Dolphins Officially Defeated by the Raiders

The Miami Dolphins are 4-4 at the midpoint of the season and perhaps it’s expected from a mediocre team with stars that don’t shine at critical moments. Aside from Ndamukong Suh, the rest of Miami’s defensive “playmakers” took the night off, particularly on third down. Exasperation mounted on every third-and-long the Raiders made with inexplicable ease.

The joke in Oakland must have been Kiko Alonso in man coverage. According to the Miami Herald’s Adam H. Beasley, Alonso allowed five catches for 82 yards to Jared Cook and gave up a 12-yard pass to Michael Crabtree. Five of the six catches went for a minimum of 10 yards, including four third-and-long conversions.

It took Matt Burke a full quarter to switch from man coverage, to a holier than Swiss cheese zone. The zone was not helped by Cameron Wake who had only one tackle and no QB pressures. The poor defense also featured Rashad Jones trailing badly on third down and TD receptions.

There simply was no pressure on third down, no pass rush and with LBs and secondary unable to play man coverage, Burke could not blitz. For the second consecutive home game, the sod at Hard Rock Stadium came out of the ground in divots that would make Tiger Woods proud. These games each followed a Miami Hurricane home game the previous night and the next home game will also follow a Hurricane’s home game.

Stay calm Adam Gase, hopefully this is the worst the NFL can throw at a young coach when the officiating crew piles it on. On the surface, the crew for the Raiders game can point to parity in numbers as a justification of fairness. The Dolphins committed 11 penalties for 107 yards Sunday, including five in the fourth quarter. Oakland had 10 penalties for 105 yards, parity right? It was timing of these penalties that destroyed Miami.

Gase said. “We'd start a series out and Damien [Williams] has a huge play and we've got a holding call and we're on the 20. Who knows, maybe if we don't get the holding call he gets tackled at 10 yards, but we'll take, so it's not first-and-12 or whatever.” On a play with 12:46 left in regulation and the Dolphins down four. Williams caught a short pass, got to the right edge and raced down the sidelines. A big-gainer, wiped out because Jarvis Landry held. The Dolphins’ drive stalled immediately thereafter. Three minutes later, on another possession with good field position, Kenyan Drake ran for four yards on first down.Mike Pouncey held turning a second-and-6 into first-and-20, another Dolphins drive squandered.

The defense had two late secondary penalties on Oakland’s game-winning touchdown. A Xavien Howard pass interference call gave the Raiders a first-and-goal at the 3. It was perhaps the only legitimate penalty in the game. The Raiders got to that position because of a highly questionable flag thrown on the play before. The Raiders converted third-and-6 when Derek Carr connected with Seth Roberts for 29 yards along the right sideline. But the refs tacked on 15 more by saying Reshad Jones illegally hit a defenseless receiver – a debatable call, to say the least. Jones said after the game that there was nothing he could have done differently on the play.

The Dolphins still had a slight chance to make it a game late, but Jermon Bushrod all but ended that by holding on fourth-and-9, wiping out a 14-yard completion to Julius Thomas.

The Dolphins average of 7.5 accepted penalties per game. Many of these flags can be thrown on any play in an NFL game, yet the officials chose to pull the flag every time Miami made a play that would change the momentum of the game. Fans turn away when it appears officials dictate the outcome of games. Why bother playing or watching a game decided by referees?

Pointing fingers at officials inevitably leads to the standard comments about being poor losers, etc. The Dolphins have to figure it out or they will end up like the Miami Hurricanes with yellow flags littered field and officials dictating the outcome. Plays like Drake fumbling at the 18-yard line do not help overcome a flag filled game.

Miami must generate pressure from its defensive line. The DL features the highly paid Suh, Wake and Branch, plus 1st round draft pick Harris. Wake cannot come up empty and leave it on Alonso to cover receivers for 4 to 5 seconds. The defense will only go as far as the DL takes them. Suh played a great game, his diving strip-sack should have won the game if not for the flag happy referees.

If Miami is going to depend on speed rushing ends to generate pressure the playing surface must be built for speed. This surface is hindering Miami from getting the best performance from their best players. The field must be repaired or replaced.

In a season that has moved from one calamity to the next, add the field and the officials to the list of obstacles this Miami Dolphin team must learn to overcome.

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!!

2017 Miami Dolphins Off-Season & Schedule

The typical Miami Dolphins off-season of the last decade and a half consist of
2/3rds of a year/8 months/34 weeks/240 days/5760 hours/345600 minutes between meaningful games.

26 weeks/185 days have passed since the final whistle of Miami's most recent postseason experience at Pittsburgh on January 8th, 2017.

Much has taken place, all cogs have been cautiously inspected, improved upon, and heavily greased.

The only player of substance lost since starting that last Dolphin playoff game was Brandon Albert while his replacement/equal for the next decade was already in place with Laremy Tunsil.

Center Mike Pouncey is the OL key, and he is scheduled to return for opening day. With a healthy Pouncey (as well as other instrumental OL cogs) healthy for 16-plus games, Miami's OL can dominate! Minus Pouncey, the Dolphins have three capable backups who started at Center (for the most part of 2016), and can at least match the efficiency that resulted in last year's playoff birth.

