Miami Dolphin fans watch the ugly business of shedding contracts hoping it ends in a sustainable winning team. The Dolphins have dominated free agent signing many times in a twenty stretch of mediocrity without fielding a playoff caliber roster. Finally recognizing that building teams through free agency is not a winning formula in the NFL, Miami embarks on an interesting journey through the minefields of the NFL draft.
"Building through the draft," has a wonderful sound to it, but selecting which human is best prepared for the rigors of NFL football, is an inexact science at the very least, a guessing game at best. Agents have become teachers, processing players through a myriad of classes designed to provide answers to questions in preparation to present the perfect football player. How can a person be courteous and kind, yet mean as rabid pit-bull.
It's an interesting dichotomy...
Meeting face-to-face with prospects about to become the team's future is essential when failure is fatal. Attempts to trip up scripted responses have led to interesting questions. Jeff Ireland's callus inquiries about Dez Bryant's mother, or whether a player prefers men, or how many cars did he steal, have made headlines for all the wrong reasons. In reality, these meetings have little bearing on whether a prospect will make a great professional. During the pageantry, they are actors auditioning, not players playing.
Miami Dolphin fans can relate to Dion Jordan as a great example of all that can go wrong. When it seems too good to be true, it probably is. The Dolphins were picking 12th in 2013 and the Raiders were willing to accept Miami's 12th and 42nd pick to give Miami the 3rd overall pick. One look at these names is all you need to know the Dolphins should have traded down, instead of trading up.
1 Eric Fisher OT
2 Luke Joeckel OT
3 Dion Jordan DE
4 Lane Johnson OT
5 Ezekiel Ansah DE
6 Barkevious Mingo OLB
7 Jonathan Cooper OG
8 avon Austin WR
9 Dee Milliner CB
10 Chance Warmack OG
11 D.J. Fluker OT
12 D.J. Hayden CB
13 Sheldon Richardson DE
14 Star Lotulelei DT
15 Kenny Vaccaro SS
16 EJ Manuel QB
17 Jarvis Jones OLB
18 Eric Reid FS
19 Justin Pugh OT
20 Kyle Long OG
21 Tyler Eifert TE
22 Desmond Trufant CB
23 Sharrif Floyd DT
24 Bjoern Werner OLB
25 Xavier Rhodes CB
26 Datone Jones DE
27 DeAndre Hopkins WR
28 Sylvester Williams DT
29 Cordarrelle Patterson WR
30 Alec Ogletree OLB
31 Travis Frederick C
32 Matt Elam FS
The Dolphins committed the Cardinal Sin of selecting a player based on his measurements and combine numbers. They overlooked the player's obvious troubles, exacerbated by bringing that player within reach of South Beach. Jordan cost Miami picks 12 and 42. Imagine if they had traded down for a couple of 2nds, here are few names selected later in 2013.
35 Zach Ertz TE
37 Giovani Bernard RB
46 Kiko Alonso MLB
48 Le'Veon Bell RB
57 D.J. Swearinger SS
61 Eddie Lacy RB
63 Travis Kelce TE
69 Tyrann Mathieu FS
71 T.J. McDonald SS
76 Keenan Allen WR
85 Jordan Reed TE
Miami actually ended up paying two of these players premium free agent contracts. The problem in today's selection process is placing too much weight on profile numbers and not enough on what's on film. Jeff Ireland's glaring example with Dion Jordan should serve as the poster child for every want-to-be general manager.
It is obvious, Ireland was unprepared for the 3rd pick in that draft. Looking at the first round players, Oakland knew every player in the 3rd slot could be had with the 12th or indeed, the 42nd pick. There were some good offensive linemen at the top of that draft, but Ireland was under pressure to make something happen. He had submarined his coach in a power play, leaving his owner hanging out to dry. Ireland needed to take a chance. In the end, it cost him his job and very nearly his career.
Oakland ended up with D.J. Hayden and Menelik Watson. Watson never turned into much, but Hayden has been a starter in the league since that draft. What rings true is, there are very few can't miss prospects. The only position worth taking risks on is the quarterback. The irony is, there was only one QB taken in the 1st round of that draft, EJ Manuel. In fact, there was only one QB taken in the second round, Geno Smith. Not one true starting QB came from the 2013 draft.
If the only reason to trade up is for a QB, Jeff Ireland did it in the poorest NFL QB draft class in the last twenty years. Ireland believing Ryan Tannehill was a franchise quarterback in 2012, created a disaster from which, the Miami Dolphins have yet to recover.
The reason for this comparison is only two possible franchise QBs are available in this draft, Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray. Neither of these QBs is an absolute sure thing which means, the teams at the top of this draft will be looking to opt-out.
Miami must not, for any reason become a player in these reindeer games. The second and third rounds of this draft overflow with talent and this is the prefect year to forget the splash and trade down.
Tyrod Taylor and Teddy Bridgewater have both opted for contracts as backup quarterbacks rather than join the Miami Dolphins as a one-year starter.
The term "placeholder quarterback" has become vogue when discussing the position in Miami. Miami is looking to stock draft picks in the coming years and the most painful way to do that is by losing starters through free agency and not replacing them. This creates opportunities for compensatory draft picks the following year.
If Taylor or Bridgewater was a starting free agent QB in Miami (and indeed, they would) then it would displace the loss of Wake or James. Those two players will start on other teams and by not replacing them, Miami earns compensatory draft picks.
Bridgewater or his agent may have an over inflated idea of his value, but if a QB is coming to a team as the starter, than he should be paid as a starter. Why get killed and not get paid? Miami is not willing to pay a placeholder quarterback and hence, they have no incentive to come to Miami.
The press will malign the Dolphins as a place no quarterback is willing to play. The truth is, this is the pain Miami must endure to erase the errors reaching all the way back to Jeff Ireland.
It's interesting how none of this is ever tied to a man named Bill Parcells, but it was Parcells who began the downhill run. Parcells hired Ireland and Sparano (RIP) without understanding, once Jeff Ireland smelled the scent of power, the strength would overwhelm him.
The Dolphins swapped their 6th round pick for a 7th round pick in the 2019 draft and obtained a 4th round pick in the 2020 draft in trade for QB Ryan Tannehill.
The Dolphins understand, 2019 is not going to be a pretty season so why add players now. It means a QB position manned with marginal talent that will not impair the ability to obtain compensatory draft picks. It also assures the team will not be very good.
