an inept organization. I know OG James Daniels injury is to his other leg, but sometimes those things happen because you move differently and your good leg has to do more work. Hopefully Daniels will be OK, but this clusterfuck at TE, while to some here is irrelevant and just a minor thing is really a snapshot of what is wrong with Grier and McDaniel
You relapsed! 😦
Actually, I haven’t, I’ve been right here all along. I know you dismiss this as a lot of nothing, but it really isn’t, and if it goes deeper into the season us holding a roster spot for him and getting nothing out of it, I don’t see how on earth you can excuse the idiocy of Grier and McDaniel together.
M – I have a firestick, what are you trying to do?
I’m just trying to stream Dolphins games and nothing more than that. I’d like to know the apps I should download in order to stream games live.
https://thetvapp.to/ try this link. Your Welcome 🙂
I, too, have a Fire TV Stick and jailbreak and program them for people for a minimal fee 🙂
Oh, I’m tech savvy enough to jailbreak it myself, BELIEVE ME! I’m just new to the Firestick and it’s apps to stream our games.
M – I don’t know which apps to download, sorry. I pay for the NFL Ticket like an idiot every season
No need to be sorry, man. I currently (and still) have to work every other Sunday, thus I’m not paying for the NFL Ticket when I can only watch half our games on a Sunday.
markeyh
says:
September 5, 2025 at 4:16 pm
https://thetvapp.to/
Try this link. Your Welcome
———–
I’ll give it a shot. Thank you, Markeyh!!!
Look at the top home bar you can pick any sport and they will have a link. Sometimes it gets overloaded but just keep refresing and it will play.
Thank you!
Don’t know if y’all caught my post from yesterday, but StreamEast got raided and is being forced to shut down. I’ve never had as crisp a stream as StreamEast… and now it’s gone.
Again, I’m not paying for the NFL Ticket when I must work every other Sunday at my current employer. It’s getting time to fire my employer.
Cav Kong,
Thanks for your replies above, Bro. I’ll get it figured out, I just wanted to know the shortcuts to save some time! Cheers!
When comparing the success Miami has had vs the failures, it is baffling that some of you bitch about what doesn’t work and never give credit for what has worked.
A few Successful FA signings in the last 3 years
The list could go on, but some complain about the Odell Beckham Jr’s of the world. I’ll let you in on a little fact: not every player we sign or draft will be successful, but if you objectively look at the current roster, it has enough talent on BOTH SIDES of the ball to contend for the playoffs.
I did not inclued the 2025 signings because only time will tell how succesful they will be.
I don’t understand all the concerns over Waller. We haven’t even played a game yet and he’s really not a TE. We can play without him. It wouldn’t matter to me if we didn’t sign him. I think he was more like rolling the dice and hoping for the best.
I think, at least for me, it’s about him taking up the roster spot and not being ready.
IF WE CAN PLAY WITHOUT HIM THEN HE SHOULDN’T BE ON THE 53! The spot should have been used for someone else. It is continued evidence of his incompetence
That is what matters to me, that we make it to the playoffs and Mike and Chris have delivered on that something some have been waiting for since the year 2000. Yes, we want more, but at least we are knocking on the door that gives you a chance to even compete for the Super Bowl.
Despite how dominant the Bills have been these last 5 years, the last time the Buffalo Bills appeared in the Super Bowl is on January 30, 1994, when they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 30-13 in Super Bowl XXVIII. This was the fourth consecutive Super Bowl appearance for the Bills, and their fourth consecutive loss.
31 years ago!
Fact Check: Adam Gase led the Miami Dolphins to the playoffs in his first season as head coach in 2016. They finished that season with a 10-6 record. The Dolphins lost their Wild Card Round playoff game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. That was 9 years ago!
The Buffalo Bills have made the playoffs in each of the last six seasons (2019-2024 seasons).
Here’s a breakdown of their playoff results since the 2019 season: Season Round Result
The Bills have a 7-5 record in the playoffs between September 4, 2020, and September 4, 2025. During these five years (spanning the 2020-2024 seasons), they have made a trip to the AFC Championship Game twice.
To me, there is not that big of a difference that Miami made it to the playoffs and has lost twice in the wild card round, and the Bills’ failure to make it to the Super Bowl these past 5 years.
