Miami Dolphins Implode on National TV

Debacle is a mild word for this abysmal performance…

40-0

Let me type that again: 40-0

There it is. How much more can be said without getting sucked into the same vortex that sank the Miami Dolphins? What is it with the Ravens? It seems Miami always saves the worst for Baltimore, but it was more than that, the Dolphins were exposed.

An article earlier this week explained Miami’s O-Line deficiency when facing a 3-4 defense, it was starkly apparent on Thursday night. Mike Pouncey cannot block big strong nose tackles one-on-one and consequently, he needs help. The moment one of the guards slides over to help Pouncey, the “A” gap opens like a can of Busch Beer. Free running blitzers attacked Matt Moore or Jay Ajayi with the same whooshing sound.

It may have been the sound of the air coming out of Miami’s season…

Mike Pouncey might be a really good technician. He might be really good at making line calls. He might be really good at sealing a zone, but he cannot block one-on-one. Was Adam Gase making a case to explain to himself why Miami needs a better center? Gase called the same running play into the “A” gap on first down, after first down, after first down. I know all the experts proclaim Pouncey as the best Miami offensive lineman. I guess I’m just too stupid to know I’m too stupid and Pouncey is really good.

As casual fans, we’re not capable of understanding the subtle nuances. I’m sure Adam Gase will proclaim Mike Pouncey played, “an outstanding game last night.” Sorry Adam, Pouncey was pathetic. I know, I’m just too stupid to know I’m too stupid.

These excuses, intangibles or nuances we fans don't understand will mean nothing to next nine teams the Miami Dolphins play. As Gase is fond of saying, “The film don’t lie.” Every team playing Miami will sign a couple 350 pound nose tackles to attack the weakness, Mike Pouncey.

Was this a pre-season game? It certainly seemed as if Gase was working off a play sheet with only 3 plays. Ajayi into the middle of the line, Ajayi into the middle of the line, Ajayi into the middle of the line. By the time Matt Moore dropped back to pass, the entire stadium was pinning their ears back and whooshing through the “A” gap. Damien Williams couldn’t decide which free runner to block and just whiffed on them all.

Miami had no answer to the Ravens. Zone blocking doesn’t work against a 3-4 defense with three large defensive tackles coming straight ahead and blitzing LBs swarming behind. Adam Gase looked as lost as his team, calling play after play straight into the defense. A few screen passes were attempted but telegraphed to the point where the Ravens zipped past Pouncey before Matt Moore could even catch the snap.

That was the “0” part of the score, what happened on the 40 side was easier to understand when two Matt Moore pick sixes are included.

The defense started okay and kept Miami in the game, but the short week and a complete lack of offense caught up to them. By the third quarter, the defense was spent… Frustration became apparent about the time Kiko Alonso decapitated Joe Flacco. He didn’t hit the QB with his helmet, but the blow was brutal and started a melee. The image of Flacco rising loopy from the ground, raising his finger and calling the parking lot attendant, was classic.

The chippy play continued until punk QB Ryan Mallett, who replaced Flacco, learned a quick lesson about bating an angry Ndamukong Suh. Suh lifted him off the ground by his neck and stared him down. The fear in Mallett’s eyes was palpable and from then on the game was a matter of getting it done.

Burke’s defensive coaching was as questionable as Gases offensive offense. The Ravens pulled a play from tony Sparano’s book and lined up unbalanced with two tackles on one side and a TE on the other. Burke did not respond until the fourth quarter. The Miami defense did not adjust and Baltimore ran the play again and again and again.

Thank you NFL for taking another swipe at the Miami Dolphins. After scheduling the team to travel 14,000 miles in three weeks, Miami also had to endure an away game on Thursday night. It was completely obvious, Miami was not prepared to play this game. The long week ahead is the only redeeming factor in a season now minus a bye week.

40-0

Let that resonate… 40-0

It will be interesting to see how Miami responds. This season, by all accounts, was over before it started and somehow the Dolphins are still alive. It’s just a single game in a long season…

We R Not Normal

Miami will be back.