It's going to be a tough ride for Miami fans... Rigorously adhering to a plan is painful but there is some relief. In the past, Miami was under the illusion of being constantly one player away from a playoff team. They did not seem to understand the difference between a minor playoff team and a Super Bowl caliber team. The new regime clearly understands this difference and it starts at quarterback.
The quest to find a great quarterback in the draft, begins now...
Buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be an interesting ride Miami Dolphin fans!
Showing posts with label Cameron Wake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cameron Wake. Show all posts
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!
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 are Playing the Wrong Defense
After a hopeful 10-6, 2016 season, the Miami Dolphins regressed to 6-10 in 2017. The Vegas lines actually predicted such an outcome. The Dolphins won 12 consecutive games by 7 or less points, a feat that is impossible to sustainable over time.
This team needed to make significant strides in 2017, with more convincing victories, or the statistics would eventually even out against them. Miami endured a mountain of well-documented adversity, including losing their starting QB, which meant getting better in 2017, would be an uphill climb.
The Jay Cutler experiment was made out of desperation and the Miami Dolphins should not be ostracized for making this move. Matt Moore may have made it through a whole season, but his injury history did not indicate this being a serious option. Cutler clearly told Adam Gase he would only return from retirement if he was the starting QB.
Gase and the Dolphins threw the dice, seeing this move as perhaps the only real option to salvage the Miami offense for the 2017 season…
The Dolphins thought they could rely on their defense to make up for the uncertainty on offense, but they were wrong. The problems on offense were expected with the hurry up preparation of Jay Cutler. The holes in the defense came as a surprise and ruined Miami’s season.
The defense began to unravel during the 40 – 0 beat down by the Baltimore Ravens…
Baltimore exposed the gaping holes in the wide 9 alignment by rushing for well over 4 yards per carry. The 4-3 depends on the defensive line to hold up against the run and be dominant in rushing the passer. The wide 9 splits the defensive ends outside the offensive tackles. Baltimore was able to exploit this and open huge gaps in the middle of the defense.
Linebackers, Alonso, Timmons and Maualuga combined for 21 tackles in that game. Defensive linemen, Suh, Godchaux, Harris, Hayes, Philips, Fede, Taylor and Wake combined for just 7 tackles without a single sack…
The big money players on the DL were beaten badly, Suh had 3 tackles and Cameron Wake had none. The linebackers were finishing plays, but not before allowing gashing runs into the second level of the defense.
Miami’s offense gave up two pick sixes and a fumble recovery touchdown in this game. The defense did not seem to be an issue at the time, but the Dolphins were blindsided.
The blame was heaped on Matt Moore, starting for an injured Cutler, but the problem was far deeper. The Ravens forced Miami’s DE’s outside and pulled trapping guards into the resulting gaps, opening up huge running lanes.
Miami needed to get this fixed and they knew it. The LBs would have to play closer to the line and tighten up between the tackles, a safety would need to sneak into the box to assist.
The following week against the Raiders, the rushing lanes were somewhat shutdown, even though the Raiders ran for over 4 YPC, but the effort exposed what would be Miami’s Achilles Heel the rest of the season.
Raider TE Jared Cook slashed Miami’s secondary and LBs for 126 yards and a whopping 15.8 Yards Per Reception. The Dolphins were exposed, they had no answer for TEs or personnel to help solve the problem.
The Miami philosophy of playing from the inside out with a dominant defensive line was proving easy to defeat. In this defense, the 4 DL need to apply max pressure without blitzing because the three linebackers are needed to drop into coverage zones and shut down inside runs.
Miami ranked 27th in sacks per game…
To put that into perspective, 7 of the top 8 teams in sacks per game went to the playoffs and only 1 team in the bottom 8 made it to the dance…
Ndamukong Suh, Andre Branch and Cameron Wake accounted for over 26% of Miami’s 2017 salary cap…
Reshad Jones, Kiko Alonso, Lawrence Timmons, T.J. McDonald, Xavien Howard, Stephone Anthony, Reakwon McMillian, Bobby McCain, Cordrea Tankersley, Tony Lippett and Chase Allen accounted for less than 23% of Miami’s 2017 salary cap…
If there is any question about Miami's defensive philosophy, follow the money…
The problem is, Miami is paying for an ancient scheme that is no longer valid in the NFL…
The Patriots had 221 snaps in Dime (6-DB) Personnel this year and an astounding 161 snaps in Prevent (7-DB). Miami had SEVEN total snaps in a Dime defense. (Thank you whomever I stole these numbers from!) The Patriots faced 3rd & 10 or more on 54 snaps this year and yet they played 6 or more DBs on 382 snaps.
The Miami Dolphins used the Dime package only 7 times…
Of course Miami couldn’t cover tight ends, they were depending on low paid LBs and secondary when the rest of the NFL has evolved hybrid players capable of covering and assisting the run. Miami spent over one fourth of its salary cap on a defensive line that ranked 27th in sacks per game.
The Miami defense ranked 16th overall in 2017, 16th against the pass and 14th against the run…
On the surface, the defense looks average but because of the disparity between DL and the rest of the defense, Miami was a disaster at stopping crucial 3rd and long situations. Consider these stats…
3rd and 10 or more yards:
Cmp Att Cmp% Yds Y/A Y/C
34 46 73.9 396 8.6 11.6
74% percent of the passes thrown against the Miami defense on 3rd and 10 or more yards were completed for an average of 11.6 YPC. This is atrocious and worse, these plays, that could get the defense off the field, are demoralizing.
On the opposite side, offenses converting these plays are laughing at the Miami defense…
30 total sacks for one of the highest paid position groups in the NFL…
All of this is not pointing out that the Miami DL is bad. It’s showing that the Miami philosophy of paying for a great defensive line is a faulty premise that no longer works in the NFL.
The ball comes out too quickly for DL to get to the passer. If the QB can run (Tyrod Taylor) the DL is not fast enough to contain him. Once the defense has stopped the opponent for 3rd and long, there are not enough good players in the secondary to finish the series.
It’s very apparent Miami needs to change its defensive strategy…
More to come on what changes could be made.
This team needed to make significant strides in 2017, with more convincing victories, or the statistics would eventually even out against them. Miami endured a mountain of well-documented adversity, including losing their starting QB, which meant getting better in 2017, would be an uphill climb.
The Jay Cutler experiment was made out of desperation and the Miami Dolphins should not be ostracized for making this move. Matt Moore may have made it through a whole season, but his injury history did not indicate this being a serious option. Cutler clearly told Adam Gase he would only return from retirement if he was the starting QB.
