Finsmob Unleashed

The Miami Dolphins return home from an unsuccessful trip to Buffalo, NY. You can look at this game from many different perspectives. You can say it was a tough task traveling to Buffalo for the 3rd road game in 4 games. You can say in general Orchard Park is a house of horrors for the Dolphins, which it is. You could also look at it from the viewpoint that if this team is really ready to compete for a division title and beyond, we need to be able to not only compete with teams like the Bills, but beat them. Well, this past Sunday we did neither, at least not past the beginning of the 2nd quarter, where the score stood at that time at 14-14. The Bills then ran away, scoring 17 unanswered points and eventually finished on top with a lopsided 48-20 victory.

One game however, does not mean that all is bad in Miami. Credit Bills HC Sean McDermott for finding a way to shut down the Dolphins offense, something the Patriots did as well up to a point. The bright side is, I have no concerns with our offense. We lost a couple of role players, WR’s River Cracraft and Erik Ezukanma, Cracraft more in a receiving role, while EZ was used in the rushing attack and seldom used as a receiver. Both players are on IR so they will both be out a minimum of 4 games. In the mean time, the Dolphins acquired former Steelers and Bears WR Chase Claypool for a 6th RD pick in 2024, the Dolphins receive Claypool and the Bears 7th RD pick in 2024. This offense is evolving constantly, and now LT Terron Armstead will spend some customary time OUT, he’s also now on IR with multiple injuries. We have seen the emergence of rookie RB De’Von Achane, and he’s been nothing less than electric. His stats are off the charts, but lest we not forget how well Raheem Mostert looks this season. I’m also impressed with big back Chris Brooks from BYU, and RB Jeff Wilson is set to return shortly from injury. RB Salvon Ahmed is also healing up, so that’s one very crowded backfield, and how the touches are divided are anyone’s guess. Achane has been used sparingly despite the outrageous returns on his limited touches, and to be fair, they might just keep it that way to keep him healthy. This may also benefit Raheem Mostert who is now 31, and although he’s bulked up and looks like a different back, he’s got quite the injury history, so splitting carries might be the recipe to keep both healthy and productive.

OK, finally, what about the defense? I loathe to talk about the defense, or lack of defense if you will. This defense scares no one. It’s toothless. We’ve been gashed on the ground, through the air, every which way. ST’s has allowed a blocked FG attempt and has allowed a return TD. The super hyped Jaelan Phillips wasn’t much when he played, and now he’s likely to miss his 3rd straight game. The defense has 10 sacks after 4 games, and if I told you after 4 games that Andrew Van Ginkel would be leading the team with 3 sacks, you’d have laughed at me. AVG is doing his best while Phillips is out and while Bradley Chubb is largely ineffective. The other 7 sacks are distributed with a sack each for Long, Ogbah, Chubb, Wilkins, Sieler, and Kohou, and hype-boy Phillips shares 1/2 sack with DB Justin Bethel. The Dolphins defense is allowing just a hair under 30 PPG, a far cry from what we all expected with the Vic Fangio hiring.

The Jonathan Taylor rumors went wild, this after the Dalvin Cook rumors went wild. OK, the problem on this team is not the run game, or the players in the run game. Now that Taylor is eligible to return, he’s eligible to come off the PUP list, and appears fully healthy from his January ankle surgery. We just traded for WR Chase Claypool, so how long before Taylor to Miami starts again, and it probably already has, although I’ve read the Packers really want him. I said we didn’t need him before, and I’m sticking to that position. We could potentially be better with Taylor, but I think we’re more than fine with what we currently have.

Back to the dreaded defense. Cam Smith, ZERO defensive snaps, has only played special teams. Our 1st pick in this year’s draft, #51 (2nd RD pick), can’t seem to crack the lineup ahead of Eli Apple for one. I love Kader Kohou, what Dolphins fan doesn’t? Kohou is a nickel back, and actually, good news is on the frontier, because Nik Needham can potentially be back as well as OG Robert Jones. Both have been designated to return in which the team has a 21 day window to be activated, much like the Colts Jonathan Taylor. It would be wonderful for Needham to get back, he’s a favorite of mine because he always seems to step up to the challenge before him. I don’t know whether Vic Fangio just feels that Cam Smith isn’t ready, doesn’t like rookies, I’m not sure, but to see Eli Apple lining up and playing like Eli Apple has, it’s disheartening to fans that Cam Smith hasn’t received a chance.

It’s looking Connor Williams may miss another game with an injured groin muscle. Both Robert Jones and Nik Needham logged back to back limited practices, so they’re not on the radar for this week. C Connor Williams also has 2 limited practices, so we’ll see whether he suits up against the Jints, who by the way will be without 3 starters on their O-line, LT Andrew Thomas, LG Shane Lemieux and C Jon Michael Schmitz, while RB Saquon Barkley will be a gametime decision. Our beleaguered defense may actually have a favorable matchup, stay tuned. You have to figure we’ll rest Phillips in this one as he’s still bothered with that oblique injury. I expect our offense to get back to normal, not necessarily 70 points, but 30 or more points in this one. The NY Giants are league last scoring only 11.5 PPG, while allowing 30.5 PPG on defense, just behind our Dolphins defense. Hopefully the Dolphins get their mojo back and come back again next week to Hard Rock for the Fest at 4-1, still atop, either tied or maybe alone after a battle with the Jacksonville Jaguars who got back on track against the Atlanta Falcons to go to 2-2.

GO DOLPHINS!!