Miami Dolphins at Ravens Game Chat

Prime time game with the Ravens tonight. I'm betting it'll be pretty ugly.

Click here to find a stream for the game.

Miami's Majestical Dolphins Dispel NY's Jets

Adam Gase' Miami Dolphins are 13 - 4 over the teams last 17 regular season games. Those 13 wins started with a double-digit dousing of the 2016 Steelers. The Dolphins have won 13 consecutive games that Jay Ajayi had 18 or more attempts in while also continuing their franchise record streak of 12 consecutive victories by one score or less.

2017's Dolphins have been cloaked with curses cast upon them over the seasons entirety. (Tannehill, Irma, PPD, Timmons, 16,000 miles traveled by game three, at NY & London debacles, OL Coach Forester), and all of that took place on a weekly basis before game five.

The sky has been falling on Miami since the pre-season.
Not once have they ever cried wolf,
they just Huff & Puff & Blow Down one distraction after another.

Gase flicks the inconveniences from his shoulder as he states. ""We'll move forward, and do our thing"".

What is Miami's thing?
Start slow, and finish fast against all odds?

Week one Dolphin home opener cancelled.

Game one at LA's home opener took 9 unanswered late game Dolphin points for the 19 - 17 W.

A 16 - 10 Victory Versus the Titans came via the games only fourth quarter score, a Dolphin Touchdown.

Miami tapped their counter-spell-less magic wand 20 times over the final 21 minutes to beat the (home team and coming off a bye) Atlanta Falcons 20 - 17.

And today in hosting the New York Jets. While trailing 14 - 28 with 11:21 remaining on the game clock. The Miami Dolphins scored 17 unanswered points for the 31 - 28 VICTORY OF GLORY!

Today's "inconveniences" included a disasterously sloppy field, a few highly productive offensive plays negated by the starting centers handkerchiefs drawn, and a couple brainfarts on what should/would have been early game defining defensive third down stops.

Oh Yea.
While trailing 21 - 14, and with the Dolphins driving on the opening third quarter series. Quarterback Jay Cutler (sternum/ribs), & Left Tackle Laremy Tunsil (knee) were forced from the game on back to back plays.

Adam Gase
Flick the inconvenient crap from your shoulder, move forward, and win against all self destructing odds.

New York opened the game with a 75 yard drive resulting in a (29 yard TD pass) that Miami matched on their opening series. The Cutler to Landry four yard connection was the Dolphins first offensive touchdown in the first half of a game this season, (let-alone in the first quarter of a game). The Jets had another 75 yard drive in the second quarter (result an 18 yard TD pass) that the home team answered after covering 70 yards of their own. Tight-End Anthony Fasano's four yard reception from Cutler tied the game at 14 - 14.

On Miami's next possession from their own three yard line Cutler had a ball batted up and intercepted at the LOS. NY's offense walked it in for the 21 - 14 halftime lead.

To open the third quarter, Cutler drove Miami to it's 45 when on first and 10 he went down upon a vicious hit and incompletion. A defensive holding penalty gave the Dolphins an automatic first down. Adam (Prince Charming) Gase had a backup date for the ball, and the slipper fit Matt Moore. Though he went three & out to finish that particular possession.

On the fifth play of Miam's next offensive series Moore threw an interception at the Dolphins 45 yard line. Seven plays later the jets scored on a 9 yard touchdown pass for a 28 - 14 lead with less than 2 third quarter minutes remaining.

Miami followed with a four & out 6 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Adam Gase had an idea for a motivating Dolphin Tee-Shirt design  last year that Cam Wake saw and approved of. Gase broke the T's out this past week of practice, and it says.
""We Are Not Normal""!!

At this point of the game with (14:45) remaining. The Dolphins Defense did the norm, and allowed the Jets just 13 more offensive plays on 5 possessions.

Wake conjured up 2.5 sacks while Suh had the .5 to total 3 sacks, Terrance Fede recovered a fumble, and Bobby McCain pulled a rabbit out of the hat of NYQB McCown.

Meanwhile.
Matt Moore shook off the tightness of hibernation, and drove the Dolphins to 17 unanswered slight of hand points in the final eleven minutes.