Gase and the Dolphins threw the dice, seeing this move as perhaps the only real option to salvage the Miami offense for the 2017 season…
The Dolphins thought they could rely on their defense to make up for the uncertainty on offense, but they were wrong. The problems on offense were expected with the hurry up preparation of Jay Cutler. The holes in the defense came as a surprise and ruined Miami’s season.
The defense began to unravel during the 40 – 0 beat down by the Baltimore Ravens…
Baltimore exposed the gaping holes in the wide 9 alignment by rushing for well over 4 yards per carry. The 4-3 depends on the defensive line to hold up against the run and be dominant in rushing the passer. The wide 9 splits the defensive ends outside the offensive tackles. Baltimore was able to exploit this and open huge gaps in the middle of the defense.
Linebackers, Alonso, Timmons and Maualuga combined for 21 tackles in that game. Defensive linemen, Suh, Godchaux, Harris, Hayes, Philips, Fede, Taylor and Wake combined for just 7 tackles without a single sack…
The big money players on the DL were beaten badly, Suh had 3 tackles and Cameron Wake had none. The linebackers were finishing plays, but not before allowing gashing runs into the second level of the defense.
Miami’s offense gave up two pick sixes and a fumble recovery touchdown in this game. The defense did not seem to be an issue at the time, but the Dolphins were blindsided.
The blame was heaped on Matt Moore, starting for an injured Cutler, but the problem was far deeper. The Ravens forced Miami’s DE’s outside and pulled trapping guards into the resulting gaps, opening up huge running lanes.
Miami needed to get this fixed and they knew it. The LBs would have to play closer to the line and tighten up between the tackles, a safety would need to sneak into the box to assist.
The following week against the Raiders, the rushing lanes were somewhat shutdown, even though the Raiders ran for over 4 YPC, but the effort exposed what would be Miami’s Achilles Heel the rest of the season.
Raider TE Jared Cook slashed Miami’s secondary and LBs for 126 yards and a whopping 15.8 Yards Per Reception. The Dolphins were exposed, they had no answer for TEs or personnel to help solve the problem.
The Miami philosophy of playing from the inside out with a dominant defensive line was proving easy to defeat. In this defense, the 4 DL need to apply max pressure without blitzing because the three linebackers are needed to drop into coverage zones and shut down inside runs.
Miami ranked 27th in sacks per game…
To put that into perspective, 7 of the top 8 teams in sacks per game went to the playoffs and only 1 team in the bottom 8 made it to the dance…
Ndamukong Suh, Andre Branch and Cameron Wake accounted for over 26% of Miami’s 2017 salary cap…
Reshad Jones, Kiko Alonso, Lawrence Timmons, T.J. McDonald, Xavien Howard, Stephone Anthony, Reakwon McMillian, Bobby McCain, Cordrea Tankersley, Tony Lippett and Chase Allen accounted for less than 23% of Miami’s 2017 salary cap…
If there is any question about Miami's defensive philosophy, follow the money…
The problem is, Miami is paying for an ancient scheme that is no longer valid in the NFL…
The Patriots had 221 snaps in Dime (6-DB) Personnel this year and an astounding 161 snaps in Prevent (7-DB). Miami had SEVEN total snaps in a Dime defense. (Thank you whomever I stole these numbers from!) The Patriots faced 3rd & 10 or more on 54 snaps this year and yet they played 6 or more DBs on 382 snaps.
The Miami Dolphins used the Dime package only 7 times…
Of course Miami couldn’t cover tight ends, they were depending on low paid LBs and secondary when the rest of the NFL has evolved hybrid players capable of covering and assisting the run. Miami spent over one fourth of its salary cap on a defensive line that ranked 27th in sacks per game.
The Miami defense ranked 16th overall in 2017, 16th against the pass and 14th against the run…
On the surface, the defense looks average but because of the disparity between DL and the rest of the defense, Miami was a disaster at stopping crucial 3rd and long situations. Consider these stats…
3rd and 10 or more yards:
Cmp Att Cmp% Yds Y/A Y/C
34 46 73.9 396 8.6 11.6
74% percent of the passes thrown against the Miami defense on 3rd and 10 or more yards were completed for an average of 11.6 YPC. This is atrocious and worse, these plays, that could get the defense off the field, are demoralizing.
On the opposite side, offenses converting these plays are laughing at the Miami defense…
30 total sacks for one of the highest paid position groups in the NFL…
All of this is not pointing out that the Miami DL is bad. It’s showing that the Miami philosophy of paying for a great defensive line is a faulty premise that no longer works in the NFL.
The ball comes out too quickly for DL to get to the passer. If the QB can run (Tyrod Taylor) the DL is not fast enough to contain him. Once the defense has stopped the opponent for 3rd and long, there are not enough good players in the secondary to finish the series.
It’s very apparent Miami needs to change its defensive strategy…
More to come on what changes could be made.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Jet Net Suffocates Dolphins
Where does one begin?
Being one that focuses on the promising acts of every given day and/or The Miami Dolphins and/or NFL football. I guess the entire NFL displaying unity in an Americans right to Freedom Of Speech is worth mentioning!
Besides that.
Favored AFC projected playoff
teams such as Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Denver, and Oakland lost to what were suggested to be inferior teams.
As far as the second Sunday of the 2017 Miami Dolphins.
The above is about all that went right!
It started out innocent enough.
The first few minutes went well as Miami's D forced an opening series three and out with the aid of a Cameron Wake sack. Andre Branch logged a sack on the third defensive series, and that (for the day) was about all that was worth mentioning defensively.
The Dolphins first offensive play was a nice Kenny Stills scoop for a first down while the oppositions challenge failed. On the second play Miami's Jay Ajayi took an upper cut to the family jewels. Though he returned shortly thereafter for the games remainder, it seemed as though the entire team gasped for air from then on.
Miami's second defensive series began with back to back to back encroachment penalties and ended with a shanked field goal attempt. The Dolphins second offensive series began with back to back to back offensive line illegal procedure penalties while racing against the playclock which obviously led to one of numerous three & outs for the visiting team.
Midway into the second quarter the home team with 143 yards scored the first 3 points of the game. The Dolphins had 40 yards of offense to that point, 10 coming from Ajayi on 7 attempts. On Miami's next touch of the ball, Cutler (whom was swarmed relentlessly throughout the day) took a big sack. The Dolphins now have 30 total yards on the day as a third down attempt is dropped beyond the first down marker. Cutler is 3 of 6 for 23 yards.