The Buffalo Bills have appeared in four Super Bowls, all of which they lost. They are the only NFL team to play in four consecutive Super Bowls. The Bills’ Super Bowl appearances occurred from 1991 to 1994 (for the 1990-1993 seasons).
The Miami Dolphins have appeared in five Super Bowls, winning two of them. They famously completed the NFL’s only undefeated season in 1972, culminating in a Super Bowl VII victory. Their last Super Bowl appearance was after the 1984 season, losing to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XIX.
The Dolphins’ two Super Bowl victories were in consecutive seasons, Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII
Tim Knight
says:
September 5, 2025 at 4:40 pm
I don’t understand all the concerns over Waller. We haven’t even played a game yet and he’s really not a TE. We can play without him. It wouldn’t matter to me if we didn’t sign him. I think he was more like rolling the dice and hoping for the best.
———–
Tim,
It’s about taking up a valuable spot on our 53-man roster, he’s TE #1 who’s hurt and coming out of retirement (year off), our depth sucks behind him, and we can only elevate two PS members per game.
We’ll obviously have to elevate K Riley Patterson in the absence of Jason Sanders, and we currently only have 2 RBs on our 53 in Ollie and Achane (<– do NOT underestimate his hamstring injury). So obviously, we have to elevate either Jeff Wilson or JaMycal Hasty from our PS.
Per NFL rules, only TWO (2) players per team may be elevated for game day play. So with Waller out, we enter game 1 against the Colts with only 2 rostered TEs: Julian Hill and Tanner Conner, both of whom probably wouldn’t make another team’s 53.
THIS is what all the concern over Waller is all about, my friend.
And what is Waller? He’s a TE who cannot block… even worse than Mike Gesicki. Why did we sign him to begin with???
And THAT is why we need to trade for TE Michael Mayer from the Raiders, who now plays second fiddle to rising star TE Brock Bowers.
Michael Mayer can actually BLOCK.
Tua’s going to get killed out there with no TEs who can actually block.
Our running game is going to SUFFER without a TE who can actually block. Then, opposing Defenses will play 2-deep Safeties again, nullifying ‘Reek & Da’ Penguin again.
SEASON OVER
I already said how I feel about him. If his roster spot is the key to our season then we shouldn’t even bother caring about the season.
And I’ve already presented the solution: trade for Michael Mayer… and perhaps the season is saved. He knows the OZBS from his days at Notre Dame, ya know. It wouldn’t be foreign to him.
If we cannot adequately protect Tua, then Tua is set up for failure.
SEASON OVER??? Well, I might as well start talking 2026 NFL draft? Who do you want with our #1 pick in the upcoming draft? 🙂
LOL 😆
You’ve come to the right place, Markeyh! BBM is the ONE to talk to regarding future draft prospects. He astounds even me!
IMO, I think we’re looking for a future franchise QB, followed by a future stud CB.
As long as Tua is playing, we have no need to draft another QB. At the very least, we will bring in an FA QB to compete for his job.
I don’t think the season is over
I think if you sign a guy out of retirement and he’s not ready to go week 1 – you’ve hurt the teams chances as success
If we want the offense to be where we were in 2023, we can’t gamble on players coming out of retirement
it’s just a bad move by the team
I’ll reserve judgment until after the season is over.
I don’t think the results of the season are the key issue here
my only hesitation in not criticizing the Waller move earlier was the thought that maybe they know something I don’t
but now I can see the FO just took a huge risk
they have put the team in a worse position to start the season by making a risky move that didn’t pan out
we can judge that now
for what it’s worth, I still expect us to win this Sunday
but I want my team to be firing on all cylinders in week 1 – and they aren’t. They are going in with a disadvantage bc they took a risk on a player
Markey – Successful signings? Have you noticed that one guy out of all those you mentioned are still here? That’s part of the problem. They haven’t been building a team, they just get some players and don’t worry about next year or beyond. Finally we have some young depth on the D-line whereas last year, they got lucky that Calais Campbell was still available and no one else from the guys they signed with the exception of Benito Jones is still here. We have no continuity here, it’s guys in, guys out.
They were successful because while here, they played well for us. Now our GM has signed what I call stopgap players to 1-2 year contracts with the intent to restock this team with younger, cheaper drafted players to offset the money they shelled out to our highest paid players. The fact that some of them are not here any longer is irrelevant.
Calais Campbell has been replaced by the three young DTs we drafted this year, all of whom are 20 years old! Yiu have made my point!
