Miami Defensive Backs Poised for a Great Season

It took three preseason games, but the Miami Dolphins finally showed some life and gave fans a preview of what could be a special 2018 season. There are still holes in this team, but the good is starting to displace the bad. In a world full of negativity, it's time for the Dolphins to lean on their strengths and cover up the ugly. The offense will come later as the focus falls squarely on the Miami defense.

The team is prepping for some serious leaning on what may become a spectacular unit, the defensive backfield. Only last season, media and fans alike berated the defensive back's obvious ineptitude. All of that has changed with the drafting of Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitz is one of the most unique players ever to don a Miami Dolphin uniform.

While metaphors spring from the keyboard with relative ease when writing about Fitzpartick, it's best to explain him in Dolphin terms. Minkah has the instincts and study habits of Zach Thomas, the body of Reshad Jones and the coverage ability of Sam Madison. Fitzpatrick may go down as one of the best draft picks in Miami Dolphin history.

Since the retirement of Zach Thomas, a continuous gaping hole has resided in the middle of the Dolphins defense. Zach had the ability to sniff out the offense's intention and place himself in the right place at the right time. By combining great instincts with insatiable study habits, Zach knew the play, many times before the snap. Placing Minkah Fitzpatrick in that hallowed stratosphere is very high praise indeed.

Since Thomas retired, offenses have morphed into a high tempo, run pass option (RPO) style that Miami has never adjusted to, until now. Safeties Reshad Jones and TJ MacDonald are both excellent players, Jones is pro bowl caliber and MacDonald can add a legitimate eighth body to the box.

Xavien Howard and Bobby McCain are both very good corners. Howard is rounding into form as the best cover guy on the Miami Dolphins, and he is not afraid to stick his nose in on run support. McCain is a small feisty corner in the vein of a young Brent Grimes, who can make plays in spite of his diminutive stature.

This represents the best defensive backfield the Miami Dolphins have presented to opposing offenses in many years. It will become the backbone of this team in an interesting philosophical shift from big money defensive tackles to a well-paid complete defensive backfield unit.

For all of his greatness, Ndamukong Suh could not stop dinky passes throw right behind him. He carried three players into the path of least resistance, while the ball was going the other direction. From the vantage point behind the line of scrimmage, savvy play makers like the Miami DBs can root out these plays without getting caught in the wash.

Moving from the spectacular to the good, Miami's defensive line is going to benefit greatly from the improvement in the DBs behind them. The term "coverage sack" will take on a whole new meaning. Cam Wake and Robert Quinn present two very accomplished and polished pass rushers with some interesting options to spell them. Those near misses by Wake we have come to lament over the years will turn into game changing sacks when coverage adds an extra second to the pass rush.

The defensive tackles will be okay and really, they don't need to be much better. As briefly mention earlier, the philosophy of having a monster in the middle of the defense proved a flawed tenant. It's foolish to dismiss the greatness of Ndamukong Suh, but clearly his impact was not worth the huge chunk of the salary cap he represented. The entire starting defensive backfield is cheaper than Suh...

Akeem Spence, Jordan Phillips, Devon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor are a hardy bunch of O-line eaters that can rotate continuously. None of them is in the Suh category, but they don't need to be, they only need to be good for the players beside and behind them to thrive. If the defensive tackles can hold their own, the entire defense will shine around them. It's a dirty job, but the pay is good.

Bringing us once again to the weak-link of the Miami Dolphin defense, the linebackers. To this point, the only linebacker with any historical data is the notoriously inconsistent Kiko Alonso. The tale of Raekwon McMillan's lost rookie season is not worth rehashing, leaving the question of whether he can actually play in the NFL. The pre-season has not been an indicator of greatness. Jerome Baker is a rookie 3rd round pick who has shown signs of being a decent draft pick, but again there is no historical data.

The linebacker corps is very thin behind these players with only Chase Allen playing to NFL standards. Here lies the Miami Dolphin defense's wild card, will the LBs round into form sooner rather than later? Will they round into form at all? The center of the defense has looked soft in the preseason with yards coming in huge chunks. Two runs have already eclipsed 60 yards. As Adam Gase is fond of saying, "we need to clean this up,” or another agonizing season awaits the Miami linebackers.