BOOM!!!
Team green burns All-Terrain Verner for a 69 yard TD and a 10 - 0 visitors defecit at the half.
Ok, Ok, it's Ok, Miami's Dolphins are down by ten and they're a second half team, everythings Ok.
Right?
Wrong!
It gets no prettier folks, and becomes one of the most frustrating Dolphin game since the 1 - 15 season of 2007.
Miami opens the third quarter with another three & out. To this point they have seven ""touches"" of the ball that result in seven punts with just three first downs and the previously noted 30 to 40 yards of total offense.
The home opening team and Dolphin divisional rival drive their opening third quarter series for a touchdown and 17 - 0 lead.
The Dolphins become so desperate to make something happen early in the third quarter upon yet another three & out, and attempt a fake punt that results in the punter throwing an interception at the 50 yard line.
It's sooo bad that on NY's next series first down play they actually gain seven yards on an incompletion. Someone's head was up their A, as the following snap came without a zebra or Adam Gase blink of an eye. Upon a completed throwing motion the QB's arm was fully extended forward, as the ball released from his fingertips a Dolphin defender simotaneously tipped the ball, the ball went 20 feet high hit the ground rolled forward for seven yards and the QB recovered it for a seven yard gain. WTF? Another NY field goal and 20 - 0 score.
Hey Hey Yippy!
As the third quarter final second ticks off the clock,
The Miami Dolphins cross the 50 yard line for the first time.
Four down territory.
Miami drives to the 20 and has a fourth down back of the end zone pass fall incomplete.
Hey Hey Yippy!
Three ""touches of the ball"" later Jay Cutler hits DeVante Parker (great catch) for a four yard TOUCHDOWN as the game ends. 20 - 7. Right?
Wrong!
Dolphins miss the extra one point attempt,
and lose in a devastating manner 20 - 6.
In thirteen fewer minutes of possession the Dolphins actually ended up with as many first downs as the home team, and ran 4 more plays. Unfortunately, they went 1 of 12 on third and 0 for 3 on fourth downs while very few plays for Miami moved the ball forward, and just one resulted in points!
After two devestating road losses the 0 - 2 Jets came to play and weren't about to let their loud home opening crowd down. The Dolphins could do no right, T'was quite frustrating indeed!!!
Miami 225. NYJ 336 total yards.
Cutler 26 of 44 for 220 with a TD & a needless dagger of a pick,
(nothing but grass in front of you, run two more yards for the first down).
Parker 8 receptions for 76 with a TD.
((( JAY AJAYI ELEVEN ATTEMPTS FOR SIXTEEN YARDS )))
London Dolphins versus the Wembley Saints next Sunday at 9 : 30 am EST !!!
GOFINS!!!
Being one that focuses on the promising acts of every given day and/or The Miami Dolphins and/or NFL football. I guess the entire NFL displaying unity in an Americans right to Freedom Of Speech is worth mentioning!
Besides that.
Favored AFC projected playoff
teams such as Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Denver, and Oakland lost to what were suggested to be inferior teams.
As far as the second Sunday of the 2017 Miami Dolphins.
The above is about all that went right!
It started out innocent enough.
The first few minutes went well as Miami's D forced an opening series three and out with the aid of a Cameron Wake sack. Andre Branch logged a sack on the third defensive series, and that (for the day) was about all that was worth mentioning defensively.
The Dolphins first offensive play was a nice Kenny Stills scoop for a first down while the oppositions challenge failed. On the second play Miami's Jay Ajayi took an upper cut to the family jewels. Though he returned shortly thereafter for the games remainder, it seemed as though the entire team gasped for air from then on.
Miami's second defensive series began with back to back to back encroachment penalties and ended with a shanked field goal attempt. The Dolphins second offensive series began with back to back to back offensive line illegal procedure penalties while racing against the playclock which obviously led to one of numerous three & outs for the visiting team.
Midway into the second quarter the home team with 143 yards scored the first 3 points of the game. The Dolphins had 40 yards of offense to that point, 10 coming from Ajayi on 7 attempts. On Miami's next touch of the ball, Cutler (whom was swarmed relentlessly throughout the day) took a big sack. The Dolphins now have 30 total yards on the day as a third down attempt is dropped beyond the first down marker. Cutler is 3 of 6 for 23 yards.
BOOM!!!
Team green burns All-Terrain Verner for a 69 yard TD and a 10 - 0 visitors defecit at the half.
Ok, Ok, it's Ok, Miami's Dolphins are down by ten and they're a second half team, everythings Ok.
Right?
Wrong!
It gets no prettier folks, and becomes one of the most frustrating Dolphin game since the 1 - 15 season of 2007.
Miami opens the third quarter with another three & out. To this point they have seven ""touches"" of the ball that result in seven punts with just three first downs and the previously noted 30 to 40 yards of total offense.
The home opening team and Dolphin divisional rival drive their opening third quarter series for a touchdown and 17 - 0 lead.
The Dolphins become so desperate to make something happen early in the third quarter upon yet another three & out, and attempt a fake punt that results in the punter throwing an interception at the 50 yard line.
It's sooo bad that on NY's next series first down play they actually gain seven yards on an incompletion. Someone's head was up their A, as the following snap came without a zebra or Adam Gase blink of an eye. Upon a completed throwing motion the QB's arm was fully extended forward, as the ball released from his fingertips a Dolphin defender simotaneously tipped the ball, the ball went 20 feet high hit the ground rolled forward for seven yards and the QB recovered it for a seven yard gain. WTF? Another NY field goal and 20 - 0 score.
Hey Hey Yippy!
As the third quarter final second ticks off the clock,
The Miami Dolphins cross the 50 yard line for the first time.
Four down territory.
Miami drives to the 20 and has a fourth down back of the end zone pass fall incomplete.
Hey Hey Yippy!
Three ""touches of the ball"" later Jay Cutler hits DeVante Parker (great catch) for a four yard TOUCHDOWN as the game ends. 20 - 7. Right?
Wrong!
Dolphins miss the extra one point attempt,
and lose in a devastating manner 20 - 6.
In thirteen fewer minutes of possession the Dolphins actually ended up with as many first downs as the home team, and ran 4 more plays. Unfortunately, they went 1 of 12 on third and 0 for 3 on fourth downs while very few plays for Miami moved the ball forward, and just one resulted in points!