All of the skill position players (other than TE) from last year's playoff team are returning (totally healthy as of this moment) with an entire year under Adam Gase' offensive belt. At TE free agent Anthony Fasano replaces Dion Sims primarily for blocking purposes. In order to replace last year's never in attendance penciled-in starter/play maker Jordan Cameron. Miami also traded for head coach favorite TE stud/seam/redzone threat Julius Thomas who scored 24 times in two years under OC Gase in Denver.

The Linebacker crew has been severely upgraded (and offers the best crew since #54's) with the additions of veteran Lawrence Timmons, and rookie Raekwon McMillan to team up alongside of Kiko Alonso whom played last year's final four weeks with a broken arm.. Several backups that received extensive reps with some being in a starters role are also returning while these days the third linebacker plays just 25% of defensive snaps.

Miami's sitting pretty at cornerback (possibly the best group) since Sammy Madison & Patrick Sustain) with a healthy Byron Maxwell, Xavien Howard, Tony Lippett, Bobby McCain, and rookie Cordrea Tankersley among a handful of youthful talented others. Maxwell was playing at all-pro level prior to missing the seasons final 3 weeks. XHoward missed various portions of the season and should have been way behind schedule mentally but performed exquisetly and is an absolute stud when healthy. Tony Lippett has emerged from WR to a more than highly capable CB as he led the 2016 team in interceptions while nickle Bobby McCain has done himself worthy.

At Safety Rashad Jones returns to form from 2016's second half, and first time stint on IR.
Rashad has been Rashad alongside a different sidekick for each of the last four to five years.
2017 will be no different as Nate Allen (a relative equal to a Wilson, Delmas, or Quddus etc) was acquired via free agency. Even better, long time Dolphins Michael Thomas, and Walt Aikens are returning.
The even bigger and better bonus resides in the youthful free agent and legit stud safety TJ McDonald whom was acquired for the seasons second half playoff run! A safety combo of Jones & McDonald could be the best Dolphin safety duo since Anderson & Scott.

The D-line lost DT Earl Mitchell while adding veteran Nick Williams, along with rookies Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor to team with Jordan Phillips and Suh. Ten year veteran free agent DE William Hayes joins the pass rushing group of 11 game 2016 starter Andre Branch, Terrence Fede, and Julius Warmsley among others fighting for roster spots.
Meanwhile. Cameron Wake will be playing full time at 100% health at seasons start (compared to just one half season of the same last year), and Miami drafted DE Pass Rush Extraordinaire Charles Harris with the drafts 22ND pick.
Harris looks like he should instantaneously be everything we had hoped for from Dion Jordan four years ago!



And with that said.
Here's the schedule reboot.

One unusual aspect that exist in this year's Dolphin schedule is that (upon Miami's request)!
They will not get a bye after a week four trip to London vs Saints!

A not so unusual aspect that the NFL schedule makers burdened Miami with is versus last seasons Super Bowl participants.
The Atlanta Falcons have the luxury of their week 5 bye to prepare for hosting the Dolphins.
Miami's week 11 bye leads to Foxboro in late November!

The Dolphins were awarded just one game in the advantageous September sweltering heat of Miami, and that game is versus the fellow floridian Bucs! Meanwhile. Miami has at least three and possibly five games on the late season road that will likely include snow, (if not potential blizzards)!

The three weeks (8 - 10) previous to the Dolphins week 11 bye includes..
THREE CONSECUTIVE WEEKS ON NATIONALLY TELEVISED PRIME TIME!
(4 TOTAL for the season, 5 for those with the NFLNetwork)!

BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT, AT'A'BOY Adam (on the case) GASE!!!

After the week 11 bye a tough stretch for Miami begins on week 12 at New England's Patriots,
week 13 vs Broncos, and then a second head to head week 14 matchup vs the Champion Pats on MNF!!!

To close the regular season The Dolphins go to Buffalo, Kansas City,
and face Buffalo again on week 17 in Miami.
(For The Miami Dolphins Post Season Tuneup).


Rookies (in just four days) report to training camp on July 20th,
the vets make the team whole five days later,
and two weeks after that your Dolphins preseason kicksoff on August 10th.


Your 2017 Miami Dolphins Regular Season Schedule
All games are on Sunday unless illustrated otherwise.


1) vs Bucs (September 10, Sunday 1 pm est)

2) @ LA Chargers 4:05

3) @ Jets 1:00

4) vs Saints (London 9:30 AM est NFLNetwork)

5) vs Titans 1 pm

6) @ Falcons 1 pm (Atlanta has week 5 bye)

7) vs Jets 1 pm

8) @ Ravens (Thurs Night Football) 8:30

9) vs Raiders (Sunday Night Football) 8:30

10) @ Panthers (Monday Night Football) 8:30

11) BYE

12) @ Pats (November 26, 1 pm)

13) vs Broncos 1 pm

14) vs Pats (Monday Night Football) 8:30

15) @ Bills (December 17, 1 pm)

16) @ KC (December 24, 1 pm)

17) vs Bills 1 pm


Here's to a seven month 2018 offseason!
That's just 30 days more than half a calender year
to schedule and execute a multitude of parades!
GOFINS!!!