Health will play a big role in Miami's resurgence as a dominant defense. The depth in all units behind the defensive line is thin at best. The Dolphins have a chance to be great, if the rookie linebackers (McMillan is a rookie) round into form, the defensive backs gel as a unit and those two gifted pass rushers can defy age by having monster seasons.

From this point of view, losing Suh will have a greater positive impact than many suspect. The philosophical switch from inside-out to outside-in, will begin paying dividends in the name of Minkah Fitzpatrick.

As an outlying thought, if the Miami Dolphins played the NFL draft with the intention of making sure Fitzpatrick fell to them, it was magnificent!

Miami Dolphins Finally Play with a Lead

Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I...
 
Dolphin fans must be feeling like a Pink Floyd song… The last time Miami scored more points was over two seasons ago. It’s been 41 games, since Miami won by a larger margin. In 2016, Miami won all those close games that statistically must average out and to expect a repeat in 2017 was probably naive. This season’s previous four victories were by margins of two, six, three and three points. The formula is unsustainable and in hindsight, the five game losing crash was probably predictable.
 
Perhaps it was Vance Joseph or John Elway, all smug up in his box after yucking it up with Dan Marino before the game, “nanny, nanny poo poo, I won two Super Bowls after blowing it three times!” The mighty have fallen. It’s hard to say Jay Cutler is better than Denver quarterback Trevor Siemian, but it wouldn’t matter because this game was about the Miami defense.
 
Earlier this season, Adam Gase was roundly criticized for saying something like, “this defense is designed to play with a lead.” After a Cutler to Thomas touchdown followed closely by a Xavien Howard pick six, Miami finally had that lead.

The defense responded, Howard picked off the first two passes of his NFL career and broke up a league-leading five passes. Siemian was sacked by Andre Branch, Jordan Phillips and Bobby McCain and T.J. McDonald added a third pick.
 
This game highlighted players like Phillips who along with the sack, had two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and deflected a pass that Howard intercepted. Playing with a lead in the second half, the Dolphin defense punished Denver, with three sacks, six tackles for loss, an unheard of 12 passes defensed and hit Siemian six times. For the first time in the franchise’s 52 year history, Miami had two safeties in the same game. The absence of names like Wake and Suh are what make this game unusual.
 
Denver has now lost eight consecutive games, but maybe there is something to this playing with a lead thing. It ignited Kenyan Drake who set career highs in yards (120) and carries (23). Drake included 42-yard touchdown run all against the fourth ranked run defense in the NFL. There was the usual interception thrown near DeVante Parker, but Kenny Stills busted Denver open with 98 receiving yards, including a touchdown.
 
Special Teams did not score, but Terrence Fede blocked a punt. After the safeties, Denver was forced to kickoff (punt) from the 25 and Miami enjoyed excellent field position the entire game. Trying and converting an onside kick while up 24 points was a like jabbing a needle into the side of Elway and Joseph. Clearly Adam Gase showed a side Miami fans are not accustomed to, playing with a lead…
 
An onside kick leading by 24 points could be construed as piling on, but Miami rarely has the cut-throat mentality needed to make a statement in the NFL. The trophy-for-everyone, anthem kneeling millennials will be aghast, while long suffering Miami fans can finally smile at the Belichickian move.
 
“Designed to play with a lead.” It is a rather presumptuous statement to believe you will be leading prior to actually leading anything. It’s a vague answer to the question, “what is your identity?” Knowing the identity and achieving that identity are two distinctly different things. The game showed that aside from some linebacker issues, this Miami defense can indeed play well with a lead.
 
The real change in the offense seemed to be a split from the predictable first down “A” gap running plays to a more spread, short passing outside the tackles running game. The talk of taking advantage of a player’s skill was evident in not forcing Kenyan Drake between the tackles on early downs. When Drake did venture inside, it was when the defense was expecting pass or outside runs. The 42-yard burst came on a counter between the tackles. This offense was much better coordinated than any previous game this season.
 
The onsides kick was a product of the frustration Adam Gase undoubtedly felt coming into this game. It’s hard to conceive Gase was unhappy with Joseph for taking the Denver job, but Joseph does seem in over his head as a first year head coach.
 
Miami comes into a rematch with New England in a much better place mentally. Belichick saw how Miami played with a lead and he’ll be working on playing outside-in on defense. It is hard for Miami fans not to peak at the end of the season now that the playoffs are all but a dream, but losing is just losing. With a glimpse of what it’s actually like to play with a lead, let next season stay in the future and win now.
 