After two devestating road losses the 0 - 2 Jets came to play and weren't about to let their loud home opening crowd down. The Dolphins could do no right, T'was quite frustrating indeed!!!
Miami 225. NYJ 336 total yards.
Cutler 26 of 44 for 220 with a TD & a needless dagger of a pick,
(nothing but grass in front of you, run two more yards for the first down).
Parker 8 receptions for 76 with a TD.
((( JAY AJAYI ELEVEN ATTEMPTS FOR SIXTEEN YARDS )))
London Dolphins versus the Wembley Saints next Sunday at 9 : 30 am EST !!!
GOFINS!!!
The Dolphin Defense Flounders as Jay Cutler Shines
The
sense coming into the third preseason game was the Miami defense would
need to carry the team until the offense found its swagger. Jay Cutler
needed time to shake off the rust and find a rhythm with his receivers.
The opposite proved true, Adam Gase’s offense quickly adjusted to
Cutler’s quick release and carved up the Eagles secondary, while the
Miami defense struggled mightily.
Jay Ajayi slashed and bruised his way through the Philadelphia defense for nearly 6-yards a carry and even Mike Pouncey walked away smiling. The Cutler signing looked almost prophetic as Matt Moore threw two ugly interceptions, one resulting in a pick six. With the Dolphins threatening to score, Moore tossed a rookie INT into two defenders with no Miami player close enough to contest.
If anything, the 38-31 loss to the Eagles seemed to vindicate Adam Gase’s decision to pull Jay Cutler out of retirement for one last shot at something special. The offensive line mostly held its own with Mike Pouncey out of bubble wrap for the first time this preseason. An ugly missed block by left tackle Laremy Tunsil caused Cutler’s only bad play, a strip sack-fumble leading to an Eagle TD. Both Tunsil and right tackle Ja’Wuan James looked slow and unprepared for live game action.
21 dynamic points with Jay Cutler at the helm, showed the Miami offense did not miss a beat without Ryan Tannehill. In fact, Cutler was noticeably more at ease in Gase’s offense after only 18 days in Miami, than Tannehill had been in a full season. With the playbook relegated to only a few pages, it should be quite interesting to see the transformation with a full arsenal on display. Cutler seemed particularly eager to find DeVante Parker in one on one situations and their 72 yard hook-up was a teaser of things to come.
The Miami defense on the other hand did not look much different than where it left off ranked 30th in the NFL last season. There were a couple of bursts in the first quarter, including a tipped ball interception that saw 340 pound Jordan Phillips rumble to the 2 yard line, but overall, the defense was not good. Byron Maxwell lost interest in coverage resulting in a 50 yard TD completion to Alshon Jeffery. Bobby McCain was caught flat footed on multiple occasions and hopefully Reshad Jones was simply rusty because his tackling was pathetic.
Key defensive free agent acquisition Lawrence Timmons looked incredibly slow reacting at the point of attack. The step Timmons was rumored to have lost, did not come from his feet, but rather in his inability to recognize the play before being blocked out of it. It was not a good sign for Miami, when Timmons looked lost for much of the evening. For whatever reason, Kiko Alonso and Ndamukong Suh did not appear to be interested in the game as their names were rarely called.
Playing T. J. McDonald at safety seemed counter-productive when the player will be lost to suspension for the first 8 games of the season. Obviously, Nate Allen was nursing some vague injury, but aside from Xavien Howard, the Miami secondary had trouble in staying with Eagle receivers the entire night. With blown coverages all over the field and missed tackles, Matt Burke’s defense looked a long way from being ready to open the season in two weeks.
Before reading too deeply into negative reactions, this was a preseason game and for the defense, it certainly looked the part. There is work to be done all over the defense, from the line play, to linebacker positionings and in the secondary. The positive is the plethora of opportunities Miami coaches will have to teach from the many mistakes.
In all, the Miami Dolphins can safely place the loss of Ryan Tannehill behind them in the mental preparation for the season. Jay Cutler is going to be just fine and may even be the NFL’s biggest surprise. The concentration should now be centered on getting the offensive line playing together, healthy and in sync.
On the defensive side, there simply must be more intensity. In this game, there were a few moments of true dominance, but far too often poor execution led to costly chucks of yardage and touch downs.
Suh’s name was not called, Alonso’s name was not called, Jones’ and Maxwell’s names were called for all the wrong reasons. If these guys are joining Cameron Wake as the money players on this defense, then they’re going to have to strap it up and bring some conviction. After spending two days practicing against the Eagles, Lawrence Timmons' lack of anticipation should be a huge concern.
It’s a preseason game, and drawing too many conclusions from these games is a mistake…
The Dolphins now have a very good read on what they need to sure up over the next two weeks.
They can do that with a comforting sigh knowing the loss of Ryan Tannehill will have little or no impact on the season’s outcome.
Welcome to Miami Jay Cutler!
Jay Ajayi slashed and bruised his way through the Philadelphia defense for nearly 6-yards a carry and even Mike Pouncey walked away smiling. The Cutler signing looked almost prophetic as Matt Moore threw two ugly interceptions, one resulting in a pick six. With the Dolphins threatening to score, Moore tossed a rookie INT into two defenders with no Miami player close enough to contest.
If anything, the 38-31 loss to the Eagles seemed to vindicate Adam Gase’s decision to pull Jay Cutler out of retirement for one last shot at something special. The offensive line mostly held its own with Mike Pouncey out of bubble wrap for the first time this preseason. An ugly missed block by left tackle Laremy Tunsil caused Cutler’s only bad play, a strip sack-fumble leading to an Eagle TD. Both Tunsil and right tackle Ja’Wuan James looked slow and unprepared for live game action.
21 dynamic points with Jay Cutler at the helm, showed the Miami offense did not miss a beat without Ryan Tannehill. In fact, Cutler was noticeably more at ease in Gase’s offense after only 18 days in Miami, than Tannehill had been in a full season. With the playbook relegated to only a few pages, it should be quite interesting to see the transformation with a full arsenal on display. Cutler seemed particularly eager to find DeVante Parker in one on one situations and their 72 yard hook-up was a teaser of things to come.
The Miami defense on the other hand did not look much different than where it left off ranked 30th in the NFL last season. There were a couple of bursts in the first quarter, including a tipped ball interception that saw 340 pound Jordan Phillips rumble to the 2 yard line, but overall, the defense was not good. Byron Maxwell lost interest in coverage resulting in a 50 yard TD completion to Alshon Jeffery. Bobby McCain was caught flat footed on multiple occasions and hopefully Reshad Jones was simply rusty because his tackling was pathetic.