After the Dolphin D forced a three & out for minus 6 yards, Miami took control at NY's 42. Four plays later Moore hit Kenny Stills for a 28 yard TOUCHDOWN to pull within 21 - 28.

Another Defensive three & out for minus 10 yards gave Miami the ball at their own 45. Six plays later Matt Moore hit Kenny Stills again. This time they did it twice from three yards out (though the first was nullified via a bogus OPI handkerchief). The second was good for the game tying score of 28 - 28.

Four more Jets along with seven more Dolphins offensive plays resulted in two punts, and gave NY the ball at their own 15 yard line with 47 game seconds left to tick away till overtime.

On first and 10 a mystical unicorn breached from beneath the quagmire of turf and propelled Bobby McCain from nowhere and into his own zone for the game clinching interception. It was just Miami's second pick for the year, but it was also the second consecutive game clinching ""Pick Of Destiny"" as Kicker Cody Parkey nailed the slippery 39 yard, 31 - 28 game winning fairy-tale.

NY passed for 180 yards on 27 attempts, and ran for 92 on 22 totes for 16 total first downs. Their D forced two turnovers, and had three sacks.

Miami quarterbacks completed 25 of 37 for 304 yards. Jay Ajayi (23/51) got his (18-plus game winning carries) while the team produced just 53 rushing yards on 25 attempts as the Dolphins totaled 25 first downs.

Cutler went 12 of 16, 138 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int for a 114.1 QBR

Moore was 13 - 21, 188, 2 TD, 1 Int for a 102.9 QBR

Landry had 7 receptions for 93 with a TD.
Stills converted 6 for 85 with two TD's.
Fasano caught 3 for 25 with a TD.

Miami had 76 penalty yards which was 48 fewer than NY's, and the Dolphins won the Time Of Possession battle by nearly four minutes.


At 3 - 2 Miami's average output was 12.?? points per game. With today's 31 the average has been up'd to 15.?? per.
2017's Dolphins have won three in a row and are 4 - 2 after six games played.

""We Are Not Normal""


Four Days Till Miami Visits Baltimore on Thursday Night Football..

GOFINS!!!

Miami Dolphins vs Jets Week 7 Game Chat

Week 7 against the Jets.

Find a stream of the game here.

The Miami Dolphins: A Tale of Two Halves

The Miami Dolphins spotted the Atlanta Falcons 17 points in a lackluster first half that looked like the Dolphins were ready to implode. Mike Pouncey ominously headed toward the tunnel just before intermission with a concussion. Jay Cutler refused to set his feet, dancing around imaginary rushers before unloading short or off-target. These Dolphins were the first team in 13 years not to score a touchdown in the first quarter of 5 consecutive games to start the season.

The chants of, “we want Moore,” could be heard all the way from Miami. Subjected all week to every cocaine snorting meme imaginable, the only people who still believed were in that locker room at halftime. A 15-play, 75-yard, 8 minute drive to start the third quarter sparked the comeback. Jay Cutler finally found his legs, maneuvering up and out of the pocket, then firing to Kenny Stills in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown. The Dolphins had scored! The Dolphins had a pulse and it seemed that’s all they needed.

The defense, which had played well despite giving up 17 first half points, smelled blood in the water and promptly forced a three an out. Then divine invention set the stage…

Atlanta punter Matt Bosher shanked a 26-yard kick giving the Dolphins possession on their own 49. Two Falcons penalties: a 26-yard pass interference penalty on a deep pass to Jakeem Grant and a late hit on Jay Cutler, that negated a Deion Jones interception, changed the momentum of the game. Cutler floated a pass to Jarvis Landry for an easy seven-yard touchdown. “I was wide open,” Landry said. “No one can guard me. Great play design from coach.” The score was 17-14 Atlanta, but the magic was with Miami.

On Atlanta’s next possession, a Falcons holding penalty followed by a Cam Wake sack brought punter Matt Bosher back on the field. The snap seemed to bounce off the up man or perhaps it was a mishandled fake, but either way, Bosher never got the punt off and Miami took over on its own 48. Gase seized the moment, calling for a nine-yard pass to Landry on 4th and 2 before Cody Parkey nailed a 49-yard field goal with 8:39 left, to tie the game.