The Denver Broncos game showed there is an identity. It lies in an offense that scores points early and often. Couple that with a defense that becomes relentless once an opponent realizes it will have to throw the football. We know now where Adam Gase wants to go, he’s designed this thing to play with a lead. It’s up to the Miami Dolphins to go and get it.
 
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I...

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!!!

One Rainy Sunday, Miami Iost a QB and Found a Coach

In spite of improving to 8-5, the Miami Dolphin victory against the Arizona Cardinals rings hollow. Played in a torrential downpour nearly the entire game, Miami led the sloppy turnover fest until the last minute when the officials finally gave the Cardinals enough chances to tie.

The referees threw 14 flags against the Dolphins for 118 yards in a game that lasted nearly 4 hours. The Cardinals were awarded 5 first downs by penalty, while the low-blow that ended Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill's season, suspiciously went uncontested...

With 1:46 left in the third quarter, Former Hurricane Calais Campbell dove directly into Ryan Tannehill's left knee. Shock hit the Miami sideline as the iron-man quarterback limped off the field with a torn ACL. Backup quarterback Matt Moore was called into action after attempting eleven passes in his last three seasons combined.

The narrative of the game from this point on is worth rehashing as the Miami Dolphins miraculously wrestled away a victory. This game alone should garner the points necessary to make a case for Gase as coach of the year.

Adam Gase was in no hurry to call on Moore's right arm to carry the Dolphins from the Cardinals 45. Three straight J-Train runs left Miami going for a 4th and one when the officials called Anthony Steen for an unusual false start forcing a Miami punt. Aided by three penalties, Arizona found the endzone to pull within six points when the Dolphins blocked the point after attempt and Walt Aikens returned it for two critical Miami points.

The officials must have been as surprised as everyone watching and the much anticipated flag, did not fall. Nursing an eight point lead, Gase stuck with the J-Train until Moore finally attempted a pass to Damien Williams that fell incomplete for a three and out. Badly in need of a first down, the Dolphins punted back to the Cardinals at the fifty-yard line with 5:12 left on the clock.

An invigorated Cardinal team needed only 2:13 of the clock to tie the score with a successful two point conversion. Again the Dolphin offense looked defeated, going three and out. Moore completed his first pass to Jarvis Landry who had 103 yards receiving in the game, but could only manage six on the play, forcing another Miami punt.

With 1:55 left, Vance Joseph gambled and Bobby McCain stripped Palmer who fell on his own fumble for a loss of six. Miami wisely called a timeout and this proved pivotal when Arizona punted after a short pass and an incompletion.

Landry struck again returning the punt 20 yards setting up Miami at the Arizona 47 with 1:29 remaining. The ball got loose on the first play, a 5 yard run by Damien Williams but the ruling of down by contact was upheld as the Dolphin faithful held their breath.

After a 12 yard completion to Kenny Stills who had 97 receiving yards in the game, the Dolphins called their second time out with 43 seconds remaining when Matt Moore found Stills again for 29 yards! A declined defensive pass interference call stopped the clock with 37 seconds remaining.

Two short gains by Damien Williams and Miami used it's last time out with 1 final second left on the clock. Arizona attempted the obligatory freeze by following Miami's timeout with one of their own. Andrew Franks calmly stepped up and drilled the 21-yard field as time expired in the pouring rain.

This gritty performance more than any other in recent Dolphins history showed a team and a coach clearly unflappable by whatever unfortunate circumstances a game can present. One sided officiating left the fans completely exasperated while Adam Gase simply stared down the referees with a glare so intense it burned right through them.

Gase lost the quarterback he so meticulously groomed and remained unfazed as Matt Moore stepped in and showed his acumen. Calling a timeout at 1:49 when Palmer went down with a sack was pure genius and a sign to his team... Adam Gase was not about to give up on a Miami victory. The defense responded and got him the ball back!

In previous years, with previous coaches, the sense of dread on the sideline would lead to despair and a total loss of the moment, but not Adam Gase. After an abysmal performance the previous week, through the rain, in spite of the officials and losing his QB, the man did not blink. He calmly led his team to victory...

This game ball goes to you... Adam Gase!