Key defensive free agent acquisition Lawrence Timmons looked incredibly slow reacting at the point of attack. The step Timmons was rumored to have lost, did not come from his feet, but rather in his inability to recognize the play before being blocked out of it. It was not a good sign for Miami, when Timmons looked lost for much of the evening. For whatever reason, Kiko Alonso and Ndamukong Suh did not appear to be interested in the game as their names were rarely called.
Playing T. J. McDonald at safety seemed counter-productive when the player will be lost to suspension for the first 8 games of the season. Obviously, Nate Allen was nursing some vague injury, but aside from Xavien Howard, the Miami secondary had trouble in staying with Eagle receivers the entire night. With blown coverages all over the field and missed tackles, Matt Burke’s defense looked a long way from being ready to open the season in two weeks.
Before reading too deeply into negative reactions, this was a preseason game and for the defense, it certainly looked the part. There is work to be done all over the defense, from the line play, to linebacker positionings and in the secondary. The positive is the plethora of opportunities Miami coaches will have to teach from the many mistakes.
In all, the Miami Dolphins can safely place the loss of Ryan Tannehill behind them in the mental preparation for the season. Jay Cutler is going to be just fine and may even be the NFL’s biggest surprise. The concentration should now be centered on getting the offensive line playing together, healthy and in sync.
On the defensive side, there simply must be more intensity. In this game, there were a few moments of true dominance, but far too often poor execution led to costly chucks of yardage and touch downs.
Suh’s name was not called, Alonso’s name was not called, Jones’ and Maxwell’s names were called for all the wrong reasons. If these guys are joining Cameron Wake as the money players on this defense, then they’re going to have to strap it up and bring some conviction. After spending two days practicing against the Eagles, Lawrence Timmons' lack of anticipation should be a huge concern.
It’s a preseason game, and drawing too many conclusions from these games is a mistake…
The Dolphins now have a very good read on what they need to sure up over the next two weeks.
They can do that with a comforting sigh knowing the loss of Ryan Tannehill will have little or no impact on the season’s outcome.
Welcome to Miami Jay Cutler!
The Dolphin Defense Flounders as Jay Cutler Shines
The sense coming into the third preseason game was the Miami defense would need to carry the team until the offense found its swagger. Jay Cutler needed time to shake off the rust and find a rhythm with his receivers. The opposite proved true, Adam Gase’s offense quickly adjusted to Cutler’s quick release and carved up the Eagles secondary, while the Miami defense struggled mightily.
Jay Ajayi slashed and bruised his way through the Philadelphia defense for nearly 6-yards a carry and even Mike Pouncey walked away smiling. The Cutler signing looked almost prophetic as Matt Moore threw two ugly interceptions, one resulting in a pick six. With the Dolphins threatening to score, Moore tossed a rookie INT into two defenders with no Miami player close enough to contest.
If anything, the 38-31 loss to the Eagles seemed to vindicate Adam Gase’s decision to pull Jay Cutler out of retirement for one last shot at something special. The offensive line mostly held its own with Mike Pouncey out of bubble wrap for the first time this preseason. An ugly missed block by left tackle Laremy Tunsil caused Cutler’s only bad play, a strip sack-fumble leading to an Eagle TD. Both Tunsil and right tackle Ja’Wuan James looked slow and unprepared for live game action.
21 dynamic points with Jay Cutler at the helm, showed the Miami offense did not miss a beat without Ryan Tannehill. In fact, Cutler was noticeably more at ease in Gase’s offense after only 18 days in Miami, than Tannehill had been in a full season. With the playbook relegated to only a few pages, it should be quite interesting to see the transformation with a full arsenal on display. Cutler seemed particularly eager to find DeVante Parker in one on one situations and their 72 yard hook-up was a teaser of things to come.
The Miami defense on the other hand did not look much different than where it left off ranked 30th in the NFL last season. There were a couple of bursts in the first quarter, including a tipped ball interception that saw 340 pound Jordan Phillips rumble to the 2 yard line, but overall, the defense was not good. Byron Maxwell lost interest in coverage resulting in a 50 yard TD completion to Alshon Jeffery. Bobby McCain was caught flat footed on multiple occasions and hopefully Reshad Jones was simply rusty because his tackling was pathetic.
Key defensive free agent acquisition Lawrence Timmons looked incredibly slow reacting at the point of attack. The step Timmons was rumored to have lost, did not come from his feet, but rather in his inability to recognize the play before being blocked out of it. It was not a good sign for Miami, when Timmons looked lost for much of the evening. For whatever reason, Kiko Alonso and Ndamukong Suh did not appear to be interested in the game as their names were rarely called.
Playing T. J. McDonald at safety seemed counter-productive when the player will be lost to suspension for the first 8 games of the season. Obviously, Nate Allen was nursing some vague injury, but aside from Xavien Howard, the Miami secondary had trouble in staying with Eagle receivers the entire night. With blown coverages all over the field and missed tackles, Matt Burke’s defense looked a long way from being ready to open the season in two weeks.
Before reading too deeply into negative reactions, this was a preseason game and for the defense, it certainly looked the part. There is work to be done all over the defense, from the line play, to linebacker positionings and in the secondary. The positive is the plethora of opportunities Miami coaches will have to teach from the many mistakes.
In all, the Miami Dolphins can safely place the loss of Ryan Tannehill behind them in the mental preparation for the season. Jay Cutler is going to be just fine and may even be the NFL’s biggest surprise. The concentration should now be centered on getting the offensive line playing together, healthy and in sync.
On the defensive side, there simply must be more intensity. In this game, there were a few moments of true dominance, but far too often poor execution led to costly chucks of yardage and touch downs.
Suh’s name was not called, Alonso’s name was not called, Jones’ and Maxwell’s names were called for all the wrong reasons. If these guys are joining Cameron Wake as the money players on this defense, then they’re going to have to strap it up and bring some conviction. After spending two days practicing against the Eagles, Lawrence Timmons' lack of anticipation should be a huge concern.
It’s a preseason game, and drawing too many conclusions from these games is a mistake…
The Dolphins now have a very good read on what they need to sure up over the next two weeks.
They can do that with a comforting sigh knowing the loss of Ryan Tannehill will have little or no impact on the season’s outcome.
Welcome to Miami Jay Cutler!