Newly acquired William Hayes dropped Tevin Coleman for two yards, and then a loss of eight on consecutive runs. Matty Ice had that far away “how did we give up a 28-3 lead” look in his eyes as Dolphin defenders pummeled him on nearly every play. After a Falcons punt, Jay Ajayi ripped off two 18-yard runs, Cutler hit Landry for 10 yards on a third and nine, and Parkey hit a 38-yard field goal with 2:30 to go for a 20-17 Miami lead. After 20 unanswered second half points the Dolphins would not be denied!

The Falcons drove from their own 13 to the Dolphins 26, it looked like the game was heading for overtime or a last minute Atlanta victory when Rashad Jones did his thing. Rookie Cordrea Tankersley had great coverage on tight end Austin Hooper, when he reached in, deflecting a well thrown pass. Jones “kind of cheated a little bit backside and I kept my eyes on the ball” grabbing it at the Dolphins 6 for an interception to win the game.

The victory was one to savoir for the Miami Dolphins. Postponing their first game and giving up their bye week to Hurricane Irma, going in consecutive weeks to LA, NY and London, then dealing with a coach’s snorting fiasco, brought out the true character of this team. These guys don’t quit, they don’t make excuses and they should never be counted out of a ballgame.

Jay Ajayi rushed for 130 yards on 26 carries. Jay Cutler, threw for just 151 yards but was victimized by five more drops (three by Landry, two by Ajayi). Cutler looked gun shy and confused in the first half, but something clicked after intermission and he orchestrated four scoring drives in the final 28 minutes. His 76.7 rating was not as bad as the numbers would imply, but it was a tale of two halves.

The Miami defense dominated the second half, allowing just 106 yards.

With the Jets coming to town, Miami, left for dead several weeks ago, is 3-2. The second half performance against Atlanta is the type of comeback that changes a season. Jay Cutler is streaky, but clearly we have not seen him reach his peak and that bodes well for Miami. The loss of Pouncey somehow focused the offensive line and perhaps the off practice days for Pouncey are hindering, more than helping.

This Miami defense is going to lose the Dolphins another defensive coordinator, after the season, if this performance continues. The DL is the best collection of players for the Dolphins in many years and perhaps one of the best in the NFL. Maualuga and Timmons have solidified a weak linebacker corps and the two young corners are playing lights out. The thought of TJ McDonald returning at safety in a few weeks may be giving OC’s nightmares.

As Miami finds its offensive stride, this team has nowhere to go but up!

Miami Dolphins at Falcons Week 6 Game Chat

It is game time in Atlanta. Find streams of the game here.

Miami Dolphins Defense Takes W Versus Titans

The Football Gods, and leagues referees must have coagulated to agree this past week that Miami's Dolphins were due some benefit of a doubt. Miami is behind schedule as they had played one fewer game than the league has. In one fewer games (4) than the rest of the league, the Dolphins have already traveled 16,000 miles which eclipses more miles than 14 other NFL teams will travel over the seasons entirety.

After losing their week one home opening opportunity to hurricane Irma. Miami played their first home game of the season at Hard Rock Stadium today and left the building with a 2 - 2 record.

They were fortunate in that the Titans were without their all-around, highly skilled franchise quarterback Marcus Mariotta. Was it fate, or a gift from the higher powers? Those with the black & white stripes also appeared to be offering up some aqua & orange transfusions to the beached mammals.

Whatever the reasons why Miami's Dolphins got a few breaks this week?
They surely were overdue! They lost their quarterback just before the season's start, and have had plenty of flags and/or errant/missed calls go against them thus far in 2017. Let-alone what has become the rearranged schedule with the most (by far) frequent flier miles and having a wound licking bye week erased from the season's hour glass.

Whatever.
It is what it is, and the Dolphins must overcome. Today they did.