Would you rather have Calais or Grant?
markeyh
says:
September 5, 2025 at 5:42 pm
As long as Tua is playing, we have no need to draft another QB. At the very least, we will bring in an FA QB to compete for his job.
——–
I absolutely LOVE Tua! Count me as one of his biggest fans! However, we mustn’t overlook the fact that he could be one hit away from becoming scrambled eggs.
That’s REAL, my friend. And Jason Taylor was exactly right about it in regard to Trent Green back in the day.
We must have a plan for after Tua, and the sooner the better.
Let’s play a game first and get a feel for things before we worry about everything; injuries, depth, the drama etc. We’re not the only team with those concerns. The Jets just lost AVT for the season.
but if Waller doesn’t play in week 1 it’s bad management and bad coaching – that’s just wasting a roster spot
not to mention the draft pick for a retired guy….
aaaaaaaaaand Waller
is out Week 1
markeyh says: September 5, 2025 at 5:42 pm
As long as Tua is playing, we have no need to draft another QB. At the very least, we will bring in an FA QB to compete for his job.
——–
I disagree to a certain extent. No concussions, Tua will be the starting QB next year so no need to draft one early.
I do think you need to get a jump on the next man up. Ewers showed some promise. Draft another one in the mid rounds next draft. There will be some really good options there in the next draft. Bring in another one to compete with Ewers behind Tua.
But if Grier and McDaniel get fired, all bets are off. The new GM and HC would want to hitch their wagon to THEIR hand-picked QB, likely via the Draft. Remember this.
How Tua plays this season will determine whether we need to draft his eventual replacement. If he’s hurt again ands misses time or just sacks as per usghe when the chips are down, you know you have Ryan Tannehill 2.0 and it’s time to move on!
Tim – Not trying to bust balls but do you think the Jets losing AVT is similar to us trading a draft pick for a retired player who was already injured and quit on his team because he didn’t want to play anymore? I doubt you do, but you did group them together. If they got Waller and they had him at the bottom of the depth chart, I’d probably care less, but it’s like they were counting on him to be their TE1, and that scares me.
No I was talking about you can’t constantly worry about injuries and depth.
M13, Tankathon updated their 3 round mock. They no longer have us taking CB McCoy in the 1st round. They also have us with a higher pick meaning they predict a worse record this year. I still like their picks for us.
#8 Kayden Proctor OT Alabama, he’s a giant at 6’7, 366 (I’d rather have Spencer Fano in the 1st round, better fit)
#38 DJ McKinney CB Colorado, don’t know much about him
#70 John Mateer QB Oklahooma, on BBM’s watch list
#87 Xavier Scott S Illinois, Selected in BBM’s last mock draft
Previously, Tankathon went CB in the 1st then OT in the 2nd. Wonder what changed their priorities for the Dolphins or do they just do BPA in areas of need.
Interesting… and with a whole season of college and NFL football yet to be played.
Grief is an imbecile. Maybe instead of getting some already retired guy who is going to retire soon enough again he should have used the 98th pick (3rd round) or 135th pick (4th round) on a young TE that we would have for 4 years for the same amount as they gave Waller? (our Shiny new LG would still have been there as not one G was selected between the 37th and 48th pick!) or maybe they could have used the 79th pick this year instead of trading it away for Wright who did nothing last year and isn’t looking like a winner this year.
Maybe we could have taken a TE in the 4th at 116? But we traded that away for a pick next year…Like we didn’t need player this year.
With any of those picks we could have taken Ja’Tavion Sanders, Cade Stover, Theo Johnson, Eric All or Jared Wiley I bet at least one of them has better stats than Waller at the end of this year, forget about FUTURE years.
Ja’Tavion Sanders can’t block, but your point is VERY well noted!
MF13….Either can Waller, but he’s 10 freaking years younger than Waller and we would have him for 4 years. Perhaps HE can learn? We KNOW Waller couldn’t….
Rock – I agree, said something very much like that up the page
Wanst
if you go to Gravatar.com you can customize your avatar.
Wasn’t or wanstedt
?
I think he was saying Grier is a waste. Let’s leave it at that. lol
you guys were pissin in your cheerios before the draft about all the holes, then after the draft about the CBs
now all you really have to piss about is Waller, seems we’ve come a long way
That is kind of true, lol
Tim – gotcha!