Jay Ajayi slashed and bruised his way through the Philadelphia defense for nearly 6-yards a carry and even Mike Pouncey walked away smiling. The Cutler signing looked almost prophetic as Matt Moore threw two ugly interceptions, one resulting in a pick six. With the Dolphins threatening to score, Moore tossed a rookie INT into two defenders with no Miami player close enough to contest.
If anything, the 38-31 loss to the Eagles seemed to vindicate Adam Gase’s decision to pull Jay Cutler out of retirement for one last shot at something special. The offensive line mostly held its own with Mike Pouncey out of bubble wrap for the first time this preseason. An ugly missed block by left tackle Laremy Tunsil caused Cutler’s only bad play, a strip sack-fumble leading to an Eagle TD. Both Tunsil and right tackle Ja’Wuan James looked slow and unprepared for live game action.
21 dynamic points with Jay Cutler at the helm, showed the Miami offense did not miss a beat without Ryan Tannehill. In fact, Cutler was noticeably more at ease in Gase’s offense after only 18 days in Miami, than Tannehill had been in a full season. With the playbook relegated to only a few pages, it should be quite interesting to see the transformation with a full arsenal on display. Cutler seemed particularly eager to find DeVante Parker in one on one situations and their 72 yard hook-up was a teaser of things to come.
The Miami defense on the other hand did not look much different than where it left off ranked 30th in the NFL last season. There were a couple of bursts in the first quarter, including a tipped ball interception that saw 340 pound Jordan Phillips rumble to the 2 yard line, but overall, the defense was not good. Byron Maxwell lost interest in coverage resulting in a 50 yard TD completion to Alshon Jeffery. Bobby McCain was caught flat footed on multiple occasions and hopefully Reshad Jones was simply rusty because his tackling was pathetic.
Key defensive free agent acquisition Lawrence Timmons looked incredibly slow reacting at the point of attack. The step Timmons was rumored to have lost, did not come from his feet, but rather in his inability to recognize the play before being blocked out of it. It was not a good sign for Miami, when Timmons looked lost for much of the evening. For whatever reason, Kiko Alonso and Ndamukong Suh did not appear to be interested in the game as their names were rarely called.
Playing T. J. McDonald at safety seemed counter-productive when the player will be lost to suspension for the first 8 games of the season. Obviously, Nate Allen was nursing some vague injury, but aside from Xavien Howard, the Miami secondary had trouble in staying with Eagle receivers the entire night. With blown coverages all over the field and missed tackles, Matt Burke’s defense looked a long way from being ready to open the season in two weeks.
Before reading too deeply into negative reactions, this was a preseason game and for the defense, it certainly looked the part. There is work to be done all over the defense, from the line play, to linebacker positionings and in the secondary. The positive is the plethora of opportunities Miami coaches will have to teach from the many mistakes.
In all, the Miami Dolphins can safely place the loss of Ryan Tannehill behind them in the mental preparation for the season. Jay Cutler is going to be just fine and may even be the NFL’s biggest surprise. The concentration should now be centered on getting the offensive line playing together, healthy and in sync.
On the defensive side, there simply must be more intensity. In this game, there were a few moments of true dominance, but far too often poor execution led to costly chucks of yardage and touch downs.
Suh’s name was not called, Alonso’s name was not called, Jones’ and Maxwell’s names were called for all the wrong reasons. If these guys are joining Cameron Wake as the money players on this defense, then they’re going to have to strap it up and bring some conviction. After spending two days practicing against the Eagles, Lawrence Timmons' lack of anticipation should be a huge concern.
It’s a preseason game, and drawing too many conclusions from these games is a mistake…
The Dolphins now have a very good read on what they need to sure up over the next two weeks.
They can do that with a comforting sigh knowing the loss of Ryan Tannehill will have little or no impact on the season’s outcome.
Welcome to Miami Jay Cutler!
The Miami Dolphins Need to Pay Jarvis Landry
“We’re building something special here…”
This quote leads to a curious case with Jarvis Landry and
his value to the Miami Dolphins. Will it become a point of contention the
longer the prolific wide receiver remains without a contract extension? As a
slot receiver, Landry is rarely mentioned in the same sentence with his flashy
college teammate Odell Beckham. Yet Landry holds the NFL record for the most
receptions in his first two seasons, catching 194 passes. Landry and Beckham
are tied for the most catches after three seasons with 288.
Landry is oft criticized for finding the endzone only 13 time in three seasons but he has a history of
mastering perceived shortcomings. Overshadowed by Beckham and posting a pedestrian 4.61 40 yard
dash allowed Landry to slip to the Dolphins in the second round.
At 5’11” he’s not the biggest target, in fact, few of his tangible measurements
stood out during the 2014 combine. Only when plugging in the tape does Landry’s value as a football player and teammate become apparent.
Landry is the spark plug that ignites the Miami Dolphin
engine. Landry is the playmaker in moments of desperation. Landry is the leader
when others lose confidence. These intangible assets, unlike 40 times, are his
core value. On a team with a subdued Ryan Tannehill at QB, the fiery leadership comes from another position in the huddle. That position belongs to Juice
Landry, he is the juice that gets the party started.
“We’re building something special here…”
A slot receiver is not typically a big money player, that
designation goes to DeVante Parker with his first round pedigree and off the
chart combine numbers. Clearly tangible measurements do not make a football
player. Parker may one day live up to the team’s draft day expectations, but this
is more an indictment of the process. Rewarding 40 yard dashes over
demonstrated accomplishments on the football field has led to more Dion Jordan’s
than Jarvis Landry’s.
Those first round mistakes created the rookie salary cap
because the risk/reward of the unknown is a losing proposition. The notion of
paying more to veteran players is a joke and a lie. The NFL power brokers grew
tired of their own mistakes and decided to mitigate them by forcing rookies to
demonstrate their worth before any big money changed greedy hands.
Under the leadership of Adam Gase, the Miami Dolphins have
made a paradigm shift in personnel philosophy. Moving from perennial winners of
March free agent Madness to a pay-for-play homegrown revolution. Gase’s message
is simple and direct, “put it all on the field for me and you’ll get paid by me.”
In the free agent age, where money-grabs rule, and players usually switch teams
to obtain their perceived value, the approach is both refreshing and enlightened.
“We’re building something special here…”
The concept offers a subtle solution to the question, “how
do you motivate players after they become multimillionaires?” Football players
like Juice Landry are not as motivated by pure dollars as many outside the
locker room would think. Football players know, a single hit or shift in a scrum
pile can end their careers’ instantly. When the opportunity to get rich knocks,
only a fool wouldn’t jump, especially after working their entire lives to
achieve stardom in their chosen profession.