The Defense that now sports a line backing trio of Lawrence Timmons, Rey Maualuga, and Kiko Alonso shut down the Titans for 188 total yards with 19 tackles on 58 plays, along with a Kiko forced fumble and a sack. They held the visitors highly productive running back duo (DeMarco Murry & Derrick Henry) to 69 rush yards on 20 attempts. 188 - 69 is what Tennessee accrued through the air (119 yards).

Miami's Defense of Aqua & Orange blood sacked Matt Cassell 6 times via (Branch x two, Suh, Alonso, Wake/RJones .5, and rookie first round pick Charles Harris logged his first career NFL sack). The D also forced two fumbles that Rashad Jones recovered with one of them being returned for a touchdown and 10 - 0 first quarter home team lead.

Rookie DT Davon Godchaux forced the first fumble on the Titans third possession that #20 recovered at the visitors 42. Miami's O (cough, cough excuse me) drove the ball 19 yards for a 40 yard field goal and 3 - 0 advantage.

This is where things get sticky.
The Titans first play from their 25 goes for 11 rushing yards with another 5 being added due to defensive holding. The next play is a 59 yard touchdown bomb to the tight end. Fortunately the second tight end is ticky-tacked for offensive pass interference which nullifies the go ahead visitors score.

Two plays later on 2nd & 20 from the Titans own 31. Those of black & white stripes must have been playing Marco-Polo or been distracted by the ghost of Joe Robbie as they never (blew a whistle), ruled the play incomplete, or a fumble, or a recovery, or a defensive touchdown. They themselves had no idea of what took place until watching the mandatory (on a potential score) review. ""They never ruled a touchdown"", but upon review they gave Miami/Rashad Jones the touchdown.

It was an odd bang, bang play that seemed like Jones didn't pick up the stationary ball until 10 seconds after Alonso sacked and or caused the ball to be fumbled (nearly 10 yards forward) as Cassell's hand was simultaneously attempting to move forward from the cocked to firing position. The whistle never being blown was key, and likely the only reason Miami was awarded the score rather than just possession of the ball. It was odd, because the Dolphins are rarely offered oxygen and 14 point swings from those in black & white stripes. But Hey, we'll take it, the defense deserved this W, and that play resulting in a 10 - 0 first quarter lead didn't hurt!!

Tennessee scored 3 first half points, and tied the game at ten with their initial third quarter possession. The Titans were penalized 11 times for 77 yards and won the time of possession battle by 30 seconds. The Dolphins committed 5 penalties for 23 yards. Both teams had two turnovers.

DeVante Parker left the game early, wanted to return, but staff decided to live for another day.

Miami's only offensive possession that led to a touchdown came from the Dolphins 42 yard line with 29 seconds remaining in the third quarter, and ended 1:18 into the fourth quarter when Jay Cutler hit Jarvis Landry from six yards out. 16 - 10 Miami as the missed extra point turned the games remainder into a series of rectal exercise reps.

The Dolphins D was Da'Chit!
The Dolphins O was Da'Stench!
The Dolphins D held the Titans to 188 total yards.
The Dolphins O (cough, cough excuse me) accumulated 178 total yards with 100 coming via the ground games 31 attempts.

And it's not the quarterback who was relentlessly harassed the entire game and or all season every bit as much as Miami harassed today's opposing quarterback Matt Cassell with six sacks. Cutler avoided all but one sack.

Miami's offensive line has been horrible this season if not the last 15 years. Ajayi's getting hit upon the hand-off. Cutler at the snap is being forced into water bug mode sliding from one ripple to the next wave, and into the tsunami before managing to thankfully rid himself of that for which others playfully try to kill.

BA where are you, are you in shape, wanna come out of retirement and play the seasons remainder? We won 9 of our last 11 last year with you Tunsil, Pouncey, Bushrod, & James!

This past Thursday Defensive coordinator Matt Burke was asked if he'd agree that the defense played well enough to win the previous two games.

He adamantly replied ""no, we lost. The defense missed plenty of advantageous opportunities to flip the field and help out the offense. We aren't gonna play that game in my room, we win and lose as a team""!!

Today the Dolphins defense made the game changing play's that won if not helped the offense and team to win.