Tonights game is on youtube. Is that free??
Yeah, regular youtube
I’m doing a Panama Canal Cruise early January, so its a given we’ll win a playoff game while I’m gone
This is the dumbest pre-game show ever.
Hey Phelon!
Hey Mike
Steve – we’ll see what we have to be pissed about after Sunday. I’m sure it will be more than just Waller.
I’m sure you’ll find something
if you were a KC fan you’d be on suicide watch
Hotdog Mahomes isn’t looking so hot tonight.
Nor is Lollypop Herbert.
I shouldn’t have said that. The Lollypop’s stats are rather impressive.
Mahomie has no weapons, except Kelcie and he’s playing with Waller
Steve – You act like the roster is golden. He filled out the roster, that’s all we know. This team could be hot garbage, and the odds are stronger that that’s the case more than they’re going to be contending for a division title
I never said that, nor insinuated it, and I could say the opposite
given the cap situation, and where we were, he did about all he could
The cap is his doing. He didn’t come into a bad situation, he created it.
🤯
Kelce’s new favorite play: the bitch slap
It’s amazing, even though our GM has hit home runs in the last two drafts that are the best draft classes he’s ever had, that some of you are still bitching about our GM. After not having all their draft picks in 2022 and 2023. The Dolphins have finally had, in the last two drafts, their full complement of picks in 2024, 2025, 2026, and beyond.
In 2022, the Dolphins only had 4 draft picks, none of which were first-round picks. Miami did not have a first-round pick because they had traded it in a package to acquire wide receiver Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs.
And even though some are not Tyreek fans and want Miami to trade him, I am happy that we have his talent on this team and feel he is worth what we gave up and paid him to be on our team.
Miami also did not have a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, even though they started out with two first-round picks that year, but they lost both of them due to different circumstances:
Bradly Chubb, just like Hill, was worth what we gave up and paid him to be here, but just imagine if you were our GM and found out the owner and his minions tampered and cost us our other first-rounder in 2023. So we had limited picks in 2022 and 2023 due to trades and fines that limited our draft selections those two years.
Now that we have had our full complement of picks these last two drafts, who can really argue that Chris Grier has not done a very good job of restocking our shelves?
Here is a breakdown of Grier’s 2024 draft class:
Here is a breakdown of Grier’s 2025 draft class:
In 2026, the Dolphins will have 8 draft picks, 1 first-round pick, 1 second-round pick, 2 third-round picks, 1 fifth-round pick, and 1 seventh-round pick.
You folks truly don’t deserve Chris Grier!
Home runs??? That’s so far from the truth, that’s just being optimistic. Chop looks the part, but he hasn’t really done anything yet. Patrick Paul less so. Jaylen Wright once again required trading a very valuable 3rd RD pick in the 2025 Draft, one we could have used for a TE instead of picking up a dead on arrival TE Darren Waller. Mo Kamara – GONE! Malik Washington at the very least looks like a good return man but he hasn’t done anything yet as a WR, but hopefully he’ll be a good slot WR for us. Patrick McMorris – GONE! Tahj Washington is at the very end of the roster rope hanging on.
This year’s draft hasn’t done a damn thing yet, so HR is way off base. Once again Grier fell in love with one player and squandered draft picks to make another asinine trade. As far as 2026, I PRAY that Grier isn’t here to do the picking, we need a QB and he clearly is clueless as to what it takes to find a GREAT QB, and not just an oft injured stat compiler.
Well, many Dolphins fans are more than happy about the prospects of our young talent, as am I. Your extreme negativity reflects a need for psychological help! 🙂
Your contrarian ways are exasperating.
you should probably rain back on that kind of shit, Markeyh suggesting he needs psychological help is a bit over the line
but call me crazy
😝
Tua Tagovailoa is good enough to lead the Miami Dolphins to a Super Bowl.
Not with the roster he has here in Miami. He needs everything to be perfect, he has been totally incapable of putting this team on his back and winning a game against a better opponent like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes do on a regular basis.
That’s more of a coaching issue than a quarterback issue
Many Dolphins fans are happy? This Dolphins fan wants a team that can win playoff games and go to a Super Bowl in reality, not just in their minds.
We hopeful Dolphins fans realize that in order to win a playoff game and make it to the SB you must first make the playoffs. That has been accomplished 2 out of the last 3 seasons.