Clearly, the resounding drop-off in
performance when players switch teams shows that dollars rarely motivate. The answer lies in the locker room where
Jarvis Landry sits waiting on his payday and watches outsiders like Ndamukong
Suh stride in with $100 million dollars in their pocket. Resentment is probably a
word rarely uttered in NFL circles and yet, why did Suh leave Detroit to get
paid? He now sits with two locker stalls in an obscure corner, his $100 million
dollars flying like banner over his locker. Are the players around him not
supposed to feel resentment?
Therein lies the answer… The Miami Dolphins (among other
teams) flounder because, letting players walk out the door to get paid sends
the wrong message. Bringing in players from other teams and paying them sends
the wrong message. Kenny Stills could have a better contract, Kiko Alonso could
have waited for free agency, Cameron Wake could have played out his
contract, and Andre Branch would’ve received the same deal elsewhere. They chose to stay in Miami.
“We’re building something special here…”
Teammates motivate multimillionaires… Not coaches, not
dollars, not accolades, teammates. When players jump ship to get paid, the
locker room breaks down. When new players enter that are not part of the
chemistry, the locker room breaks down.
Gase has made a brilliant observation,
teammates motivate multimillionaires…
When teammates hold each other accountable,
the dollars are of no consequence. The bad ass defensive tackle in the corner
is as much a part of the fabric as the geeky clutch kicker. Together, they
strive for greatness and the dollars take care of themselves. “Play for me and I’ll
get you paid.”
“We’re building something special here…”
Jarvis Landry is the embodiment of this philosophy because
he does not need dollars to put it out on the field. He is the player Adam Gase
envisioned when he thought through this personnel concept and now The Juice
needs some oranges squeezed! Would it be surprising to learn Jarvis Landry
asked his coach to, “take care of my boys first?” It is purely conjecture, but Landry making that statement rings true, because he’s the
ultimate teammate.
And now, it’s time to pay The Juice.
“We’re building something special here…”
Dan (TEX) Campbell's Miami Dolphins Strike Oil Versus Texans
Miami's offense (best NFL yardage output in a half since 1991) fell just a few yards short of the 400 yard mark over the first half while they rushed for more than last weeks game total of 180 yards. The Dolphins Franchise Quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw four touchdown passes in the first half with three of them to (Rishard Matthews, Jarvis Landry, Lamar Miller) being of the 50 plus yard variety.
Tannehill also broke franchise as well as historical league records with his 25th consecutive completion. He converted his final seven attempts last week while going 18 of 18 thru the midway point of this weeks fourth quarter while his first and only incompletion on this day was a drop.
Upon taking the Texans first punt at the Miami 12 yard line, the Dolphins on five plays and three first downs quickly moved to their own 47. From there, on first and ten Tannehill threw an inside slant strike of oil to Rishard Matthews who sped untouched through a swarm of defenders for the 53 yard TOUCHDOWN and 7 - 0 Dolphin lead.
Houston then surrounded a Miami three and out with two more of their own and the Dolphins started to drill at midfield. On first and ten, Tannehill hit pay-dirt with a 12 yard out to Jarvis Landry on the left sideline who then juked the first defender, took a Bee-Line to the opposite sidelines while avoiding several tackles as his offensive line caught up to form the wall of China and lead him into the end zone for the fifty yard TOUCHDOWN score of 14 - 0.
After a fourth consecutive Texan three and out. Miami from the Houston 47 moved the ball to the oppositions 16 yard line on a first down Lamar Miller run of 29 yards. On third and four to go, Tannehill drilled a ten yard TOUCHDOWN pass to a wide open Jarvis Landry for the 21 - 0 Dolphin scoreboard advantage.
Just fourteen seconds later. On the Texans sixth "touch" of the ball which included one incomplete pass that preceded their second play of a Rashad Jones (his second in as many weeks) 23 yard "full gainer with a half twist back-flip" into the end zone for a Pik-Six TOUCHDOWN and a score of 35 - ZILCH.
A seventh consecutive Houston "touch" that went three and out was followed by a Miami punt and a 15 play loss on downs Texan drive of 66 yards. With a 35 - 0 lead the Dolphins had the Texan's in four down territory before halftime and took possession at their own 9 yard line. On first down Miller ran for 6 yards. On second down Lamar Miller busted the barrels seams with an 85 yard TOUCHDOWN burst of oil To'Da'House for a MIAMI DOLPHINS 41 to NOTHING explosion of digital lights at halftime.
With a 41 - 0 halftime lead and another Dolphin game in just four days on Thursday, at New England. Dan Campbell made an intelligent decision to rest (for the upcoming game) many of his starters over the second half versus the Texans while allowing numerous players of depth to get some in game experience. Though the Texans scored 26 second half garbage time points on Miami's (for the most part) backups, their scores were still highly contested. Other than Tannehill, Miami (for the most part) played with his second string running backs and receivers for the second half as rookie kicker Andrew Franks kicked a 53 yard field goal for the Dolphins only second half score and 44 - 26 MIAMI DOLPHIN VICTORY!
Ndamukong Suh had three TFL's (tackles for loss) while also accruing his first two 2015 sacks on back to back plays near the end of the games first half while Cam Wake also tabulated two more first half sacks, his sixth in two games. Houston had 71 rushing yards on 25 game attempts.
Rashad Jones got another Pik-Six and led the team in tackles.
Lamar Miller had 236 offensive yards with 14 rush attempts for One Hundred Seventy Five Yards that included an 85 yard touchdown run, and 3 receptions for 61 yards of which one (on a screen pass) went for 54 yards and another touchdown.
Jarvis Landry led the receivers with 5 catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns (with one being of 50 yards). Rishard Matthews and Lamar Miller were both close behind Landry's receiving yardage output, and each of them also had a receiving touchdown of length.
Ryan Tannehill passed for 282 yards in going 18 for 19 and four touchdowns with three of over 50 yards (while breaking history's NFL record of consecutive passes completed) with his 25th successive completion.
The Miami Dolphins Team netted 503 offensive yards on 59 plays with 248 coming via the ground attack on 35 attempts as the home team held possession for 32:05.
Upon widdeling their way back to the shack of Dan Campbell the Dolphins came to the door of a mansion and are presently living in the lap of his luxury!
Thank You for an open-minded read, and we look forward to your angle of view : )) !!
GOFINS!!!
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