Miami is 2 - 2, and the defense will need to continue to play their best ball.
The offensive line needs to figure things out quick, or the Dolphins are gonna need the higher powers to continue to be of aqua & orange plasma.

In the batters circle stands what should be the defending World Champion Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons were 3 - 0 before suffering a home loss last week. They (conveniently) had their bye (what's that) this week and will have been sleeping in their own beds for three weeks by the time the struggling Dolphin offense comes to town.

C'MON O-LINE
GO FINS!!

Miami Dolphins vs. Titans Week 5 Game Chat

I'd recommend logging into chatroll as a guest.

Find a stream here.

Time to Bleed Aqua and Orange - Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins could hardly open the season looking worse. Aside from the Charger's customary gift, Miami has scored one garbage touchdown in eight quarters. As anemic as it sounds, the offense has looked even more confused than the 6 points would indicate. This is the territory of Adam Gase, wunderkind coach, whisperer of quarterbacks and savior Miami has been waiting for since Don Shula.

Coach Gase insists, "it drives me nuts," when experts "much more qualified then me," suggest that QB Jay Cutler is not living up to the $10 million dollars Miami spent luring him from retirement. In an unprecedented turn of events, the vitriol of the fans has turned a blind eye to the tumultuous fumblings of the Miami offense. Instead the fans have turned away in droves due to what is happening on the sidelines before the game is even played.

It's as if we have finally breached the saturation point... When this blog began many years ago, there were only a few of us passionate enough to share our thoughts in a public forum. The fear of our literary shortcomings was enough to silence our public voices, but the saturation has changed all of that. Whether it Tweet, Instagram, Facebook, SnapChat, Blog, Broadcast News, or the good old paper gone digital, etc. the information sources have reached overflow.

Every move is scrutinized, analyzed, scandalized until every molehill becomes a mountain in 140 characters. The President of the United States blurts out his 140 characters of instant gratification and millions of voices suddenly awaken. The game I tuned in to watch has become less important than the personal agendas of all those voices.

This working man does not have time to follow the billions of tweets and posts and chats and videos rallying to some fuzzy cause he is not entirely sure of. This working man is wishing to drown his worries in cold suds and an occasional 12 year old while watching his favorite team win or lose. He doesn't tune in for more tweets. He doesn't tune in to care about another man's problems, he has plenty of his own. He tunes in to watch a football game.

So looky here Miami Dolphins, get your shit together.

I don't care who stands, who sits, who kneels. In fact I think playing the national anthem before every sporting event makes absolutely no sense, but this isn't about me or you, or my agenda, or yours.

It's about football...

That's why I turned on the TV. That's why I'm sitting like a fool in an aqua and orange shirt biting my fingernails to a nub. I'm okay if you want to go on some talk show or write a piece about the injustices of your people. I may even listen or read it, but interrupting my football game?

Brother you are messing with the wrong people...

There's a fine line for every fan outside of New England because let's just face it, Miami sucks, again, and I'm waiting here for an implosion or 8-8. I know there is no Super Bowl in our near future. I know Cutler and Tannehill are far from Tom Brady and this offensive line stinks, again, as usual.

So why am I here in front of this TV, Miami Dolphins?

I am certainly not here to further your cause off the football field, whatever it may be.

I'm here because there's aqua and orange in my veins.

Is it in yours, Miami Dolphins?

I'm here because once, I wore number 42 and pretended I was Paul Warfield and didn't get a single shred of news about my Miami Dolphins because I lived in Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania. I didn't need tweets, or blogs or ESPN because aqua and orange got in my blood.

Is it in your blood Miami Dolphins?

Because if it isn't, those millions I help pay with my loyalty will dry up very quickly. I empathize with your protest, though it's hard to digest the actions of millionaires extolling the plight of the less fortunate. When your agenda creeps into my living room I have this little remote control and it has an off button.

I still bleed aqua and orange, but if it's no longer in your blood than I'll turn off the TV and the computer and the phone and go find another way to spend that money earmarked for you.

Is it in your blood Miami Dolphins?

Game time in London. Use this link to find streams of the game online.