Had we not lost Tua for 6 games last season, then it would have been 3 out of 3. Now, even if we had made it to the playoffs last season, that team was not good enough to beat the top teams. So Miami used the offseason to improve its roster, get healthy to try again.
That is where we are today, this 2025 team is capable of beating good teams, and we will find out this year if they can.
If not, your hopes will be granted!
Markey – So you think Mike McDaniel is the reason that Tua can’t beat good teams?
In one way, you’re probably right. MM will protect Tua at all costs, even the cost of winning. To be fair though, if MM let Tua play with reckless abandon like Josh Allen, he’d most likely be carted off the field again, so there’s that issue.
What has Josh Allen gotten his team so far?
12-2 Record against the Dolphins….
Tua can never be Josh Allen but he is more like Dew Brees. I can live with that.
There are notable similarities between the Dolphins’ starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, and retired NFL quarterback Drew Brees.
These comparisons have been made throughout Tagovailoa’s career, even before his entry into the NFL. One prominent source of this comparison is former NFL offensive lineman Terron Armstead, who played alongside both quarterbacks for the Saints and Dolphins, respectively.
Key similarities
Notable differences (or areas for growth for Tagovailoa)
The comparison serves to highlight Tagovailoa’s potential and the path he could take to maximize his abilities within the NFL.
Sean Payton is a better HC than MM, and if we had a more experienced HC than I feel Miami would play better against above .500 teams.
I feel the Dolphins are an experienced HC away from taking things to the next level.
Considering their respective starts in the NFL, Tua Tagovailoa’s statistical performance through his first five seasons with the Miami Dolphins demonstrates higher numbers than Drew Brees’s first five seasons with the San Diego Chargers.
Here is a comparison of their stats through the first five seasons of their careers:
It’s worth noting that Brees’ career took a significant leap after his time with the Chargers, particularly after joining the New Orleans Saints. His first five seasons were marked by struggles with consistency and injuries. Tagovailoa’s early career has also been impacted by injuries.
Analysis
Ken says: September 5, 2025 at 10:08 pm
Kelce’s new favorite play: the bitch slap
———-
It was the best play of the game!! Hopefully that was a metaphor for the Chiefs season. They have the Eagles at home next week without their top 2 WR’s.
Congrats to Herbert! Now go suck half the year!
From Dolphins DT DeShawn Hand had a good game especially late. Same with Tart who the Dolphins cut last year. He will get a fine this week though. lol
Channing Tindall worked out for the Browns but wasn’t signed. Grayson Murphy has not tried out for anyone.
Bills kicker Tyler Bass was put on IR. New kicker is Matt Prater.
So LAC winning last night was bad for the Dolphins. LAC will be competing for a wildcard spot at the end of the year. They will take one of those spots away from Miami if Miami even has enough wins to squeak in
Chiefs looked like a team in decline last night. Its 1 game so hard to read too much into it and I don’t think they collapse because is just too good but overall Chiefs did not look all that good
Josh Allen – He’s won 7 Playoff games. If you’re curious, that’s 7 more than Tua.
5 straight AFCE winners. 2 AFC championship games. Would certainly have made a SB or two if not for the buzz saw that is the Chiefs. A top 3 team in the AFC every year.
But hey, we got two WC appearances even though nearly half the league gets into the playoffs. And we beat the Bills that one time, so these teams are practically twins.
I detect sarcasm in that last statement. 😃
LOL
Jaylen Wright once again required trading a very valuable 3rd RD pick in the 2025 Draft, one we could have used for a TE instead of picking up a dead on arrival TE Darren Waller.
Mike, if you’re only going to use what you don’t like in you’re narrative, then its just that
maybe a mention to his acquiring an extra 3rd next year will do wonders for your one sided view
That pick could be very valuable for a different GM, or in Grier’s hands, just another pick to squander on yet another pointless trade up
When you’re making an argument, one usually uses information that suits the narrative Steve, don’t be so silly!
Talking about a team that can’t even win a Playoff game as a legitimate Super Bowl contender makes me feel like I need psychological help!
I think ALL of us Dolphins fans need psychological help. Some are in denial and the others that aren’t are just miserable! 🙂
MikeE,
Thankfully I’m past my days of letting the Dolphins make me feel miserable every week. I’m not sure if it’s maturity or senility but either way it’s better! Lol
I am also past those days. Pretty much coincided with Marino retiring.