The Dolphins are not heading to the Super Bowl in 2016, in fact it may be a few years before this team approaches the level of champions. One thing is certain, Miami has found a coach the players, assistants, ownership and fans can look forward to watching blossom into greatness.

In one rain soaked afternoon in Miami, the Dolphins found the man...

Adam Gase

YOUR 2015 MIAMI DOLPHINS

Eleven final cuts that are potential candidates for the Miami Dolphins ten man allotted Developmental/Practice Squad.

Linebackers Mike Hull and Jeff Luc (2015 Un-Drafted Rookies), and Jordan Tripp (a 2014 fifth round draft pick)

Safety Cedric Thompson (a 2015 fifth round draft selection), and Don Jones (a 2013 seventh round pick)

Defensive-Tackle Anthony (The Freak) Johnson who made the Dolphin roster as a 2014 Un-Drafted rookie free agent and played in seven games.

Running-Back Mike Gillislee (a 2013 fifth round draft choice)

Offensive-Tackle Aundrey Walker (a 2015 Rookie Free Agent)

Tight-Ends Jake Stoneburner at 6 - 3, 250 is (a 2013 Un-Drafted Free Agent that played in nine games for that same years Green Bay Packers) before joining the 2014 Dolphins practice squad, and Tim Semisch (a 6 - 8, 267 pound 2015 UDFA)

Center Sam Brenner (a 2013 Un-Drafted Free Agent) that just can't seem to get through the yearly final cuts. Though he has always managed a return to the practice squad and has actually been activated to the game day roster for instances of each year with four starts in seven games played.

The above are just eleven of the 22 most recently released by Miami prospects while there have been some 1,300 players cut throughout the league in the last five days.



The 2015 Miami Dolphins Fifty-Three Man Roster as of September 6th.

Specialists (3) — Rookie K Andrew Franks, Rookie P Matt Darr, LS John Denney

OFFENSE;
Quarterbacks (2) — Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore

Running Backs (4) — Lamar Miller, Damien Williams, Rookie Jay Ajayi, and (RB/Kick Returner Free Agent acquisition LaMike James) in order to minimize the possibility of injury to receiver stud, and 2014 Return Man Jarvis (Juice) Landry

Wide Receivers (6) — Jarvis Landry, Rookie DeVante Parker, Miami's longest tenured receiver of three years Rishard Matthews, (free agent acquisitions Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills), and 2014 rookie/practice squad attendee Matt Hazel

Tight Ends (2) — Free Agent Jordan Cameron, and third year Dolphin Dion Sims

Offensive Linemen (9) — Left to Right Starters T Branden Albert, G Dallas Thomas, C Mike Pouncey, Rookie G Jamil Douglas, T Ja’Wuan James, with backups in G Billy Turner, T Jason Fox, along with Free Agents G/T Jeff Linkenbach, and C/G Jacques McClendon

DEFENSE
Linebackers (7) — Jelani Jenkins, Koa Misi, Kelvin Sheppard, Chris McCain, Free Agent Spencer Paysinger, as well as Un-Drafted Rookies Zach Vigil and Neville Hewitt

Defensive Backs (11) — CB Brent Grimes, CB Jamar Taylor, Free Agent CB Brice McCain, S Reshad Jones, S Walt Aikens, as well as the depth of CB Will Davis, Free Agent CB Zack Bowman, Rookie CB Bobby McCain, Rookie CB Tony Lippett, along with Safties Michael Thomas and Jordan Kovacs. The Dolphins won't have to play the seasons final six weeks with a multitude of bums off the street in 2015.

Defensive Linemen (9) — DE Cameron Wake, Free Agent DT Ndamukong Suh, DT Earl Mitchell, DE Olivier Vernon, with the insurmountable depth of DE Derrick Shelby, DE Terrence Fede, DT A.J. Francis, and Free Agent DT C.J. Mosley as well as Rookie DT Jordan Phillips . Miami's DL backups could be the four starters for the majority of the leagues 31 other teams!


Of Course the 53 man roster can be altered slightly over the next few days and every day beyond while the PS/Developmental Squad can begin being addressed within the next few minutes.

Are You Ready For Some FOOTBALL?

What is the opinion Your Miami Dolphins Roster?

Thank You for an open-minded Read, and we look forward to your angle of view : )) !!


""Stronger Together""
GOFINS!!!