The Brees comparisons at this point are mostly laughable, because his greatest asset was his ability to know where to go with the ball presnap
Tua can’t do that yet, but once he does and I think he will look out
Maybe give Tua another 3 years or so. By then he may not remember which side of the field to go to
PB checking in!
I learned my lesson on that one!
Week one is rarely a view into the future.
Tim,
I think that’s true of some things and not of others. I think you can see if a team is disciplined or not. That should be established in practice already, for instance. You can see if you have a team that can compete talent wise if you’re seeing starters. Sure, you hope for improvement as the season progresses, but I’d like to see us come out and look like we have our shit together.
I’ve actually been kinda surprised with how good all 4 teams have looked in game one. We need to come out and look like we’re prepared.
Yeah just going by history. I thought we looked pretty good in the preseason so I hope that continues week one. Meaning we didn’t look sloppy and unprepared. We’ll see how we do with the starters and significant role players playing the snaps.
Tim,
I’m gonna focus on the LOS. We need to start showing we are truly interested in winning there. Talk is cheap. I wanna see their guys getting pushed around. I wanna see their guys getting hit hard. Hell, discipline is great, but I’d even be okay with a PI if done the right way. Lol
I agree about the LOS. Our front seven has a chance to be really good. We all know we’re in wait and see mode with the OL.
I hope Daniels is playing
I want our starting 5 to play early and often together
Randy focusing on the LOS is as sure of a bet as there is
😂
I’ll tell ya, this Oregon offense is very impressive. The WRs, RB, TE, and OL blocking the hell out of Ok St. On one of the rushing TDs from outside the 20, the TE kept blocking a LB 15 yds downfield into a pancake. On the same play, one of the O-linemen blocked his guy all the way to the endzone. The runner obviously was never even touched. LOL
BTW, the TE was Kenyon Sadiq. …Next year’s draft???
Some have Sadiq as the #1 TE in next year’s Draft (he’s a junior this season), currently mocked in the 2nd round. 6’3″, 245 pounds, 4.52 40-time.
Yes, he’s certainly a guy to monitor this season.
And thanks for the heads up, man.
If Sean Payton is a better coach than MM, it’s not by much. He had the luxury of a better front office and a defense. I lived in Saints country for years. The amount of stupid self defeating play calling he employed was incredible. He would consistently use Reggie Bush between the tackles and try to use Deuce McAllister as a pass catcher which ended up messing up his career.
Dolphins elevate Jeff Wilson Jr. and Riley Patterson for week 1.
So 2 weak TE’s. Check! Waller will surely play next week. That injury couldn’t possibly longer all season!
I forgot to mention 2 “WEAK” TEs as you mentioned, Mike E. This is NOT GOOD.
Equally as notable, IMO: we did NOT place Darren Waller on the 4-week IR. We’re going to Indy with just 2 TEs on our roster.
So, we’re going to be elevating Jeff Wilson and Riley Patterson over the next couple/several weeks due to Jaylen Wright and Jason Sanders’ injuries. Friendly reminder that teams can only elevate just 2 players from the PS per game.
Are we going to go into our first 3 or 4 games with just 2 TEs on our roster? JMO, but this is less than desirable… if not reckless.
We’re handcuffed due to keeping Waller on our active roster.
where are the score predictions for tomorrow?
Dolphins @ Colts Predictions (Howie’s list)
M13: 37-17 🐬
🐷 40 – 6 🐬
MF, I forgot what your symbol is. Tell me and I’ll and it when I add my score.
It’s the football, Brother.
🏈
Can’t believe that didn’t come out JUMBO this time.
USF just beat UF
wow
Dolphins @ Colts Predictions (Howie’s list)
🏈 37-17 🐬
🐷 40–6 🐬
🦍 27-24 🐬
18-15 🐬
Well whadayaknow, I think I figured out emojis on my new computer!
🥷🏽
Dolphins @ Colts Predictions (Howie’s list)
🏈 37-17 🐬
🐷 40–6 🐬
🦍 27-24 🐬
🐘 18-15 🐬
Kenyon Sadiq should be the #1 TE even though the stats aren’t there. The stats could come but also, he was the preseason best blocking TE in college.
Mateer not looking bad despite the INT.
Man, USF starts off the season beating 2 ranked teams. Must be for real.